12/09/07 [Abel #109] - Abel's Story, Part Du

[Cogidubnus]

 ...in a cold cell of an unfamiliar dungeon, covered in your own blood.

That's about as low as you get, yeah.

I'm looking forward to part two, though. I imagine we'll get to see more of Abel's early days in SAIA. Perhaps even the infamous library incident. 

[Sunblink]

For some reason, I'm seeing some similarities to the cover page of Abel's Story in both the lighting and the pose. Both are quite bleak, too.

Poor Abel. I hope SAIA has good psychiatrists.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Caswin]

Huh.  I just noticed that Abel's present-day clothes - title page included - seem to match Aniz's black-and-red color scheme.  (I've been thinking about black-and-red color and its connections to overall villainy a lot lately.)

This implies something, I know it.  I just haven't decided on what.

[Darkdragon]

I'm looking forward to Abel meeting Dr. Ink and taking his placement test.

[kaskar]

    I wonder when Fa'lina will fully come into the scene ...

[techmaster-glitch]

Actually, I think that part two is gonna start after all of Able's readjustment.

[Pendolse]

We're gonna get the initial 'Dan Sequence' (ie-Wardrobe Change, Placement Test, ect.)

Then we're going to jump the the library incident >:}

[Brunhidden]

time frame may also play a factor- for all we know ink did not appear untill after abel, or he only started his 'tests' recently. the lybrary incident could have happened at any time over the course of a hundred or two years, and i would assume its more recent as early abel would have been more of the quivering mass of fear instead of the calm jackass he is today.

[Zedd]

The begining of a new arc along the end of current....Ah I cant wait for Part two

[Reaver225]

I don't know why, perhaps it's the lack of sleep, but I found this update hilarious for some reason. The look on his Abel's face for some reason makes me think he's thinking "But, but where's the faint lighting coming from?"

[Goatmon]

That....that was merely part 1?   

Just how long is this series going to last?  I don't think I can stand to read much more heartbreak.   

[zopey]

does this mean she's going o be doing mikelo's comic for awhile?

[Fex]

I wonder how he is gonna dress him self in the dress test and who is gonna join him, becouse Dan had Abel

[Brunhidden]

as far as i have seen abel prided himself on being a loner, so him having a mentor is unlikely. the only ones he seemed to have a 'relationship' with were fa lina and the warp aci... maybe we will learn why he had to say goodby to them all

[Tapewolf]

For some reason, I'm seeing some similarities to the cover page of Abel's Story in both the lighting and the pose. Both are quite bleak, too.

Yes.  I thought the symmetry was a great way to end the first part.  Fie on those who thought Amber had abandoned the numbering scheme

Poor Abel. I hope SAIA has good psychiatrists.

Notwithstanding nutters like Dr. Ink, 'Cubi have potential to be really, really good at that, having the full gamut of emotion, thought, dream and to some extend mind-reading.  And Abel won't have a shield yet.

We're gonna get the initial 'Dan Sequence' (ie-Wardrobe Change, Placement Test, ect.)
Then we're going to jump the the library incident >:}

No we ain't.  IIRC Amber even offered a refund to people who donated thinking we'd learn the secret of the library 

[Turnsky]

No we ain't.  IIRC Amber even offered a refund to people who donated thinking we'd learn the secret of the library 

that secret will go to the grave with her, methinks.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

That....that was merely part 1?   

Just how long is this series going to last?  I don't think I can stand to read much more heartbreak.   

Personally, I think Amber should call this the end of the donation drive, and start another one for the next segment.

We've -more- than got our money's worth, after all.

[Rafe]

as far as i have seen abel prided himself on being a loner, so him having a mentor is unlikely. the only ones he seemed to have a 'relationship' with were fa lina and the warp aci... maybe we will learn why he had to say goodby to them all

I don't think, at least in his pre-Aniz life, that Abel "prided himself on being a loner".  I think it was forced on him, being something of an outcast.  It looks like he loved his friends, like Cindy, and I assume, Hennya.  He even got attached to Devin and Xander after Devin more or less apologized to him.  In other words, he was lonely, and would have probably loved to have more friends.

Now Aniz is using is using the only person he has left, his mother, to blackmail him.  What would happen if Abel made any new friends?  Chances are Aniz would find out and threaten them too.  After all, May isn't going to be around forever; so, for poor  Abel, liking someone equals giving Aniz another weapon to threaten him with, and possible harm or death for his new friend.

The only thing he can do is keep himself from even thinking about being friends with anyone.  There's a funny, charming, loveable guy inside there that can't let himself care about anything or anyone.  Talk about a tragedy....

[Tapewolf]

Now Aniz is using is using the only person he has left, his mother, to blackmail him.  What would happen if Abel made any new friends?  Chances are Aniz would find out and threaten them too.

While I agree with your basic premise, I'm not sure about that.  If Abel made any new friends at this point, they would be in SAIA and thus almost certainly other 'Cubi.  I do not think Fa'Lina would be at all amused if Aniz went around intimidating her students.  Killing them is right out - basically this trick will only work with Beings.

[Rafe]

Abel doesn't know that yet, and even when he finds out, he probably wouldn't put anything past Aniz, even harming other cubi.  He's seen what he can do, power-wise.

This also probably explains why Abel is close to Fa'lina.  She is one of the few he's probably sure Aniz is afraid of.

There have probably been thousands of times Abel would have liked to get close to someone, or even just  explain "I'm sorry, but if I'm friendly towards anyone, they end up hurt or dead".  Even that explaination could get them into trouble, so all he can do is treat them indifferently or rudely, and forget them.  That could really warp your personality after a few decades or centuries.

[Tapewolf]

Abel doesn't know that yet, and even when he finds out, he probably wouldn't put anything past Aniz, even harming other cubi.  He's seen what he can do, power-wise.

This is true, in fact I was going to mention something along those lines, but forgot

This also probably explains why Abel is close to Fa'lina.  She is one of the few he's probably sure Aniz is afraid of.

That is a very good point.

There is also another reason why he might not make friends easily - while there do seem to be a number of Being-born 'Cubi coming into the Academy (see 602), it's likely that the majority are from 'Cubi enclaves like Aary.  There's going to be a big difference in outlook between someone who has always known what they are (and thinks of Beings as cattle or at best, pets) and someone like Abel or Dan who may even still think they're a Being themselves.  That kind of difference is going to make friendship somewhat difficult unless he can find someone else who is or recently has been through the same ordeal.

[Netrogo]

Personally, I think Amber should call this the end of the donation drive, and start another one for the next segment.

We've -more- than got our money's worth, after all.

I agree. We all know we'd be more then happy to pelt her with money for it. Or she should atleast do something like Misfile does and get the first part published (Shameless plug in hopes of Amber using it) into book form so we can throw money at her that way.


PS: Y'knew it was just a matter of time until someone brought up buyables in this thread, I'm just jumping the gun and saying it first. So there.

[Amber Williams]

I have deeply considered putting Abel's Story through a print run.  Though I'm going to have to go through and rescan/recolour the first 40 strips since I lost those hi-rez' in a crash. It will also let me let the colouring match up a bit better since midway through I started tri-shading.

However, that will be a long time and odds are I'm going to want to get Part two moderately out and running before I even think of selling Part 1 in a book.  Not to mention it will take me a long time going through and re-colouring 40 strips.  On a weekly basis, thats almost a years worth of work right there. X_x

[Tapewolf]

Personally, I think Amber should call this the end of the donation drive, and start another one for the next segment.

I must have missed this comment - I was actually going to suggest something like that myself.

However, that will be a long time and odds are I'm going to want to get Part two moderately out and running before I even think of selling Part 1 in a book.  Not to mention it will take me a long time going through and re-colouring 40 strips.  On a weekly basis, thats almost a years worth of work right there. X_x

If you can do it (without harming yourself) it would definitely be worthwhile.  I've seen far, far worse things which have made it into full-colour print.

[Netrogo]

We're not oversly worried about perfection. I bought Misfile volumes one and two and the early pages aren't the best of appearence to the later stuff in volume two, yet the books still sell. The point is we want to give you monies for stuffs

An Abel, Dan, or Wildy plushie would be awesome too...

[Dannysaysnoo]

An Abel, Dan, or Wildy plushie would be awesome too...

They would need to have hide-able wings to be truly awesome.

[Netrogo]

An Abel, Dan, or Wildy plushie would be awesome too...

They would need to have hide-able wings to be truly awesome.

They could be like Popples only just the various wings would be stashable.

[Dannysaysnoo]

An Abel, Dan, or Wildy plushie would be awesome too...

They would need to have hide-able wings to be truly awesome.

They could be like Popples only just the various wings would be stashable.

No, there would be little pouches near the wings that you could stuff them into.

[Angel]

Awww.... My first thought on reading this was "Abel needs a hug." God. His room looks like a prison cell. How depressing....

Wonderfully drawn, and a storyteller's dream come true.

[Aurawyn]

An Abel, Dan, or Wildy plushie would be awesome too...

I wouold buy an Abel Plushie in a heartbeat!