Ha! Took me a moment (and a reread) to notice the spirits, who actually kind of look like raggedy neckties. Nice effect, though (even if Alycia’s spirit being black and Summer’s being white feels a little cliche).
This could either get very metaphysical (What, precisely, has been switched? Some sort of self aware network of electricity and chemical reactions? Souls? Or is it just “magic” and leave it at that?) or very hilarious. Or, quite possibly, both!
I want to proactively lodge a protest on Jason’s behalf before I even get beyond the setup.
Alycia already has identity problems, let alone everything else. That said, my first thought was, “Surely she’s read about this already in the Menagerie mission logs,” and then it made me laugh that I thought anyone was keeping mission logs (though most of the group has probably individually thought it would be a good idea for various reasons).
Would Jason have told Alycia that he rode around in Charlotte’s body once? Mmmmaybe. Even probably. With multiple insistances that He Didn’t Do Anything Untoward While There. But, hey, for this storyline I’m willing to suspend that.
Also, I’m already enjoying noticing the difference in facial expression.
I agree. Which isn’t to say that such problems couldn’t be thrust upon them through circumstance, not choice.
That said, I think both would find exploring/understanding the nature of the bodies they are in fascinating. Or, as this strip demonstrates, inconvenient. It could give each a lot of insight into the other (and others of their sort). It might even be interesting to see how they feel at the end of the week about returning to their own bodies. Relief? Like coming home from vacation? Regrets? Let’s find out!
For all I have written female characters before (including this one), it occurs to me that I don’t think I’ve ever addressed this particular aspect of their physiology and experience, except maybe in passing reference. I don’t know if that was a limit in worldview, or just shrinking away from asserting what the experience was like, or what, but now it has my curious (about my own writing).
I’ll confess I’d not thought yet of that aspect of her experience here. Well done.
Among the interesting parts of this whole thing will be a fascination as to how well the body memory (in both of them) works. No balance issues, no “Oh, I hugged you with my full robotic strength, sorry” problems. A relatively benign spell.
I am, as you can tell, enjoying the heck out of it.
If she had a moment for more self-reflection (and much, much larger thought balloons), she would probably be wondering why this “mission” (exactly the way she’d need to frame it) is so difficult. Is it just about being trapped in Summer’s body? Is she losing her edge? Is it she’s afraid of doing something that causes Summer difficulty afterward (like, getting her fired)? (It’s easy to pretend to be the Thai ambassador’s daughter when you don’t care what happens to her life after the deception is done; it’s different when it’s a friend.) Is it just being out of her own body and thus comfort zone? Is it that customer service is really hard when you’re profoundly not “perky-cute”?
Perfect. That aspect of this Alycia would have down pat.
Jeez. First Emma, now Nono? Not even counting Summer’s sentiments previously expressed, or the Lost Ducklings. Next think you know, she’s going to be opening up Ms Chin’s School for Etiquette and Espionage.
“You just … don’t seem like the business suit sort of person. You’re usually in fatigues or jeans or comfortable yet easy-to-break-necks-in clothes.”
“You know the phrase, ‘Clothes make the man,’ Jason?”
"Vestis virum facit. Erasmus."
“Erasmus was a wooly-headed compromiser, but he had that one right. Clothes are part of the kit for the mission, but how you handle the mission is defined by how you prepare for it, not just the other way around. Like selecting a garrotte instead of a rocket launcher, it affects your approach and your chance of success. What clothes I wear affects how I take on the task … and how others react to me – which is, in turn, also a critical component of mission success. Generals and bankers and ambassadors who show up to work in sweats and ‘Ask Me about My Evil Plan’ tees have significantly reduced effectiveness.”
“Sooooo … I need to wear a tie when I go talk with the Board?”
“If you want them to take you as seriously as possible, yes.”
“I hate you.”
“Suck it up, buttercup. At least you don’t have to wear a bra, too.”
I needed contrasting colors, and their hair colors are actually my guideline there. Plus, I think of these two as the Yin-Yang symbol associated with Taoism - mutually complementary and harmonious opposites, each with some of the other.
I have an internal explanation but presenting it doesn’t do much for the story, so I’m not going into detail for now.
Leo would have. I assume Alycia doesn’t immediately make the connection because she’s suddenly coping with a huge influx of chaos.
I think right now (as presented) that they envy the other in some ways, and one thing I want to do is pay off that feeling in some way.
From my own life, it’s just a thing that happens. I think the most respectful thing for the characters is just to tear down any mystique and treat it like another facet of life, one that Summer up until now hasn’t experienced.
Leo built in safeguards to the robots to forestall this problem. Essentially, Summer has a few extra ‘muscles’ wired into her, and flexing those unlocks certain extra-human capabilities, like Pneuma’s transformation mode. One of those gates her super-human strength.
This’ll be covered in more depth in the comics too.
