[30 Nov 2010] Shhhh

[Twitcher]

I'm not so sure the FBI would want to bust Cyndi for anything. I'd think they'd want to recruit her. They could use her previous misconduct as leverage, but considering that she's an intelligent girl who doesn't crack under pressure and turned the tables on her abductor by getting into her head makes her quite the asset in organizations that interrogate without resorting to violence. Yes I'm sure the Feds know how depraved she is, but better to have her on their side than not.

Uh... Recruit a psychopath, the kind of person whose brain structure and motivation, or rather, lack of motivation, has stumped not only psychologists, but top F.B.I criminologists for years? Recruit one who has recently escalated to attempted, if not actual, murder, a person who would be utterly impossible to control, because of her stealthy, non-violent methods of getting inside children and adults heads? I'm thinking no. Send her instead to a nice Institution For The Criminally Insane, a test subject in a study on personality disorders in youth...

That is, if she survives. I think a lot of us want to see Cyndi's ultimate punishment, the moment when it hits her that no one in the world is going to buy the shit she sells anymore, the perfect realization that the rest of her life will be one of complete and utter impotence. I don't think we'll get to. We've seen that Officer Carter is an "Act first, think later" kind of guy. Think about that, then think about the fact that, of the two people in that room, Carter is pointing the gun at the one he was supposed to rescue. Cyndi's got about three seconds left to live... or one update page, give or take.

[canarybluegreen]

So many posts and so little time so excuse me if I repeat what someone else wrote, but I'm not so sure the FBI would want to bust Cyndi for anything. I'd think they'd want to recruit her. They could use her previous misconduct as leverage, but considering that she's an intelligent girl who doesn't crack under pressure and turned the tables on her abductor by getting into her head makes her quite the asset in organizations that interrogate without resorting to violence. Yes I'm sure the Feds know how depraved she is, but better to have her on their side than not.

As for going after Duane that might be her kicking dirt in Charlotte's face now that she's down, but I'd say it's more than likely she would. He'd be very vulnerable after this. Then again not all her schemes come to fruition, but all she really cares about is twisting the knife literally.

Looking back it's a good thing that Cyndi didn't beat Penny to the scene of Aggie's breakdown.

That would be interesting, but I think it'd more likely for someone like Cyndi in such a role to be interrogating her after all this is over. Cyndi might even let her guard down and give enough evidence to incriminate herself.

But would it be better if Cyndi went away, to a mental ward or jail or even for-hire for the Feds? There could still be more to tell if she stayed, which still seems likely. Who could replace her as the next villian anyway? Charloote, even if she makes it after all this? There doesn't seem to be anyone of her scale or even Karen's to replace the Big Bad role.

[Mr. Brightside]

Uh... Recruit a psychopath, the kind of person whose brain structure and motivation, or rather, lack of motivation, has stumped not only psychologists, but top F.B.I criminologists for years?

Okay, wait, now hang on - let me just state for the record that psychopaths don't have a "lack of motivation." The motivation in Cyndi's case, and the case of way too many psychopaths in fiction, is sadism, which isn't the same thing. A sadist might get off on driving someone to suicide, but is more than likely to be too moral to actually do it (c.f. a certain marquess...). A psychopath is just someone who wouldn't see why not (other than societal repercussions), but won't without some motivation. When the two intersect, this is what happens. Hell, she might not even be a psychopath, really, just a sadist with a seriously screwed up moral compass. She fits the symptoms, but most psychopaths show signs when they're too young to have learnt to hide it, and their childhoods tend to be marked by abuse or need. Her family doesn't seem to fit either part of that...

[naomi]

She fits the symptoms, but most psychopaths show signs when they're too young to have learnt to hide it, and their childhoods tend to be marked by abuse or need. Her family doesn't seem to fit either part of that...

Well we don't really know much about her childhood... Do we even know what her Dad's career is? He knows the mayor and he's wealthy now, but that doesn't mean they were always well off... Which makes me wonder. With all the parallels to Suicide Run that Alice Macher pointed out, maybe Cyndi is another person who went through big changes in her life that had a huge effect on her attitude and personality. Karen went from ugly duckling to popular swan - maybe Cyndi went from rags to riches? Just a theory.

Alternate theory: The family was pretty well off from the beginning and she was spoiled rotten with material things while Daddy was busy building up his career and reputation. Meanwhile she was left to play with servants at home. Occasionally she would create drama by getting a maid or nanny fired (or worse). Maybe she would falsely accuse them of thievery or abuse just to cause a little excitement in her home whenever she got bored. She has been making her games bigger and better ever since.. That could explain her sense of entitlement and why she treats people as if they are her own personal little playthings. It could also explain her Mom's suspicion of her... BUT I feel like that story has been done a lot and T tends to add different twists to his stories.

[Plaid Cushion]

Think about that, then think about the fact that, of the two people in that room, Carter is pointing the gun at the one he was supposed to rescue. Cyndi's got about three seconds left to live... or one update page, give or take.

I doubt he expected Charlotte to be on the ground (unless he was looking through the window first), so he probably pointed the gun at the first person he could see. He has only just burst through the door and likely won't have had time to react to the apparent kidnapper bleeding all over the floor.

I imagine it'd be a very bizarre scene to walk in on.

[hospi]

Uh... Recruit a psychopath, the kind of person whose brain structure and motivation, or rather, lack of motivation, has stumped not only psychologists, but top F.B.I criminologists for years?

Okay, wait, now hang on - let me just state for the record that psychopaths don't have a "lack of motivation." The motivation in Cyndi's case, and the case of way too many psychopaths in fiction, is sadism, which isn't the same thing. A sadist might get off on driving someone to suicide, but is more than likely to be too moral to actually do it (c.f. a certain marquess...). A psychopath is just someone who wouldn't see why not (other than societal repercussions), but won't without some motivation. When the two intersect, this is what happens. Hell, she might not even be a psychopath, really, just a sadist with a seriously screwed up moral compass. She fits the symptoms, but most psychopaths show signs when they're too young to have learnt to hide it, and their childhoods tend to be marked by abuse or need. Her family doesn't seem to fit either part of that...

Uhm, this is by and far the biggest load of poppycock yet spouted on this forum. Psychopaths and more generally sociopaths are known to come from all walks of life, from all levels of society, and from all manner of lifestyles. Even more, it is very hard to even get a diagnosis of APD before the age of 15, it just isn't that easily distinguished in young people. What is known is that suffers are almost always aware from an early age that they are different to others and learn to hide those differences very quickly.

[Alice Macher]

I doubt he expected Charlotte to be on the ground (unless he was looking through the window first), so he probably pointed the gun at the first person he could see. He has only just burst through the door and likely won't have had time to react to the apparent kidnapper bleeding all over the floor.

+1 insightful. And just because Carter's drawn his gun doesn't mean he's going to fire it. Unless he's particularly unstable or trigger-happy (which we don't know, so let's not assume that), he's likely to do so only if Cyndi not only gets free (which it doesn't look, by her own admission, she's going to be able to do right away) AND physically menaces, blocks or assaults him when he tries to save Charlotte from bleeding to death. Not very probable, is it?

[spoonerism]

Does anyone else think this comic would be way better if it was all about Cyndi systematically driving everyone to suicide? I hope T let's her live and go about her merry way a little longer.

[L'HommeQuiRit]

^ Answer: NO.

[/blatant attempt at social experiment]

[spoonerism]

No really. This has been the best arc. Not very well developed, but with a bit more work it could redefine the whole comic. There's no going back to Betty and Veronica style chuckles anyway.

[Mung]

I doubt he expected Charlotte to be on the ground (unless he was looking through the window first), so he probably pointed the gun at the first person he could see. He has only just burst through the door and likely won't have had time to react to the apparent kidnapper bleeding all over the floor.

+1 insightful. And just because Carter's drawn his gun doesn't mean he's going to fire it. Unless he's particularly unstable or trigger-happy (which we don't know, so let's not assume that), he's likely to do so only if Cyndi not only gets free (which it doesn't look, by her own admission, she's going to be able to do right away) AND physically menaces, blocks or assaults him when he tries to save Charlotte from bleeding to death. Not very probable, is it?

As I said earlier, that is the ONLY scenario that leads to Cyndi being dropped right now. Much more likely "punishment" scenario for Cyndi is her parents have committed based on the diaries. Being "mentally incompetent", it won't matter - release-wise when she turns 18; she'll be committed until she is adjudicated "mentally competent" to sign for her own release.

[bridgetvoid]

No really. This has been the best arc. Not very well developed, but with a bit more work it could redefine the whole comic. There's no going back to Betty and Veronica style chuckles anyway.

your comment on its own was perfect enough, your icon drove it into awesome territory. turning penny and aggie into jonestown v2.0 would be an awesome way to go out

[Rhodesaw]

So many posts and so little time so excuse me if I repeat what someone else wrote, but I'm not so sure the FBI would want to bust Cyndi for anything. I'd think they'd want to recruit her. They could use her previous misconduct as leverage, but considering that she's an intelligent girl who doesn't crack under pressure and turned the tables on her abductor by getting into her head makes her quite the asset in organizations that interrogate without resorting to violence. Yes I'm sure the Feds know how depraved she is, but better to have her on their side than not.

As for going after Duane that might be her kicking dirt in Charlotte's face now that she's down, but I'd say it's more than likely she would. He'd be very vulnerable after this. Then again not all her schemes come to fruition, but all she really cares about is twisting the knife literally.

Looking back it's a good thing that Cyndi didn't beat Penny to the scene of Aggie's breakdown.

Missed this the first time around.

I refer to Silence of the Lambs for why I doubt the FBI will recruit her.


(Note: I am not saying Cyndi is the same as Hannibal Lecter.)

[Kamino Neko]

(Note: I am not saying Cyndi is the same as Hannibal Lecter.)

Yeah...Lechter needs a reason to kill someone.

[Papuasblya]

Does anyone else think this comic would be way better if it was all about Cyndi systematically driving everyone to suicide? I hope T let's her live and go about her merry way a little longer.

Yes. Let's rename it "Penny and Aggie -- and all of Cyndi's other toys...."