Abels story 5/5/07 Page #86 Blank Memory

[thegayhare]

So knock off a farmer and take over his farm.  I think you could find one or two people to help.  At the very least, I'd get May out of the picture.  Maybe kill May and run off to Zinvth.  The creatures there would probably be pretty understanding of his position.

Cantiv seems to be a town full of adventurers.  Not exactly the best place for Aniz to hide out.

I combined the above two quotes  for convianiance

One knocking off a farm would run into the same problems living solitary would
on a farm he'd be the only one there.  If he took over a farmers family to disguise himself that would saddle him with yet anouther wife who would bear absolutly no resemblance to the child and with no reasonable explaniation as to why Abel had wings.

Zinvth wouldn't be safe because While it is demon city thats no garunty it would be freindly to Aniz,  If he suddenly showed up with a new born child he'd be noticed by some one, as unsual and that would leave a trace.  And with such a diverse population of creatures Aniz could never be sure where the threat was coming from.

Cantiv  as an Adventuring town actualy makes perfect sense,  Since the adventures are distrustful of outsiders to a degree. Cids backstory there would insulate him from suspicion.  If some stranger aproached your town and said that one of the people responsible for keeping it safe for years was realy a monster in disguise who would you belive the hero who was born and raised there or the weird guy who just walked in off the street.  Also as an adventuring town he knows the inhabitants are resiliant enough that if his enemies did come looking for him they could put up a decent fight to stave off what they would see as a threat to the whole villiage.

Keeping may alive alows him to keep his entire backstory intact and keep his profile to a minimum.

I'd expect much less so if he kept the act up for 25 years.  At that point, she's no longer just a convenient uterus, but someone whom he's called his wife for years.  We don't allow people to torture kittens, so why should he be allowed to torture her?

I never said it should be allowed but this might be how this particular clan has kept alive for so long.   This could be akin to a family tradition to Aniz.  His mom did it  like this and her dad did too, and so on and so on.  They see the spouse as a means to an end and when the cubi child can no longer be hidden they have no more use for them.

Plus, Cid and Aniz actually look a lot alike.  If they were looking for Aniz, and they saw Cid, they'd probably look twice, and that's all the time they'd need to consider using some sort of detection method.

They look alike only in that they are both male cats, this is the same for peple saying Aniz and Ed look alike, they have differnt markings, differnt hieghts and builds probably a host of other things.  as we've seen with merlitz's own party detecting disguisedcubi can be hard to do

Not unless May is a creature (or some sort of bird).

Not nessisarily true  Enough people thought Dan was a being even with wings that the possibiliting of non creature/bird winged beings are likely,  we've also seen other winged anthros who show no imediate sings of belonging to a particular creature race.  Off the top of my head I'm tinking of the jet ferret.

Also, why wouldn't he try for more kids with May?  I've said before, I guarantee that he'd win that argument.  He knows that May's given him an incubus before, so if they're so important to him, why doesn't he keep trying?

Too risky one child is enough of a target and liability more then one and yhe would risk exposure.  A second baby born with wings would risk a noticable pattern the magical mutation explination might not cover for a second child born with the Identical mutation.  So it would cause far more notice then the one child

This is unlikely.  One of the conditions of being educated in SAIA is that clan members must set aside their differences while within the Academy - i.e. no violence between 'Cubi.  Merlitz is not a 'Cubi so he was fair game.

Or Aniz never went to SAIA and is afraid to send Abel there because their clan was responsible for the `cubi wars and SAIA wants the clan dead or brainwashed. 
[/quote]

Also a Baby is a fragile thing, while Merlitz wasn't a cubi there was evidance of cubi on cubi violance in the school.  an accident could be arrianged or if Some one happened to bring able into an area where the school rules wouldn't protect him.  From the lone cubi's perspective it's probably too risky since it would still let to many enemies know of Abels existance

[Tapewolf]

Also a Baby is a fragile thing, while Merlitz wasn't a cubi there was evidance of cubi on cubi violance in the school.  an accident could be arrianged or if Some one happened to bring able into an area where the school rules wouldn't protect him.  From the lone cubi's perspective it's probably too risky since it would still let to many enemies know of Abels existance

Given the strange and terrible things they're taught at the Academy, an accident could be arranged for an adult Abel as well.
Yes, you're right there has been 'Cubi-on-'Cubi violence, but not murder as far as I know.  Fa'Lina managed to unite all the clans who use SAIA on that point, which IIRC from what Amber has said is no small feat.  If her students started killing each other she'd go mental.

[Nino]

TGH: Jet ferret had horns, was probably a demon.

[Tapewolf]

TGH: Jet ferret had horns, was probably a demon.

He's a tricky one.  I would have said an Angel myself, on account of the feathers.  Demonology says demons usually have leathery wings, so I guess it's not an absolute.

[thegayhare]

TGH: Jet ferret had horns, was probably a demon.

realy?  I didn't bother to check
Oh well I retract my example but still untill Dan's headwings came in no one seemed to suspect him as anytihng other then a being... hell even auryana when she was trying to kill him still seemed to consider him a being.

Also a Baby is a fragile thing, while Merlitz wasn't a cubi there was evidance of cubi on cubi violance in the school.  an accident could be arrianged or if Some one happened to bring able into an area where the school rules wouldn't protect him.  From the lone cubi's perspective it's probably too risky since it would still let to many enemies know of Abels existance

Given the strange and terrible things they're taught at the Academy, an accident could be arranged for an adult Abel as well.
Yes, you're right there has been 'Cubi-on-'Cubi violence, but not murder as far as I know.  Fa'Lina managed to unite all the clans who use SAIA on that point, which IIRC from what Amber has said is no small feat.  If her students started killing each other she'd go mental.

Yes she would.  But your thinking about it as if Aniz knows all this.  To him these threats could be very very real to him.  His clan is small with possibly many enemies and the thought of revealing himself and Abel to them could be too risky in his mind. 

Plus Abel would be much easier to kill as a child then as an adult with possible combat and magical training

[Tapewolf]

Untill Dan's headwings came in no one seemed to suspect him as anytihng other then a being... hell even auryana when she was trying to kill him still seemed to consider him a being.

That's questionable.  We can't really know but my gut feeling is that she thought he was a rogue 'Cubi.  Dan said he wasn't an incubus - her reply was "Don't be silly!  Of course you are!" - this was in #303... immediately before the headwings came in.  So I'd say she knew damn well what she was dealing with.

Your thinking about it as if Aniz knows all this.

True.  Again, I had actually considered that angle but neglected to mention it.

Plus Abel would be much easier to kill as a child then as an adult with possible combat and magical training

True, but I'm sure you could arrange an accident in the magic, combat or HE classes.  (Abel must surely have taken HE to find out what it consisted of)

[Zedd]

Just wait you kiddies! The answer will be found in the pudding soon! Ohhhoohoohoohoo! 

[superluser]

Or Aniz never went to SAIA and is afraid to send Abel there because their clan was responsible for the `cubi wars and SAIA wants the clan dead or brainwashed. 

I was going to add something to that effect but it gets awkward as to why they'd let Abel into the Academy if his father is public enemy number 1.  I'm sure there's an explanation for it, but it makes the theory more complicated.

Dead or brainwashed.  Having people who are familiar with Abel's clan might be useful, for information, messengers, or double agents.  Also, Fa'Lina might believe in redemption, so she might want to give them a second chance.  Especially since she has pretty good prescience while she's in SAIA.

One knocking off a farm would run into the same problems living solitary would on a farm he'd be the only one there.

But the corn pretty much takes care of itself.  You go out to get a few turnips every week, and you take the kid along with you.  Once he turns ten or so, he's probably good to leave on his own.

Zinvth wouldn't be safe because While it is demon city thats no garunty it would be freindly to Aniz,  If he suddenly showed up with a new born child he'd be noticed by some one, as unsual and that would leave a trace.  And with such a diverse population of creatures Aniz could never be sure where the threat was coming from.

So Aniz goes to the seedy bar on the outskirts of town, bouncing Abel on his knee.  He's sure to get noticed, but not remembered.  If he goes incognito and with Abel transformed, he'd be completely anonymous.

But still able to get invited to a few single-parent functions where he could meet someone, read his or her mind, and then decide if he wants to trust that creature--which is much more than he could say for beings.

Cantiv  as an Adventuring town actualy makes perfect sense,  Since the adventures are distrustful of outsiders to a degree. Cids backstory there would insulate him from suspicion.  If some stranger aproached your town and said that one of the people responsible for keeping it safe for years was realy a monster in disguise who would you belive the hero who was born and raised there or the weird guy who just walked in off the street.

I'll bet that replacement happens often enough that they take that stuff very seriously.  It probably happened one other time, and the books are still being written about it.

Besides, I'd expect the conversation to go something like the following:

WEIRDO: Hoo!  Hee!  Cid's really an incubus!  His clan marking is under his left bracer!
JUDGE: OK.  This guy's nuts.  Just show us your wrists, Cid, and we'll execute him for slander.

I never said it should be allowed but this might be how this particular clan has kept alive for so long.   This could be akin to a family tradition to Aniz.  His mom did it  like this and her dad did too, and so on and so on.  They see the spouse as a means to an end and when the cubi child can no longer be hidden they have no more use for them.

Yeah, but the Creature-Being council would probably frown upon that.  Like prison time frown.

Notice that Hennya, a creature, is rather freaked out by Aniz's actions.  I could totally see the C-B council going along with Aniz having a kid with May and then killing her, but to kill someone that you treated as your wife for 25 years is probably going to be a hard sell.  It's not sport, hunting, food, having kids, or anything like that.

They look alike only in that they are both male cats

Er...



The ears are a different color, the red in the eyes is a lower color value for Cid, and Cid has a scar.  Otherwise, they're virtually identical.

Not nessisarily true  Enough people thought Dan was a being even with wings

Well, all the *beings* thought that he was a being.

Too risky one child is enough of a target and liability more then one and yhe would risk exposure.  A second baby born with wings would risk a noticable pattern the magical mutation explination might not cover for a second child born with the Identical mutation.  So it would cause far more notice then the one child

Naw.  All Aniz has to do is keep adventuring, and then get drunk one night and threaten to bash someone's head in with a rock if he ever says anything bad about Cid's kids again.

True.  Again, I had actually considered that angle but neglected to mention it.

Well, he sure sounds like he's been through SAIA.  I'm sure that knowledge of `cubi genetics don't come from some sort of racial memory.

[techmaster-glitch]

Untill Dan's headwings came in no one seemed to suspect him as anytihng other then a being... hell even auryana when she was trying to kill him still seemed to consider him a being.

That's questionable.  We can't really know but my gut feeling is that she thought he was a rogue 'Cubi.  Dan said he wasn't an incubus - her reply was "Don't be silly!  Of course you are!" - this was in #303... immediately before the headwings came in.  So I'd say she knew damn well what she was dealing with.

I though that Aaryanna thought Dan was an Incubus just because she had just found out that he was Destania's son, before that, I thought that she thought that he was nothing more than a mere Being.

I never said it should be allowed but this might be how this particular clan has kept alive for so long.   This could be akin to a family tradition to Aniz.  His mom did it  like this and her dad did too, and so on and so on.  They see the spouse as a means to an end and when the cubi child can no longer be hidden they have no more use for them.

Yeah, but the Creature-Being council would probably frown upon that.  Like prison time frown.

Notice that Hennya, a creature, is rather freaked out by Aniz's actions.  I could totally see the C-B council going along with Aniz having a kid with May and then killing her, but to kill someone that you treated as your wife for 25 years is probably going to be a hard sell.  It's not sport, hunting, food, having kids, or anything like that.

Um, at the current DMFA Timeline, I think that the Creature-Being Council has only been in existance for two decades........max.

[superluser]

Um, at the current DMFA Timeline, I think that the Creature-Being Council has only been in existance for two decades........max.

Well, the Zinvth Police Department, then.

[Aridas]

*looks up at some of the wingading speculation* umm, I don't really remember, but wasn't the jet incident done BEFORE all this deep stuff about races and real serious continuity heavy plotlines and backgrounds got put in?

[Tapewolf]

Um, at the current DMFA Timeline, I think that the Creature-Being Council has only been in existance for two decades........max.

Hmm, that's a new one on me.  Do you have a reference for this?
(EDIT: The undead joined the CBC 34 years ago, so something's a little wrong here.  If you've got a date, I'd still love to know when the CBC was inaugurated, though)

*looks up at some of the wingading speculation* umm, I don't really remember, but wasn't the jet incident done BEFORE all this deep stuff about races and real serious continuity heavy plotlines and backgrounds got put in?

Doubtful.  See the archival material from '99-2000 - Amber was planning the whole succubus arc even then.

[Rafe]

... Y'know, DMFA and subcomics are the only comics that actually conjure emotions in me, well done, Amber. <3
~Mwa

You don't read Jack, do you?

Amber is unmatched when it comes to complex situations, humorous or dramatic.  No one does farce better than she does that I know of.  But I've never seen anyone get more emotions from his fans than David Hopkins does with Jack.  I've seen people reading it with tears rolling down their face.  And I know Manawolf, Goatmon, and the rest of the Jack fans, and probably Amber too, would agree. 

[bill]

To be honest, Jack tends to make me feel rather detached. Though I'll admit that some of the stories are excellent, I never got any massive emotional response from that comic.

[GabrielsThoughts]

Perhaps a cold iron knife to the skull would jog your memory.

Aniz is a Cubi,  not a faerie, Iron kills faeries, that would just annoy Aniz not kill him.

[bill]

In a sharp form, iron tends to be deadly to lots of things.

[Shadowcatcher]

He practically admitted it when he whacked May and reverted to his Cubi form, and he asked Abel, "Does this look familiar?" and pointed to the clan mark of a fairly small clan, which I wouldn't expect a lot of to be running around. 

All that proves is that he is of the same clan as Abel.  In all likelyhood using the KISS model, he is Abel's father, but I thought I'd just mention the possibility that he could be a lacky to watch over Abel while the real father goes and creates more CubiKinder.  Heck, if that's the case, Aniz could very well be a half brother placed to watch over him to see if he fully develops.  We'll find out whenever Aniz says either "Son" or "Bro" (or maybe even Cousin).  To avoid incoming flames, I'll say yes, it's likely Aniz is his father, but I don't feel completely convinced until I see more of their interaction.

For example, we've only ever seen two(confirmed) cubi from the same clan in the main comic, they're both from a very large, powerful clan(diametric opposite to Abel and Aniz's clan), and Destania is confirmed as Dan's mother.  By use of the very mathematically-termed "Squeeze Method," I think it's safe to say Aniz is Abel's father.

I prefer KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) myself. 

[GabrielsThoughts]

or Cid and Aniz could be Half-brothers. 

[techmaster-glitch]

Um, at the current DMFA Timeline, I think that the Creature-Being Council has only been in existance for two decades........max.

Hmm, that's a new one on me.  Do you have a reference for this?
(EDIT: The undead joined the CBC 34 years ago, so something's a little wrong here.  If you've got a date, I'd still love to know when the CBC was inaugurated, though)

I looked in the Demonology, and it doesn't say anywhere when the Undead joined, or when the CBC was actually formed. And in the note for Rachel-Rebecca the Third, it says that she has been dead for 34 years, yes, and that is also the same time when she won the case for her own murder, and then went on to install the laws against species creation, but I believe that was handeled by the Creature Council, not the CBC. Why? Because, technically, Rachel was a Creature at the time, and her murderer was, by extrapolation, almost certainly an Undead as well, because Rachel came back to life "because of the spell". Furthermore, when Alexei was going over Destania's past, she said that Beings wern't to accepting of Creatures at the time. That was aproximately two decades ago. I highly doubt that it would even be possible for the Creature-Being Council to exist at such a time. The rise of Being technology, and the slight decline of Creature intolerance, all seem to have been happening within the last two decades. I think that the Creature-Being Council is a direct product of that, even though the CBC's *ahem* inefficiency has also resulted in the continued survival of the adventuring business. And in explanation to how the Being world at large would know about the anti-species creation laws if they were made by the shadowed Creature Council, I am positive that the Creature Council must have had some involvement, possibly even the main cause of, the Creature-Being Council's formation. I'm sure that the Creatures originally thought that only magic could create new life, but if they saw the rise of Being technology, I'm sure that they would have guessed that magic might not be the only way. Which is why I think that they made sure the anti-species laws were installed and distributed by the Creature-Being Council, to the Beings. Which is why everyone knows about these laws.

Oh gosh, that was long. Great, I know I forgot something..... I'll just have to deal with whatever it is if it comes up.

Btw, can anyone give the URL for the "Jack" comic by David Hopkins that has been mentioned? It sounds interesting.

[candide]

My first thought on reading this:

"Heh.  Now we see where Abel gets it from.  "

And all of this speculation makes my head all hurtey.  Though it says much more about the people doin' the speculating than what might happen in the comic.  Aniz strikes May ... for reasons still unknown ... and some people respond with, "ZOMG!  He's eeeeebil!  He's a wife-beater!"  Aniz killed the original Cid 25 years ago, and other folks respond to this fact with, "ZOMG!  He's kyoot!  He must have killed Cid in self-defense."  Vewwwy Intewesting... 

Me?  I see no more than 5 minutes of dialog transpiring between the faked heart attack and the latest strip.  And in that time, Aniz' behavior just gets more and more inconsistent with each strip.  Makes his motives murkier and murkier to me.

It'll probably take another month or two of updates before we can make much sense of what we're seeing in these past 4 strips, IMNSHO.

[Zedd]

Now now..Keep your shorts on..We can find out later kiddys..Dont make much a speculation now

[Netami]

... Y'know, DMFA and subcomics are the only comics that actually conjure emotions in me, well done, Amber. <3
~Mwa

You don't read Jack, do you?

Amber is unmatched when it comes to complex situations, humorous or dramatic.  No one does farce better than she does that I know of.  But I've never seen anyone get more emotions from his fans than David Hopkins does with Jack.  I've seen people reading it with tears rolling down their face.  And I know Manawolf, Goatmon, and the rest of the Jack fans, and probably Amber too, would agree. 

Man, like clockwork!

[Zina]

One day, ONE DAY, someone will talk about another piece of work that's 'filled with the brim with emotion' that isn't Jack.
Because, really guys. They exist. I promise you.

[Netami]

I just think Jack readers should write reviews for other things.

"This pastrami sandwich was utterly divine. I approached the deli with an empty heart, a past filled with nothing but shadows and empty corridors. After experiencing the passion that is this pastrami, I can die a happy man. Never before have I see a deli weave such masterful designs into it's sandwich making, and I've witnessed plenty of people who leave the establishment forever changed, touched by the exquisite taste of that which is the number four pastrami special."

[Jim Halisstrad]

One day, ONE DAY, someone will talk about another piece of work that's 'filled with the brim with emotion' that isn't Jack.
Because, really guys. They exist. I promise you.

http://suicideforhire.comicgenesis.com/

BAM!

[Zina]

I just think Jack readers should write reviews for other things.

"This pastrami sandwich was utterly divine. I approached the deli with an empty heart, a past filled with nothing but shadows and empty coordinators. After experiencing the passion that is this pastrami, I can die a happy man. Never before have I see a deli weave such masterful designs into it's sandwich making, and I've witnessed plenty of people who leave the establishment forever changed, touched by the exquisite taste of that which is the number four pastrami special."

I don't like the sounds of this deli. It sounds far too intense for me.

One day, ONE DAY, someone will talk about another piece of work that's 'filled with the brim with emotion' that isn't Jack.
Because, really guys. They exist. I promise you.

http://suicideforhire.comicgenesis.com/

BAM!

Never heard of it. But the art is nice, so I'll add it to my bookmarks.

[MaskedRetriever]

Me?  I see no more than 5 minutes of dialog transpiring between the faked heart attack and the latest strip.  And in that time, Aniz' behavior just gets more and more inconsistent with each strip.  Makes his motives murkier and murkier to me.

I agree, honestly.  I'm hoping Amber's got some horrifically abrupt reveal planned that'll make all the pieces thunk into place so suddenly that it makes our faces melt.   

[GabrielsThoughts]

... Y'know, DMFA and subcomics are the only comics that actually conjure emotions in me, well done, Amber. <3
~Mwa

Is that a challenge?
You appear to imply that Amber or David are the only ones capable a character driven emotionally charged comics.

wait a few weeks and I'll show you better. ( The comic will appear in the tower of art of course.)

[superluser]

Hmm, that's a new one on me.  Do you have a reference for this?
(EDIT: The undead joined the CBC 34 years ago, so something's a little wrong here.  If you've got a date, I'd still love to know when the CBC was inaugurated, though)

I had actually been acting under the impression that the CBC was relatively new, as well.  Not a few decades, but I'd bet less than 1000 years.  Possibly not around during Abel's story.  When I said the Creature-Being council before, I meant it more generally, like any judicial body composed of creatures and charged with judging creatures.

Edit: When I first read your post, I started thinking, ``Canadian Broadcasting Corporation?''

And all of this speculation makes my head all hurtey.  Though it says much more about the people doin' the speculating than what might happen in the comic.  Aniz strikes May ... for reasons still unknown ... and some people respond with, "ZOMG!  He's eeeeebil!  He's a wife-beater!"

I also don't know why all evil people happen to be wife-beaters.

Just once, I'd like to see James Bond infiltrate SPECTRE's inner sanctum, come face to face with Henry Blofeld, and smack the Bond girl.

And then have Blofeld stop all his evil plans, and look directly at Bond and say, ``You never hit your lover.  Never.''

And then have Blofeld call up M and say, ``Listen, M.  It's obvious you've found my secret lair.  It's over for me.  But before I go, you should really get James Bond some sensitivity training.  He just slapped a woman!''

For lesser authors, I'd suggest that wife-beating is a tired, hackneyed way of making someone obviously evil.  I mean, be creative!  Why not have the guy leave claymores for the mailman or something?

I think Amber has other reasons for this, so I'm not accusing her of it.

Me?  I see no more than 5 minutes of dialog transpiring between the faked heart attack and the latest strip.

I did Aniz's lines for strips 84-85 in 24 seconds--including a second take on a sentence.  I'd like to see how you could stretch that out to five minutes.

[Netami]

Honestly, I never felt emotionally charged by reading DMFA or Jack. DMFA is too light-hearted and Jack is a comic about life and death but with furries. The humor almost always outweighs the seriousness of any given plot. It's nothing personal, though... I don't think any of the comics I read do that for me, because they're almost all humorous comics; I think I seek out online comics for "teh funny" and not so much the drama/action/philosophy.

Now, music and videos...