03/05/08 [DMFA #882] A humble suggestion

[RogerFromOz]

I'm pretty sure the green girl is a hyena. Looks like one (the muzzle), and they tend to have weird fur patterns.

[Madd the Sane]

Or, maybe, just a team of female adventurers.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thought that.  The way they're talking to each other seems to be that they planned on getting caught, or following the cart, or finding what is in the cart.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

As for the girl in the first panel, looks like a blue-tailed skink to me. The green dog looks like a dalmatian. The unfortunate lady pinned beneath them all looks like a rabbit.

Interestingly, the nose of the girl in the first panel is reminiscent of a shark, to me. Obviously, lacking any other characteristics, that's probably not the case, but hey.

I guess we'll all just have to wait and see who called it. And they can then feel smug and _never_ mention it ever again. ;-]

[Aleolus]

I wouldn't be complaining, I know that!  They may be heavy, but having cute girls on top of you is always fun!

[Ren Gaulen]

I wouldn't be complaining, I know that!  They may be heavy, but having cute girls on top of you is always fun!

When they are sitting on you like you are some kind of a rug and quarreling, it is not fun. It is annoying and, quite possibly, painful, no matter how cute those girls are. Trust me - I know what I'm talking about.

[PurpleCheeseLlama]

I like the blue girl's hair <3

Yup, that's my input :-D

[AnizInDisguise]

And they can then feel smug and _never_ mention it ever again. ;-]

I have no shame. >_>

[Naldru]

I was just thinking about the possibility that the magic that is fading is a disguise spell upon the three new adventurers.  Assuming that they disguised themselves as attractive females in order to attract the kidnappers, Dan's opinion would probably change when their true appearance is revealed, possibly involving some embarrassment.  The disguise could be the plan that was mentioned.

[Fuyudenki]

[edit]
section deleted.  Upon further reflection, Naldru's last comment actually does have some support.(unlike the "Aniz is Edward" conspiracies that used to show up all too often)

I'm still gonna vote "Probably not," though.
[/edit]

Llearch: The lighting situation makes it harder to see, but I think the girl in the first panel has a more box-shaped nose.  The near corner barely catches some light, and the coloring pattern curves the proper way.  One in the middle?  Well, she's clearly a dog.  Exactly what kind of dog?  Who knows.  Maybe she's related to why Dan was asking if Aaryana had any canine friends. :-p

On rabbit ears: the ears on the character in this update are of a more utilitarian style.  Floppy ears would get in your eyes, of course, and make it hard to see.  If you've got floppy ears, adventuring probably isn't for you.

TGH, any comments?  You're the only bunny I can think of around here off the top of my head.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Llearch: The lighting situation makes it harder to see, but I think the girl in the first panel has a more box-shaped nose.  The near corner barely catches some light, and the coloring pattern curves the proper way.  One in the middle?  Well, she's clearly a dog.  Exactly what kind of dog?  Who knows.  Maybe she's related to why Dan was asking if Aaryana had any canine friends. :-p

Yeah. The image I had in mind was a box-nosed shark, rather than Great White variety.

One of the smaller, cuter sort.


However, I had hoped it was fairly obvious I didn't really know and was just waiting for more pictures to figure it out. ;-]

And they can then feel smug and _never_ mention it ever again. ;-]

I have no shame. >_>

I have bans, want me to share to even things out? ;-]

[AmigaDragon]

Gotta keep reminding myself as each strip comes out that this is a flashback, not current time.

Would the combined weight of three adult females be enough to break a wing's bones, 'cause Dan's looks kinda bent at an odd angle.

I was going to say before I remembered "flashback"... considering the shapshifting (flexible) ability of cubi, wouldn't it take considerably more to break his wings than that? Or perhaps they just didn't land on the wings (note the comment instead about his spine), or just on the feathered portions.

[Anri]

I'm thinking the blue one is a lizert, especially given the tail. I'm getting a fondness for how Amber draws the lizerts.

[AndersW]

[edit]
section deleted.  Upon further reflection, Naldru's last comment actually does have some support.(unlike the "Aniz is Edward" conspiracies that used to show up all too often)

I'm still gonna vote "Probably not," though.
[/edit]

Whats wrong with the "Aniz is Edward" theory?  Can you disprove it.

[AmigaDragon]

If Aniz were Edward, wouldn't Alexsi also be a cubi? Wouldn't Destania know?

[jo-shadow]

I was just thinking about the possibility that the magic that is fading is a disguise spell upon the three new adventurers.  Assuming that they disguised themselves as attractive females in order to attract the kidnappers, Dan's opinion would probably change when their true appearance is revealed, possibly involving some embarrassment.  The disguise could be the plan that was mentioned.

I think that would be a wonderful twist to add in, kinda like the universe saying "haha, gotcha!"

[Tapewolf]

If Aniz were Edward, wouldn't Alexsi also be a cubi? Wouldn't Destania know?

Part of the theory is that she did know, which is why she didn't kill him, like the thousands of other Beings she must have killed up to that point.  I don't think it follows that Alexsi has to be a 'Cubi because one of her parents was.  It's probably a random thing.
(Assuming of course that Edward is completely Aniz' invention - if there really was an Edward and he murdered them like Cid, she might not be his daughter anyway)

[Fresnor]

Or, maybe, just a team of female adventurers.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thought that.  The way they're talking to each other seems to be that they planned on getting caught, or following the cart, or finding what is in the cart.

Maybe it's wasn't a team of adventurers, but a team of brigands who were planning on robbing the cart.

[Jack McSlay]

for the "magic fades" part, I assumed it had something to do with her eyes being black and thus only applied to her

[Fuyudenki]

Amber has stated officially that Edward and Abel have never before met.

Abel has clearly met Aniz.

If Aniz and Edward were the same character, then Abel would have met Edward, by the transitivity principal.

That is, if A=B and B=C, then A=C, and by that, if A+B=C abd D+B=C, then A=D.  In this case, A and D are Aniz and Edward, C is "True," the plus sign is "Have met," and B is Abel.

My money's still on "Edward killed Aniz," but if Fa'Lina does that first, then I've got nothin'.

[Tapewolf]

Amber has stated officially that Edward and Abel have never before met.
Abel has clearly met Aniz.
If Aniz and Edward were the same character, then Abel would have met Edward, by the transitivity principal.

There are two counterarguments to this.
Firstly, if there really was an Edward Ti'Fiona (whom Aniz slew and replaced like Cid), Abel would never have met the original, and the statement is still true.

Secondly, you could consider 'Aniz-as-Cid' to be a separate character to 'Aniz' - after all, their personalities and appearance were quite different.  Likewise, 'Aniz-as-Edward' would be different again.  By that token, Abel would never have met the Edward persona, even though he had met Aniz.

[Aleolus]

I wouldn't be complaining, I know that!  They may be heavy, but having cute girls on top of you is always fun!

When they are sitting on you like you are some kind of a rug and quarreling, it is not fun. It is annoying and, quite possibly, painful, no matter how cute those girls are. Trust me - I know what I'm talking about.

...You claim to know this.  May I ask how you know this?  It doesn't seem like a situation one would find himself in often.

[Fuyudenki]

I do consider that Abel has never met Cid, he's met Aniz pretending to be Cid, so in my mind, if there never was an Edward, and Aniz was just pretending to be him, I would still consider it that Abel had met "Edward."  Whether Amber holds that view or not is more important, though.(It's her world, after all.)

However, if the Edward that Destania met was actually Aniz in disguise, she almost definitely would have noticed, as she had been one of the teachers at SAIA for pretty clearly longer than Aniz has been alive.  Her powers and abilities are pretty clearly more potent than his.(Perhaps not as much so as Fa'Lina, but definitely top-tier.)  At very least, she would have noticed a cubi-made mind shield.

Likewise, Edward's reaction was nothing like what could be expected of Aniz in such situations, "If I want to let beautiful women steal my soul in my sleep, so be it!"  Sounds more like Dan, but that's to be expected.  So he's in character?  I don't care how "in-character" you are, your old Pain and Terror professor shows up, and you know she can read your mind whatever defenses you may put in place, you're going to be a little shaken.  More than that, I believe Aniz would be the type to break his disguise in front of someone like her in effort to charm her.(It wouldn't work, but he seems the type, anyway.)

In any case, one way or another, she definitely would have known, and one way or another, the news would have reached Alexsi sooner or later.(She was warned that Dan's incubus powers would come in, after all.)  Alexsi didn't know anything, hence I don't believe Edward is Aniz.

Additionally, remember what state the Ti'Fiona family was in at the time.  While the owner of a respected inn, Edward was a widowered father with a very young child who, while his, is clearly a being.(unless she inherited Were traits from her mother, as some have speculated, but that's for another time)  As we've seen in Abel's Story, especially assuming(which I don't, honestly) that Devin and Abel were half-brothers, Aniz is not the type to keep an offspring like Alexsi around, nor is he subtle enough to keep up a charade like that after his quarry has clearly vanished.  With the death of Alexsi's mother, and Alexsi herself clearly not showing any succubus properties, Aniz would have skipped town for more fertile pastures.

All of this leads me to conclude that Aniz and Edward are related only in the minds of certain conspiracy theorists.

I would, however, be willing to believe that Edward was the descendant of one of Cid Rewanz's siblings, which would make Abel and Dan distant cousins, and leave another reason for Abel's reaction to Dr. Ink's teasing.  If Edward was Cid's great-great-great-great-great(and then some) grand-nephew, then he would have a connection to the father Abel knew and loved from his childhood, instead of the father who threatened everything he held dear in life.

Not quite enough to owe a debt to, though...

Speaking of which, Amber has mentioned something along the lines that Abel feels he owes a debt to Edward, hasn't she?  Since when would Abel feel he owes a debt to Aniz?  That's the kind of father who drives kids to rebel.

You hear that, Aniz?  The clan who steal children are better parents than you!

[Tapewolf]

I do consider that Abel has never met Cid, he's met Aniz pretending to be Cid, so in my mind, if there never was an Edward, and Aniz was just pretending to be him, I would still consider it that Abel had met "Edward."  Whether Amber holds that view or not is more important, though.(It's her world, after all.)

The closest we have is this post:
http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,3793.msg161657.html#msg161657

One of the things which I find most interesting about this postis the implication that Dan may be the offspring of two 'Cubi and not just one.

However, if the Edward that Destania met was actually Aniz in disguise, she almost definitely would have noticed, as she had been one of the teachers at SAIA for pretty clearly longer than Aniz has been alive.  Her powers and abilities are pretty clearly more potent than his.(Perhaps not as much so as Fa'Lina, but definitely top-tier.)  At very least, she would have noticed a cubi-made mind shield.

Granted, but Amber has said that the mental detection stuff isn't always on.
Also, she was in a pretty bad way when she first entered the inn, so it might not have been until later that she was in a position to run a mental scan on him.

Likewise, Edward's reaction was nothing like what could be expected of Aniz in such situations, "If I want to let beautiful women steal my soul in my sleep, so be it!"  Sounds more like Dan, but that's to be expected.  So he's in character?  I don't care how "in-character" you are, your old Pain and Terror professor shows up, and you know she can read your mind whatever defenses you may put in place,

Mental-shield breakdown is something that hasn't really been covered.  I can imagine someone of almost godlike powers being able to do it, but I don't think Dee has reached that level.  Currently it's something we don't know enough about.

you're going to be a little shaken.  More than that, I believe Aniz would be the type to break his disguise in front of someone like her in effort to charm her.(It wouldn't work, but he seems the type, anyway.)

I'll grant you that, although one of the things which appeals to me about the theory is the implied aspect of redemption, that over the intervening 400 years Aniz has either grown out of it, or that Fa'Lina somehow managed to get him to turn over a new leaf.  That also goes some way towards the 'why did he keep Alexsi around'.

In any case, one way or another, she definitely would have known, and one way or another, the news would have reached Alexsi sooner or later.(She was warned that Dan's incubus powers would come in, after all.)  Alexsi didn't know anything, hence I don't believe Edward is Aniz.

One slightly correction, if I may: "Alexsi didn't say anything".  She may not have thought it politic to mention, given Dan's freaking out.  Or, she might simply not have known.  Remember, Dee is very powerful, like Abel says, powerful enough that she doesn't need to worry about hiding her wings.  Aniz on the other hand comes from a feeble clan with a handful of members.  If only Dee knows that he's really a 'Cubi, I imagine he's going to want to keep it that way.  Especially if he hasn't redeemed himself, since having killed Edward is unlikely to go down well with Alexsi.  Or Dan for that matter.

Also, the implication is that Edward left when Dan (and Alexsi) were still quite young - before any awkward questions about why his left wrist is always concealed could turn up - whereas Dee, who again, never made any effort to conceal what she is, left somewhat closer to the present day.

Speaking of which, Amber has mentioned something along the lines that Abel feels he owes a debt to Edward, hasn't she?

It's an implication/theory of mine - before we knew about Aniz - but I don't think Amber's validated it.  When we found out about Aniz I wondered if the theoretical debt was Edward killing Aniz or somesuch.  Now I'm wondering if it is referring to a somewhat closer tie.

[Naldru]

Here are the two references I found regarding a relationship between Edward and Abel.

Abel first hearing about Dan.  Note that he responds to the last name (Ti'fiona) but not to the first name.  This implies that he knows the family.

Dr. Ink mentioning that Abel's main interest is that Dan is Edward Ti'fiona's son.  Once again, this would imply a connection between Edward and Abel.

What are the possibilities of the following line from Abel in the future: "Dan, I am your grandfather."  (Or possibly a more distant descendent.)  We know that Abel hadn't left SAIA for a long time, but that doesn't mean he never left SAIA.  Just throwing another idea for use as target practice.

[AndersW]

To be honest, I don't really believe that Aniz is Edward. 

BUT I am not taking my eye off that steamroller shaped outline in the fog.

[Tapewolf]

To be honest, I don't really believe that Aniz is Edward. 
BUT I am not taking my eye off that steamroller shaped outline in the fog.

Indeed.  I'll admit I'm very good at getting 2+2 to equal 6.  It might be Aniz, it might not.

But whoever Edward is, I would be very, very surprised given what we now know about Dee, if he really is just a Being.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

BUT I am not taking my eye off that steamroller shaped outline in the fog.

Heh. That's the paper cutout she left for you to watch. She's on the one behind you. ;-]