It's amazing how side quests are an unnecessary and time-wasting distraction in the third person, such as "Her Sidequest (to rescue Democulus)." It is only in the first person, such as "My Sidequest (to rescue victims from someone on whom I really want revenge)" that they become important opportunities not to be missed. ^_^
Although, to be fair, this looks to be a bit of therapeutic closure for Julia as well.
I completely don't get this whole "make them suffer long drawn-out pain" thing. When people are beyond guilt or empathy, punishment is pointless. Just kill them and be done with it.
This fixation on causing pain places too much value on the perceptions and viewpoint of a creature whose perceptions and viewpoint are utterly unimportant. It is just a THING which needs to end and ought to be killed.
In this case Sheela, I think it is for Julia. That second panel, where Julia is terrorized by the thought of this slimeball.
Miraiko told her that she would protect her (on Trust from 24 October 2014). Someone is hurting Julia <not actively but from memories> so they will be REMOVED in such a manner to make it clear to Julia (as well as anyone ELSE thinking of hurting Julia) that Miraiko is DEADLY serious of fulfilling her promises.
The fact he also hurt Miraiko wouldn't have earned him what is about to happen (I believe). She knew going in what was likely to happen, so it doesn't hold the same terror that Julia is suffering. What Sykes did to Miraiko would have earned him a death... He earned a horrific one (if that is indeed what is coming) because of what he did to Julia.
I believe I "get it", @Morituri, I just don't subscribe to it. ^_^ [Note: What follows is not only my opinion, but might well be construed as overly judgmental and opinionated. I wanted to send this as a private message, instead, but @Morituri is posting using a guest account, so that option was denied to me. I wanted to hide it under a <spoiler> tag, but those don't work in the webcomic comment areas. I thought about just staying silent ... and did not. I hope this does not unduly offend anyone, and you won't really be missing anything if you just decide to skip past it.]
There seems to be a sentiment that, if someone has inflicted pain on others, that pain should be returned to them -- not necessarily with the objective of producing behavioral modification so as to leave the world a safer and better place, but simply in a mystic, non-scientific way of producing 'closure' by using the target as a living effigy. You load the effigy up with all your feelings of pain and loss, then you burn the effigy and hope it takes those feelings away with it. We have seen desperate people in pain turn to even more superstitious and less rational beliefs than this (which would appear to have at least crude roots in applied human psychology). And, of course, once the idea takes hold that there may be a socially acceptable circumstance to inflict pain and suffering on a helpless creature (no matter how loathesome, threatening, and vile they have been under other circumstances), then all sorts of darker human urges rise from the subconscious, donning masks of rationalization and justification to disguise their true nature. I understand (and have shared) those urges. They are powerful, subtle, and aspects of our selves against which we should always stay on guard.
But I find that understanding where they come from helps. ^_^
For me dead is dead and there is no retribution you can carry out upon the dead, no lessons that can be learned. however to keep them alive and return the suffering they have brought upon others. maybe not suffering through guilt or empathy but the destruction of their ego, confidence and closely guarded self-image.
I guess I despise them too much for that. It's like being angry at a weed when gardening, in my mind. There is just no point beyond ending them and making sure they hurt no more people. The less you have to think about them, the less disgusted you'll be.
And to me, all this drawn-out crap, talking, etc, is something that requires thinking about them. When you have shit on your shoes you don't waste time yelling at it; you just wipe it off and leave it behind.
I agree and understand the sentiment. There are however times when you need to vent frustration. The proverbial itch that you cannot scratch. While the end result might be the same, resorting to using the object of that frustration as a punching bag [when such object deserves it, I do not condone the abuse of "helpless creatures" no matter how obnoxious they might have been..evil on the other hand..] can be the psycological and emotional equivalent of FINALLY getting that itch scratched.
Personally I agree, they really don't have time for that...but how many rape victims would love to have a shot at their tormentor?
There is one thing you're leaving out of your analysis, and that's the fact that other "weeds" will come along, and they are sentient enough to look at how things turned out for other "weeds".
That is to say, people like that need a deterrent to keep them from acting the way they want to, and the best deterrent is seeing how badly it turned out for someone who DID act like that.
A quick, painless death is not a deterrent to someone like that.
I actually see merit in both views, however, on a personal note, I also have to take to heart something that Neitzche (Spellcheck pls) once said (one of the few things he said I actually wholeheartedly agree with)
"Be careful when fighting monsters that you do not become a monster yourself. A man who stares too long into the abyss will find the abyss staring back into him."
Seeking vengeance in this case will not heal any of the scars that Julia has suffered. She will never be able to trust men until they've proven themselves trustworthy, whether or not Master Sykes Dies quickly or roasts slowly over an open flame for 48 hours.
Sykes does need to be eliminated though, so that he may do no more harm to society as a whole. That is the difference between Justice and Vengeance. That is what Marcus Dealt in the previous scene.
There is a 3rd part of me that wants to dance around the fire that Miraiko would slow roast him on for the entire 48 hours, but please refer to the Quote above.
nikkou = sunlight .. or in this case " light of my life. " .. for those non nipponese ..
ok , knife fight is personal, hand to hand is REAL personal.. as in i want to stare in your eyes as your soul leaves.!!
Who decided to add the "toys" on the table behind him. That adds and entirely new dimension to the term "Fuck You". Please tell me Miraiko is going to make him a present of it.
And that right there is the OTHER reason for her catharsis.
She might have been able to deal with it swiftly if it was just what that psyco #@$k did to her, but he hurt her Julia.
"Mess with me, you're gonna have trouble, mess with my family and I will end you, and by the time I am done you will BEG for the sweet peace of oblivion"
"Oh my God! The savagery! This man resorted to chewing his own foot off to fend off starvation!"
*checks door logs*
"... wait, he's only been in there like two hours. I guess he's just one seriously fucked cookie."
I really do like Julia's expression in panel 4. It seems very complex, but very sincere at the same time. A lot of complicated emotions are hinted at in that expression (in my opinion) without ever a word being said.
I usually lean towards the "do not play with your food" aisle. Once something has been determined to be irredeemable trash, take care of it as efficiently as possible and move on.
She's definitely going for PAYBACK from when she got there to take on her cover for Tokyo Rose's big plan. I can't remember if Sykes was mentioned in passing or not but from her reaction it has to that time period. I think she is going to demonstrate some more of her enhancements. Bye Bye Sykes on that slow garbage scow to China.
There are times when a quick end is the right answer, like what Marcus did to the roomful of reprobates. But, then there are times like this, when the punishment needs to be so extreme, that it generates nightmare fuel for lowlifes, for generations on end.
This guy needs to be dealt with in a way that would make the 'artwork' that Noctis did look like a slap on the wrist. Like 'deck the halls with boughs of bowels' kind of thing. Something that will generate ghost stories like, "If you hurt a girl, the ghoul of the tunnels will drag you out of your bed, down to the gates of Hell, and send you through slowly, one piece at a time."
Whether he's alive or not when she does all that is up to Miraiko. I just think that Nova Roma needs something like that, as a symbol that the era of victimizing with impunity is over.
(I think I went a bit over the top, here. I'm just not used to being drawn into a story, like Data Chasers does. Cent and Rose are just too damn good at their jobs.)
This will not be pretty...
But wait, which of those is the orginal?
There are just some matters that require a hands on approach...
Although, to be fair, this looks to be a bit of therapeutic closure for Julia as well.
Only thing more humiliating might be the "death by pretty flowers".
This fixation on causing pain places too much value on the perceptions and viewpoint of a creature whose perceptions and viewpoint are utterly unimportant. It is just a THING which needs to end and ought to be killed.
Miraiko told her that she would protect her (on Trust from 24 October 2014). Someone is hurting Julia <not actively but from memories> so they will be REMOVED in such a manner to make it clear to Julia (as well as anyone ELSE thinking of hurting Julia) that Miraiko is DEADLY serious of fulfilling her promises.
The fact he also hurt Miraiko wouldn't have earned him what is about to happen (I believe). She knew going in what was likely to happen, so it doesn't hold the same terror that Julia is suffering. What Sykes did to Miraiko would have earned him a death... He earned a horrific one (if that is indeed what is coming) because of what he did to Julia.
At least that is my read on the situation.
There seems to be a sentiment that, if someone has inflicted pain on others, that pain should be returned to them -- not necessarily with the objective of producing behavioral modification so as to leave the world a safer and better place, but simply in a mystic, non-scientific way of producing 'closure' by using the target as a living effigy. You load the effigy up with all your feelings of pain and loss, then you burn the effigy and hope it takes those feelings away with it. We have seen desperate people in pain turn to even more superstitious and less rational beliefs than this (which would appear to have at least crude roots in applied human psychology). And, of course, once the idea takes hold that there may be a socially acceptable circumstance to inflict pain and suffering on a helpless creature (no matter how loathesome, threatening, and vile they have been under other circumstances), then all sorts of darker human urges rise from the subconscious, donning masks of rationalization and justification to disguise their true nature. I understand (and have shared) those urges. They are powerful, subtle, and aspects of our selves against which we should always stay on guard.
But I find that understanding where they come from helps. ^_^
And to me, all this drawn-out crap, talking, etc, is something that requires thinking about them. When you have shit on your shoes you don't waste time yelling at it; you just wipe it off and leave it behind.
Personally I agree, they really don't have time for that...but how many rape victims would love to have a shot at their tormentor?
That is to say, people like that need a deterrent to keep them from acting the way they want to, and the best deterrent is seeing how badly it turned out for someone who DID act like that.
A quick, painless death is not a deterrent to someone like that.
For a band who, using terror,
Preyed upon a collar-wearer,
'Til the Cassians showed his error.
(This notice brought to you by the Nova Roma Office of Public Safety, PsyOps Division.)
"Be careful when fighting monsters that you do not become a monster yourself. A man who stares too long into the abyss will find the abyss staring back into him."
Seeking vengeance in this case will not heal any of the scars that Julia has suffered. She will never be able to trust men until they've proven themselves trustworthy, whether or not Master Sykes Dies quickly or roasts slowly over an open flame for 48 hours.
Sykes does need to be eliminated though, so that he may do no more harm to society as a whole. That is the difference between Justice and Vengeance. That is what Marcus Dealt in the previous scene.
There is a 3rd part of me that wants to dance around the fire that Miraiko would slow roast him on for the entire 48 hours, but please refer to the Quote above.
ok , knife fight is personal, hand to hand is REAL personal.. as in i want to stare in your eyes as your soul leaves.!!
http://datachasers.thecomicseries.com/comics/1194
and even knowing what to expect didn't make it easy.
Ready To Go : http://datachasers.thecomicseries.com/comics/1193
And
Busted : http://datachasers.thecomicseries.com/comics/1196
I think this gentleman is one of those that Miraiko REALLY wants to destroy, both for what he has done to her but ESPECIALLY what he did to Julia.
Go, Miraiko!!!
Awwww... poor Julia... *comforts her*
She might have been able to deal with it swiftly if it was just what that psyco #@$k did to her, but he hurt her Julia.
"Mess with me, you're gonna have trouble, mess with my family and I will end you, and by the time I am done you will BEG for the sweet peace of oblivion"
Miraiko: I didn't kill him. *fiddles with panel- locks door behind them, shuts off lights inside* *fubars door mechanism*
>:=)>
*checks door logs*
"... wait, he's only been in there like two hours. I guess he's just one seriously fucked cookie."
Popcorn, anyone?
This guy needs to be dealt with in a way that would make the 'artwork' that Noctis did look like a slap on the wrist. Like 'deck the halls with boughs of bowels' kind of thing. Something that will generate ghost stories like, "If you hurt a girl, the ghoul of the tunnels will drag you out of your bed, down to the gates of Hell, and send you through slowly, one piece at a time."
Whether he's alive or not when she does all that is up to Miraiko. I just think that Nova Roma needs something like that, as a symbol that the era of victimizing with impunity is over.
(I think I went a bit over the top, here. I'm just not used to being drawn into a story, like Data Chasers does. Cent and Rose are just too damn good at their jobs.)