#245 “Best Case Scenario”
Shadow weighs her options, but I think the gravity of fate is yanking her down the clearest path. What’s the worst that could happen?!
The Monster Under the Bed by Brandon Shane is licensed under a
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Yes, talk to Tim, that should help. It’s not like he’s waiting in ambush with your nemesis.
Oh no… I see where this is going…
Shadow is going to be either under the bed when she’s see’s… “Her.” Or in the midst of talking to Tim when Marcy walks in, [that guy Craig will most conveniently out in the toilet or something at that time] and she’ll misunderstand everything, angry and heartbroken, shadow will choose that parasite terminus out of spite…
I’m crossing my fingers that it just starts off bad, but cooler heads prevail (or maybe Ruth hears the initial shouting and decides to step in and ensure cooler heads prevail), but I fear you’re going to be right.
I really hope this doesn’t go as “80’s RomCom” as all that.
Seems too predictable. I don’t think it’ll go quite the way.
Shadow and Tim need to talk this out.
I hope Shadow and Tim clear things up, and that Marcy being doesn’t cause any problems. Whatever Terminus is enough of a conflict.
Honestly, I feel like if anyone would cause problems at this point it’d be Tim, even if just from being there. I feel like if it were just Marcy and Shadow in a position to hash things out, just between them, it’d probably wind up fine, if a little strained at the outset. But whether it’s Tim possibly saying something inadvertently to make it worse, or just his presence tensing things up between the two, I don’t see it as going well.
If Shadow and Marcy talk, Marcy learns that the person who knows Tim best thinks he’s good mate material.
True, she also learns that Shadow can come out from under any raised bed. But that’s not really an obstacle to her having Tim all to herself. It just means she needs to get used to beds that rest on the floor, and get Tim to do likewise.
Now, Tim probably wouldn’t like being cut off from Shadow like that, but if only Shadow and Marcy talk about this, Tim doesn’t find out that he is already a hybrid and that his mating odds are likely as good with Noxians as it is with humans. He sees Marcy as the best option now, so nothing changes there, because Marcy’s not going to relate that bit.
Also, Shadow does have another option at the moment, as much as she may not like it, and Marcy would certainly direct her down that end, either directly or indirectly, depending on what she feels is prudent.
Personally, I feel like the best outcome of this would be for Shadow to come in, tell Tim, “We need to talk, *alone*, come with me,” and drag him into the portal into Nox. Then explain she was able to pull him there because he’s already a hybrid. Major reveal of the discussion accomplished and demonstrated before Tim can say anything to make the problem worse. Sure, it’s not clear that a human *couldn’t* come through the gateway. But it feels like Tim’s convinced that humans can’t, so it should be convincing.
All of this said, what I expect and what you expect seem pretty congruent, based on your comment below. We just differ on how a better end result could be managed.
Well, according to the first three strips in the story, they eventually do clear things up… amazingly well, too.
Although at the end of Strip #31, Tim does say that while “life is good”, it “wasn’t always like this” and that “there was quite a steep learning curve”…
Tim, Tim Tim Tim Tim Tim, you’re in for a very rude awakening with what you pulled and poor Shadow having to deal with you breaking your promise to her.
Remember that Shadow’s ill fated expedition to Marcy’s bedroom started this.
What I want to see happen: Shadow shows up, is angry to see Marcy and Craig there, but eventually hashes out everything with everyone and sees Terminus as the snake in the grass he is.
What I expect to see happen: Shadow shows up, is angry to see Marcy and Craig there, leaves hurt and betrayed at Tim, and decides to take up Terminus on his offer. Then Ruth finally has “The Talk” with Tim, Tim feels bad for how he’s treated Shadow and goes to Nox to confront Terminus (likely resulting in the scar we saw in I think page 2), but not until Terminus gets what he wants from Shadow (which probably has something to do with Tim, as a hybrid, going to confront him in the first place), and in the end we wind up with Shadow and Tim in a still-not-entirely-fixed relationship dynamic, even though both of them have feelings for the other that they are finally ready to admit.
Page/Strip #3 is the first time we see the scars on Tim’s right shoulder, but I suspect those were/will be inflicted by Shadow in a moment of passion (the sexy-fun type, not the ‘let me rip your head off’ type).
Also, if Strip’s #3 and #29 are any indicator, their relationship gets ‘patched up’ way better than what you expect will happen.
Looks like she will be seeing Tim soon. And his friends.
I’m concerned that Shadow accepts that ‘the guild” has such control over her future.
Do all Noxian girls (even foundlings like shadow) have so little decision over their own futures? Eclipse seems to have.
She has free will, but “the guild” is her family, so of course she would consider what is best for them. You always seem to twist everything into such a negative pretzel when it is such a straight-forward story with a happy ending. XD
If life experiemce teaches anything it’s that the next step is over an unseen precipice onto a boulder field.
You may find gold but probably not. You can bet that there will be spiders, though.
Not if I can help it.
Wherever you may be, Brandon, you’re less than a metre from a spider, day or night!
Be grateful that so very few of them are deadly and fewer are man-hunters.
I have a feeling that when she sees the girl and guy in Tim’s room, she may accept after finding out Tim told them the secret he swore never to tell anyone. It’ll most likely be the lead into the next arc that has to push Tim to go after her and admit he was wrong to stop her from being married off.
There is an avenue everyone is forgetting (Hello, long time reader, first time commenter). That is the one where Shadow hears everyone from under the bed, misunderstands, but instead of choosing Terminus straight out, goes off to be alone. On this avenue it’s possible for Midnight to see this pain in Shadow and come after Tim. This leads to her spilling the beans about what is going on, she takes Tim and friends into Nox, then the real fun begins with some kind of “Little Monsters” style adventure, but with High Schoolers.
Well, this will go poorly for Shadow. I wish her the best when she sees Marcy in his room again.
In panel 3, in the second paragraph, you mean “too good for the guild to pass up.”
In the strictest 19thC or “Oxford” English grammar, you’re right, that’s a double negative but the North American dialect (both Canada and the USAnian) often use an alternative 17th-18thC grammar form where the “extra” negative is used as an emphasis.
So it depends on the dialect of English you adhere to.
In Australia and New Zealand, we accept either in the spoken form but tend owards the ‘Oxford” dialect (or “received” English) for the written form.
BUT……one thing we learned in the 1950s is that all language changes and all grammars (which are self-consistent) are acceptable. {You should look at some of the Creoles and pidgin dialects for examples. They will really twist your mind!}
shadow is gona get ambushed by Tim even tho its not an ambush but technically it is
i think
i think thats what gona happen
OMG..she’s sooo adorable! 🙂
Please, for the love of god, PLEASE don’t go down the route of “Oh, it’s all a misunderstanding!”
That trope is so goddamn overplayed it’s a dead horse. PLEASE, for the love of god, DON’T DO IT.
mission failed we’ll get’em next time
Brandon are blue blushes still a thing