Zimmy Zimms... you don't even know what you're dealing with yet. You might change your mind about what you want.

Her face looks just like Annie's. I've wondered before about whether there is a connection between Annie and Zimmy. Even the names are so similar. One with A, one with Z.

It’s pretty heartbreaking that all Zimmy wants is a world where she can have normal life. But she’s siphoning energy from living etheric beings the maintain it at the same time the witches are using her as an energy well. Zimmy’s supposed to be an etheric engine, but her world functions as an etheric sponge. Zimmy’s very likely to let the witches and Jack do whatever to help maintain her world. I guess Kat’s mind existing outside of her body prevents her from becoming a “student” here.

:( It really is, isn't it.

Coyote is the same as always, both friendly and ominous, and I love it. Zimmy in this new form feels.... too different? Like, I don't have enough of a sense of connection between this character and Zimmy!classic.

Coyote is her sister's to command even if it is the beginning of the end: eg Coyote can finally completely die, triggered by the murder of Zimmy and possibly others by Annie via the tooth, or her whoever Zimmy is afraid of.

"Out of the mouths of babes...."

"And Coyuote? Don't touch me."

Since at least Page 2688, it was me, Ben: beginning of the end.

How is it they're so cozy? They can control events and illusions so do they respect each others territory, or are they actually related?

NO TOM! I don’t want Gunnerkrigg Court to ever end. I have always had the feeling that Zimmy was somehow Annie from another timeline. Can’t wait to see how this all plays out! But please Tom, don’t EVER end this story.

Meta, fourth wall breaking, Robin Goodfellow type of guy.

Time to wake up Zimmy. At least Annie and Kat are here to help you.

Trying to extend your stay in an imaginary world that sucks the life and soul out of people worked out really great for Cypher, Friede and her followers, and the Painters. Actually Cypher would've had a great time as everyone who could've avenged his crew should've died; then again the only person who was put back into the Matrix after waking up is a vegetable (to be fair he had an "aneurism" so he might actually be brain damaged... At least his virtual self is....), plus it'd be easier to just kill him.

Annie doesn't know that Zimmy likes the distortion.... Also is this scene the first time we've seen Zimmy call Annie "Annie" and not "Carver"? A bit surprising since their last encounter didnt exactly end on good terms.

THE PLOT THICKENS

Wait what

How many meanings did you put into the coyote's words, Tom, Master of Meaning?...

I do wish Zimmy can keep this world, to live here happily with Gamma (should she want to stay, but she would likely agree anyway, due to her love for Zimmy, even if she has doubts) but other people need to be able to leave if they want. Loup/Jerek and Lana might want to stay, too. This seems like the best opportunity to separate the personalities of Jerek and Ysengrin, they're already distinct characters here.

It started with a snowball fight with the “New Kid”, and ended up finishing against a crystalline Dreamweaver.

I wonder if this would be one of those times when doing nothing would be the choice that would change how events would play out. I guess we will never know.

Apparently Zimmy doesn't know it yet.

"This is the end. Close your eyes and count to ten."

Why does Coyote keep calling her sister?

I wonder of the presence of wild card Annie, the girl who is not supposed to be here, will engender enough of a butterfly effect to bring a different end than the one foreseen by Coyote and his sister. After all, look what it did to Omega's predictive ability.

I didn't know that! I have been considering doing a readthrough for some time, because I have forgotten things being brought up.. Maybe now is a good time.

I find these two to be an amusing pair to be conspirator together, and I really can not fault Zimmy for wanting anything that resembles a normal life. And as for as complicated and multi layered the potential plot is here, they are neither the villains, nor the victim, just caught in the storm and trying to enjoy the ride while it lasts.

This reminds me so much of Omega. What the **** is Zimmy anyway? Whatever or whoever she is, she's gonna fight for her right to party!

Oh what’s Zimmy planning?

No, Zimmy, Coyote is right. This is the beginning of the end, you trying it will probably make that end worse for you.

I think Coyote took too much of her guilt

So. I finally put 2 and 2 together. Zimmy is Spider Woman right? Not like Gwen Stacie, but as in Coyote's mythological relative. From the southwest.

We all know that, but its still sad...

This was always a strawberry growing from the cliffside.

Impressive perspective in the third to last panel. Also, this is gonna be heartbreaking cuz we really do feel for zimmy…

It's true, I did know that.

The end has been beginning ever since Annie sent a robot to walk across a bridge to help a shadow go home.

Ugh, that's a weird line to finally hear, "The beginning of the end." I feel it Tom. I know you're working towards it. Been on this ride since chapter 20-ish about 20 years ago. Good luck bud!

I totally understand Zimmy’s determination to retain her utopia, but the distortion might as well end now. It was important narratively only because it sustained Omega’s body. With her fridged, only the less interesting secondary antagonists - three of whom we barely know - remain, alongside a version of Zimmy it feels we barely know as she’s different in both speech and behaviour from her RL counterpart. I’m content to get back to the Court and deal with the elephant in the room that is Coyote’s “plan”.

Delightful! From Zimmy’s scan 2(?) pages back, the double flashes show that Noa landed somewhere near Parley and Cvet. The latter girls remember fighting with Noa “yesterday.” The group of 5 would be the largest and farthest flash: Jack and the remaining coven members led by Jenny. Zimmy won’t be pleased when she discovers that they are (and have long been) siphoning her power. In Gunnerkrigg’s world, what do you call a coven of witches that’s lost all their power? Whatever name you like, since they can’t do anything to stop you.

Zimmy can't help it, but Annie can, as she is the only person with a proven record to defy predictions (Pages 2669 and 2952). She can change fate (Page 2426).

Well... if Coyote said it is the end then you most likely cannot help it.

I feel for Zimmy here, to be running, hurting, and scared most of your life, and then to feel safe and okay. There's a powerful drive to stay this way. This will be painful to watch. I wonder if the witches will change sides at one point or if they are beyond the pale.

So what? Zimmy never liked Kat for whatever reason I guess?

FORESHADOWING ALART

aww zimmy :< that 6th panel makes me sad, the poor girl deserved better than just like a month of happy, peaceful life before she dies

Hmm Renard may have to change how he feels about Zimmy yet again. Maybe he should’ve stuck with his first impression.

If Zimmy is his sister, what would Kat be? If it’s a recognition of power, Coyote should be able to see whatever Zimmy is afraid of.

Coyote knows this will happen.

Wtf zimmy?

I have enjoyed this webcomic very much. I started reading it around Dobranoc, Gamma, after scanlation of YKK ended, and I burned through the first 11 chapters in a careless, delirious daze. Since then it has lived independently in my mind as some sort of delusion that I doubtless share with others. I don't know if I have ever spoken out loud about .. Gunnerkrigg.

SISTER?!? We’re not going to stop and talk about that?!???

For the people confused about Coyote calling Zimmy “sister”: In other cultures, including some English speaking subcultures, sibling titles can be used to address people that aren’t actually related to you. The specifics differ from culture to culture, but one way sibling titles are commonly used are when you address someone that’s on the same “level” as you. With “level” usually meaning age, status at work, or some other position within a hierarchy. In this case, Coyote calls Zimmy “sister” because he considers her a being of equal power. Coyote is too much of a wild card for us to know yet if he considers Zimmy a true equal and peer in all things, but in terms of ability to manipulate the ether, Zimmy is basically a god. Coyote also called Aata (Buddhist guy from another couple chapters back) “failed cousin”, because he *almost* reached enlightenment but decided to help the court instead.

Sadly hilarious that none of the people involved in this want anything bad to happen to Zimmy, and yet they are all certain she's going to die. (The Court doesn't count, they aren't in here.) Perhaps this will turn out to be a Superman vs Doctor Manhattan situation. That the confrontation changes something fundamental to Zimmy's worldview, and that's why she's convinced it will kill her when instead she's growing into a better person or something. (Heck, if Kat just has a snap bracelet that turns off Zimmy's powers, that might look like Kat killed her from Zimmy's POV)

YEAHHHH THERE'S THE START OR THAT ZIMMY SMILE I MISSED

Oooo, is this Anansi???

Maybe when all this is over, Zimmy will still remember the "washing her eyes in the sink" trick.

Coyote sure loves leaning on that fourth wall real close. Like, uncomfortably close.

The end? What is that, question?

She looks exactly like a pallet switch Annie in the last panel