2019/01/09 - Relax, Don’t Do It

[leinglo]

Also, I’ll try and keep my Fungo shipping light as it seems there’s a lot of resistance on it, Which I’m personally surprised at

Eh, I wouldn't say "resistance" as much as realistic caution. As nice as the prospect might be, you don't want to put too much stock in blatant trolling fanservice as true romantic development.

[fenrirblack]

It is Rick's world, so stay tuned for "startlements" - but I'm inclined to see Fox-Mungo as more Platonic than. Alt else. Since his relationship with King receded, Fox seems as much to be seeking a pal as a girl-friend because he's achingly lonely. Then there's the counseling relationship which must have some official sanction. See your HR office for details ("shipping" likely NOT included!).

Okay, you’re not the only one who has been talking like this, but I doubt Fox’s friendship with King is any weaker than when they became best friends. Both of them have new responsibilities that keep them from hanging out as much casually, but seriously, it’s just the same thing as a character not appearing for awhile, Rick just hasn’t had a chance to showcase it much lately. Also, I’ll try and keep my Fungo shipping light as it seems there’s a lot of resistance on it, Which I’m personally surprised at

People have been burned before and have learned to not get their hopes up. It’s like Smash spoilers, you make a list of who you want then a list gets “leaked” and you get all excited only to discover its fake. Not to mention there was no signs of attraction until these last few weeks so it is out of the blue. I have nothing personal against them getting together but Mungo really doesn’t strike me as someone who would become romanticly invovled with anyone. He’s so...Mungo.

[Aimless]

I feel like mungo is going to start being a fan service device in the future...

[NHWestoN]

I'm inclined to agree, Fen … I don't see Mungo as THAT attracted to Fox, but rather as platonically inclined. Fox, well, his situation is probably a bit more ambiguous, but I don't see him all that interested in Mungo beyond missing having a chum.

As they say in Maine … don't go down the road beyond the pavement. As they say in Vermont, if you do, you better have the right tires.

[Cesco]

Eheh, they're still having a relaxing time alone. You're a complete therapy dog, Mungo. You seem to be good at massages, it's nice to see Fox so relaxed. Oh, that's not how you do acupuncture, silly big dog... I see that both are somehow a bit cats: Mungo with those hurting claws, and Fox with a such jump on the ceiling.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Ouch. I hope that Mungo didn't do any permanent damage when it came to administering acupuncture to Fox.

[Sleet]

Talk about a deep tissue massage, am I right?

[NHWestoN]

Can't argue with a trajectory like that - wonder how many floors in this building?

[Douglas Collier]

Talk about a deep tissue massage, am I right?

Deep and pointed

[NHWestoN]

Now, Doug, stop "needling".

[biddyfox]

[Amazee Dayzee]

Still hoping for Fox to get a female love interest rather than this seemingly out of place development of Fox being bi.

[Gameb18oy]

Still hoping for Fox to get a female love interest rather than this seemingly out of place development of Fox being bi.

I mean considering we’ve talked about the pets being okay with polygamy before, whose to say he can’t have two major interests like Grape? I will admit, while I like the idea of them both as a couple, they pairing does seem somewhat sudden. There are a few signs of maybe Mungo being interested in Fox, but not Fox in Mungo. Still, I’ll accept it if Rick makes their relationship fit, and if a female comes along, we can argue who he should be with like we do with Grape with Max and Res already. Plus, where was all this criticism for Jessica and Zac? Jessica literally didn’t exist before the arc where she and Zac got together (no hate to that relationship or Jessica, I just think that was Rick’s weakest way to get a relationship to form in Housepets)

[fenrirblack]

Still hoping for Fox to get a female love interest rather than this seemingly out of place development of Fox being bi.

I mean considering we’ve talked about the pets being okay with polygamy before, whose to say he can’t have two major interests like Grape? I will admit, while I like the idea of them both as a couple, they pairing does seem somewhat sudden. There are a few signs of maybe Mungo being interested in Fox, but not Fox in Mungo. Still, I’ll accept it if Rick makes their relationship fit, and if a female comes along, we can argue who he should be with like we do with Grape with Max and Res already. Plus, where was all this criticism for Jessica and Zac? Jessica literally didn’t exist before the arc where she and Zac got together (no hate to that relationship or Jessica, I just think that was Rick’s weakest way to get a relationship to form in Housepets)

Jess and Zach didn't get together when they first met. Zach rescued her and she scolded him. She left and at the end got a scarf out of the deal. It wasn't until later during "Rabbit's Foot" that they're relationship or friendship developed and that was because they were locked in a cage together but even that wasn't anything romantic. Their relationship actually took time to develop from friends to Zach moving in with her. Out of all the couples in Housepets theirs was actually taken the time and not rushed. Peanut and Tarot were just thrown together out of nowhere. Tarot is introduced and BAM, couple. Max and Grape was slow but they hooked up after Grape realized that she wanted to date more cats and be seen as less tomboy-ish but even that first date wasn't great. They took time to really get the romanic ball rolling at least on Grapes side of it.

I don't really see any signs of Mungo being interested in Fox. I mean Mungo clearly doesn't recognize personal space or understand boundaries. I mean he was all up on Keene at the dock. That is just part of his charm. Out of all the dog characters, I feel that Mungo is the most dog-like of them all. He's so passive and friendly with everyone. He's never met a stranger so to speak. Not to mention the happy go-lucky attitude. He made friends with Sabrina after fixing her whatever.

[Obbl]

Still hoping for Fox to get a female love interest rather than this seemingly out of place development of Fox being bi.

We've had no indication from the comic on Fox's sexual orientation, so why would it be "out of place" for the comic to reveal him as being bi?

[Champion Wallace]

My rule with the comic is this: if Grown-Up-Thing cannot be talked about here in the forum then we can be sure that Grown-Up-Thing won't be depicted either on or off panel (or underwater) unless the text or dialogue of the comic says otherwise. In fact I think the PG rule stiil applies that all couples except for those with offspring never do more than kiss'n'cuddle. ...I'll admit the latest Christmas comic toes the line more than ever but I'll just say this: we know there are physical differences between boy dogs and girl dogs, and, even if we can't see all of those differences in the comic, that doesn't mean they don't exist. ^_^

That's a good rule of thumb, though one thing I'd like to add on is Rick Griffin isn't afraid to use innuendo. Several times there have been strips where if you knew about Grown-Up-Thing beforehand there would be an extra joke, but if you hadn't then you wouldn't know you missed anything.

Still hoping for Fox to get a female love interest rather than this seemingly out of place development of Fox being bi.

I mean considering we’ve talked about the pets being okay with polygamy before, whose to say he can’t have two major interests like Grape? I will admit, while I like the idea of them both as a couple, they pairing does seem somewhat sudden. There are a few signs of maybe Mungo being interested in Fox, but not Fox in Mungo. Still, I’ll accept it if Rick makes their relationship fit, and if a female comes along, we can argue who he should be with like we do with Grape with Max and Res already. Plus, where was all this criticism for Jessica and Zac? Jessica literally didn’t exist before the arc where she and Zac got together (no hate to that relationship or Jessica, I just think that was Rick’s weakest way to get a relationship to form in Housepets)

Good point on the possibility of Fox having multiple partners, though from his interaction with Kevin and Sasha in the shower it would seem he wants to commit to one person exclusively. When you say "they pairing does seem somewhat sudden" are you referring to the fans pairing them or Rick Griffin pairing them. If it's the former, it doesn't take much to get the fans shipping. When it comes to predictions we tend to do our bets to cover every scenario. If you're talking about what's been established cannon, I don't think there's enough developed so far to call it rushed. It's not like they've been on a single date yet, the only things "romantic" they've done is footsie and a massage. All relationships have to start somewhere. IF they become an established couple, it still might take the course of years from now to develop.

Still hoping for Fox to get a female love interest rather than this seemingly out of place development of Fox being bi.

We've had no indication from the comic on Fox's sexual orientation, so why would it be "out of place" for the comic to reveal him as being bi?

Well, there was that one time Fox received a massage in a jacuzzi from a female husky.

[John-056]

To be honest, I’m a bit against the idea of Fungo, and here are my reasons:

- The comic could do with a platonic partnership, imho.

- It’s somewhat unprofessional for therapists to get romantically involved with their patients.

- I think it would be more interesting if Mungo was asexual - which he seems to exhibit some signs of and is underrepresented in the comic anyway.

I agree.

A Forth One is also that Fox never exhibited attraction to the Same Gender, and for him to do So now means its because of his recent heartbreak with Sasha leaving him emotionally Vulnerable, and thus, is just his own Mind making up things that aren't there.

And as some can know painfully Well, believing a Lie after a heartbreak can only lead to more lies and pain down the Road.

Still hoping for Fox to get a female love interest rather than this seemingly out of place development of Fox being bi.

We've had no indication from the comic on Fox's sexual orientation, so why would it be "out of place" for the comic to reveal him as being bi?

Because if he was bi, he would have Flirted with King and a lot of other male dogs before.

The One where he asks King to sniff his Butt is just Doggy Behavior, and thus, doesn't count. (Joey barked that out for all and Sundried to hear in Housepets Babies, showing it is Normal Dog Behavior.)

And we never saw Fox Flirt with any male Dog.

For him to do So now, would make it just be him being in a Vulnerable state of mind, which from personal experience, leads to pain, heartbreak and even more Problems.

Haven't gotten Gay personally, but to have to deal with an Emotionally Vulnerable state makes your mind see things that are not there, and thus, means your mind spins up a Lie to your Brain, and hurts onesself more.

[NHWestoN]

For several years, Fox has been focused (fixated) on having a relationship with Sasha, a thread which has gone varying degrees of nowhere until Kevin and Sasha shut it pretty definitively down. Having finally accepted - barring an unexpected twist - that Sasha is not (drum roll, Ed!) THE ONE, Fox's romantic world seems adrift for now.

Fox has always seemed to be a sidekick type, forming close, fiercely loyal friendships with stronger personalities like Bino or King. Kind of a subordinate sort, as a loner, he becomes unsure, conflicted, and repressed (as expressed in an outburst to Sabrina). The tie-up with Spring and Summer seems pretty much a blind alley, at least on this current terrestrial plain.

The current pairing between him and Mungo suggests a replay of Fox's devotion to King - strongly loyal but at base platonic. Maybe it will develop into a more physical attraction but that's not really apparent, except that lately everything makes the poor husky blush. So, one prognostication is as good as another for now.

Fox's fate may be that of the sad second banana, always fated to love and lose, always a figure of poignancy and disappointment. We'll just see.

...or maybe he'll wind up dating Daisy.

[Tappy Too]

I'm not entirely sure as to why but some people seem to think that because Fox doesn't like "cat-lovers" or used to not like "cat-lovers" and because he's never shown definite attraction to another male means he can't be bisexual. Which I don't agree with.

I mean first of all, same sex relationships in this universe aren't seen as strange or different. They're seen as completely normal. Loving someone outside of your own species is the only thing considered weird to our knowledge. So Fox would still be in the majority of people considered "normal".

Secondly, he may not have shown attraction or infatuation for another male and as pointed out earlier, he has not flirted with a male dog either. But being bi doesn't mean you HAVE to flirt with guys. I mean, he hasn't flirted with girls either. Fox is just too timid when it comes to romance and attraction to put himself out like that. In Heaven, the husky girls were already attracted to him so he just went with it.

Additionally, you could argue that he tried to get some info out of King before doing anything. In the second arc where they hang out, Fox casually brings up the idea of setting King up with a girl. It's possible that he could have done this to find out if he were straight or not; because he was too shy to just ask.

There's also the obvious statement that not every guy that likes guys is trying to get a boyfriend out of every guy they meet. It's totally possible that he could develop feelings or already developed feelings for Mungo after originally thinking of him as just a close friend. It's happened to me before so I know.

In conclusion, I believe Fox could be bisexual; if anything with a prominent female preferation, but that doesn't mean he is. I do ship Fungo/Mox, but it doesn't need to happen for me to be happy. I don't think people should act like it's impossible just because they don't want it to happen. It could happen, or it could not happen. And either way, it's still Housepets, so whatever, right?

[Amazee Dayzee]

Changing the subject now before this ends up turning into a big war.

When I first saw the title, what I thought of was this:

[fenrirblack]

Everyone is making good points but at the end of the day, it is only Mungo giving Fox a massage then jamming his claws into Fox's back. Going from Mungo's comment about getting his acupuncture license, one can assume he is a licensed massage therapist. Whether that comes from his pet therapy license or not is questionable but that's not the point. The real point is that there is nothing in his strip that screams "they're now a couple" or that they will ever be more than friends. It's fun to talk about but nothing to get excited over.

It's been stated before but I want to emphasize that it's important to remember that Fox's romantic trajectory has always been pointed at Sasha except for when Spring and Summer were around, then it deviated. Now it's spiraled to the ground where it's sticking out of the dirt like a grave marker. Something I want to point out is that developing a relationship is like developing a character, it takes time and planning. Little hints are dropped leading to the inedvitable sprouting of romantic feelings.This has not always been the case of course. Fox's attraction to Sasha came simply because she was vulnerable and she kissed him. Before that he was all set to get her back with Bino. For Fox to develop feelings for anyone new there would need or should be a sign or clue that it was even possible for something like that to exist. Those signs maybe forthcoming but so far none exist outside of the aforementioned Sasha and Angels. Mungo is even worse because, as I've mentioned, he's shown no attraction to anyone beyond his usual friendly demeanor. That's not to say, one day he won't surprise us all by showing up with a girlfriend or boyfriend or whatever. Kevin did that with Sasha. BAM, couple. I don't know sometimes I just want to participate.

I also want to point out something, most of the relationships in this comic start from a state of emotional vulnerability. Peanut and Tarot, Peanut was heartbroken about Grape and Max. Grape and Max, Grape was unsure about femininity and her feline nature (Satau said she had the spirit of a dog). Fox and Sasha and Sasha and Kevin. Even Keene's and Breel's relationship was strange. They really didn't get together until Breel was sent to Pandemonium and Keene had to save him. When they kissed, Keene was in tears, rattled by guilt. Grape and Res is kinda like this. Although they're not an official couple, most of their relationship developed from friendship to attraction because of either Grape's insecurity about her kitten hood and Res's anxiety about his book (it's a little grayer than the others). Poncho and Gale, despite the one sided nature, Poncho was super vulnerable when he fell in love with her. Something to think about.

[Amazee Dayzee]

So basically, if you see a relationship developing due to vulnerability due to one party, the relationship won't even get off the ground. Which actually does make a lot of sense. A relationship based on anything other than mutual love and trust is always destined to fail.

[John-056]

I'm not entirely sure as to why but some people seem to think that because Fox doesn't like "cat-lovers" or used to not like "cat-lovers" and because he's never shown definite attraction to another male means he can't be bisexual. Which I don't agree with.

I mean first of all, same sex relationships in this universe aren't seen as strange or different. They're seen as completely normal. Loving someone outside of your own species is the only thing considered weird to our knowledge. So Fox would still be in the majority of people considered "normal".

Secondly, he may not have shown attraction or infatuation for another male and as pointed out earlier, he has not flirted with a male dog either. But being bi doesn't mean you HAVE to flirt with guys. I mean, he hasn't flirted with girls either. Fox is just too timid when it comes to romance and attraction to put himself out like that. In Heaven, the husky girls were already attracted to him so he just went with it.

Additionally, you could argue that he tried to get some info out of King before doing anything. In the second arc where they hang out, Fox casually brings up the idea of setting King up with a girl. It's possible that he could have done this to find out if he were straight or not; because he was too shy to just ask.

There's also the obvious statement that not every guy that likes guys is trying to get a boyfriend out of every guy they meet. It's totally possible that he could develop feelings or already developed feelings for Mungo after originally thinking of him as just a close friend. It's happened to me before so I know.

In conclusion, I believe Fox could be bisexual; if anything with a prominent female preferation, but that doesn't mean he is. I do ship Fungo/Mox, but it doesn't need to happen for me to be happy. I don't think people should act like it's impossible just because they don't want it to happen. It could happen, or it could not happen. And either way, it's still Housepets, so whatever, right?

Never said they were strange, but Fox had always Been shown to be highly Platonic when it came to males.

One of the Reasons I got ticked off, is because of how I remember Peanut's relationship with Tarot starting from emotional Manipulation, with a Strong implication that Tarot would Dump Peanut had she not fallen for him, and even afterwards, Tarot hasn't been improving all that Well Once Dragon stopped interfering with her relationship.

Keene was fine because he was Asexual, though it also gets me annoyed when I saw Fox blush. It was already clear when Keene kept Blushing several times around Breel, that they've would be together. I honestly didn't mind because Keene had no Sexual attraction to either Gender, and when he was in heaven, he was at his most open state.

Fox, on the other hand, had showed no such Sign for years, until the moment Mungo stripped off While he was in a mentally unstable state. I hope to all the Divines that it is just a Red Herring, because This Type of starting point feels painfully forced.

After all, Fox had no Problems before, remember? Bino went around without his Collar, Fox was not stated to Blush. Peanut Walks in without it, nothing is shown.

For him to do So now just feels like Rick is trying to Throw Fox and Mungo together, While I personally feel that their relationship should stay Platonic.

Why? Well, Mungo, as stated before, is very dog-like, more So than much of the cast. He doesn't Seem like the type to have a relationship, and compared to Fox's Statement in the Christmas strip, it was just Fox assuming, which from how I saw in previous strips, was a Stupid assumption on Fox's part, since Mungo's actions don't Scream 'Shy'. (One doesn't become a Therapy Dog if you are Shy, as it requires close Contact and Communication.)

And honestly, While I Personally don't have a Problem with Gays, since I Actually don't mind Bruce and Roosevelt, making Fox Suddenly Jump to being Bi is going to cause a lot of issues for me. It's not So much the Sexuality, and more on the fact that if Fox was already Bi, he would have cracked a Flirt at Kevin or Fido at One point, since for all Fox knew prior to the reveal of Fido being a Cat-Lover, Fox didn't even know Why Fido didn't Seem to have a Lasting Relationship with any Female Dog.

And Trust me, While I Kept Silent for a long time, I still have a decent Memory for stuff like This. Rufus was never shown to be Bi throughout the Trainwreck of an Arc that was 'The Last Temple Crashers', yet it Suddenly made a 'Reveal' that he was... With Max... Who he probably never met until that very Arc.

And this is a Male Waaaaaayyyyyy past his Prime, trying to do it with what is the Equalvelent of a Teen or a Young Adult. *Ugh* Now I have a terrible mental image.

So basically, if you see a relationship developing due to vulnerability due to one party, the relationship won't even get off the ground. Which actually does make a lot of sense. A relationship based on anything other than mutual love and trust is always destined to fail.

Yep. That was the point I was making. Fox is currently in a Vulnerable state, and had never shown attraction to the same Gender, even though he had Multiple Chances in much of the previous arcs.

Yet Suddenly, he starts showing 'Signs'? It's not only out of nowhere, but it also happened just after his heart was shattered. If he's starting to Crush on Mungo, it will be severely one-sided, especially since Mungo would have to rebuff him, since as a Therapy Dog, he isn't supposed to cause more harm to his patients.

Seriously, it was stuff like This that made me hate The Last Temple Crashers arc. I didn’t hate Breel and Keene getting together, I hated the sections that were tacked on, like Rufus being 'Revealed' as being Bi, a Character that had never been touched for years given such a reveal out of nowhere? Boo!

There were other parts of that Arc I hated even more, but those are currently irrelavent to This section. Point I am making is that you don't just make a Character Suddenly 'Come out' out of nowhere. It's Why I am iffy if an Actor 'Comes out', since for all i know, it could be a publicity stunt to grab attention.

[Obbl]

As has been stated, a bi character is not required to make a pass at either gender, and Fox has (to my knowledge) never made a pass at anyone who didn't show interest in him first. It's common to assume that if a character shows attraction to a female they must be straight, and I'm a little concerned that's what's happening here. (Plus Fox also blushed when Mungo licked him at the end of the K9-PD arc, so there is precedent for this if you absolutely need it).

Also, though Mungo is very innocent and dog-like, so is Bailey, and she's in one of the most committed relationships of the comic. Plus relationships spring out of deep friendships all the time, and Fox and Mungo certainly have a very strong friendship.

You're free to not want Fox and Mungo together, but it really does have plenty of set up and support for it if Rick wanted to put them together. Not that it should really take all that much. The whole point of dating is to see if you're compatible as a couple. How much set up does that really need?

[GameCobra]

As has been stated, a bi character is not required to make a pass at either gender, and Fox has (to my knowledge) never made a pass at anyone who didn't show interest in him first. It's common to assume that if a character shows attraction to a female they must be straight, and I'm a little concerned that's what's happening here. (Plus Fox also blushed when Mungo licked him at the end of the K9-PD arc, so there is precedent for this if you absolutely need it).

Also, though Mungo is very innocent and dog-like, so is Bailey, and she's in one of the most committed relationships of the comic. Plus relationships spring out of deep friendships all the time, and Fox and Mungo certainly have a very strong friendship.

You're free to not want Fox and Mungo together, but it really does have plenty of set up and support for it if Rick wanted to put them together. Not that it should really take all that much. The whole point of dating is to see if you're compatible as a couple. How much set up does that really need?

I do have to mention though that I do get what John is getting at. There wasn't much indication up to this point that Fox was at the least interested in someone besides Sasha and Mungo and has been for the most part Fox chasing Sasha. Him blushing towards Mungo was more of shock embarassment than actual hint of romance.

That being said, though ~ this does not mean what Fox is doing is unnatural, either. Fox has a bad habit of zeroing in on things too much and I just feel he's never looked at others in a more romantic way until Sasha and Kevin fessed up. We just need to give it more time to see where it goes.

[Tappy Too]

I personally don't feel like the Mungo/Fox relationship is being forced at all. They have had plenty of time to get to know each other. And it's not as if either one was introduced as a love interest; like with Breel for Keene or with Bailey for King (technically). And sure, they might not work out together as boyfriends, --after all, they didn't seem to work out too well as partners-- but how will we know if they don't try?

As for the Fox blushing moments, blushing in this situation isn't always related to attraction. It could be related to embarrassment or surprise. For the situation in the most recent Christmas comic I feel like both apply.

Anyways, I'm probably gonna stop replying to this thread now because it's getting a bit off topic.


Hopefully Mungo can break Fox's fall whenever he comes back down, or else he's gonna need a lot more than just a massage...

[D-Rock]

I'm honestly surprised that things are getting this heated here.

Tarot and Peanut: sudden
Grape and Max: sudden (don't forget, Max asked her out literally as soon as he found out Grape was a girl)
King and Bailey: sudden
Kevin and Sasha: sudden
Keene and Breel: definitely slower than the above, but still pretty fast

IF Fox and Mungo get together, I've mentioned before that I'd be more surprised if they didn't, they've had a lot of time together. Some couplings form after a close bond has been established, which seems to be the case between them. While some of y'all are saying that there's no precedent for Fox being bisexual, there also isn't anything to say he isn't. While blushing is often an indicator of attraction in media, it could be embarrassment as well, as stated previously. Rick, I've noticed, has fun with teases like this. And I don't like the implication that if Fox were attracted to males he should have already made passes at them. How often has he made passes at females? Sasha was the one to instigate the kiss, at his initial hesitation. Being attracted to either/any gender doesn't require you to make constant passes at said genders to prove it.

Also consider, this is a fanservice arc. It's meant to tease fans of certain things, and a large number have been wanting Fox and Mungo to get together since the end of Mungo's introductory arc. It's still a coin toss for us if they do end up together. It's all ultimately what Rick decides is best for his characters. In the end, it's up to him, regardless of our own preferences.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I have to admit that I'm surprised that Fungo HASN'T gotten together already. And I have to point out that my hesitance towards seeing them get together is probably because I'm bitter over breaking up with my boyfriend for reasons that can't be explained.