 |
| It's a whole new you! |
I've decided to do something fun to accompany EGS story comic updates. At 1 pm Eastern US time (noon for me, hence the "odd" time), a scheduled tweet will ask a question related to the latest update and post most of the tweets I get prior to a set deadline (the deadlines will probably vary. I say "most" only because there's always the possibility that I might not want to quote a particular tweet. This is the internet, after all.
And after all of your answers? My answer.
Who tweeted what will remain anonymous, and I'll also accept e-mail responses that are under 140 characters. This anonymity is to respect people's privacy settings and, let's face it, to make this easier for me. It's a lot faster to just copy/paste the responses.
Without further ado, my question to the readers and their answers:
How would you react if it was you in today's story comic? http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2010-10-22
"GAH! Oh, wait. Nothing happened."
I'd probably be just as freaked out, if not moreso. I don't like -anything- that changes how I act. Why I'll never get drunk.
What would I do if I had turned into a female superhero, followed by her female alter ego? PANIC PANIC PANIC!
depends...that mild mannered thing...am that already i think ^^' the boobies? hmm different matter ;) (looks cute though ;)
awkward and confused, but absolutely stoked if I was female XD
I'd call Tedd's dad? Or Tedd? Seems like the obvious
I would commence Operation Freak the Heck Out. Something re-wiring my brain is actually one of my worst fears.
Having my mind altered by an subconscious reaction? It would scare the crap out of me.
I'd probably be pretty freaked out too if I were in that situation.
"Hey, I look kinda like Velma Dinkley!"
I'd freak and transform back. If magic alters my mind, it kills 'me'. That situation is one of my worst fears.
Based on yesterdays tweet I'd claim I'd say, "Jinkies! I've become Velma!" But probably I'd stare at the mirror all boggled.
If I could be a super hero, this is exactly how I would do it. No better way to keep a secret identity!
with all the things he's been through I wouldn't be shocked. I'd be like "Oo neato."
with a multitude of highly confused and mildly bebothered statements... and then go get a coffee and the New York Times.
...Mild-manneredly? Isn't that the point?
Most probably "Gee whillikers!"
If I've already become a female superhero with incredible figure the same day? "Eh, whatever."
well, as is common sense, I'd check to... uh... Make sure all my parts are in their proper place. And then I'd be fine with it.
I'd say not much would have changed for me, 'cept for the whole "being a girl" bit. And glasses. That'd be different. *squint*
ah screw it, I'll answer here, I'd probably faint from joy for not being me anymore. there, that's mah answer.
same way as I would any other time :P other than the length of the hair that practically IS me
Replace last frame with "...Let me give this a try...'Jinkies'!" Also, boobs.
I'd react by shrugging it off and leaving. I'm no fun but I'd use my mild manner powers to buy some Jerky c:
I would most likely panic . For my conception of myself to be changed suddenly, without my wanting it, would be terrifying.
If I became mild-mannered reporter Elliot, I'd do a Sarah Palin voice.
Unsure what is worse from the change. That it leaves you unable to act like the normal you, or the fact you're fact aware.
I'd go to the library
I would wait out the rest of my time as a female, then surrepticiously make my way home, and check the parameters in my book.
if it was me. Of fudge I'm a girl. And I'm a teenager again. Fudge brownies! 20, ok, but not a teenager again!
If I became mild mannered female? "Jeepers, I've turned into a girl. I haven't said 'jeepers' in a while. That seeems wrong..."
I'd probably be fascinated by it and spend a few minutes working out exactly what my mind was and wasn't letting me do.
probably 'yay, I can justify having glasses!' I want to wear glasses but have perfect vision =/
I'd probably write about it all introspective-like on a bunch of online forums.
You know that laugh when someone discovers they have great power? After that I'd... examine this ability's capabilities. For... Science. >_>
One thing I'd never want to go is my mind. So this situation would be very scary. But he realizes it, so it's not all bad.
Honestly? I'd be terrified that something was inhibiting my natural reactions against my will.
Not that surprised since this is basically me. Well, except for the girly part...
Freaked out, and possibly trying to shift back to superhero mode.
I would be freaked out. Times ten. Then I'd say "Jinkies!"
OH DEAR GOD I LOOK LIKE I DID IN HIGHSCHOOL
Probably hide under a rock or hit my head on it until my non-mild manners came back.
I would explore it. Determine how if affects my thought process and my relationships. But mostly, I would enjoy the change.
I would be a bit scared, but intrigued by the possibilities. Ive always wanted to see what its like to have another perspective
Probably, "Oh my mallard! I've become Mild Mannered."
My Answer:
Before I answer, allow to clarify: I'm not limiting myself to 140 characters. That limit is good for other people's responses because the answers are primarily via twitter and there are a lot of people commenting on it. Besides which, people can elaborate in the comments section. Just be sure to stay on topic and be civil. I'd really rather not have to switch to a "manually approve posts" system.
In the context of the comic and the story, if I was in Elliot's shoes, I would not be all that freaked out by the whole "I'm a girl" thing. I would, however, be freaked out about my mind being messed with, as I'd start questioning what had and hadn't been changed. I would most likely at least try to morph into another form right away, and, whether successful or not, make haste for Tedd's house afterward.
Having said that, it occurs to me that I might have to make up bizarre or cop-out answers to some of these future questions to avoid spoilers, so... yeah. Be prepared for that ;)
Didn't catch the twitter thing in time to answer, but let's see... 140 characters or less...
ReplyDeleteNot freaked out, as the mind effect seems self-imposed, if unintentional. Top priority: Find the source of the effect and test its limits.
That should be small enough...
Mind altering TFs can be kind of horror show, but it seems like Elliot cooked this one up on his own, even if he didn't mean to. Having the ability to enact strict psychological limits on yourself could be very useful. Even doing it to others could be cool if they understand what will happen and consent to it.
I'd go straight for the spellbook, first chance I got, of course. The books, as Nanase mentioned, are incredibly detailed. If mild-mannered me is part of the spell, the book will tell me 'bout it. If I'm not satisfied by that explanation, then I'd need to go see Tedd, of course. But I'd do that anyway, to show off my new ability to fly.
ReplyDeleteAha! I made the first one on the list! (Shamelessly revels in self-satisfaction.)
ReplyDeleteI'll take up on Dan's offer to further explain my response.
ReplyDelete"I'd react by shrugging it off and leaving. I'm no fun but I'd use my mild manner powers to buy some Jerky c:"
Freaking out or reacting to it would just make me stand out more, even if I'm alone in the bathroom. Better to stay calm and walk out of the bathroom like nothing happened. The jerky comment is purely fact that if I was mild mannered, I'd mostly have a better paying job so I'd afford Jerky.
I wouldn't worry about the personality tweak. Changing is how minds work, after all. And even in a non-magical setting, I've never met a person who understood how their mind changed with experience.
ReplyDeleteAs for the bodily transformations, gender-bending super-heroism has always been a pet dream of mine. Unfortunately, I couldn't think of a heroic enough name, so my super-hero career never got off the ground.
Ahem.
"You know that laugh when someone discovers they have great power? After that I'd... examine this ability's capabilities. For... Science. >_>"
ReplyDeleteGonna provide a longer answer, for clarity.
Obviously, the "examine" has massive If-You-Know-What-I-Mean connotations, but there is a *very* pressing need to know what that transformation is capable of.
First order of business: Determine whether the transform ability is an Out-of-Character ability or not. If it is, then you're fine. If it isn't, then *it is possible to transform away your transform power*. I cannot tell you how much of a bad thing that would be, especially since this stuff is happening subconsciously right now.
Second order of Business: OOC ability: See if you can transform into a person that doesn't know things that *you* know. Then, see if you can transform into a person that knows things that you *don't* know (and make sure they are correct, I suggest choosing something easily verifiable, like a phone number).
Second order of Business: non-OOC ability: See if you can transform into (and out of!) dissociative identity disorder, one of which is your own, non-altered personality, and find a way to make *every* personality transform include this. That might keep you safe from accidental Mode Lock.
I would probably be thrilled. Young enough to have fun and mild-mannered enough not to get into as much trouble as I did the first time around. Being a girl wouldn't be too horrible. Besides, my creditors would never find me. :D
ReplyDeleteI'll assume that in superhero mode I don't have a panic attack or figure I'm having a dissociative episode and lie down. That said, in mild mannered mode I think it would come to a boil. I think I would probably panic/have an outburst to the limits of my mild manneredness then check out my new chest and other anatomy. From there, if coherent enough, I'd try to figure out how to turn back to a guy.
ReplyDeleteI'd first see if it was correctable, but even if the correctability were intermittent or difficult in some way, my main goal would be to see if I could use it to deliberately alter my bad habits and personality traits.
ReplyDeleteCaught off-guard firstly. Freaked out a bit at that period. Then check myself mentally and make sure everything's okay with my thinking habits and response priorities. Then probably just kind of wearied and accept it. Probably. Not taking into account circumstances of the revelation. Might not be bothered by it at all even.
ReplyDeleteIt's just a minor, surface-level alteration I assume, so in this case so it'd probably be fine. I'd be more worried if I had the mentioned kitty instincts. I do not want my thinking processes altered severely with no oversight and authorization from myself. I certainly wouldn't want to have any effects comparable in effect to being drunk, especially sick, or the like. I might slightly more worried about the being a girl thing than the mental transformation.
And finally, I'd be rather worried if my ability to take alternative viewpoints is impaired. At the end, of course, I'd try to set these feelings aside and perform the next necessary action. This next necessary action would probably not be test for new viewpoints until I'm in a location I deem safe and secured. Not so much out of fear of a mistake, but it just seems like good practice to me under Elliot's circumstances.
Oops. Forgot about Elliot's already being transformed into a girl. My answers were a little more pessimistic than usual today, as I was slightly sick at the time. The circumstances probably would have merited less negative attention than the low amount I mentioned previously.
ReplyDeleteAw, I missed out on this. Oh well, better late than never:
ReplyDeleteI probably couldn't stop staring into the mirror,thinking,"Wow,I look great! This is AWESOME! I don't even care that I'm mild-mannered now!"
Also, in response to your answer, as long as I KNEW my mind had changed somewhat, I wouldn't be TOO freaked out about it, because I could always try to change it back. The scary stuff is the thought of your mind being changed and you never know.
To be honest, whilst initially taken aback, I'd most likely be pretty OK with it. It's most likely part of the spell, which, as it's a mirror to the caster's actions and psyche, would probably be unlikely to harm me or change me on a permanent basis. If anything it's a convenient alter-ego. I tend to show a mild-mannered persona to the world and was like that when younger, so it'd just be an easier way to keep that up/a bit of a flashback. If it changed the way I think as well as behave I may be a bit more wierded out, but I wouldn't mess with it until I understood the rules.
ReplyDeleteOf course, if the question is asking how I'd react if I changed like that out of the blue, I'd be too caught up shifting my scientist's world-view to incorporate the potential for magic to properly assess the situation. I'd be thinking of how awesome this makes the universe enought not to fully realise what had happened to me personally for quite a while.
But yeah, to the spellbook/Tedd's on the double!
"*boggle* I regenerated?!"
ReplyDeleteUser ID jokes aside, I'd probably be an odd mix of taken aback and pleased. I mean, she's much better looking than I am, so that's always a plus, and I'm pretty mild-mannered myself. If I was Elliot in particular, I'd use my mild-mannered powers to keep myself calm long enough to make it to Tedd's, get back to normal, and freak out.