Annotated 14-23
And here we ride this running gag as far as it can possibly, possibly go. Phil came up with Scipio’s reaction (which plays on the double meaning of “tank” to suggest that he might have actually seen Frigg’s power, but isn’t going to give her the satisfaction of quite saying so) and Rachel’s.
I did E-Merl’s and Gravedust’s, getting an unexpected payoff out of Frigg’s slightly unhealthy “belief in herself” established in earlier chapters, especially in the lead-in to Chapter 3. Of course Gravedust, in the absence of other evidence, would think that Frigg was believing in muscle power of hers that wasn’t there. She’s done so before, and “magick supershit” could just be referring to her strength.
There’s nowhere else to go with the gag after this (the others’ reactions would be similar, except that Syr’Nj might suggest testing under laboratory conditions until Frigg’s eyes glazed over), so we’ll formally retire it the next time it comes up, about five chapters from now.
Janice’s note on Frigg in the last two panels: “That’s Phil’s face. I’ve seen Phil make that face. Both those faces, actually.”
I can’t stop seeing the tiny wing-hand in Rachel’s crest in the final panel as Rachel herself extending her tiny Scary Movie Butler hand.
Help.
The warhead is on its way. May your soul find peace beyond the reach of Rachel’s strong hand.
I love Rachel’s dainty skirt gather as she trots up.
The tiptoeing is the icing on the cake here. ^_^
And the sad thing is that if Frigg had asked Rachel why she believed it, she might have learned something useful several chapters early (since Rachel has the same smite ability and used it to open the tank.)
But she’s too busy being annoyed with her fan club to investigate. Which fits her personality perfectly.