Talky man talk more.
Man, I hate it when I accidentally bring the wrong sword to a college interview.
I don’t get this strip’s title.
2 brains are better than 1.
Over on the GitPforum, there’s been some discussion of the possibility that this apparition of Julia is an impostor. After the previous strip (1273), the thinking was that it might be Sabine. This new strip seems to have debunked that (which I thought was not a strong possibility) and now focuses on Eugene as the likely culprit. The main evidence is Julia’s phrase “Being stuck up here” in panel 10 and the hesitency when she says “my … family’s burden” in the same bubble.
My reaction: yeah, could be. Better evidence than it was for Sabine. I’m not convinced though, but I’ll keep it in mind.
You can add her “That’s easy for you to say” when Roy says he could die and it would be someone else’s problem. Sure, that could be her saying it would be her problem. But it could also be Eugene realizing that Roy will get to move on when he dies, but he won’t.
Well, that and the previous comic where she didn’t remember being there when Roy went to college. Her response can read like she’s thinking she’s going to need an excuse. (Of course, this would apply to anyone pretending to be her.)
But Roy says “all these years,” which would indicate that she never remembered.
Yes, but only after the point I’m talking about. He mentions that she was there when he swung his sword at college. She then responds “Um, well” like she thinks she needs an explanation for why she doesn’t remember. But then he immediately says that she was too young, so she never needs to explain.
I could see that being someone else who thinks they’re about to be busted, coming up with an explanation, only then to not need to. I wouldn’t normally read it that way, but going back and looking for clues, it just struck me.
It also strikes me that a lot of what she says sounds kinda like Eugene—except for the apology.
For God’s sake, just move the story forward already.
I guess Roy isn’t an act-utilitarian.
It’s not our fault everyone’s going to advance one or more age categories before the comic is complete.
That was my reaction. Damn, another strip in which nothing happens.
I like the idea that he might be talking to his dad, though. That would be something, in a way that chatting with his little sister isn’t. Even if the something is just his dad trying to manipulate him.
Also that she’s interrupting him while he’s alone, just like Eugene always did.
Well, if Roy fails to stop the Snarl, odds are his soul will be eaten by it*, so no, he won’t get to move on.
That assumes that what we think we know about the Snarl is true, of course. We could be misled.
If it looks like Roy is going to fail, the gods are just going to unmake/remake the world with all the souls getting reshuffled/allocated based on how “well” the deities did in this world. Just like they’ve done a bajillion times before. So Roy’s soul would get claimed by Celestia (and presumably get reincarnated with New-Roy knowing nothing of the previous world).
Come to think of it, it can’t be Eugene. In the bottom-left panel of the previous page, Julia (or whoever) is respectful of Roy’s strategic thinking.
I agree that some of her phrasing seems like it might not be her. But I really hope not because I can’t imagine we need yet another digression and I’m already only maybe 40% confident that we’ll see this strip come to a natural planned ending.
Re-reading the last two strips, I also come to the conclusion that it’s Eugene. They even make a point of Roy noting the mistake with, “Up here.”
The question then is: Why would Eugene be pretending to be Julia? It’s not like he couldn’t show up as himself. It isn’t like Roy told him not to return in their last meeting, which was in 1048. Because of that, I’m in the This-really-is-Julia camp.