Just get Bud to melt a coffee mug for her, Thats a fairly convincing demonstration. Also, I miss the GG’s! I hope we’re not done with them now that the calender machine arc is seemingly done with
But not to the newly established annex, which she has ot yet seen — Monica took Katherine to the Bibliothiki itself — and she had been there before, as Brandi took her.
Simple solution: poit to the corner of the annex (since I’m assuming she’s at least gone past there in town before) and then enter. I figure Amanda will be a little more willing to follow her inside while she’s trying to rationalize the poiting process.
Prediction, v. 3:
Amanda calls shrink.
Monica poits.
When men in white coats arrive, Amanda insists there was a crazy girl here a few minutes ago who talked about doomsday machines, but said crazy girl is no longer here because she teleported away.
Men in white coats look at each other.
Cut to Amanda in a rubber room, strait jacketed, cursing Monica until the tranquilizers kick in….
Monica persuades Amanda to hold off calling anybody until she can demonstrate.
Monica poits them to her home.
Monica calls Topez(?) and gives a quick run down of what Amanda and her have discovered, and asks Topez to keep an eye on Amanda whilst she speaks to the others.
Monica apologises to Amanda and explains that she doesn’t want to betray any confidences.
Monica poits to the Jin, Brandi et al, explains the situation with Amanda and asks how much she can reveal about them to Amanda.
Monica does the same with Phix and Tina.
Monica goes back to Amanda and gives her the edited version of the story.
This is painful to see. Monica, bless her heart, really believed that Amanda would take her at her word. This is going to have to shake her confidence in their relationship. She seems to have forgotten how long it took, and how much evidence it took to convince her.
As has been said, Amanda has a firm, hard grip on reality. Now all Monica has to do is redefine reality for her, I guess.
I was just looking for a particular Pibgorn strip to link to for a post on another site, and i hit the one at the end of the Mozart arc, where Pib and Dru are discussing whether to tell Geoff that what he believes was a hallucination or daydream was, in fact, a fantastic adventure that has now been retconned out of reality.
Pib says “I’m sure he can handle it – he’s accepted the reality of magic.”
And Dru responds “Yes – but is he ready for the magic of reality?”
Ah, but rocks are often hard to get through and can be difficult to move. A person who is someone’s rock, is that way because that person is steady and firm in the face of change. You’re “rock” is the last person you want to try convincing of fantastic, magical events. I think she will have to pick up her rock and place her the midst of the incredible to make an impression.
On the other hand Amanda’s reaction should tell Monica now is not the time to do that. Thing is, Monica is in so deep now, what else can she do? Other than let Amanda think she’s nutsoid that is. I don’t think “I was just joking” will do the trick. Of course, Tina could burst in now and break a leg. Worked before.
Unfortunately I feel that what we are witnessing here and in the last few strips is some attempt at reconciling the early strip relationships and normal interactions with the later strips and their supernatural interactions.
There is good content in the early stories and most of my favorite characters are from that time. In a way this forced attempt to fold the Amanda character into the mix makes Monica come across as weaker and more desperate.
Her character has not grown due to the recent events but reads as if she is now more manipulated by others than ever. Amanda does not NEED to be included in this but several other characters have inserted themselves into the plot to push the issue.
I would be more impressed if Monica shielded her early friends from the supernatural bizarre events and not be a pawn to the manipulations of the mud maidens, Phix, barista gal or the blue man group reject.
It disappoints me to see yet another character polluted by continued involvement with our heroin and her inability to actually get stronger from her experiences. The outcome of the current plot line appears to be unfortunate for at least one if not both.
Isn’t the whole premise of this to show that Monica is somehow improving? She comes across as now drowning in her inability to reconcile herself now post time-washing machine. This paints her as having a now deleterious effect on those not “in on the secret”.
And you know what they say about trying to rescue a drowning person? Be aware that they might pull you down too! Amanda may now find that it is better to jettison a long time friend as Monica is now well past letting her own personal genie out of the bottle.
Bottom line is that Monica can never be normal again as she has this “secret” albatross around her neck. It should not be Amanda’s role to help Monica because she can’t. Monica can not be “fixed” but Amanda will attempt it out of friendship only to be pulled in herself.
I really do hope that this is not an attempt to force a character from the early stories into these later ones. I’d rather Amanda left and was never heard from again (I’m not a fan of her character but it would fit the story better anyway).
Monica suddenly becomes excitable, talks about saving the world and invades Amanda’s personal space. She’s just reeling from the shock at the moment. I suspect that Monica would be able to gain a few mins to explain/demonstrate.
Most of my friends would react the same way. No, on second thought they all would, I think. They’d possibly be more suvtle about it but they would mark it up to mental issues. Most people that I’ve known in my life would as well. So would I, probably.
That’s the only trouble I’ve had with this subplot. Kevin really would have reacted in more or less same way.
If you want to convince people give evidence then explain. This, of course, brings up the question of what to do with those who really can’t come to grips with it.
I love M’s face as she realizes Amanda doesn’t believe her, as she realizes that even if she poits across the room and takes Amanda to the Annex, something has just broken in their relationship. Very sad…
Ha! I knew Amanda wouldn’t just go with it! I just didn’t predict the “she’s crazy and needs help” reaction. That’s a serious gut blow to poor Monica. The BF handled the weird stuff so much better.
I agree. Believing in your friends is one thing, being expected that to think, without evidence, that your friend with a history of mental illness has access to the supernatural is something else entirely. Hell, even without the history of mental illness, I still wouldn’t buy it. I’m an empirical evidence kind of person.
Well, Monica didn’t say anything about the supernatural yet. But what she did say is pretty well an indication of paranoia.
But what she did say — Wanna be part of something that could either save or destroy the world? However telling the wrong person could get you committed or possibly shot. Whadya say, babe? — would certainly have me reaching for the butterfly net if I thought she was serious.
And from the looks of it, Amanda thinks she is serious.
I don’t think Amanda is out of line. This is coming at her cold, and in a backhanded way, is a compliment of sorts – Monica is so secure in the friendship that she didn’t feel a need to prep her.
OK, so she did not storm out, or have a change of heart. But this does not surprise me. Amanda has to abandon all her (up until now well-serving) sensibilities and go for the “frou-frou” stuff that Tina knows, but looking at her aura, will simply not happen.
SoWhyMe has a point. She may be a rock, and for that very reason it will be so very difficult to get her involved, even if she were to be intrigued. She is clearly not intrigued as much as totally creeped out by all this.
And I wholeheartedly disagree with anyone who thinks any poiting, across the room or a to the annex, is going to change anything. If Amanda sees anything that proves the supernatural is real and/or that her friend wields any sort of supernatural power, she will leave and stay away from Monica, at least for awhile. That is something too mind-blowing for a no-nonsense person to accept, and it will take a lot of processing before she would even have the desire to confront Monica about it.
Are you sure? Amanda’s look in the first frame is obviously familiar to Monica (she even makes that comment), but she trusts Amanda to not do what her family did. But given all the buildup of late regarding Amanda’s very straight-and-narrow personality, I would not put it past Amanda at this point to do just that…call the men in white coats.
Of course, maybe Paul is counting on me as a reader to become biased by having so many strips depicting Amanda in that fashion, so maybe we’re being set up for a big change in Amanda…
Amanda is likely to have even more issues with this than Monica did. I do think solid evidence would be sufficient to stop her from calling in help though.
It may not help her with her own issues though. For all her toughness Amanda seems to have a fairly rigid view of the world. The supernatural was just silly entertainment to her but suddenly it’s real. This is likely to have a lasting impact.
Are you kidding? If anything, Monica should be well aware of how freakin’ crazy she’s been looking and acting and sounding. The only ‘normal people’ involved are involved because they either saw Tepoz (i.e. adorable non-threatening mini blue dude) first or because they’re in a relationship with someone else involved. Every other player in this supernatural drama is themself a supernatural creature! Why on Earth would she expect to be immediately believed?
I’m really relieved to se someone treating Monica like most other sane non-magical person would. It’s nice to see that it’s not all just women calling each other ‘princess’ and ‘babe’ and constant instant trust- this is a great shot of realism.
You’re right. Until now, everyone involved who is not a supernatural being, either wanted to be, like Katherine, or was set up earlier by Jin, like Shelly, or by accident, like her boyfriend (what the hecks his name again?). Monica is too used to dealing with the willing up to this point and thinks everyone would love to join her preternatural posse. Normal people’s reality has just b-slapped her upside the head and she is stunned.
Just don’t run out side and get hit by a bus — again…
As a long time friend, Amanda surely is aware of Monica’s past psychiatric, ummm, events, and no doubt worries about her from time to time.
This time, however… ???
It’s too early for Friday Cliffhanger!
Oh wait, they still haven’t gone to the Annex yet — what wonders await there?
Time for a quick poit, if only to get Amanda worrying if she’s the crazy one and slow her down.
Across the room ought to do it.
Just get Bud to melt a coffee mug for her, Thats a fairly convincing demonstration. Also, I miss the GG’s! I hope we’re not done with them now that the calender machine arc is seemingly done with
Not hardly, since Jin’s “problem” is the current Big Bad…
A simpler poit — every time Amanda puts her hand on her phone, it’s suddenly in Monica’s hand.
Very good poit
Hsssss
Bravo Fatuncle! Sublime poit indeed…
I think Fatuncle has sprung a leak.
Sooo… M knows that Jin is bonkers, Amanda thinks that M is bonkers… Whose next?
OK. The Annex it is.
One small problem – she’s never been to the Annex, so she can’t “poit” there. Not without the temporal cloth. Which no longer exists.
But Monica could poit her there…she did it with Katherine.
Phix in real form would be an excellent solution as well.
But not to the newly established annex, which she has ot yet seen — Monica took Katherine to the Bibliothiki itself — and she had been there before, as Brandi took her.
Simple solution: poit to the corner of the annex (since I’m assuming she’s at least gone past there in town before) and then enter. I figure Amanda will be a little more willing to follow her inside while she’s trying to rationalize the poiting process.
No – Monica and Phix could grab her ankles and pull her in off the sidewalk where she fainted…
This is one of my favorite strips in the entire comic, I’m not sure why, just the great art demonstrating so many emotions and feeling totally real
I’d wager it’s the change in M’s countenance from 2 to 3.
Ruh Roh, Raggy!
Ouch.
Prediction:
Amanda calls a shrink.
Monica poits the phone out of her hand, then poits behind her.
Prediction, v.2:
Amanda calls shrink.
Monica poits them. Maybe finds out Phix’s library doesn’t exactly come with cell service.
Prediction, v. 3:
Amanda calls shrink.
Monica poits.
When men in white coats arrive, Amanda insists there was a crazy girl here a few minutes ago who talked about doomsday machines, but said crazy girl is no longer here because she teleported away.
Men in white coats look at each other.
Cut to Amanda in a rubber room, strait jacketed, cursing Monica until the tranquilizers kick in….
My prediction is that Monica poits before she makes the call, waits a few mins, then poits back.
Part 2:
After she gets back she calls Topez to discuss the latest findings and, whilst they’re talking, Amanda faints.
Not so much a prediction but a desire:
Monica persuades Amanda to hold off calling anybody until she can demonstrate.
Monica poits them to her home.
Monica calls Topez(?) and gives a quick run down of what Amanda and her have discovered, and asks Topez to keep an eye on Amanda whilst she speaks to the others.
Monica apologises to Amanda and explains that she doesn’t want to betray any confidences.
Monica poits to the Jin, Brandi et al, explains the situation with Amanda and asks how much she can reveal about them to Amanda.
Monica does the same with Phix and Tina.
Monica goes back to Amanda and gives her the edited version of the story.
This is painful to see. Monica, bless her heart, really believed that Amanda would take her at her word. This is going to have to shake her confidence in their relationship. She seems to have forgotten how long it took, and how much evidence it took to convince her.
As has been said, Amanda has a firm, hard grip on reality. Now all Monica has to do is redefine reality for her, I guess.
I was just looking for a particular Pibgorn strip to link to for a post on another site, and i hit the one at the end of the Mozart arc, where Pib and Dru are discussing whether to tell Geoff that what he believes was a hallucination or daydream was, in fact, a fantastic adventure that has now been retconned out of reality.
Pib says “I’m sure he can handle it – he’s accepted the reality of magic.”
And Dru responds “Yes – but is he ready for the magic of reality?”
That’s my second favorite sci-fi/magic/oh-shoot-is-that-real web comic.
Geoff is not Amanda.
…and Pib is Very Glad.
Amanda! Trust in Monica she knows what she is talking about……..Well at least I hope she does.
Option 2 is always and option. Right?
There is always another option. (No, I’m not going to spring tropes on you for that….)
Ah, but rocks are often hard to get through and can be difficult to move. A person who is someone’s rock, is that way because that person is steady and firm in the face of change. You’re “rock” is the last person you want to try convincing of fantastic, magical events. I think she will have to pick up her rock and place her the midst of the incredible to make an impression.
On the other hand Amanda’s reaction should tell Monica now is not the time to do that. Thing is, Monica is in so deep now, what else can she do? Other than let Amanda think she’s nutsoid that is. I don’t think “I was just joking” will do the trick. Of course, Tina could burst in now and break a leg. Worked before.
Unfortunately I feel that what we are witnessing here and in the last few strips is some attempt at reconciling the early strip relationships and normal interactions with the later strips and their supernatural interactions.
There is good content in the early stories and most of my favorite characters are from that time. In a way this forced attempt to fold the Amanda character into the mix makes Monica come across as weaker and more desperate.
Her character has not grown due to the recent events but reads as if she is now more manipulated by others than ever. Amanda does not NEED to be included in this but several other characters have inserted themselves into the plot to push the issue.
I would be more impressed if Monica shielded her early friends from the supernatural bizarre events and not be a pawn to the manipulations of the mud maidens, Phix, barista gal or the blue man group reject.
It disappoints me to see yet another character polluted by continued involvement with our heroin and her inability to actually get stronger from her experiences. The outcome of the current plot line appears to be unfortunate for at least one if not both.
Isn’t the whole premise of this to show that Monica is somehow improving? She comes across as now drowning in her inability to reconcile herself now post time-washing machine. This paints her as having a now deleterious effect on those not “in on the secret”.
And you know what they say about trying to rescue a drowning person? Be aware that they might pull you down too! Amanda may now find that it is better to jettison a long time friend as Monica is now well past letting her own personal genie out of the bottle.
Bottom line is that Monica can never be normal again as she has this “secret” albatross around her neck. It should not be Amanda’s role to help Monica because she can’t. Monica can not be “fixed” but Amanda will attempt it out of friendship only to be pulled in herself.
Monica has become a tar pit.
I agree with Nimrod.
I really do hope that this is not an attempt to force a character from the early stories into these later ones. I’d rather Amanda left and was never heard from again (I’m not a fan of her character but it would fit the story better anyway).
That’s your opinion, and you’re entitled to it.
Pardon me while i gently scoff.
scoff scoff
If Amanda actually follows through with this, I’ll lose most of the respect I had for her.
Monica suddenly becomes excitable, talks about saving the world and invades Amanda’s personal space. She’s just reeling from the shock at the moment. I suspect that Monica would be able to gain a few mins to explain/demonstrate.
Most of my friends would react the same way. No, on second thought they all would, I think. They’d possibly be more suvtle about it but they would mark it up to mental issues. Most people that I’ve known in my life would as well. So would I, probably.
That’s the only trouble I’ve had with this subplot. Kevin really would have reacted in more or less same way.
If you want to convince people give evidence then explain. This, of course, brings up the question of what to do with those who really can’t come to grips with it.
Funny, I’d have thought the Monica’s *boyfriend* was her rock.
Oh wait, he seems to have vanished…what’s up with that?
He’s off on a road trip of some sort.
He got on a bus?
Well, he’s a photographer – remember how they met? And he had an assignment of some sort, if memory serves.
I bet Amanda’s really wishing a phone would appear out of nowhere so she can phone a shrink.
I love M’s face as she realizes Amanda doesn’t believe her, as she realizes that even if she poits across the room and takes Amanda to the Annex, something has just broken in their relationship. Very sad…
This reminds me of that scene in the Ghost Rider movie .
Like I said yesterday , this’ll be a hoot !
Ha! I knew Amanda wouldn’t just go with it!
I just didn’t predict the “she’s crazy and needs help” reaction. That’s a serious gut blow to poor Monica. The BF handled the weird stuff so much better.
Well, he found out the hard way…
I don’t think Amanda’s out of line. Maybe it’s just me…
I agree. Believing in your friends is one thing, being expected that to think, without evidence, that your friend with a history of mental illness has access to the supernatural is something else entirely. Hell, even without the history of mental illness, I still wouldn’t buy it. I’m an empirical evidence kind of person.
Well, Monica didn’t say anything about the supernatural yet. But what she did say is pretty well an indication of paranoia.
But what she did say — Wanna be part of something that could either save or destroy the world? However telling the wrong person could get you committed or possibly shot. Whadya say, babe? — would certainly have me reaching for the butterfly net if I thought she was serious.
And from the looks of it, Amanda thinks she is serious.
I don’t think Amanda is out of line. This is coming at her cold, and in a backhanded way, is a compliment of sorts – Monica is so secure in the friendship that she didn’t feel a need to prep her.
Who will end up in the padded cell? Monica, or Amanda? Stay tuned for the next exciting episode…
Looks like you are going to need some visual aids, Monica. Poit her to Brandi and Bud.
I told you, Monica.
Bad Monica.
Now look what you have to do. You have to kill Amanda. Feed her to Phix. DO IT.
As Atomic said, we don’t want her running in front of a bus…
OK, so she did not storm out, or have a change of heart. But this does not surprise me. Amanda has to abandon all her (up until now well-serving) sensibilities and go for the “frou-frou” stuff that Tina knows, but looking at her aura, will simply not happen.
SoWhyMe has a point. She may be a rock, and for that very reason it will be so very difficult to get her involved, even if she were to be intrigued. She is clearly not intrigued as much as totally creeped out by all this.
And I wholeheartedly disagree with anyone who thinks any poiting, across the room or a to the annex, is going to change anything. If Amanda sees anything that proves the supernatural is real and/or that her friend wields any sort of supernatural power, she will leave and stay away from Monica, at least for awhile. That is something too mind-blowing for a no-nonsense person to accept, and it will take a lot of processing before she would even have the desire to confront Monica about it.
Well, at least she wouldn’t be calling the nice young men in their clean white coats…
Are you sure? Amanda’s look in the first frame is obviously familiar to Monica (she even makes that comment), but she trusts Amanda to not do what her family did. But given all the buildup of late regarding Amanda’s very straight-and-narrow personality, I would not put it past Amanda at this point to do just that…call the men in white coats.
Of course, maybe Paul is counting on me as a reader to become biased by having so many strips depicting Amanda in that fashion, so maybe we’re being set up for a big change in Amanda…
Amanda is likely to have even more issues with this than Monica did. I do think solid evidence would be sufficient to stop her from calling in help though.
It may not help her with her own issues though. For all her toughness Amanda seems to have a fairly rigid view of the world. The supernatural was just silly entertainment to her but suddenly it’s real. This is likely to have a lasting impact.
I meant that if she goes away to process, she will at least wait until she finishes that before she drops the dime.
Interesting how this feeling Monica is undergoing might have parallels with Jin’s dementia. Everything reversing on her and all… Just saying.
Oh Dear…and everything was going so well
Are you kidding? If anything, Monica should be well aware of how freakin’ crazy she’s been looking and acting and sounding. The only ‘normal people’ involved are involved because they either saw Tepoz (i.e. adorable non-threatening mini blue dude) first or because they’re in a relationship with someone else involved. Every other player in this supernatural drama is themself a supernatural creature! Why on Earth would she expect to be immediately believed?
I’m really relieved to se someone treating Monica like most other sane non-magical person would. It’s nice to see that it’s not all just women calling each other ‘princess’ and ‘babe’ and constant instant trust- this is a great shot of realism.
You’re right. Until now, everyone involved who is not a supernatural being, either wanted to be, like Katherine, or was set up earlier by Jin, like Shelly, or by accident, like her boyfriend (what the hecks his name again?). Monica is too used to dealing with the willing up to this point and thinks everyone would love to join her preternatural posse. Normal people’s reality has just b-slapped her upside the head and she is stunned.
Kevin
Kevin and Alan were able to deal with the strangeness, it would be an interesting twist if Amanda ends up being one who cannot.