THURSDAY 12 a.m.

Huh?

Rodney Talon

"we all make mistakes in the heat of passion, jimbo"

I'm not a math expert, but otis really had to screw over three people and an entire organization...

Augh what, I thought the update was this week! Oh my god I'm such a dumbass. And with you treating Agent RF so nicely this update, he's so evil and goofy, I love it so much hahahahaha I just love every single panel, his expression is so good (when he is rubbing his poor paw so cute (Frank you brute!)) Can't believe that little murder gremlin still doubts the truth about Hedonis, he's see... they're all see! Also holy cow the stuff happening to Allister and Otis is so powerful my heart hurt. So sinister. (and do I spot Copper and Booker???)

RexFurry

Time to Burn...

A Sad Fat Dragon with No Friends

This update is dope <3. Love RF being the evil magnificent bastard that he is hehe, all the while Frank not having time for it. I wonder if Alistair and Frank will have to square off against each other? I'm am curious if the "Otis" Alistair is talking to is even the real Otis, or the fire talking to Alistair via a representation of Otis. Things definitely are heating up with everyone heading to one place.

Blade G Shepherd

Safe to say that the Bellows family are a mixed bag of nuts. This update was super interesting to read, seeing the origins of the Perfect Neighbour mask was a nice touch. I am curious what in the world happened to all those near Orlando though xD Great stuff BC

Becquerel

He may claim to have not desired her carnally, but Otis very clearly did love Cassandra. Honestly the whole scene with "Otis" and Allister is suspect. I can't help but feel that the Otis we see is his shadow.

Dorenrab Sildano

That is a really good point! Yeah Frank isn't someone who just blindly accepts the authority of others- we see that with his views of his Dad, and how he interacts with Wright. I really like how you put it

Robert Smith

If you don't mind that I add to this, it's actually pretty cool that Frank's actions reprise the bit we saw from early on with the Laughing God ceremony! You point out that he seems to be pretty heavily against self-sacrifice and like, part of me feels it could be due to that more grounded, "truth + science" related mindset he's had from the start, and part of it is also being able to see outside the uh "sacrifice myself to appease a higher power" a lot of the occult believing characters seem to have one way or another. At the very least, its cool to see him take charge and not let himself be left alone by the people he clearly cares for. Good points on your part also!!

Just a Beagle

Damn yeah those are really good points. It primes Allister for what he does next- he can give in because Otis never expected anything more from him

Robert Smith

Not fears more...desires He obviously been hero worshipping otis from thestart. You aren't a homebreaker with a brainwashed victim, he never loved her. You want him and he wants you. Have him its okay Everyone's doing it...

Rodney Talon

... I realise I didn't talk about Frank much but DAMN this was a good update for him. He truly cares so much, no matter how hard he might try and fake it, and he won't just let someone sacrifice themselves if he can take the blow instead. He worked out who the hacker was, and that his mother was talking to him, based on clues his father never got. It's great to see Frank back in his element- this supernatural stuff might have thrown him, but he never stopped listening to his heart, and I love that about him. Sorry for all the comments I just... lots of feelings I want to put in words

Robert Smith

OK. My crazy theory of the update is that we still haven't met Otis. This creature is an amalgamation of Otis' dream, combined with the Fire that has fed on what *is* Otis- ie the thing in the grill. What Otis is saying, the things he is trying to persuade Allister of... these are Allister's fears. The Sun in the Church is literally a symbol from Allister's childhood, made manifest. The scenes he is showing him are of a cop's view of the world, with none of the emotional depth. Otis' description of Cassandra is wrong- and his statement on Frank seems provably incorrect- we saw that Otis genuinely loved Frank as a kid, and didn't become this cold monster until Mrs Bellows 'died'. Moreover- Otis knows that Allister has animalistic impulses- we even saw Allister say this to him in a flashback when he was in the church! What this Otis is saying are Allister's fears- that if he told Otis he had feelings for him, he would regard him as somehow broken. That there is a disgusting heart to everyone is something he is struggling with after talking with S. That he should be special, and disconnected from his carnal desires, but he isn't, and this is his failing. The creature is feeding on Allister's fears to make him vulnerable for possession- to bring out the impulses it can feed on, and twist. Again- we are yet to meet Otis- the real Otis- except in flashbacks

Robert Smith

Ah forget most of what I said then lol

Steve

Re Operator- I might be wrong, but I think that she did what she said she was doing before- to break the shielding and allow someone to enter the estate. I imagine it is only effective on the protection of the Mansion itself

Robert Smith

Re: a part of me wants what allister desires, to come true. No explanation needed, you already know why. Ultimately I believe what The Operator is doing now, will work in some way to benefit everything and everyone that has been affected by the M.A.D chips. Essential rendering them useless. Maybe whatever code she's put in will override them to the point they burn themselves out, that's just my thought. I can see a moment of peace on the horizon, however brief it may be. Peace and reflection

Steve

Re Otis... it's so hard to tell. Both the Fire and him are full of inherent contradiction, that they desire something impossible whilst actively trying to destroy that thing via their decisions. After all, had Otis not tried to stop APEX... the world would have become his dream one. Heterosexuality and people without carnal impulses. He acted to attempt to pull down his own utopia because it didn't fit his own exacting standards Re the clock that is very possible- I think that it is morphing into a representation of Allister's dreamscape, and a symbol that represents his own desires. For Otis, that was a desire to go back to a time before the world made him see how dark it could be- a watch really does symbolise that. For Allister, the Sun is very much a take on his desire to be 'special', something we have seen throughout

Robert Smith

I had a thought about the clock, but what if the clock face was always that watch that Otis wears? And so as Otis is burning away, Allister is now taking it's place

CherryDad

I think it's more that he doesn't want to believe allister is just naturally a kindhearted person. That doesn't align with his view of the world. Like he's desperate to be right, to watch allister crumble. But if Otis had left Allister alone it was bound to happen. Maybe Otis is struggling to believe that he made someone a better person, in a sense

Steve

Otis has likely been twisted longer, if the Red Ritual is what let this in in the first place- it has been polluting his world view for a while in a way that prevents him from understanding Allister

Robert Smith

More and more I am curious about Otis' relationship with Mrs Bellows as well. There is something wrong with his description in this fake world, of her as someone he didn't carnally desire. It doesn't... fit... with his other actions. I think both Allister and Otis are being twisted by the Fire to think that their animal desires are the only that matter- physical need without emotional weight to them.

Robert Smith

Also- just noticed the symbol in the clock? That was the one from the cult Allister was born into- Cannibal King imagery abounds

Robert Smith

ARRRGGGHH ALLISTER AND MR BELLOWS sex isn't... something inherently wrong and evil... I can see why Allister has been so repressed for so long, Otis fed off it and made him worse, by trying to force him into the role of this pure individual disconnected from the material... I hope Allister has learned enough that he can resist this. Frank... you found your mum again, I'm so glad you worked it out... I hope that he is able to give Allister the lesson he wanted to for so long, that it is OK to be an animal, to have instincts beneath. Glad it was the Athame, and Allister has a plan. I believe in him. I do

Robert Smith