Been thinking about moving to thinner lines, finally figured I'd see how it looks. Been looking at drawings on deviant art and liking the thinner outline look.
Would Sarnothi have enough knowledge of terrestrial culture to use a phrase like “know in the Biblical sense”? Or did the same sort of euphemism evolve separately?
I think she suspects that Todd might be Amanda’s father, but it seemed more like concern than sneering to me.
Their speech in that panel is in their own language (Sarnothi? I can’t remember the name), so it doesn’t necessarily have to be literal. Dave could say that the Sarnothi word translated as “knows” would be literally translated as something quite different, but it’s translated here as “knows” to convey the intended meaning rather than the literal one.
why do I get a feeling that just before something really important is about to be said between todd and andi suko’s gonna take a bite out of felix resulting in general pandemonium and mayhem?
Worst case scenario, Todd snaps and feeds Andi to Felix.
Best case scenario… they work out visitation rights and Amanda gets her Dad back(sorta) too…and Selkie…isn’t pissed?
long as they curb amandas bitchyness i dont think selkie will care, if amanda keeps it up, might get more fireworks than were predicting for todd and andi
other than the usual one-upmanship, the kids seem to be getting on surprisingly well. it’s interesting that todd looks worried, nervous, perhaps a bit frightened. and andi seems to have reconciled herself somewhat to the inevitable.
Two the reader known as Ledayz, I was specifically talking about how Andi should talk to Amanda about how she shouldn’t treat being adopted as a status symbol or a game that you take very seriously.
Hi, I’m here. I wholeheartedly agree, especially after what she said to Keisha! Some children are orphans due to crime (Hamud) or horrific accidents that they may have witnessed. Amanda needs a very large chill pill considering she handles rejection and acceptance equally as badly.
Good job Todd. Pretty much sure you got the whole thing figured out – and you’re freaking out inside and ready to scream, but handle it calmly and keep the scene for a non-public time…
I like how Selkie is excited and wants to see for her own enjoyment, but Amanda is still driven by the “I’m as good as you – I’ll be doing it if you are”
Or it could be *awesome*—depending on the biologist. If he’s the friendly, curious, and passionate type with a dash of open-mindedness he may become BFF with them. Because it seems like meeting Sarnothi’s would be a marine biologist’s dream come true. And this makes me wonder… Do Sarnothi have “terrestrial biologists”?
Would Pohl count as one? If he could ever return to Sarnothi society, it seems like he could become the “Jane Goodall” of his people working with humans and publish many fascinating books from human biology and behavior to how to integrate into terrestrial society.
In a broader sense their culture may or may not (given the fact that no one’s, you know, ever noticed them, they clearly don’t spend much if any time out of the water traditionally), but I’m pretty sure as a doctor capable of treating humans, Pohl counts.
Andi still seems to have a thing for Todd. Todd is having a thing for Mina. Todd left Andi in no small part due to believing that Amanda had died at child birth. Mina and Todd have that whole “got caught” issue… I’m seeing this as the oddest love triangle ever. Fulfilling his lifelong dream of “Dad” contributed to adopting Selki, will it push him back to Andi, or will he pine after the currently untouchable Mina? Either option (or the neither option) will lead to heart break for Todd, and will have life long impacts on Selki and Amanda. Good job adding a twist on a classic plot device Dave!
Andi is at best a long odd. I put myself in his shoes (I know, unfair) and I work out all the possible explanations but the result is the same: fury and throwing things. Especially knowing Amanda was abused. I could never forgive a woman for doing that to me and our daughter. And Todd is a whole world nicr than me, I still don’t see him bringing her into his heart. Life yes to get to know and help Amanda, but never romantic again.
I wasn’t thinking that he would possibly get together w/ Andi out of ‘Love and Adoration’… more like Familial Duty to provide the best possible family environment for Amanda… but that doesn’t come until he’s done with the yelling and throwing of things of course (and since they are about to ‘talk’ in public should result in a rather public declaration of who Amanda’s birth father actually is…). Once he gets that big burst of emotions out of the way and has time to think… that’s when this gets interesting.
That we agree on. Amanda needs him. It’s not too late to bring her back, she just needs a balance. She’s 8, she’s getting to the age where most kids stop seeing the world as just about them. Andi may mean well but when it gets rocky we’ve seen her mettle is not up to snuff. Todd is necessary for his emotional strength. That’s what will help Amanda to get over her pain.
It will be interesting to see how Todd breaks the news to Amanda.
Okay, Andi. So you couldn’t face Todd to tell him that you gave away his child, and you couldn’t face Todd years later after you’d broken up when you KNEW he was looking to adopt a child, and you couldn’t face him when you decided to find out what had happened to said child, and you couldn’t face him in the months you spent waiting to get a chance to meet this child, and you couldn’t face him even after you knew for certain that your daughter and his daughter KNEW EACH OTHER, you couldn’t even give him a call when you knew there was a damn good chance you’d run into him at the aquarium, YOU KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AND STILL YOU DIDN’T HAVE THE GUTS TO FACE HIM…
So what are you going to do to postpone the confrontation now, Andi? Because you certainly will. Even though HE ALREADY KNOWS WHAT YOU DID. How are you going to run away this time?
And how long will it be until Amanda figures this out, and wonders: if you could run out on my daddy, what’s going to keep you from running out on me again?
I was thinking the same thing. This is going to be Hell on Amanda. Here we have her actual Father, someone who wanted her from the very beginning, but only lied to by the Mother that not only gave her up, but came crawling back eight years later in regret. Amanda could come to the realization that it was this lie that stuck her in horrible foster homes and orphanages for her whole life when she could have at least had one loving parent that wanted her around from the start.
Oh, it’s worse than that. Amanda is a bully, but the one thing she isn’t, is someone who runs away from confrontation. This is the same girl who took on Big Tammy (?) and lost. Whatever else Amanda is, she is NOT a coward.
And her mom is. And she’s suffered for it. And will doubtless suffer more. Arguably, Amanda’s entire miserable life to date was caused by her mother’s cowardice. What is she going to think of Andi, when she figures this out?
Lemme tell ya, eight is a really, really bad time to start being contemptuous of your mother. When you figure out the lies that young, you never really bounce back afterwards.
No, Amanda’s life to date was caused by her grandmother. Andi is a complicit victim in that, but she’s also a victim just as much — it takes a tough teenager to stand up to a domineering parent, especially when that parent has been domineering you (and just you) all your life. (Which is how I read the relationship.)
Andi wouldn’t have given Amanda up — whether out of confusion or trying to avoid confrontation with Todd — without her mom pushing her into it.
You can’t seriously be blaming him for that. Her calls had nothing to do with trying to right her wrongs and tell the truth. It was her attempt to force herself back into his life, and very rudely at that. And as Khlova mentioned, after they did met she didn’t say a dang thing.
I imagine there was a lot that went on to make him so cold. He’s not perfect by a long shot, and she’s not irredeemably a jerk but when someone says it’s done there is no debt to change that. It is done, simple as that.
I’m really happy Todd waited for the kids to not be around. Means he’ll probably have the cunning to make this hurt least to them, too. Neither Amanda nor Selkie deserve this drama )=
Would Sarnothi have enough knowledge of terrestrial culture to use a phrase like “know in the Biblical sense”? Or did the same sort of euphemism evolve separately?
I don’t think she meant the sneer quotes to imply carnal knowledge. She was just aware that saying they had prior acquaintance was an understatement.
I think she suspects that Todd might be Amanda’s father, but it seemed more like concern than sneering to me.
Their speech in that panel is in their own language (Sarnothi? I can’t remember the name), so it doesn’t necessarily have to be literal. Dave could say that the Sarnothi word translated as “knows” would be literally translated as something quite different, but it’s translated here as “knows” to convey the intended meaning rather than the literal one.
IT BEGINS
why do I get a feeling that just before something really important is about to be said between todd and andi suko’s gonna take a bite out of felix resulting in general pandemonium and mayhem?
My bet is that it would be Selkie that tries to take a bite out of Felix.
No, it’ll be Suko, and Selkie will get frustrated because she was forbidden from to joining in
“Yeah, super excited. Pardon me while I throw up on your shoes for a second…”
I think the quotation marks around the word “know” imply that “in the bilical sense” is EXACTLY what she means.
Worst case scenario, Todd snaps and feeds Andi to Felix.
Best case scenario… they work out visitation rights and Amanda gets her Dad back(sorta) too…and Selkie…isn’t pissed?
long as they curb amandas bitchyness i dont think selkie will care, if amanda keeps it up, might get more fireworks than were predicting for todd and andi
I like the thinner lines, especially on a page your size. It allows for more details and looks really clean!
AAAAWKWAAAAARD!
Andi! You got some ‘splainin’ to do!
other than the usual one-upmanship, the kids seem to be getting on surprisingly well. it’s interesting that todd looks worried, nervous, perhaps a bit frightened. and andi seems to have reconciled herself somewhat to the inevitable.
Two the reader known as Ledayz, I was specifically talking about how Andi should talk to Amanda about how she shouldn’t treat being adopted as a status symbol or a game that you take very seriously.
Hi, I’m here. I wholeheartedly agree, especially after what she said to Keisha! Some children are orphans due to crime (Hamud) or horrific accidents that they may have witnessed. Amanda needs a very large chill pill considering she handles rejection and acceptance equally as badly.
Good job Todd. Pretty much sure you got the whole thing figured out – and you’re freaking out inside and ready to scream, but handle it calmly and keep the scene for a non-public time…
I like how Selkie is excited and wants to see for her own enjoyment, but Amanda is still driven by the “I’m as good as you – I’ll be doing it if you are”
3…2…..1……
No biting the octopus, Selkie…
Three Sarnothi are about to get super close to a marine biologist.
I’m not sure this is a good idea.
Or it could be *awesome*—depending on the biologist. If he’s the friendly, curious, and passionate type with a dash of open-mindedness he may become BFF with them. Because it seems like meeting Sarnothi’s would be a marine biologist’s dream come true. And this makes me wonder… Do Sarnothi have “terrestrial biologists”?
Would Pohl count as one? If he could ever return to Sarnothi society, it seems like he could become the “Jane Goodall” of his people working with humans and publish many fascinating books from human biology and behavior to how to integrate into terrestrial society.
In a broader sense their culture may or may not (given the fact that no one’s, you know, ever noticed them, they clearly don’t spend much if any time out of the water traditionally), but I’m pretty sure as a doctor capable of treating humans, Pohl counts.
That face is in the dictionary of feelings next to “Have to, but don’t want to.”
Andi still seems to have a thing for Todd. Todd is having a thing for Mina. Todd left Andi in no small part due to believing that Amanda had died at child birth. Mina and Todd have that whole “got caught” issue… I’m seeing this as the oddest love triangle ever. Fulfilling his lifelong dream of “Dad” contributed to adopting Selki, will it push him back to Andi, or will he pine after the currently untouchable Mina? Either option (or the neither option) will lead to heart break for Todd, and will have life long impacts on Selki and Amanda. Good job adding a twist on a classic plot device Dave!
Andi is at best a long odd. I put myself in his shoes (I know, unfair) and I work out all the possible explanations but the result is the same: fury and throwing things. Especially knowing Amanda was abused. I could never forgive a woman for doing that to me and our daughter. And Todd is a whole world nicr than me, I still don’t see him bringing her into his heart. Life yes to get to know and help Amanda, but never romantic again.
Me, I’d be shooting for full custody.
I wasn’t thinking that he would possibly get together w/ Andi out of ‘Love and Adoration’… more like Familial Duty to provide the best possible family environment for Amanda… but that doesn’t come until he’s done with the yelling and throwing of things of course (and since they are about to ‘talk’ in public should result in a rather public declaration of who Amanda’s birth father actually is…). Once he gets that big burst of emotions out of the way and has time to think… that’s when this gets interesting.
That we agree on. Amanda needs him. It’s not too late to bring her back, she just needs a balance. She’s 8, she’s getting to the age where most kids stop seeing the world as just about them. Andi may mean well but when it gets rocky we’ve seen her mettle is not up to snuff. Todd is necessary for his emotional strength. That’s what will help Amanda to get over her pain.
It will be interesting to see how Todd breaks the news to Amanda.
We have seen that she feels guilty, and that is all.
When was she not up to snuff?
Okay, Andi. So you couldn’t face Todd to tell him that you gave away his child, and you couldn’t face Todd years later after you’d broken up when you KNEW he was looking to adopt a child, and you couldn’t face him when you decided to find out what had happened to said child, and you couldn’t face him in the months you spent waiting to get a chance to meet this child, and you couldn’t face him even after you knew for certain that your daughter and his daughter KNEW EACH OTHER, you couldn’t even give him a call when you knew there was a damn good chance you’d run into him at the aquarium, YOU KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AND STILL YOU DIDN’T HAVE THE GUTS TO FACE HIM…
So what are you going to do to postpone the confrontation now, Andi? Because you certainly will. Even though HE ALREADY KNOWS WHAT YOU DID. How are you going to run away this time?
And how long will it be until Amanda figures this out, and wonders: if you could run out on my daddy, what’s going to keep you from running out on me again?
I was thinking the same thing. This is going to be Hell on Amanda. Here we have her actual Father, someone who wanted her from the very beginning, but only lied to by the Mother that not only gave her up, but came crawling back eight years later in regret. Amanda could come to the realization that it was this lie that stuck her in horrible foster homes and orphanages for her whole life when she could have at least had one loving parent that wanted her around from the start.
Oh, it’s worse than that. Amanda is a bully, but the one thing she isn’t, is someone who runs away from confrontation. This is the same girl who took on Big Tammy (?) and lost. Whatever else Amanda is, she is NOT a coward.
And her mom is. And she’s suffered for it. And will doubtless suffer more. Arguably, Amanda’s entire miserable life to date was caused by her mother’s cowardice. What is she going to think of Andi, when she figures this out?
Lemme tell ya, eight is a really, really bad time to start being contemptuous of your mother. When you figure out the lies that young, you never really bounce back afterwards.
No, Amanda’s life to date was caused by her grandmother. Andi is a complicit victim in that, but she’s also a victim just as much — it takes a tough teenager to stand up to a domineering parent, especially when that parent has been domineering you (and just you) all your life. (Which is how I read the relationship.)
Andi wouldn’t have given Amanda up — whether out of confusion or trying to avoid confrontation with Todd — without her mom pushing her into it.
I think you’re putting too much blame on Andi’s mom. Whether Andi is a victim she still is responsible for what she did.
How young woul she have to be for you to concede the point?
15?
13?
10?
She was told the baby would be better off by someone she both feared and trusted.
Yeah, but he wouldn’t even listen to her, meet with her to hear her out, when she asked. Just didn’t respond to her phone calls.
You can’t seriously be blaming him for that. Her calls had nothing to do with trying to right her wrongs and tell the truth. It was her attempt to force herself back into his life, and very rudely at that. And as Khlova mentioned, after they did met she didn’t say a dang thing.
And? I fail to see how taking her back is a failing on his part. The others pointed it out well on their own. She was not entitled to him
Ah craps. I meant that as not taking her back.
I imagine there was a lot that went on to make him so cold. He’s not perfect by a long shot, and she’s not irredeemably a jerk but when someone says it’s done there is no debt to change that. It is done, simple as that.
Well summarized, Anna & Laughing.
Genessee, but they *did* meet, and she still didn’t come out with it.
Thinner lines in your artwork work well.
‘Communicate is my best skill, Todd’
And by “knows” we mean in the Biblical sense.
I’m really happy Todd waited for the kids to not be around. Means he’ll probably have the cunning to make this hurt least to them, too. Neither Amanda nor Selkie deserve this drama )=
That isn’t the place or time to talk Todd.