Jeanie Bottle 447
Sep05
on September 5, 2017
at 12:00 am
and modified on November 27, 2022. at 1:39 am
Chapter: Story 11: I Dream of an Escape
Props to Rodge for swiftly taking advantage of the situation. 🙂
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Props to Rodge for swiftly taking advantage of the situation. 🙂
It looks like Rodge may have actually pulled a save out of that. I can’t wait to see how it blows up in his face.
Can’t believe this thread started with your comment and nobody said anything about warning Rodge to be careful where he is pointing those things.
Actually I think Rodge isn’t doing too badly, or at least not as badly as when he introduced Jean’s new fiancee. Maybe Belle is buying it. After all, she bought Neil’s story about Jean’s cousin from the Middle East.
Except why would Rodge be at the conference in New York? He’s forgetting he wasn’t there as himself.
And it doesn’t look like Belle is buying it.
Since Belle doesn’t know him she’ll probably just take him at his word. And just assume he was there. There would be no reason for her to doubt him. And would not be able to justify being able to accuse him of lying without looking very bad herself.
I have new respect for Rodge. He hasn’t met Belle before, so probably does not know her relation to Jean or anybody. Yet he picked up that she was pissed at her being there, and knew that a cover story was needed ASAFP!
Looks like she is buying it. I hope she is!
I guess he gets a bit of a boost when it has anything to do with Natalie!
@LeadFootRT
“Looks like she is buying it.”
Actually I read that expression as “I’m not buying it”
> I guess he gets a bit of a boost when it has anything to do with Natalie!
Which is actually really consistent with his established character. Remember how he was totally hopeless at learning all the necessary science for the mars lander project his boss handed him, right up until Natalie taught him the details? His crush on her seems to dramatically increase his ability to concentrate.
@Fearless Ferret The first few, no. But in the last panel, yes. Or at least considering it.
@Robert. It does, doesn’t it? He earned that trip to Vegas because of her.
I think the part that Belle isn’t buying is the “Natalie is dating Rodge” part. Her impression of Rodge so far seems to be one of “What sane woman would date this loser?” and also she saw Natalie with “Jean”, so that would imply that Nat was two-timing Rodge.
@LeadFootRT:
Except she is clearly not taking him at his word, look at the strip.
You’re also forgetting how she found out about this and that she seems familiar with the people Jean works with.
There’s also the matter of Rodge saying Jeanie is Jean’s fiance, which obviously contradicts the story she was given of Jeanie being Jean’s cousin.
@ijuinkun Why would she have such a negative impression of someone she just met? Rodge has not had a chance to make a bad impression yet. That would be kind of a bitchy way to be. And I somehow don’t see Belle as being that stuck up…
And Rodge is a good guy. A somewhat lazy at times or goofy guy. Buy a good guy nonetheless. Heck, he sure is sticking up for his friends in a pinch here, now isn’t he?
She might have seen a picture of Natalie and Jean together, but since Rodge said he was there with her then I doubt that Belle would think there was anything to it. Or anything to do with two timing. Just two people who happen to be at the same place with their own dates.
@Jaqui My take on that expression is different than yours, We will just have to see how this plays out.
No, I remember how she found out about “Jean” and Natalie. From the website. But that image she saw does not contradict what Rodge just told her.
@Jaqui Yeah there is that minor detail of Jeannie being Jean’s Cousin at first, and now a fiance!
Not sure how that will play out. Pretty sure it will take some smooth talking! Hopefully these guys are up to it! Not putting much money on that though!
@Jaqui:
Except that Jean doesn’t work with Rodge; Neil does.
Sorry, Rodge never said any such thing. The WEBSITE said that the WAS a fiancee, but there was no picture, just a name… so there’s nothing to connect the supposed fiancee with Jeannie. And the name itself indicates nothing, since Belle has no idea who “Jeannie Bottle” might be, and no way of finding out.
Considering the way Natalie is feeling right now, dating Rodge is the one thing on her mind (if not the only thing).
Well that, and eventually ending up in bed together with him…
Makes me wonder if by the time Jeanie comes back, if Natalie and Rodge will either be married or engaged. Especially if time passes differently at Haji’s palace. ^^;;
No, we don’t want that to happen, but, we do want Jeanie to come back just in the nick of time to keep Natalie from going to far. That what I see will happen.
> we don’t want that to happen
Heh, speak for yourself. I’d love to see Natalie and Rodge’s relationship advance.
Advance, yes. Suddenly married, maybe not. I would like to see Jean getting jealous of Neil (Natalie) being infatuated with Rodge though . . .
Unless the universe decides it’s funnier for Neil to wake up in bed next to Rodge, having been changed back from Natalie for an as-yet-undisclosed reason, and is wondering what he did last night when he realizes it’s Rodge in bed with him, then Rodge wakes up to find Neil, and they both freak out.
A marriage between Natalie and Rodge could happen in a future chapter of the comic.
I mean after all Bay is getting married in Sailorsun, even though there was a way for her to return to being Brad again.
So who is to say the same thing can’t happen between Natalie and Rodge?
Also I didn’t mean there suddenly married, I meant that a lot of chapters come and go and then there married when Jeanie finally returns from Haji’s palace.
Besides, at some point Natalie might have too. If Jeanie keeps changing Neil into Natalie or if Natalie can’t return to normal the fed’s are going to find her and her only escape would be to marry Rodge….
No matter what happens with Natalie and Rodge, Natalie’s waaaay more interesting than Neil has ever been. Natalie is a good-looking, capable woman who stands up for herself, while Neil is a dumpy guy who seems to exist only for Jeannie to walk all over.
Things better happen fast at Haji’s place or Neil will be losing his job or having the fed’s looking for him or both.
I don’t see this comic going down that path. I could be wrong though!
After seeing what Kouji Seo did with Fuuka, anything is possible in a comic!
Rodge seems to forget that he was in New York as Jean.
No… I think it is more that he isn’t telling a lie. He just left out that minor detail!
It’s a pretty important detail actually. Belle only saw pictures of Natalie and Rodge as Jean.
It was a big conference, and she saw a small handful of pictures. As far as Belle knows, Rodge could easily have been there as himself.
Exactly! The pictures were only taken of Jean. So there would be no proof that other people weren’t there. And if she tried to test him on anything to prove he was there, such as what happened, who was there, or any other details, he would easily be able to answer them, because he actually was there!
As lies go, this one is reasonably well-executed.
Yes, it is! Well done Rodge! I didn’t know you had it in you!
Not really. Since she’s familiar with the people Jean works with and Rodge was there as Jean telling people Jeanie is his fiancee, but Belle was told Jeanie is Jean’s cousin.
Except that Belle wasn’t there to hear the line about “Jeannie Bottle” being Jean’s fiancee. So she can’t make the connection between the name and the face. All she knows is there there is some rumored fiancee, with no knowledge as to who it might be.
So Rodge has done a good job of staying plausible. So far.
@Kattgirl. That is true. Unless it was reported on that site. If one of the contributors overheard it. Which I do believe they did, since the “hussies” gathered around Jeannie to warn her…
It would be plausible that it would be posted. Being as that would be a huge detail to their story.
As for Rodge’s job tonight, I agree. Totally covered for them. Nothing he said so far could give cause to doubt. It isn’t like there was any proof that Rodge was not there. I mean those photos were focused solely on Jean and his actions, not anyone else’s.
Deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole they both go.
I need to reread some of the story line as this is as the making of a great cliffhanger.
There’s a dirty joke there just waiting to be made…. ^^;
Wow, score 1 for quick thinking Rodge
You’re In Buddy!!
Hmm again sympathy for Rodge. Does/has anyone liked him in his life? Only in a lie… being called ‘this guy’ right in front of him is borderline insulting but just one more thing Rodge just accepts in how he’s treated.
I hope Rodge will get something lasting from the situation.
Now they’re both going to have to remember this story.
Your right about that. The thing about lying is, you always have to remember the different lies that you tell people. Not only are they going to be telling multiple lie to one or more people, there also masquerading as one or more people too.
That could get interesting real quick too. Like who am I suppose to be right now and which lie am I suppose to tell this time?
I’ve found it saves a lot of trouble—you don’t have to make something up, and you don’t have to remember it later. But I like to be flexible about it if I need to be…
Damn. That was both smooth and impressive. And the best part is that Natalie and Rodge can answer any questions Belle will have. Hell they can make Jean ‘LOOK’ good through rodge’s actions.
Why would they bother to make Jean look good?
I mean, other than for fear of magical mistreatment.
looks like Bell jumped to the wrong conclusion and Nat and rodge just went with it. I am excited to see where this story arc goes.
I also predict Bell is going to need some convicing that they are dating.
Speaking of Chicago–pardon, Cincinatti–Neil and Jean should both still have families back there. Wouldn’t it be just peachy for one or the other or both to drop in for a visit about now? Of course this would totally blow up the various cover stories Rodge and Neil have come up with.
And when are we going to see Agent Anderson again?
If my theory as to what’s going on here is right, I imagine that Agent Anderson will be showing up any time now.
Belle was told that Jean is in the Middle East. Since she saw him in New York with Natalie, she probably came to the apartment expecting to find Jean. How do they explain his absence this time?
I would expect that they will say that Jean flew back to NY for the conference, where they met him. Then he left again. A little shaky, but plausible.
Now if you say that: “I think Jean and Jeanie are in the CIA, undercover.” Why would a magazine reviewer need to fly to the Middle East, at a moments notice?
@Bthillman:
You’re certainly correct – that’s a pretty unlikely idea. But, given that Belle DID swallow that excuse, clearly she’s pretty credulous. So it’s not beyond reason that she might also believe that the said magazine reviewer could jet back home for an awards ceremony.
(BTW, I’ve met people who really are just that gullible. Sad.)
Some people have the gift. I had a friend who convinced people when he was in high school that he was actually an alien from another planet. Appropriately, later in life, he did join the CIA.
Hm. Given Belle’s words & expression in Panel 4, I’m expecting that the next thing out of her mouth after, “And you’re dating this guy?” will be, “Prove it.”
And then we get to see the big moment Rodge has been waiting for, where he gets to lip-lock Natalie. Who, at this particular moment, probably won’t mind a bit, and may even participate enthusiastically.
I vote for this scene to happen! It’s already my head canon. 🙂
Yeah, that’s much what I was going to say: “kiss to prove it.”
Mad props to you Rodge. Cover stories can leave even the best of us stumped at a moments notice.
Also Natalie being Neil’s sister would be a very believable lie since Natalie is (from what I can tell from the art style) just a female Neil in terms of physical features. Am I making sense?
Sure thing.
Considering Belle’s boyfriend has a website out there that is not too flattering, I don’t see that Rodge is fairing to badly. Ad I read the tagline again, he did seem to take advantage of the situation too.
There may be one more obstacle to Rodge and Natalie living happily ever after together, a circumstance which would go a very long way to explain why Belle is so angry now when, before “Jean’s” last visit with her, she was happily dating other guys. What if Belle has been saving another little surprise for Jean? That is, what if Belle is pregnant? Neil would be the father…
Jean, breeding? …. There went my appetite.
Not to worry, Rock. Jean probably reproduces by fission. Most bacteria do. 😉
https://youtu.be/HV5kPiDYC3M
Mitosis are in myshoesis.
The real brain twister there is, would she be pregnant with Jean’s or Neil’s child? Neil had been transformed into Jean at the time, but was his DNA different, or just his physical appearance?
Gad, suppose it was some weird mixture of the two?
It reminds me of the time that someone suggested a union between Albert Einstein and Marilyn Monroe. Einstein reportedly replied, “But suppose the child came out with my looks and her brains?”
Haha, oh man, that’s a scathing reply.
It kind of interesting all the different things that the people here come with. They sure can come up with some really convoluted ideas of how everything might turn out. Amazing, isn’t it!
Rodge and Neil could make the best couple
Plot twist prediction
The “fake Jeanie” in Haji’s palace is really the Blue Jinn. I haven’t read back to the description, but either she was female all along, or experienced genii’s have more control of their appearance. She is using Jeanie’s he is the most recent genii, so fewer questions.
I forget her name, but Rodge’s niece’s genii is the Blue Jinn’s daughter. Since the Jinn didn’t approve of her romance with Niel, Niel was transformed to Natalie. Although the Jinn couldn’t change Niel’s personality, she COULD easily reduce his inhibitions, and increase his libido, which is why (s)he’s noticing Rodge now.- This would reduce the pool of men for his daughter to fall in love with when they hook up.
If the Blue Jinn was female all along, the female genii’s have not been taken to Hajii’s palace to protect them from being kidnapped by the Jinn, but to keep her from organizing a(nother) revolt against the current patriarchy.
The Blue Djinn is appears to be quite male in his only appearance in The Melvin Chronicles, and Kazom uses male pronouns to refer to him.
However, if the Blue Djinn really is Araceli’s dad, then Guano would either be his brother or his brother-in-law–which could lead to an explanation of why he was able to catch the Blue Djinn off guard if Guano actually did defeat the Blue Djinn.
If your theory is true, I doubt if Araceli knows the Blue Djinn is her father. Now that could also make for some wonderful plot twists besides the obvious “I am your father” revelation.
From what I can tell, the Blue Djinn is male. But, it doesn’t mean that he can’t masquerade as a female, because, he has probably been around for maybe 3,000 years or so. Kazom and the Blue Djinn go back a long way and that how old Kazom is and the Blue Djinn could also be nearly that old too. Assuming that he is that old, he had plenty of time to practice being a Genie and practicing being a female Genie too if he wanted to. He could have been locked up for several thousand years or so.
We do know that a Genie can’t change there core self once they are either born a Genie or in Jeanie case, first become a Genie. There core self is set forever, but, they can choose to look like a different person of the same gender they are right now or they could masquerade as some one of different gender once they have developed the experience to do so. Both Haji and the Blue Djinn are Master Genie and can do stuff like that if they wanted to, but, would probably not choose to do it. But, it doesn’t mean they can’t if they wanted to or had a good reason to do it.