2007-05-12: How Cubi cure boredom. (Abel's Story #87)

[Meech]

So I guess that he was bored and just decided that Taking over Cid's family was a good way to pass time.

Man I really am starting to hate Aniz.


*fixed the date- Damaris*

*added page number - Meech*

[Fuyudenki]

funny.  He's just listed approximately half of the reasons that have been speculated on the boards here since he was unveiled.

So was this comic inspired by our endless speculation on the boards, or was it all just a coincidence that she planned all along?

Well, I think we do know a few things for sure, now.
1: Cid and May were married before Cid died.
2: Cid was "replaced" during one adventure(or maybe not.  See superluser's post.)
3: Aniz wasn't taking care of May because he felt guilty after killing Cid
4: Aniz does not have some ulterior motive for taking Cid's place.  In fact, it seems he didn't have any motive whatsoever.

'course, I could be thinking wrong.  I'm good at that!

[Roureem Egas]

Fuyu, I'm pretty sure that Amber stated the plot of Abel's Story was planned in advance.

I'm lost for comments, other than: Aniz's eyes look feminine in the middle panel.

[Fuyudenki]

be silly not to do it that way, but inserting a "throwaway" page isn't too hard.  Maybe I could come up with a more valid argument if I actually had a look under the hood about how other artists do webcomics, but from what I've seen, there's no standard of any sort.

[Hellcat]

According to Abel's cast page, we know that his clan is very few, maybe Aniz took the opportunity to get more members.
Also I'm unsure why Abel hasn't barfed yet because of his mother's bloody nose

[MaskedRetriever]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand part of me holds on to hope that this is basically EXACTLY why Aniz did it but throwing all this deception on top lets him get away and (ironically enough) inflict the *least* damage reasonably possible.


But in all likelyhood?  Kill him with FIRE.   

[superluser]

So I guess that he was bored and just decided that Taking over Cid's family was a good way to pass time.

Sounds doubtful.  I know I wouldn't want to get trapped alive in a coffin, which must be how Cid's life felt to Aniz.

Man I really am starting to hate Aniz.

On the contrary.  Panels 3 and 4 seem very realistic, though I'm still at a loss as to what reality they are part of.  I've been known to scare off deer, if they don't run from me.  It's not good for them to be unafraid of man.

Perhaps Aniz is doing that, and he's not actually as impatient as he's playing.  Fa'Lina did that, too.  It might be a way to convince Abel that he can't take his life (or anyone else's--or anyone else, for that matter) at face value.  In which case, as soon as Abel leaves, Aniz will take to self-absorbed brooding.

I still don't understand the slap, in that case.  Unless May knew beforehand and consented.  Surely there must be other, more creative ways to prove to Abel that he's evil, like perhaps slowly peeling Abel's skin off to prove that it will regenerate.  Or foie gras.  That's pretty evil, too.

P.S. Amber missed a perfect opportunity to reference ``All that David Copperfield kind of crap.''

2: Cid was "replaced" during one adventure

Aniz doesn't necessarily claim that.  He could have killed Cid when he was on the way to the grocer's, and only figured out that he was an adventurer, later.

[Zedd]

Im sure we will find out soon enough people..I have people to kill..Its my birthday and I can slay who I want to...slay who I want to... 

[Reaver225]

I find it amusing that the only thing we can be fairly sure that Aniz isn't lying about is that he's probably lying about everything... And we can't even trust that.

I know Occam's razor says what he say is most likely true, but it's hardly an accurate source - in which case I've a feeling we're not going to find out why all of this happened... which I'm sure will mess up Abel even more, whatever happens to Fake-Cid.

[Regal]

Now are you guys convinced he's a jerk and nothing but a jerk?

[MaskedRetriever]

Now are you guys convinced he's a jerk and nothing but a jerk?

Never!  He's just trying to spare people's feelings by making them think he's a jerk so that when he leaves they won't miss him!  YEAH!  THAT'S IT!

[Goatmon]

So I guess that he was bored and just decided that Taking over Cid's family was a good way to pass time.

Sounds doubtful.  I know I wouldn't want to get trapped alive in a coffin, which must be how Cid's life felt to Aniz.

What makes you so sure?  I mean, to an experienced Cubi, how long is 25 years really?  It seems entirely feasible that some Cubi might plays games that drag on for decades. 

[kaskar]

               I am reasonably sure that Abel is Aniz's son. I bet Aniz will be really thrilled that Abel has already been 'blooded' in battle and thinks that maybe a warrior may be made of a whimp Abel here ...

[techmaster-glitch]

Also I'm unsure why Abel hasn't barfed yet because of his mother's bloody nose

Yeah, I brought that up in the last thread, too. And like I said before...

PLOT HOLE, AMBER!

[Zina]

Also I'm unsure why Abel hasn't barfed yet because of his mother's bloody nose

Yeah, I brought that up in the last thread, too. And like I said before...

PLOT HOLE, AMBER!

His other emotions are probably just over-riding his phobia.
A lot of stuff is happening and his mind is probably a huge mess. Chances are he probably hasn't even registered that her nose is bloody, just she's hurt.

[Illusionist]

It's good to see Abel looking a little more forceful, rather than cowering behind the nearest convenient shelter.

[Dard]

I must say that I am a little disappointed.
The last page already did almost nothing to further the plot and this page even more so.
Reading Abel's story is becoming quite frustrating to me.
We already know that Aniz is a jerk, even without spreading an information over more than one page that could be compressed in two panels.

[Zedd]

Makes me wanna do a music video soon

[Goatmon]

               I am reasonably sure that Abel is Aniz's son. I bet Aniz will be really thrilled that Abel has already been 'blooded' in battle and thinks that maybe a warrior may be made of a whimp Abel here ...

Reasonably?  Dude, he's been playing Cid since before Abel was conceived.  What more do you need?

[Tapewolf]

Fuyu, I'm pretty sure that Amber stated the plot of Abel's Story was planned in advance.

From what I gather, she's planned the core story in advance but how it is finally presented is decided somewhat closer to the day.  IIRC she said there were about six different punchlines for #540 and the most difficult part was choosing from them.

Aniz surely has to have a motive.  It might be "To see whether I could", "I was bored", "because it was there", "It seemed like a good idea at the time" or something equally trivial, but I don't see an easily-distracted incubus sticking with a charade which caused him noticeable discomfort for 25 years for absolutely no reason at all.

Heck, perhaps he's forgotten why and he's too proud to admit it.  

Makes me wanna do a music video soon

I do not grok.

[Goatmon]

Oh snap, I Just noticed that the shape of the wrist guards that "Cid" was wearing are similar to the wrist of the shadowy hand we see from Kria's teacher.    Or did someone else already notice this? 

[Tapewolf]

Oh snap, I Just noticed that the shape of the wrist guards that "Cid" was wearing are similar to the wrist of the shadowy hand we see from Kria's teacher.    Or did someone else already notice this? 

http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php?topic=2664.0

Amber seems to be implying he isn't.  There are a number of ways of parsing this, though - she might be agreeing with Bill, for instance.  Besides, as Superluser said, Amber might have figured that a coke was worth the price for messing with some heads.

[Goatmon]

I wasn't implying anything, just stating an "Oooh, what if".  And Amber's post was just as likely to be a gag as it was to be an actual challenge.

[127.0.0.2]

Another theory (that propably has been posted in another topic already) about the Why could be that - he, well, really just loves to mess up things. If he feeds from confusion like Abel, he might currently just try to get the highest kick out of the whole thing by confusing everyone as much as possible... - in a way, including the readers...

[Rafe]

Not much you can really take from this page at all.  Aniz as much as admits that he's been lying, and still could be.  The one thing you do see in all this is how completely lacking in conscience he is and skilled at deception. 

If he feels anything, he'd never reveal it.  Showing how he feels would make him vulnerable and open to attack.  He obviously trusts no one, even those he's been around for .... Hey, come to think of it, doesn't this sound a LOT like Abel?  Maybe Abel is more like Aniz than he thought.  Maybe he hates himself for it.  Then again, given the way he is, we'll probably never know.

[Goatmon]

You may be onto something there, Rafe.  Your posts are always an interesting read.   

[superluser]

What makes you so sure?  I mean, to an experienced Cubi, how long is 25 years really?  It seems entirely feasible that some Cubi might plays games that drag on for decades.

We've been over this before.  `Cubi live approximately 100 times longer than we do.  So divide everything by 100.  25 years becomes .25 years, or three months.

Would you play a game that occupied all of your time (or at least, the majority) and dragged on for three months?

[Ouai]

After reading the comic, I thought ' That sure was a slap in the face'

I find in amusing even though it dosent move the story forward any.

What makes you so sure?  I mean, to an experienced Cubi, how long is 25 years really?  It seems entirely feasible that some Cubi might plays games that drag on for decades.

We've been over this before.  `Cubi live approximately 100 times longer than we do.  So divide everything by 100.  25 years becomes .25 years, or three months.

Would you play a game that occupied all of your time (or at least, the majority) and dragged on for three months?

Super, really. Just because they live longer dosnt mean a day is any shorter for them. 25 years is still 25 years to them even if its only 3 months in their lives.

I do agree though, pretty long elaborat game to play for only a few minutes of pleasure, unless he plans to tourture them for a few years.

[superluser]

Super, really. Just because they live longer dosnt mean a day is any shorter for them. 25 years is still 25 years to them even if its only 3 months in their lives.

I might agree with that, but you've mischaracterized the point that I was trying to make.  Goatmon was claiming that a day was shorter to them.  My point was that, even if we accept that, it's not enough of a difference.

[VioletDusk]

I do agree though, pretty long elaborat game to play for only a few minutes of pleasure, unless he plans to tourture them for a few years.

I don't know. Assuming this is the sort of emotion Aniz feeds on, consider how much time and effort (not to mention money) some people will put in to a gourmet meal. Perhaps it's the cubi equivalent of 200 year eggs or vintage wine. ^.^