I’m now imagining the ancient Blackthorn, and a small group of Elder Gods, acting out their predestined roles… as the ur-primal archetypes of “Dave Seville”, Alvin, and the Chipmunks.
It really does explain a lot about the strange way that the Universe seems to work, much of the time. Our entire existence is a comedy record.
True, but if you look at the comments for that strip, you will note Mr C was not identified for a while.
That should tell you he was identified AFTER some of the comments (and some very erroneous guesses) were made.
Or using the KISS Principle… What is more likely to have happened is that the name WAS posted in the cast list as the comic went out, and those earlier commenters just didn’t bother to LOOK at it BEFORE they made those comments…
When I said what I said Mr. C as you have called him. was not yet given an ID. I went by what he looked like and how he was hanging on casses every word.
Nice to see Luci’s ink again. And it’s kind of a strange situation that Castela is still a minor, but the oldest living thing in the universe (thus far.) Makes for some interesting opportunities.
Based on what we know about how the Calendar Machine operated, is likely that the Blackthorn was aware of the time looping, but wasn’t caught up in it.
The Machine’s effects were somewhat localized – remember that the Time Forest universe time-line wasn’t looping. If I recall correctly, one of the characters mentioned that the Machine affected all of our galaxy, implying that its effects didn’t go behind that (the Machine’s Lanthian power source was tied to the galaxy’s rotation?)
Since the Blackthorn is multi-dimensional and multi-universal, only whatever little tendrils of it existed in the Wapsi universe might have been caught up in it.
I don’t think we know whether anything like the DNA experiments which created Castela existed in any of the 80-odd earlier time-loop iterations… it’s certainly possible but not for-certain. If there were, the Blackthorn would certainly have been aware of them, and gender of the time loop.
Similarly, it seems likely that “our” Castela is not the only Blackthorn sprout… that she has an analog in the “ghost hunt” alternate timeline and perhaps in other parallel universes. Maybe that’s part of why her personality is so strong that it now dominates the Blackthorn?
I theorize that there’s no way for us to know if this is the only time line that the blackthorn came into being as Castela or didn’t. But…… it is possible that being aware of the timeloop, from outside the time loop, watching humans go through it 57 times, and seeing this last time loop being the last, it came into being as Castela in this last time loop only.
Actual age and relatable age are really two different things. In the TransHuman Space universe, Bioroids are decanted after roughly two years of development and their digital minds are programmed to act as relatable to their human masters. So a Bioroid might be only three years old, but act like a late teenager in terms of socializing, and even older in terms of the job they’ve been programmed to do. So we have the Blackthorn- easily 13.8 billion years old or more, but currently acting like a teenager with all the associated sturm und drang, requiring the assistance of other, much younger, persons to help her relate and safely enter society. I can only think that the Blackthorn is quite wisely allowing it’s Castela persona to control this development in order to better relate to life, while still hinting at the ultimate possibilities. If Castela becomes the well-adjusted person that Katherine and the MIB hope, does the Blackthorn go along with this?
Why isn’t anyone (among the comments, at least) talking about the Blackthorne’s apparently self-appointed job (protecting the separation between the universes)?
With that particular job, maybe (just maybe) the Blackthorne figures it needs a little better understanding of the life it was protecting (and not just the universe we are aware of).
Of course, being BORED TO DEATH may have had a little bit to do as an incentive.
It seems… excessive to be making the Blackthorn “older than the elder gods”. How does that serve the story? What kind of stakes can actually be there for Castela if she’s that old and (presumably) powerful?
From what I understand the Blackthorn is part of the fabric of reality itself. She isn’t controlling the membrane dividing reality. She IS the membrane dividing reality.
It’s not that Castela is powerful. It’s that reality is literally sitting ON her.
As for the stakes, Castela just needs to do nothing to maintain the Statu Quo. Unfortunately, Castela is also (part) HUMAN.
There was a story that I read ages ago titled “To Marry Medusa”, by Theodore Sturgeon, published in 1958, I just found out it was the condensed version of a novel titled, “The Cosmic Rape”. In it, a galaxy-spanning mind monster, which had previously only absorbed only non-sapient creatures, encounters the human race, and is absorbed by it, the result being that people can be almost anything, anywhere! Not exactly the same situation as here, but it struck a cord with me!
Weird fact- Cthulhu, not a hentai fan. Was not expecting that.
Well, it’s like when someone fetishize your day job. Got to feel a bit patronising…
Interviewed maids in France, think the idea of French Maid costumes as role-playing fetish-ware is about the least sexy thing they can imagine.
That’s…,.
A bit of a eye-opener.
I’m now imagining the ancient Blackthorn, and a small group of Elder Gods, acting out their predestined roles… as the ur-primal archetypes of “Dave Seville”, Alvin, and the Chipmunks.
It really does explain a lot about the strange way that the Universe seems to work, much of the time. Our entire existence is a comedy record.
So, do you think Cthulhu ever got his hula hoop?
Well, I doubt Alvin did.
so why should Cthulhu?
Called it when this happened>>>> http://wapsisquare.com/comic/got-it/ I said it was Cthulhu. It’s nice to have that confirmed though.
Well, if you look at the Cast List for that comic, you’ll notice something…
True, but if you look at the comments for that strip, you will note Mr C was not identified for a while.
That should tell you he was identified AFTER some of the comments (and some very erroneous guesses) were made.
Or using the KISS Principle… What is more likely to have happened is that the name WAS posted in the cast list as the comic went out, and those earlier commenters just didn’t bother to LOOK at it BEFORE they made those comments…
When I said what I said Mr. C as you have called him. was not yet given an ID. I went by what he looked like and how he was hanging on casses every word.
Nice to see Luci’s ink again. And it’s kind of a strange situation that Castela is still a minor, but the oldest living thing in the universe (thus far.) Makes for some interesting opportunities.
There was that incident with time repeating itself—did Our Gal the Blackthorn experience that, too?
Now THAT is an interesting concept…
Interesting idea indeed!
Based on what we know about how the Calendar Machine operated, is likely that the Blackthorn was aware of the time looping, but wasn’t caught up in it.
The Machine’s effects were somewhat localized – remember that the Time Forest universe time-line wasn’t looping. If I recall correctly, one of the characters mentioned that the Machine affected all of our galaxy, implying that its effects didn’t go behind that (the Machine’s Lanthian power source was tied to the galaxy’s rotation?)
Since the Blackthorn is multi-dimensional and multi-universal, only whatever little tendrils of it existed in the Wapsi universe might have been caught up in it.
I don’t think we know whether anything like the DNA experiments which created Castela existed in any of the 80-odd earlier time-loop iterations… it’s certainly possible but not for-certain. If there were, the Blackthorn would certainly have been aware of them, and gender of the time loop.
Similarly, it seems likely that “our” Castela is not the only Blackthorn sprout… that she has an analog in the “ghost hunt” alternate timeline and perhaps in other parallel universes. Maybe that’s part of why her personality is so strong that it now dominates the Blackthorn?
I theorize that there’s no way for us to know if this is the only time line that the blackthorn came into being as Castela or didn’t. But…… it is possible that being aware of the timeloop, from outside the time loop, watching humans go through it 57 times, and seeing this last time loop being the last, it came into being as Castela in this last time loop only.
Theoretically.
I can really picture Cthulhu wearing a Hello Kitty shirt (special size) now.
Now, I need a lot of brain-bleach… as anything relating to Mr C. needs a lot
Actual age and relatable age are really two different things. In the TransHuman Space universe, Bioroids are decanted after roughly two years of development and their digital minds are programmed to act as relatable to their human masters. So a Bioroid might be only three years old, but act like a late teenager in terms of socializing, and even older in terms of the job they’ve been programmed to do. So we have the Blackthorn- easily 13.8 billion years old or more, but currently acting like a teenager with all the associated sturm und drang, requiring the assistance of other, much younger, persons to help her relate and safely enter society. I can only think that the Blackthorn is quite wisely allowing it’s Castela persona to control this development in order to better relate to life, while still hinting at the ultimate possibilities. If Castela becomes the well-adjusted person that Katherine and the MIB hope, does the Blackthorn go along with this?
Why isn’t anyone (among the comments, at least) talking about the Blackthorne’s apparently self-appointed job (protecting the separation between the universes)?
With that particular job, maybe (just maybe) the Blackthorne figures it needs a little better understanding of the life it was protecting (and not just the universe we are aware of).
Of course, being BORED TO DEATH may have had a little bit to do as an incentive.
IIRC, the Blackthorn isn’t protecting the seperation between universes. She IS the seperation between universes.
It seems… excessive to be making the Blackthorn “older than the elder gods”. How does that serve the story? What kind of stakes can actually be there for Castela if she’s that old and (presumably) powerful?
From what I understand the Blackthorn is part of the fabric of reality itself. She isn’t controlling the membrane dividing reality. She IS the membrane dividing reality.
It’s not that Castela is powerful. It’s that reality is literally sitting ON her.
As for the stakes, Castela just needs to do nothing to maintain the Statu Quo. Unfortunately, Castela is also (part) HUMAN.
…and sixteen. {Or so}
It is good to see Luci again!
There was a story that I read ages ago titled “To Marry Medusa”, by Theodore Sturgeon, published in 1958, I just found out it was the condensed version of a novel titled, “The Cosmic Rape”. In it, a galaxy-spanning mind monster, which had previously only absorbed only non-sapient creatures, encounters the human race, and is absorbed by it, the result being that people can be almost anything, anywhere! Not exactly the same situation as here, but it struck a cord with me!