03/09/08 [Abel 2 #9] - Priorities

[jo-shadow]

Priorities, priorities... I swear he looks like he's checking her out in the middle panel, although he might just be dazed, kinda like "Well hello..."

Members of SAIA seem to enjoy dealing out sucker punches.

[Psaakyrn]

Well, we know where Abel got that habit now.

Still, Aniz is still very lucky. He could be dealing with that other faction instead, who I'd imagine is likely to be more... torturous. Especially since the other faction appears to know their medical stuff, making torture so much easier to calculate to precise values..

[EDIT: Also, Falina seems to be equally capable of punching with either hand. Just a mental note.]

[Timothy]

Can't help but feel respect for Fa'Lina. She should tatoo her knuckles with "Law" and "Order" or something. 

And as for the other factions ... chances are she will still let them have their way with Aniz.

[e_voyager]

Fa`lina has a rock level of epic. it's hard earned i'm sure but it's there. 

[Fex]

Fa'Lina showed me a new kind of fear and that is fear for pink poodles

[Zedd]

Fa'Lina showed me a new kind of fear and that is fear for pink poodles

There there...Be glad shes not mad at you

[Ren Gaulen]

Fa'Lina made me shed tears of joy. Her "Correction Punch" will go down in history, that's for sure.

[Tapewolf]

That did amuse me, although I'm still not entirely sure how what's he's done has upset the political balance.  Firstly, how would they know it was an incubus?  Presumably through May - although I'd be surprised if she wasn't as messed up as Abel right now.
And they still wouldn't know which clan was responsible, so why the Jin faction couldn't simply denounce it as the work of a single lunatic ("We're trying to get this bleeding hospital built!  Why would we ever want to do something like that?") is unclear to me.
I can only imagine that they are trying to paint their entire race as being 'not as bad as the stories' or somesuch.

[Ren Gaulen]

That did amuse me, although I'm still not entirely sure how what's he's done has upset the political balance.  Firstly, how would they know it was an incubus?  Presumably through May - although I'd be surprised if she wasn't as messed up as Abel right now.
And they still wouldn't know which clan was responsible, so why the Jin faction couldn't simply denounce it as the work of a single lunatic ("We're trying to get this bleeding hospital built!  Why would we ever want to do something like that?") is unclear to me.
I can only imagine that they are trying to paint their entire race as being 'not as bad as the stories' or somesuch.

Don't forget that Henya's remains also show that the assailant was a cubi - not many creatures (or Creatures) are capable of slicing someone's body to several pieces like that. And the official might not even care which clan is responsible. Cubi are considered dangerous by many, so a single incident like that may lead to severe disturbance.

[Tapewolf]

Don't forget that Henya's remains also show that the assailant was a cubi - not many creatures (or Creatures) are capable of slicing someone's body to several pieces like that.

Maybe.  Don't forget that Demons can sharpen their claws and could probably pull off a similar effect if they tried hard enough.

And the official might not even care which clan is responsible. Cubi are considered dangerous by many, so a single incident like that may lead to severe disturbance.

True, but Zinvth is run by Demons who are apparently higher up the food chain.

[Psaakyrn]

Inversely, it could be because of a being killing a creature which prevents the hospital from being built. They never mentioned if the hospital is for creatures or beings..hence the part about submitting Aniz to Zinvth, which she can't because of Taun's clan, which is apparently not Aniz's clan (else she'd just say "your clan").

[Angel]

Alrighty. First off, it comes to my attention that Aniz is exactly the sort of Cubi that Abel hates. Second, since Abel's favorite food is confusion, is it possible that he got that taste from Dad? (Even though doing all this just for food strikes me as just plain stupid...)

And lastly, Yay Fa'Lina hit him again!

And the official might not even care which clan is responsible. Cubi are considered dangerous by many, so a single incident like that may lead to severe disturbance.

True, but Zinvth is run by Demons who are apparently higher up the food chain.

Really? I figured they'd be about the same...

[Tapewolf]

Really? I figured they'd be about the same...

So did I until Amber mentioned that Kria - in her 30s - would be able to mop the floor with centuries-old Aniz.  I suspect the whole unlimited-stamina thing would help.
That said, if Jin and Taun are actual tri-winged founders things would likely be somewhat different.

[rt]

  Please .. stand .. so I can smack you down back to the floor 

I love it

[Aleolus]

Priorities, priorities... I swear he looks like he's checking her out in the middle panel, although he might just be dazed, kinda like "Well hello..."

I'm for the 'checking her out'.  I sorta get that vibe from them, like they are lovers when not out seducing innocent beings. 

[Sunblink]

Oddly the first thing I noticed was Fa'Lina's attire. It seems that she's wearing two different gloves on her hands - one which covers only part of her hand and the other which covers her entire hand. I like that.

I can't help but feel a certain amount of contempt for Aniz's reaction, here. It seems he's taking everything so nonchalantly in the second panel, as though he couldn't care less about the consequences of his actions, whether it's in the grand scheme of things or to a relatively lesser extent, such as how it altered the lives of two individuals. That or he's feeling somewhat grateful that Fa'Lina hasn't started beating him over May and Abel and is trying to laugh it off in a manner which would distract her, in classic kiss-up fashion. Somehow I don't think Aniz would have the balls to assert himself in front of Fa'Lina, since he is probably aware she would wipe the floor with him. Hence, instead, he's trying to kiss up to her. Kind of like a businessman punching his subordinate, and the poor fellow responding with a "Nice punch, sir."

Though that's just speculation, really. I'm tired so I probably have no idea what I'm talking about.

That did amuse me, although I'm still not entirely sure how what's he's done has upset the political balance.  Firstly, how would they know it was an incubus?  Presumably through May - although I'd be surprised if she wasn't as messed up as Abel right now.
And they still wouldn't know which clan was responsible, so why the Jin faction couldn't simply denounce it as the work of a single lunatic ("We're trying to get this bleeding hospital built!  Why would we ever want to do something like that?") is unclear to me.
I can only imagine that they are trying to paint their entire race as being 'not as bad as the stories' or somesuch.

Don't forget that Henya's remains also show that the assailant was a cubi - not many creatures (or Creatures) are capable of slicing someone's body to several pieces like that. And the official might not even care which clan is responsible. Cubi are considered dangerous by many, so a single incident like that may lead to severe disturbance.

I agree with Ren here. After seeing how a single Cubi destroyed and unraveled a person's life, kidnapped someone, and murdered a fellow Creature, I doubt Zinvth's officials would find an entire clan trustworthy enough to be granted with the responsibility of managing a hospital of children. Guilty by association.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[MaskedRetriever]

*waves pompoms*

Hit him again!  Hit him again!  Harder!  Harder!

Yyyyyyyyyeah it's deeply disturbing how much Amber has made me enjoy Aniz getting repeatedly splatched upside the head.

[Valynth]

And the official might not even care which clan is responsible. Cubi are considered dangerous by many, so a single incident like that may lead to severe disturbance.

True, but Zinvth is run by Demons who are apparently higher up the food chain.

The food chain really doesn't matter.  While in a head-on(apply directly-GAAAH! they have me doing it!) fight the cubi might lose, they don't strike me as the type to charge into an enemy.  Remember,  , and with such an ability they can gain a surprise advantage on anyone by being anyone else.  This means that they are ideal for carrying out assassinations especially of public figures such as the leaders of Zinvth.

With such a tactical advantage for the 'cubi, it stands to reason how this incident would cause Zinvth's leaders to be nervous about the race as a whole.

[Kajet]

I think I like Fa'lina more and more with this story.

[Alondro]

*Charline hmphs*  It's not right that everyone thinks cubi are bad because of Aniz.  We're not all so ebil!

*Charles erms*  Didn't you want the hospital so you could eat the children?

*Charline uhm*  Only a few... per week... 

[Reese Tora]

mmmm, sweet: stand up comedy.

[Tapewolf]

Remember,  , and with such an ability they can gain a surprise advantage on anyone by being anyone else.  This means that they are ideal for carrying out assassinations especially of public figures such as the leaders of Zinvth.

Go figure.  All the weird and wonderful uses I've come up with for 'Cubi powers, and professional assassin was not among them 

Put like that I certainly agree - with the proviso that other Creatures can accomplish disguises through spells, e.g. Danielle.

[Ren Gaulen]

Put like that I certainly agree - with the proviso that other Creatures can accomplish disguises through spells, e.g. Danielle.

Yes, that is true - but "the blunt object brigade" identified "Danielle" as a cubi in disguise, while Abel managed to trick them. So, cubi shapeshifting is more effective than regular polymorph magic (or whatever it was).

[Valynth]

Go figure.  All the weird and wonderful uses I've come up with for 'Cubi powers, and professional assassin was not among them 

Put like that I certainly agree - with the proviso that other Creatures can accomplish disguises through spells, e.g. Danielle.

There could be certain problems with magical shapeshifting that would partially negate the advantages it presents(detectability of the magic for example).  The 'cubi shapeshifting may rely on different principles thus giving them an advantage when blending in as opposed to their magic-using competition.

[Slacker Spice]

"One must focus... Put things in order of importance. Not to mention I was waiting for you to stand up."

Awesome. Need I say more?

[Darkdragon]

"One must focus... Put things in order of importance. Not to mention I was waiting for you to stand up."

Awesome. Need I say more?

Very true. Just that sort of elegance one would expect Fa'lina to take in all her tasks, even (perhaps especially) one such as beating Aniz.

[Nameless]

I would like to state that I, too, have found my respect for Fa'lina skyrocketing throughout the story.

As for the assassin thing, I have been thinking about that for a while, though that could be influenced by me playing Assassin's Creed because I also couldn't help but think how a cubi could just morph a finger temporarily out of existence in order to use a hidden blade without cutting off any fingers.

Heck, A cubi could first arm him- or herself with a poisoned hidden blade, assume a disguise, approach the target, stab the target while the person is completely unaware, thus bypassing a lot of defensive spells and abilities that need to be concentrated on to be active, and, after escaping from whoever is chasing, assume another disguise while no one is looking so as to walk nonchalantly away while the authorities continue looking for anyone matching the description of the first disguise...

....what?

[Tapewolf]

Heck, A cubi could first arm him- or herself with a poisoned hidden blade, assume a disguise, approach the target, stab the target while the person is completely unaware, thus bypassing a lot of defensive spells and abilities that need to be concentrated on to be active, and, after escaping from whoever is chasing, assume another disguise while no one is looking so as to walk nonchalantly away while the authorities continue looking for anyone matching the description of the first disguise...

....what?

Similar to one of my ideas, actually.  Except in reverse:

"But [the assassin] was an incubus too, wasn't he?" Jakob snapped. "Someone disguised as me, someone who shapeshifted before entering and leaving. Why didn't they read Wils' mind and know?"

"Actually, they were all Beings," he said. "Three of them, to create a cover, you see. In case they were intercepted, only the killer himself knew the entire plan - the others were told only what they had to do, not why.
"The first agent entered the house. Then he left via a warp-aci which he brought with him. This warp-aci was then able to return with the killer, who carried out his task and was then teleported back with the bullet containing his target's soul.
"Finally, a third agent was warped into the property and left via the front door. The resulting confusion has left the police running in circles to this very day," he beamed.
--Future History, Chapter 26

[Aurawyn]

I really didn't see that coming.. actually made me Laugh out loud...

[Shadrok]

  I sorta get that vibe from them, like they are lovers when not out seducing innocent beings. 

I've not gotten that vibe from them, but then again "why have beds" in SAIA.