This is what you would call a BAD hair day. No doubt the clerks decided argueing the issue would result in a hairy situation. Probably afriad Tine would up-braid them for for bad performance.
clink inthe jar.
Actually, the pharmacist prolly wanted Becky to have her meds – only the insurance company was recalcitrant. (HEY, could we get Tina to take on the insurance companies? they arent human either…)
Anyway, Tina prolly just encouraged the pharmacists to do what they wanted to anyway.
That’s a crock. The democrats wanted it just as much (if not more) — just look at all of the fun things their SuperPACs are placing ads for, even more than the republicans.
The republican mantra is more like:
Obama is not the answer. Obama is the question. The answer is “No”.
That’s a mantra.
If corporations can’t have free speech rights, how can unions? Does only one side get access to free speech? Ho wait- I can guess your answer to that based on your politics.
It’s not the politics, I dislike, it’s the ignorance of the actual issues.
Corporations are legal persons (note it took much less time for the court case to settle to that than the ‘persons case’ which was about a tiny minority called… Women (only 51% of the world… no biggy)
also http://www.bartcop.com/gop-corp-assets.jpg
Yes. They are legal or juridical persons, in that they can hold property and act in certain legal ways (such as sign contracts through agents)–but they do not have all the rights of living or human persons. For example, they are not eligible to serve in elected office or to vote. The question in the court case, as I understand it, was to define what rights they do have, and what they do not have the right to do.
Fire at will, Cap’n. I tend to be moderate, middle of the road, but I have an extreme dislike for folks who try to drag politics into every damn disscusion. I can sort of understand Friday’s comments hewing toward the merits and flaws of the American health care system. And that discussion remained civil. Bellitling a presidental canidate (either one) by using a demeaning nick name is at the least, provocative. I’m here for Wapsi. Not for Trolls.
We have one character with snake hair. Another with tentacle hair. Paul could probably write a spinoff about Minneapolis’s top supernatural beauty salon.
Snake hair, tentacle hair … is that what they call a “bad hair day”? And what does dandruff with that hair look like? “Whatever & Shoulders” would be a nice shampoo here. And how do one explain that hair to the ‘normal’ people?
“Are those tentacles?”
“Erm … no. Actually, those are … uh … animated dreadlocks.”
“Ah, cool!”
“Meh. Reminds me of my sister-in-law. Crazy broad works for the Detroit DMV. You do NOT want to forget your paperwork in her line. When she bites your head off, she bites your head off.”
What other ‘hair’ styles can we think of? Porcupine quills? We already have some goat/ram horns, so deer antelope savannah grazing series are viable. Oh! angler fish! Avian wings on the noggin’. How ’bout just plain bald?
This strip really sums up how terrifying the thought of a being like Tina really is. Even if she is well-intentioned, the concept is still quite frightening.
Sure does make the behavior and habits of the apo sphinxes seem very much like a mixed cursing.
Yes, they were murderously inclined towards any human they found infested by uncontrolled demons… very tough on the humans involved. On the other hand, if the sphinxes hadn’t put their claws down and decided to enforce a very strict Law on the demons, and prevented them from using their powers of influence without restraint, the whole human Wapsi world would have been in really serious trouble… possibly civilization might never have arisen at all.
Tina is going to have to continue to be very careful. If she lets her feral demon nature get away from her even once, it would be very easy for her to inadvertently break her personal Prime Directive… and “time would stop.”
Yep, the consequences of Tina hurting anyone are extremely terrifying. Which is why I had Tina with a model 1911A1 last week. I figured only the people reading a long time would understand how truly terrifying that picture was. Tina is walking doomsday weapon. Of all the powerful beings walking around, she has the most destructive potential(in my opinion)… stopping time dead in its tracks. Luckily she is quite the sunny barista… usually.
The look on Tina’s face in the first panel looks like she is troubled a bit by the fact that she could coerce people into doing what ever she wants them to do. Maybe she is afraid of losing control and going ‘free range demon’ one day.
It seems that Tina used her demon’s power of persuasion. No one was harmed, Becky was actually helped. So it looks like Tina didn’t break any of the ancient rules.
Indeed. I would even go so far to say that she did not actually use her powers. Just some good old fashioned intimidation coming from a body controlled by a conglomerat of demons. Who tend to rather good at scaring the crap out of people by being what they are: DEMONS.
But she seems to be a bit riled up. Which I would also be if I had to argue with people to get a trusted friend the medication they require to live a good life
Oh, she didn’t have to argue and she definitely used her powers.
From what I can tell, Tina doesn’t have to consciously use her persuasion abilities. As a demon, anything she says just automatically has a huge sway on human beings.
Like when she she was with Shelly and Nudge and said, “No, Shelly!! Kill her over there!!” She wasn’t trying to make Shelly do anything and perhaps wasn’t even totally serious. But it doesn’t matter because Shelly would have been influenced by it anyway.
And so here, when she tells Becky to “forget about it”, I don’t doubt for a second that Becky is really going to forget about everything that just happened.
Demon speech, coming from outside a human has powerful influence. This happened to Shelly when Tina told her to “Kill her over there!” regarding Nudge.
Sounds like she may have used a bit of demon leverage … isn’t that the sort of thing that can get her in trouble? As in memory-wipe trouble (at best … could get her a visit from a pissed-off Phix)? Could have sworn overt forced manipulation of will was on the same par as physical danger – you can advise or even deceive, but no outright controlling.
Tina’s taking a big risk, which makes me wonder why she goes so far, for Becky. Is it just “I found this kitten, and I gotta keep them safe” … or did something happen in the past, and Tina feels responsible, so this is her way of paying it back?
::rubs his eyes::
Dangit, Paul, like I didn’t already have enough running through my head all day … 😛
I get the feeling you are closer to the truth than is comfortable, Tina is a very friendly person, but the look on her face in the first panel suggest she did something she isn’t proud of, and if you pay attention to the second panel, Becky will not remember this later.
I agree as I said in another post. Her look to me is one of “I could loose control so easy and make people do what I want without knowing it” and she does not like that idea at all.
I would think that it is a little from “column A” and a little from “column B” here. We already know that Tina has a deep liking for Becky (she did say she wants to be just like her when she grows up) and Tina just loves to protect the people she likes. In a way she and Shelly are both guardians and just like helping.
If I recall correctly, there are several prohibitions on demons in general and on Tina’s Collective in particular. I don’t think the limit on the Collective is against control or influence – it’s against harming someone. The prohibition addresses the result, not the means.
If true, Tina’s use of demon influence may be a “no harm, no foul” situation… legal but risky!
“No harm, No Foul” in Phix’s book only though, probably not the demon-hunting/Sphinx “Da Rules”. Phix could probably “legally” get away (if not commended) for killing Tina at any time.
It seems she stays her hand moreso for Monica’s sake (since Phix clearly enjoys working, watching, and chatting with M) and Tina’s impact on other VIPs (GGG, Nudge, and even Shelly).
So long as Tina doesn’t cause any noticeable harm, doesn’t upset Monica too much, and Phix’s bosses continue to give the OK, Tina will continue to live. The minute one of those 3 things falters, Phix will probably “poit” ambush Tina and *SNAP*.
“at best … could get her a visit from a pissed-off Phix”
And now you’ve gotten my hopes up in anticipation.
Phix isn’t a bad character, she’s just one of those I love to hate and desire to see her get some form of comeuppance. Just something about her rubs me the wrong way (even despite her sympathetic qualities). Perhaps the same thing that irks Bud? I’ve been hoping to see some form of payback from Tina after the incidents surrounding the reveal of Nudge. The hope of another clash is just too enticing, especially if Tina’s expecting Phix’s arrival instead of getting blindly ambushed by an enraged Sphinx.
Forgot to include:
Tina also probably falls under Phix’s jurisdiction (and not some other Sphinx) simply due to her connections with Monica (an acquaintance of Phix) and more likely her direct connection to Nudge, Phix’s recently instated “partner”.
Phix’s “permanent assignment” to the library is what I meant by her sympathetic qualities.
Given Nudge’s dialogue with Phix in these two strips: http://wapsisquare.com/comic/trickster/ http://wapsisquare.com/comic/via-a-riddle/
Phix was a pacifist and of low station, then spent an eternity trapped inside of a library. She’s had little chance to hunt or fight. Compared to other true Sphinxes (not the half-breeds like Shelly), she’s probably a pushover physically.
Like I said, not saying by any means Phix is a bad character, or lacks a tortured past (eons locked in a library with few visitors and likely scorned by your fellow kind has to be brutal). Just saying I’d love to see Tina get some personal revenge for how she was treated during the Nudge arc.
I can’t remember the strip, and that far back I really don’t want to go digging … but I vaguely remember Phix even saying something to that effect. It was something along the lines of how she was the smallest (in whatever sense) of her kind, and that made her the “runt”.
So when the sphinxes realized they would have to take direct control of the library, they chose Phix to take the job, she was unable to do anything about it, and had no say in the matter.
Didn’t Tina say one time that she would have to actually kill someone with her own hand before she would be in trouble? I know she is scared spitless of Phix, but as long as she does not do any actual harm, I think she will be ok.
I hope.
Yes, that’s now I remember it – although I don’t have the reference at hand at the moment. (This is just the kind of thing the wiki would answer, if it were more developed.) Demons can’t directly harm humans, but they can and do talk humans into doing stupid things.
However, she did do something wrong and wasn’t killed nor did time stop for everyone else. She was stuck to this timeline and can’t remember the others. Shelly investigated and informed her that she hurt Monica by getting Monica into that accident in Mexico.
It’s later revealed, by Jin’s Doubt to Monica, that Brandi (and/or her demons) conspired with Tina’s demons to get Monica into the same accident.
Yeah, but as I understand it (I can be wrong about this), Tina 1.0 was alive at that time and her demons were working the plan. I think that the time stopping deal is only since the ‘rats’ have taken over the ‘ship.’
What W said. The “time stops / universe ends” bit is if a Demon directly harms someone, and since the demons have control of a corporal form (2.0), it is a possibility.
Tina’s demons scaring Monica in front of that bus, causing both Monica’s near-death and Tina 1.0’s actual death (and possibly several other injuries) was still ‘technically’ a case of manipulating. They just scared Monica and harassed her, she still jumped in front of that bus, no indication the demons physically pushed her there.
If anything, the rules regarding demons, sphinxes, and mortals seem to be like the pirate code in the “Pirates Of The Caribbean” films. They’re more like guidelines.
And Brandi’s involvement may actually be what stayed the Sphinxes from taking down Tina 2.0 the minute she wandered from the morgue. Similar to the sentence passed on Tina 2.0 after Nudge was revealed and became co-keeper of the library, Tina 2.0 seems to benefit from the Sphinxes and other immortals ability to punish her accomplish.
Brandi and Nudge are both sensitive issues and difficult to enforce any sort of sentence on them. As such, they get off light (with a warning at most, usually), and since Tina’s demons are equally at fault, they get off with a similar punishment instead of exile or termination.
Hmm. Tina in that first panel has pretty much the expression I had when the mechanic told me how much they wanted to charge to pass my car for the MVI. Now if only I had Tina’s powers of persuasion…
i am 5’1″. i scared the scrubs of a 6’6″ doctor on more than one occasion, to the point that he refused to deal with me again, and the nurses began to use me as a threat. “you’re messing with the medication again? do we HAVE to call Miss Kat in?”
you dont mess with the pain meds of an oncology patient on hospice. or as one lovely nurse put it: BEHOLD the power of the Short Woman! but fallcon went to his eternal rest comfortable, and i’m quite fine with that.
Hey! If Tina can get the Medical Insurance people to cough up, I wonder if she’d stop by where I work and “convince” them to give me a raise? Please? (Big shiny eyes look)
Oooooooohh… I get it.
Tina’s “influence” over humans.
That’s very intriguing. Tina just did something that probably wasn’t very ethical and very possibly could get her in a LOT of trouble with some certain sphinxes, who she is terrified of, just to get her friend some medicine that she needed badly.
Oop, just read the other comments. I was beaten to the conclusion. But hey if more than one person comes up with the same conclusion on their own, there’s likely something to it. X3
Not necessarily so SOB. It’s been noted that those with some form of mental handicap are often able to perceive things that us normals can not all because their brains process information differently in order to compensate.
Becky may very well be aware of Tina’s true nature. She just doesn’t react in a negative way seeing how she’s worked with Tina for so long.
It would be interesting if Becky did know, but it’s not really important in this conversation.
The point is that Becky, as a human, is susceptible to Tina’s demonic influence. Unless Becky isn’t actually a human (totally possible in this comic), whatever Tina says to her will have a lot of power over her. Just like those people in the pharmacy (assuming it’s a pharmacy), she’ll do whatever Tina tells her to do, because she doesn’t have a choice.
This may explain why Tina was having a hard time influencing Becky before: the Collective has to “influence” her again and again and again to gain any traction. And Becky is afforded an insight into Tina in the slips in between.
Here’s an interesting thought…..
Can Tina order Becky to stop being OCD? She did say once she could ‘tell Shelly’s heart to stop’, not normally something one has concious control over anymore than one’s thinking processes.
If OCD is caused by a particular kind of demon, would it be a battle of wills? Tina’s demons versus Becky’s? And does Becky get a vote? Or does Tina have enough juice to order other people’s demons around?
Nice idea but OCD and a hearts beating are two different function systems. It has been shown that the brain can control the autonomic nervous system to a high degree (Hindu Yogies have been doing it for centuries), but OCD is either a chemical imbalance or a physical defect in the brain. That would not be controllable the same way,
Since OCD is treatable with medication, I would say that demons are not involved. Although I could be wrong and demons get stoned on OCD meds which is why they do it.
It’s generally not wise to upset the eldritch barista in the apple bottom jeans….
Tina has always taken care of those close to her in some fashion, perceived or otherwise. No doubt she’ll have to answer to someone (hopefully it’ll be Phix or better yet Shelly) about her taking the direct approach to solving her friends dilemma.
Never mind – Google knows everything! Once I noticed the sign behind Tina’s speech bubble, anyway.
The ladies are facing northeast and looking at the Aster Cafe (125 SE Main St). It’s about two miles northeast of the Bibliothiki annex, about four miles northeast as the sphinx flies from our favorite body of water Lake Calhoun, and across the river from the notional Wapsi Square neighborhood. Pablo drew the strip implying that they’ve just got Becky’s medication in the building across the street – which is a subtle jest. There is no building across the street, just some trees and the Mississippi River. The limited view in panel one doesn’t reveal much, but that might be the St Anthony Main Event Center next door.
“Phix: Your name came up. Some felt your were part of the problem. But they were reminded that ideas are not punishable, only actions. You’re already living out your other punishment.
Tina: Well . . . Heh, that is a relief. What ideas are you talking about?
Phix: (threatening) Simply relish your ignorance.”
Now this was actions, not ideas, and Tina is probably very worried that she crossed the line, whatever the line is, even if she even knows where the line is. Definitely waiting for the shoe to drop.
It would be one of those supreme acts of bravery if after she drops Becky off, Tina walked into the entrance to the library to see Phix and throw herself to the mercy of the court, so to speak.
It looks as if the móst important thing here, is Tina’s face in the first frame.
Tina looks as if she’s in a classic struggle of morals : How bad is it to help a friend in true need, and in the process do something un-ethical, nót directly criminal, but unethical none the less.
Tina is getting another taste of what it means to be “human” , with all of the constant stuggle to keep to the right path.
“how evil is acting evil to do good” the classic ethics conundrum that Tina already pointed-out (to Shelly, I believe) Her pointing it out, was also a sign of the struggle going on in Tina.
We are looking at another “development” story here. Monica had hers, Shelly had hers, and now Tina is in the middle of hers.
Íf Phix gets involved, it will probably nót be for punishing Tina, but to probe Tina as to ascertain hów much of a “human” Tina is becoming, and see if there is any positive influence (besides scaring the piss out of Tina) she can have in Tina’s development.
A collective of Demons deciding to do god, must be pretty unique, and Phix álso being the scholarly-type, is probably intrigued to no end.
Phix is also the classic mentor. It’s what she does. Her only gripe was with Nudge, hiding ín Tina, nót with the rest of Tina, so, I can imagine that Tina will be included in Phix’ little classroom….
Been a while since I’ve seen so many comments so early in the AM!!
To me, Tina looks pretty much like anyone I’ve seen dealing with an unsympathetic organization; especially a medical institution that SHOULD have some kind of sympathy for it’s members. I’ve had a few run-ins with my healthcare provider and it wasn’t easy or pretty! Medical related bureaucrats can be swift pains in the ass, especially when you’re trying to get something that is desperately needed!
There are plenty of plain old humans who can be VERY persuasive without having demonic powers. (remember Tina was a mob bosses/drug lords daughter. Who knows what kinds of “physical” memories she may have in the ways of persuasion.) She likes to help people and I don’t believe she would like to be thwarted or deal with fools while giving that help to someone she really cares about. I think she just looks bound and determined to help her friend (come Hell or high water! :D) and disgusted at what she had to go through to help said friend.
I’d be the same way for any of my friends. And I have been! I really hate seeing someone get taken advantage of or getting the run around for no good reason. Hell hath no fury like one REALLY pissed off woman!!!
I was thinking the same thing…which is why I have decided to avoid commenting on most of the posts re: insurance. As someone who works for an insurance company (we don’t do health insurance, so don’t burn me at the stake just yet people), I find it frustrating at how quickly the people who work for those companies are demonized. *shrugs* Oh well…it is what it is.
That…so?…. *dangerous silence* in..te..resss..tingg…..*starts warming up the tar and gathering a nice amount of feathers*
Na.. Overhere customers are pretty well protected. Insurance companies that tried to deny coverage have been burned at the stake
(in a political sense) quite often, so, they generally behave. Small-print is also líterally prohibited overhere.
A contract can be declared “misleading”and “unlawful”pretty swift, if its running over with woolly, unintelligible “lawyer-speak” Insurers knów that, and took it to heart.
I’m still trying to figure out what the little whisps are in panel two. Look like… threads or hair… Not sure. Do the tentacles fire darts like Jellyfish to control others? lol
Yar. Would have been clearer/safer for Tina to have spoken those two sentences in the opposite order.
However, in the context of what was going on… since she spoke in response to Becky’s statement of confusion and her direct question… I’d guess Becky will treat Tina’s words as a direct answer and that “forget about it” will apply to the confusion/question and not the meds.
Besides, “meds” is plural… and Tina did not say “forget about them.”
Aaah, language and its ambiguities. Next thing you know, we’ll see these two walking past a pretty little girls school.
Okay, here’s the thing. Tina did the “right” thing by her friend, but what kind of trouble has she caused the people she influenced? It’s a knotty problem, and one she probably expects she’ll be made to answer for.
BTW, my own take on Tina’s influence: it probably stems from demons’ role as subconscious motivators. When a human tells you to do something, it gets filtered through your awareness that it’s someone else talking, that their motivations and perceptions are not yours, and that what they are saying is not necessarily what you’re thinking. A demon voice just sort of slides past all that, and it retains that quality even when she speaks out loud.
OK, talk about business up font, party in the back! Tina rocks the demon mullet!
This is what you would call a BAD hair day. No doubt the clerks decided argueing the issue would result in a hairy situation. Probably afriad Tine would up-braid them for for bad performance.
clink inthe jar.
I do not want to know what type of hair gel is involved here.
Euryale would appreciate Tina’s situation.
Probably gel-lyfish…
That’s it. I’m going to buy a pack of screen wipes to have handy when I read these comments.
(..echoes of doom from the unfed pun vault..)
New “Dippity-Don’t” brand Ectopomade.
I’m a “Dapper Demon” man m’self.
Oh, brother….
… Where art thou?
I hereby pay for the above four puns on account of their awesomeness.
*CHUNK!!*
That was a solid gold brick. I mean record. 😉
“Demonic Mullet” sounds like a band name! ^_^
Scary Tina Alert, Panel One
Serious Tina is seriously scary…
Actually, the pharmacist prolly wanted Becky to have her meds – only the insurance company was recalcitrant. (HEY, could we get Tina to take on the insurance companies? they arent human either…)
Anyway, Tina prolly just encouraged the pharmacists to do what they wanted to anyway.
AH, but the Supreme Court says corporations are people.
The charge can be dissmissed for lack of evidence
No, Mittens said that corporations were people. It’s a republican mantra. And sorry to bring politics in here.
That’s a crock. The democrats wanted it just as much (if not more) — just look at all of the fun things their SuperPACs are placing ads for, even more than the republicans.
The republican mantra is more like:
Obama is not the answer. Obama is the question. The answer is “No”.
That’s a mantra.
If corporations can’t have free speech rights, how can unions? Does only one side get access to free speech? Ho wait- I can guess your answer to that based on your politics.
It’s not the politics, I dislike, it’s the ignorance of the actual issues.
not quite right… corporations have some (not all) of the legal rights as people, but they were never defined as people.
correction…they were never defined as *human*.
and it was *lawyers* that did the defining, for the *lawyers* benefit. and it’s debatable if most *lawyers* are even human.
Corporations are legal persons (note it took much less time for the court case to settle to that than the ‘persons case’ which was about a tiny minority called… Women (only 51% of the world… no biggy)
also http://www.bartcop.com/gop-corp-assets.jpg
Yes. They are legal or juridical persons, in that they can hold property and act in certain legal ways (such as sign contracts through agents)–but they do not have all the rights of living or human persons. For example, they are not eligible to serve in elected office or to vote. The question in the court case, as I understand it, was to define what rights they do have, and what they do not have the right to do.
Fire at will, Cap’n. I tend to be moderate, middle of the road, but I have an extreme dislike for folks who try to drag politics into every damn disscusion. I can sort of understand Friday’s comments hewing toward the merits and flaws of the American health care system. And that discussion remained civil. Bellitling a presidental canidate (either one) by using a demeaning nick name is at the least, provocative. I’m here for Wapsi. Not for Trolls.
We have one character with snake hair. Another with tentacle hair. Paul could probably write a spinoff about Minneapolis’s top supernatural beauty salon.
Snake hair, tentacle hair … is that what they call a “bad hair day”? And what does dandruff with that hair look like? “Whatever & Shoulders” would be a nice shampoo here. And how do one explain that hair to the ‘normal’ people?
“Are those tentacles?”
“Erm … no. Actually, those are … uh … animated dreadlocks.”
“Ah, cool!”
Either that, or she generates an SEP field with them present. It’s very efficient, it is.
Are those jellyfish streamer/stingers?
“Meh. Reminds me of my sister-in-law. Crazy broad works for the Detroit DMV. You do NOT want to forget your paperwork in her line. When she bites your head off, she bites your head off.”
Her name wouldn’t happen to be Mantis would it?
Oh Baby?
What other ‘hair’ styles can we think of? Porcupine quills? We already have some goat/ram horns, so deer antelope savannah grazing series are viable. Oh! angler fish! Avian wings on the noggin’. How ’bout just plain bald?
Cute one, You have a nice creative streak sometimes.
“Red Wigglers!,
The Cadillac of worms!
Ee-Hee!
The Cadillac of worms”
-WKRP in Cinncinati
This strip really sums up how terrifying the thought of a being like Tina really is. Even if she is well-intentioned, the concept is still quite frightening.
Sure does make the behavior and habits of the apo sphinxes seem very much like a mixed cursing.
Yes, they were murderously inclined towards any human they found infested by uncontrolled demons… very tough on the humans involved. On the other hand, if the sphinxes hadn’t put their claws down and decided to enforce a very strict Law on the demons, and prevented them from using their powers of influence without restraint, the whole human Wapsi world would have been in really serious trouble… possibly civilization might never have arisen at all.
Tina is going to have to continue to be very careful. If she lets her feral demon nature get away from her even once, it would be very easy for her to inadvertently break her personal Prime Directive… and “time would stop.”
Yep, the consequences of Tina hurting anyone are extremely terrifying. Which is why I had Tina with a model 1911A1 last week. I figured only the people reading a long time would understand how truly terrifying that picture was. Tina is walking doomsday weapon. Of all the powerful beings walking around, she has the most destructive potential(in my opinion)… stopping time dead in its tracks. Luckily she is quite the sunny barista… usually.
The look on Tina’s face in the first panel looks like she is troubled a bit by the fact that she could coerce people into doing what ever she wants them to do. Maybe she is afraid of losing control and going ‘free range demon’ one day.
Indeed — that she Must Not Hurt Anyone is her only constraint!
I assume you refer to this demotivator
It seems that Tina used her demon’s power of persuasion. No one was harmed, Becky was actually helped. So it looks like Tina didn’t break any of the ancient rules.
Indeed. I would even go so far to say that she did not actually use her powers. Just some good old fashioned intimidation coming from a body controlled by a conglomerat of demons. Who tend to rather good at scaring the crap out of people by being what they are: DEMONS.
But she seems to be a bit riled up. Which I would also be if I had to argue with people to get a trusted friend the medication they require to live a good life
Oh, she didn’t have to argue and she definitely used her powers.
From what I can tell, Tina doesn’t have to consciously use her persuasion abilities. As a demon, anything she says just automatically has a huge sway on human beings.
Like when she she was with Shelly and Nudge and said, “No, Shelly!! Kill her over there!!” She wasn’t trying to make Shelly do anything and perhaps wasn’t even totally serious. But it doesn’t matter because Shelly would have been influenced by it anyway.
And so here, when she tells Becky to “forget about it”, I don’t doubt for a second that Becky is really going to forget about everything that just happened.
Definitely. A little demonic persuasion and ding, Becky will be thinking of something else now…
Really? Do we have Word of God (aka the authors fiat) that it works like that? Because I can not remember anithing like that.
Demon speech, coming from outside a human has powerful influence. This happened to Shelly when Tina told her to “Kill her over there!” regarding Nudge.
This strip, although it helps to read the whole scene leading up to it. And, as a bonus, action shots!
And here where Tina actually says it.
Sounds like she may have used a bit of demon leverage … isn’t that the sort of thing that can get her in trouble? As in memory-wipe trouble (at best … could get her a visit from a pissed-off Phix)? Could have sworn overt forced manipulation of will was on the same par as physical danger – you can advise or even deceive, but no outright controlling.
Tina’s taking a big risk, which makes me wonder why she goes so far, for Becky. Is it just “I found this kitten, and I gotta keep them safe” … or did something happen in the past, and Tina feels responsible, so this is her way of paying it back?
::rubs his eyes::
Dangit, Paul, like I didn’t already have enough running through my head all day … 😛
I get the feeling you are closer to the truth than is comfortable, Tina is a very friendly person, but the look on her face in the first panel suggest she did something she isn’t proud of, and if you pay attention to the second panel, Becky will not remember this later.
I agree as I said in another post. Her look to me is one of “I could loose control so easy and make people do what I want without knowing it” and she does not like that idea at all.
I would think that it is a little from “column A” and a little from “column B” here. We already know that Tina has a deep liking for Becky (she did say she wants to be just like her when she grows up) and Tina just loves to protect the people she likes. In a way she and Shelly are both guardians and just like helping.
If I recall correctly, there are several prohibitions on demons in general and on Tina’s Collective in particular. I don’t think the limit on the Collective is against control or influence – it’s against harming someone. The prohibition addresses the result, not the means.
If true, Tina’s use of demon influence may be a “no harm, no foul” situation… legal but risky!
“No harm, No Foul” in Phix’s book only though, probably not the demon-hunting/Sphinx “Da Rules”. Phix could probably “legally” get away (if not commended) for killing Tina at any time.
It seems she stays her hand moreso for Monica’s sake (since Phix clearly enjoys working, watching, and chatting with M) and Tina’s impact on other VIPs (GGG, Nudge, and even Shelly).
So long as Tina doesn’t cause any noticeable harm, doesn’t upset Monica too much, and Phix’s bosses continue to give the OK, Tina will continue to live. The minute one of those 3 things falters, Phix will probably “poit” ambush Tina and *SNAP*.
“at best … could get her a visit from a pissed-off Phix”
And now you’ve gotten my hopes up in anticipation.
Phix isn’t a bad character, she’s just one of those I love to hate and desire to see her get some form of comeuppance. Just something about her rubs me the wrong way (even despite her sympathetic qualities). Perhaps the same thing that irks Bud? I’ve been hoping to see some form of payback from Tina after the incidents surrounding the reveal of Nudge. The hope of another clash is just too enticing, especially if Tina’s expecting Phix’s arrival instead of getting blindly ambushed by an enraged Sphinx.
Forgot to include:
Tina also probably falls under Phix’s jurisdiction (and not some other Sphinx) simply due to her connections with Monica (an acquaintance of Phix) and more likely her direct connection to Nudge, Phix’s recently instated “partner”.
Phix’s “permanent assignment” to the library is what I meant by her sympathetic qualities.
Given Nudge’s dialogue with Phix in these two strips:
http://wapsisquare.com/comic/trickster/
http://wapsisquare.com/comic/via-a-riddle/
Phix was a pacifist and of low station, then spent an eternity trapped inside of a library. She’s had little chance to hunt or fight. Compared to other true Sphinxes (not the half-breeds like Shelly), she’s probably a pushover physically.
Like I said, not saying by any means Phix is a bad character, or lacks a tortured past (eons locked in a library with few visitors and likely scorned by your fellow kind has to be brutal). Just saying I’d love to see Tina get some personal revenge for how she was treated during the Nudge arc.
actually, i got the impression Phix is among the weakest of the Ando sphinxes.
I rather gathered if any of the other andos decided to do something about Tina, Phix would be practically helpless to stop it.
Apparently, the ‘higher power’ who controls the sphinxes agreed with Phix that Tina was a ‘special case’.
I can’t remember the strip, and that far back I really don’t want to go digging … but I vaguely remember Phix even saying something to that effect. It was something along the lines of how she was the smallest (in whatever sense) of her kind, and that made her the “runt”.
So when the sphinxes realized they would have to take direct control of the library, they chose Phix to take the job, she was unable to do anything about it, and had no say in the matter.
Didn’t Tina say one time that she would have to actually kill someone with her own hand before she would be in trouble? I know she is scared spitless of Phix, but as long as she does not do any actual harm, I think she will be ok.
I hope.
Yes, that’s now I remember it – although I don’t have the reference at hand at the moment. (This is just the kind of thing the wiki would answer, if it were more developed.) Demons can’t directly harm humans, but they can and do talk humans into doing stupid things.
Well, “time stopping dead” may be a little more than just getting “in trouble”
Here
http://wapsisquare.com/comic/timewouldstopdead/
and here
http://wapsisquare.com/comic/healthyoutlook/
However, she did do something wrong and wasn’t killed nor did time stop for everyone else. She was stuck to this timeline and can’t remember the others. Shelly investigated and informed her that she hurt Monica by getting Monica into that accident in Mexico.
It’s later revealed, by Jin’s Doubt to Monica, that Brandi (and/or her demons) conspired with Tina’s demons to get Monica into the same accident.
Yeah, but as I understand it (I can be wrong about this), Tina 1.0 was alive at that time and her demons were working the plan. I think that the time stopping deal is only since the ‘rats’ have taken over the ‘ship.’
What W said. The “time stops / universe ends” bit is if a Demon directly harms someone, and since the demons have control of a corporal form (2.0), it is a possibility.
Tina’s demons scaring Monica in front of that bus, causing both Monica’s near-death and Tina 1.0’s actual death (and possibly several other injuries) was still ‘technically’ a case of manipulating. They just scared Monica and harassed her, she still jumped in front of that bus, no indication the demons physically pushed her there.
If anything, the rules regarding demons, sphinxes, and mortals seem to be like the pirate code in the “Pirates Of The Caribbean” films. They’re more like guidelines.
And Brandi’s involvement may actually be what stayed the Sphinxes from taking down Tina 2.0 the minute she wandered from the morgue. Similar to the sentence passed on Tina 2.0 after Nudge was revealed and became co-keeper of the library, Tina 2.0 seems to benefit from the Sphinxes and other immortals ability to punish her accomplish.
Brandi and Nudge are both sensitive issues and difficult to enforce any sort of sentence on them. As such, they get off light (with a warning at most, usually), and since Tina’s demons are equally at fault, they get off with a similar punishment instead of exile or termination.
No good deed goes unpunished.
Tina will be visited by the demon police soon.
Hopefully she’ll only receive a warning.
(Good sphinx / Bad sphinx?)
I think that any visit Tina gets from the Sphinx police would be Phix going “That was a good one Tina” or some such.
Hmm. Tina in that first panel has pretty much the expression I had when the mechanic told me how much they wanted to charge to pass my car for the MVI. Now if only I had Tina’s powers of persuasion…
i am 5’1″. i scared the scrubs of a 6’6″ doctor on more than one occasion, to the point that he refused to deal with me again, and the nurses began to use me as a threat. “you’re messing with the medication again? do we HAVE to call Miss Kat in?”
you dont mess with the pain meds of an oncology patient on hospice. or as one lovely nurse put it: BEHOLD the power of the Short Woman! but fallcon went to his eternal rest comfortable, and i’m quite fine with that.
There is a reason that many terriers are small dogs. When they get aggressive, even large people and dogs listen.
Hey! If Tina can get the Medical Insurance people to cough up, I wonder if she’d stop by where I work and “convince” them to give me a raise? Please? (Big shiny eyes look)
Oooooooohh… I get it.
Tina’s “influence” over humans.
That’s very intriguing. Tina just did something that probably wasn’t very ethical and very possibly could get her in a LOT of trouble with some certain sphinxes, who she is terrified of, just to get her friend some medicine that she needed badly.
I’m interested to see what becomes of this.
And with her demonic influence, I truly think Becky IS going to just forget about it. She might not have a choice.
Tina commands, and you WILL obey.
Oop, just read the other comments. I was beaten to the conclusion. But hey if more than one person comes up with the same conclusion on their own, there’s likely something to it. X3
Not necessarily so SOB. It’s been noted that those with some form of mental handicap are often able to perceive things that us normals can not all because their brains process information differently in order to compensate.
Becky may very well be aware of Tina’s true nature. She just doesn’t react in a negative way seeing how she’s worked with Tina for so long.
It would be interesting if Becky did know, but it’s not really important in this conversation.
The point is that Becky, as a human, is susceptible to Tina’s demonic influence. Unless Becky isn’t actually a human (totally possible in this comic), whatever Tina says to her will have a lot of power over her. Just like those people in the pharmacy (assuming it’s a pharmacy), she’ll do whatever Tina tells her to do, because she doesn’t have a choice.
But OCD makes you involuntarily repeat behavior.
This may explain why Tina was having a hard time influencing Becky before: the Collective has to “influence” her again and again and again to gain any traction. And Becky is afforded an insight into Tina in the slips in between.
Becky did NOT know before this incident. Otherwise, she would not be wondering why everybody was obeying Tina’s every word.
Even if Becky only ‘knew’ Tina was ‘not human’, she would not be wondering.
Here’s an interesting thought…..
Can Tina order Becky to stop being OCD? She did say once she could ‘tell Shelly’s heart to stop’, not normally something one has concious control over anymore than one’s thinking processes.
If OCD is caused by a particular kind of demon, would it be a battle of wills? Tina’s demons versus Becky’s? And does Becky get a vote? Or does Tina have enough juice to order other people’s demons around?
Nice idea but OCD and a hearts beating are two different function systems. It has been shown that the brain can control the autonomic nervous system to a high degree (Hindu Yogies have been doing it for centuries), but OCD is either a chemical imbalance or a physical defect in the brain. That would not be controllable the same way,
Since OCD is treatable with medication, I would say that demons are not involved. Although I could be wrong and demons get stoned on OCD meds which is why they do it.
It’s generally not wise to upset the eldritch barista in the apple bottom jeans….
Tina has always taken care of those close to her in some fashion, perceived or otherwise. No doubt she’ll have to answer to someone (hopefully it’ll be Phix or better yet Shelly) about her taking the direct approach to solving her friends dilemma.
That is a well displayed bottom. Not every 36 year old demon collective is so lucky.
We’ve got a photo background in the second panel. Do any Minneapolis residents recognize the location?
Never mind – Google knows everything! Once I noticed the sign behind Tina’s speech bubble, anyway.
The ladies are facing northeast and looking at the Aster Cafe (125 SE Main St). It’s about two miles northeast of the Bibliothiki annex, about four miles northeast as the sphinx flies from our favorite body of water Lake Calhoun, and across the river from the notional Wapsi Square neighborhood. Pablo drew the strip implying that they’ve just got Becky’s medication in the building across the street – which is a subtle jest. There is no building across the street, just some trees and the Mississippi River. The limited view in panel one doesn’t reveal much, but that might be the St Anthony Main Event Center next door.
Aww — I was hoping it was the Bada Bing club, across the street from Consigliere’s Bar and Grille!
Well, we have this conversation between Phix and Tina http://wapsisquare.com/comic/relish-your-ignorance/
“Phix: Your name came up. Some felt your were part of the problem. But they were reminded that ideas are not punishable, only actions. You’re already living out your other punishment.
Tina: Well . . . Heh, that is a relief. What ideas are you talking about?
Phix: (threatening) Simply relish your ignorance.”
Now this was actions, not ideas, and Tina is probably very worried that she crossed the line, whatever the line is, even if she even knows where the line is. Definitely waiting for the shoe to drop.
It would be one of those supreme acts of bravery if after she drops Becky off, Tina walked into the entrance to the library to see Phix and throw herself to the mercy of the court, so to speak.
Tina has influenced humans before, and it’s known…
Her ability to influence humans wasn’t the idea that was concerning to the sphinxes…
It looks as if the móst important thing here, is Tina’s face in the first frame.
Tina looks as if she’s in a classic struggle of morals : How bad is it to help a friend in true need, and in the process do something un-ethical, nót directly criminal, but unethical none the less.
Tina is getting another taste of what it means to be “human” , with all of the constant stuggle to keep to the right path.
“how evil is acting evil to do good” the classic ethics conundrum that Tina already pointed-out (to Shelly, I believe) Her pointing it out, was also a sign of the struggle going on in Tina.
We are looking at another “development” story here. Monica had hers, Shelly had hers, and now Tina is in the middle of hers.
Íf Phix gets involved, it will probably nót be for punishing Tina, but to probe Tina as to ascertain hów much of a “human” Tina is becoming, and see if there is any positive influence (besides scaring the piss out of Tina) she can have in Tina’s development.
A collective of Demons deciding to do god, must be pretty unique, and Phix álso being the scholarly-type, is probably intrigued to no end.
Phix is also the classic mentor. It’s what she does. Her only gripe was with Nudge, hiding ín Tina, nót with the rest of Tina, so, I can imagine that Tina will be included in Phix’ little classroom….
Ugh!! €&@€€&&€€&:;);:-:<%#**#} (curse of unimaginable horridness)
"do god" = "do good"
"do god" sounds wrong on soooo many levels, despite being one of those blasted "Atheists" 😛
Goddesses used to boast about that until it was whitewashed in the cover up.
Read that as you may.
Beat me to it.
Been a while since I’ve seen so many comments so early in the AM!!
To me, Tina looks pretty much like anyone I’ve seen dealing with an unsympathetic organization; especially a medical institution that SHOULD have some kind of sympathy for it’s members. I’ve had a few run-ins with my healthcare provider and it wasn’t easy or pretty! Medical related bureaucrats can be swift pains in the ass, especially when you’re trying to get something that is desperately needed!
There are plenty of plain old humans who can be VERY persuasive without having demonic powers. (remember Tina was a mob bosses/drug lords daughter. Who knows what kinds of “physical” memories she may have in the ways of persuasion.) She likes to help people and I don’t believe she would like to be thwarted or deal with fools while giving that help to someone she really cares about. I think she just looks bound and determined to help her friend (come Hell or high water! :D) and disgusted at what she had to go through to help said friend.
I’d be the same way for any of my friends. And I have been! I really hate seeing someone get taken advantage of or getting the run around for no good reason. Hell hath no fury like one REALLY pissed off woman!!!
I was thinking the same thing…which is why I have decided to avoid commenting on most of the posts re: insurance. As someone who works for an insurance company (we don’t do health insurance, so don’t burn me at the stake just yet people), I find it frustrating at how quickly the people who work for those companies are demonized. *shrugs* Oh well…it is what it is.
That…so?…. *dangerous silence* in..te..resss..tingg…..*starts warming up the tar and gathering a nice amount of feathers*
Na.. Overhere customers are pretty well protected. Insurance companies that tried to deny coverage have been burned at the stake
(in a political sense) quite often, so, they generally behave. Small-print is also líterally prohibited overhere.
A contract can be declared “misleading”and “unlawful”pretty swift, if its running over with woolly, unintelligible “lawyer-speak” Insurers knów that, and took it to heart.
I’m still trying to figure out what the little whisps are in panel two. Look like… threads or hair… Not sure. Do the tentacles fire darts like Jellyfish to control others? lol
Demon-Dandruff…
I’m suddenly reminded of Michael J. Fox as Teen Wolf getting beer.
Interesting. Non-medicated is when the demons come out.
…Which makes sense.
You know, there ARE times when I wish this strip was transcribed somewhere. It’d make things 100x easier to understand.
…Okay, maybe 50x.
Reading the screened demon-speak might be difficult for some people on some systems.
Single document, with text and descriptions.
It’d be a hella LONG document right now, with Pablo going on 12 years…
What’s Becky going to forget about?
A particular linear parsing of Tina’s comment in panel 2 could render out as forgetting about the medicine.
Yar. Would have been clearer/safer for Tina to have spoken those two sentences in the opposite order.
However, in the context of what was going on… since she spoke in response to Becky’s statement of confusion and her direct question… I’d guess Becky will treat Tina’s words as a direct answer and that “forget about it” will apply to the confusion/question and not the meds.
Besides, “meds” is plural… and Tina did not say “forget about them.”
Aaah, language and its ambiguities. Next thing you know, we’ll see these two walking past a pretty little girls school.
Naughty, naughty tentacles of love! <3
Still think Tina’s very craveworthy, tentacles and all.
A body full of demons makes one hell of a fierce friend.
Amen to that! I wish I could call myself Tina’s friend. 🙂 It’s nice to know someone will have your back like that.
I’m thinking Dinozo of NCIS.
All this talk of demon voices and moral stuff is nice and all, but you are all missing the most important fact of this strip.
Tina DOZ haz da Badonky Donk!
Mental note to self- one does not play poker with Tina
I think my issue with this comic might be that you have no idea where they’re walking out from.
A little “PHARMACY HOURS” sign on the glass behind them might’ve gone a long way to indicate they were at Walgreen’s or something.
Okay, here’s the thing. Tina did the “right” thing by her friend, but what kind of trouble has she caused the people she influenced? It’s a knotty problem, and one she probably expects she’ll be made to answer for.
BTW, my own take on Tina’s influence: it probably stems from demons’ role as subconscious motivators. When a human tells you to do something, it gets filtered through your awareness that it’s someone else talking, that their motivations and perceptions are not yours, and that what they are saying is not necessarily what you’re thinking. A demon voice just sort of slides past all that, and it retains that quality even when she speaks out loud.