Mind Control Comics Forum

Coming Friday, October 5th!

This one seems fairly clear, given recent context.  The next entry should be Rain talking to Adrian...introducing herself, hinting that she knows Jacqui and Marli...but it's possible we're headed for a curveball here.

ETA--Expecting a fastball, I got an eephus pitch.  Boy don't I look silly.

Okay, so Rain took Adrian on a walk around the block for their conversation (and we only hear the tail end of it so far).  This was meant to give us a check on our other characters.  However, I confess I'm confused.

Panel #1--now, I'm fairly sure that's Kanti in the red, but who's the severe-looking woman in a black coat and yellow sweater on her cellphone?  I don't recognize her, and it's not Claudia.  Also, shouldn't we be able to see the "Deep Black Vinyl Sign" as they start their walk?  As Panel #6 demonstrates, that red brick building is Deep Black Vinyl.

Panel #2--I have no idea who that is running out of Passion Source, I can't even make out hair-color.  I don't think we've met her before.  Who is that? ???

Panel #3--That looks like Q-Box slouching the hand-truck into Yvette's Hair and Nail.  However Yvette?  ???  I thought Q worked for a guy named Yves who owned Princess Pink Beauty Supply.  Is Yvette related to him?  Does Yves go by Yvette to compete in the market?  Is Yves...I can't even think how to ask the next question.

Panel #4--Quartermass is a nod to other continua, (possibly a nod to the spectre hanging over Hidden Knowledge) but I can't tell anything about the couple with boxes, the guy in black, or the severe-looking street-cleaner.  He looks like he'd challenge Hans to a fight for fun.*shrug*

Panel #5--This is easily the most straightforward.  Pearl loves tropical fish, she bought a new pet to remind her of home and maintain one of her favorite hobbies.

What I like about this issue is that it's entitled "The Conversation" but we hear almost none of the eponymous event.  Frustrating! (But in a good way.) 

I am hoping that Adrian now understands more of the background to his situation - it was starting to stretch credibility that he wouldn't be suspicious that a whole bevy of hot women would all be into him at the same time, and none of them jealous of each other.

But that's not what they talked about.  They probably talked about Rain's history with Jacqui.

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I just can't believe Adrian actually said that. After all, he moved into a house with three women. Why would he do that if he wanted to get away from relationship problems?

I thought the major rule of the "harem" so far is--"Thou shalt not speak its name, particularly to the master."  As such, I don't think...well, I suppose she could talk about the investigation she and Marli are doing into Zenon's phony baloney with his student psych practice.  That could lead to discussing her relatinship with Marliese, but I got the impression that it was more about her past connection to Jacqui.

Something like:

"Years ago, Jacqui was engaged to this guy Q, and the three of us were friends.  Her daughter, Pearl, caught Q doing something really awful (beyond just cheating on Jacqui)...but I didn't believe it and took his side when he got arrested.  Jacqui never forgave me and on top of straining relations with Pearl, it was all too much.  Most everything came out at trial, and Q got a five year stretch for...fill-in-the-blank.  He served two and a half, but he's out now.  I know it's too late for apologies, but I met her to warn her he's back in town and one of our former acquaintances, Yves, is putting him up for now.  I'd just like to start over.  Could you talk to her for me?  She seems to really care about you."


ETA--Also, bear in mind that what he said is the absolute truth.  He came to this town and to Wilmot fleeing the heartbreak of a bad breakup under as as yet, undisclosed circumstances.  He really did come to Kearsarge to get away from relationship problems.  Now he has several new sets of problems, all of them more fun and intricate than the ones he left behind.

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Oh, groan. :)

Can you find it in your heart to forgive us our puns while you enjoy our voracious hyper-analysis? ;)

Yeah, probably. :)

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Yeah, that's Jacqui and Pearl.

But it would be odd and oddly selfless of Rain to ask Adrian to broker peace between Pearl and Jacqui.

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I'm gonna restate a couple of the questions from my first response to this entry.

We now know what Rain and Adrian were talking about and I was proven spectacularly incorrect.  Yay!;)

However, some of those scenery and atmosphere questions are still relevant.

1. Who's the red-capped long-haired woman racing out of Passion Source in panel #2?  We know it isn't Erin, and it doesn't look like Laura.  Someone new?  A completely separate storyline which we might bump into later?

2. Who's that severe looking brunette talking on her cellphone a few steps ahead of Kanti?  Gray and black coat over a light-yellow sweater wearing the annoyed expression.  Who is she?

3. Can you tell us anything about the couple with the boxes in Panel #4?  What about the severe looking street cleaner with the shaved head?  He's getting the foreground for his suppressed rage and frustration.  Is he another of Claudia's recruits?

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Well, FWIW, here's my opinion.

1. Raven.  I thought that was pretty clear, but now you've put doubts in my mind.
2. Townsperson.  Kearsarge has other people going about their business.
3. Hans and Sawyer, wearing winter overcoats (not a dress); a streetcleaner hired by the town of Kearsarge.

Although tempting to read significance into every detail, I don't think the others you ask about are significant.  I think having the characters being the only ones seen on a downtown (I assume) street would just be plain weird, so the others are probably just going about their business in town and making the place feel more 'real'.

As always, I retain the right to be wrong.

I suppose I can accept that cell phone scowler is just a townsperson, but she looked like she might have promise if introduced somewhere down the line.  Can I be perfectly honest? In spite of the purple coat, I can't make out purple streaks in the hair under that red knit cap.  It could be Raven, but unless all she got was lingerie on a wing and a prayer, it wasn't dinner prep.  Seeing the outfit she chose for dinner, I'm inclined to believe that's NOT Raven, which makes that person's identity all the more interesting to me, because I don't think it's just a random townsperson.

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In celebration of Henri's birthday (everyone wish Henri a great birthday!), I confirm those people in The Conversation that we've met already:

• Panel 1: Kanti is walking out of the lingerie store.
• Panel 2: Raven is racing out of Passion Source, which is a female-friendly sex stuff store similar to Good Vibrations or Babeland.
• Panel 3: That's Q pushing the cart.
• Panel 4: That's Sawyer and Hans coming out of the bookstore. (To answer another question, it's Thoth Occult Books in Hidden Knowledge.)
• Panel 5: That's Miriam coming out of the fish store.

The others may or may not be supernumeraries.

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Happy Birthday to Henri  ;D

Yes, Happy (slightly belated) Birthday Henri! :)

Belated happy birthday to Henri!