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BobTheJanitor posted:It's a magic realm. We're not talking 'employees only', we're talking on the level of 'Whoso Pulleth Out This Sword of this Stone and Anvil, is Rightwise King Born of All England.' Yeah, not quite that important, Kat isn't now the King of all England. But it's still a mystical compulsion. Just like Sir Kay couldn't pull the sword in the stone, so a non-guide couldn't open that door. Either Kat is a guide, or her anti-etheric 'screw this BS' field is so strong that it can overcome mystical compulsions entirely. Either way, I am also coming around to the camp that believes this comic is now the Kat story and I'm okay with that. Okay I'm trying not to start a fight here so lemme know if this comes off hostile: The important thing to ask yourself about this whole sequence of events is, is Tom doing this as actual worldbuilding, or is this just supposed to be funny? Because "underfunded beaurocracy" is a whole hell of a lot funnier than "crazy mystic realm". In fact I'm half convinced Annie and Mort see exactly what Kat sees, they're just playing along to be polite.
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Feb 6, 2014 08:25
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No, Gunnerkrigg is funny and this is funny as it is, but the story generally isn't sacrificed for humor. And it's a lot more interesting of a story if Kat is experiencing something completely different from the other two. I really want to see what Annie and Mort see. I wonder if their perspectives diverge as well?
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Feb 6, 2014 08:46
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I would prefer if what they see is the same because its a really cheap and stereotypical plot point/trope/storytelling tool. I think it would be more interesting a story if they saw the sender things, and the realm of the dead was just three people doing a job. Plus it fits with how goofy and not scary Mort was at first - he was taught to be scary by a spooky man with plastic monster hand, whose boss is a Halloween decoration.
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Feb 6, 2014 10:30
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The thing is, that really doesn't match Annie and Mort's reactions over the past few pages.
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Feb 6, 2014 12:14
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That bookshelf has exactly one book on it. If Kat opens it and finds that it contains only two or three sentences of text, then we'll know that the realm of the dead is actually a JRPG
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Feb 6, 2014 12:27
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MikeJF posted:The thing is, that really doesn't match Annie and Mort's reactions over the past few pages. I dunno. Mort's probably okay with all the weird stuff, and even now she's been at school learning about "normal" for a few years, I can see Annie not being phased by verification bats and weird labyrinths full of halloween decorations. It seems like the sort of thing she could just accept. I'm not honestly seeing a whole lot of evidence that they're seeing something that different, unless I'm missing something. The only thing that is slightly weird is that they didn't pay attention to the guy standing in the library the first time, but if he was standing still, he looks kind of like an ornament in the corner. With what we know about Mort, the RotD being as it's drawn seems reasonable to me. Why are people so sure they're seeing something different? Is there something anomalous I'm not seeing?
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Feb 6, 2014 14:29
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MooCowlian posted:Why are people so sure they're seeing something different? Is there something anomalous I'm not seeing? I think its more how their reactions to what is going on don't quite match up to expectation. Annie is normally quick and observant, and her reactions to what Kat is seeing don't match up to that. Honestly, my idea is that the difference lies in each person's experiences with the ROTD. Kat, who only knew about afterlife guides from Annie, is drawing from what she imagines a place like that would look. The reason it's so sparse is because her experience with the subject is fairly sparse. Whereas Annie and Mort have completely different views on the afterlife, and they are seeing those views imposed over the landscape provided.
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Feb 6, 2014 14:43
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MooCowlian posted:I dunno. Mort's probably okay with all the weird stuff, and even now she's been at school learning about "normal" for a few years, I can see Annie not being phased by verification bats and weird labyrinths full of halloween decorations. It seems like the sort of thing she could just accept. Not only is it incredibly implausible they wouldn't notice the guy in the "library" if they were seeing the same thing, note what Annie called him. A "creature". Seems a bit much for a guy wearing a cheap costume yeah?
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Feb 6, 2014 15:02
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MooCowlian posted:I dunno. Mort's probably okay with all the weird stuff, and even now she's been at school learning about "normal" for a few years, I can see Annie not being phased by verification bats and weird labyrinths full of halloween decorations. It seems like the sort of thing she could just accept. I was thinking more the way they seemed really freaked out by the cloak guy in the background, very nervous about him and pulling Kat back... it takes a lot to freak out Annie re: monsters.
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Feb 6, 2014 16:00
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Yeah, we'd just seen her fight off the Gilitie Forest army a while back.
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Feb 6, 2014 16:20
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J.A.B.C. posted:Honestly, my idea is that the difference lies in each person's experiences with the ROTD. Kat, who only knew about afterlife guides from Annie, is drawing from what she imagines a place like that would look. The reason it's so sparse is because her experience with the subject is fairly sparse. Whereas Annie and Mort have completely different views on the afterlife, and they are seeing those views imposed over the landscape provided. I'm thinking it's more that Annie and Mort are being fooled by whatever illusion the ROTD creates to make itself look all impressive and scary to people. Kat is seeing, maybe subconciously, that that whole artifice is just a big fakey fake thing, so she sees it as really cheap haloween decorations and crappy robes and the same dude three times.
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Feb 6, 2014 16:49
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Prison Warden posted:I'm thinking it's more that Annie and Mort are being fooled by whatever illusion the ROTD creates to make itself look all impressive and scary to people. Kat is seeing, maybe subconciously, that that whole artifice is just a big fakey fake thing, so she sees it as really cheap haloween decorations and crappy robes and the same dude three times. Hmmmm now where does this sound familiar... oh 
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Feb 6, 2014 17:23
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Dr. Buttass posted:In fact I'm half convinced Annie and Mort see exactly what Kat sees, they're just playing along to be polite. This is loving dumb. You people are the worst. Use occams razor now and again you loving autistic dorks. (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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Feb 7, 2014 01:33
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Regarde Aduck posted:This is loving dumb. You people are the worst. Use occams razor now and again you loving autistic dorks. Holy crap calm down bro.
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Feb 7, 2014 01:36
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Has Kat had to deal with death, before? We know Annie and Mort both have. I'm guessing at some point, humans who have never had to face death would see this relatively non-frightening facade, assume that's what the other side is really like, and emulate it by making lovely haunted houses. Basically the inverse of Prison Warden's theory. The RotD IS scary, but humans unfamiliar with death can't see it properly, so they make it look less frightening to new comers. I mean, I think we've seen what Mort sees, already.
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Feb 7, 2014 02:00
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Regarde Aduck posted:This is loving dumb. You people are the worst. Use occams razor now and again you loving autistic dorks. Honestly, "everything is exactly how it looks" is the simplest explanation in any given situation.
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Feb 7, 2014 02:40
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Except that's not what that theory is at all, in terms of how the characters are acting. The theory requires mort and annie to be calculating what expression to have at all times and for annie to say "creature" instead of person and keep up this elaborate act while kat repeatedly doesn't get that she's supposed to be acting and no one's nudging kat to play along. If annie or mort were doing... any of that it would've been clearly communicated and used for humor.
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Feb 7, 2014 03:26
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Tom has played with perceptions before (mostly when Zimmy is around) so it wouldn't be much of a surprise if it was in play here. Which is a bit sad, because that was a peculiar look for an actual realm of the dead. And Kat did enter with the intent of being amazed first. On the plus side, if what Annie and Mort see is super-ultra scary, just think about how badass Kat must be appearing to them. Ah, if only Robot was around to witness Kat's superiority over the agents of ROTD...
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Feb 7, 2014 04:53
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Cat Mattress posted:Tom has played with perceptions before (mostly when Zimmy is around) so it wouldn't be much of a surprise if it was in play here. Which is a bit sad, because that was a peculiar look for an actual realm of the dead. And Kat did enter with the intent of being amazed first. Hey man I mean, perception is reality so like the way the realm of the dead looks like is how it looks like as far as we know, and the way it looks is the way it is lookin' right now. like I mean why would mort and annie's relative perception of the rotd be any more valid or important than kat's?
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Feb 7, 2014 05:00
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Suaimhneas posted:That bookshelf has exactly one book on it. If Kat opens it and finds that it contains only two or three sentences of text, then we'll know that the realm of the dead is actually a JRPG "What if I don't want to?" "But thou must!"
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Feb 7, 2014 05:38
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Cat Mattress posted:On the plus side, if what Annie and Mort see is super-ultra scary, just think about how badass Kat must be appearing to them. Ah, if only Robot was around to witness Kat's superiority over the agents of ROTD... I just realized how prototypically mythical her going into the land of the dead and returning with lost secrets is.
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Feb 7, 2014 07:12
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Different perceptions confirmed! With any luck we're about to get some explanation from rubber hand guy. Also, gotta love Mort in panel 5.
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Feb 7, 2014 09:02
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Shouldn't have said that Annie.
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Feb 7, 2014 09:09
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Okay, I was wrong.
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Feb 7, 2014 09:14
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Maybe they do actually see something different. Or Annie just can't count. Have we ever seen her count to a thousand? No? Well to bad, cause we can't be sure. Seriously though it should have been obvious at this point.
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Feb 7, 2014 09:20
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Man, you can just tell that that guy is also wearing a mask under that robe. Also,  .
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Feb 7, 2014 09:20
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Avatars! 
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Feb 7, 2014 10:03
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Okay Tom, the buildup is complete. Initiate exposition dump.
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Feb 7, 2014 10:08
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Jetamo posted:Man, you can just tell that that guy is also wearing a mask under that robe. Perhaps the most apropos use of that emote ever.
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Feb 7, 2014 10:08
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Hooray, no more silly arguing over who is seeing what! Next subject. Jetamo posted:Man, you can just tell that that guy is also wearing a mask under that robe.
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Feb 7, 2014 10:11
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Pretty sure that one book is going to be about the robot wing.
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Feb 7, 2014 10:37
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"Called it." Tom really manages to get his comments exactly right.
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Feb 7, 2014 10:54
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It's me, I called it. You guys who were so certain everyone was seeing the same thing and Annie was just Super Naive or something must be feeling kinda silly now!!
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Feb 7, 2014 11:45
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But guys what if Annie and Mort are just faking it to they are obviously in a Dr disaster hologram. We have no proof that anything supernatural even exists.
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Feb 7, 2014 11:49
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Now I want Annie to pick up some of those other books and start reading from them, and see what that looks like to Kat when she does it.
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Feb 7, 2014 11:50
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Suaimhneas posted:Now I want Annie to pick up some of those other books and start reading from them, and see what that looks like to Kat when she does it.
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Feb 7, 2014 11:57
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JT Jag posted:And that would be funny, but she won't, because obviously only one of the books matters. So I expect that she'll take a long look at the (from our perspective empty except for one book) shelf and then pick up the right one, or Kat will do it when she gets impatient. Pick up two books at the same time.
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Feb 7, 2014 13:32
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pumpinglemma posted:Pretty sure that one book is going to be about the robot wing. Printed in dot matrix font, of course.
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Feb 7, 2014 14:24
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It just occurred to me that if you asked the robots to make a "realm of the dead" (without going into any more detail than that) what Kat's seeing is probably what they'd come up with.
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Feb 7, 2014 15:07
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JT Jag posted:It's me, I called it. It's almost like the simplest and most straight forward reading of events turned out to be the correct one!
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Feb 7, 2014 15:37
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