2018/09/05 - Alone In The Dark

[D-Rock]

[2018/09/05 - Alone In The Dark]
Title Text: yeah but who can be sure about these things

Always keep a selection of metaphors at the ready.

[Saturn381]

I wanna give Miles a hug.

[Gbr23]

Well, this is intriguing

[yugijak]

Oh...
Ooh...
Ooooooooh...

She's upset her good favor was not returned. They went off to civilization and left her to herself.

[fenrirblack]

Finally, now we know. Was that so hard? Now all we need to know is how and why?

Is anyone else freaked out by the fact that Miles is acting like King and King is acting like Miles? Who knew being the Alpha meant so much drama? Oh wait I did. And so did literally anyone who’s ever written a teenage werewolf series.

[javaman112]

this actually made me tear up a little man

[TheSilverFox51]

Poor Miles.

[Welsh Halfwit]

Poor Miles.

Poor Miles? It's not like HE fell off a cliff?(!)

Now we’re getting down to the nub of it;
what made her angry and go fill a pit
full of Wolves and leave him all alone,
revealing the truth, throwing him a bone.
Miles stands alone as the tears now do fall;
flanked by trees when he hears her call,
confronted by a friend of the far past
with a statement of when he saw her last.
The enmity seems to involve a cliff
and how he left when she wasn’t stiff;
a feeling of near total betrayal
explains why she’s been grabbing at Wolf tail.

[D-Rock]

Finally, now we know. Was that so hard? Now all we need to know is how and why?

Is anyone else freaked out by the fact that Miles is acting like King and King is acting like Miles? Who knew being the Alpha meant so much drama? Oh wait I did. And so did literally anyone who’s ever written a teenage werewolf series.

Well, we gotta have some sort of build-up. Helps in making a story. But let's see when and how the other questions are answered.

And I'm sure there are plenty of people who are, but I'm not. King is experiencing a piece of his past that he completely enjoyed, regardless of rose-tinted glasses. Miles has a pretty big responsibility, making sure his pack is okay, and packs are often family units. It's probably a lot of pressure, and he probably felt like he ultimately failed them here, in something that was ultimately his idea. And failure in the wild has a tendency to be final.

[fenrirblack]

Finally, now we know. Was that so hard? Now all we need to know is how and why?

Is anyone else freaked out by the fact that Miles is acting like King and King is acting like Miles? Who knew being the Alpha meant so much drama? Oh wait I did. And so did literally anyone who’s ever written a teenage werewolf series.

Well, we gotta have some sort of build-up. Helps in making a story. But let's see when and how the other questions are answered.

I hope it’s soon and with Flashbacks!
Something like Miles calls out “Gale take my paw!” As Gale dangles helplessly off the cliff, one arm hanging limply at her side. She reaches out but she just can’t reach. There so close, just a little farther. The rock breaks and she falls. Miles cries “No Gale! I hope we can still be friends!”

[NHWestoN]

This arc has been a weepy one, hasn't it? So, Gale fell off a cliff and Miles and the pack did .... ? Did she fall or was she pushed....?

...and how did she escape the Husky Mother Larynx Death Grip!?

[Champion Wallace]

Finally, now we know. Was that so hard? Now all we need to know is how and why?

But what does this actually tell us? Miles abandoned Gale after he assumed she was going to die of internal injuries. We don't even know if the fall was accidental or orchestrated. It would've had to occur rather close to when Miles sought his fortune in the big city, because otherwise they would've crossed paths earlier because they would be in the same forrest. Do you think Gale is so combative because she was left for dead, or are we going to be drip-fed the full story over a week or two? When you think about it, "it's not like I fell of a cliff" is a weird component of someone's vernacular if they've actually fallen off a cliff before. Something to think about in regards to Gale's character, we know the local wildlife turn to her for medical needs (well, Jack and Poncho at least). If Gale is the only one in the area with that level of medical expertise, she would've had to preform any necessary medical procedures after the fall on herself.

[Frank]

Wait, so that's how she got her scar?
It's like that scar in Legend of Korra

[fenrirblack]

Finally, now we know. Was that so hard? Now all we need to know is how and why?

But what does this actually tell us? Miles abandoned Gale after he assumed she was going to die of internal injuries. We don't even know if the fall was accidental or orchestrated. It would've had to occur rather close to when Miles sought his fortune in the big city, because otherwise they would've crossed paths earlier because they would be in the same forrest. Do you think Gale is so combative because she was left for dead, or are we going to be drip-fed the full story over a week or two? When you think about it, "it's not like I fell of a cliff" is a weird component of someone's vernacular if they've actually fallen off a cliff before. Something to think about in regards to Gale's character, we know the local wildlife turn to her for medical needs (well, Jack and Poncho at least). If Gale is the only one in the area with that level of medical expertise, she would've had to preform any necessary medical procedures after the fall on herself.

We also need to know how Miles and the other wolves were involved. The bigger line is “hurts doesn’t it” implying that Gale has felt a since of loneliness and/or abandonment that she is trying to replicate for Miles. An eye for an eye type situation. Remember Poncho said she was a family friend. Falling off the cliff, for however the reason, must have distrupted their relationship. She was alive but just how injuries was she. Usually in situations like this the victim is hospitalized for an extended period of time. It happened to Bino that one time. Say she was in a coma and left for dead in the woods. The wolves felt that there was nothing they could do and abandoned her. Gale could have spent months in a personal purgatory with literalno one at her side. What’s worse if she saw the wolves laughing and playing having clearly forgotten about her. They saw her “alive” but in what condition? If she was on deaths door it would be possible that they simply assumed she died not long after the incident. That bitterness grew inside her and she supplemented it by taking over their territory after they left. She projecting her feelings of betray and abandonment on the fact that they returned. Them leaving the wood originally could have been the initial trigger if not throwing salt on the wounds. Then to show up ten years later like nothing happened... Eeesh.

[Ryusuta]

My god... Miles has become Isaac!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZJxIp3wvvs

[Argent]

So Bailey let her go?

[Welsh Halfwit]

So Bailey let her go?

They probably came to an agreement to leave the King clutch out of things.

[Obbl]

I mean, the stipulation was "[if you] touch my pups"
Plus Bailey doesn't exactly know what's been happening any more than Miles did before this point

[TOPCATDIGIANIMEFAN]

What He Means Is That Was The Last Time They Saw You Gale

[NHWestoN]

Still ... I can't see our Bailey just releasing a massive mauler on an airy promise of good-behavior without some concern for the Pack. That's kinda irresponsible and dangerous. Maybe she and Gale had a little background conversation, and the dogs are now "in" on Gale's drama.....

Or not...

[John-056]

Finally, now we know. Was that so hard? Now all we need to know is how and why?

But what does this actually tell us? Miles abandoned Gale after he assumed she was going to die of internal injuries. We don't even know if the fall was accidental or orchestrated. It would've had to occur rather close to when Miles sought his fortune in the big city, because otherwise they would've crossed paths earlier because they would be in the same forrest. Do you think Gale is so combative because she was left for dead, or are we going to be drip-fed the full story over a week or two? When you think about it, "it's not like I fell of a cliff" is a weird component of someone's vernacular if they've actually fallen off a cliff before. Something to think about in regards to Gale's character, we know the local wildlife turn to her for medical needs (well, Jack and Poncho at least). If Gale is the only one in the area with that level of medical expertise, she would've had to preform any necessary medical procedures after the fall on herself.

We don't have enough info to stake a Claim. Do NOT assume that far ahead.

For all we know, it could have been a Legit Incident. Miles would not have known because he Well and truly thought she was dead, while In Gale's eyes, from where she was, it looked like Miles and his pack abandoned her.

But I feel that is not enough info. We know now that This is revenge, but until we get more facts, we can only assume the petty kind. We don't know what the Cliff was or where it was, we don't know where Gale's mate was, unless Housepet Big Cats follow the whole 'Love em & Leave Em' route, we don't know the Circumstances behind it, or the reasoning.

We can just keep theorizing until the facts come up, drip-fed as they are at an agonizing rate.

And unfortunately, I can't even give my full ideas, since a Certain Green Named person proclaimed that each and everyone of my opinions 'Were Bringing Rick down', even though I was never sent a message from Rick himself, and I was Subbed to his Furaffinity account, So if he was down, I would have received a Journal Message saying that Someone got him in a terrible Mood.

[Sansash]

Gale missed a great opportunity to offer Miles a Hertz doughnut

[Douglas Collier]

I think it’s more along the lines of this: Gale did fall off a cliff at one point (completely independent from this plot line) and Miles is pointing out that she did, in fact, fall off a cliff once. Gale was probably more or less fine afterward and the actual event that caused the rift occurred later, and the cliff incident is besides the point.

[NHWestoN]

Kenneth Graham in "Wind in the Willows" mentions an episode where a minor character, an otter, slips off an embankment and disappears. The other characters act like nothing happened, and Graham notes that in the wild, it was considered bad manners to note someone's disappearance. The underlying assumption was that, it being the natural world, something violent had occurred. Perhaps the same custom applies among the ferals in Rick's world. The wolves assumed Gale was deceased and went on with life.

...Or not. As some folks noted, we know what we've been told in the Miles-Gale dialogue and else is conjecture. Conjecture's fun but it's just that ... speculation. I'm really eager to hear this dialogue unfold because Gale's sour vindictiveness and cruelty suggests a very dark side of Miles I cannot imagine existing. Yet, by now, it's obvious her actions go far beyond territorial assertion - she wants vindication. Gale's getting even....

[John-056]

Kenneth Graham in "Wind in the Willows" mentions an episode where a minor character, an otter, slips off an embankment and disappears. The other characters act like nothing happened, and Graham notes that in the wild, it was considered bad manners to note someone's disappearance. The underlying assumption was that, it being the natural world, something violent had occurred. Perhaps the same custom applies among the ferals in Rick's world. The wolves assumed Gale was deceased and went on with life.

...Or not. As some folks noted, we know what we've been told in the Miles-Gale dialogue and else is conjecture. Conjecture's fun but it's just that ... speculation. I'm really eager to hear this dialogue unfold because Gale's sour vindictiveness and cruelty suggests a very dark side of Miles I cannot imagine existing. Yet, by now, it's obvious her actions go far beyond territorial assertion - she wants vindication. Gale's getting even....

Problem is, we don't know if her 'Vindication' is Legit, or if it's petty.

For all we know, Miles may have just accidentally done something, but Gale ignored any and all Explaination that it was just an accident.

What's more, it's clear she fears Uncle Deadeye, and I doubt it was linked to the moment involving Jata. For all we know, she may just be doing This for petty reasons, and not anything serious.

Honestly, at least This isn't over the top joking like in The Last Temple Crashers. It's Why I had Gone Silent for a long while. The Humor in This Arc not only fits, but is also toned down So it doesn't get in the way of story, where The Last Temple Crashers kept failing at.

So, hopefully, we get an Explaination, or at least a few hints that gives a few answers on Friday. I understand Rick needing time to make the Comic pages, but drip feeding is painful when there is a long Wait.

Its Why Sequential Art has lost a lot of favor for me. Rick at least keeps a weekly Schedule, three impressive Panels a week depending on quality, but Jollyjack Barely keeps a monthly Schedule, and keeps shoe-horning in filler, which on a Comic with no real Schedule, is a death sentence.

[Cesco]

Aww, it's weird see Miles so worried to even start to cry... As householder, he really loves the members of his big family. Jack included, hopefully. Yeah, Gale, it hurts. You got what you wanted to see, as seems... Oh, so, you fell off a cliff, surviving from it. Why are you two kinda denying both the facts each other, then?

[GameCobra]

Gale's issue against Miles is very likely going to be from a miscommunication moment i take it. Went back to read Jack's comment and it's starting to sound like that her pack ran into a serious problem and was unfortunately left for dead. I'm getting the feeling here also that Miles (and of course, Lucrecia, who urged Miles into the idea as well) is the worrying type and might've used Gale's pack as a reason to move on.

[fenrirblack]

I think it’s more along the lines of this: Gale did fall off a cliff at one point (completely independent from this plot line) and Miles is pointing out that she did, in fact, fall off a cliff once. Gale was probably more or less fine afterward and the actual event that caused the rift occurred later, and the cliff incident is besides the point.

That is a reasonable theory. But at the point in the story dropping a pointless fact like “Gale fell off a cliff” would be not only misleading but foolhardy considering we are so close to the end of the story. Even it was for the sake of a joke it would be a waste of time to point it out and for it to have literally nothing to do with the fact that Gale has a vendetta against t the wolves. At the very least it should hold some kind of significance for the tension between Gale and the pack if not the main reason. A piece in the larger puzzle.

There is also the fact that Gale pointed it out (however sarcastically) which indicates that it must hold some significance for both Gale and Miles. It is almost like she is guilting Miles by being like “remember how I fell off that cliff and you ______”

Of course we won’t for sure what is significant until the next strip (hopefully)

[Leomon2004]

I wanna give Miles a hug.

I thought the same thing when I saw the second panel.

[TeflonCougar]

Makes me wonder how old Pueblo is.

Gale seems old enough to have raised other kittens. (Pumas are part of the Felis genus so kitten is an acceptable term.) Wondering then if Gale somehow lost a family, in someway that could be the fault of the wolf family. It would explain her need to attack, and her comment "Hurts, doesn't it?" as if to say, it hurts when someone causes you a familial loss. Possibly even the land being ceded to her by Miles was her reparation for her loss. They caused the issue and moved out of the area. The wolves just thought she had migrated elsewhere in the last few years, or maybe died since wildlife tends to have a shorter life span.

I do think it is a bit early for Miles to have tears. They lived there before, and the elder wolves could just be out of earshot showing the youngers the ropes.

And of course, like so many others, I want to know what happened with Bailey and why she didn't sound any kind of alarm. Possibly, since she does not have the same history as the wolves, she considered the matter closed when Gale left and just made a mental note to tell Miles there was a puma about.

[Douglas Collier]

That is a reasonable theory. But at the point in the story dropping a pointless fact like “Gale fell off a cliff” would be not only misleading but foolhardy considering we are so close to the end of the story. Even it was for the sake of a joke it would be a waste of time to point it out and for it to have literally nothing to do with the fact that Gale has a vendetta against t the wolves. At the very least it should hold some kind of significance for the tension between Gale and the pack if not the main reason. A piece in the larger puzzle.

Rick had to throw in a joke somewhere, or people would probably complain (a lot of people come to this comic for the humor). And, in this context, the only joke I can see is Gale misspeaking about not falling off a cliff, Miles’ dumbfounded expression and reply that she did fall off a cliff, and Gale’s walking back her previous statement. It gives us a little backstory, but to be getting any more from a joke is kind of pushing it. But like you said, we won’t know for sure what is significant until the next strip

There is also the fact that Gale pointed it out (however sarcastically) which indicates that it must hold some significance for both Gale and Miles. It is almost like she is guilting Miles by being like “remember how I fell off that cliff and you ______”

That could also be interpreted as her being frustrated at Miles for not picking up what she’s putting down; for splitting hairs; for missing the point - that she hadn’t done anything that would make people think she died. She uses the metaphor (as stated in the alt text) of falling off a cliff - a bad metaphor because, ironically, she did fall off a cliff at least once, according to Miles. She goes back to clarify that she was alive afterward only because Miles was dense enough to try and correct her. I think she was just getting frustrated by everybody thinking she was dead for no good reason.

[Obbl]

^This is my thought

[D-Rock]

We don't have enough info to stake a Claim. Do NOT assume that far ahead.

Due to the episodic nature of Housepets, there will be plenty of moments for us to give our theories to future happenings based on what we have come to know. Have fun doing so, but do keep in mind not to take your own or others much too seriously. Everyone is free to make their own theories as long as they continue to show respect to those with different ideas.

[Argent]

Gale will turn out to be Rock and Lana in a powered cougar suit, like that heavy loader in Aliens.

[NHWestoN]

For a wolf, Miles does look kinda "sheepish".

[CyberDragon]

Crying Miles makes me sad.

[John-056]

We don't have enough info to stake a Claim. Do NOT assume that far ahead.

Due to the episodic nature of Housepets, there will be plenty of moments for us to give our theories to future happenings based on what we have come to know. Have fun doing so, but do keep in mind not to take your own or others much too seriously. Everyone is free to make their own theories as long as they continue to show respect to those with different ideas.

Honestly, I agree with you, but half the time, when I see such Data, few either change tracks too soon, or some try to remake the character's personality to benefit the theory...

Though in my opinion, I also honestly Keep feeling Peanut has backwards character development.

[fenrirblack]

That could also be interpreted as her being frustrated at Miles for not picking up what she’s putting down; for splitting hairs; for missing the point - that she hadn’t done anything that would make people think she died. She uses the metaphor (as stated in the alt text) of falling off a cliff - a bad metaphor because, ironically, she did fall off a cliff at least once, according to Miles. She goes back to clarify that she was alive afterward only because Miles was dense enough to try and correct her. I think she was just getting frustrated by everybody thinking she was dead for no good reason.

That's the weird thing though. No one other than Miles mentioned the fact that there was ever the possibility that she was dead. It was always "Whoa" or "Wuh." My intentional thought when reading Miles reaction was "How old is she for Miles to think that she would be dead by now?"

Rick had to throw in a joke somewhere, or people would probably complain (a lot of people come to this comic for the humor). And, in this context, the only joke I can see is Gale misspeaking about not falling off a cliff, Miles’ dumbfounded expression and reply that she did fall off a cliff, and Gale’s walking back her previous statement. It gives us a little backstory, but to be getting any more from a joke is kind of pushing it. But like you said, we won’t know for sure what is significant until the next strip
.

We got plenty of humor in the last strip. I was cracking up. It was so simple but so perfect. Going on that point, there have been plenty of strips in this chapter alone that really did not have a "joke" or at least not a good one. Those focused more on backstory/plot and that's okay. It would be selfish and honestly mean to expect Rick to create a joke for every strip when he's already trying to tell a story of this magnitude. Honestly, there is no "joke" in this strip. I mean we see Mile's desperate plea followed by him ugly crying. No joke can save this strip. That means that mentioning the cliff is more like a subtle hint that something significant happened for the sake of plot than for the sake of humor.

[Obbl]

I mean, it is the wild... We know Poncho, (likely) Jack, and Gale have had near death experiences (and whatever blinded Deadeye may put him on that list too). In Rick's Infinitesimal History book that he posted some excerpts from, it said that the average life span of a feral canine is roughly 15 years despite their true maximum being about 40. Not too unreasonable to assume she had died if they haven't seen her in a good few years.

It's not that we expect a joke each strip; it's one of Rick's self-imposed rules. Each strip has ended with a joke (even if it's a little difficult to make one or it comes out only mildly amusing) since the first strip. Which is why a lot of us are very skeptical of theories that involve reading too deeply into the last panel.

[Hlaoroo]

Finally, now we know. Was that so hard? Now all we need to know is how and why?

But what does this actually tell us? Miles abandoned Gale after he assumed she was going to die of internal injuries. We don't even know if the fall was accidental or orchestrated. It would've had to occur rather close to when Miles sought his fortune in the big city, because otherwise they would've crossed paths earlier because they would be in the same forrest. Do you think Gale is so combative because she was left for dead, or are we going to be drip-fed the full story over a week or two? When you think about it, "it's not like I fell of a cliff" is a weird component of someone's vernacular if they've actually fallen off a cliff before. Something to think about in regards to Gale's character, we know the local wildlife turn to her for medical needs (well, Jack and Poncho at least). If Gale is the only one in the area with that level of medical expertise, she would've had to preform any necessary medical procedures after the fall on herself.

We don't have enough info to stake a Claim. Do NOT assume that far ahead.

For all we know, it could have been a Legit Incident. Miles would not have known because he Well and truly thought she was dead, while In Gale's eyes, from where she was, it looked like Miles and his pack abandoned her.

But I feel that is not enough info. We know now that This is revenge, but until we get more facts, we can only assume the petty kind. We don't know what the Cliff was or where it was, we don't know where Gale's mate was, unless Housepet Big Cats follow the whole 'Love em & Leave Em' route, we don't know the Circumstances behind it, or the reasoning.

We can just keep theorizing until the facts come up, drip-fed as they are at an agonizing rate.

And unfortunately, I can't even give my full ideas, since a Certain Green Named person proclaimed that each and everyone of my opinions 'Were Bringing Rick down', even though I was never sent a message from Rick himself, and I was Subbed to his Furaffinity account, So if he was down, I would have received a Journal Message saying that Someone got him in a terrible Mood.

Half the fun of making theories is knowing they're likely wrong and don't fit the facts but imagining what could happen anyway. We know full well that we're probably on the wrong track but it's all in good fun.

What we're saying, John, is please keep it fun for everyone. We're not saying that you can't share your ideas, just that they should be shared without simultaneously deriding other people's ideas. We're not saying you can't give criticism, just that the criticism that's given should be constructive.

Phrases like "Do NOT" come across as very aggressive, especially with the capitalisation that was used. Everyone, including yourself, is more than welcome to share ideas and theories. No one, however, is permitted to give orders on what direction the theories should go or the extent to which the theories should be followed.

Also of note, Rick is a mature and private person. He is under no obligation to share his personal feelings, especially not in a publically viewable journal. Additionally, if you are unhappy with an action taken by a moderator you are more than welcome to message an administrator or to post in the Rules and Moderator discussion forum. Please do not make snide remarks about moderator actions as this is against our rule of being kind and respectful.