Let's Read Animorphs! The Whole Series! Ch-ch-ch-chaaanges

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SirSamVimes: Jul 21, 2008; ~* Challenge *~

wizzardstaff posted:

Really appreciating the parallel between the Andalite and Yeerk perspectives here. One wants to subjugate the planet and one wants to preserve it, but both are coming at it as outsider tourists. Neither Andalites nor Yeerks are interested in Earth for humanity's sake.

It's because Andalites are also scum op (general later books spoiler)

SirSamVimes fucked around with this message at 09:06 on Jul 10, 2020

# ? Jul 10, 2020 09:04

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# ? May 26, 2024 18:01

Daikloktos: Jan 1, 2020; by Cyrano4747

How did Ax get the morphing power but never a single training morph, I forget. I know he was a stowaway but I thought he was finished with basic training (general later book spoilers)

# ? Jul 10, 2020 09:53

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Daikloktos posted:

How did Ax get the morphing power but never a single training morph, I forget. I know he was a stowaway but I thought he was finished with basic training (general later book spoilers)

Ax has completed his formal academic learning and is an aristh, or cadet, in the Andalite military, which is, as far as I can tell, an apprenticeship where the aristh learns the things he needs to become an Andalite warrior, mostly by being ordered around by everybody, and I don't think Ax was very far along in it, so he doesn't have much practical knowledge. He was sent up to the dome to keep him safe and out of the way when the battle happened.

The way it looks to me is that the Andalite military seems to derive from an older system where a prince gathers loyal warriors who are willing to obey him into a warband, and young men who want to become warriors join the warband as hangers on, being treated like servants while they learn from watching the warriors how to actually do the things a warrior does, until they're old enough and competent enough to be accepted by the group.

The modern Andalite military is more formalized and professional than that, obviously, but that seems to be the basic structure that it derived from/

# ? Jul 10, 2020 14:12

Cythereal: Nov 8, 2009; I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

Epicurius posted:

Ax has completed his formal academic learning and is an aristh, or cadet, in the Andalite military, which is, as far as I can tell, an apprenticeship where the aristh learns the things he needs to become an Andalite warrior, mostly by being ordered around by everybody, and I don't think Ax was very far along in it, so he doesn't have much practical knowledge. He was sent up to the dome to keep him safe and out of the way when the battle happened.

The way it looks to me is that the Andalite military seems to derive from an older system where a prince gathers loyal warriors who are willing to obey him into a warband, and young men who want to become warriors join the warband as hangers on, being treated like servants while they learn from watching the warriors how to actually do the things a warrior does, until they're old enough and competent enough to be accepted by the group.

The modern Andalite military is more formalized and professional than that, obviously, but that seems to be the basic structure that it derived from/

I think he's pretty on-point for an Age of Sail midshipman, including his age. He's learned his letters, so he's been sent off to sea to learn how to officer and sail under the supervision of the more experienced officers.

# ? Jul 10, 2020 14:28

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Cythereal posted:

I think he's pretty on-point for an Age of Sail midshipman, including his age. He's learned his letters, so he's been sent off to sea to learn how to officer and sail under the supervision of the more experienced officers.

That's probably true as well

# ? Jul 10, 2020 14:45

OctaviusBeaver: Apr 30, 2009; Say what now?

I think the Andalites are going to have a serious manpower crunch before long when they have only one cadet on the whole domes ship.

# ? Jul 10, 2020 15:54

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

OctaviusBeaver posted:

I think the Andalites are going to have a serious manpower crunch before long when they have only one cadet on the whole domes ship.

We don't know that that dome ship was typical of Andalite ships in terms of staffing and such. It's also possible that there were more cadets and that Ax was the only one who made it to the dome.

# ? Jul 10, 2020 16:05

Radio Free Kobold: Aug 11, 2012; "Federal regulations mandate that at least 30% of our content must promote Reptilian or Draconic culture. This is DJ Scratch N' Sniff with the latest mermaid screeching on KBLD..."

Ax's brother was the Prince, remember. It's possible that all the other cadets were involved in the battle while an overprotective older brother sent Aximili, specifically, to go be somewhere safe.

# ? Jul 10, 2020 16:17

ANOTHER SCORCHER: Aug 12, 2018

OctaviusBeaver posted:

I think the Andalites are going to have a serious manpower crunch before long when they have only one cadet on the whole domes ship.

I believe later the books tell us that Andalite society is still organized into large grazing herds with only a few scattered cities. That probably suggests a much lower population density than humans plus they�ve been involved in a war for decades now.

# ? Jul 10, 2020 20:24

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

ANOTHER SCORCHER posted:

I believe later the books tell us that Andalite society is still organized into large grazing herds with only a few scattered cities. That probably suggests a much lower population density than humans plus they�ve been involved in a war for decades now.

We find out in a later book that every intelligent species so far encountered in the galaxy has a lower population density than humanity. The reason this planet is such a priority for the Yeerks is because they've never found an intelligent species that numbers in the billions before.

# ? Jul 10, 2020 20:45

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

The Predator-Chapter 16

quote:

A couple of dozen of the Hork-Bajir leaped down from the high wall of the quarry and surrounded us. They kept their Dracon beams leveled at us as the Blade ship landed on the quarry floor.

"Go, obey farghurrash there horlitl" one of the Hork-Bajir said, in the strange mix of English and their own language that they use.

He pointed to the Blade ship. A door had opened in the side.

 Rachel said.

But as she approached the door, the door widened to her size. It stretched and grew as if the metal skin of the Blade ship were alive.

What a pathetic little crew we were, trooping inside the Blade ship. Weak and pathetic and stupid to imagine that we could ever have resisted the Yeerks.

Visser Three was right. We were fools.

This wasn't even my fight, I thought. Not really. This wasn't my time to die.

I guess I wanted to feel angry. But what I felt was numb, as I trooped into the Blade ship with the others. You know, like I wasn't really there, almost. I was past feeling anything, I guess. I just kept thinking, It's happening. It's finally really happening.

The next day was Sunday. My dad would go to my mom's grave. Alone.

It would be a while before he would admit that I, too, was gone.

Just like when my mom died - there would never be a body.

Just like my mom.

Ouch.

quote:

<This is not looking good,> I said. I couldn't take the silence anymore.

<No. It isn't. But we're not dead yet,> Jake answered.

<Yet. Why doesn't that make me happy?> I asked. I looked around at the others, all crammed into a windowless steel cube. Black, dimly lit steel walls on all six sides. No door. It was like a coffin.>

<We look like some kind of circus,> I said. <An elephant, a tiger, a gorilla, a wolf, and a freak of nature.>

That got some halfhearted laughs from the others. I don't know why I was making jokes. I guess that's the way I am. When bad things happen, I tell jokes. But inside I felt sick. Like I had swallowed broken glass.

<Maybe we should just demorph,> Cassie said. <Maybe if they realize we aren't Andalites, they'll let us go .>

She knew that was dumb, of course. But when you're scared, you start grabbing at anything.

You want to believe there's a way out.

The truth was, there were exactly two possibilities. Visser Three would kill us. Or Visser Three would turn us into Controllers. He would infest us with a Yeerk.

<We should stay in animal morph,> Jake said. 

<Prince Jake is right,> Ax said. <The Yeerks will not want to take any chances that other humans know of them.>

It was true. I knew it was true. I guess I'd known it all along. But hearing it said, it made me want to crawl into a corner.

My dad. Cassie's parents. Rachel's mom and her sisters. Jake's parents. Maybe even Jake's brother, Tom, although he was one of them. Their lives were at risk, too.

Suddenly, a window opened in one of the walls. It just grew, the same way the door had before. Like the steel was alive. It formed a round porthole, large enough for all of us to see - even Rachel, who could only turn her massive head enough to look with one eye.
I gasped.

Below us, blue and white and so beautiful it brought tears to your eyes, was Earth.

Sun sparkled off the ocean. Clouds swirled over the Gulf of Mexico, a big spiral, maybe a hurricane.

<Look,> Cassie said simply.

We looked. Through the eyes of the animals of Earth, but with the minds of human beings, we looked down at our planet.

Our planet.

For now, at least. For a little while longer.

I guess if they are going out, this is a good thing to see at the end. And while we know they're not all doomed, because of all the other books, I think there is sort of a feeling of finality here in this chapter.

quote:

Then something different came into view, as the Blade ship rotated away from Earth.

<This is why the Yeerks opened a window,> Ax said. <This is what they wanted us to see. So that we would despair.>

The mother ship.

It was a gigantic, three-legged insect. The center was a single, bloated sphere. The sphere was flatter on the bottom, and from the bottom hung a weird, mismatched series of tendrils.

Like the tendrils of a jellyfish. Each one must have been a quarter-mile long.

Around the sphere were three legs, bent up, then back down, exactly like a spider's legs.

<The legs are the engines,> Ax explained. <The tendrils hanging down below the belly are weapons and sensors and energy collectors. That is also where the shipboard Kandrona is. The Yeerks must bathe in the Yeerk pool every three days and absorb Kandrona rays. There
must be one on the planet below, too.>

<Yeah. We know,> I said. <Your brother told us. For all the good it did us.>

It just hung in orbit, like a predator gazing down hungrily at blue Earth below.

 Rachel said. 

<It is shielded,> Ax said simply. <It cannot be seen by radar. And it would normally be invisible to us. Visser Three is showing it to us. To terrify us.>

<He's doing a good job,> I said.

<I've never been in space before,> Cassie said. 

<It is a lovely planet,> Ax said gently. <Not so different from mine. Except that we have less ocean and more grassland. I ... I am sorry I brought you all to this. This is my fault.>

I wanted to yell, "Yes! Yes, it is your fault!"

But Cassie said what we all knew in our hearts. <Ax, you're only here because your people wanted to protect us. Your brother and a lot of Andalites died trying to save us. Nothing is your fault.>

It was true. But sometimes, when everything hits the fan, you don't want the truth. You just want someone to blame. <One too many missions> I muttered. <This was going to be my last one. Now . . . well, it will still be my last one.>

I could see an opening in the side of the Yeerk mother ship - a docking port. As I watched, a pair of quick Bug fighters flew in, dwarfed by the size of the opening.

A minute later, we entered the docking port and were suddenly bathed in deep red light.

Through the window, we could see Yeerk crewmen - Hork-Bajir, Taxxons, and two or three other alien species, in simple red or dark brown uni forms. And there were humans, too. My first reaction was hope. Humans!

But then I realized the truth. No. Human-Controllers. Yeerks. No different than the HorkBajir.

There was a slight shudder as the Blade ship came to a halt.

<Ax?> Jake asked. <What's our morph time?>

<We have been in morph for forty percent of allowable time.>

I did the math. <So we've used up forty-eight minutes. Leaving what, seventy-two minutes?>

It is handy the author gave Ax an innate time sense. A lot less inconvenient than Tobias's watch.

quote:

<Yeah,> Tobias confirmed. <Not a lot of time for you guys. Maybe Rachel is right. Maybe we should just go out in a blaze of glory. Attack as soon as they open the door. At least we can let them know we were here.>

I saw Jake extend his claws, as if he were thinking about using them. He glanced at where the door had once been, like he was measuring the distance. I knew that he was listening to the tiger in his head.

Then he seemed to relax. <No,> he said. <We have to have hope.>

Cassie sidled up next to him and nuzzled him with her wolf's muzzle.

I guess it should have been funny. The wolf and the tiger, sharing a tender moment. But all it did was make me a little jealous. They had each other.

<We gave them a pretty good fight, didn't we?> I said. <Our little circus? We did some damage to them.>

<Yes, we did,> Rachel agreed.

<Do . . .> Ax hesitated. Then, <Do humans fear death?>

<Yes. We're not crazy about death,> I answered. <How about Andalites?>

<We're also not crazy about it>

This is just such an incredibly hard bit to even read, honestly. It's them realizing they're going to die, being terrified, and not really having any idea what to do or even if their efforts had any meaning.

quote:

Through the window we could see a lot of Hork-Bajir and Taxxons and humans running around, racing to get somewhere. They were lining up. And now, I noticed, there were distinct kinds of uniforms, one red-and-black, the other gold-and-black. The brown uniforms were all around the edges, like they were less important.

Suddenly, without warning, the window stretched open into a large, arched doorway. Fetid air rushed in, smelling of oil and chemicals and something else.

A ramp rose up from the steel floor outside to meet us. We were standing like a display at the top of the ramp. All around, filling this side of the docking bay, were uniformed Hork-Bajir, Taxxons, and humans. Most were in red-and- black. Perhaps two hundred creatures, standing in stiff rows, arranged by species.

About a quarter of the total were in gold-and- black. There were more humans in this group, but also some unusually massive Hork-Bajir.

<Jake? I have a feeling. I don't think the reds like the golds.>

 Ax said. <I...I think I overheard my brother talk about that. Each Visser has his own private army in their own uniforms.>

<Swell. I wonder which group gets to have us?> I said.

Far at the back of the rows of alien troops, there was a movement. A party of creatures walking to the front.

Visser Three was at the center, followed by two big Hork-Bajir in red.

And just to his left was a human. A human woman with dark hair and very dark eyes.

That was when I stopped breathing. Because I knew. Even before I could see her face clearly. I knew.

They marched up to the bottom of the ramp. A dozen soldiers leveled Dracon beams at us, just in case we wanted any trouble.

Then, in thought-speak that all could hear, Visser Three turned to the woman beside him.

<You see, Visser One. I have taken the Andalite bandits. The crisis is over. Your trip here is wasted, and you can return to the home world.>

Visser One nodded. She looked up at us with those dark brown, human eyes.

Eyes I knew. Eyes I remembered.

The same eyes that watched me sleep every night from the framed picture beside my bed.

My mother.

Visser One.

So anybody who's reading this for the first time see that coming?

# ? Jul 10, 2020 22:14

SardonicTyrant: Feb 26, 2016; BTICH IM A NEWT
熱くなれ夢みた明日を
必ずいつかつかまえる
走り出せ振り向くことなく
&

Epicurius posted:

It is handy the author gave Ax an innate time sense. A lot less inconvenient than Tobias's watch

I will not tolerate any slander of the bird watch :colbert:

# ? Jul 10, 2020 22:19

SirSamVimes: Jul 21, 2008; ~* Challenge *~

I'm absolutely amazed at how well Applegate manages to write a feeling of dread at inevitable death in young adult friendly prose, in a way that feels like the realistic internal monologue of a thirteen year old boy.

Also props to the description of the Pool Ship.

SirSamVimes fucked around with this message at 22:29 on Jul 10, 2020

# ? Jul 10, 2020 22:26

nine-gear crow: Aug 10, 2013

Epicurius posted:

So anybody who's reading this for the first time see that coming?

I'd be interested to see who says this was an out and out surprise to, give the almost assembly line pattern of "Dead Mom... Visser One.. Dead Mom... Visser One..." foreshadowing throughout the book leading up to this point.

# ? Jul 10, 2020 23:01

SirSamVimes: Jul 21, 2008; ~* Challenge *~

now hearing "mother dead" "visser one's coming!" to the cadence of dental plan

# ? Jul 10, 2020 23:08

nine-gear crow: Aug 10, 2013

SirSamVimes posted:

I'm absolutely amazed at how well Applegate manages to write a feeling of dread at inevitable death in young adult friendly prose, in a way that feels like the realistic internal monologue of a thirteen year old boy.

Also props to the description of the Pool Ship.

I've got a strong feeling that this is more a Michael Grant book than a Katherine Applegate one. Marco was always his pet character of the cast and the themes and prose stylings so far have had a lot of his hallmarks as seen in later books like Gone.

# ? Jul 10, 2020 23:15

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

nine-gear crow posted:

I'd be interested to see who says this was an out and out surprise to, give the almost assembly line pattern of "Dead Mom... Visser One.. Dead Mom... Visser One..." foreshadowing throughout the book leading up to this point.

It was when I first read it.

# ? Jul 10, 2020 23:37

Cythereal: Nov 8, 2009; I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

I knew she was a Controller. I wasn't expecting Visser One.

IIRC, at the time I was wondering if Visser Three had been a smokescreen and Visser One had been so hyped up because they'd be the real villain of the series.

# ? Jul 11, 2020 01:53

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

She really, really is, though.

# ? Jul 11, 2020 02:17

SirSamVimes: Jul 21, 2008; ~* Challenge *~

I am so hype for Visser One.

# ? Jul 11, 2020 03:05

feetnotes: Jan 29, 2008

SirSamVimes posted:

now hearing "mother dead" "visser one's coming!" to the cadence of dental plan

# ? Jul 11, 2020 05:02

Tree Bucket: Apr 1, 2016; R.I.P.idura leucophrys

The numbered Visser system is interesting; it means the high ranking dudes at least have no equals/colleagues- just losers lower on the ladder or targets higher up. Sort of guaranteed to create toxic relationships.

# ? Jul 11, 2020 11:27

SirSamVimes: Jul 21, 2008; ~* Challenge *~

IIRC (yeerk hierarchy spoilers???) there is a "Council of Thirteen" above the Vissers (who may also be ranked in numbers, I don't think the book ever spells it out) and an emperor above them

# ? Jul 11, 2020 12:17

disaster pastor: May 1, 2007

SirSamVimes posted:

IIRC (yeerk hierarchy spoilers???) there is a "Council of Thirteen" above the Vissers (who may also be ranked in numbers, I don't think the book ever spells it out) and an emperor above them

I think it's the Andalite Chronicles that mentions that the emperor is actually one of the Council of Thirteen, but nobody outside the Council knows which member of the Council is the emperor, both so they're shielded from assassination attempts and so the title doesn't go to their head.

# ? Jul 11, 2020 15:04

nine-gear crow: Aug 10, 2013

disaster pastor posted:

I think it's the Andalite Chronicles that mentions that the emperor is actually one of the Council of Thirteen, but nobody outside the Council knows which member of the Council is the emperor, both so they're shielded from assassination attempts and so the title doesn't go to their head.

The Council is also democratically elected by popular vote among the Yeerk general population. The Emperor is then chosen via a quorum among the councilors to basically act as a House Speaker or Majority Leader because the position is basically meaningless and powerless outside the Council itself.

# ? Jul 11, 2020 20:22

Tree Bucket: Apr 1, 2016; R.I.P.idura leucophrys

How are Vissers selected? Is that ever revealed?

# ? Jul 11, 2020 22:44

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Tree Bucket posted:

How are Vissers selected? Is that ever revealed?

I'm pretty sure it's technically by the Council of Thirteen. But a lot more will be revealed about Yeerk hierarchy and how the Yeerks got to where they are now in future books.

# ? Jul 11, 2020 22:52

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

The Predator-Chapter 17

quote:

I sat down. Very suddenly. I'm sure it looked funny. A big, hairy gorilla simply falling down. I would have laughed if I'd seen it.

My mother. Not dead.

Alive!

I wanted to yell. "Mom! Mom! It's me, Marco!"

But Jake was in my head, a loud, urgent whisper. <Marco? Don't say anything. Don't do any thing. Do you hear me?>

So I wasn't just imagining it. Jake had recognized her, too.

<Marco? Listen to me, man. You have to hold it together.>

My mother. . . alive.

My mom.

<Come on, Marco, stand up. Don't make them suspicious.> He was speaking just to me.

I could hear Jake. I could. But it seemed to come from far off. He didn't understand. It was my mom. My mom!

<Marco? That is not your mother. Not anymore. That is not her.>

<Jake? It's my mom. Look, it's her.>

<No, it isn't, Marco. Not anymore. They have her. She's one of them. One of them!>

<Why, Visser One,> Visser Three sneered, <you seem to have frightened the humanoid one.>

"It is called a gorilla," Visser One said coldly. "If you are going to be in charge of Earth, Visser Three, you should at least learn something about the planet."

<And take a human host body, like you did? No, I think not. Human bodies are weak. I much prefer this Andalite host.>

My mother looked at him and curled her lip. "I took a human host and learned about the planet and the humans. And because of that I was able to begin the invasion that you have now endangered with your criminal incompetence!"

Visser One's sheer contempt for Visser Three is a joy to see.

quote:

Visser Three's deadly Andalite tail twitched, as if he was going to stab my mom . . . Visser One. The red troops tensed up. The gold troops let their hands edge toward their weapons.

<Ooookay,> Rachel said. <l think we were right. These two definitely don't like each other.>

She didn't know, I realized slowly. Rachel didn't know. But she had never met my mother.

Neither had Cassie or Tobias. And Jake had kept our talk private.

Visser Three slowly relaxed. <You would like to provoke me, Visser One,> he said. <But the fact is that I destroyed the Andalite force. I shot down their dome ship. I killed Prince Elfangor myself and heard his dying screams. And now I have eliminated this last, pathetic rabble of Andalites.>

My mom . . . Visser One . . . just smiled. "You want to be Visser One? You think you can take my title? We shall see. The Council of Thirteen does not like Vissers who make mistakes. And you have made mistakes. Be careful of your own ambition."

She snapped her fingers, and every one of the soldiers in gold turned. Then she walked away, followed by her gold-uniformed troops.

That was not my mother. At least not the creature who called herself Visser One.

Visser One was the Yeerk inside my mother's brain.

But the sickening thing is, you see, that the host mind is still alive. It is still aware.

Somewhere inside that head, behind those painfully familiar eyes, my mother still lived.

In "The Little Prince", the author says, "What is essential is invisible to the eye." This is something I've mentioned before, and its been a major theme in the books so far; the whole idea of otherness and depersonalization. The person you're talking to looks like somebody you know, sounds like something you know, but is really not anymore. Part of the reason I think about this was that my grandmother, who had in a lot of ways, been like a second mother to me, died of Alzheimer's a few years ago, and until the last couple of months, she was physically relatively healthy. So for a long time, especially as the disease got worse, she'd be there and you'd talk to hr, and you'd remember the way she was, but that sense of self just wasn't there anymore. So it makes you think about things like that.

quote:

<Take it easy, Marco,> Jake said. 

 I said dully. I hated myself for not trying, but I knew there was nothing I could do. I had to hide inside my morph. Never let my mother know it was me. Never let her know . . .

Slowly, heavily, I stood up. I felt weak. A very strange feeling for a gorilla.

I think right then, if I had been in any other morph I would have just surrendered and let the animal mind take over. Let instinct rule, and wash away my human emotion.

But the gorilla was too much like a human. Its instincts were gentle. Like humans, it was a creature with emotions. It could not protect me from the pain.

<Don't tell the others, Jake,> I said. <You're the only one who recognized her.>

<Okay, Marco.>

<You can't even tell Cassie, okay?>

<It's okay, man. You are my oldest and best friend. You know that. No one will ever know from me.>

Visser Three still stared at us. I think he wasn't sure what to do next.

<Six Andalites,> he said. <Six Andalite bodies that could be used by my most loyal lieutenants.>

Ax exploded. <And then there would be others like you, you filth! Other Andalite Controllers. More unnatural abominations like your vile self!>

Visser Three cocked his head thoughtfully. <Why are you the only one who speaks? You're right of course: Why would I allow anyone to acquire Andalite morphing powers? But you are a child. Why do the others remain silent? And why do you all still hide in your morphs? Curious. Very curious.>

That's the trap that Visser Three puts himself in, and it's a good example of how what's good for the individual can differ from what's good for the group. It would be great for the Yeerks if more of them became Andalite-Controllers. It would improve their chances significantly. But, what gives Visser Three his power is that he's unique. So while it would be good for the Yeerks and the Yeerk war effort, it would be a disaster for him.

quote:

He seemed to think it over for a minute. Would he realize the truth? Would he figure out that the reason we remained silent was so he wouldn't guess that we were human? Would he figure out that's why we stayed in morph?

He seemed to shrug.

<Take them back to a holding cell. Triple the guard. If there is the slightest trouble, kill them>

# ? Jul 11, 2020 23:53

Radio Free Kobold: Aug 11, 2012; "Federal regulations mandate that at least 30% of our content must promote Reptilian or Draconic culture. This is DJ Scratch N' Sniff with the latest mermaid screeching on KBLD..."

Tree Bucket posted:

How are Vissers selected? Is that ever revealed?

i always thought it worked on klingon rules; you kill the guy and take his visser number

# ? Jul 12, 2020 00:51

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

Radio Free Kobold posted:

i always thought it worked on klingon rules; you kill the guy and take his visser number

Its partly competence, and partly this, I think

# ? Jul 12, 2020 02:19

disaster pastor: May 1, 2007

Epicurius posted:

quote:
Visser Three cocked his head thoughtfully. <Why are you the only one who speaks? You're right of course: Why would I allow anyone to acquire Andalite morphing powers? But you are a child. Why do the others remain silent? And why do you all still hide in your morphs? Curious. Very curious.>

Visser Three gets a lot of poo poo for not figuring out that they're human given all the evidence that seems to be in front of him and the fact that other Controllers suspect it very early on. But when you look at the evidence that actually is in front of him, he's not that dumb. He knows Andalite technical and ship superiority means the Yeerks can't be sure they caught all the Andalites who escaped the battle. He knows about the rescue mission to the wreckage of the Dome ship, so that's an additional survivor to reinforce that (and he probably knows this one's a kid). He knows (spoilers for book 8) the Andalites are supremely opposed to, and have a law against, sharing their technology with other species, to the point that if he dug into Alloran's memories Alloran would say it's unthinkable. And he knows the Andalites call him "abomination" and are steadfast in their willingness to die rather than give the Yeerks another Andalite host.

Put that all together, without the context the Animorphs' POV provides, and Visser Three concludes that some Andalite veterans either survived the battle or were on the planet already, have acquired Earth morphs to support their mission, and recently rescued Ax, who hasn't had as much opportunity to acquire morphs and who, as a child, doesn't have the discipline the veterans have to ignore Visser Three's provocation. A perfectly logical conclusion that just happens to be mostly wrong.

disaster pastor fucked around with this message at 02:58 on Jul 12, 2020

# ? Jul 12, 2020 02:28

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

It also makes sense tactically to have the youngest and weakest expose themselves as the spokesperson. If the others are only seen in morph, he can't be certain he has them all.

# ? Jul 12, 2020 02:48

wizzardstaff: Apr 6, 2018; Zorch! Splat! Pow!

Pranking Visser Three by invading the Blade Ship morphed into greased piglets labeled 1, 2, 3 and 5.

# ? Jul 12, 2020 02:54

nine-gear crow: Aug 10, 2013

Also now that Visser One has shown up alongside Visser Three this officially kicks off the series' long-running, unspoken, absence-induced gag of "Who/where is Visser Two?" to which I've personally come to assume that Visser Two is just a 1:1 analog to the drummer from Spinal Tap. There is a veritable assembly line of Visser Twos who last about a week before they're claimed by a hilarious improbable accident or happenstance, and the reason why Visser Three stays Visser Three is because Esplin knows that the rank of Visser Two is cursed so he wants to just jump right over it to Visser One.

# ? Jul 12, 2020 03:00

Kaiju15: Jul 25, 2013

nine-gear crow posted:

Also now that Visser One has shown up alongside Visser Three this officially kicks off the series' long-running, unspoken, absence-induced gag of "Who/where is Visser Two?" to which I've personally come to assume that Visser Two is just a 1:1 analog to the drummer from Spinal Tap. There is a veritable assembly line of Visser Twos who last about a week before they're claimed by a hilarious improbable accident or happenstance, and the reason why Visser Three stays Visser Three is because Esplin knows that the rank of Visser Two is cursed so he wants to just jump right over it to Visser One.

I think I remember an interview or something where KA Applegate joked about being the real Visser 2.

# ? Jul 12, 2020 05:02

SirSamVimes: Jul 21, 2008; ~* Challenge *~

I would also like to encourage anyone to post more animorphs related shitposting/memes like earlier because those ruled and I want more

# ? Jul 12, 2020 05:35

Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

Epicurius posted:

So anybody who's reading this for the first time see that coming?

Not like this. :allears:

Honestly not sure if her being taken is better or worse than just running away.

# ? Jul 12, 2020 07:26

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

I guess she isn't Tobias then

# ? Jul 12, 2020 09:38

Fuschia tude: Dec 26, 2004; THUNDERDOME LOSER 2019

SirSamVimes posted:

I would also like to encourage anyone to post more animorphs related shitposting/memes like earlier because those ruled and I want more

I mostly want to know whether KAA is aware of andalitetruth.org and what she thinks of it.

# ? Jul 12, 2020 09:42

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# ? May 26, 2024 18:01

Tree Bucket: Apr 1, 2016; R.I.P.idura leucophrys

nine-gear crow posted:

Also now that Visser One has shown up alongside Visser Three this officially kicks off the series' long-running, unspoken, absence-induced gag of "Who/where is Visser Two?" to which I've personally come to assume that Visser Two is just a 1:1 analog to the drummer from Spinal Tap. There is a veritable assembly line of Visser Twos who last about a week before they're claimed by a hilarious improbable accident or happenstance, and the reason why Visser Three stays Visser Three is because Esplin knows that the rank of Visser Two is cursed so he wants to just jump right over it to Visser One.

I really need a Visser 2 Stupid Death Montage now

# ? Jul 12, 2020 11:52

The Something Awful Forums > Archives > Comedy Goldmine > Let's Read Animorphs! The Whole Series! Ch-ch-ch-chaaanges

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