2017-08-21 [DMFA #1778] - Tweaking the tiger's tail

[The One Guy]

How do I know for sure that Fa'Lina had a Fae boon? Easy. She said so:
http://missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1590.php
"She resented me for using my boon to build a school rather than a weapon."
And for those who don't like the subtlety game, here's the information being thwacked in our collective faces:
http://missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1613.php

We know that Fa'Lina had a fae boon, but we don't know that Mab was the one to give it to her.  It's heavily implied considering the old/new friend thing (or rather, just old friend as has just been clarified), but it's not confirmed.

[Howl]

I'll level with you guys.  The whole old/new friend is an old remnant of a story-line that ended up not taking off and I may end up going back and editing that page to just be "old friend"

Basically there was going to be a plotline where Pyroduck was in fact a time traveler and the whole old/new friend was going to involve some time travelling shenanigans where Mab first met Fa'lina in the future and some strange storyline about Dan saving Pyroduck from a future timeline from the past and such...but then I realized that A: time travel is confusing and I suck at writing it  B: the story directions started taking off in a different path so the entire concept was scrapped.   

Manga writers make it up on the fly too.

I still think Mab's acting really terrible right now. Treating someone she killed just now with the regard of a fly that flew into your neighbor's bug zapper. Vicious.

[Kuzma Volkov]

I'll level with you guys.  The whole old/new friend is an old remnant of a story-line that ended up not taking off and I may end up going back and editing that page to just be "old friend"

Basically there was going to be a plotline where Pyroduck was in fact a time traveler and the whole old/new friend was going to involve some time travelling shenanigans where Mab first met Fa'lina in the future and some strange storyline about Dan saving Pyroduck from a future timeline from the past and such...but then I realized that A: time travel is confusing and I suck at writing it  B: the story directions started taking off in a different path so the entire concept was scrapped.   

But when in doubt Wibbly Wobbly Timey Whimey, or Wiku wiku.

[Rafe]

...but then I realized that A: time travel is confusing and I suck at writing it  B: the story directions started taking off in a different path so the entire concept was scrapped.   

You don't have to come up with intricate plots to make the ability to shift in time interesting.  Just small details can change things in fascinating ways. Anytime Mab does something like this - freaking out her friends (old/new or whatever) with some seemingly very arbitrary or capricious act, or in this case, a very violent act - it makes me wonder how being semi-omniscient, and able to move through time would affect your decision making.

In other words, how different would you act if you knew the consequences of what you were doing, and didn't have to make your best guess?  How would you treat people who questioned your judgement, when no judgement is really involved, you already know what will happen if you do or don't act.  And for that matter, you can know most if not everything about people you meet before it happens.  It might make a lot of difference in how you treat someone if you can see ahead of time how they really behave.

I have a lot of confidence in your writing ability, Amber, and that also includes your ability to know when some plot line isn't working.  I'll take your word on it.  I do hope that you can get something like this going in the future - for selfish reasons.  I've always liked time-travel/time-shifted story lines. 

[Merlin]

Time travel is rad but I cannot talk as I have also cut a time travel arc lol
WHO AMONG US HAS NOT, I ASK YOU

[Akisohida]

I'll level with you guys.  The whole old/new friend is an old remnant of a story-line that ended up not taking off and I may end up going back and editing that page to just be "old friend"

Basically there was going to be a plotline where Pyroduck was in fact a time traveler and the whole old/new friend was going to involve some time travelling shenanigans where Mab first met Fa'lina in the future and some strange storyline about Dan saving Pyroduck from a future timeline from the past and such...but then I realized that A: time travel is confusing and I suck at writing it  B: the story directions started taking off in a different path so the entire concept was scrapped.   

So they are old/new/nonexistent friends!

[Cassi-kun]

Mab existing outside the constraints of time just makes sense to me. It would explain some of her personality shifts and (along with Fae being... Fae) how she has an adult daughter while also having been a child when Dan and the others were kids as well, plus mentioning that "when she came to this world" she made five friends of which Jyrras is one despite Jyrras and Dan not having met until they were in their tweens or early teen years.

I may be reading into old things too much, but isn't that the mark of a True Fan?

[Hariman]

I'll level with you guys.  The whole old/new friend is an old remnant of a story-line that ended up not taking off and I may end up going back and editing that page to just be "old friend"

Basically there was going to be a plotline where Pyroduck was in fact a time traveler and the whole old/new friend was going to involve some time travelling shenanigans where Mab first met Fa'lina in the future and some strange storyline about Dan saving Pyroduck from a future timeline from the past and such...but then I realized that A: time travel is confusing and I suck at writing it  B: the story directions started taking off in a different path so the entire concept was scrapped.   

Oh! I just figured that Mab bounced around in time enough that she befriended Fa'Lina in the past at some point.

Thank you for clearing that up.

Time travel is rad but I cannot talk as I have also cut a time travel arc lol
WHO AMONG US HAS NOT, I ASK YOU

I haven't.

Because I haven't written any time travel stories, yet.

I do know what approach I'm going to take if I ever do though, and it's not Multiverse theory, or Wibbly Wobbly either. ;p

Mab existing outside the constraints of time just makes sense to me. It would explain some of her personality shifts and (along with Fae being... Fae) how she has an adult daughter while also having been a child when Dan and the others were kids as well, plus mentioning that "when she came to this world" she made five friends of which Jyrras is one despite Jyrras and Dan not having met until they were in their tweens or early teen years.

I may be reading into old things too much, but isn't that the mark of a True Fan?

From the looks of it, Dan and Wildy were friends from early childhood. Probably along with Alexsi too. And Jyrras was added in over time after they met each other in their teens. I THINK Merlitz was number 5, but I'm not 100% sure of that.

Also... yeah. As I stated above, "Mab = bouncing in time at different times" (pun intended) was my prior theory. 

But now we know that Pyroduck was actually lying (retroactively) when he said he was a time traveler, so that's another epileptic tree branch trimmed and Jossed.

Although, I'd kind of figured that was a joke to begin with, so I'm actually surprised to see that it was a possibility back when it was written. ;p 

...

If you're teasing a rabbit, does that require Beeping a Bunny's Nose?

[Merlin]

He wasn't lying, he just happens to be travelling through time at the speed of regular time


edit: though there was that "from the future" bit too wasn't there-? psssh let's just ignore that

[WhyNot?]

From the looks of it, Dan and Wildy were friends from early childhood. Probably along with Alexsi too. And Jyrras was added in over time after they met each other in their teens. I THINK Merlitz was number 5, but I'm not 100% sure of that.

Well here Biggs makes it pretty clear that he was part of the tight-knit group, interestingly in flashbacks and related conversations it's Alexsi's presence that's not adressed, and I'm sure that Amber once said that Biggs considers Mab his 'Best Friend', though that should be subjected to the same scrutiny that all out of comic stuff is.

As for Merlitz, do we know how long he was at Lost Lake for? I know we're subjected to comic book time but it's entirely possible that he might have been there for about the same length of time that Pyro has been.

[Grey Wolf]

But...but Mab wanted to be cake buddies  D:

I can't really take what Mab says at face value anymore, knowing the game(s) she's playing, but...

Also, I think it's worth considering that, while not a "true" dragon, Pyro is a dragon. An entity associated with order and being directly opposed to the chaotic fae. A quasi-dragon telling a fae what to do? Tsk tsk. Best nip that in the bud.

[Cassi-kun]

But now we know that Pyroduck was actually lying (retroactively) when he said he was a time traveler, so that's another epileptic tree branch trimmed and Jossed.

Although, I'd kind of figured that was a joke to begin with, so I'm actually surprised to see that it was a possibility back when it was written. ;p

Yeah, I always considered Pyro's line about time travel to be a joke.

[keybounce]

When did Pyro make a comment about being a time traveler?

Also, I think it's worth considering that, while not a "true" dragon, Pyro is a dragon. An entity associated with order and being directly opposed to the chaotic fae.

Other than Hizell, is there anything in the comic that puts fae and dragons (as a whole) as enemies? Has there been anything that says that dragons are "order creatures"?

===

Perfectly OK to make Mab a time traveler. We know that the fae regard the normals as "linears", and they themselves are not -- so Mab can show up at any point in time in the timeline, and change things.

Mab and Fa'Lina are friends; Fa'Lina and Pyro are friends. Fa'Lina can probably still see Pyro, or at least, what's happening around him. So, Fa'Lina can see how much Mab's actions have bothered Pyro, as well as how much he's worrying about "again in another month". Fa'Lina might ask Mab if she could take him a few years into the past so he has time to come up with other ideas. He comes back in another two comics, significantly older, and tells the rest of them "I took a time out. Now I've figured out what to do.".

You don't have to show what happens in the alternate timeline, unless you want to retcon something.

[Grey Wolf]

Other than Hizell, is there anything in the comic that puts fae and dragons (as a whole) as enemies? Has there been anything that says that dragons are "order creatures"?

Yep!

[keybounce]

Ohh, and that was recent. Thank you.

[keybounce]

... So, this was at the clubbing/graveyard scene. We basically find out that Pip is exiled in disgrace. He goes over to the grave of May, and a few minutes later Abel and company show up. ... Yet Pip isn't there. He must have known that Hizell would be there (he did send that tip), why wouldn't he stay ... right, so if Hizell is "what passes for Dragons in this world", and that means that Hizell / Pyro / etc are really weak compared to Pip at full, but immortal Pip is still no match for Hizell in his current weak form.

Hmm. Pip keeps his knowledge, but can't let anyone know he can speak. Interesting.

[Cassi-kun]

When did Pyro make a comment about being a time traveler

Long ago

[keybounce]

... oh wow, look at Jyrras in 102.

[Dracologist]

So Mab removes someone from existence and not only doesn't care (lack of empathy) about the fact that she just ended someone's life, but immediately starts to act like reversing that action would be a favor to someone else (self focused).  I think Mab is Psychopathic.

[PhycoKrusk]

So Mab removes someone from existence and not only doesn't care (lack of empathy) about the fact that she just ended someone's life, but immediately starts to act like reversing that action would be a favor to someone else (self focused).  I think Mab is Psychopathic.

Not psychopathic; just fae. Their psychology is almost totally alien to mortals, so we can't hold them to our same standards of civilized and/or normal behavior. We can only be cautious and fearful of them.

[Dracologist]

So Mab removes someone from existence and not only doesn't care (lack of empathy) about the fact that she just ended someone's life, but immediately starts to act like reversing that action would be a favor to someone else (self focused).  I think Mab is Psychopathic.

Not psychopathic; just fae. Their psychology is almost totally alien to mortals, so we can't hold them to our same standards of civilized and/or normal behavior. We can only be cautious and fearful of them.

Ah, yes yes.  I see.  Kind of like how people are cautious and fearful of The Joker, right?  I'm kidding of course, but it does show a huge lack of empathy or compassion on her end.  She might not be violent, but she's certainly not non-violent either.  Then again the inclusion of a race as powerful as the fae kind of negates all threats that the series can provide.  Why feel that the main characters are ever in danger if Mab can just pop in and erase people are her will?