Wonder if that ring from pg 797 will be helping Acantha out of the sticky situation... Oh, well, just will have to wait. Kali go kick him into the Underworld!
Praise The Lord and Pass The Ammunition! Looks like Kali and Douchy are at the parting of the ways if he ain't dead now he will soon be deposed and in no position to do more than curse. Of course that seems to be his raison d' etre anymore, hopefully she will allow Dolly or Ada and TeeDee to work on Acantha. Why did Valerius go Rambo on Aeneas, he seems to be quite comfortable with the AI concept here even asking Kali's permission to change the inhibitor settings.
BTW can we get page two of the fight sequence? And what was that "spark" that seemed to come from Dolly aimed at Kali, think the blue field in the next panel was Dolly using her shield as an offensive weapon.
He crossed the line but he did not actually do what he was trying to do. If he had then he would have been toast. As it was Lynn proved to be an adequate protector in the situation.
We don't actually know that even a successful rape of Acantha would have triggered whatever is triggering in Kali now, @Dragonrider. We know that, for at least a similar transgression (the murder of Valerius), the fact that Kali did not personally witness the transgression appears to have significantly affected the programmed response (or lack thereof). If Kali learned of a rape after the fact, it's entirely plausible nothing would have changed. And, had she been present for even the actual failed attempt, that alone might have been sufficient to trigger the fail-safe.
We'll just have to take it as tragic that, ultimately, it took Acantha suffering a life-threatening (if not mortal) wound in order to trigger ... whatever is happening now.
Of course, if Kali has been programmed to respond to this situation with deadly force, we could just be going from bad to worse to even worse ...
Valerius must have undergone a drastic personality shift between this scene and his death at Doucheimus' hands. Here he treats Kali politely and understandingly as if she was a living human being. Asking her if she'd mind having her programming altered to bring El Doucheo to heel if he acts poorly toward Acantha runs counter to the way androids are now feared and held in contempt in Nova Roma. The next question is, of course, how far is she allowed to go with controlling Doucheimus to protect Acantha. It's really a moot point now.
Valerius didn't undergo any kind of personality shift... he always treated androids with courtesy. He did not, however, dictate the attitudes of everyone else in Nova Roma on that score, and Decimus having used the Cassians as a blunt object and open threat sure didn't help moderate said attitudes.
Apparently he recognized the danger Douchimus represented. Still he suffered a parent's failure to realize just how dangerous Douchimus was (in relation to himself).
A deus ex machina is usually some external force that unexpectedly intervenes to fix a lost cause. I don't think this qualifies as that.
Especially since, before the flashback, knowing what I know about Noctis, Kali, and the other Cassians, as well as the history of the royal family, I've been expecting one or more of the Cassians to turn on jerk-boy sooner or later over something involving his treatment of Acantha.
There's been plenty of foreshadowing before this, which does not happen in a DEM situation.
DEM would be suddenly there is an explosion and a 'cavalry' shows up without any warning to save the day.
Leaving other things aside, @Tango Xray Actual, for this to qualify as a "deus ex machina" in the modern colloquial sense, doesn't whatever results from Valerius' failsafe have to make things better, not worse? Presumes facts not yet in evidence. ^_^
DECIMUS LIVIUS!!! You have the right to remain silent and ...uhmm .. remain silent while being munched on by a Scythe Lizard!
Get 'im Mr Poppolopolis the Third!
I suspect (in addition to the hairstyle and conservative clothes) it is the withdrawn and less confident posture and body language. Current-Kali struts, past-Kali demurely waits to be informed about what is to happen to her.
Well, to be fair, she was in the presence of someone she respected very much.
Right now she isn't, though she probably begrudgingly accepts that Dolly is a good fighter.
It's not a criticism. Just agreeing with the others that past-Kali looks less mature than current-Kali and suggesting that the appearance (or lack thereof) of a self-confident manner and a sense of leashed aggression is a contributing factor.
Since I assume Kali can do infiltration and information gathering work if needed, I suspect that, by carefully choosing proper clothing, makeup, and role-playing, she could appear even younger now than she does in the flashback. However, since she is usually called upon to be an intimidating authority figure, likely she chooses to present herself with the opposite emphasis.
Now we know what Kali's eye-flash that we saw in the previous page was about. What we have to wait for is the other shoe to drop that shows us what she's to do about it. At this point, there's not much left in stopping Decimus from doing anything more, as Acantha has already done that.
The implication seems to be that Acantha botched even that -- suffering a life-threatening and immediately incapacitating injury herself, while managing to inflict (at best) a superficial "flesh wound" on Decimus. Otherwise, as you point out, Kali's upcoming actions would seem to be far less significant to the unfolding of events.
I would say that @Centcomm realized the script excellently well, then.
Lately it seems that the commentary pages have been home to a growing sense of ... hysteria. Not that it is for me to tell anyone how they should go about enjoying this fine work, but it seems like each page is expected to be THE PAGE wherein Lynn is rescued, Aeneas is healed, Acantha is elevated, Decimus condemned, the Cassians emancipated, the contingencies defused, Humanity restored, Good triumphant, Evil defeated, and Lovers reunited. (Except for @Sheela, in which case it is Kyle fed to a scythe lizard. ^_^)
No doubt the creatrices recognize the compliment inherent in the depth and intensity of interest expressed by those following the story, but I do think people would be well-served to take deep breath, a step back, and to let the story unfold at its own pace.
My apologies if my presumption offends anyone. I am guilty of more groundless speculation and wild extrapolation than most, but relax. They'll tell us in their own good time. Rush a miracle worker and you get lousy miracles. ^_^ There's no need to raise things to quite such a fever pitch (in my opinion).
Your mileage, of course, may vary. If you experience a story arc lasting more than four months, consult your plot doctor for proper resolution.
It's a fair point, Gilrandir, and the only argument I have against it is this.
None of us who are guilty of wild speculations (which is pretty much all of us) want to rush the story telling. We enjoy how well the story is being told, and don't want to mess with it. For me, the wild speculations are about being on the edge of my seat on just about every page, and all the lame-brained thoughts that come out when you want to know what happens next!
I also enjoy tremendously the Comraderie that is shared on this page by all of us, almost as much as I enjoy the story itself.
With all that being said, I'm going back to speculating in the back of my head how Miraiko will be the one to deliver the final blow, and YOU CAN'T STOP ME, BWUHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!
Thank you, @DLKmusic. I have no desire to rein in the speculations or damp the enthusiasm. I just wanted to suggest that people would be well-served to retreat a bit from being quite so ... lathered. Maybe I'm wrong and it's just me mis-reading the room, in which case I apologize.
Apropos of nothing in particular, except that I've been perusing the archives, I wonder how much we may safely read into CeCi's conduct when she is first activated? (Starting at 442 -- GLOMP!.)
The character of CentComm has been fascinating to me, especially since being introduced to The Long Joke. It now inspires me to wonder whether we can make legitimate inferences about CentComm's inner feelings and longings based on.how CeCi expresses herself in those early days. She contains, after all, as complete a copy of CentComm as CentComm can manage, but obviously hasn't learned yet the guarded and paranoid demeanor that we associate with en Eternal Warrior consigned to a neverending watch against threats both real and imagined. How much of early CeCi's enthusiastic drive to please and yearning for more personal contact with Dolly is reflective of the inner urges which (stifled) led to CentComm choosing a LoveDoll (TM) as her public face. And, when CeCi is reunited with CentComm, to what extent will CentComm be horrified and to what extent will she feel validated at the way that Watchdog crushed CeCi's resistance?
I'm just wondering to what extent CeCi's emotions accurately (but unintentionally) reflect those of her older 'clone sister', but are more on display because she doesn't yet have the psychological defense mechanisms in place? Obviously any answer here would be spoilerrific, but it seemed an opportune time to speculate.
You know, this has unveiled something really, truly, deeply tragic.
Kali used to be their nanny... but then she was reduced to little more than a weapon in her use and assigned purpose. She was meant to be a caregiver and protector, not a tool of death.
This is truly, deeply tragic.
But perhaps, she is about to be liberated.
Not only was she their Nanny, she now gets to see those two little kids that she helped raise, die in front of her.
Killed by one another, and there's nothing she can do to stop it.
She is helpless, just a bystander.
Trauma, thy name is Kali.
It seems cruel, but it works, judging at how popular this is... Of course, that there is a story to care about MIGHT have something to do with it :)
The anticipation!
BTW can we get page two of the fight sequence? And what was that "spark" that seemed to come from Dolly aimed at Kali, think the blue field in the next panel was Dolly using her shield as an offensive weapon.
As for the second question... Cent, what WAS that 'splosion?
*sets fuse and sneaks away*
We'll just have to take it as tragic that, ultimately, it took Acantha suffering a life-threatening (if not mortal) wound in order to trigger ... whatever is happening now.
Of course, if Kali has been programmed to respond to this situation with deadly force, we could just be going from bad to worse to even worse ...
I was wondering where they were.
Well, at least I'm no longer in shock... well done, both of you!
So, did Kali not still have her other name then or did she change it before Valerius' time???
Oh, douchie is in sooo much trouble... *looking forward to the next updates...*
{edit} Then again, we wouldn't be in this situation if he hadn't underestimated everyone.
And a deus ex machina one at that!
Grumph - That be cheatin!
I would like to ask: how do you feel this qualifies as a "deus ex machina"?
Especially since, before the flashback, knowing what I know about Noctis, Kali, and the other Cassians, as well as the history of the royal family, I've been expecting one or more of the Cassians to turn on jerk-boy sooner or later over something involving his treatment of Acantha.
There's been plenty of foreshadowing before this, which does not happen in a DEM situation.
DEM would be suddenly there is an explosion and a 'cavalry' shows up without any warning to save the day.
DECIMUS LIVIUS!!! You have the right to remain silent and ...uhmm .. remain silent while being munched on by a Scythe Lizard!
Get 'im Mr Poppolopolis the Third!
Right now she isn't, though she probably begrudgingly accepts that Dolly is a good fighter.
Since I assume Kali can do infiltration and information gathering work if needed, I suspect that, by carefully choosing proper clothing, makeup, and role-playing, she could appear even younger now than she does in the flashback. However, since she is usually called upon to be an intimidating authority figure, likely she chooses to present herself with the opposite emphasis.
And with that, we have just opened up for a future in which we could see Kali in a japanese schoolgirl outfit as a voting incentive. XD
If she refuses though, he'd probably argue and badger until she finally relents. However Kali RESPECTS him.
She also knows he respects HER.
Therefore he will ask, and she most likely will agree, as she sees the need for it herself.
*Evil Ph.D. revoked for poor anti-sploitz coding.
NANNY FACE-OFFFFFFFFF-oh wait we've done that bit already
Oh, and a very nice plot curve.
What a GREAT visual setup for a callback/backstory flashback.
But why do you two have to make me hate weekends? /cry
Well played.
LYNN's scream has both DOLLY and KALI pausing just long enough to look around and see what’s just happened.
Zoom in tight on KALI’s face - into her eye, even. There’s a flashback a-comin’.
Lately it seems that the commentary pages have been home to a growing sense of ... hysteria. Not that it is for me to tell anyone how they should go about enjoying this fine work, but it seems like each page is expected to be THE PAGE wherein Lynn is rescued, Aeneas is healed, Acantha is elevated, Decimus condemned, the Cassians emancipated, the contingencies defused, Humanity restored, Good triumphant, Evil defeated, and Lovers reunited. (Except for @Sheela, in which case it is Kyle fed to a scythe lizard. ^_^)
No doubt the creatrices recognize the compliment inherent in the depth and intensity of interest expressed by those following the story, but I do think people would be well-served to take deep breath, a step back, and to let the story unfold at its own pace.
My apologies if my presumption offends anyone. I am guilty of more groundless speculation and wild extrapolation than most, but relax. They'll tell us in their own good time. Rush a miracle worker and you get lousy miracles. ^_^ There's no need to raise things to quite such a fever pitch (in my opinion).
Your mileage, of course, may vary. If you experience a story arc lasting more than four months, consult your plot doctor for proper resolution.
None of us who are guilty of wild speculations (which is pretty much all of us) want to rush the story telling. We enjoy how well the story is being told, and don't want to mess with it. For me, the wild speculations are about being on the edge of my seat on just about every page, and all the lame-brained thoughts that come out when you want to know what happens next!
I also enjoy tremendously the Comraderie that is shared on this page by all of us, almost as much as I enjoy the story itself.
With all that being said, I'm going back to speculating in the back of my head how Miraiko will be the one to deliver the final blow, and YOU CAN'T STOP ME, BWUHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!
I didn't think of a flashback, but I saw something of great import a-comin'
The character of CentComm has been fascinating to me, especially since being introduced to The Long Joke. It now inspires me to wonder whether we can make legitimate inferences about CentComm's inner feelings and longings based on.how CeCi expresses herself in those early days. She contains, after all, as complete a copy of CentComm as CentComm can manage, but obviously hasn't learned yet the guarded and paranoid demeanor that we associate with en Eternal Warrior consigned to a neverending watch against threats both real and imagined. How much of early CeCi's enthusiastic drive to please and yearning for more personal contact with Dolly is reflective of the inner urges which (stifled) led to CentComm choosing a LoveDoll (TM) as her public face. And, when CeCi is reunited with CentComm, to what extent will CentComm be horrified and to what extent will she feel validated at the way that Watchdog crushed CeCi's resistance?
I'm just wondering to what extent CeCi's emotions accurately (but unintentionally) reflect those of her older 'clone sister', but are more on display because she doesn't yet have the psychological defense mechanisms in place? Obviously any answer here would be spoilerrific, but it seemed an opportune time to speculate.
Kali used to be their nanny... but then she was reduced to little more than a weapon in her use and assigned purpose. She was meant to be a caregiver and protector, not a tool of death.
This is truly, deeply tragic.
But perhaps, she is about to be liberated.
Killed by one another, and there's nothing she can do to stop it.
She is helpless, just a bystander.
Trauma, thy name is Kali.