03/19/09 [Abel 2 #49] - Revenge is a dish best served by a hot Sucubus

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

 I hadn't checked in ages, but that's odd. Ink says when he does the evaluation that Abel's affinity is for "misery". Can a 'Cubi's affinity change over time?

[Tapewolf]

I hadn't checked in ages, but that's odd. Ink says when he does the evaluation that Abel's affinity is for "misery". Can a 'Cubi's affinity change over time?

I think 'Cubi can have more than one affinity.  Also, it's possible that "favourite emotion" and "gives him the most benefit" are two different things.

EDIT: That's "More than ONE affinity" not "more than affinity"

[Buhamet]

How many affinities can a cubi "specialise" in? is there a limit, or is it just a case of which are the most effective?

[Tapewolf]

How many affinities can a cubi "specialise" in? is there a limit, or is it just a case of which are the most effective?

I really don't know, and I don't think it's something they get to choose.  I think it's built-in.
Either way, Dan is good with pain, danger and justice if what Ink said in the strip is anything to go by.

[inuhanyo]

How many affinities can a cubi "specialise" in? is there a limit, or is it just a case of which are the most effective?

I really don't know, and I don't think it's something they get to choose.  I think it's built-in.
Either way, Dan is good with pain, danger and justice if what Ink said in the strip is anything to go by.

It's not as simple as making a choice, but a Cubi's character and personality does seem to have an effect.  Dan's adventuring career, and his reaction to it.    The inherited clan affinity seems to be pretty strong, at least for young cubi.  We don't know if an old Cubi could out grow their clan affinity if their personal tastes incline them in a different direction, or not.

[Achronycal]

I hadn't checked in ages, but that's odd. Ink says when he does the evaluation that Abel's affinity is for "misery". Can a 'Cubi's affinity change over time?

Abel acts like a jerk, but I'd venture to say he dislikes "eating" misery, or having to. Tellingly, he is one of the few 'cubi who still eats, perhaps to make up for this.

But a previous comic during Dan's tests had Ink ask Abel if Abel was upset over his tests way back when. It may be that Ink can tell obviously that Abel has a misery affinity, but later runs the tests for real (or for kicks) and finds McSpotty enjoys confusion as well.

[Tsunari]

Well that assumes that Ink was telling the truth then and not just taunting/teasing.  Aniz caused a lot of confusion.  So I think it's possible his clan might be about confusion.  Also Aary's cast page lists Pain or Passion so she has two.

[inuhanyo]

Well that assumes that Ink was telling the truth then and not just taunting/teasing.  Aniz caused a lot of confusion.  So I think it's possible his clan might be about confusion.  Also Aary's cast page lists Pain or Passion so she has two.

I don't think Ink would dare lie to Fa'Lina.

I think Achronycal nails it:

Abel acts like a jerk, but I'd venture to say he dislikes "eating" misery, or having to. Tellingly, he is one of the few 'cubi who still eats, perhaps to make up for this.

But a previous comic during Dan's tests had Ink ask Abel if Abel was upset over his tests way back when. It may be that Ink can tell obviously that Abel has a misery affinity, but later runs the tests for real (or for kicks) and finds McSpotty enjoys confusion as well.

[Tsunari]

http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Ab_021.php

Hmmm, well Ink didn't do any testing, and just made the clan assumption for affinity.  I don't know if it's dry and cut though.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

I was under the impression the assumption was what they were going to do with Abel, not what his affinity (affinities?) are.

[N-Cat]

I got the sense that your personality didn't determine your affinity- but that your affinity decided your personality even before  your headwings sprouted.  It would explain why not more 'cubi were opposed to the notion of being 'cubi: They would already like pain, terror, passion, or whatever.  Dan is unique because his justice affinity (when he thought he was a being) led him to attack creatures instead of beings, so he didn't want to be a creature.

[Tapewolf]

I got the sense that your personality didn't determine your affinity- but that your affinity decided your personality even before  your headwings sprouted.

Again, they can have multiple affinities.  They may well be a contributing factor in their personality, though.

It would explain why not more 'cubi were opposed to the notion of being 'cubi: They would already like pain, terror, passion, or whatever.  Dan is unique because his justice affinity (when he thought he was a being) led him to attack creatures instead of beings, so he didn't want to be a creature.

I think that's somewhat oversimplified.  Abel said that most 'Cubi were like that because they were brought up that way, not because they were born like that.  Certainly Abel didn't seem to be a particularly miserable type (until his world came crashing down of course) and come to that, I don't think he's particularly keen on being a 'Cubi either.  He sleeps and eats, doesn't like shapeshifting much...

[Pagan]

I got the sense that your personality didn't determine your affinity- but that your affinity decided your personality even before  your headwings sprouted.  It would explain why not more 'cubi were opposed to the notion of being 'cubi: They would already like pain, terror, passion, or whatever.  Dan is unique because his justice affinity (when he thought he was a being) led him to attack creatures instead of beings, so he didn't want to be a creature.

I'm not sure if that's Dan sense of justice or just Dan's racism.

But as to why Ink said "Misery" in Abel's Story and Abel's character page says "Confusion"? Maybe Amber just goofed.

[Tapewolf]

But as to why Ink said "Misery" in Abel's Story and Abel's character page says "Confusion"? Maybe Amber just goofed.

If I (with human-like morals) had a choice between feeding on the misery of others, or their puzzlement, I know which my favourite would be.

[Pagan]

Don't have to do horrible things to feed on misery. Just go sit near a funeral home. Or a hospital. Or a college campus.

[Mao]

Or any bar, or love motel, or slum, or...

[Turnsky]

But as to why Ink said "Misery" in Abel's Story and Abel's character page says "Confusion"? Maybe Amber just goofed.

If I (with human-like morals) had a choice between feeding on the misery of others, or their puzzlement, I know which my favourite would be.

considering you're now in the webcomic biz.

it's Misery.

[N-Cat]

A few points:
1: Yes I meant to say affinities and not affinity in my earlier post, sorry about the confusion.  My point was that Dan had an affinity that influenced his personality more than the others, so I used the singular
2: My earlier statement about personalities was not an absolute.  Just because Dan has a justice affinity doesn't mean that all 'cubi with justice affinities will go fight adventurers or creatures or whatever.  No one characteristic is true about all people's personality, like not every child who is abused has a life that is ruined forever.
3: I think (and for some reason, I always do) that Tapewolf is right. It may not be that your affinity is your favorite food, just the one that helps you.  As a bad analogy, I know someone who is allergic to chocolate (and thus, is not the most helpful to them) but it is their favorite food.  Bad analogy because Confusion doesn't hurt Abel, I know.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

*smiles crookedly* A more accurate analogy might then be eating green vegetables being good for you, even though all little kids (and many adults) despise the things.....

[Garsemor]

I have just had an idea of how Cubi affinities work. My theory is that all Cubi have 2-3 affinities the first being their clans affinity, the second being mostly decided by a constant feeling (like Dan's feeling of justice caused by his adventurer lifestyle) but only in case of a strong feeling in other cases they would only have 2 the third and final affinity would be caused by their strongest feeling just before they get their headwings (Dan's feeling of danger caused by Aryanna and Abel's feeling of confusion during the attack on the outpost).

This theory seams most plausible to me.

[Kenway975]

I have just had an idea of how Cubi affinities work. My theory is that all Cubi have 2-3 affinities the first being their clans affinity, the second being mostly decided by a constant feeling (like Dan's feeling of justice caused by his adventurer lifestyle) but only in case of a strong feeling in other cases they would only have 2 the third and final affinity would be caused by their strongest feeling just before they get their headwings (Dan's feeling of danger caused by Aryanna and Abel's feeling of confusion during the attack on the outpost).

This theory seams most plausible to me.

Two possible holes with the last part of our theory. First possible problem is whether or not danger was the strongest emotion when his headwings came out. It might have been embarrassment from when Alexsi showed his baby picture. The other possible hole is the fact the adventuring has three main emotions involved. The two most prevalent: justice for righting wrongs, and danger (you are a being facing  creature who is probably more powerful than you). Coming a close third is pain. Also, Dan has (in my opinion) showed a bit of affinity for danger from an early age. Come on, what sane person would go cliff jumping.... oh wait, bad example

[Garsemor]

True, but we aren't Dan to know what danger means from his point of view. But if we said things like this Amber wouldn't have any fun. 
Any way I believe we aren't far from knowing the system on how cubi affinities work.