06/05/09 [Abel 2 #57] - Heart of Ice

[!KCA]

Amazing how this page gives us so little that we don't already know (or haven't guessed) yet explains so much with what is does give. An excellent conclusion?

So, is this where Dee turned pure evil, or did she just turn into a coldblooded killer from a hotblooded psycho.

[Tapewolf]

So, is this where Dee turned pure evil, or did she just turn into a coldblooded killer from a hotblooded psycho.

Difficult to say.  IMHO that she was expected to destroy Aniz on a whim during their courtship marks her as pretty cold-blooded to begin with.  From that angle it sounds like she's just the same, only even more extreme.
Personally, I'd say she's just as crackers as Aniz.
I do love the web of foresight and jamming, though.  I wonder how long Hizell has the ability to detect Siar members?  And does it extend to Abel?  If there's a question Abel should be asking now, it's "am I safe?".


As for Anthrocon, that's a damn shame.  Not entirely unexpected, though.  Hope she can make it next year (hope I can make it next year, come to that).

[Turnsky]

As for Anthrocon, that's a damn shame.  Not entirely unexpected, though.  Hope she can make it next year (hope I can make it next year, come to that).

Financial Obligations being more important than largescale social gatherings and all, perfectly understandable given amber's situation.

Hopefully some kindhearted souls will help amber out, regardless of her asking not to be. Bill stress is not fun.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Hopefully some kindhearted souls will help amber out, regardless of her asking not to be. Bill stress is not fun.

Indeed, although I don't think she's stressed - merely being adult and careful and making sure she doesn't _get_ stressed.

Which, as you rightfully said, is perfectly understandable. If a bit sucky for the folks going to AC...

[Turnsky]

Hopefully some kindhearted souls will help amber out, regardless of her asking not to be. Bill stress is not fun.

Indeed, although I don't think she's stressed - merely being adult and careful and making sure she doesn't _get_ stressed.

Which, as you rightfully said, is perfectly understandable. If a bit sucky for the folks going to AC...

i'm sure the more reasonable would understand.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

i'm sure the more reasonable would understand.

... Reasonable people go to AC? Isn't that blasphemy to even suggest such a thing? ;-]

[Tapewolf]

Which, as you rightfully said, is perfectly understandable. If a bit sucky for the folks going to AC...

Well, Amber isn't (or shouldn't be) the sole reason for going to AC anyway.   It does kind of suck that we're going to be thinner on the ground this year in terms of DMFA people, though.

i'm sure the more reasonable would understand.

Indeed.  I'd do the same in her position.  And like I say, it's something that she's been hinting about for a while so it's not exactly a bolt from the blue.

[Zedd]

I'm not able to go AC cause of bills as well. Also I hear eerie music in my head as the page fades to black....

[Keleth]

One of these days I'd like to head to AC.

Maybe next year I can take the Goldwing.

[Howl]

I'd love to go, but I simply can't!

Really, it's less "Abel's story", more "Everyone's story... oh yeah, and Abel, too."

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

I'd love to go, but I simply can't!

Really, it's less "Abel's story", more "Everyone's story... oh yeah, and Abel, too."

heh. I think it'll swing back to Abel once Fa'Lina is done her mandatory Plot Exposition Community Service.

Odd though, that Destania has such a pleasant reaction to Abel. If she's really as cold blooded as she seems from this, I can't understand why she'd be actually helpful towards Abel, and not just use him to kil Aniz, and then turn around and do him in too. But it's implied in the main comic that there is genuine goodwill between the two. (or at least Dee cares for Abel. Might not go the other way.)


Edit. Something else occurred to me. Destania used "Cyra's power" to hide Aniz. I'm wondering how that worked out. Does she, as possibly the last member of the clan, or perhaps a favored one, have some ability to draw some of Cyra's might? Does she have to request it as a favor? Is it in some sort of "clan power bank" that any member can use? Interesting, that's all I've got at the moment.

[Tapewolf]

Odd though, that Destania has such a pleasant reaction to Abel. If she's really as cold blooded as she seems from this, I can't understand why she'd be actually helpful towards Abel, and not just use him to kil Aniz, and then turn around and do him in too. But it's implied in the main comic that there is genuine goodwill between the two. (or at least Dee cares for Abel. Might not go the other way.)

I suspect it doesn't go the other way round.  Abel was pretty vicious about her in strip 811.  However, for whatever reason, she did agree to teach him martial arts.

Since she has a very different attitude to other people between this point and the present day, it may be that she was helping Abel because it did somehow further her own goals.  It's possible that only today can she look back at him with fondness.

[Garsemor]

Edit. Something else occurred to me. Destania used "Cyra's power" to hide Aniz. I'm wondering how that worked out. Does she, as possibly the last member of the clan, or perhaps a favored one, have some ability to draw some of Cyra's might? Does she have to request it as a favor? Is it in some sort of "clan power bank" that any member can use? Interesting, that's all I've got at the moment.

Dee is Cyra's direct descendant (as shown in the wall-o-text page 1002 http://missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1002.php) so this is most likely a family thing and not a clan thing.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Even so, I'd still like to know if this is a sort of "request power from mommy", an innate ability to all of Cyra's descendants, some sort of bond between family members that any can draw upon as necessary, or something else entirely.

[Alondro]

*Charles sighs dreamily*  Throwing himself into Hizell's maw... sooo hot...

*Charline smacks him upside the head!*  Damn vores... 

[Tapewolf]

*Charles sighs dreamily*  Throwing himself into Hizell's maw... sooo hot...

That was probably figurative anyway.

[Cogidubnus]

Alas, I will not be able to meet Ms. Amber at AC. But I'll be able to meet some of you, which will be a treat itself.

I'm still not sure what this means for Destania's intentions towards Abel. I suppose it'll depend on what Aniz wants for Abel.

Or I could be overanalyzing and she just wants Aniz dead by his own son's hands. I guess we'll see.

[Jairus]

Well, that's a bummer. Neither Amber nor DJ (Pagan) are going this year. Oh well. I suppose there's always next year. And at least she's being responsible.

Well, given that a few centuries pass between Abel's Story and the modern day, I suppose it is remotely possible that Destania's not so revenge-obsessed as she was before, but I doubt it.

[Jigsaw Forte]

Not going, but never been anyway, so no huge loss.

I'd likely only go if I was doing something there like a table anyway, and I'm... working my way up to that.

[Naldru]

There was an episode in The Flash comic book where the former Kid Flash brought his girl friend to a party being thrown by supervillains.  (He had received an invitation, but nobody had thought he'd actually come.)  One of the characters was telling the girl friend how much she hated the previous Flash (Barry Allen) and all the ways she hated him and only wished that he was still alive so she could torture him slowly to death, describing her desires in great detail.  When she was done, the girl friend asked if she also hated the new Flash (former Kid Flash) and her response was:  "Of course not.  Do you think I'm crazy."

The emotional relationship between Aniz and Destania is hardly a rational one.  She might view Abel as the son she might have had had things gone differently.

I had to miss the last two Anthrocons because of bills and a lack of permanent employment.  Unfortunately, this one falls on my parent's wedding anniversary so I'm going to have to miss this one as well.  I'm really, really looking forward to going to next year's Anthrocon so that I can get to talk to some normal people. 

[Netrogo]

I'm really, really looking forward to going to next year's Anthrocon so that I can get to talk to some normal people. 

Man your life must be seriously bizarre if you're going to any form of fan convention to talk to normal people

[Amber Williams]

Yeah. The decision to bow out of AC this year was a really tough one.

It really boiled down to a "Well...I could afford to go, but if -anything- bad happens, be it a computer break or a medical bill, or a ninja immigration bill....we'd be really in a bad situation." and that just isn't a place I want to be at this time.

I cannot deny that there was a temptation to ask for reader help...but really when I thought on it, I would have rather just used the money to further stabilize my bills and save up for rainy days.  After the whole immigration thing, and the whole near bad with the car and the computer, I've been trying to prioritize my financial situation and unfortunately Anthrocon this year is a big money-sink that I cannot afford.

Between hotel, admission, food, travel-money...it is looking to be well over 500 bucks to even 1k (Especially since I was originally intending to bring Mason along this year) and while I know I would have a great time at AC and missing out is missing out on some contacts I only see once a year...sometimes being an adult means looking out for the big picture rather than focusing on the short term.  And this year I have to put on the adult pants and be all responsible.

Which suuuucks.  But eh. Such is life.


Anyways, apologies for the wall o text in this Abel Story update. Things will hopefully be picking up soon.

[AndersW]

I think in the second panel we can see a tear on Destania's face on the far right.

[Indy]

Honestly, I see this page as clarifying that Destania isn't a completely cold-hearted killer. Yes, her heart has turned the pain of rejection into ice... But she could not get rid of that pain in the first place. She still feels very strongly for Aniz. She would do anything to get him to feel the pain she feels. In Cubi terms, especially in Cyra terms, that's honestly very... endearing, I guess the word would be?

I think our big misconceptions about Destania come from Abel's descriptions of her. Remember that Abel "turned being alone into an art at the Academy," and was raised by beings. He knows absolutely zilch about Cubi society so far as we know. Destania's behavior could be standard twice-the-normal-life-expectancy age Cubi behavior, and Fa'Lina just can't stand it because she had her whole clan killed. Or better yet, her status as a representative and caretaker of SAIA precludes her taking a position on Destania's behavior.

Or maybe the most damning thing about this page is the implication that Destania is still protecting Aniz using Cyra's magical invisibility cloak.

[SpottedKitty]

I think in the second panel we can see a tear on Destania's face on the far right.

That's what I thought too at first, but remember she has those lighter blue streaks across her cheeks. I think that's what we're seeing there.

And then there's this "using Cyra's power" bit. You know, even way back here, Fi said "This will be some fun in the foreshadowing department". I wonder, is this hiding ability something any clan founder can do if they want, or is it Cyra's special after-dinner trick, that can be borrowed by her children? I suspect Fi wouldn't have mentioned it so specifically if it was more widespread.

[Michael Chandra]

This comic now adds "What have you done" from Within Temptation to the Aniz-Destania relationship. Real nice.

[Psaakyrn]

I think in the second panel we can see a tear on Destania's face on the far right.

That's what I thought too at first, but remember she has those lighter blue streaks across her cheeks. I think that's what we're seeing there.

And then there's this "using Cyra's power" bit. You know, even way back here, Fi said "This will be some fun in the foreshadowing department". I wonder, is this hiding ability something any clan founder can do if they want, or is it Cyra's special after-dinner trick, that can be borrowed by her children? I suspect Fi wouldn't have mentioned it so specifically if it was more widespread.

More likely it's a clan innate, which presumably can be used to block others as well (possibly via power level and/or relationship with the founders.

Though in terms of Dan, there's a good chance that the reason why he was previously undetectable is likely because of his "abnormally" late clan symbol development... which may or may not be related to Cyra and/or Destania. (since it appears that Cyra could only communicate with Dan after the symbol was revealed.)

[JackTheCubiWolf]

Wait, Anthrocon is held in Pennsylvania? Or is it held in different places every year? Or did I miss read the rant?

[Fibre]

Wait, Anthrocon is held in Pennsylvania? Or is it held in different places every year? Or did I miss read the rant?

Yes; it is held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, since 2006 (and in Philadelphia, PA before then).

[bdplague]

Does anyone else think that the blood falling down Dee's cheek kind of looks like tears? Seriously though, I feel her pain. She does so much for him, and even gives him so much time to return, and he leaves her with no word...... *hiss* That's gotta hurt.

I do think though, that maybe after 300+ years, if he came back, with an apology.... maybe she would forget, if not totally forgive? Aniz/Edward Ti'Fiona FTW! =D