Comic for August 4, 2010

[Schrodinger]

Final flashback comic.

Why am I not surprised?

[supervanman64]

Wow. Alabaster is a douche D:

Also: I'm assuming Cornelius killed himself by using Keith.

EDIT: Either that or Keith thought that Cornelius had killed her.

[Valbrandur]

Well, it seems I was right on man factors.

I guess Keith did not want to tell Natani that Alabaster entered the house after he killed his father.

But about the ear, I suspect maybe he claimed that Keith cut off his ear after killing his father. I think he'd get away with that I guess.

[Calligrapher]

Nice invisible blood on the spear in the second-to last frame. (edit:Ah, it's been fixed now)

I can see how Keith was confused by his father practically falling on his spear.

[Holy_458]

Hmm... very interesting. Very interesting indeed...

[I Love Twokinds]

Alabaster is such a [censored]! Good that he is dead.

[Ster Zetanee]

I have to say Alabaster really is such a jerk.

[avwolf]

Either that or Keith thought that Cornelius had killed her.

Considering that's what Keith told Natani, yes, I'm pretty sure that's the case. It'll be interesting if Keith supplies a flashback to fill in the exact details of what happened with his father. Maybe there's a clue he missed that now makes everything clear to him. And then he'll break down crying again because he killed his father, who was an innocent man, and, while harsh, loved his son and was trying to do right by him.

You've gotta really be over the edge to beat someone to death with your bare hands. Especially after you smash them with what appears to be a pretty heavy glass bottle hard enough that it shatters. He was probably on her right away after that. And since he didn't use the bottle to cut her, he was really feeling it emotionally. He wanted to take out his aggression, expend that anger, feel everything. He must have hated Cathleen. He wasn't just irritated by her, he didn't just dislike her, Alabaster would have needed to hate her, body and soul.

What I find most interesting is that Tom made it clear that this flashback is being read into the court transcript, apparently as accurately as we're seeing it. So does this mean that Keith was really only convicted for killing his father, as Alabaster killed Cathleen "in self defense?" And, as the Intelligence General, with the Arms General dead at his son's hands, his word would be pretty good. There'd have to be some kind of evidence to challenge his defense, but there doesn't appear to be any. After all, she attacked him with a knife and cut off the tip of his ear. Without witnesses or more evidence than just Albion Alabaster's word, there'd be nothing to challenge self-defense.

-- Edit --
Linked the comic in question of Keith's story of the situation.

[Cessna Skyhawk]

It looks to me like Cornelius is trying to push Keith away in defense, but I interpreted his other hand as guiding the spear into him. I can't tell if Cornelius chose to die or not.

[Xenowar]

I think he chose to die... why? not sure

[RandomGamer92]

HOOOoooo boy.
Things are getting... intense.

[JCP Da Blitz]

woah...nuts. I still can't believe they bought the story that Keith killed his Dad, but Alabaster really did kill Cathleen...*preps cannons, aims at grave* Corruption is so damn...ugh. *walks off*

[kevin]

So Keith was innocent of the crimes from six years ago. But I wonder how this will effect his current trial. And I think it's agreed that Alabaster is the biggest most egomoniacal douch that ever existed in Mekkan.

[Schrodinger]

You've gotta really be over the edge to beat someone to death with your bare hands. Especially after you smash them with what appears to be a pretty heavy glass bottle hard enough that it shatters. He was probably on her right away after that. And since he didn't use the bottle to cut her, he was really feeling it emotionally. He wanted to take out his aggression, expend that anger, feel everything. He must have hated Cathleen. He wasn't just irritated by her, he didn't just dislike her, Alabaster would have needed to hate her, body and soul.

Which leads into some interesting imagery with the shattered glass and the fact that someone with that much rage would have a few memory gaps.

[Schnopps]

...That was brutal. Not to repeat anything that's been already said but it honestly looks like Cornelius is making a concerted effort to kill himself on Keith's spear. He has one hand on Keith's shoulder and the other on the spear, kind of like he's guiding the spear for the killing blow. Noticed that Alabaster's half ear is still bloody in the final panel as well so all of this must have happened pretty quickly.