She wants to be mad but in all fairness, turns out Hell REALLY sucks.
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34 Comments
You’re not getting it yet, Blood. Meesh needs that solution too. The pair of you are never going to have to stop watching each others’ backs without it.
“Solving your problem solves my problem” is certainly a stronger basis for a friendship than “The enemy of my enemy.” Give the poor guy time. Some people get so locked into despair they refuse to accept any alternative.
in other words : enlightened self interest beat shared spite as a basis for a long term beneficial and non toxic (business or friendship) relationship
Enlightened self-interest is good: but I think also Michelle really does have some compassion for the Bloodcarver and his kin.
Meesh is clearly realizing that this has gone on too long, and something needs to change..
I have had suspicions about how all this has come about, and I have been holding my cards and not speculating in case its spoilers.
But its time to raise the ante, and it looks like Michelle knows it too.
I also have my suspicions and holding my cards, but for a different reason. That reason being a short rant Ravi had back in Illumination. I feel that was added in for a very specific reason and I’m holding out on speculating until we see something more concrete.
There is also the Chekhov’s gun from the other half of the dovetail in this arc that has yet to be fired, and would tie everything up neatly as a short-term solution at least.
Is there a looking-glass big enough for ‘Carver, in full-form?
On a different note, “Eala Dubh” means something like “Dark Swan”, doesn’t it? I recognize the elements mostly from S.C.A. connections.
Mmhmm. Young Jimmy’s persistent insistance that the ‘Jabberwock’ is not real.
Indeed so; the name is Gaelic for ‘Black Swan’
Dragon Medallions! And maybe a few for the London Avalon folks who don’t have medallions. Maybe a certain medusa could use someone who can make new medallions for her.
Oh, Madam U would gladly try to use such a someone, alright … :-3
And maybe a couple harpies…
I’m trying to remember: has it been determined / declared whether Abby and Anthony and Ophelia are the only harpies in and around the L.A.?
I do believe I’ve seen a few floating around in the background in the Avalon.
“I think we need to hug.”
“We’re not at that stage juuuust yet…”
Bloodcarver, I think your helping get Michelle out of Hell kinda negates everything else you’ve done.
What has Bloodcarver even done? He kidnapped her that one time, but he didn’t try all that hard to hold onto her, and it wasn’t his idea. Then he tried to kidnap her again, but it wasn’t his idea, and she decided to come willingly. Other than those two times, he’s done nothing but be a loyal companion, protecting her from threats and sharing her emotional burden.
The fact that it wasn’t his idea doesn’t negate the fact that he did kidnap (and terrify) her twice and was the reason why Michelle nearly ended being a magical battery for demons in Dis, and he knows it.
Just because he didn’t have any ill will doesn’t mean he wasn’t responsible for what could have happened. If Vera hadn’t been there Michelle — an innocent who put her trust in him that everything would be okay — would have been subjected to a fate worse than death. It was his naivete and faith in Dis Pater that got Michelle down there. Even in the best of circumstances, anybody would feel guilty.
Now also remember that he’s been abused by Dis Pater, emotionally and physically, since he hatched. He’s probably been conditioned to expect some kind of punishment or attack when he messes up, even if he had the best of intentions. Dis Pater loved him and hurt him badly for his failure, why wouldn’t this stranger he’s terrorized and almost accidentally trapped in Actual Hell NOT lash out?
Meesh seems to be saying more than ‘Carver seems to be hearing. She starts off talking about her reaction to what he, personally, has done. But then, …
“Ya’ll” is plural, although it’s sometimes used in the singular sense. She refers to the situation of all the dragons and Dis Pater’s current solution for them.
When she says, “You need a new solution,” I’m thinking she means, “Ya’ll need a new solution.” As in, all dragons (who aren’t hostile) need a new solution.”
Of course, her “new solution” is probably medallions.
Just logistically: Aren’t medallions just a visual disguise which doesn’t change the actual body size? A full-size dragon would still not fit into any human-scale building even with one, if I have understood that correctly.
Unless, of course, those dragon medallions have some extra tricks built into them…
Pretty sure that they also change your shape, if it was just an illusion people would constantly bump into the parts they don’t see.
It’s been established that the medallions do actually allow large creatures to fit into small spaces, if a normal human could fit.
Okay, that makes them a lot more useful for the bigger ones indeed!
I just want to say on an art level how much I freaking appreciate Kory drawing Michelle with leg hair. I’m (nominally) a grown woman and seeing someone represented who looks more like I do than most of the women in media makes me so happy.
Shaving is overrated. And razor burn? Just forget that!
Leg hair (and arm hair) is part of your body’s defences against parasitic insects. Notably mosquitoes. It makes it harder for them to land on you and improves your sense of touch so you can feel them better if they do. Don’t cut it off unless you have a good reason to.
…..Bloodcarver is fren now. I kinda hope Michelle helps him out.
I’m certain she will if she can, and probably medallions will let them live in the mortal world.
I hope so. I like Bloodcarver.
I kind of feel like this revelation isn’t *entirely* earned. We went from Michelle completely dismissing the dragon’s plight (“Why can’t you guys just be happy here? Why do you need to be in MY world?”) while actively in Dis and even remarking on how lifeless and draining it feels, to ‘Now I understand’ without quiiiiite establishing the point at which she understands.
It’s not that I can’t assume that traveling the circles took a toll on her just from the assumption native to the concept, but the traversal didn’t really communicate how much actually being there weighed on Michelle. She was mostly grossed out by stepping on Shades or upset that it was raining and she was getting wet. The tolls of traveling to Dis felt more like somebody who was just tired and cranky on a hike, and her arguments with Vera didn’t really communicate that she had any kind of change of heart regarding the dragon’s plight.
Michelle has always erred on the side of selfish (mirroring the fatal flaw of the sphinxes and setting her up now to break the cycle), and this is a good turning point for her character and the circumstances DO make sense, but I think what’s causing my dissonance is that, even after seeing the dragons and the tyranny they live under (let alone feeling it), she still defaulted to her petty complaints about her own discomfort– funny, but they never quite translated into a moment where she recognized that, as much as this trip sucks for her, at least she doesn’t have to live like this.
Just to be clear, this is not a make-or-break moment for me. It’s a character beat that’s been a long time coming and I’m really excited to see where Michelle (et al) go now that she’s resolving to take a proactive stance in the world. It’s just a hiccup that was itching at the back of my brain and I was trying to work out why this dialogue felt weird.
The moment of truth was watching Vera getting the snot beaten out of her by her own abusers, and Meesh not being able to help.
The best way to bury a grudge is to fix the problem which started it.
Seems like a few centuries is what it took to make at least one of the dragons humble enough to get to the point where they have a hope of mending the breach caused that war.
“Also you’ve spent your entire life with a gaslighting narcissist as your only parental figure. Kinda hard to hate you for things after learning that.”