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Did you email Lulu and cast your vote for Gary the Pirate?
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I’ll remind you again next week.
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i want to say because you need me to kill the dragon and to send messages back to my brother dan lol
Hm. I think Orion is trying to get Alex to use his brain.
Brain? what brain? xD
OH! The combination of subject, comment and your avatar gets just too hilarious XD
heh… yeah your avatar does go well with your comment…
I’m sure he is. Orion is a clever fish.
Using his brain goes against things, I think, in this situation.
Children do not think of flying, they just do. If Alex is thinking of it, even with that atrophied peanut of a brain of his, the barest thoughts of the function of flight would make it impossible.
I think about the only way to get him to fly is to scare him, fill him with so much fear and panic, that his mind is solely dominated by it so he can’t think apart from screaming at the ground as he falls, “NO!”
…
And then he’ll hang in the air a minute, about 5 feet off the ground, as he flies with his eyes closed in a Wile E. Coyote moment. He’ll open his eyes and then his brain will think again – bam! into the ground roughly.
He’s not technically needed to discover what’s on their tablet as Kiwi could fly over and read what it is written, or even carry him over, so he better not say something stupid like that. But something tells me that Alex would say the wrong thing and Orion would drop him, triggering flight somehow. This does seem like half training technique and half genuine anger, but I will say one thing for Alex’s sake: if he did indeed die, Nastajia would freak on Orion, maybe even do something crazy, and mourn the loss of Alex, especially his potential to be the man she and Dreamland needs.
i agree with you on that one, orion cant kill alex but scare him enough to get him to fly again.
My guess is that Orion is trying to get Alex to buy into why he is important to Dreamland. Only if he approaches his task with conviction can he succeed. Orion just needs to hear Alex say it aloud in his own words. . . . and believe it.
Scott,
Shouldn’t Orion be asking “I CAN’T? WHY NOT?”
No, because the subtle difference is that Orion isn’t just being pushy. He’s making a logical point which Alex is being forced to consider.
I think it’s optional.
No, Why works just as well:
“I can’t? Why [can't I]?” He’s just dropping the last part.
You can really tell by Orion’s face that he is not out-of-control furious. He is just stern. Just maybe stern enough to get through Alex’s thick head.
Almost forgot. I voted for Gary but I didn’t mention any other books because I’m not familar with any of them but Gary, is that okay?
And I think Book 4 is going to be your best book yet and I can’t wait for it. It”ll take one heck of a final battle with Nick and whatever events come in Book 5 to top the perfect dream/nightmare sequence of Felicity and Nicole as kids and then Nastajia’s ferverant wish for Alex to mature and Orion ready to kill Alex and…time for this fangirl to go to bed.
Kudos, Scott, kudos.
Oh, VERY clever, Orion! “NOW do you believe this is real, Alexander?” That’ll get through to him where nothing else will!
What a “Cliff hanger!”
You’re so awesome for making that pun. XD
And by the way, Orion is without-a-doubt the most hard-core character thus far. Before I thought as him as a somewhat lame, possibly flat side character. But this just brings so much character into him.
… And it’s freakin’ epic.
I think your pun fell short XD
Ouch.
Good one.
that pun fits all right.
Curses, I was going to say that!
While, Alex’s mouth got him yet into more trouble. I see this as partially Orion’s fault. He was being cryptic, in training one must be clear and concise about what one is trying to teach. If one is not clear, this is the fault of the trainer. Then after clearing it up, ad trying again, the trainee is still mouthing off, then you dangle him over a cliff. (I suggest The art of war by Sun Tzu as to what he says about orders being clear and whose fault it is)
YES! ROFL!
Eh.
I liked Alex better when all he could say was “HURK!”
My theory. He’s trying to scare Alex so that he stops thinking about flying… and then at some point Alex will realize that he’s not being held anymore, he’s floating
That, or like the others said… he wants the boy to realize that just cause he only goes in his sleep doesn’t mean its not as real and important as the waking world. Dreamland is pretty screwed if he doesn’t figure that one out.
Hmmm. I wonder if Orion briefed the sword on what he was going to do while he was alone with it?
Here’s how the exchange goes for anyone who has young kids.
http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/7849/20091008alternate.jpg
Enjoy!
For some reason, this makes me think of Weird Al and “Eat It”
oh wow, all that trouble over a few peas. LOL
though, seriously alex, peas are yummy. save yourself the trouble.
OK, then use spinach, or broccoli, if they work better. Besides, not everybody, especially young kids, think they are yummy.
I wanted to use “green beans” after first hand experiences with my daughter, but it wouldn’t fit in the word baloon!
haha, I like them all…
you could chase me with brussel sprout though.
HA!
LOL, nice one JakesDad…and SOOOOOOOOOO true! Except my son likes peas so far…lol (18 mo old). But still, so true.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ha! I love it!
I have a theory that Orion is feeling a little justifiably betrayed since Alex promised he would take the training seriously, and now he’s joking around again.
Yeap I’d say that’s it
Yep. Alex already used up his one and only second chance.
On a separate note, why is it that so many guys who post here have such hot avatars? Dave? Jac?
I’m just sayin’. . . .
OOPS.
I actually spent the time to follow some links to your Cosplay pages.
Jac, I apologize for assuming you were a guy based on the Western equivalent to your first name. The “hot” part is already out there so I can’t take it back.
“I can’t? Why?”
“Because I put glue on your hands while you weren’t looking, it’s stuck to my neck!”
hahaha rofl xD
omg that is perfect.
Hi, I’m new, but wanted to say my theory:
The children that go to dreamland all have one point in common: they believe dreamland is real.
So, since they believe dreamland is real with all their heart they “become” citizen of dreamland, making them able to use their powers and so on.
Adults instead don’t really think that dreamland is real, and they think dreamland should work like the real world so: they cannot fly and do anything else.
Like that situation in a Terry Pratchett book where nobody can hear a dog talking cause everybody knows dogs can’t talk
The problem with this theory is: every children we’ve met couldn’t use their powers when scared, so unless we get a “yeah, but he’s an adult” “what?” “don’t ask, a wizard did it” moment, he shouldn’t be able to fly, even if he believes dreamland is real, while Orion is scaring him big time.
That’s a really good theory!!
I like your theory, and don’t see a contradiction when kids are scared.
When a kid is scared, they aren’t happy anymore, and would have to concentrate to fly. But you can’t fly by concentrating, only by relaxing with the knowledge that you can fly.
I see your second point. Orion might be able to convince Alex that Dreamland is real, but Alex would have to get rid of his fear before he bounces. Or splats. Or crunches. Or whatever.
After being dangled off the cliff like that I bet Alex is going to be… a little horse
Iiiii hate you, rabbit…
(Really? ROFLed t that one. great pun!)
Heheheheheheheheheheh! Lookit all the punny people commenting on Dreamland today, lol!
HAHAHAHA! That’s awesome!
It’s a pun-derful world
no offense but that was kinda lame (again no offense)
right about now is a good time to faint.
because I don’t think alex can come up with a good reason anytime soon.
however, an incredulous “you never heard that killing people is BAD? *gasp*” sounds like something I would say.
Or: “I have a royal elf girlfriend who will probably lose her kingdom if I die – and so has nothing to lose… So I have a question for you… Do you feel lucky, punk?”
Okay…wait a minute…something’s wrong here. If Orion is trying to teach Alex to fly, and fear stops flying from happening, wouldn’t Alex’s current situation keep him from flying?
Yup
i agree but thatsreally cruel i know alex was mouthing off but is this REALLY necessary?
…Orion no like Alex…
But then 300 pages down the road, Orion trips and falls off the cliff himself. Not having a (now flying) friend in Alex, he plummets to his death.
It all goes to show you that the old adage is right:
Keep your friends close, keep your friends who your ability to not fall to your death relies on their abilities happy.
Doh! I really HATE writing here instead of in the forum. Crappy background and everything…
And you don’t know who is who any more… bah, HUMBUG!
Anyways – I _BET_ Orion is in cohorts with Kiwi on this matter. So she can catch him if the flying does not “kick in” – which it is unlikely to do, since he is scared s**tless at the moment, and not even kids can fly during such circumstances.
Hopefully Orion’s move will have the proper effect on him though, I think I know what it is…
Also, I wonder if it is Nastajia or the sword that adviced Orion to do so, or if it is his own method of doing what the sword tells him.
Either way, if Alex can not fly, then he is useless and Dreamland may be lost anyway.
Maybe killing Alex would bring the next king of Dreamland into Dreamland, and then if THAT person could fly… well, at least that’s something I could hear Orion resonate like.
The only problem with that is, what happens to the sword when Alex dies? Does it get stuck in the rock at the bottom of the canyon for the next “king” to pull it out, or does it go back to non-dreamland with Alex’s dead body in the form of the necklace? also, what happens to the armor he’s wearing since it dissappears too when he leaves dreamland? Also, I think flying is just a drop in the bucket compared to the other things Orion has to teach Alex. I bet there are a lot more powers to be gained than just flying.
I also think there will be lots of things to learn, however it seems that you only have to believe you can do it to do it so if he learns to fly the other things *should* come easier.
…in order to convince Alex that he MUST succeed, or perish.
Well that would be an ending…
big mean horsey guy.
I don’t think Alex is going to fly, Kiwi will have come save him. sure hope Alex is not afaid of highits after this.
I think it’s the whole “what happens when a parent see’s their child trapped under a car” scenario. The parent somehow gets super strength and lifts the car. Well what happens when Alex is flung off the side of a cliff and the only thing that will save him is flying….. I bet my paycheck he’ll fly…. then again he may die…. but then that’s the end of the story so I’m going with the first guess. lol
Kind of like “Sky High”
I don’t know though. Every time my older brother threw me through the air, I never flew. If I had just known that I had to not be afraid, I know now that I could have soared like a bird!
Okay all those who think this weeks cliffhanger will end with Alex going over the cliff, say aye.
Aye
Aye!
Wait no fair, you already know
So, the real question is, is he leading us on to surprise us? Or did Scott just give us a real hint? Wheels within wheels…
lol hmmmmmm
Or is it the “Unexpected tiger” that mathematicians were discussing the last 40 or so years? (see: http://www.angelfire.com/80s/youths/Paradoxes.html, halfway down) We still can’t tell…
I don’t remember all details but in Discworld 2 – Missing presumed there was a dialog that went something like this:
Wizard: Expect the unexpected.
Rincewind: But if I expect it, it’s not unexpected anymore.
Wizard: Then expect the expected.
Hold it now. That would be cruel! Scott would never make us wait until Monday to find out what happens to poor Alex! I mean Scott has never made us wait all weekend to find out . . . uh. . .
Oh, never mind.
BAD SCOTT!!!!! BAD BAD BAD!!!!!! EVIL EVIL!!!!! GRRRRRRR!!!! ALEX IS TOO CUTE TO DIE!!!!!!! >:-(
Aye! My prediction is that Orion will wait until Alex states clearly that he believes it will kill him, and admit the realization that that means it is real, then he’ll drop him, and he’ll be able to fly. Although, Orion did kinda say he wouldn’t do that earlier…
Alex *can’t* die yet because he’s needed to resolve several things. Like the relationship with Nastajia, the fight with Nicodemus, even acting as a go-between for Felicity and Nicole and to keep Dan informed about Dreamland.
He’s not going over the cliff, or at least, he won’t hit the bottom.
OR maybe, just maybe, he won’t die because this is a kid-friendly comic?
But yeah, he has work to do.
Just my guess, Orion if forcing Alex to focus. Only time he seems to focus is when he is forced too. Just listening to Orion nearly put Alex to sleep…
Waitaminute! Wasn’t it said earlier that fear blocks the ability to fly? I know it was said about the kids in Gardenia. Is that only for kids? If not, I think Alex might be in trouble.
Yup. Fear affects every human.
Baaahhh BAD SCOTT! DONT KILL UR MAIN CHARACTER!! have kiwi come to the rescue
I trust that Scott wont kill him, this is just some kind of test to see how serious he’s ready to get to save Dreamland.
Well he can’t do it since i guess the mighty magic suit would have done something if he’d really drop him. He can’t since if he would get in big trouble if he would drop, even not Alex but the sword into that canyon where i yet to see a path down to.
How ever i think i have an idea why he CAN drop him… But just in case i would be (for once) right, i don’t want to spoil it.
(I can say tho that i think the week will end at a cliffhanger of Alex falling… Or hanging on the cliff’s side.)
Still an awesome comic, looking forward to the next one
Have a nice day all.
Alex is a dummy ^_^
Orion is definitely making his point in a way that even Alex can understand. I still don’t think he’s angry at Alex… frustrated as heck, yes. Can’t wait to see what happens next.
I’m probably one of the few people that thinks Orion’s just a mean jerk who want to see Alex die. But that’s just me.
He could be working for Nicodemus, you know, though that’s a little bit of a stretch. We haven’t seen him in awhile.
While the “fear” thing raises a good point, I think a counterpoint to it is:
If Alex is afraid of dying in Dreamland, then he will have accepted (for real this time) that it’s really real. Currently he has a sort of intellectual knowledge of its reality, as pointed out by posters today and yesterday. One way to get the sort of gut-level acceptance that he’d need to fly would be to terrify him into accepting Dreamland’s reality on a purely visceral level.
Or I’ve just been reading too much philosophy and literary theory lately and it’s getting to my brain.
I see what the centaur is doing.
His masterplan. I see through it.
And tomorrow’s comic… The Alex Swan Dive! LOL!
Ahahaha! yeah, can’t wait!
I can just see Nastaja walking out:
Nastaja: “Orion! What do you think you’re doing?!”
Orion: “Dropping your boyfriend off of a cliff! What’s it look like?”
LOL XD
Nastjia: “Oh, all right. Don’t let me interrupt.”
Im thinking maybe he might be of the mind set to push him off and let him fly on his own, birds do that with thier own and i did notice that the dreamland residents try to live within nature. Oh and nope im not posting twice..different person same name
Orion already said he wouldn’t do that.
Ah-ha, but sometimes a trick won’t work if you know it’s a trick. If Orion threw him off before, when Alex was ready for it, he wouldn’t have believed that he was really in danger. This way, he’ll really believe that Orion didn’t have Kiwi or anyone else ready to catch him, and so he’ll actually think he’s going to die if he doesn’t fly.
Yes, he’s terrified, but he’ll forced to confront and OVERCOME that fear, which will allow him to fly.
Well said. Y’know, that might actually work.
The discussions on the page are almost as fun to read as the page itself! Good times, good times.
Yes! Yes I did email my vote for Gary the Pirate. I also got to vote for Kate Beaton, Paul Taylor, Danielle Corsetto and Tove Jansson. Excellent company you’re keeping there!
One word: kiwi.
And tomorrow Alex admits that Dreamland is no game, no dream. It’s serious business to the people that live there and no one likes to be treated like they don’t matter. He’s sure doing a lot of growing up lately. Time to start a food fight of something Alex. Assuming you survive this lesson and/or the sudden stop at the end of it.
I freakin’ love Orion. <3
now would be a good time for Alex to wake up…and maybe stay awake for a while…
Well… I bet Orion is NOT going to drop him. At least not until AFTER Alex learns something higly valuable and calms down. What I’m triyng to say is, the point of all that is more the “learn how important your task in this world is” that the actual “learn to fly around” thing.
Well, that’s just my view. We’ll have to wait and see! With our own eyes! Or whatever eyes we may find.
Also: The answer to that “Why?” is “Because I’m standing on the edge and you’re the one hanging. Now that would be reeeeeally twisted.
In Alex’s defense, he’s been spending the last few nights wandering around a magical kingdom in a suit of armor that’s powder blue with purple and gold accents.
I’m not saying it isn’t cool or anything (because it most certainly is), but it’s one of the most fantastical things in the whole comic.
Don’t play around with the guy in a position to kill you!!!
I think you guys have it all wrong. Alex’s problem isn’t that he thinks this is all a dream. . . His problem is that he thinks its all a movie. (Thus all the movie quotes.) He can’t die because that never happens to movie heroes, and they always defeat the bad guys in the end. That’s why he doesn’t think Orion can drop him. . . It would be like Obi-Wan killing Luke. That’s just not how these kinds of stories go — and he’s clearly grown up watching a lot of them.
The headache-inducing part is that, from our viewpoint as readers of the comic, Alex *is* the hero in an action-movie style story. So, in way, his notions are “stupidly smart”.
I keep thinking of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, where you have to fall and miss the ground. Except in this case, he’s so wrapped up in Orion’s speech, that he will just hover there when Orion lets go.
I really hope Orion will not throw him off the cliff, not because Alex would die, but because I rather have this be a wake-up call for Alex that Dreamland IS real and that he WILL die here as if in the waking world. So I hope Orion will not throw him off the cliff (for now anyway XD),
Ayup.
Predition. He’s going over the edge. then in the middle of the trip down, he wakes up (that happened one other time not long after they found Felicity), realizes that the next time he goes to sleep HE’S GONNA DIE unless he masters that flying stuff, and he talks to the one guy he can ACTUALLY talk to about this stuff and have it make sense to him (his bro). Then he comes back into Dreamland and finds a way to luck his way out of his little pickle.
Ker-splat he goes!.. need another hero.
LOL i cant wait
Hi. I’m new.
This is a longshot…but….What if somehow the note that Daniel got from Orion has something to do with this somehow??? O____O
Alex: “You can’t do this!!!!”
Orion [putting on sunglasses]: “You were right Alex… All along… It was inevitable.”
[Alex is dropped.]
Dreamland falls back into the propaganda-fueled semi-darkness it has been the entire time Nicodemus has been in power… maybe a few more children die in their sleep now, but otherwise the fight would just carry on…
Okay, so now we know; in the real world, Orion is the dream-self of Ganondorf! >,<
Orion lets go, Alex plummets to a messy death.
*flashback to Orion’s note to Dan*
“Dear Dan,
We don’t have phones in Dreamland, so I really need you to call your cousin Joey and tell him that he’s the next king of Dreamland. Ask him to please fly over to the centaur village next time he’s here, and pick up his sword. It will be stuck in a rock at the bottom of a cliff, next to an odd wreckage that bears little resemblance to Elvish armor.
Sincerely,
Orion
P.S. Just in case something, you know, unfortunate, happens to your idiot brother, I will be giving Joey this medicine bag. You know, to hold it for Alex. Just in case.”
Alex: “Because you need me for the plot!”
Orion: I can’t? WHY?
———Responses————-
Alex:Because this is madness
Orion: Madness?This is ASTORIA!!
Alex:Queens?Any good tavernas/pizzerias around here?
————————–or———————————————-
Alex: I am too handsome to die!
Orion:I felt like destroying something beautiful
Alex:Oh well.go ahead…It’s probably my kick out of this layer
Orion: No.more.movie references!
————–or——————————
Alex:Because I am your king!
Orion:I didn’t vote for you.
Alex: you don’t..ehm…No, you got me there.
—————————-or—————————–
Alex:I just peed in my armour ?
Orion:…
————————-or——————————–
Alex:We are related.On my father’s,cousin’s horse side
Orion: 0k that’s it I am actually dropping you