Saint James Infirmary 320: Line Forms to the Left.

[Daphne]

Friday, August 15th!

[meltons]

NOw that was funny. 

[laguna85]

left to the back room 
Not much on the story  tell

[mns_95125]

Erin has an interesting set of priorities.  "You know Jakob Kuppler?  Quick, come with me to the record store so I can have a threesome with my boyfriend and your mom!"

[jmundt29]

I think she needs ju....power from Adrian and Jacqui to work some sort of spell to either get a fix on the Kuppler brothers or work a mental healing on Pearl, or both.  When Salanar was so excited, I honestly thought THIS was what it was about.  Looks like we might be headed for an epic splash page in the near future.

This might be a stupid question, but what's Reka doing there?


ETA--I have an art question.  Why are there flesh tones in the whites of the eyes of there characters here?

[GodWilling]

ETA--I have an art question.  Why are there flesh tones in the whites of the eyes of there characters here?

Is it more obvious in the panels with the white backgrounds? Do we get many panels with white backgrounds? (The follow-up question only works if you answered yes to the first.)

This might be a stupid question, but what's Reka doing there?

It would be one of the expected consequences of her coming with Erin and Miriam from the fencing.

I think she needs ju....power from Adrian and Jacqui to work some sort of spell

That's a good idea. Erin coming back in naked (which is great, btw) would confirm this really is about sex. And her coming back to grab Jacqui eliminates the other possible motive. But I'm not sure why the mention of Miriam knowing Jakob Kuppler necessitated this detour. And of course that should be "Jakob Kuppler" (319), for some reason. Erin had to be sure it wasn't one of the other Kupplers Miriam knew.

Incidentally, is Réka looking daggers at Miriam in 319 or is that just my imagination?

Erin has an interesting set of priorities.

And she's not coy about it.

[jmundt29]

Answer to both questions is "No," actually.

This isn't the first entry where I noticed it, but it's not a common thing.

According to the text, the mention of Jakob triggered the visit to the store.  So, where were they going for treatment before that revelation, since Adrian and Jacqui would seem to be part of any solution?

I don't think it's an "expected consequence."  She was Pearl's ride because of...well, afterglow.  But, Pearl and Erin leaving together is very unexpected given Pearl's attitude before the match and how the match was going.

However, I apparently misstated my Reka question.

Why did she accompany Pearl and Erin to Deep Black Vinyl at all?  Concern for Pearl?  Idle curiosity about WTF might be going on?  Both?  Something else?

I like the entire sequence, even her offer of coffee which we now know is Pearl's coping beverage.  That makes her first appearance at DBV even more interesting, since Erin offered her coffee during Jacqui's "show" and Pearl dismissed it out of hand.

ETA--I think the look in 319 you're seeing is a silent "What the Hell?" exchange between Reka and Pearl during Erin's phone conversation with Dani.

[GodWilling]

Answer to both questions is "No," actually.

You think you'd have noticed it here without panels 2 and 4? Seriously? Wow. Good eyes.

I think the eyes typically get shaded the closer/more detailed the portrait is. The most obvious example was Rain in 236. She was somewhat overwrought. As perhaps Miriam still is.

So, where were they going for treatment before that revelation, since Adrian and Jacqui would seem to be part of any solution?

It's not obvious to me what any solution would be, although I'm guessing magic is involved. My assumption was that Erin was initially taking her to the SJI to perform some kind of ritual. I don't know why that ritual (if there was one) didn't require Adrian and Jacqui any more than I know why this ritual (if there is one) should.

I don't think it's an "expected consequence."

Réka was coming with them in 319. It would have been unexpected if she weren't here now. I assume she came with them as support for Miriam, who was kind of her guest after all, and who she knows is wary of Erin. Réka's on kissing terms with Erin and knows that she's the obvious person to provide answers to Miriam's concerns about Jacqui. Perhaps she engineered the fencing thing with that motive.

[jmundt29]

I've noticed this phenomenon occasionally without white backgrounds before.  And no, I don't have excellent eyesight.   I wish I did.

On to the Reka thing.

First off--It apparently is Reka walking by in 316.  Wow.  And Weston is due for a reversal of luck.  Seriously.  *grumbles*

Second, Reka was Pearl's ride to the...what is this place, a gym?  That seems to be more of an afterglow thing.  She and Pearl met Erin there and Erin started her Inigo Montoya riff.  If the three of them had been crammed into Reka's two-door on the way to the gym, Pearl might have tried to strangle Erin before they ever got there (to say nothing of the questions about physics these three women present when crammed into a tiny car together absent any other considerations).

Reka was Pearl's ride, and then she was trying to calm the situation.  She did join Erin and Pearl outside during Erin's phone call with Dani, but before the tidbit about excuses, there was no indication that Reka had been planning to tag along after the gym or that either Erin or Pearl expected her to.  So, it's "expected" from the end of 319, but the end of 319 wasn't expected.

[GodWilling]

I think we've established it was only 319 I was referring to. And quite deliberately and facetiously so.

Put yourself in Réka's place. (Don't think about Weston. Do not think about Weston.) Miriam has come to you and told you she's worried about her mother. You know Erin, who can possibly help to assuage Miriam's fears, but Miriam has a problem with her. You take Miriam along to fencing where she's likely to meet Erin. Possibly you do that deliberately.

She does meet Erin there and almost immediately something traumatic happens to her.

Do you:

(a) Just disappear, leaving her with Erin?
(b) Stick with her to provide reassurance and support?

Bear in mind that she has nice breasts that you'd quite like to see again. Although you're a woman, so it's probably her hair you like and her lovely bone structure.

[jmundt29]

I can almost hear Nick Marshall in that tone.

Pearl talked about her concern after Reka already arranged the drop-in.  I can see her being interested, but it wasn't as if she was hovering during the discussion in the locker room.  I can see Pearl warily agreeing to drop by the SJI with Erin and Reka leaving it at that because she knows Erin.  But not with 100% certainty.  I think, perhaps, we're missing a stage between Pearl collapsing and Reka trotting off for a shower leaving the other two to talk on a locker room bench.

[Daphne]

Just a note that Kearsarge is a small enough town that no one drove anywhere: All of the movement we've seen (Miriam to Overroasted, Miriam to Réka and Weston's, Réka and Miriam to the gym, Erin to the gym, the three of the them to Deep Black) is a matter of a few minutes walk.

And perhaps Réka is just a decent enough person that if someone who you just banged is having a meltdown, you don't just say, "Sorry, need to run to the store."

[jmundt29]

I can definitely see Weston doing that, but point.

Also, nice to see that everyone in Kearsage is fit, and used to navigating New England winters.

And I guess, it was a slight misread on my part.  Everything about Erin dealing with Pearl's trauma screams private moment to me.  I guess I was a little surprised that Reka sort of merrily tagged along and wasn't, y'know, slightly uncomfortable about the sudden turn of events.  She seems remarkably chill, and funny.  I suppose that's mostly just her, but perhaps it's partly prolonged positive exposure to Erin.

ETA--All of which leads me to believe that Cherry was a toxic...WOOF before that night in Missouri or her collision with the Kupplers.

[Daphne]

Also, nice to see that everyone in Kearsage is fit, and used to navigating New England winters.

We do make some concessions to Rule of Sexy at SJI, and the insouciance with which people deal with a New England January is among them.

[GodWilling]

Pearl talked about her concern after Reka already arranged the drop-in.

Miriam hooked up with Réka and Weston at Overroasted because they mentioned Erin and she wanted to discuss her concerns about her mother (302). And Weston made a joke: "Join us. We'll fill you in."