We Could Go Round In Circles Like That All Day

Adorable Baby Panda: Were you saying the present I made you last year was bad?!

CalvinPitt: {Huh?}

ABP: Last week! You said you weren't cute enough to get away with making ugly gifts for people! Are you saying I am?

Calvin: {No, no, no. Of course not. I meant exactly what I said. I'm not skilled in arts and crafts, and people would call me on that. It has nothing to do with your skills. Promise.}

ABP: Why mention being cute as why they wouldn't tell you it was bad?

Calvin: {Because it went without saying that I'm not intimidating or rich enough for people to curb their tongues in my presence? Remember, our lovely audience doesn't know what I look like. They might be under the impression I'm a cute little waif myself.}

ABP: Oh

Calvin: {We past the crisis of confidence?}

Absolutely! I'm ready to work! I'm Hugging all those people that were helping Reed Richards check out that pyramid the Sphinx had. Sphinx kindapped them too, but nobody's worrying about them. {Except you.} Yeah, except me. I'm giving Sphinx a Bonk for taking people without asking, and making them help him. {Do you think any of the people he took would have helped if he gave them a choice? They could always choose not to help and see what happens. Might end up with someone worse to contend with.} They couldn't be worse. {Yeah, well I didn't think it could get worse than Tony Stark in charge of SHIELD, and now we've got Norman Osborn running things. First rule of the Marvel Universe: Things always, always get worse.}

I'm giving GrimJack Applause for promising to try and save Bob, and I'm Applauding Roscoe for helping GrimJack, even though he's mad at him, and I'm Applauding St. John of Knives for not listening to Mannachs. Maybe I should hit Mannachs for that. {Nah, it's trapped in a little statuette now, hardly worth it. Besides, it's a chaos beast doing its job. Can't really fault it for that. And it might have actually delivered on its promises if St. John accepted.} Are you under its control? {Am I moving like I'm asleep? Am I hissing? Am I attacking you uncontrollably?} No? {Then I'm probably not under its control.} Unless it got smarter! {It's an unfathomably old chaos being. How much smarter could it get?} I don't know, twice as smart? {Do you know that, or are you guessing? 'Cause if you knew that for sure, that'd be pretty cool, but I'd have to wonder if you were under its influence.} Me? I'm not being controlled! {Exactly what I'd expect someone being controlled to say.} Hey, cut it out! {You're right, this could go on forever. Let's call the whole thing off.}