I dunno. Considering that this is a Richard III method of courtship I’d say he’s doing about as well as can be expected. Worth remembering that in the Shakespeare play of that name Richard III himself was surprised that it worked which kinda makes you wonder why he even bothered trying it in the first place. @_@
What Stroth says is true, but I’m gonna go with Ira being his real self for conceptual reasons: Mr Green is The Wizard; Ira is the little man behind the curtain.
Yeah, yesterday I was already thinking “yeah, nice young avatar, but you’re old enough to be her father”. Hmm. Virginia’s being particularly perceptive just now, what odds she spots that and calls him out on it?
Yesssss. So creepy. Creepy in a “I’ll trap your psyche in a VR prison until you go out with me” way. Creepy in a “I’ve ‘sort of’ stalked you throughout your career’ way.” Dude’s a creeper, even without the age difference.
She was expecting to be asked to work on some secret, dangerous, against-nature’s-laws, forbidden, life-threatening project.
His desires were way worse than what she could imagine.
That’s because Sweetheart was much slower to figure out who he really was. When Virginia figured out who he was so quickly, it obviously threw him off-balance, and the façade started cracking.
Just because he was jealous doesn’t make him wrong. And, jealous or not, he did plant the idea in her mind, so she still could have expected it. Apparently her current predicament has really thrown her off her guard. But then maybe that’s the whole point.
I’m having trouble accepting that either of them are being as clueless as they seem in today’s comic. I’m hoping that they are both trying to outfox the other.
Thenardyr: Maybe Mr. Ao is trying to outfox Virginia, Virginia is the cobbled-together processor allocations for a few dozen earwig AIs, and the real Virginia is halfway to skee-ball city.
It’s possible that the idea is just too far “out there” to her, as well. Though, once she does catch on–I could imagine the internal part of her brain starting to scream, while the logical frontal parts of it attempt to handle this in a creative, logical fashion–further putting distance between her and him, responsewise.
Yes. I vote unilaterally for the creepy mccreepface who’s trying to use his position of power to to pressure his prisoner into a “date”!
Destroy, Lee! Destroy!
I suspect she discounted the possibility that he would want to get into a situation where she could dissect him and/or implant control phrases. Even if she weren’t specifically motivated to take control of him and his organization, there would be a real risk that she’d just get bored.
Ira/Green/Whoever, is acting less like Oz and more like the Wicked Witch. I mean, his demeanor pretty much screams, “I have you now my pretty! And your little brain too!”
The Wicked Witch in the book was honestly just kind of pathetic, personally. She repeatedly failed at attempts to capture the Ozettes, was scared of the dark, spent at least several weeks trying to outsmart a ten year old girl, and then died because she finally managed to snap that ten year old’s last frayed nerve enough to throw a minor tantrum.
The Wizard by contrast spent decades conning an entire city of people and acting smug about it until Dorothy and the Ozettes finally managed to call his bluff by surviving his meant-to-be-impossible-if-not-fatal snipe hunt.
I’m thinking BOTH of you are bad at this.
No kidding.
I dunno. Considering that this is a Richard III method of courtship I’d say he’s doing about as well as can be expected. Worth remembering that in the Shakespeare play of that name Richard III himself was surprised that it worked which kinda makes you wonder why he even bothered trying it in the first place. @_@
Creepy old man
Are we sure he’s actually an “old man” and it wasn’t just a disguise?
ok, “creepy man of indeterminate age but convincingly old in his physical form”
He seemed to suggest that “Ira” was indeed his real meat-self, when he was talking to Nick.
I would’a thought Ira would be better at this than either of them. Who is this guy, really?
He suggests lots of things. Most of them are not true.
What Stroth says is true, but I’m gonna go with Ira being his real self for conceptual reasons: Mr Green is The Wizard; Ira is the little man behind the curtain.
I mean, irrespective of his age, Green is def being super creepy.
Yeah, yesterday I was already thinking “yeah, nice young avatar, but you’re old enough to be her father”. Hmm. Virginia’s being particularly perceptive just now, what odds she spots that and calls him out on it?
Really? He’s kidnapped her and put her in a VR prison, and is trying to coerce her into dating him, and you’re complaining about the age difference?
well… his is EVIL. After evil, creepy is easy.
Yesssss. So creepy. Creepy in a “I’ll trap your psyche in a VR prison until you go out with me” way. Creepy in a “I’ve ‘sort of’ stalked you throughout your career’ way.” Dude’s a creeper, even without the age difference.
I agree with both of these comments.
((dvandom and Alphaghoul))
A date? Virginia could brew up a whole palm-tree forest!
Our dear Ginny has only had one-night stands her entire life
She was expecting to be asked to work on some secret, dangerous, against-nature’s-laws, forbidden, life-threatening project.
His desires were way worse than what she could imagine.
This^.
Dates and walnuts go good together!
Heh heh heh…
There’s this TV ad, where they sprinkle California walnuts on salads, main courses, everything. Seems a horrible idea everytime I see it.
Agreed. Walnuts are evil. Obviously.
He had better luck with Sweetheart.
That’s because Sweetheart was much slower to figure out who he really was. When Virginia figured out who he was so quickly, it obviously threw him off-balance, and the façade started cracking.
I don’t know why she should act surprised. Nick told her æons ago that Mr. Green wanted to bang her.
It’s possible she thought Nick was just being jealous. @_@
To be fair, he was
Just because he was jealous doesn’t make him wrong. And, jealous or not, he did plant the idea in her mind, so she still could have expected it. Apparently her current predicament has really thrown her off her guard. But then maybe that’s the whole point.
Or that the idea was so far-fetched as to be illogical, too, to be fair. “Wait, what? WHAT? Huh. No.” kind of internal response.
We know that she doesn’t believe that she’s hot.
We all have blind spots – even to the point that we sometimes fail to hear it when others close to us try to point them out.
I’m having trouble accepting that either of them are being as clueless as they seem in today’s comic. I’m hoping that they are both trying to outfox the other.
Thenardyr: Maybe Mr. Ao is trying to outfox Virginia, Virginia is the cobbled-together processor allocations for a few dozen earwig AIs, and the real Virginia is halfway to skee-ball city.
Of course, she would prefer a laminated mouse brain, especially with a sketchy guy on deck.
(“Think Blue, Count Two” by Cordwainer Smith; insert lots of caveats and trigger warnings here.)
Think of a blue shoe.
I don’t think Virginia has much experience in romance so doesn’t pick up the cues.
Well, we do know he really likes her, but why can’t he like her and have an ulterior motive?
It’s possible that the idea is just too far “out there” to her, as well. Though, once she does catch on–I could imagine the internal part of her brain starting to scream, while the logical frontal parts of it attempt to handle this in a creative, logical fashion–further putting distance between her and him, responsewise.
Yikes, you’ve just described 90% of my dating life.
Sorry you’ve had to deal with that. :/
I know someone who is almost Virginia’s level of oblivious to these things, they’re sitting in my chair.
Yup, been there, done that. Intelligence and perception don’t always match up in any kind of logical or expected way.
Is it just me or does it look like his VR avatar is subtly aging every strip? Is he inching it towards his real look?
That’s just his expressions, i think
“One of us is very bad at this.”
Yes. I vote unilaterally for the creepy mccreepface who’s trying to use his position of power to to pressure his prisoner into a “date”!
Destroy, Lee! Destroy!
Destroy him like a killbot pastry!
Abuse of power is just hella no.
All of the above.
Remember, Dr. Lee. He asked you out…he pays for dinner.
I belive he’s paid for the entire restaurant… and the city/forest/reality it’s in
And no kissing on the first date! ^_~
I think that ship has sailed. http://skin-horse.com/comic/experiments-and/
As for panel 4, I’m pretty sure Dr Ao needs to check his figures. No reason they can’t still both be bad at ths.
Yup, I’m gonna go with both bad at this.
I suspect she discounted the possibility that he would want to get into a situation where she could dissect him and/or implant control phrases. Even if she weren’t specifically motivated to take control of him and his organization, there would be a real risk that she’d just get bored.
Ira/Green/Whoever, is acting less like Oz and more like the Wicked Witch. I mean, his demeanor pretty much screams, “I have you now my pretty! And your little brain too!”
His main resemblance to the wizard is that he spends most of his time pretending to be someone he’s not.
The Wicked Witch in the book was honestly just kind of pathetic, personally. She repeatedly failed at attempts to capture the Ozettes, was scared of the dark, spent at least several weeks trying to outsmart a ten year old girl, and then died because she finally managed to snap that ten year old’s last frayed nerve enough to throw a minor tantrum.
The Wizard by contrast spent decades conning an entire city of people and acting smug about it until Dorothy and the Ozettes finally managed to call his bluff by surviving his meant-to-be-impossible-if-not-fatal snipe hunt.