Line #48 Webcomic/Apothecia


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/apothecia_4667.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350: A kid and a monster.]]
3
4	''Apothecia'' is a short webcomic written by Creator/TamsynMuir (under the name Taz Muir) and illustrated by Shelby Cragg. An eleven-year-old girl named Jessie finds an intergalactic mass murderer trapped in the woods behind her house. It wants her to free it or kill it, but [[TakeAThirdOption she instead keeps it alive]] until it can be found by the extraterrestrial authorities and punished for its crimes. In the end, she faces the consequences of that choice.
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6	The webcomic can be found [[http://apotheciacomic.tumblr.com/page/90 on Tumblr]] and [[http://tapastic.com/series/APOTHECIA on Tapastic]]. It began on March 27, 2014 and ended November 21 of the same year.
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9	!!This comic provides examples of:
10	* AliensSpeakingEnglish: Jessie and the alien are able to communicate through English, though the alien's English is generally broken and sprinkled with strange phrases.
11	* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: [[spoiler:Jessie is]] possessed/merged/infected by [[spoiler:the alien at the end of the story]].
12	* BizarreAlienBiology: The alien appears to have innumerable eyes and mouths. It's also made of some kind of fungus.
13	* BlobMonster: The alien, which is a giant blob of fungus, eyes, and mouths.
14	* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Neither Jessie nor the alien can comprehend the other's morality.
15	* BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu: [[spoiler: Jessie unsuccessfully tries to blow up the alien and is used as a host by it for her efforts.]]
16	* CallAHumanAMeatbag: In just the first few pages, the alien refers to Jessie as a "meat wheel," a "limb treat," and "bone mass".
17	* CameFromTheSky: The alien is stuck in a crater from where it crash landed onto Earth.
18	* ChildrenAreInnocent: Discussed, when the alien brings up how Jessie promised to kill it.
19	-->'''Jessie:''' Why do I have to pull the trigger?\
20	'''Alien:''' [[IronicEcho Because you don't go back on promises!]]\
21	'''Jessie:''' I was just a kid. You were a monster in a hole.\
22	'''Alien:''' And now I am a monster in a tank. And you are still so very young.\
23	'''Jessie:''' Kids don't know about death. They don't know what it means.
24	* CosmicHorrorStory: Although the alien's nature is more thoroughly explained that is usual for the genre, it's still a story where [[spoiler:an OmnicidalManiac space monster with BlueAndOrangeMorality [[DownerEnding wins]] at the end, and where the "heroine" is gradually corrupted and driven insane]].
25	* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:The alien is freed and is using a]] now-corrupted Jessie [[spoiler:as a host.]]
26	* FateWorseThanDeath: What the Interstellar Protectorate will apparently do to the alien when/if they find it.
27	-->'''Alien:''' For what I am they will keep me ''dying'' when your Sun squashes in on itself. ''And it will not be my torment even half done.'' '''[[LaughingMad HAHAHAHAHAHA]]'''
28	* FloweryInsults: Every other word out of the alien's mouth is a weird insult towards Jessie.
29	* ForTheEvulz:
30	-->'''Alien:''' Murder is a profession. Job. ''Employment,'' you tiny leg dog. There you are, walking along. Walk walk walk. Now you are a walker. Good job. Special child. ''Murder is like this.''
31	* FriendshipDenial: Jessie corrects the alien whenever it starts to imply that she must've grown fond of it to some extent after all the time they've spent together.
32	-->'''Jessie:''' Augh, you're not my friend! You're just. You're my duty. I got you. When you're through, I'll be done.
33	* {{Gorn}}: Pages 39-41 show with no lack of detail [[spoiler:a man being devoured by the alien.]]
34	* HellishPupils: The alien's many eyes are yellow, some with cross-shaped pupils.
35	* IDidWhatIHadToDo: Jessie's explanation for why she [[spoiler: killed the kidnapper and will kill the alien.]]
36	-->'''Jessie''': But nobody ''stops'' being wrong, they just keep it going so they can watch the news. So I'll do it. I'll stop you, and then I'll turn myself in. After I make right happen as hard as I can.
37	* ImpliedDeathThreat:
38	--> '''Jessie''': I'm not afraid of you.\
39	'''Alien''': You have much enthusiasm for mistakes.
40	* LastOfHisKind: Though the alien is this, it claims to be proud of this fact and even offers to make Jessie the last of hers.
41	* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: It has teeth everywhere.
42	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: If Jessie had killed the alien while she had the chance, everyone probably would have been happier.
43	* NoBiochemicalBarriers: Jessie feeds the alien rabbits and dog food. However, it's unable to escape the crater because the environment around it is incompatible with its ability to create spores.
44	* NoNameGiven: The alien is never named.
45	* NotSoDifferentRemark: The alien eventually concludes to its joy that Jessie is a kindred spirit to it after she reaffirms that she'll kill it.
46	-->'''Alien:''' The girl has got ''no pity! This is why you and I are one.''
47	* NotWorthKilling: The lack of anyone who would mourn for her is why [[spoiler:the alien let Jessie live.]]
48	-->'''Alien:''' But I had long ago concluded that your death would have been the death of a star. So joyous! Much radiance. So pointless.
49	* OneWordTitle: ''Apothecia''.
50	* SerialKiller: The alien claims that killing and causing suffering is in its nature, just as walking is in Jessie's.
51	* ShoutOut: There are a number of references to ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Jessie can be seen reading ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix The Order of the Phoenix]]'' in several panels, she mentions what she thinks her wand would be made of, and she calls the alien "space Voldemort" at one point.
52	* StarfishAliens: The alien is not remotely humanlike- if anything, it's a giant sentient fungus with disturbingly random eyes and mouths sprinkled around.
53	* StrangeSyntaxSpeaker: The alien.
54	* SuperiorSpecies: The alien seems to think so, deriding humans constantly as inferior to it for their weakness and foolishness.
55	* SurvivorGuilt: When the alien tries to gives her an implied death threat.
56	--> '''Jessie''': Shut up! [[YouShouldHaveDiedInstead You should've died back in the woods.]] ''I'' should've died back in the woods.
57	* TakeAThirdOption: Jessie refuses to kill or save the alien, instead opting to leave it where it is.
58	-->'''Alien:''' To make no choice is not a choice.
59	* TerroristsWithoutACause: The alien's gang terrorized galaxies just because they wanted to.
60	* TimeSkip: Partly through the comic, to nineteen years later.
61	* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: Jessie, at eleven years old, [[spoiler: kills a child abductor and throws his corpse to the alien.]]
62	* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: Jessie is visibly angry and discomforted when the alien stops insulting her and starts ''complimenting'' her on her ruthlessness.
63	* YouWillBeSpared: The alien promises to spare Jessie if she lets it out. [[spoiler:It keeps its word.]]

Context Webcomic / Apothecia