Chapter 46-3 Under Pressure

[TacticalJHP]

Thanks, lol, with me around you get two stories. The goodstuff KC writes and the you can smell the crazy on grog's Bizzaro-We're Alive. You do not follow me down the rabbit hole, I go straight to Prarie Dog City where through the looking glass becomes a kaleidoscope.

This post makes my head hurt

[madmungo]

!! Wouldn't it be funny if they hit Ink with the attract bottle.

Wow, i so want that to happen!!! :-)

[Hoff4D]

There was a reason Skittles avoided "the brains"... they could tell he wasn't changed regardless of anything else. You could consider Randy a "brain" if you like.

I kinda figured as much, but had to throw on the tinfoil hat to cope with the idea that Saul has been captured by Randy in a place no one else (save Tanya) can go, as far as we know right now. But thanks for the confirmation!

[Jannit]

I actually thought her breaking point was being compared to Scratch. His saying that Angel and all of them were so stubborn it fueled Scratch's need for revenge implied (to me) that their being stubborn in their insistence that he was lying fueled them. That's why I thought she exploded...I mean aside from her drunken and emotionally fragile state of being.

I have been thinking that maybe it isn't Skittles' scent that makes him immune. I am wondering if he had some agreement with Ink. Not because he survived the attack on Dunbar but I can't shake the thought that if he was the one who let Ink in, how did Ink just pass him by? He would have been the likely first dead no? So maybe he had a deal with him somehow and to keep his part of the bargain, he stayed away in hiding. Or maybe Ink gave him some drug that made him secrete the scent that made the others leave him alone. Randy being one of the smart ones, would recognize that Saul and Michael were not Skittles even though they smelled like him and went in for the attack anyway. Just a thought. I love Skittles but I don't think he's entirely innocent. Especially when I think of his certainty that Ink would find him and kill him if he helped CJ and Michael. Yeah. I think he's sort of in on it.

We haven't seen anything to support the idea that Skittles is immune. Skittles is somewhat invisible to the "normal" zombies but he avoids the smart ones as they can see him, as has been pointed out in the thread. Also, we know Skittles has some blood on his hands given what happened at Dunbar but I personally doubt it's much more than that. No reason to support that at all - it's just a hunch.

About the rest....I already predicted that Vic and Kelly would have to raise the baby but I got some new clues from earlier in the chapter that changed my outlook:

1. Saul asking CJ to keep his son safe....sounds to me like Vic (who he asked before) won't make it through leaving the baby to CJ which would be really weird.

2. Pegs joking about Lady only listening to Saul tells me that Lady will play a part in trying to rescue him from the tunnels and the others won't be able to stop her. She might succeed but will more likely die trying to save Saul.

3. If Lady doesn't go off after Saul, that clue fairly screamed to me that Lady will somehow be involved in the final final battle. Probably Hope too since she is the one that keeps her.

I'd be a little annoyed with the story if Lady went all Lassie on us and went to find Saul. It seems hokey to me. Plus, with all of the times that Lady has been seperated from Saul (when he was in Dunbar and she was in the colony, as an example) Lady never once went looking for Saul. Plus, she has no way to open the doors at Dunbar. :P

[Merlin1274]

2. Pegs joking about Lady only listening to Saul tells me that Lady will play a part in trying to rescue him from the tunnels and the others won't be able to stop her. She might succeed but will more likely die trying to save Saul.

3. If Lady doesn't go off after Saul, that clue fairly screamed to me that Lady will somehow be involved in the final final battle. Probably Hope too since she is the one that keeps her.

I think the bit about Lady only listening to Saul would bring about someone doom. Because Lady would run off Barking or start barking at the wrong time and not listen to anyone and cause some one to get attacked or several of them get attacked..

[Kc]

I have been thinking that maybe it isn't Skittles' scent that makes him immune.

I think it's safe to assume at this point it's smell/pheromone related. There's still questions that remain along that line, like why did Ink spare him-

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant, if you approach making a scene clearer, is it more effective to use dialog or description? Maybe it differs according to content? Just wanted you to muse.

I read/watch a lot of Sci Fi and really appreciate creative exposition. I get so frakin' tired of paragraphs of history lectures but I've noticed that if a lot of readers seem unhappy without it. I tried to watch a CSI and after 10 minutes of professionals explaining elementary procedures to one another in a lecturing tone I was done.

The fewer VO's or exposition times the better, especially in scenes that are quick and dramatic exchanges. We have enough times of exposition, that seemingly can't be as easily avoided. It's unfortunately part of the whole format of audio drama. There's a fair balance of expose, then explain. It's far easier in books and movies, but we do our best to make those parts interesting.

[LiamKerrington]

I'm a little surprised that some listeners have a problem with Riley making a connection between the attempted rape and it being Tardust, but it's a fair criticism. My intention was that Riley was able to see from Tardusts' reaction that there was something else in his head when he mentions "Lizzy", and figures it out from there and sees past the lies.

As long as people complain, they also care. So I think you should not be surprised, but instead very happy.

Besides: I only complained about a wasted great opportunity for some more and especially interesting character-building and -confrontation with both characters of Riley and Tardust; for me things were kind of blunt and rushed. But that is a matter of personal view; and I also understand that we are closing in for the ending of We're Alive! *sniff*

[Ginja]

We haven't seen anything to support the idea that Skittles is immune.

I shouldn't have said immune, it wasn't what I meant. I understand that he just sort of blends in because of his scent. My line of thought is that there is a reason and that Ink gave him that ability as a part of an exchange.

I think it's safe to assume at this point it's smell/pheromone related. There's still questions that remain along that line, like why did Ink spare him-

That's exactly what I'm getting at. I think there is a definite reason why Ink didn't kill Skittles immediately. I also think that whatever that reason is is why he has gone slightly nutty. Like he saw something (beyond the horror of the Dunbar invasion) or made a bargain because of what he saw that unhinged his brain.

[Osiris]

As long as people complain, they also care. So I think you should not be surprised, but instead very happy.

Besides: I only complained about a wasted great opportunity for some more and especially interesting character-building and -confrontation with both characters of Riley and Tardust; for me things were kind of blunt and rushed. But that is a matter of personal view; and I also understand that we are closing in for the ending of We're Alive! *sniff*

Riley is already very well developed, and her conflict with Burt is far more important to the story than the little moments with Tardust. Was he really important enough to warrant a lengthy, heavy-hand back and forth between him and Riley to get to the important bits? Riley likely would have killed him for whatever reason. She's off the deep end, no? Feels like the right move for the story to push through the parts that don't matter, and get to quicken the pace towards the end.

[LiamKerrington]

Riley is already very well developed, and her conflict with Burt is far more important to the story than the little moments with Tardust. Was he really important enough to warrant a lengthy, heavy-hand back and forth between him and Riley to get to the important bits? Riley likely would have killed him for whatever reason. She's off the deep end, no? Feels like the right move for the story to push through the parts that don't matter, and get to quicken the pace towards the end.

Yes.