Girl Genius XXIV: Ask Vit a Bit More Terror

[Scarlet Knight]

This is why I love the Foglios: Bang may be a cold blooded murderess, and a sexual deviant, but she appreciates the comfort of fluffy pink slippers.

[Rockphed]

Bang may be a sexual deviant

Huh? Are we talking about being attracted to a 15 foot tall, green, spikey monster, or is there some other justification for this label?

[eee]

I wonder. Could the guy lie? I mean, obviously he COULD, but would there be any point to it? He has the facts, he could make up a plausible story and direct Bang's fury towards almost anyone. But unless he's a minion of the Other and wants to cause trouble, I'd be surprised if he did.

But this IS Girl Genius, after all. Expect the unexpected.

Huh? Are we talking about being attracted to a 15 foot tall, green, spikey monster, or is there some other justification for this label?

That's not enough?

[Rodin]

There's also Bang's comments when Gil strapped her to an operating table, where she calls him pathetic for chaining someone to a table ONLY for medical purposes.

[Shining Wrath]

To be fair, I think Bang loved Vole for his mind. His bloodthirsty, set-off-a-civil-war-so-blood-fills-the-streets mind. Making him bigger and more dangerous only made her love him the more. Except he doesn't want to fight any longer; I don't think she knows that.

BTW, Higgs is here, so Vole ought to be nearby. I wonder where? He doesn't blend in very easily. If I were trying to hide Vole, I might try the plain sight variety and let him pretend to be a museum exhibit until the museum closed. He's got practice in standing still ....

[geoduck]

I wonder. Could the guy lie? I mean, obviously he COULD, but would there be any point to it? He has the facts, he could make up a plausible story and direct Bang's fury towards almost anyone. But unless he's a minion of the Other and wants to cause trouble, I'd be surprised if he did.

But this IS Girl Genius, after all. Expect the unexpected.

I hope he doesn't. Zeetha vs. Bang is going to happen at some point, and the strip throws in enough digressions as it is.

[HandofShadows]

To be fair, I think Bang loved Vole for his mind. His bloodthirsty, set-off-a-civil-war-so-blood-fills-the-streets mind. Making him bigger and more dangerous only made her love him the more. Except he doesn't want to fight any longer; I don't think she knows that.

BTW, Higgs is here, so Vole ought to be nearby. I wonder where? He doesn't blend in very easily. If I were trying to hide Vole, I might try the plain sight variety and let him pretend to be a museum exhibit until the museum closed. He's got practice in standing still ....

There is a possibility that Vol might go and talk Bang down. I mean they went through a lot to change him into what in many ways is a different person.

[Shining Wrath]

There is a possibility that Vol might go and talk Bang down. I mean they went through a lot to change him into what in many ways is a different person.

I believe Higgs said something along the lines of "Just because a general doesn't want to fight doesn't mean they can't". I think it's possible that Vole's fighting skills are on a par with those of Higgs - he's now centuries old and huge and spikey. He hasn't had much practice since becoming huge, but presumably he was a proficient fighter back in his old body (yes, I remember Gil taking him down fast and hard).

Higgs alone would be dangerous to Bang. Higgs + Vole can probably tell just about any one single person to sit down and behave - well, who knows what Albia could do if provoked, but aside from her Immense Majesty ....

[HandofShadows]

I wouldn't rank Vol's fighting skills that low. Gil, when he is serious, is a killing machine. I don't think Vol is going to fight though. I think he's just going to talk.

[Scarlet Knight]

There's also Bang's comments when Gil strapped her to an operating table, where she calls him pathetic for chaining someone to a table ONLY for medical purposes.

Yes, and her S&M side showed when she kept trying to see her "beautiful scars" on Prince "How Dare You."

[eee]

Suddenly, it occurs to me to wonder what 'the Devil's Prize' is. We've been assuming it's major money or some special treasure; but Bang couldn't have been crazy / furious enough to promise to marry whoever could tell her who destroyed her base, making HER the Devil's Prize? Could she?

[Rogar Demonblud]

Maybe. But for her, it'd just be an extended weekend fling in Vegas, ending with someone in a shallow grave in the desert as she goes on her merry way.

[Ellen]

Suddenly, it occurs to me to wonder what 'the Devil's Prize' is. We've been assuming it's major money or some special treasure; but Bang couldn't have been crazy / furious enough to promise to marry whoever could tell her who destroyed her base, making HER the Devil's Prize? Could she?

But, you need a reward people will WANT, not run away screaming from (nothing against Bang, but survival instincts will do that to people).

Also, while I'd always supposed Bang would have scary underwear, my mind hadn't made the leap to skulls and bones. Seems kind of obvious now. Guess I'm just hopelessly naive.

[JavaScribe]

but Bang couldn't have been crazy / furious enough to promise to marry whoever could tell her who destroyed her base, making HER the Devil's Prize? Could she?

As lovely as her body is, I don't think this guy is stupid or suicidal enough to go for it.

[otakuryoga]

I need an adult!

[wingnutx]

But, you need a reward people will WANT, not run away screaming from (nothing against Bang, but survival instincts will do that to people).

Also, while I'd always supposed Bang would have scary underwear, my mind hadn't made the leap to skulls and bones. Seems kind of obvious now. Guess I'm just hopelessly naive.

Bang is sexy as hell, and the skull undies are icing on the cake.

Plus she appears to be wearing a pair of silkies, which is pretty bad ass.

[PraetorDragoon]

Who knew our thread title would be this accurate.

[eee]

Bang's sleepwear is superb! And she's SO HAPPY at the prospect of fighting Zeetha, especially now! But the scar across her throat. It's hard to be certain, but I don't see it.

I wonder if she's met Albia yet.

Red Rum 752?

As lovely as her body is, I don't think this guy is stupid or suicidal enough to go for it.

When the small head is thinking, men do dumb things.

[factotum]

When the small head is thinking, men do dumb things.

There's dumb, and then there's propositioning Bangladesh Dupree when you're not Captain Vole, which is several orders of magnitude more stupid.

[Willie the Duck]

Suddenly, it occurs to me to wonder what 'the Devil's Prize' is. We've been assuming it's major money or some special treasure; but Bang couldn't have been crazy / furious enough to promise to marry whoever could tell her who destroyed her base, making HER the Devil's Prize? Could she?

Doubt very much any marriage is involved, but the prize could be a little off-panel bow-chicka-wowow. Seems in-character for Bang.

Red Rum 752?

Undoubtedly 152 with a stylized '1.' 151-proof rum (ex) is a typical (at least typical in the U.S.) "extra-strong" form of hard liquor. Having something be 152 would be like Spinaltap's volume which goes up to 11.

[HandofShadows]

Bang's sleepwear is superb! And she's SO HAPPY at the prospect of fighting Zeetha, especially now! But the scar across her throat. It's hard to be certain, but I don't see it.

Nope, not there. A mistake or was the scare before just make up.

[Traab]

Doubt very much any marriage is involved, but the prize could be a little off-panel bow-chicka-wowow. Seems in-character for Bang.

And considering the awe she is held in by pirates everywhere, being able to go, "Yep, i tapped that and lived" would likely make you envied and HATED by everyone in the field. Thus the devils prize. Its one heck of a reward, but brag about it too much and get sent straight to hell. Assuming its not more, "If you tell anyone it happened I will kill you." Which would also make sense.

[Shining Wrath]

I doubt very much that the Devil's Prize as advertised is a chance to bang Bang. First, that cuts out roughly 45% of the population that doesn't want to have sexual congress with a woman, which is inefficient. Secondly, there's plenty of people who do like boinking women who wouldn't consider it to be sufficient reward to risk being killed painfully if you're wrong. Speaking as someone who does in fact like women that way, I can't really think of anyone that I'd risk death to have once.

However, I think Bang may be excited enough by the news to throw in a little hanky-panky in addition to the presumably monetary "big score" the pirate came for.

I just hope she actually pays the guy rather than getting him drunk, pumping him for information, and then killing him so he can't spread the news.

And "This is going to be the best fight EVER!" suggests she does intend to call Zeetha out and fight her toe-to-toe rather than murdering her via treachery. Which might be smart, because if Zeetha agrees that means Higgs and Agatha won't kill Bang after. A duel is a duel, after all.

EDIT: The Shining. Find the reference yourself.

[Rodin]

I just hope she actually pays the guy rather than getting him drunk, pumping him for information, and then killing him so he can't spread the news.

I think that would be out of character for Bang, not to mention counter-productive. The way the prize was set up was to prevent false reports, so that only people who are REALLY sure will even present a suspect. Killing even the successful person means that nobody will ever give her information again. I'm betting this guy goes on his way with all the booty he can carry, along with a stern warning that if he blabs to anyone else she will find out about it and the results will be unpleasant. Bang's reputation sees to the rest.

[Shining Wrath]

I think that would be out of character for Bang, not to mention counter-productive. The way the prize was set up was to prevent false reports, so that only people who are REALLY sure will even present a suspect. Killing even the successful person means that nobody will ever give her information again. I'm betting this guy goes on his way with all the booty he can carry, along with a stern warning that if he blabs to anyone else she will find out about it and the results will be unpleasant. Bang's reputation sees to the rest.

I agree that killing informants is a bad way to have future informants. OTOH, why get him drunk if you want accurate information and intend to reward him? And again, The Shining.

[Fyraltari]

I agree that killing informants is a bad way to have future informants. OTOH, why get him drunk if you want accurate information and intend to reward him? And again, The Shining.

Good news deserve a party. I don't think that joke is particularly significant. This is Bang in a pirate-themed hotel, it's as good a joke as any to make.

[datalaughing]

Killing even the successful person means that nobody will ever give her information again.

I do agree that I think it's unlikely she'll kill him for helping her. That doesn't really seem her style to me. But your argument here presupposes that anyone outside of Bang and this guy will ever know that this guy gave her accurate information. The two guys outside made it clear to this guy that he was taking his life into his own hands with what he was doing. I don't think they'd be at all surprised if he wound up dead. And if Bang subsequently fights and kills Zeetha, no one else would necessarily think it was associated with the information this guy provided. Bang kills people all the time. So Zeetha's death wouldn't stand out, and the guy never told anyone else exactly what he was going to tell Bang.

[Rockphed]

So, I did a bit of re-reading. Albia requested the college of mysteries cook something up to hook Agatha's attention. What is the over/under on them being responsible for the murder and subsequent investigation?

[datalaughing]

So, I did a bit of re-reading. Albia requested the college of mysteries cook something up to hook Agatha's attention. What is the over/under on them being responsible for the murder and subsequent investigation?

Decent chance, but now that I read the panel after that one, I almost think it's more likely that Lady Steelgarter and her plan that has tied up Violetta, Zeetha, and the Jagers is part of what Albia is ordering on that page.

[Shining Wrath]

And I took "something to occupy her attention" as something technical and mysterious - probably Albia wanted Agatha working on Tobber's equations, and the Boilergast has ruined her plan.