[1337] An Army Of Ph33r [part 02]

I don't obfuscate. Now Fred's inner editor, that dude is one sick puppy and the problem is that none of us are allowed to discuss the things he'll do.

The other day Fred suddenly blurted out ....something...

It was ROFLCOPTER hilarious and he immediately warned us NEVER to repeat it.

I said it'd be impossible for me to reveal it as then people would want an explanation...

Yeah....I know that you know that I know....

There's another anime series that refers to Walpurgis Night called Bible Black, but I'm pretty sure Fred wasn't referring to that.

And, yes, I went there. Sorry. Having never seen PMMM this was actually the first thing I thought of. Thank you, forumites for the explanation and references.

It's okay; I was already going to hell.

Did I miss something, or is Largo missing his left glove in Panel 10?

Masamichi never says exactly how they almost lost Tokyo, Miho agrees with him but she might just be agreeing with him for other reasons (expediency, white lie, total fabrication, essentially true but not really, etc). Something bad, something good or just something involving disappointed fans and jaded actress and Analogue and zombies and ravers and etc.

While "curing" the zombie rangers via using Ed's killbots (as she'd been using them for various things since purposely goading Ed into a certain path) sounds feasible, there's a couple issues. The TPCD gives them permits, and they've been running around for a while, like they're regular fixtures in the fandom/idol/otaku/actress sort of deal. Then how about Meimi's reaction? If they've been cured, why would that be sad, if Miho got them cured or was retreating to wait for the next act, why would that be sad. How does that fit.

More so. Why is Seraphim apparently helping Miho if what's going on now isn't related to Piro or PxK, and where did she go when the action started; and why. Where are Largo and Erika right now. What's going on with Ping and Junko, shotguns. Ed's not accounted for. How does what Miho says about Meimi and Yuki in 1334 fit in.

There's a lot here that needs to fit, and putting the meta into it helps even things out quite a bit.

Maybe let's say. He took off his glove to type on the phone and give his shirt etc. Then later on while working on things he puts it back on.

Yeah, sorry. It's a lot to consider, going back over what's there rather than what we might remember we thought we read. And the level of detail is awesome too, isn't it.

... One ponders context when one colors a strip. The good inspector would have attempted to arrest her as "bad" if she was indeed such. I judged her actions and words with her then suspected powers. My best guesstimate on his take was she was viewed as quixotic and "good" but he didn't have a handle on her powers. ... Meimi could be sad for several reasons, off the top of my head I have "She's sad that Miho is oing it alone against TPTB." ...

Actually, Sparky, I figured Sonoda Meimi was sad because she realized Tohya's date night with Teddy Werebear fell apart.

That's a fair enough way to put it.

The coloration I got was that bad, good, both indifferent; those things weren't even there. If she was protected, special, backed by the powers that be (or is the power that is) and he didn't like it, no impression of that either. On his part, seeming no fear, pity, anger, or anything like that. She told him the deal, he knew what she meant about it, and he accepted it. He just talked with her as if she was like some sort of... equal? Peer, professional acquaintance, somebody who knows his wife, something outside of the realm Megatokyo and outside of his sphere of concern. Maybe even a non-entity. A phantom. The GM. It's difficult to describe the feeling exactly. He didn't give any hint he could (or would even consider) trying to control or stop or hinder her though. Just that somewhat stern (but not threatening) and not unduly upset (but curt) directive to stop talking offhandedly about Meimi and about perception.

As we get more metallyish in the comic, some of the far-fetched possibilities that would have explained things quite well become more sensible. Things we've brought up that involve wall-breaking and knowing things you shouldn't/can't know and other t-ropes. That is, if Largo and Erika are telling us what they're telling us, things inside MT are a lot more like things outside of MT. Maybe there's not even a difference. In a if the Shakespearian et al holds true sort of way.

That subject is a somewhat assumption-laden one. Makes it hard to get a handle on it. We see (though might not believe totally) Miho ranting about how essentially Meimi is at the top of the idiot cake and Miho wonders how her daughter has the skill to hover over her. That in order to be more of an idiot than Meimi would require your medulla oblongata's respiratory center shouldn't even work voluntarily much less involuntarily. Which seems to contradict much of what we've seen Miho doing for Yuki, monitoring, protecting, running interference, mentoring, training, what have you. Or maybe not.

Although it's curious to see Miho doing the "oh did I forget to pay for this" sort of routine herself a number of times as she's been doing since showing up at the apartment above Megagamers. Like between 1331 and 1332 with finding Yutaka (Oh, are you that boy?) and busting out Yuki (You did that to him.) as if Miho was both totally unaware and possessing deailed knowledge at the same time..... Well, that would explain quite a bit, wouldn't it.

Back to Meimi being sad. And assumptions. If we assume Meimi is having an honest reaction, versus the other few times we've seen her essentially what we might call"faking while nobody's even around". Yet. If MIho's not dead, not permanently gone, not running away to never come back. If Miho is "curing overly enthusiastic fans" or progressing in the plan(s) to <1. train Yuki 2. help Piro deal with real-life romance 3. assist Kimiko with fame 4. right some old wrong> or just doing her job/role or focusing/funneling some energy another way etc. Then there's no real reason for Meimi to be sad. Is there?

Perhaps though Meimi just doesn't fully understand Miho's nature or power or role or actual plans. Is misjudging reasons and goals. Or is being used by MIho, maybe. Like was purposely fed some soft of invalid psionic data stream to make her feel something was wrong (why though, given the Yutaka on the phone deal and pep talk Meimi gave Yuki this morning; to the point where it was almost to the point of telling us Miemi and Miho were working together in some way.

There's a last possibility too, that the reaction in 1125 was done specifically for our benefit. Which has always fit, although in a meta way of course. Yet as we go along seems to become far more of a rational explanation. Not that it makes it true, but so far 1337 seems to make it a lot more "realistic" and "possible". Although it's pretty muchalways been my contention that no matter how unpossible things like that seem sometimes, there are situations where explanations like that are one of the better fits as an answer. You know, the entire once you take away everything that it isn't, what is left is what it is. When a story is about perception, after all.

Then there's that!


Although.... Come to think of it, that's an excellent way you've put it there. When it comes to mixing out here and in there. Say, like Piro. At Ikebukuro he says there are no zombies. Well, sure there aren't really. In there where he is though, he's quite wrong. Or at least everything we've been shown out here and everyone else has done in there says he's wrong -- There are zombies, of all kinds, and plenty of them. So who's correct? Or is everyone. If Miho was attempting to get him to see both sides, and there's two sides, wouldn't that be the sort of thing she'd be working on. That or similar. In showing him what's up with her. As we're still, as far as we know, in the middle of.

Unless we're really in there and there is no out here....

That's it, we've solved it. We need men with beards, pronto.

@Iffy, here. Ahem, I have a beard. Ask IG or Fredrin. Thank you.

stsparky is indeed bearded.

As of late I seem to constantly sport what appears to be a three day growth no matter how close I shave but that probably doesn't count

We always knew Vis and Sparkly were beardy...

<— I look like Brutus, Bluto's classier twin brother. According to an infographic on beards — mine indicates trustworthiness and wisdom.

Aside to IG - think Indiana Jones.

...or "Sonny" Crockett

Pity we can't include participants as primaries though. Not those so deeply steeped in the world here (we're trying to solve it from those not within after all). Or at least not if it's only them.....

Yes, two would never be enough anyway. So perhaps both of them could indeed participate, solely in consideration of their beardiness and the powers contained therein of course. If there were, oh, say, at least 8 others. Maybe a total of 12, at least 8 of which must be from outside the forums. Then there'd be a bearded jury of sorts, the best kind. To think over and consider everything and the ramifications of such, where no one person or part of the group has more power than any other, yet all posses the power of the beard.

Oh.

Fred's new 'rant' is pretty cool.

Yes, I have a beard. A bit scraggly, but it's a beard. Every once in a while, I'll trim it off and let it grow back.

"3" ... Time to step up.

This discussion reminds me of Men of the Squared Table

This post has been edited by Invisigoth on Jun 29 2012, 06:11 AM

An update appears, now with 88% more bacon.

... and unnatural fabric hugging qualities, unless Largo is quite thin and Erika is spectacularly stacked (well, duh). Male shirts don't automatically shape into breast supports. But but, that shape deserves to be ogled, so fanservice accepted. Go, flying RedBrown Barron!

OH NO! WILL LARGO'S BACON BE FRIED? We certainly can't have that, now can we?

The PH34RBOTs are armed with plungers. Did Largo really just use a sonic screwdriver to create an army of daleks? Probably unintentional, but ironic nonetheless.

Judging by Erika's reaction, zombies turning into magical girls is not what she meant by Madoka having it backwards. Perhaps it is not backwards, but rather sideways. We have seen hints that zombies and MGs have a symbiotic relationship of sorts. Erika clearly knows more than Largo is letting her tell us, and I'm curious to know what it is.

Also, we have another (non-)appearance of Largo's magical disappearing left glove.

As the song goes.

Nothing is ever unintentional.....

Neato, more comic goodness. Can someone translate that leetspeek in the fourth last panel? My eyes refused to focus on that long enough for me to figure it out.

And what is powering those cardboard bots???

Meta physics.

"challenge accepted"
that was very hard to read.

(Shakes his fuzzy head ruefully.)
You really should stop smoking whatever you find growing secluded parts off the hiking trails in State parks and game preserves, Tan...

Actually, it was from your private stock, Teddy. Don't worry, I reimbursed you with some pic-a-nic baskets.

I am a bearded man! and a strong spartan beard it is, I should be on this bearded man jury