Uuuuuuuuuhhh… (start of a new story arc)
And now have a look at Aeris dressed as Hit-Girl:
And she has come with her mom, the Black Widow from Iron Man. You are now officially toast!
Yup, the name of the girl is, indeed, Aeris. You can find more pictures of her at the deviantART page of her father Christian-Lee who is a fashion designer and made the costumes. This family proves that even geekery of epic levels can be incredibly awesome. 😉 Of course it is inevitable that she’ll cosplay as Tifa sometime in the future. Of course it is now also inevitable that there will be a story arc about the subject involving Cloud and his mom.
- Sandra: Cloud, do you think I’m ugly?
- Cloud: ’Course not! You’re really pretty!
- Sandra: Really?
- Cloud: Yeah, really.
- Sandra: Prettier than Larisa?
- Cloud: Uuuuuuuuuhhh…
- WALL-E: Dirrrrr-ect-tivvve?
- Cloud: Damn Cloud, would a little lie have hurt that much?
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Hopefully Cloud will know the response to “Do you think this dress makes me look fat?”
I’m very excited for this arc as well as whatever the incentive sketch is from…:D
The incentive sketch is the draft of http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2009/02/12/0033-russian-revenge/
oh dear Cloud :\ should have played the personality card
Yay Wall-e!
But an animated love story probably won’t help cloud out of this situation…..
No matter how awesome it is.
What does Wall-E add to this strip? If anything?
I think Cloud’s come on a lot as a character in the last month or two; he wasn’t that interesting when he was first introduced but there’s been a lot of successful and subtle character development going on that deserves mad props. Ergo; mad props.
I can see one way for Cloud to have salvaged that question, more or less…
Cloud: That’s a very loaded question, you know.
Sandra: It seems simple enough to me.
Cloud: It’s not. There’s no way I can answer it safely. If I say yes, you won’t believe me. If I say no, it’s only going to upset you.
Sandra: (sigh) Oh.
Cloud: (puts hand on her shoulder) Just remember which one of you I’m with, and let this be my answer. (kisses her)
If he’s fast enough, he still might be able to.
@Hobbes: “No, but it doesn’t do you justice.”
@Zen2nd: The personality card won’t help much. Sandra’s still smarting from Larisa’s earlier commentary on the matter. That’s why it came up. If he plays the personality card, he needs to tell her he’s certain Sandra will end up surpassing Larisa once puberty gets to work on them.
1. I must agree with rabid_fox, I fail to see the significance of Wall-e
2. Cloud, I am sorry.
I love how subtle and well done the expressions are in this one.
I like Clouds dead brain in the third and Sandra’s sad face in the fourth.
Not that I like to see her sad, mind you, just that its very well done.
Why Sandra, must you keep pushing it? He thinks you’re pretty so that should be good enough (although, I’m not a girl so what do I know?) I give you props, Cloud, for not lying even though that would be so easy. I love the arc.
He should reply with “And do you think I’m more handsome than [insert current teen star]”
Larisa prettier than Sandra? No way.
@Hobbes
You mean “I don’t think it’s the dress”?
Yes. Yes it would have Cloud. The closer a girl is to you, the more able they are at spotting lies. Seriously.
awwww! she looks sooo cute as hit-girl! :3
Cloud! how could you!? D:
I’m going to guess that the love story development in WALL-E, especially WALL-E learning exactly how to handle a relationship and have it work out for him in the end, parallels what’s going to happen with Cloud and Sandra, or at least be really close.
Oh course, I’m also just excited about WALL-E being mentioned!
@everyone not seeing a connection
I havn’t seen Wall-E yet (don’t hit me) but I think the connection might be the fact that Wall-E is quite “ugly” compared with the other robot in the movie.
But they still love each other.
I won’t compare Larisa and Sandra in matters of beauty (just because it’s a comic, really o.ô) but Sandra is definitely cuter 😛
@DanialArin
Your version really would have been a way out for Cloud ^^
I think it’s also the one I’d take when my GF is asking me something similar…
But even the first question would have made me wonder why she’s asking something like that?
“Why on earth and all adjacent planes should I think you’re ugly?!?” 😕
Why tend girls so much to loaded questions?!? XD”’
btw. Hit Girl really looks cute :3
But also a bit unsure where to put her hands and how to stand etc.
Or is it just me?
cloud needs to learn that when a girl asks if shes prettier than someone else you say: yes you look prettier than “insert name here”
Aww… I kinda know how Sandra feels…
Should have said “Answering this question could be hazardous to my health.”
Darn it, Sandra, just accept the complement! You don’t need to beat it out of existence!
Because if Larissa is listening, it may ended with fire of some kind
I wonder how old the kids currently are. Wasn’t Sandra about 11 and a half last summer, and Larisa a few months older? Their changed behaviour would suggest they’re older now, but the drawing style shows both and the supposedly popular Zoey as completely flat in “Excuses, Excuses”. Without all the talk of smooching and being clingy (by the kids!) that would’ve been perfectly normal, but with it?
I’m sorry, but I honestly don’t think Larisa is that pretty. Sandra’s cuter and has a better personality. :shrugs:
Dammit boy! So much for making your girl happy…
Larisa does look a little older than Sandra, which may have enhanced the attractiveness in Cloud’s mind. But she’s enough of a frenemy to counteract the bulk of it in mind.
Smooth cloud, real smooth. You’re watching Wall-E bro, take some tips!
What is Wall-e’s addition to the strip?
He is obiously questioning Cloud’s directives.
in that scene (best pixar movie ever) Wall-E ask Eve for her function, it has nothing to do with this strip.
Cloud is obviously an inocent kid…
I like, well not like (that’s be mean).. But I appreciate the way Sandra’s face slowly falls back into that heartbroken sadness. Bless ‘er, when she needed a little bit of a confidence boost she is upset again.
Come on Cloud, give her a cheesy heartfelt comment to make her feel better again.
I think Cloud is a good kid (so he wouldn’t want to lie) and inexperienced (so he wouldn’t know how to come up with a compliment that would make Sandra happy and is true).
If you mean with innocent that he’s not aware of potential relationships then no, he’s well aware and therefore not innocent (but inexperienced). He was well aware of Sandra’s crush back when Larisa flirted with him, and it was Larisa who stopped it.
On the other hand, if you mean by innocent that he wouldn’t try to talk Sandra into a more physical relationship with the reason that *that* would make her unique to him (as some girl magnets tend to do) – then yes, he’s still innocent.
I’m pretty sure, among other things, it’s a parallel of being in a situation you’ve never been in before and have no experience/input to draw from on how to handle it. It’s about wondering what you need to do to make things ok. As later referenced by the plaintive: “Dirrrr-ect-ivvve??
DanialArin, while that’s a niceish scenerio, I think it’s way too advanced/mature for Cloud at his age to readily go with. Even if he is very clever.
I have to agree with everyone on the characters’ expressions. They’ve just been getting better and better as this comic goes on. There’s been a lot of nice subtleties even with how Sandra treats the pillow in each of these panels.
@DanialArin and ElfoIdiota: I think Hobbes is referring to this
http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00211.htm
You might need to see the previous strip to get the joke, though
Oh, my Gosh… How come I feel like seing myself ruining another perfect date for doing what I thought I should do….
Cloud, as Seldom said in Fundation, “Never let your moral prevent you from doing what is correct”.
He needs a handbook on relationships or something else for quick reference.
My initial reaction to the photo:
D: Run!
Awwww Sandra’s so cute with her happy face on the second panel. X3 I hope I’ll see it more in the future. 🙂
Poor-poor newbie Cloud, you just learned a life’s lesson right?
Aeris and her mom look awesome, can that be called cosplay?
aww, cloud…you bwoke her widdle heart!
being compared with larisa…ewwww, tough call. while larisa might be the prettier of the two, i’ll agree that sandra is the cuter one;)
also, Frank…loved the freefall connection…makes me realise how much i miss mu comics, along with robert and katrina and zonie.
The WALL-E reference may connect to one of the end scenes of the strip…
*** SPOILER ALERT ***
*** SPOILER ALERT ***
*** SPOILER ALERT ***
*** SPOILER ALERT ***
*** SPOILER ALERT ***
> spoiler <
At almost the very end, after being thoroughly put through the ringer, WALL-E is low on power and suffers a catastrophic system failure. EVE tries to save him, gets in right on top of the wire… and WALL-E is restarted (EVE: “WALL-E”?)…
…cold. His functionality and memory at factory default (WALL-E: “Directive?”). EVE tries to jog his memory by showing him the video which has entertained him for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, and provided a major contribution to his personality, and he takes the tape, along with other pieces of novelty and finery and utility which he’d salvaged during his long, lonely toils, and compacts it, as if it is no different from the scrap and waste material around him.
> /spoiler <
The lines from the movie parallel Sandra’s question. Like Eve, Sandra makes an inquiry of the male to whom she had become enamored, full of hope for an affectionate and gratifying response, and Cloud, like WALL-E, is only able to provide her with a flat and demoralizing lack of an answer.
@WickedNovel: Yes, that response is probably a little outside Cloud’s ability to come up with spontaneously. I’ve put a decent amount of thought into any solutions I come up with to questions with no safe answer.
There is one other response that Cloud could have given to the question which might have kept him from stepping in it: “Who’s Larisa?”, or some variation thereof. If he follows that through with a kiss, that can be taken as “I only have eyes for you.” If he doesn’t, and gives her the time to react, she may realize her gaffe and salvage the situation herself by laughing (and, optionally, kissing him). She may of course still choose to actually answer the “Who’s Larissa?” question (most likely in anger that he’d either play such a card or disbelief that he’d actually forget), but then she’s the one stepping in it, and she’d realize it herself as soon as the terrified / horrified expression on his face appears.
Then again, there’s one more. I don’t know how effective it would be in real life, but it works all the time in 9 Chickweed Lane: Just kiss her. One good lip-lock and not only will she forget she asked the question, but he’ll forget what he’s trying to make her forget. (Then again, in 9CL, all the characters pulling this off are either teenagers or adults…)
I think Cloud’s best response would be to say: “You’re both my friends and I won’t rate one of you over the other. But I’m not with her, I’m here with you.” Or, he could say something humorous and dismissive like “Larisa? Who’s Larisa?” That way he isn’t expressing an actual judgement, just the point the Sandra means a lot more to him than Larisa does. I think that would work. (But what do I know? I’ve only been trying to figure women out for about 50 years now!)
And for the question “Does this dress make me look fat?” Best and worst are both “No.”
Best answer: “No, how could it?”
Worst answer: “No you just look fat ’cause you are!”
(And if you ever use the second, you better be damn sure you can run faster than she can!)
Of course “Yes” is a really bad answer too!
@DanialArin Great minds think alike? You posted your comment while I was composing mine, so the “Who’s Larisa” in both is a coincidence. I agree that the “just kiss her” response would probably convey the “you’re the one I like/want” sentiment effectively also.
And in the end, there’s always coming back the next day and saying “I really like you. I screwed up last night. Forgive me?” Considering how seldom guys admit that they were wrong, this can be very effective.
-cough-somebodyneedstomakeanapologybreakfastinbed-cough- Dang, I keep having these oddly specific messages in my coughs. I think there’s something in the water. ; )
@DanialArin
I just red the spoiler >,>’
(Well, it’s my own fault)
I think you are right, this must be it. So my interpretation was crap XD’
But well, as I said I haven’t watched it yet ^^
I’m impressed what kind of conections Novil is able to make in his comic, honestly.
That’s pretty deep and dramatic if you think about it. *pats shoulder*
sidenote: Gentleman, don’t read the spoiler! >_>’
I wonder if I’m the only one, but I always thought Sandra was supposed to be the pretty girl, while Larise was the wild tomboyish pyromaniac… Although I personally would find the latter more attractive =P it seems like Sandra fits the popular cute girl template better.
lol xD
why girls like so much to hear they are prettier than other girls? xD
I think regarding the Sandra-Cloud relationship the comic has come to a fork in the road. Sandra wants a closer relationship, while Cloud is unsure. They both like each other.
As for the future, it could go any way between “Doug” and “Ready or not”, and I think both ran on Disney channels at some time.
In “Doug”, Patti succeeds in having the relationship moving on a glacial pace. When there’s a dance, they end up going together, but Patti doesn’t even call him her boyfriend. As a result, Doug often stops being himself and does stupid stuff to impress her – and fails. Meanwhile, Patti takes Doug for granted. The relationship cools down from lack of progress.
And other people become more interesting – Cassandra for Doug and Guy for Patti. It was certainly good for Doug that he saw Cassandra’s character and returned to Patti within the episode before a rift could form, and that Patti realized within the Doug movie (after she had practically dumped him) that Doug did try to do the right thing for once, while Guy was scheming, and that there was no rival girl, and Doug and Patti made up, and remained together for the rest of the series. In the last episode, Patti finally invites Doug to a “real date”
The other extreme can be found in “Ready or not”. There, Troy succeeds in making the relationship closer, while Busy felt uneasy. Although the relationship had overcome previous roadblocks, in the end Busy snapped, and treated him like someone she barely knew in front of the garage band she tried to be in. Troy dumped her, and she still blamed herself years later.
The current situation is different since this time it’s the girl who wants a closer relationship. Larisa knows how to weaponise her “hotness”, while Sandra feels uneasy over how far she would go and what she should expect. Cloud also feels uneasy over what Sandra expects from him and is enough of a good person that “getting any” is not what he’s aiming at.
Now what could we expect from the future? I expect lots of awkward situations in this arc, and if Novil would really want to push buttons there would be a sleepover. But I expect that one of them would fortify a “we’re still kids” position, either Cloud or (after a long talk with her Dad) Sandra.
Smooth move Cloud, smooottttthhhhh.
Girls like to hear they’re beautiful because they think boys judge them by their looks. And that’s at least partially true, especially for boys in puberty.
In Sandra’s case, she and Cloud were already sort of together when Larisa snatched him away for a while – and it was Larisa who ended that because she felt Sandra and Cloud would fit together better, although she still likes him.
Sandra thinking it’s Larisa’s looks is probably better for the comic rating than Sandra coming to the conclusion she has to become more flirty and seductive like Larisa to keep Cloud.
Why are Cloud’s eyes already avoiding Sandra in the 2nd panel? Seems too soon to me.
On the other hand; Cloud’s eyes are perfect in the 1st, 3rd and 4th panels; especially the 1st. Cloud is looking directly into Sandra’s eyes and speaking enthusiastically when he tells her she is really pretty!
I also like how Sandra shields herself with the pillow as she asks about Larissa.
I read all the crazy explanations and Wall-e really dont add anythig to the strip.
I love the movie, but come on there is nothing here you are just over thinking it.
At least you could say Wall-E is sandra and Cloud is Eve, The insecure ugly one and the pretty