Ooo. Well at least two months is better than none at all for Abel! But he does have to get cracking for that name clearing. Or he could fleeeeeee from the inn. :U
And seriously. Wildy's "I'm sorry" face is absolutely hilarious. Ha.
I wonder did Dan's mom kidnap Merlitz?
No matter how this ends, it doesn't seem like the outcome would be pretty.
Though Wildy is making light of it, this sounds extremely bad. I think Abel had the right idea of not wanting to go with BOB to the nice.
Though I actual fight between Wildy and Abel does sound interesting.
Somehow i suspect it will go very badly for Wildy if he can't be proven innovent and just runs back to cubi school ^^;
Quote from: Jasae Bushae on February 22, 2013, 01:42:25 AM
Somehow i suspect it will go very badly for Wildy if he can't be proven innovent and just runs back to cubi school ^^;
Cubi school is an option at least, I doubt much could touch him in there with whatsherboobs watching over the place.
Quote from: DavidRokon on February 22, 2013, 01:58:17 AM
Cubi school is an option at least, I doubt much could touch him in there with whatsherboobs watching over the place.
Yeah, but it means that the lost lake crew get killed with the possible exception of Dan. 'Course, that'll happen anyway with Abel gone.
I hope Wildy had a poison-pill provision whereby if she kills Abel and then Merlitz turns up alive, the BOB forfeit their own lives too. Fair's fair, right?
What makes it really complicated is that Jyrras might try to prevent her from doing that if the worst comes to the worst. At this point the BOB seem to be morally-challenged enough that having them assassinated might be the best option all round.
But yeah, probably the first thing to do is find out of Merlitz is really dead.
Quote from: Tapewolf on February 22, 2013, 02:39:51 AM
I hope Wildy had a poison-pill provision whereby if she kills Abel and then Merlitz turns up alive, the BOB forfeit their own lives too. Fair's fair, right?
Their worldviews seem to be that creatures are guilty until proven innocent. So they would probably think, especially because they were so 'generous' with their time allotment, that even if Abel was killed but Merlitz did show up later, Abel's death would have still been on the Lost Lake crew for failing to try harder in proving his innocence.
I know there wasn't any such provision like that in their deal because I'm sure they thought they were already being too fair in agreeing to those terms - remember, they see their fault was in attacking a being, not jumping to conclusions about Abel. They wouldn't see it as 'fair's fair' having the death of a being in payment for the death of a creature, because countless beings have died to creatures for their whims; if anything, another creature's death to a being (or... well, assumed being) is actually tipping the scales, off-balance from a history of slaughter, a little bit more the right way.
I don't think they can see Abel as an individual, I think they see him as another manifestation of an enemy. So if he died for something he wouldn't do, they'd just think about all the beings that died, not even because of perceived wrongdoings, but at the malice of creatures - and without two months notice or the chance of NOT dying. They would see his death as a sacrifice to ensure justice and the safety of future beings everywhere - if he can't prove he's innocent, then they think it's better for everyone that he dies, because if he's innocent then that's one wrongful death, but if he's guilty he'll kill again and that's countless deaths of beings they could have prevented. It's a risk assessment curve, and while I don't agree with it because obviously we grow up in a more refined, humane culture ('MURICA!), I can totally understand the point of view behind this deal.
Quote from: Nino on February 22, 2013, 03:21:02 AM
I know there wasn't any such provision like that in their deal because I'm sure to them the deal they made was already generous enough - their fault was in attacking a being, not jumping to conclusions about Abel. They wouldn't see it as 'fair's fair' having the death of a being in payment for the death of a creature, because it's already unfair being beings in the first place - countless beings have died to creatures for their whims; if anything, another creature dead to a being (or... well, Wildy) is actually tipping the already-off-balance scales a little bit more the right way.
Yeah, the thing is (and this was really in reply to your earlier rev which you've now deleted) is that they don't have a stake in this themselves - whether Abel or Wildy live or die means nothing to them. But putting their own lives on the line as per my suggestion is a good way to do a reality check, i.e. "Is this really what we should be doing...?".
Realistically, it's very possible that Jyrras would try to kill them himself.
Quote from: Tapewolf on February 22, 2013, 03:32:31 AM
Quote from: Nino on February 22, 2013, 03:21:02 AM
I know there wasn't any such provision like that in their deal because I'm sure to them the deal they made was already generous enough - their fault was in attacking a being, not jumping to conclusions about Abel. They wouldn't see it as 'fair's fair' having the death of a being in payment for the death of a creature, because it's already unfair being beings in the first place - countless beings have died to creatures for their whims; if anything, another creature dead to a being (or... well, Wildy) is actually tipping the already-off-balance scales a little bit more the right way.
Yeah, the thing is (and this was really in reply to your earlier rev which you've now deleted) is that they don't have a stake in this themselves - whether Abel or Wildy live or die means nothing to them. But putting their own lives on the line as per my suggestion is a good way to do a reality check, i.e. "Is this really what we should be doing...?".
Realistically, it's very possible that Jyrras would try to kill them himself.
Oh yeah sorry, I keep editing my post because I feel like I'm not doing a great job articulating my point. I know it's bad forum etiquette to do this so much though; I'll stop now.
And you make a really good point, I guess it's just they didn't have the incentive to do that since their deal was ostensibly accepted without that clause - I don't get the feeling Wildy felt like she had a lot of leverage. But you know, you could be right. She's pretty shrewd sometimes and we didn't see the rest of their conversation, which seemed to be going fairly well.
Why would Wildy accept on that? She should have let Mab handle it. Or Lorenda (&mom). Or Jyrras (&mom). Or Alexsi (&boyfriend).
Quote from: Tylor on February 22, 2013, 05:59:14 AM
Why would Wildy accept on that? She should have let Mab handle it. Or Lorenda (&mom). Or Jyrras (&mom).
Kria and Abel might not be on talking terms at the moment, we simply don't know. However Moira is a really good idea. Abel could probably do with some legal advice at the moment (though whether he can afford it is another question)
Quote from: Tapewolf on February 22, 2013, 06:06:32 AM
Kria and Abel might not be on talking terms at the moment, we simply don't know. However Moira is a really good idea. Abel could probably do with some legal advice at the moment (though whether he can afford it is another question)
He will simply have to repay Moira by making baby booties, baby frock, repainting the nursery aaand cooking all the household's meals for the next year and a half.
~K. *: B
Quote from: Tylor on February 22, 2013, 05:59:14 AM
Why would Wildy accept on that? She should have let Mab handle it.
Since, she staked her reputation (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1331.php) on Abel being innocent, she may not have had a choice in the matter.
Also, if Mab handled it I really
don't want to know what type of Fae wackiness she'd come up with to fix it.
You know, if Mab is really thinking about leveling the playing field between the races, she has a bit more to fix then simply having Beings supplied with weapons that put them on a level playing field on the battle field.
In this world, at least it seems like things have balanced out between the races and now certain elements most likely keep a relative peace in the lands of Furrae. But what happens if you give the wrong groups of Beings a weapon that supposedly puts them at an advantage against any Creature? (Keep in mind that a weapon like that would most likely be Just as effective against a Being)
If BOB and Biggs are anything to go by, I don't think Mab's mystery plan will go over to pleasantly. Hints seem to hint that she wants Jyrras to build a weapon. If BOB had them, I don't think Abel would or any other innocent Creature would get a chance to prove their innocents.
@joshofspam: That's the thing, Beings are currently at a disadvantage and are driven mainly by paranoia. If they have an arms advantage, they could renegotiate the terms of the Being-Creature contract, which is the main cause of injustice in Furrae and the prevalence of adventuring. The mercenarial adventuring system would be replaced by a more centralized justice system and the general fear of Creatures would gradually dissipate until they're seen as equals. Put simply, if the BOB had access guns, they wouldn't shoot Abel in the face, they'd take him to court. Of course, if guns were just recently introduced, then they would probably shoot Abel in the face.
Quote from: Eboreg on February 22, 2013, 01:07:24 PM
@joshofspam: That's the thing, Beings are currently at a disadvantage and are driven mainly by paranoia. If they have an arms advantage, they could renegotiate the terms of the Being-Creature contract, which is the main cause of injustice in Furrae and the prevalence of adventuring.
I'm not convinced there is a disparity. There's injustice, absolutely, but as Abel pointed out earlier, Beings appear to be just as broken in terms of punishing the innocent and letting the guilty go free as all the other races.
QuoteThe mercenarial adventuring system would be replaced by a more centralized justice system and the general fear of Creatures would gradually dissipate until they're seen as equals. Put simply, if the BOB had access guns, they wouldn't shoot Abel in the face, they'd take him to court.
No, they'd just shoot him in the back. Remember how they were going to decapitate Alexsi
just in case she was a Creature.
As for equality, you've got anti-wing cults, you've got roaming bands of adventurers shooting anything they find that looks Creature-ish without warning (remember Abel after Cyndy's funeral). You've got sneak attacks and any number of magical weapons and spells that have levelled the playing field already.
I've been pondering this for a while and I'm really not sure Beings need an advantage that they don't already have. And as I believe I mentioned last time this came up, it's rather interesting that the first practical gun has been used
against Beings to protect a Creature. Not to teach the Creatures who's who.
Kria may not know Abel, but he is a friend of Lorenda and Jyrras by know. And Kria does not need a lot of incentive to eat some adventurers.
Also, I think M.A.C.E. will get that chassis she asked about...
oh i love this idea~ if you gave everyone a gun then there would be no crime because nobody would steal or commit murder because everyone would have a gun to defend themselves with ^^ Sounds brilliant~
and once everyone has guns there wont be any discrimination or fear of anyone or prejudice because of guns~
gosh, i wish our world would develop such a civilized notion XD
in all seriousness though, Mab specifically said it was one invention he WOULD make. Jyrras has a bucket load of guns, transformation bracelets, computers, artificial life and even giant mechas so whatever hes going to come up with would possibly be radically different from his previous inventions and somehow cause a big enough effect that someone with a perception of everything could confidently say it would change things for the better
.....still no idea what the plush it could be though...and i think any theories would belong in that crazy theory section ^^;
Quote from: Tapewolf on February 22, 2013, 01:51:07 PM
QuoteThe mercenarial adventuring system would be replaced by a more centralized justice system and the general fear of Creatures would gradually dissipate until they're seen as equals. Put simply, if the BOB had access guns, they wouldn't shoot Abel in the face, they'd take him to court.
No, they'd just shoot him in the back. Remember how they were going to decapitate Alexsi just in case she was a Creature.
Quote from: Eboreg on February 22, 2013, 01:07:24 PM
Of course, if guns were just recently introduced, then they would probably shoot Abel in the face.
Tapewolf, please stop selectively quoting.
Quote from: Tapewolf on February 22, 2013, 01:51:07 PM
As for equality, you've got anti-wing cults, you've got roaming bands of adventurers shooting anything they find that looks Creature-ish without warning (remember Abel after Cyndy's funeral). You've got sneak attacks and any number of magical weapons and spells that have levelled the playing field already.
I've been pondering this for a while and I'm really not sure Beings need an advantage that they don't already have.
Need I point you to the fact that Daniel nearly died when facing off against DP for the first time in the strip? Or that Merlitz was saved by being ripped apart by Aaryanna only by luck? Both of them were experienced adventurers and knew what they were doing. The thing is that with a gun, you can end a creature's life in an instant, no matter how aware they are. With the previous methods of battle, it would take a long drawn out battle that could easily get you killed. The problem with a sneak attack is that it doesn't leave any time for questioning and friend or foe identification. A gun can act as a powerful psychological weapon that would immediately stop any attacks and leave time to ask questions.
Quote from: Jasae Bushae on February 22, 2013, 03:10:25 PM
oh i love this idea~ if you gave everyone a gun then there would be no crime because nobody would steal or commit murder because everyone would have a gun to defend themselves with ^^ Sounds brilliant~
and once everyone has guns there wont be any discrimination or fear of anyone or prejudice because of guns~
gosh, i wish our world would develop such a civilized notion XD
That's exactly what the NRA, and consequently, a large portion of the US is saying. You know how there is that saying that an American car is burglarized every 10 seconds? Well, an American civilian-owned firearm is used to stop a crime every 4 seconds. Granted, nothing will ever stop crime completely but civilian ownership of guns is a huge step in the right direction.
yeah, its really tragic how the states still has so much crime and violence despite this encouragement that everyone should have a gun, it would totally cut down significantly on the amount of crime we have
especially compared to china and india whose populations are much higher than those in the states yet maintain a lower crime rate (doubtless thanks to generous gun donations to everyone ^^ )
Quote from: Eboreg on February 22, 2013, 04:53:12 PM
Need I point you to the fact that Daniel nearly died when facing off against DP for the first time in the strip? Or that Merlitz was saved by being ripped apart by Aaryanna only by luck? Both of them were experienced adventurers and knew what they were doing.
I'm not sure they did know what they were doing. Adventurers usually go around in groups, which Creatures don't seem to do (and in any case there are fewer of them). You get safety in numbers, and also the ability to overwhelm a creature by mobbing it, much like how crows will drive away or kill a predator. It's worth noting that in both your examples, the adventurer was acting
alone, as he was when DP nearly killed him the last time. The BOB did a group attack and supposedly that's also how the incubus at the farm was taken down too. If it had been Dan plus three others it would probably have gone rather differently.
QuoteThe thing is that with a gun, you can end a creature's life in an instant, no matter how aware they are. With the previous methods of battle, it would take a long drawn out battle that could easily get you killed. The problem with a sneak attack is that it doesn't leave any time for questioning and friend or foe identification. A gun can act as a powerful psychological weapon that would immediately stop any attacks and leave time to ask questions.
Yes, but they already have that capability, via magic. Gen's crystal is able to instantly take down a Creature with a stun spell, and that's most likely a cheap off-the-shelf doodad. I'm not seeing what a gun would add here, apart from the ability for rash decisions to be made even more easily and permanently.
QuoteThat's exactly what the NRA, and consequently, a large portion of the US is saying. You know how there is that saying that an American car is burglarized every 10 seconds? Well, an American civilian-owned firearm is used to stop a crime every 4 seconds. Granted, nothing will ever stop crime completely but civilian ownership of guns is a huge step in the right direction.
I was thinking about this and it sounds horribly similar to the theory behind the tank and the machine gun - it'll stop war by making it too bloody. It just made war even more horrific than it was before.
And with things like road rage where someone loses their temper at another road user, is giving them a lethal weapon that they can use in a moment of madness really a good idea? Or someone like Dan or Aniz with poor emotional control?
Quote from: Tapewolf on February 22, 2013, 05:16:15 PM
I'm not sure they did know what they were doing. Adventurers usually go around in groups, which Creatures don't seem to do (and in any case there are fewer of them). You get safety in numbers, and also the ability to overwhelm a creature by mobbing it, much like how crows will drive away or kill a predator. It's worth noting that in both your examples, the adventurer was acting alone, as he was when DP nearly killed him the last time. The BOB did a group attack and supposedly that's also how the incubus at the farm was taken down too. If it had been Dan plus three others it would probably have gone rather differently.
My point is that it's very hard to remain rational when one of your friends could be killed. Group attacks may be all well and good but you still run the risk of getting one of the crows killed.
QuoteYes, but they already have that capability, via magic. Gen's crystal is able to instantly take down a Creature with a stun spell, and that's most likely a cheap off-the-shelf doodad. I'm not seeing what a gun would add here, apart from the ability for rash decisions to be made even more easily and permanently.
If you look closely, you'll see that Gen had to charge up that spell allowing her to be interrupted by an outside party. With a gun, all you need to do is aim and pull the trigger. Also, the fact that the spell was less-than-lethal probably contributed to the trigger-happiness of Skirmish. I will tell you that a cop is much more likely to taze someone than he is to shoot him.
Quote
I was thinking about this and it sounds horribly similar to the theory behind the tank and the machine gun - it'll stop war by making it too bloody. It just made war even more horrific than it was before.
And with things like road rage where someone loses their temper at another road user, is giving them a lethal weapon that they can use in a moment of madness really a good idea? Or someone like Dan or Aniz with poor emotional control?
I too, am not supportive of giving firearms to emotionally unstable people. However, I will note that the same thing was said for the nuclear bomb, and we all see how that turned out. The whole idea of gun rights is that even a wheel-chair bound man can defend himself when he's given a gun and that if everyone is liable to have a gun, than violent criminals will think twice about their course of action.
I lurve ya guys, but I'm gonna have to step in and say it may be time to ease off this particular tangeant of discussion. I realize that weapon discussions are bound to happen in a comic where well...weapons exist in it...but I also guess I am feeling a bit touchy due to some of the current events regarding weapons, especially guns, going on in real life. And if I'm feeling oogy on it, I imagine other peeps on the forum likely are too but aren't voicing it.
So I'm gonna have to go mod-monster on this and ask that the subject gets dropped for now. Apologies for the inconvenience. :bunny
umm...taking that to heart and moving back to the original topic.....
Does anyone know how long Dan has been at cubi school so far? I know he was to be gone for a while (i thought it might have been three months but....) *goes archive trawling* ah, it was only one month.
So its possible that Dan will return for this particular plot is resolved, that makes things interesting. (yay Wildy talking em into an extra month~) which means we might be seeing an upcoming adventure where either they go hunting for Merlitz (when was the last time we saw him anyway?) *does some more archive trawling* right after aaryanna broke up with him and occasional pull aways to his wacky adventures during question segments XD
ooor them somehow finding enough to go on to track Merlitz's killer (which sounds even less likley than finding a body)
On another note, what do you think will happen to Wildy if she doesn't pull this off? She staked her reputation on this but if Abel isnt proven innocent and he gets away would she be booted from the guild? Charged as an accomplice? Could she face exile or is even her life on the line for sticking up for him?
and as another thing of topicyness since the cubi murders havn't been brought up in a while (and i stumbled on something while archive trawling) people suspected Hizel of the cubi murders because stealing clan marks was his modus operandi (and I even heard a few people talking about how it might be Destania might be behind it to get the cubi to war on dragons)
But...Pyroduck mentioned that Hizel told him he could be acnowledged as his son if he was to kill 1000 cubi and it makes me toss out the wild theory of...Could Pyroduck have a half brother? o.O I mean, who knows how many kids that guy had
I'd probably say a day or two, maybe three at most Jasae. Time between comics doesn't move very fast. Right after Dan's leaving we had the movie night at Jyrras and then Abel's birthday which straight after that was the attack.
So I'd hazard at least one day.
Quote from: Jasae Bushae on February 22, 2013, 08:31:51 PM
On another note, what do you think will happen to Wildy if she doesn't pull this off? She staked her reputation on this but if Abel isnt proven innocent and he gets away would she be booted from the guild? Charged as an accomplice? Could she face exile or is even her life on the line for sticking up for him?
and as another thing of topicyness since the cubi murders havn't been brought up in a while (and i stumbled on something while archive trawling) people suspected Hizel of the cubi murders because stealing clan marks was his modus operandi (and I even heard a few people talking about how it might be Destania might be behind it to get the cubi to war on dragons)
But...Pyroduck mentioned that Hizel told him he could be acnowledged as his son if he was to kill 1000 cubi and it makes me toss out the wild theory of...Could Pyroduck have a half brother? o.O I mean, who knows how many kids that guy had
Well before we consider what would happen if Abel can't prove his innocents. We have to consider what would BOB consider "Clear his name" would actually mean. Do they want proof or a head?
Though onto that other focus, it might be possible that his other siblings might be alive as well and have similar requirements as Ducky has in order to be excepted as their fathers child.
Quote from: joshofspam on February 22, 2013, 09:19:30 PM
Well before we consider what would happen if Abel can't prove his innocents. We have to consider what would BOB consider "Clear his name" would actually mean. Do they want proof or a head?
hmm...well during the cubi murder they were pretty blatantly investigating a crime scene and acting pretty professional in that regard to try finding the killer (with one exception) and they apparently keep heavy files on this sort of thing to pour over in an effort to actually solve the crime.
Also...they have the testimony of a phoenix to back them up saying the cubi of the inn killed Merelitz and their already pretty convinced that Abel is the one behind it. (since he claimed to be the only cubi at the inn)
So...they may need to get proof since hes basically already guilty in their eyes and is only being given a chance to prove otherwise because of Wildy...
hmm...wait...whats to stop them from just bringing them along to visit pyroducks mama and asking her about it so that she can confirm that they dont know? O.o cubi-ness aside, the oracles testimony is they had against him...(unless they also expect him to catch the killer...)
......i will laugh if he turns out to be on another world at the moment ^^;
Quote from: Dressari on February 22, 2013, 08:56:24 PM
I'd probably say a day or two, maybe three at most Jasae. Time between comics doesn't move very fast. Right after Dan's leaving we had the movie night at Jyrras and then Abel's birthday which straight after that was the attack.
I'm thinking at least three days, but less than a week.
1255: The night of the day Dan left, Abel tells Lorenda and Jyrras his birthday is "next Friday." (movie night)
1284: After passing Dan and Mink in a corridor in 1242, Aaryanna has been up to her ears in research for what seems at least a couple of days.
1313: Abel's party begins.
I think we're still on Abel's birthday. Someone did a more thorough estimate a few threads ago.
Quote from: Tuyu on February 23, 2013, 02:28:54 AM
Quote from: Dressari on February 22, 2013, 08:56:24 PM
I'd probably say a day or two, maybe three at most Jasae. Time between comics doesn't move very fast. Right after Dan's leaving we had the movie night at Jyrras and then Abel's birthday which straight after that was the attack.
I'm thinking at least three days, but less than a week.
1255: The night of the day Dan left, Abel tells Lorenda and Jyrras his birthday is "next Friday." (movie night)
1284: After passing Dan and Mink in a corridor in 1242, Aaryanna has been up to her ears in research for what seems at least a couple of days.
1313: Abel's party begins.
I think we're still on Abel's birthday. Someone did a more thorough estimate a few threads ago.
I did my own estimate here (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,9327.msg368733.html#msg368733), and I'll repeat the brief part of it that's relevant to this discussion:
Remember that the Soulstealer party occurred on a Thursday (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1106.php), and the next day (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1201.php) Dan made plans to attend SAIA, and then he left the day after (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1218.php), on Saturday (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1284.php). Later, on the very same day Dan left, Abel mentioned that next Friday (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1255.php) would be his 400th birthday.
This means that Dan has been at SAIA for at least 6 days now. If another day has already passed between the end of the fight with the BOB and the current strip (although there isn't much if any evidence to support that as far as I can tell, but I might have missed something), then Dan has been at SAIA a full week by the time of this strip.
Quote from: Jasae Bushae on February 22, 2013, 10:24:46 PM
hmm...wait...whats to stop them from just bringing them along to visit pyroducks mama and asking her about it so that she can confirm that they dont know? O.o cubi-ness aside, the oracles testimony is they had against him...(unless they also expect him to catch the killer...)
......i will laugh if he turns out to be on another world at the moment ^^;
Unfortunately, Pyroduck's mother is dead (http://missmab.com/Comics/Vol_QFR3.jpg).
EDIT:
Quote from: Jasae Bushae on February 22, 2013, 08:31:51 PM
But...Pyroduck mentioned that Hizel told him he could be acnowledged as his son if he was to kill 1000 cubi and it makes me toss out the wild theory of...Could Pyroduck have a half brother? o.O I mean, who knows how many kids that guy had
Actually, it was 500 Cubi (http://missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1072.php), but then again with numbers that large I'm probably just splitting hairs. :P
But seriously, that is an interesting theory. Another one of Pyroduck's 4 other siblings that were "destroyed" by the Cubi could have been spared from death, and their innate personality and/or an upbringing by a race other than Cubi could have given them a mindset that would be inclined to fulfill the very same request from daddy dearest, perhaps even with overzealous enthusiasm.
Quote from: joshofspam on February 22, 2013, 09:19:30 PM
Well before we consider what would happen if Abel can't prove his innocents. We have to consider what would BOB consider "Clear his name" would actually mean. Do they want proof or a head?
Merlitz alive or Aliyka's testimony could work. Especially if Merlitz touches the dead stone and it re-syncs with him.
Abel's been hanging around with folks from the lost lake area for basically the entire time except for when he got lost in Gryphon form, so for the most part he'd have an alibi if Aliyka does say that she saw Merlitz killed by someone.
Also it's likely that Wildy will be investigating things herself. She has a stake in Mertliz's life as well, plus I'm not sure she'd be too happy killing someone she wasn't sure was guilty. And that's not counting how Jyrras would feel about it. Wildy could easily end up joining Abel - even if not, it would tear the Lost Lake community apart.
As for the day, Wildy seems to be implying that it's still his birthday in the current strip. Dan's time at the academy is likely to be a month unless he opts to stay longer. But he'd probably want to check back on his sister. If he does return, Abel might find it handy to have help from a pro.
Wow.... @_@ thats some pretty good indication that its been nearly a week...this only makes it more likly that dan will return before this is resolved (or not since hes very specifically not there)
Quote from: ChaosMageX on February 23, 2013, 02:30:37 AM
Unfortunately, Pyroduck's mother is dead (http://missmab.com/Comics/Vol_QFR3.jpg).
And actually I meant the phoenix who raised him ^^; http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1345.php Her testimony as an oracle should be just as effective as the one their already working with (though it might just throw both testimonies out the window for all i know ^^; )
Quote from: Tapewolf on February 23, 2013, 08:13:49 AM
If he does return, Abel might find it handy to have help from a pro.
Given how well Dan and Abel work together (case in point, the gardening), I'm not really sure Abel would be any better off with Dan present...
Can that phoenix be Destania in disguise?
Quote from: joshofspam on February 22, 2013, 09:19:30 PM
Quote from: Jasae Bushae on February 22, 2013, 08:31:51 PM
But...Pyroduck mentioned that Hizel told him he could be acnowledged as his son if he was to kill 1000 cubi and it makes me toss out the wild theory of...Could Pyroduck have a half brother? o.O I mean, who knows how many kids that guy had
Though onto that other focus, it might be possible that his other siblings might be alive as well and have similar requirements as Ducky has in order to be excepted as their fathers child.
My personal pet theory is that
all the children "Daddy" claimed were "destroyed" are in fact still alive.
im still baffled by the original phoenix testimony since amber said shapeshifters cant copy em ^^;
Quote from: Jasae Bushae on February 23, 2013, 11:41:06 AM
im still baffled by the original phoenix testimony since amber said shapeshifters cant copy em ^^;
Dee said the whole thing was set up as a "Hit". Maybe the Phoenix in question
is a Phoenix, and is on the Twink payroll?
Quote from: Jasae Bushae on February 23, 2013, 11:41:06 AM
im still baffled by the original phoenix testimony since amber said shapeshifters cant copy em ^^;
Yes, but suppose they didn't see the phoenix at all? If you had a way to patch their memories so they believed they had seen the oracle and been given that advice, physical appearances wouldn't matter.
Destania was able to do something very similar to Abel when he was asleep at the academy by altering his dreams - we can't rule out that she didn't do something like that to them while they were staying at an inn or something.
Quote from: Tapewolf on February 23, 2013, 11:59:25 AM
Quote from: Jasae Bushae on February 23, 2013, 11:41:06 AM
im still baffled by the original phoenix testimony since amber said shapeshifters cant copy em ^^;
Yes, but suppose they didn't see the phoenix at all? If you had a way to patch their memories so they believed they had seen the oracle and been given that advice, physical appearances wouldn't matter.
Destania was able to do something very similar to Abel when he was asleep at the academy by altering his dreams - we can't rule out that she didn't do something like that to them while they were staying at an inn or something.
Wouldn't a mind shield prevent that or alert them at the very least? I'd figure it would.
Quote from: Dressari on February 23, 2013, 12:48:38 PM
Wouldn't a mind shield prevent that or alert them at the very least? I'd figure it would.
Not if you're asleep at an inn. Also I was under the impression that they only had the mind-shields running when they were hunting 'Cubi, not 24/7. After all, they're not 'Cubi, the ability isn't innate. They have to cast special spells and keep them maintained, or use deliberate mental exercises.
Quote from: ChaosMageX on February 23, 2013, 02:30:37 AM
I did my own estimate here (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,9327.msg368733.html#msg368733), and I'll repeat the brief part of it that's relevant to this discussion:
Remember that the Soulstealer party occurred on a Thursday (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1106.php), and the next day (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1201.php) Dan made plans to attend SAIA, and then he left the day after (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1218.php), on Saturday (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1284.php). Later, on the very same day Dan left, Abel mentioned that next Friday (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1255.php) would be his 400th birthday.
This means that Dan has been at SAIA for at least 6 days now. If another day has already passed between the end of the fight with the BOB and the current strip (although there isn't much if any evidence to support that as far as I can tell, but I might have missed something), then Dan has been at SAIA a full week by the time of this strip.
All this talk of timeline and dates in the comic, reminds me of the reason why I'm adding dates (Example: Saturday, May 12, 2032) to some of my pages in my webcomic (still in conception phase, but am writing whatever is solid).
Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong if you chose to not do something like that, but personally with my A.D.D. and getting distracted a lot this helps me, as a reminder where I am and to better follow my own timeline I am creating. Especially, since this particular timeline spans through several years, this has been a big help for me.
There are a lot of webcomics, comics or books that don't include proper dates, but can still be followed and understood fine. This is merely something that I am doing as a personal choice.
Quote from: Tapewolf on February 23, 2013, 11:59:25 AM
Quote from: Jasae Bushae on February 23, 2013, 11:41:06 AM
im still baffled by the original phoenix testimony since amber said shapeshifters cant copy em ^^;
Yes, but suppose they didn't see the phoenix at all? If you had a way to patch their memories so they believed they had seen the oracle and been given that advice, physical appearances wouldn't matter.
Destania was able to do something very similar to Abel when he was asleep at the academy by altering his dreams - we can't rule out that she didn't do something like that to them while they were staying at an inn or something.
I have to agree that this is quite possible or as another person has mentioned that phoenix could have been given money as a pay off.
Or perhaps, since the phoenix oracle in question could not get a clear read with whatever is blocking (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1361.php) things from their sight (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1363.php), it could of just put together whatever it could understand and read fine in a spur of the moment, kinda reading between the lines sort of speak. I mean the B.O.B did interrupt it's lunch break (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1328.php), it could have scrambled for something to say because it was annoyed.
Sometimes people do say the first things that pop into there head on the spur of the moment, believe me I've done that before myself. :sweatdrop
Quote from: Jasae Bushae on February 22, 2013, 10:24:46 PM
...
hmm...wait...whats to stop them from just bringing them along to visit pyroducks mama and asking her about it so that she can confirm that they dont know? O.o cubi-ness aside, the oracles testimony is they had against him...(unless they also expect him to catch the killer...)
...
I believe Jasae is talking about Pyroduck's phoenix mama (wow, he has three. Never thought of it that way!)
That could be an interesting conversation.
"Where were you on the night of the murder?"
"I was in the place of heart before that which consumes.."
"Uh, yeah, sure. Whatever lady!" :rolleyes
What would Wildy do if she was discredited? I don't want to know. It wouldn't be pretty. :mwaha
Quote from: Tapewolf on February 23, 2013, 01:03:01 PM
Quote from: Dressari on February 23, 2013, 12:48:38 PM
Wouldn't a mind shield prevent that or alert them at the very least? I'd figure it would.
Not if you're asleep at an inn. Also I was under the impression that they only had the mind-shields running when they were hunting 'Cubi, not 24/7. After all, they're not 'Cubi, the ability isn't innate. They have to cast special spells and keep them maintained, or use deliberate mental exercises.
Isn't mucking around memories like that dangerous though?
Sure, she was doing that most likely with Abel the first time she tried to manipulate him. But it seemed like a subtle touch. Invoking a scene from his current memory, bringing in an image of his dead friend to slightly pull the dream in a direction she could manipulate and try to influence his mind the way she wanted. Basically seemingly that Abel wouldn't be able to tell if it was real or not, but it would definitely influence some of his next choice.
The whole Phoenix encounter sounds like something that would require bull doggedly pushing an entire encounter to make four people think a constructed dream was a memory and not a dream. Wasn't it hinted by Fa'lina that memory manipulation at even below that is dangerous.
Quote from: joshofspam on February 23, 2013, 01:54:56 PM
Quote from: Tapewolf on February 23, 2013, 01:03:01 PM
Quote from: Dressari on February 23, 2013, 12:48:38 PM
Wouldn't a mind shield prevent that or alert them at the very least? I'd figure it would.
Not if you're asleep at an inn. Also I was under the impression that they only had the mind-shields running when they were hunting 'Cubi, not 24/7. After all, they're not 'Cubi, the ability isn't innate. They have to cast special spells and keep them maintained, or use deliberate mental exercises.
Isn't mucking around memories like that dangerous though?
Sure, she was doing that most likely with Abel the first time she tried to manipulate him. But it seemed like a subtle touch. Invoking a scene from his current memory, bringing in an image of his dead friend to slightly pull the dream in a direction she could manipulate and try to influence his mind the way she wanted. Basically seemingly that Abel wouldn't be able to tell if it was real or not, but it would definitely influence some of his next choice.
The whole Phoenix encounter sounds like something that would require bull doggedly pushing an entire encounter to make four people think a constructed dream was a memory and not a dream. Wasn't it hinted by Fa'lina that memory manipulation at even below that is dangerous.
Honestly, that's what still irks me the most about this whole situation as well. No matter how you slice it Destania managed to railroad four separate and relatively teratophobic* individuals into receiving and believing specific disinformation from a seemingly reputable source that would drive them to accomplish a predefined task by an exact date.
The dream theory is a possibility, but it wasn't just implied but explicitly stated by Kish'Ta in her letter to me that dream manipulation is somewhat limited. And let's not forget that in general dreams, especially recent ones, only feel real when you're in them, but it's only after you've woken up that you realize that something was amiss. It would take some powerful manipulation to get four people to have a shared dream that they would mistake for a real memory after waking up. That's not to say someone as cunning and experienced as Destania, backed with Cyra's power, couldn't play off the BOB's fears in just the right way to get away with it, but it still seems highly improbable.
I'm more for the theories that Destania was either impersonating a phoenix or bribing a real one into giving the BOB disinformation at the right time.
* This actually means fear of monsters or deformed people. Kudos to anyone who can manage to find a more appropriate -phobia word for fear of Creatures. Either way, I'm just using a word that would imply they'd at least try to have their guard up (albeit incompetently) against manipulation by Creatures.
EDIT:
Also, who's to say there aren't mind shield spells that last all night long? Maybe something along the lines of an enchanted dream catcher? :P Sure, it could be broken, but the Cubi would still have to take all the risks of entering their room and breaking it and possibly waking them up in the process of doing so.
Quote from: joshofspam on February 23, 2013, 01:54:56 PM
Isn't mucking around memories like that dangerous though?
Sure, she was doing that most likely with Abel the first time she tried to manipulate him. But it seemed like a subtle touch. Invoking a scene from his current memory, bringing in an image of his dead friend to slightly pull the dream in a direction she could manipulate and try to influence his mind the way she wanted. Basically seemingly that Abel wouldn't be able to tell if it was real or not, but it would definitely influence some of his next choice.
I don't know, I thought she had that particular dream pretty much under her control. As an individual she seems to be pretty skilled and powerful. Anyway, it's just an idea to get around the fact that you can't shapeshift flames like that - if it wasn't real, all those problems disappear. Though as you say, they're replaced by new problems.
QuoteThe whole Phoenix encounter sounds like something that would require bull doggedly pushing an entire encounter to make four people think a constructed dream was a memory and not a dream. Wasn't it hinted by Fa'lina that memory manipulation at even below that is dangerous.
That was mind-reading, and mind-reading is dangerous because it involves shapeshifting your tentacles throughout every neuron of the target's entire brain without killing them, and somehow temporarily merging your soul with the target's soul. Hence, if it goes wrong, you die too. (See Zezzuva's letter)
Quote from: Tapewolf on February 23, 2013, 02:45:26 PM
That was mind-reading, and mind-reading is dangerous because it involves shapeshifting your tentacles throughout every neuron of the target's entire brain without killing them, and somehow temporarily merging your soul with the target's soul. Hence, if it goes wrong, you die too. (See Zezzuva's letter)
Because we're referencing them, we really should give the links to them for the record:
Kish'ta's Letter on Dream Infiltration and Manipulation (http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/7051/kishtaletter300a.png)
Zezzuva's Letter on Soul Mechanics and Mind-Reading (http://tapewolf.wildernessguardians.com/stuff/ZezzuvaLetter300.pdf)
Also, now that I think about, the letters from Kish'Ta and Piflak really should have been hosted on the same server that's hosting Zezzuva's letter, rather than on Image Shack. Then again, Image Shack has proven itself more reliable than Photobucket.
EDIT: Links to the rest of the clan leader letters that their recipients were gracious enough to post online can be found in this thread (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,8656.0.html). That also reminds me that unfortunately we never did get to see the letters from Fa'lina or Nact'larn or Mink, if their line-art recipients did actually ask them questions.
Quote from: Shadowdancer on February 23, 2013, 01:49:34 PM
What would Wildy do if she was discredited? I don't want to know. It wouldn't be pretty. :mwaha
To be discredited as an adventurer is fairly serious business since it pretty much brands you (literally even! The link through the soulstone can also be used to embed a mark upon the individual's forehead branding them a traitor) which pretty much means that no being settlement will trust you. You basically become an outcast among beings and most creatures are more than happy to take a potshot at a discredited and now-solo adventurer.
It's why staking your rep is no slouching matter to an adventurer. To do so basically means you are putting your own life on the line.
Quote from: Amber Williams on February 23, 2013, 04:15:35 PM
Quote from: Shadowdancer on February 23, 2013, 01:49:34 PM
What would Wildy do if she was discredited? I don't want to know. It wouldn't be pretty. :mwaha
To be discredited as an adventurer is fairly serious business since it pretty much brands you (literally even! The link through the soulstone can also be used to embed a mark upon the individual's forehead branding them a traitor) which pretty much means that no being settlement will trust you. You basically become an outcast among beings and most creatures are more than happy to take a potshot at a discredited and now-solo adventurer.
It's why staking your rep is no slouching matter to an adventurer. To do so basically means you are putting your own life on the line.
Huh, are these soulstones optional or are they pretty much requirement for joining a guild?
Quote from: Amber Williams on February 23, 2013, 04:15:35 PM
Quote from: Shadowdancer on February 23, 2013, 01:49:34 PM
What would Wildy do if she was discredited? I don't want to know. It wouldn't be pretty. :mwaha
To be discredited as an adventurer is fairly serious business since it pretty much brands you (literally even! The link through the soulstone can also be used to embed a mark upon the individual's forehead branding them a traitor) which pretty much means that no being settlement will trust you. You basically become an outcast among beings and most creatures are more than happy to take a potshot at a discredited and now-solo adventurer.
It's why staking your rep is no slouching matter to an adventurer. To do so basically means you are putting your own life on the line.
This is the first thing that actually came to my mind upon reading that:
The Scarlet Letter. I still can't believe I remember that book from high school, but then again it did have a sexy lady as its central character.
But in all seriousness, I can't help but wonder how often this happens. If it's often enough, one would think that they would simply find each other and band together into a sequestered community for pariahs, like what the Undead did on Trik'na Island.
EDIT:
Quote from: Dressari on February 23, 2013, 05:55:23 PM
Huh, are these soulstones optional or are they pretty much requirement for joining a guild?
That's actually an interesting question. Can people go adventuring without officially joining a guild? I mean, honestly, these guilds probably aren't the only way beings band together to stand up to creatures. As Tapewolf pointed out, there can be extremist groups, terrorist organizations, crime syndicates, anti-wing cults, etc. However, I wonder, are these adventurer guilds basically the only "legal" way to kill creatures in a sense (possibly officially recognized or even subsidized by the local Being governments), and joining them is sort of basically getting a "license to kill" creatures?
Quote from: ChaosMageX on February 23, 2013, 05:57:13 PM
That's actually an interesting question. Can people go adventuring without officially joining a guild? I mean, honestly, these guilds probably aren't the only way beings band together to stand up to creatures. As Tapewolf pointed out, there can be extremist groups, terrorist organizations, crime syndicates, anti-wing cults, etc. However, I wonder, are these adventurer guilds basically the only "legal" way to kill creatures in a sense (possibly officially recognized or even subsidized by the local Being governments), and joining them is sort of basically getting a "license to kill" creatures?
Actually if I recall, Azlan was a Fae adventurer as he claimed to be. Would he have had to be registered to a guild to suitably dispense "justice" in furrae. And in Dan's case they must've assumed he was an Angel to start with before a Cubi, are they going to change their outlook on that when they discover it.
This is why I'm slowly disliking the adventuring guilds more and more, it seems the more we learn about them the grimmer things become in understanding how the divide between the Adventures and general creatures actually are.
Even some of the "nicer" guilds and more popular guilds perhaps, appear to have very very strict and one sided rule of engagement and investigation that are always in favor of their fellow Beings. Which means innocent parties are likely to suffer simply because of an "I said so so it must be so" ruling. And they certainly have no problem branding their own fellow Beings as sympathizers and marking them for death if it means removing the problem.
I could understand this line of thinking this more if it was a purely Being settlement, PERHAPS I would if it was a mixed / hybrid settlement. But in isolated areas or even off the road areas such as the Inn, they seem to pretty much distribute their authority without regards to consequences.
And it also makes me considerably worried to Mab's plan, she seems to think this idea of hers is going to balance out the state of powers in Furrae. But with little idea on how that is going to happen or play out, all I can feel this is going to do is give a good number of groups of Beings (Adventures guilds, law enforcement, extremest groups...) too much of a reason to persecute the other races simply because they can. I'd really like to ask her: Once the Being's get their spot in the seat of power... is she sure it's going to stop there, will they plan to overthrow creature settlements for the sake of pressing a point.
Honestly it seems that the adventurers are more than well equipped enough to take a good deal of the creatures roaming around Furrae. I just hope Mab's plan doesn't escalate to the point of seeing other races suddenly oppressed because of a sudden change of powers and abusing it.
Quote from: Amber Williams on February 23, 2013, 04:15:35 PM
Quote from: Shadowdancer on February 23, 2013, 01:49:34 PM
What would Wildy do if she was discredited? I don't want to know. It wouldn't be pretty. :mwaha
To be discredited as an adventurer is fairly serious business since it pretty much brands you (literally even! The link through the soulstone can also be used to embed a mark upon the individual's forehead branding them a traitor) which pretty much means that no being settlement will trust you. You basically become an outcast among beings and most creatures are more than happy to take a potshot at a discredited and now-solo adventurer.
It's why staking your rep is no slouching matter to an adventurer. To do so basically means you are putting your own life on the line.
Wow, no wonder Wildy was hesitant to agree to that...That was pretty big of her for someone she really doesn't know that well
Quote from: Dressari on February 23, 2013, 06:25:38 PM
Honestly it seems that the adventurers are more than well equipped enough to take a good deal of the creatures roaming around Furrae. I just hope Mab's plan doesn't escalate to the point of seeing other races suddenly oppressed because of a sudden change of powers and abusing it.
Yeah. In a nutshell, that's why I don't believe Mab's plan is anything like as simple as giving Beings guns to help them out. They don't seem to need it, and in any case, Jyrras has always preferred the company of Creatures to Beings so I'm not convinced that he'd suddenly make something that could be used to kill his friends.
No, what
does seem to need to happen is a complete rebalancing of the system to stop
all the groups from being at each other's throats, or at least push it down to background noise. And that makes me suspect that handguns are only the first step in Mab's plan. The 'mining machinery' could very well have been her idea.
Realistically I can think of two ways to do that. One of which is to place the entire world under some form of adult supervision, maybe some kind of world government made up from a coalition of all the races. The other is to try and unite them against some other threat (IIRC Watchmen used that approach, creating a fake alien invasion to distract the US and the USSR from their attempts to start a nuclear war, but it's been a long, long time since I read it)
Quote from: Tapewolf on February 23, 2013, 08:41:57 PM
Quote from: Dressari on February 23, 2013, 06:25:38 PM
Honestly it seems that the adventurers are more than well equipped enough to take a good deal of the creatures roaming around Furrae. I just hope Mab's plan doesn't escalate to the point of seeing other races suddenly oppressed because of a sudden change of powers and abusing it.
Yeah. In a nutshell, that's why I don't believe Mab's plan is anything like as simple as giving Beings guns to help them out. They don't seem to need it, and in any case, Jyrras has always preferred the company of Creatures to Beings so I'm not convinced that he'd suddenly make something that could be used to kill his friends.
No, what does seem to need to happen is a complete rebalancing of the system to stop all the groups from being at each other's throats, or at least push it down to background noise. And that makes me suspect that handguns are only the first step in Mab's plan. The 'mining machinery' could very well have been her idea.
Realistically I can think of two ways to do that. One of which is to place the entire world under some form of adult supervision, maybe some kind of world government made up from a coalition of all the races. The other is to try and unite them against some other threat (IIRC Watchmen used that approach, creating a fake alien invasion to distract the US and the USSR from their attempts to start a nuclear war, but it's been a long, long time since I read it)
hmm...while i agree whatever jyrras cooks up is probably not a weapon, i personally can't see either of those solutions really working ^^;
the world government idea...isnt that what the whole shadowy council thing is? has representatives from all the species with each Representative speaking for all the peoples though their very big on the status quo (which is pretty reasonable for any world power to be fond of since change is risky)
as for the watchman concept...firstly that plan called for the destruction of a city that was blamed on an alien invasion so that the panicked humanity would unite to prepare for a dangerous threat (which seems a bit overly dark for either jyrras or mab to come up with)
which....really wouldnt work beyond the short term because alliances inevitably break apart after a while (plus there seems more or less to be already a certain cohesiveness its just filled with overwhelming prejudice and mistrust) especially when the expected disaster doesnt come
plus...between phoenix, dragons, demons, the beings adventure guild, cubi, twinks, mega mythos and so on...how scarily powerful would something have to be to pose a serious threat....that wouldnt nuke the world...aside from fae....which mab is....
hmmmm.....................darn, now im starting to consider it....
Quote from: Jasae Bushae on February 23, 2013, 09:27:14 PM
Quote from: Tapewolf on February 23, 2013, 08:41:57 PM
Quote from: Dressari on February 23, 2013, 06:25:38 PM
Honestly it seems that the adventurers are more than well equipped enough to take a good deal of the creatures roaming around Furrae. I just hope Mab's plan doesn't escalate to the point of seeing other races suddenly oppressed because of a sudden change of powers and abusing it.
Yeah. In a nutshell, that's why I don't believe Mab's plan is anything like as simple as giving Beings guns to help them out. They don't seem to need it, and in any case, Jyrras has always preferred the company of Creatures to Beings so I'm not convinced that he'd suddenly make something that could be used to kill his friends.
No, what does seem to need to happen is a complete rebalancing of the system to stop all the groups from being at each other's throats, or at least push it down to background noise. And that makes me suspect that handguns are only the first step in Mab's plan. The 'mining machinery' could very well have been her idea.
Realistically I can think of two ways to do that. One of which is to place the entire world under some form of adult supervision, maybe some kind of world government made up from a coalition of all the races. The other is to try and unite them against some other threat (IIRC Watchmen used that approach, creating a fake alien invasion to distract the US and the USSR from their attempts to start a nuclear war, but it's been a long, long time since I read it)
hmm...while i agree whatever jyrras cooks up is probably not a weapon, i personally can't see either of those solutions really working ^^;
the world government idea...isnt that what the whole shadowy council thing is? has representatives from all the species with each Representative speaking for all the peoples though their very big on the status quo (which is pretty reasonable for any world power to be fond of since change is risky)
as for the watchman concept...firstly that plan called for the destruction of a city that was blamed on an alien invasion so that the panicked humanity would unite to prepare for a dangerous threat (which seems a bit overly dark for either jyrras or mab to come up with)
which....really wouldnt work beyond the short term because alliances inevitably break apart after a while (plus there seems more or less to be already a certain cohesiveness its just filled with overwhelming prejudice and mistrust) especially when the expected disaster doesnt come
plus...between phoenix, dragons, demons, the beings adventure guild, cubi, twinks, mega mythos and so on...how scarily powerful would something have to be to pose a serious threat....that wouldnt nuke the world...aside from fae....which mab is....
hmmmm.....................darn, now im starting to consider it....
Two words: Zerg rush >.>
Quote from: Tapewolf on February 23, 2013, 11:59:25 AM
Yes, but suppose they didn't see the phoenix at all? If you had a way to patch their memories so they believed they had seen the oracle and been given that advice, physical appearances wouldn't matter.
Destania was able to do something very similar to Abel when he was asleep at the academy by altering his dreams - we can't rule out that she didn't do something like that to them while they were staying at an inn or something.
Or if one of their group was on Destania's payroll... (Still suspecting Gen.)
QuoteOr perhaps, since the phoenix oracle in question could not get a clear read with whatever is blocking things from their sight, it could of just put together whatever it could understand and read fine in a spur of the moment, kinda reading between the lines sort of speak. I mean the B.O.B did interrupt it's lunch break, it could have scrambled for something to say because it was annoyed.
Sometimes people do say the first things that pop into there head on the spur of the moment, believe me I've done that before myself.
But Da said that no oracle would give an answer like that. (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1360.php) She did not indicate that that was something she did not know. We are basically given that it was no oracle.