Hm... a bit of a chat about shapeshifting, which does indeed bring up the painful side-effects of someone using part of their body to make clothes. Lovely. "When in doubt, armor plate!" I like that.
Though I also like how Fa'Lina "pages" people before she telepathically contacts people. That's quite polite of her. Now I'm curious about what she needs to tell Abel... I wonder if his mom is dying, and she's trying to arrange for the two to meet one last time?
Edit:
Fixed your topic.
-- llearch n'n'daCorna
Dat's one bug-eyed Warp-Aci... :.
Odd choice of words on the part of the warp Aci. It's an interesting mix of entreating and demanding.
Heh. Shape shifting ain't all it's cracked up to be. Change a bit of your flesh into clothing during as transformation and one small cut to it will be painful.
The ever-changing whorls on the teacher's skin are absolutely gorgeous.
Quote from: OminousShadow on August 24, 2009, 01:07:25 AM
Heh. Shape shifting ain't all it's cracked up to be. Change a bit of your flesh into clothing during as transformation and one small cut to it will be painful.
Which is clearly why actual clothing is always the wise choice. But in an emergency you can't be too picky.
And I feel I must say, always with the speculation with some of you's people. But that's normal around here. So why do I say anything?
Now that I think of it, having a clan mark on the face may not be so bad if one is particularly skilled in shape-shifting.
One could turn their hair into a second layer of skin to cover it up.
It is never a good idea to use part of your flesh to create clothes and props. Just look at what happened in this DSOF strip (http://www.northernelectric.ca/~whitefox/comics/dmfa/archive.php?comic=44). xD
EDIT: Also, the teacher demonstrates one of my favorite parts of shape-shifting: the ability to keep your base species a mystery.
How do we know if what we saw in the previous strip was her base form, or if what we're seeing now is?
How much do you want to bet that most of her students are also clueless about it?
Quote from: ChaosMageX on August 24, 2009, 01:57:12 AM
Now that I think of it, having a clan mark on the face may not be so bad if one is particularly skilled in shape-shifting.
One could turn their hair into a second layer of skin to cover it up.
I'm not sure if that would work. If I understand clan marks they can't be shapeshifted or covered by shapeshifting, because they just reappear on top of the new lair.
Quote from: ChaosMageX on August 24, 2009, 01:57:12 AM
EDIT: Also, the teacher demonstrates one of my favorite parts of shape-shifting: the ability to keep your base species a mystery.
It's possible that felines, canids, mustelids etc have a different body language. You'd have to be sure that you'd mimicked that properly or they might be able to tell that you're really a dog by the way you walk...
Quote from: Corgatha Taldorthar on August 24, 2009, 12:56:14 AM
Odd choice of words on the part of the warp Aci. It's an interesting mix of entreating and demanding.
I think this is one of those classic "It was not a demand, just a statement of fact" moments. Fa'Lina doesn't wish, want, try or need to speak to people. Fa'Lina just
does. :.
(And it's weird how main canon suddenly gets all OMG-serious while Abel's Story gets these lighter moments. ...even though I fear that what Fa'Lina has to say will change that...)
Quote from: Sid on August 24, 2009, 05:55:00 AM
(And it's weird how main canon suddenly gets all OMG-serious while Abel's Story gets these lighter moments. ...even though I fear that what Fa'Lina has to say will change that...)
Possibly "somebody" "accidentally" moved the Light O'Seriousness from one to the other... but I agree with some of preceding posts - don't try to predict eleventy following episodes using such small sample as a basis.
Well, unless your sample is Amber's brain.
//h
Interestingly I came up with a safer, more practical way to shape shift clothes and accessories a while back. Lets just say it involved magical tattoos and regeneration.
Is it just me, or is the warp-aci talking to Abel Fi? If it isn't Fi, it's a warp-aci that looks strikingly like it. (Is that the right pronoun?)
Quote from: Liatai on August 24, 2009, 10:26:08 AM
Is it just me, or is the warp-aci talking to Abel Fi? If it isn't Fi, it's a warp-aci that looks strikingly like it. (Is that the right pronoun?)
I think it might be Fi. It is only 3 in its present incarnation, apparently Fa'Lina summons them in cycles, like shift workers to give them a chance to unwind.
Welcome to the forum, by the way - don't forget to read the rules if you haven't already done so.
Quote from: Liatai on August 24, 2009, 10:26:08 AM
Is it just me, or is the warp-aci talking to Abel Fi? If it isn't Fi, it's a warp-aci that looks strikingly like it. (Is that the right pronoun?)
All "in-canon" Warp-Aci look similar... but on the other hand, all of them were summoned by Fa'Lina.
Anyway, the one in question is probably Fo, her then-current one. If we can believe the wiki (http://dmfa.wikia.com/wiki/Fo) on that. (Hmm... I guess so (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Ab_007.php).)
Note how a Warp-Aci's glow color changes to the one of clan mark's here (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_605.php).
//h
ed: *facepalm* - my fault
Quote from: Pretzel on August 24, 2009, 01:37:42 AM
The ever-changing whorls on the teacher's skin are absolutely gorgeous.
*Charline nods thoughtfully* Indeed... they could be very useful to create psychadelic, hypnotic patters to entrance ones' victims... Add to the fact that in her serpentine form, she has a natural ability with coils and constriction.
I suspect she'd make an incredibly capable predator... maybe better than me... grrrrr... *is jealous* >:[
Quote from: hapless on August 24, 2009, 10:37:48 AM
All "in-canon" Warp-Aci look similar... but on the other hand, all of them were summoned by Fa'Lina.
Anyway, the one in question is probably Fo, her then-current one. If we can believe the wiki (http://dmfa.wikia.com/wiki/Fo) on that.
Ah! You're probably right; I completely forgot to check Fi's age and see if it would have even been around at this time! :animesweat It would make sense if Fa'lina's warp-aci all looked at least a
little similar.
And thanks, Tapewolf! I'm a longtime lurker, so I've looked them over a few times at least.
Quote from: Liatai on August 24, 2009, 10:45:00 AM
Ah! You're probably right; I completely forgot to check Fi's age and see if it would have even been around at this time!
We don't really know. It was around when Destania argued with Fa'Lina on at least two occasions. Like I say, she seems to operate them in shifts, so the current 3-year-old incarnation of Fi is not the first incarnation. It may have been around during this period, it may not. It's probably Fo, but if Fo was already retired between Aniz returning and the present strip where Abel is somewhat settled in, Fi may have replaced it.
Quote from: Tapewolf on August 24, 2009, 10:55:10 AM
Like I say, she seems to operate them in shifts, (...)
Urm... may I ask for some pointer to whatever is leading to that conclusion?
//h
Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum?
Quote from: hapless on August 24, 2009, 11:06:41 AM
Urm... may I ask for some pointer to whatever is leading to that conclusion?
It took long enough to find:
http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,3420.msg147417.html#msg147417
I'm 99% sure there was a clarification on that about them being summoned for a century or so but that'll take longer to find.
Quote from: Tapewolf on August 24, 2009, 11:25:23 AM
It took long enough to find:
http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,3420.msg147417.html#msg147417
I'm 99% sure there was a clarification on that about them being summoned for a century or so but that'll take longer to find.
Thank you. I'll try to find it.
Quote from: Corgatha Taldorthar on August 24, 2009, 11:27:08 AM
Fa'Lina mentioned a "Fu"
http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_481.php
http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_605.php
//h
Quote from: Tapewolf on August 24, 2009, 03:44:23 AM
Quote from: ChaosMageX on August 24, 2009, 01:57:12 AM
EDIT: Also, the teacher demonstrates one of my favorite parts of shape-shifting: the ability to keep your base species a mystery.
It's possible that felines, canids, mustelids etc have a different body language. You'd have to be sure that you'd mimicked that properly or they might be able to tell that you're really a dog by the way you walk...
In that case, is there really a personality test out there to determine your "inner animal" that is based at least partially on your body language, involving web-cam motion tracking or something?
Quote from: Pretzel on August 24, 2009, 01:37:42 AM
The ever-changing whorls on the teacher's skin are absolutely gorgeous.
I had the same thought. I love the effect. I also think she looks especially pretty in the second panel.
Also, is this a night class? It looks like there's a starry sky in the window in the third panel. All this time I was assuming it was light out. :V
Quote from: Marmy on August 24, 2009, 04:37:25 PM
Also, is this a night class? It looks like there's a starry sky in the window in the third panel. All this time I was assuming it was light out. :V
It would not surprise me to find alternating night and day windows down a corridor in SAIA.
... having said that, I really don't know. ;-] I was going to say I thought it was a blackboard, but on closer inspection, that's not the case...
how do we know the teacher is female? Looks like a gender change after the morph into the snake. Who knows what gender ?he/she? is.
Quote from: Marmy on August 24, 2009, 04:37:25 PMAlso, is this a night class? It looks like there's a starry sky in the window in the third panel. All this time I was assuming it was light out. :V
Considering that most Cubi don't need to sleep, there would most likely be classes at all times of the day and night.
We don't know where SAIA is. Considering the rather exotic path the rats had to take to get there, it's entirely possible it's not on the same planet that Lost Lake is. If that's the case, there might not even be a day or a night. (Thinking the Courts of Chaos, or Sigil)
Quote from: LionHeart on August 24, 2009, 10:19:08 PM
Considering that most Cubi don't need to sleep, there would most likely be classes at all times of the day and night.
I know about that, but the previous scenes have shown it to be light out. Just kind of threw me off guard, is all. :)
I would imagine that the wards protecting the school could do funny things to the day/night cycle. I wouldn't find it unreasonable for day and night as we know them to not exist there. What is perceived is a result of magic of some kind due to the real thing being unavailable.
Quote from: Sid on August 24, 2009, 05:55:00 AM
I think this is one of those classic "It was not a demand, just a statement of fact" moments. Fa'Lina doesn't wish, want, try or need to speak to people. Fa'Lina just does. :.
Even so, it looks like she is polite enough to send notice ahead instead of just doing it first.
Quote from: Jasonrevall on August 24, 2009, 08:01:26 PM
how do we know the teacher is female? Looks like a gender change after the morph into the snake. Who knows what gender ?he/she? is.
My sentiments exactly--is it a female who morphed into a male? A male who had previously morphed into a female morphing back? Something else entirely? :erk
Quote from: Baal Hadad on August 25, 2009, 03:09:43 AM
Quote from: Jasonrevall on August 24, 2009, 08:01:26 PM
how do we know the teacher is female? Looks like a gender change after the morph into the snake. Who knows what gender ?he/she? is.
My sentiments exactly--is it a female who morphed into a male? A male who had previously morphed into a female morphing back? Something else entirely? :erk
A naturally genderless being that exists solely to screw with your mind.
Quote from: Janus Whitefurr on August 25, 2009, 04:00:59 AM
Quote from: Baal Hadad on August 25, 2009, 03:09:43 AM
Quote from: Jasonrevall on August 24, 2009, 08:01:26 PM
how do we know the teacher is female? Looks like a gender change after the morph into the snake. Who knows what gender ?he/she? is.
My sentiments exactly--is it a female who morphed into a male? A male who had previously morphed into a female morphing back? Something else entirely? :erk
A naturally genderless being that exists solely to screw with your mind.
Maybe part of the final exam is determining whether their teacher is male or female. Or there are two teachers, one male and one female, and part of the coursework is to work out which was teaching on which day.
Edit:
What I was thinking is that they would not only be trained to deceive others, but to detect deception in others. The reason for figuring out who was who and what was what would be to prove that they can resist deception by others.
Or to quote Burns:
Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive
Quote from: Naldru on August 25, 2009, 02:04:18 PM
Quote from: Janus Whitefurr on August 25, 2009, 04:00:59 AM
Quote from: Baal Hadad on August 25, 2009, 03:09:43 AM
Quote from: Jasonrevall on August 24, 2009, 08:01:26 PM
how do we know the teacher is female? Looks like a gender change after the morph into the snake. Who knows what gender ?he/she? is.
My sentiments exactly--is it a female who morphed into a male? A male who had previously morphed into a female morphing back? Something else entirely? :erk
A naturally genderless being that exists solely to screw with your mind.
Maybe part of the final exam is determining whether their teacher is male or female. Or there are two teachers, one male and one female, and part of the coursework is to work out which was teaching on which day.
As we have seen in the DMFA world gender isn't really a big deal so i doubt they would waste time teaching studnets to find the true gender of a sphapeshifter (but then again they do teach an entire grass-growing class....) I don't know why the gender of characters comes up so much on this fourm..... (I want to know if I'm gay if I make porn of it! D:!)
Quote from: Lucheek on August 25, 2009, 06:05:01 PM
(but then again they do teach an entire grass-growing class....)
I don't know quite how they handle it, but it seems to me that 'Cubi tend to go out there and either (1) replace an existing person or (2) suddenly move into a town saying they're "from the North" or something to deflect questions about their past.
In either case they will have to take a job in order to avoid suspicion. In (1) they will have to exactly match their victim's job but in (2) where it's someone they've made up, they can be a bit more picky. Either way, 'Cubi are realistically going to need to be reasonably skilled at at least one job in order to blend in. The lawncare module might perhaps be for 'Cubi gardeners...
I was under the impression she names her Warp Aci F(Vowel) for all we know this could be Fa.
Quote from: Lego3400 on August 26, 2009, 01:42:21 AM
I was under the impression she names her Warp Aci F(Vowel) for all we know this could be Fa.
Heh. Do they have specialties?
Fa: Specializes in long distance teleports
Fe: The humorously unexpected happens with him.
Fi: Our favorite Aci, always in the middle of everything
Fo: This guy doesn't have many friends.
Fu: We try not to use him. When something goes wrong, his name is always the first thing on people's lips.
Fy: Undependable, sometimes he's there and sometimes he's not.
Quote from: ishidan on August 26, 2009, 03:28:40 AM
Heh. Do they have specialties?
Fa: Specializes in long distance teleports
Fe: The humorously unexpected happens with him.
Fi: Our favorite Aci, always in the middle of everything
Fo: This guy doesn't have many friends.
Fu: We try not to use him. When something goes wrong, his name is always the first thing on people's lips.
Fy: Undependable, sometimes he's there and sometimes he's not.
My God. It's like a sitcom. :U This would be hilarious to see.