The new arc has started, and now so does a new round of commentary. Please read the chapter first to avoid spoilers.
Greg pointed out in the comments that, in the previous arc, Laura was one of the early risers and Skye slept late. Caitlin was up before her, but Laura was up at 7:45. Autumn and Skye were both up late the night before with Skye having a hangover. In the new chapter, Laura wants to sleep in. What happened? Part of it, authorial mishap. However, Laura was also using her gigglesmoke, which has drowsiness as a side effect. Laura was the first to bed and slept straight through the night. She hasn't used her gigglesmoke since and was up later while the other girls are looking forward to their first class.
Laura's roommates prepared for class in an unusual manner. Autumn is wearing perfume. Caitlin has makeup on. The colour, Russian Red, came via a friend's Facebook post. It sounded interesting enough for Caitlin. The reason revealed itself in class. The teacher, Mr. Baker, is based on a conversation with another friend. The teacher's appearance is based upon Simon Baker, star of The Mentalist. My friend mentioned the actor's smile and the effect it had on her. Who am I to ignore such research when offered?
Flora's twin sister makes her first appearance. Fawna looks nothing like her sister, dying her hair black and tying her hair into pigtails. I try to give each named character at the Academy a distinctive hairstyle when possible to help tell the girls apart. Fawna much prefers Poe over Shakespeare.
Laura shares a few thoughts about English class as I do. Other characters believe differently. Caitlin and Cassie enjoy the class. Autumn enjoys the teacher. Laura doesn't see the point and isn't interested in poetry. Show her a diagram of an organic molecules and Laura will be as rapt as Autumn was.
The chemistry class needed a little bit of research. I knew about sulphuric acid, or H2SO4, but I had to verify its appearance. It is colourless, just like water. However, smelling it direct from the flask is a bad idea. Even the fumes are acidic. Best to waft the odour from the flask towards you to dilute the concentration in the air. Drinking is a very bad idea. All this info came from high school chemistry, bolstered by university-level classes in chem and in materials engineering. Laura passed her first assignment in her class.
Going back to the English class, not every girl is going nuts over the teacher. Skye didn't do anything extra. But, as Flora points out to Laura at lunch, standing out from the other girls isn't a good idea. So, even if a girl isn't interested in Mr. Baker, she puts on an act in front of her classmates. Her roommates may know different, but Rule 3, "Always support your sisters," is in effect. As mentioned, Caitlin and Autumn are trying to catch the teacher's eye, as is Cassie. The other girls, well, that remains to be seen.
The law enforcement and military units mentioned do exist. Oshawa has the Durham Regional Police as the local department. The Ontario Provincial Police patrol provincial roads; the tactical unit is what the OPP calls their SWAT team. The Ontario Regiment is a Canadian Forces reserve armoured recon unit; it doesn't use tanks now, but has in the past with some available in the regiment's museum. Joint Task Force 2 is the Canadian Forces' special forces unit; Caitlin is letting her ego run away with her here.
Chapter 1 set up the plot lines for this arc, from the missing Jennifers to Laura's scholastic adventure. The girls have a few problems to deal with, and the arc is just beginning.
Tomorrow, Chapter 2, "What Happened to the Apocalypse?"
Also tomorrow, over at Psycho Drive-In, Frankenstein.
Saturday, over at MuseHack, Lost in Translation looks at the idea of adaptations being better known than originals.
Also Saturday, check out Comics Bulletin for comics-related reposts of Lost in Translation.
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