Girl Genius XXV: It needs work! BUT THE CONCEPT IS SOUND!

[Traab]

A little verisimilitude-breaking for me.
First panel: This place is dangerous and trying to kill us!
Last panel: Whaaaaaaat? People I know and care about (who are here where everything is trying to kill us) might die? Whaaaaa???
Does Tarvek know that Violetta (and he) are main characters, and thus shouldn't just die? No. He knows that the two of them are adventurers in an extremely dangerous place. I get being upset. Maybe even surprised that he is so upset. Surprised in general? Shouldn't be.

There is a difference between "Its dangerous" and "Oh btw your cousin died" He has been facing dangerous for all his life in one form or another so tarvek is kinda used to it. The one family member he actually likes dying is a far less common experience.

[xroads]

Does Tarvek know that Violetta (and he) are main characters, and thus shouldn't just die?

Actually, I'm not so sure about that anymore. After all, this is a universe in which people can be brought back from the dead.

Punch & Judy were completely reassembled. The Baron was shown cloning Olga. Heck even Agatha, Gil, & Tarvek all technically died during the whole chromatic disease ordeal.

I'm still 90% sure Violetta is still alive. But there is that possibility...

[Willie the Duck]

Actually, I'm not so sure about that anymore. After all, this is a universe in which people can be brought back from the dead.

Punch & Judy were completely reassembled. The Baron was shown cloning Olga. Heck even Agatha, Gil, & Tarvek all technically died during the whole chromatic disease ordeal.

I'm still 90% sure Violetta is still alive. But there is that possibility...

I'm more finding disbelief with his disbelief that one of his close circle could die in the first place, regardless of people coming back. People he knows and are interacting with on a regular basis are constantly in dangerous situations. Almost all of them are built such that a bullet between the eyes or claw across the throat will kill them (people like Higgs being kind of like 'oh, ho-hum, this monster isn't that threatening, I'll not take it too seriously and let is smack me around a bit.' is itself a little odd, as kind of supposed to be an exception, because he's supposed to be near-invulnerable, like Othar).

It's a little like a WWI trench warfare narrative. Major Jones might come back to the line and find out the Corporal Froofram bit the dust in the last artillery bombardment. Sure, Froofram might have been like a son to him. He could be mad. It could lead him to the pits of despair, heights of anguish, or anything in-between. But surprised? I guess I'm talking myself out of it, because now I'm picturing Major Jones blue-screen-of-deathing and mumbling to himself 'I never really imagined, amongst all this carnage, that you'd be the one to go...' Okay, that's kind of catchy. So maybe it's realistic irrationality.

[The Glyphstone]

Plus, Smoke Knight. I can imagine Tarvek conceiving a fight Violetta couldn't win, but something capable of preventing her from running away under stealth if she was outmatched? His family practically mythologizes the skill of their pet assassins, and she's the best of them he's ever known. It's not just the loss of his best friend for who knows how long, but specifically the overthrow of a facet of his worldview he's never really had challenged (leaving aside the assorted smoke knights who the protagonists have defeated).

[Rogar Demonblud]

You're forgetting Violetta is a Spark Knight who survived Castle Heterodyne. That definitely raises expectations.

edit: also, there's Krosp's ice cold dismissal, which is shocking for someone who provides the second most important feature of a cat's life (Food Lady beats Comfy Lap every time).

[Fyraltari]

Krosp is making some big assumptions here. She could have been captured for one.

It's a little like a WWI trench warfare narrative. Major Jones might come back to the line and find out the Corporal Froofram bit the dust in the last artillery bombardment. Sure, Froofram might have been like a son to him. He could be mad. It could lead him to the pits of despair, heights of anguish, or anything in-between. But surprised?

The thing is in WWI narratives (and you know the real deal) people weren't just in constant danger of dying. people constantly died. Our motly band of heroes however has a ridiculously high survival rate. It kind of lower expectations of them dying. Plus his facial expression in the last panel reads less as surprise and more as shock/grief to me.

Plus, Smoke Knight. I can imagine Tarvek conceiving a fight Violetta couldn't win, but something capable of preventing her from running away under stealth if she was outmatched? His family practically mythologizes the skill of their pet assassins, and she's the best of them he's ever known. It's not just the loss of his best friend for who knows how long, but specifically the overthrow of a facet of his worldview he's never really had challenged (leaving aside the assorted smoke knights who the protagonists have defeated).

Wouldn't that be Veilchen or Martellus' assassin from the dirigble? Violetta isn't that good a Smoke Knight even if she does not give herself enough credit.

[Traab]

I'm more finding disbelief with his disbelief that one of his close circle could die in the first place, regardless of people coming back. People he knows and are interacting with on a regular basis are constantly in dangerous situations. Almost all of them are built such that a bullet between the eyes or claw across the throat will kill them (people like Higgs being kind of like 'oh, ho-hum, this monster isn't that threatening, I'll not take it too seriously and let is smack me around a bit.' is itself a little odd, as kind of supposed to be an exception, because he's supposed to be near-invulnerable, like Othar).

It's a little like a WWI trench warfare narrative. Major Jones might come back to the line and find out the Corporal Froofram bit the dust in the last artillery bombardment. Sure, Froofram might have been like a son to him. He could be mad. It could lead him to the pits of despair, heights of anguish, or anything in-between. But surprised? I guess I'm talking myself out of it, because now I'm picturing Major Jones blue-screen-of-deathing and mumbling to himself 'I never really imagined, amongst all this carnage, that you'd be the one to go...' Okay, that's kind of catchy. So maybe it's realistic irrationality.

But again, tarvek and violetta have lived their entire life as part of a family where backstabbery and assassination are such normal parts of life that they train themselves to be smoke knights just to survive family reunions. They have been in life threatening danger forever, and up till now, have survived. Lets take your WW1 narrative. Now make WW1 be twenty five years of combat. Twenty five years your major has been working alongside the corporal. Twenty five years of not dying. Only to be told "Yep, he died" Thats going to be a shock.

[sherlock]

So Krosp knows Higgs is a Jager?

At first I thought the same thing, maybe Krosp had "smelled" him.
But Dimo came to give him the instructions from Agatha and probably is still near, so Krosp may simply refer to Maxim and Oggie.

[Traab]

Besides, higgs is right there with tarvek. That doesnt preclude him knowing higgs is a jaeger, but I have to think with all the sparky detection and constructs and such that higgs has had to hide his scent before. I mean heck, we have weasels sniffing out revenants as a primary plot point right now.

[Divayth Fyr]

Besides, higgs is right there with tarvek. That doesnt preclude him knowing higgs is a jaeger, but I have to think with all the sparky detection and constructs and such that higgs has had to hide his scent before. I mean heck, we have weasels sniffing out revenants as a primary plot point right now.

While I agree it is likely he had masked his scent (or lost it as one of his "gifts"), I don't imagine anyone would ever think detecting jaegers by smell is neccessary - most people would assume they're kinda obvious at a glance (much like they thought about revenants for a very long time).

[wingnutx]

A little verisimilitude-breaking for me.
First panel: This place is dangerous and trying to kill us!
Last panel: Whaaaaaaat? People I know and care about (who are here where everything is trying to kill us) might die? Whaaaaa???
Does Tarvek know that Violetta (and he) are main characters, and thus shouldn't just die? No. He knows that the two of them are adventurers in an extremely dangerous place. I get being upset. Maybe even surprised that he is so upset. Surprised in general? Shouldn't be.

I go to a lot of death scenes to deal with victims. People routinely freak out in surprise even when their loved one has been circling the drain for years.

Violetta is the closest thing to real family ( friend) that he has.

[wingnutx]

But Dimo came to give him the instructions from Agatha and probably is still near, so Krosp may simply refer to Maxim and Oggie.

I'm going with this.

[Scarlet Knight]

I took this comic as a way to show how Krosp is basically a cat by running the joke that cats have limited amounts of caring.

Tarvek is shocked to demonstrate how callous Krosp is. True, Violetta is the only family member who looked out for him. If he got word Martellus died suddenly, Tarvek would say "Good Riddance". If Grandma died, he would say, "Huh? I guess the years finally caught up with her. My family will miss her". If Steffi buys it, it would be " Huh? Well, she wasn't as bad as most; I guess that's what cost her in the end."

Earlier Krosp was a contributing member of the party , even willing to go down a sewer to help. Now that he has an army and is independent, his caring levels have dropped. He loves Papa Dim, is somewhat fond of the Lady Who Fed Him, but not enough to remember her name & Comfy Lap Lady is just a replacible human.

[wingnutx]

Yup, Krosp is acting like a cat.

[Grif]

Yup, Krosp is acting like a cat.

More than that, I think it also showcases his ruthlessness, and how he views Agatha's entourage as expendable. Only the Mistress is indispensible, because she's the One.

[eee]

Krosk is being Pragmatic Cat.

Or Violetta got in touch with him, let him know she's still alive but in deep cover, and not to tell anybody. So he's not.

(It is also possible the cultists need a human sacrifice to summon their creature, and they've got Violetta. That would seem pretty stupid; but then, they appear to be.)

More than that, I think it also showcases his ruthlessness, and how he views Agatha's entourage as expendable. Only the Mistress is indispensible, because she's the One.

Agatha is his only real subject. Can't be a king without subjects...

[Fyraltari]

Krosk is being Pragmatic Cat.

Or Violetta got in touch with him, let him know she's still alive but in deep cover, and not to tell anybody. So he's not.

(It is also possible the cultists need a human sacrifice to summon their creature, and they've got Violetta. That would seem pretty stupid; but then, they appear to be.)



Agatha is his only real subject. Can't be a king without subjects...

He has the bears now.

[Rogar Demonblud]

That's an army, not subjects. An army is people you get killed for your glory. Subjects are people you tax for your power.

[Fyraltari]

That's an army, not subjects. An army is people you get killed for your glory. Subjects are people you tax for your power.

What do you think an army is made of? And no the bears aren’t mercenaries.

[dps]

Tarvek is shocked to demonstrate how callous Krosp is.

Yeah, that's how I read it. He's not shocked that a member of the party might have died, he's shocked at how dismissive of it Krosp is.

[wingnutx]

Papa > Agatha

[factotum]

Papa > Agatha

If it was that simple Krosp would have left in the sub with Papa already.

[lord_khaine]

If it was that simple Krosp would have left in the sub with Papa already.

Its not like Papa isnt in a relative high degree of safety.
So it can easily be that simply. Just because he cares more for Papa, does not mean he does not also still care for Agatha.

[Ellen]

Trying to get Agatha to do what you want, when she's up and going, is like herding cats. Krosp is a cat. He gets it and isn't even going to try.

[Ellen]

Going to double post since these are on different comics and were done hours apart:

I like how Tarvek deals with grief, though it seems wrong to be enjoying it.

Higgs is always laid back (well, almost always) but he seems pretty calm given his reactions to the near deaths of people he cares about. After all, he's also been pretty good at empathy for a Jaeger. Maybe he understands what Tarvek needs, right now--or maybe he's going to let Tarvek calm down before giving his opinion of Krosp's analysis.

At least , I'm hoping he'll point out why Krosp might be wrong.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Yeah, I think that comes under the heading of work therapy.

[PraetorDragoon]

Hmm. This might be the first time Travek has to deal with actual loss of a person he cares about.

[SZbNAhL]

Hmm. This might be the first time Travek has to deal with actual loss of a person he cares about.

What about Anveka?

[Fyraltari]

Didn't that gun use to need time to reload? Is it powered by anger, or what?

[Traab]

I think this is going to cause problems, like tarvek may go a bit out of control and do something he shouldnt. I mean, we already know gil is half jaeger when he gets upset but we havent seen tarvek truly lose control except against zola.