Saint James Infirmary 253: The Night Office.

[Daphne]

Coming Friday, December 20th!

[jmundt29]

What the frak?   Okay, three things bug me here.

1. Why is Amy's twin sister suddenly so supportive and helpful to Adrian?  She's not a member of the harem, and she was really suspicious of Adrian the one time she met him.  I'd have expected snark and scorn directed at him to be mixed with her concern for Amy.  Something like "What's the matter Casanova?  You lose track of my little sister among all the other women you're stringing along?". Something like that, only more vehement and punctuated with expletives.

2. What's up with Mallory boffing (or at least dry-humping) Ol' Sam?  It seems clear that the programming is only designed to give passes for Sapphic liaisons.  Caitlyn was temporarily overcome by Pink Clouds, but her Watch conditioning pulled her back to Adrian.  Does Mallory have more freedom from the Watch because of her previous connection to Sam?  Or is there something else at work here.

Who are the two people in the bedroom with Amy?  From the title of the episode, the guy would seem to be Zenon, but that isn't definite.  We have no proof yet that Zenon is aware of or has access to Pink Clouds.  It could be Vik, but that seems out of character for him at this point, and Laura is at the SJI.  Some other facts complicate matters.  Zenon didn't seem to have foreknowledge of Amy's 7 pm appointment. Katie and Alex were busy elsewhere when Amy was accosted.  Q-ball is still at the lab.  Cherry is at the SJI, and the man and  woman who have Amy were speaking to each other in English.

So, it's not the Beamer-driver either.  The only other suspect I can think of that we've seen even in passing is Blue Gloves.  If BG does have Amy, then it would seem that he or she masterminded both the chem lab break-in and the second pilfering of Zenon's office.  Additionally, BG also has at least one more female thrall.  Amy either knows BG or the thrall socially depending on who sprayed her.  I think it's the thrall walking into the room in the last panel.

[Werdna]

OK, here's my take on your questions, jmundt:

1) I don't take this as sudden support from Hayley - more that Amy's whereabouts and safety are more important than Adrian, and snark/scorn won't help.  (Not to say that it wouldn't be equally plausible to have her behave as you describe, but what we see is also far from unlikely.)

2) I take this as being part of the price to pay for answers from Baron Samedi.  Your point about Mallory's "freedom" - I have always taken it as read that all of Adrian's women are (more or less) the same people, only their priorities have shifted so that the top priority is Adrian's happiness, but they are not pursuing that end mindlessly; rather, they are using all the resources at their disposal to bring that about.  In Mallory's case, this includes some kind of association with Baron Samedi and the voodoo traditions of Louisiana.  One key element of Adrian's happiness is that he and they are safe - so she is pursuing their safety.

3)Do we know the last panel is Amy?  I'm guessing that it is, but I don't see any confirmation of that.

So, my impressions:

1) Erin shaves her legs with a straight blade instead of a safety razor?  Brave.  Though I suppose we've seen two occasions now where severe wounds disappear, so smaller cuts (that are nearly inevitable with that kind of blade) probably don't matter. 

2) What's the background to what's going on in panel 5?  Other than the fact that no one is where they are supposed to be, why are they spending what I'm assuming is post-sex time making calls and working on the computer?  Wouldn't be my first, fifth, or thirtieth choice of activities. I suppose it's possible that they now just live as nudists in their own place, but Kanti seems a bit too happy to be working with the printouts and notebooks nearby.

3) Who is it in the last panel, and what are they talking about?

[mns_95125]

Quick thoughts.

1.  We have some evidence that Hayley has been influenced by the belltower.  That's why she suddenly had sex with Amy.  It's possible that elevated her concern for Amy (new Mistress?) over her dislike of Adrian.

2.  It isn't clear to me whether Mallory's union with the Baron is taking place in physical reality or in a magic realm.

3.  What I took from Panel 5 is that Q is making more aggressive use of Pink Clouds on Kanti, to the point that he ran through the sample he had.  I assume he wants to use the lab to make more.  In other words, he's given in to temptation, fallen off the wagon.

[jmundt29]

We pretty much knew he fell off the wagon when he gave Kanti three doses of Pink Clouds in one evening.

I don't know if the liaison with Sam happening in the woods, in Mallory's head, in a magical space between dimensions, or the Planet Yavin would or should have any impact on Mallory's programming.

Another question--What exactly is happening behind Adrian in panel 1?  Small talk while Dani takes Cherry's coat, or Dani in a trance under Cherry's influence?

[Haight]

I don't know why, but Erin's hair looks much better than usual in this panel.  Is that the 'wet' effect?

Shit's going down... interesting. 

[GodWilling]

.

[Daphne]

Firstly, a straightforward question: can we take it that the two unattributed speech bubbles in panel 3 are actually supposed to be Hayley talking?

Yes.

[GodWilling]

.

[jmundt29]

For the last panel, I saw it as a woman walking into the indeterminate room asking "Ready?"

That's followed by her partner answering "She's ready."

We can't see the partner or the victim since they're already in the room.  It's not possible to definitively determine the gender of the partner.  I took a wild guess.

[GodWilling]

.

[laguna85]

Let take the Panels one of time

Panel 1-3
Adrian use his cellphone to find Amy and He Tell Hayley That he cannot find her and need her help to find Sister.
there may be something happen to her?
So Hayley want to help to fine her sister.
If was you would you help?

Panel 2
Mallory is in a Dream or another world, time and spaces.
  He need more to that type answer.

Panel 4 Erin can use straight razor and can heal her self.  but listing on Adrian

Panel 5 Q is at His place ( Sji-130) It's see like that Q needs Pink  Clound.
                   Kanti wearing diffent earrings        

Panel 6 someone going have fun, that all

           May be with Amy

we get one more installment and then Hollday Pin up picture Hay hay then Good New year.