I will admit this in not an ending for this scenario I envisioned. In my defense I was basing my statements on a RL function I have seen where a similar situation occurred.
I predict Douchie will make it very uncomfortable people in the next 180 seconds. After he finds out his favorite team of bully boys have been converted to MurderTurd Brand fertilizer he will go even more off the track. He might even actually loose his favorite lollypop as was earlier suggested by our many named entrepreneur.
Well...I didn't take it that he would lose all power. Just that he would have to live in New Troy and, presumably, do any ruling of New Rome from a distance (which would make being a crazy dictator a bit more difficult!)
He would be subject to New Troy laws... I think murder, assault, battery and a myriad of other laws he has broken would get him exiled to Ceres without benefit of a airtight suit.
That would actually work really well. Remove Kali's and Malati's inhibitors, then get the mop ready. If they no longer HAD to keep Douchebag alive it would likely be messily satisfying what they would do to him.
Oh my! Am I the only one who noticed the huge veins on Decimus' forehead? You know, just below that ugly crown (panel one)? I'm a bit surprised he didn't blow a blood vessel by the time this message ended. He was so confident he could get her to literally eat out of his hand. But she very eloquently deflected his advances and suggestions. That must have really bruised his planet-sized ego.
@ Cent: Is Douchie's crown supposed to blend into his hair like that? It looks a bit weird, especially since his hair appears to be combed back. If he had long hair that draped over the crown on the sides that'd be one thing. But this is not the case.
Well, yes. But you see, the problem with this guy's ego is that it behaves less like an arm when bruised and more like a scrotum: it get's really big and red and starts bumping into things in really painful ways... and it winds up turning what should be an inconsequential, though mildly annoying, injury into something you couldn't even put in a nightmare, much less show on tv.
on the note of the crown band.. I actually did not even notice that.. bleh.. may have to find another hairstyle for him.. Calliope did as much damage as she could without risking Lynn ..
dunno about that Sheila... In Fairness, the broken wrist wasn't Dari's fault. When Dolly finds out her wrist was broken because she was trying to escape, they will probably be proud of her for it.
Diplomacy of wolves, is when you when you convince your enemies that they should go outside and kill one another, so as not to stain your carpets - AND - they still think they got the better end of the bargain.
Either that or he will have convinced himself that he recovered remarkably and won the first round.
You might say not even he would be that dense, but with this guy, I'm learning that there are multiple layers to his denseness. So I'm not assuming one way or another.
Kali might be able to get him to realize just how BADLY he lost that round, DLK. It sounds like she at least realized he was no longer in the driver's seat.
She definitely did. Unfortunately, much like his idol, Tatewaki Kuno (from Ramna 1/2), he can't see it, much less admit it. His eternal response to such situations is always 'I fight on!' (If perhaps a bit...hmm...muffled and wheezy due to being mostly unconscious after a severe beatdown). So, we should likely be expecting musings from him along the lines of 'I must defeat the vile sorceress Calliope Taylor and rescue the fiery Lynn from her perverted influence! It is the only way I can free Nova Ilium to serve me as the heavens decree it must!'
Somehow, I get the feeling that that's what she said. She wasn't talking about diplomacy, though.
(and yes, I know that "that's what she said" jokes went out of style ages ago. But I just can't help myself when the opportunity presents itself. I'm the victim here. Right? Right?)
In chess, a pawn (Acantha or Lynn?) can be turned into a Queen. So makes sense for Calliope to play.
In checkers, any old piece that gets far enough is crowned. Then they can move both back and forth along their path... Which sounds kind of like Douchebag (to me).
Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery Scott from Star Trek TOS: "Diplomats. The best diplomat I know is fully activated phaser bank!"
Calli Taylor demonstrates once again that brains are considerably better than brawn. Or to put it another way, "never show up to a battle of wits empty-handed!"
Funny, we were talking about displacement maps and I just realized, Prince Peckerhead's armor is made with displacement maps on extruded body mesh. Something like his armor would be very easy for me to make.
( Actually you are half right .. ) The Princes armor is the Genesis supersuit with heavy displacement mapping for the details :D but it has some actual clothing bits worked in too :D
Oh, I just noticed that in panel one Calliope called Prince Decimus "Mr. Livius." And we all know how he goes on about being the crown prince and how he's above everyone else - how he can do whatever he pleases. Title is everything to him, as evident by how he angrily corrected the Luna-Com operator who called him "Mr. Livius" just two pages earlier. :D
Ahh, I had wondered how long it would take before one or the other would start edging out of control. It was nicely subtle and the prince was clearly, and humorously, spun completely around.
Even still, I suspect Ms. Taylor was feeling the strain of Lynns dangerous predicament, and notced some small tells in her behavior, she wasnt going to be able to maintain much longer. Fortunately the Prince was caught so off guard he did not seem to notice how Ms. Taylor was repeating herself, and over-explaining, a subtle but clear sign she was on the edge as well.
She closed the negotiations before the Prince noticed and had a chance to reassert himself. This was a nice bit of behind the curtain politics.
The only thing I would have left out was hearing Kali's and Centcomms thoughts. They didnt really add anything to the scene, and to be honest the expression on Kali's face spoke volumes.
Nods - noted about that.. Im glad facial expression is carrying that well - they look even better in the original renders - and you picked up on just about every single element there - Although she did say Lynns name a lot to make her more "human" to the prince rather than just a walking chess-piece.. Thank you!
The thoughts didnt detract, it was more a minor distraction than anything else. Kali's expression to me, was perfect. It was a scathing "My Prince, you are an idiot." look that made me chuckle. Her thoughts didnt add anything to the scene.
Centcomms thoughts could have been added in another page, if at all. Those of us who read regularly easily picked up on the dark irony of his claim. Again, not a big deal.
Maybe I look at more in whats being said on a page, its a human drama, and I enjoy my share of those kinds of stories.
What I was seeing was a stateswoman trying to conduct a diplomatic encounter with a fellow leader who has a questionable reputation at best. So of course she wants to promote calm and strength first. However beneath it all, her concerns as a mother would be taking their toll on her every second of that encounter.
I saw that happening with this page most of all. Her first inquiry about Lynn came across almost as an after thought, not wanting to show just how much Lynns well being matters, as it would encourage the Princes perception of an advantage. But by the end of the page, it was the repeated request that went from a negotiating point, escalating into a demand, and ending in a not-so-subtle threat that showed me how close she was to cracking under the pressure.
Well, I have to totally disagree with you this time Draginbeard. I read Calliope's comments as a point of STRENGTH, not weakness. To me, she was making it starkly clear that she wasn't going to be buying a 'pig in a poke'.
Calliope wanted irrefutable proof that Lynn is well before she is going to deal with Douchebag. If Lynn is harmed, then there would be consequences for Douchebag and his realm according to Calliope. To me, that is dealing strongly with the situation. Preventing Douchebag from trying to weasel around the edges by being determined and forthright in her statements.
AT Melody - If you were a Comic Fury Subscriber I would send you a prezzy .. I cant though .. Feel free to make a Account and sub though and let me know ! I can PM it to you :D
Someone hasn't exactly overwhelmed his audience with his awesomeness.
"LUNA-COM does not share or endorse the views of.."
/.* - error - error : Terminal violently disconnected!
I predict Douchie will make it very uncomfortable people in the next 180 seconds. After he finds out his favorite team of bully boys have been converted to MurderTurd Brand fertilizer he will go even more off the track. He might even actually loose his favorite lollypop as was earlier suggested by our many named entrepreneur.
The prince probably couldn't care less about the idiots that got munched .. its too far below his pay grade.
That was a good one. :)
That would go over well... bwuhahahahahah
@ Cent: Is Douchie's crown supposed to blend into his hair like that? It looks a bit weird, especially since his hair appears to be combed back. If he had long hair that draped over the crown on the sides that'd be one thing. But this is not the case.
...of course neither CentComm nor Calli know how he treats his own sister...
I hope CentComm can get that information until the next call...
Sure, they patched it up .. but I'm sure she'd still be annoyed about it.
In the Reboot the broken wrist is ALL Dari's fault.. But Calli would be proud of Lynns actions .. esp clocking the prince like a baby seal..
Henry Kissinger once said "Diplomacy is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they actually look forward to the trip."
Calliope demonstrated this in SPADES!!!
I'm looking forward to the next installment between these two, where he STILL refuses to listen to Kali's advice.
Diplomacy of wolves, is when you when you convince your enemies that they should go outside and kill one another, so as not to stain your carpets - AND - they still think they got the better end of the bargain.
I forse a massive mental Meltdown from him *hands Kali an umbrella and a riot shield*
You might say not even he would be that dense, but with this guy, I'm learning that there are multiple layers to his denseness. So I'm not assuming one way or another.
(and yes, I know that "that's what she said" jokes went out of style ages ago. But I just can't help myself when the opportunity presents itself. I'm the victim here. Right? Right?)
"Mmhomma, homma, homma ..." Ralph Kramden.
Calliope is playing chess, Prince Douchebag is playing checkers.
In chess, a pawn (Acantha or Lynn?) can be turned into a Queen. So makes sense for Calliope to play.
In checkers, any old piece that gets far enough is crowned. Then they can move both back and forth along their path... Which sounds kind of like Douchebag (to me).
Calli Taylor demonstrates once again that brains are considerably better than brawn. Or to put it another way, "never show up to a battle of wits empty-handed!"
background is stunning!
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we need to reevaluate his intelligence and collectedness.
Even still, I suspect Ms. Taylor was feeling the strain of Lynns dangerous predicament, and notced some small tells in her behavior, she wasnt going to be able to maintain much longer. Fortunately the Prince was caught so off guard he did not seem to notice how Ms. Taylor was repeating herself, and over-explaining, a subtle but clear sign she was on the edge as well.
She closed the negotiations before the Prince noticed and had a chance to reassert himself. This was a nice bit of behind the curtain politics.
The only thing I would have left out was hearing Kali's and Centcomms thoughts. They didnt really add anything to the scene, and to be honest the expression on Kali's face spoke volumes.
Hopefully the thoughts didn't detract too much :D
Centcomms thoughts could have been added in another page, if at all. Those of us who read regularly easily picked up on the dark irony of his claim. Again, not a big deal.
Maybe I look at more in whats being said on a page, its a human drama, and I enjoy my share of those kinds of stories.
What I was seeing was a stateswoman trying to conduct a diplomatic encounter with a fellow leader who has a questionable reputation at best. So of course she wants to promote calm and strength first. However beneath it all, her concerns as a mother would be taking their toll on her every second of that encounter.
I saw that happening with this page most of all. Her first inquiry about Lynn came across almost as an after thought, not wanting to show just how much Lynns well being matters, as it would encourage the Princes perception of an advantage. But by the end of the page, it was the repeated request that went from a negotiating point, escalating into a demand, and ending in a not-so-subtle threat that showed me how close she was to cracking under the pressure.
This was a very, very good page.
Calliope wanted irrefutable proof that Lynn is well before she is going to deal with Douchebag. If Lynn is harmed, then there would be consequences for Douchebag and his realm according to Calliope. To me, that is dealing strongly with the situation. Preventing Douchebag from trying to weasel around the edges by being determined and forthright in her statements.
I really wanna see Calli minus clothes.