3-22-2007 Abel's Story # 77 inky bus? We'll dye of fright

[The Lurking Dragon]

So... it is noticed finally Abel has headwings. One wonders where this is headed. =-)

[Goatmon]

Nowhere good, it's safe to assume.   

[Roureem Egas]

I'm wondering what else Hennya knows and is likely to blurt out. How much more damaging things could she say?

[Zedd]

Mostly bat in the hair joke agains

[superluser]

So...does this mean that `cubi are rare even by creature standards, or does it mean that creatures are rather parochial in their knowledge?

Also, given May's reaction, I think we can effectively rule out the ``May is a succubus'' theory.  Unless she's intentionally deceiving Abel, and at this point, I really don't see what benefit that would have.

I do think that May will soon decide what she has to tell Abel--even though it may be a few centuries before Amber lets know what that is...

Edit:  Also, is there any chance that we will ever see some Jack Chick style ``HAW HAW HAW'' laughing?

[Goatmon]

I thought that creature/being hybrid children took after the being parent, which already rules out May being the succubus in the relationship. 

[superluser]

I thought that creature/being hybrid children took after the being parent, which already rules out May being the succubus in the relationship.

The quote is ``What I do know of genetics plays into things, like for example in creature/being offspring, children tend to gain a lot of the physical appearence of their being parent.''

Note the word `tend.'  That's the word that people will use to claim that it's still possible.  It's also a pretty good word to use for misdirection.  Today's strip makes it just that much less likely.

[Zedd]

And the only babies I eat are jellybabies...Its like a long Dr. Who refrence for some  

[Tsunari]

Hmmm, most noticing I guess is that demons and mythos and probably a few other creature races live together without a single cubi living there.  So Fa'lina has managed to make cubi much more mythical by keeping them out of circulation.

[Fex]

I wonder what is that thing on henya's shoulder

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I wonder what is that thing on henya's shoulder

That would be the snake-head, with the ring on it.

[Aridas]

What I don't get is how they're so misinformed about cubi >.>

[Tezkat]

A genocidal war against the Cubi occurred less than ten thousand years ago, and survival rates for known Cubi out in the world have historically been low. Even Destania, a 7000-year-old SAIA professor, got her butt kicked by a group of Beings. Keeping a low profile would seem the most sensible course of action.



As Cubi rarely reveal their true natures in public, it's unsurprising that Hennya has never recognized anyone she's met as such. May is presumably a small-town girl, and Cid didn't necessarily talk shop at home; we can excuse her for being a bit provincial. We don't yet know if Abel's "Za?" indicates ignorance about Cubi or mere confusion/disbelief. Hennya recognized the headwings immediately on sight, and she and Abel have similar education levels. (Well... she's pursuing some kind of continuing education or graduate studies in Magical Artifacts, and he's already in the workforce, but library work isn't all that far from academia.) Her explanation may have been primarily for May's benefit.

Still, with a holocaust recent enough for the older generations to remember, Cubi numbers must be relatively small regardless. Given the competitive advantage of a SAIA education, it's a safe bet that most Cubi now send their kids there and therefore that it's home to a majority of adult Cubi under 400. We have indirect measures of SAIA's population (such as the fact that roughly 3000 Warp-Aci inhabit SAIA in Dan's time--popular even though not everyone has one). Even extrapolating with some fairly generous demographic guestimates, one of Furrae's larger population centers wouldn't host more than a handful of (disguised?) Cubi. Older Creatures might know a few, but Cubi would still be "read about them in a book" material to the twenty-something crowd (possibly full of stereotypes left over from pre-SAIA days).

[Tilvan the Storyweaver]

I just found the fact that no one screamed, "There's a Bat on your head!!!!" and tried to whap Abel disappointing.  That would have been a real highlight.

And a thought, Is Abel's Story going to include any of his time at the Cubi Academy?

[Moonfrost]

May: "A whatcubis?"

Well there went my theory that she was an Succubus in disguise.

[Tapewolf]

And the only babies I eat are jellybabies...Its like a long Dr. Who refrence for some  

"They say the Evil One eats babies!"
--Leela, Dr. Who - Face of Evil

I would say Tezkat is right on the money.  'Cubi are fairly rare, and they would definitely want to keep hidden unless they're extremely cocky.  Possibly not so much in a place like Zinvth, but definitely in Being-run territories.

And while I don't like to say "I told you so", the notion that she didn't know about 'Cubi does not really surprise me, although that probably makes her a Being.  I'm more concerned about whether adventure-boy knows - he might come in any moment, see the monster disguised as his presumably-dead son and try to vanquish it.

As of the present, Amber has claimed there are under 30'000 'cubi in total.  Whether this number was larger or smaller in Abel's childhood is unknown except by Amber.

See Amber's incredibly informative (if slightly addled) replies:
http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php?topic=2262.msg93719#msg93719

[Moonfrost]

I just found the fact that no one screamed, "There's a Bat on your head!!!!" and tried to whap Abel disappointing.  That would have been a real highlight.

And a thought, Is Abel's Story going to include any of his time at the Cubi Academy?

I hope so... but we havent quite gotten that far yet.

My bet, however, is on Amber being lazy, with him getting into the cubi acadamy and then OMG cut-off (with Fa'Lina saying something like "You'll fit in perfectly here!", either that or "X# of years later...."). No offense, Amber.  

[Stygian]

This immediately begs the question of just how great the population of furrae is. However, seeing as I Amber would most likely not tell us, it would be more interesting to see some kind of pie chart or percentage relation between species.

Of course, we would most probably never see that either, so... Perhaps one could just sum up which species are greater or lesser in terms of numbers? Beings>Insecti>Merfolk>Demons? I imagine that both Dragons and Fae are pretty damn rare, seeing the space, time and territory they might require...

[Goatmon]

I just found the fact that no one screamed, "There's a Bat on your head!!!!" and tried to whap Abel disappointing.  That would have been a real highlight.

Well, his headwings don't resemble a bat much, since they emulate his normal wings. 

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Even extrapolating with some fairly generous demographic guestimates, one of Furrae's larger population centers wouldn't host more than a handful of (disguised?) Cubi.

It's possible there are more around than that. Even so, they'd be fanatic enough about remaining hidden that it wouldn't surprise me to learn that more than a few Cubi-Cubi marriages have happened with both believing the other side was Being...

.. which I believe Amber has implied, somewhere, although I couldn't tell you where...

[Tapewolf]

Two interesting points:

1. Shapeshifting is not one of the traits Hennya has listed.

2. Matilda knew exactly what Dan was the moment she saw him.  This in itself is rather interesting, how did she know he wasn't an Angel, for instance?  Lucky guess?  More to the point, that implies that 'Cubi are more well-known/tolerated in Dan's era.  (Or area...)

[Prof B Hunnydew]

I will like to point out what even in Dan's time, we have a group of Adventures coming to Lost Lake Inn investigating Cubi sightings, and seeing if there was any trouble brewing.  And they left feeling that something funny was going on.

Being are still not be very knowledgeable about Cubi if they whack them in the head think they have a bat or bird on their heads.  Creatures maybe better informed, but not much more, because Fa'lina wouldn't want too many "secret" out.  Given the "cold war" hostilities between the Creatures and the clans of Dan's time.

PBH  

[Alan Garou]

CIIIIIIIIIIDDDD!

[superluser]

I'm more concerned about whether adventure-boy knows - he might come in any moment, see the monster disguised as his presumably-dead son and try to vanquish it.

More likely, he'll say something like the following:

Cid: Oh, hey!  Your headwings came in!  Now, granted, they're not as sexy as mine (*reveals headwings*), but I think we need to celebrate!

Or even:

Cid: Oh, hey!  Your headwings came in!  I figured they'd be coming shortly after I saw the clan marking.  See, a few years ago, May had sex with an incubus...
May: No, I didn't!
Cid: May, we've been over this before.  I wasn't in town...

[Tapewolf]

I will like to point out what even in Dan's time, we have a group of Adventures coming to Lost Lake Inn investigating Cubi sightings, and seeing if there was any trouble brewing.  And they left feeling that something funny was going on.

They weren't very good at it, but they knew what they were and they knew they could shapeshift, even if they didn't really understand the mechanism.  May doesn't know what they are, period, and nor did Devin - a professional adventurer.

Being are still not be very knowledgeable about Cubi if they whack them in the head think they have a bat or bird on their heads.

True.

Creatures maybe better informed, but not much more, because Fa'lina wouldn't want too many "secret" out.  Given the "cold war" hostilities between the Creatures and the clans of Dan's time.

Unless you know something I don't, it seems more to be Dragons vs Cyra Clan, rather than the whole wide world vs the 'Cubi, but who can tell...

[Stygian]

More likely, Cid's reaction upon entry will be bitter sadness, and May will slowly descend (or ascend...) into hysteria. Then there will be shouting, equally bitter sadness from Abel's side coupled with a bit of resent, revelations about just what happened and then the departure of Abel, who will seek out loneliness to try and avoid being more wounded than he already is. A loneliness he will try and cling to for the rest of his life...

...FUTILELY! HAHAHA!

[Shadowcatcher]

"Abel! There's a bat on your head!  Hold still while I get it with this broom!"

[Tapewolf]

"Abel! There's a bat on your head!  Hold still while I get it with this broom!"

Horrible thought - there's probably still bits of Devin in his hair 

[Stygian]

"Abel! There's a bat on your head!  Hold still while I get it with this broom!"

Horrible thought - there's probably still bits of Devin in his hair 

Snackbowl! Everybody pounce!

[Akisohida]

WHy do people think Cid would have to flip? If May is not a 'cubi than Cid has to be a 'cubi unless May had extra-marital relationships. I don't think two non-cubi parents could randomly have a cubi child so ONE of them has to be such.