Housepets!

Kids and their imagination, am I right?

So those two are out of the question for help. He'll never believe them now, if he ever would have in the first place.

Okay, there is a deeply unsettling shadow in the background and that can only mean one thing, PARTNER CHARACTER! Or potential antagonist.

Somewhere King is laughing for no reason and Bailey is asking, "What's so funny?" and King is like "I don't know but for some reason I'm just in really good mood."

Come on Marion, you can do it. Tell them the truth. I mean I know they sound crazy but you have proof. You have a bracelet and knowledge and....desperation. So much for telling them the truth. Time for Plan B, lie until morning then sneak out.

KARMA! Oh Karma, sweet sweet Karma. "RAAAR!?" Pete has probably never roared in his life. It's been what five years and he's forgotten what he used to sound like. Sad. Funny but sad.

AND that rules them out for being helpful or the villains of this story. Even if they did come up to Marion and offer him help or a deal to regain his human form, I doubt he would take it or listen. Bed time for those two. If you wanted to strangle those two Marion, we would all understand.

Funnily enough, their transformation wasn't spontaneous but planned and executed with the highest level of heavenly power and Kitsune's judgment.

Pet...Craig's becoming a real Foxcub, playful and childish. But without any power.

Hope is given with one sweet paw
and taken away with the other
as Marion meets some of the gang -
the problem child and her brother.
Acting Childish and telling tales,
just like Cubs are supposed to do,
derails Marion from telling the tale
of the day that he’s been through.
So close to an answer in some ways;
and yet so far away in all truth;
finding the link to what happened
is going to prove him a lucky youth.

The kits must not get out much if they're desperate enough to say their identity to any stranger. There are more people in Babylon Gardens unfavorable to Pete and Spirit Dragon than those on good terms.

fenrirblack wrote:Okay, there is a deeply unsettling shadow in the background and that can only mean one thing, PARTNER CHARACTER! Or potential antagonist.

Based on their hight and the fluffiness of their tail (and the situation) I would guess Great Kitsune, but with so little to go off of there are many possibilities. Occam's razor would suggest it's just another random background character to make the den seem more occupied like with Ink in the previous strip. Characters are easier to draw if they are just a silhouette.

Champion Wallace wrote:The kits must not get out much if they're desperate enough to say their identity to any stranger. There are more people in Babylon Gardens unfavorable to Pete and Spirit Dragon than those on good terms.

But they're not. They're 'just kits making up stories based on local legends'. All the ferals have heard of Pete the great Gryphon and his sister. They made a religion around them. Only a few are involved enough to believe the two if they heard them and they said nothing to King and Bailey and haven't met Tarot and Sabrina.

You know that if Olive and Pete's weird Fox and the Hound style friendship does happen and he tells her "I used to be an all powerful Gryphon" and she tells King then King is going to be the one in the swivel chair going "Hello, Pete" and Pete will be the one going "YOU!"

Maybe someone already mentioned it, but if Marion were to change back with that necklace around his neck, he'd be in some distress.

Okay, Marion, story's out; now we gotta work on the credibility.

I think our "shadowy figure" is probably Karishad, but ........

fenrirblack wrote:Okay, there is a deeply unsettling shadow in the background and that can only mean one thing, PARTNER CHARACTER! Or potential antagonist.

I could be mistaken, but about the only character I can think of who could match that silhouette would have to be Cory. I'm stunned Jessica hasn't cut his tail off by now. Maybe he's gotten less insufferable overtime?

NHWestoN wrote:I think our "shadowy figure" is probably Karishad, but ........

Champion Wallace wrote:Based on their hight and the fluffiness of their tail (and the situation) I would guess Great Kitsune

Ears are wrong for a fox. Too rounded. My guess would be a skunk. Though whatever they are Wallace is probably correct in the in that they're just a background character in any case.

And yeah, looks like Craig and Draig are just about ruled out for any role to play here. They're reverting into the actual mentality of fox cubs. By the time they grow up they'll probably have completely forgotten about their past lives, or at least dismissed them as just childhood fantasies.

Welsh Halfwit wrote:

Champion Wallace wrote:The kits must not get out much if they're desperate enough to say their identity to any stranger. There are more people in Babylon Gardens unfavorable to Pete and Spirit Dragon than those on good terms.

But they're not. They're 'just kits making up stories based on local legends'. All the ferals have heard of Pete the great Gryphon and his sister. They made a religion around them. Only a few are involved enough to believe the two if they heard them and they said nothing to King and Bailey and haven't met Tarot and Sabrina.

You're right that even to someone who knew of the game, Craig could be mistaken for playing pretend with the opener stuff. Spirit Dragon, on the other hand, wasn't part of the forest religion so Draig would be a lot more suspicious.

Discostew wrote:Maybe someone already mentioned it, but if Marion were to change back with that necklace around his neck, he'd be in some distress.

King's collar didn't pose any issues when he changed back. In Housepets! clothing is just kinda over looked when it comes to transformations.

leinglo wrote:

NHWestoN wrote:I think our "shadowy figure" is probably Karishad, but ........

Champion Wallace wrote:Based on their hight and the fluffiness of their tail (and the situation) I would guess Great Kitsune

Ears are wrong for a fox. Too rounded. My guess would be a skunk. Though whatever they are Wallace is probably correct in the in that they're just a background character in any case.

Aw yes. You're probably right. The ears, tail, and amount of headfur fit's Corys design much better than GK (though with only a silhouette it could be any skunk).

Good ol' Craig and Draig. Pete could seriously be better off if he molded his persona as mlre a Jesus figure instead of just a immature kid. I mean, he does have lots of years of experience under his belt.

Shot in the dark, Craig is Pete and Draig is Dragon.

I was wondering if Craig/Pete and Draig/Dragon would be in the arc! But now I have a new theory: What if...his girlfriend made a deal with someone that transformed Marion into what he is now as payback for something he did?

Setup. Total setup. Pete would never go "Raar", they're playing along to undermine Marion and they'll catch up with him when they get him alone.

Discostew wrote:Maybe someone already mentioned it, but if Marion were to change back with that necklace around his neck, he'd be in some distress.

I never thought of that and neither had Marion or he'd never have put it on.

Wow, Craig and Draig are both losing their grasp on their former lives. Draig is using kid vernacular (“big ol’ scary dragon”) and Craig is making monster sounds; then again, he could be introspectively channeling what a horrible person he was to others into that one sound. But more likely just a kid play pretending.

What do you want to bet they’ll grow up thinking that their old identities were just a little game they made up and used to play for fun?

Douglas Collier wrote:Wow, Craig and Draig are both losing their grasp on their former lives. Draig is using kid vernacular (“big ol’ scary dragon”) and Craig is making monster sounds; then again, he could be introspectively channeling what a horrible person he was into that one sound. But more likely just a kid play pretending.

What do you want to bet they’ll grow up thinking that their old identities were just a little game they made up and used to play for fun?

GK wouldn’t let that happen, he’d get less fun out of them that way. Speaking of him though, that’s basically Marion’s last hope there. Have a feeling something in the plot will make it so he can’t reverse anything, but it be good for Rick to establish if he’s living with Kix or not anyway (those bedroom eyes they exchanged make me think he’s at least not an unfamiliar face in Jessica’s house), so why dodge that meeting? At the very least, maybe he has enough power to give back Marion his lost acorns, if you catch my drift

Champion Wallace wrote:

Welsh Halfwit wrote:

Champion Wallace wrote:The kits must not get out much if they're desperate enough to say their identity to any stranger. There are more people in Babylon Gardens unfavorable to Pete and Spirit Dragon than those on good terms.

But they're not. They're 'just kits making up stories based on local legends'. All the ferals have heard of Pete the great Gryphon and his sister. They made a religion around them. Only a few are involved enough to believe the two if they heard them and they said nothing to King and Bailey and haven't met Tarot and Sabrina.

You're right that even to someone who knew of the game, Craig could be mistaken for playing pretend with the opener stuff. Spirit Dragon, on the other hand, wasn't part of the forest religion so Draig would be a lot more suspicious.

They can't BOTH be the great deity of Openerness and Draig isn't going to be less important than her bratty brother so she 'invented' a sister to the god? (at least explaining her actions.)

So now a question ... if the transformational coin can turn a human into an animal, can it reverse a spell and change an "animalized" human back? Does the Badger know that and at what price would help Marion become restored? How would the various ferals react to that piece of prestidigitation?

Douglas Collier wrote:Wow, Craig and Draig are both losing their grasp on their former lives. Draig is using kid vernacular (“big ol’ scary dragon”) and Craig is making monster sounds; then again, he could be introspectively channeling what a horrible person he was to others into that one sound. But more likely just a kid play pretending.

I think they're gaslighting Marion.

NHWestoN wrote:So now a question ... if the transformational coin can turn a human into an animal, can it reverse a spell and change an "animalized" human back? Does the Badger know that and at what price would help Marion become restored? How would the various ferals react to that piece of prestidigitation?

To my knowledge, the coin curse is one-way. It turns humans into animals, and has no effect at all on animals. That's it. If it was reversible via the coin itself, the counter curse wouldn't have been provided in a separate scroll.

Don't give up, Marion! There's a lot of people nearby who would believe you!

I wonder if this portion of the arc is, either planned or in response to a lot of our speculation, is to take characters off the board as distractions. Here we see Craig and Draig, who most of us assumed were either behind this or would be supremely interested in this situation, basically being shown to be useless (and I love the theory that as they age their memories of the past will fade)

As for the mystery shadow, assuming it's not just a shadow to fill out the room a bit, I thought it might be one of the raccoons, like Ink, or perhaps Kari. I thought for a moment that it might be a squirrel, but the tail seems too short.

I'm assuming the shadow is either Cory or a new character. Possibly the squirrel from Nuts to You back to apologize?

Are no foxes in this place sane?

Champion Wallace wrote:

Discostew wrote:Maybe someone already mentioned it, but if Marion were to change back with that necklace around his neck, he'd be in some distress.

King's collar didn't pose any issues when he changed back. In Housepets! clothing is just kinda over looked when it comes to transformations.

Although you are right about clothing being overlooked and it wouldn't matter in the long term but King was still a special case because it was done through the power of the celestials and not the coin. And Marion put the bracelet on after his change unlike King whose collar was again place through Pete's magic which makes it special. If Marion used a counter curse then the bracelet could pose a problem if you look at it logically but if he changes back through other means then it wouldn't matter.

Champion Wallace wrote:

leinglo wrote:

NHWestoN wrote:I think our "shadowy figure" is probably Karishad, but ........

Champion Wallace wrote:Based on their hight and the fluffiness of their tail (and the situation) I would guess Great Kitsune

Ears are wrong for a fox. Too rounded. My guess would be a skunk. Though whatever they are Wallace is probably correct in the in that they're just a background character in any case.

Aw yes. You're probably right. The ears, tail, and amount of headfur fit's Corys design much better than GK (though with only a silhouette it could be any skunk).

Either way its a missed opportunity if it is a random silhouette and not important for the future. I mean if it was important and it was Marion's partner then it would be cool for Rick to drop it in early just to start the process of speculation of who it is and what their role is.

Gameb18oy wrote:

Douglas Collier wrote:Wow, Craig and Draig are both losing their grasp on their former lives. Draig is using kid vernacular (“big ol’ scary dragon”) and Craig is making monster sounds; then again, he could be introspectively channeling what a horrible person he was into that one sound. But more likely just a kid play pretending.

What do you want to bet they’ll grow up thinking that their old identities were just a little game they made up and used to play for fun?

GK wouldn’t let that happen, he’d get less fun out of them that way. Speaking of him though, that’s basically Marion’s last hope there. Have a feeling something in the plot will make it so he can’t reverse anything, but it be good for Rick to establish if he’s living with Kix or not anyway (those bedroom eyes they exchanged make me think he’s at least not an unfamiliar face in Jessica’s house), so why dodge that meeting? At the very least, maybe he has enough power to give back Marion his lost acorns, if you catch my drift

I agree that Kitsune wouldn't allow that because that ruins his fun. Plus as long as he is present then there is no way for them to forget because Kitsune is a constant reminder of who they were and what he did to them. Pete strikes me as someone who can hold a grudge forever mortal or not.

This isn't the first time we've seen them fall into their childish tendencies. Pete was screaming for Pop Tarts so it comes and goes. It comes with the territory of being treated as children (labeling theory) and then their own biology is competing with their memories so it is common practice when dealing with transformation and reincarnation. It is not unusual and does not mean that they will completely forget who they really are down the line anymore than King did. If anything time will change them but they will always know but after a certain point it won't matter as much to them personally. If you want an example of this read Trials of Apollo

They look so cute when they try to be threatening.

It's kinda sad to see Pete and Dragon fall so low... Then I realize that since they're both working towards a common goal in getting back their godhood, they're both going to support each other much more, giving them more bonding time than getting frustrated over a game. I think having them start as children really was a great move on Kitsune's part since they get to experience growing up again. Honestly, I'm sort of looking forward to seeing how both these characters start growing with each other through their appearances.

More thoughts I wrote down in bed on my phone as I was getting sleepy:

-Looks like negotiating for a place to stay is going to be easier than I thought it’d be. Jess knows someone in need when she sees it, and “Tagging along with Falstaff & Truck” is definitely that.

-Guess it wasn’t Craig & Draig’s bedtime after all. What time is it in the comic right now anyway? Marion went to sleep at sunset and woke up at night, so maybe around 9PM?

-Craig & Draig talking about magic stuff and Jess (and potentially others) not believing them means that a lot of the treehouse denizens may not believe Marion if he tries to blurt anything out. I’ve said it several times before and been wrong, but this could be the instance where he finally stops trying to tell everyone he meets, and waits until he’s either confronted about it or comes to trust someone else to tell them his secret. I’m fully ready to be wrong about this, though.



Moving on to stuff I thought about today: I have this feeling that Marion’s going to wind up being Steward’s roommate, but nothing is going to come of that until later. Comedic anticlimax:

[Marion heads to his room to get some sleep. His bed is across from Steward’s. The badger is sitting at a desk, reading a book and fidgeting with the coin. He turns around to look at Marion.]
Marion: Uh, hi. I’m your new roomie, Marion. Don’t mind me, I just really need to get some sleep.
Steward: I see. Well, don’t let me stop you.
[Marion lifts the blankets, about to hop into bed, when Steward interrupts him.]
Steward: Wait, hold on.
[Marion looks over toward Steward. The badger is staring intently at him.]
Steward: There’s something off about you... yes, I think I see now...
[Marion gets anxious, wondering if somebody might finally recognize him for what he used to be]
Steward: You have some pie crumbles on your face. Best clean them out of your fur now before they get all in the bed and make a mess.
[Marion has a disappointed look on his face.]
Marion: Oh, right.

Regarding the silhouette in the background, I very much feel like it could just be a random character meant to fill space and make the treehouse feel more bustling and alive, like Ink was in the last strip. Although if we are guessing as to who it could be and if it’s anybody important, then my best guess would be that Rick is foreshadowing someone that’s going to be important to Marion later. I had another thought last night with regards to the silhouette, before thinking about Marion rooming with Steward; that maybe Jess would have him room with another female character. Like, maybe Jess has the rooms set up on dorm rules where, unless you’re a family, guys have to room with guys and girls have to room with girls. And this random silhouette would just happen to be Marion’s female roomie. Like I said, I don’t think it’s the case, but it’s fun to speculate.

fenrirblack wrote:

Champion Wallace wrote:

Discostew wrote:Maybe someone already mentioned it, but if Marion were to change back with that necklace around his neck, he'd be in some distress.

King's collar didn't pose any issues when he changed back. In Housepets! clothing is just kinda over looked when it comes to transformations.

Although you are right about clothing being overlooked and it wouldn't matter in the long term but King was still a special case because it was done through the power of the celestials and not the coin. And Marion put the bracelet on after his change unlike King whose collar was again place through Pete's magic which makes it special. If Marion used a counter curse then the bracelet could pose a problem if you look at it logically but if he changes back through other means then it wouldn't matter.

I just checked the first couple comics with King. He is transformed without a collar, which Pete magics onto him in the next comic when he reveals his new name.

I'm guessing that the friendship bracelet is not exactly held together with carbon fiber or something. If Marion turns back in a way that he grows, then it'll just break. Most TF's in this setting are of the "poof" variety. I suspect he'll reappear as human wearing PJ's or something.

Ash Greytree wrote:More thoughts I wrote down in bed on my phone as I was getting sleepy:

-Looks like negotiating for a place to stay is going to be easier than I thought it’d be. Jess knows someone in need when she sees it, and “Tagging along with Falstaff & Truck” is definitely that.

-Guess it wasn’t Craig & Draig’s bedtime after all. What time is it in the comic right now anyway? Marion went to sleep at sunset and woke up at night, so maybe around 9PM?

-Craig & Draig talking about magic stuff and Jess (and potentially others) not believing them means that a lot of the treehouse denizens may not believe Marion if he tries to blurt anything out. I’ve said it several times before and been wrong, but this could be the instance where he finally stops trying to tell everyone he meets, and waits until he’s either confronted about it or comes to trust someone else to tell them his secret. I’m fully ready to be wrong about this, though.



Moving on to stuff I thought about today: I have this feeling that Marion’s going to wind up being Steward’s roommate, but nothing is going to come of that until later. Comedic anticlimax:

[Marion heads to his room to get some sleep. His bed is across from Steward’s. The badger is sitting at a desk, reading a book and fidgeting with the coin. He turns around to look at Marion.]
Marion: Uh, hi. I’m your new roomie, Marion. Don’t mind me, I just really need to get some sleep.
Steward: I see. Well, don’t let me stop you.
[Marion lifts the blankets, about to hop into bed, when Steward interrupts him.]
Steward: Wait, hold on.
[Marion looks over toward Steward. The badger is staring intently at him.]
Steward: There’s something off about you... yes, I think I see now...
[Marion gets anxious, wondering if somebody might finally recognize him for what he used to be]
Steward: You have some pie crumbles on your face. Best clean them out of your fur now before they get all in the bed and make a mess.
[Marion has a disappointed look on his face.]
Marion: Oh, right.

Regarding the silhouette in the background, I very much feel like it could just be a random character meant to fill space and make the treehouse feel more bustling and alive, like Ink was in the last strip. Although if we are guessing as to who it could be and if it’s anybody important, then my best guess would be that Rick is foreshadowing someone that’s going to be important to Marion later. I had another thought last night with regards to the silhouette, before thinking about Marion rooming with Steward; that maybe Jess would have him room with another female character. Like, maybe Jess has the rooms set up on dorm rules where, unless you’re a family, guys have to room with guys and girls have to room with girls. And this random silhouette would just happen to be Marion’s female roomie. Like I said, I don’t think it’s the case, but it’s fun to speculate.

Yeah, about 9PM sounds right. As to the shadow figure, it seems a bit slim to belong to Cory. Maybe Friday will give us a reveal, and Marion seems to have an invitation to stay.

fenrirblack wrote:

Gameb18oy wrote:

Douglas Collier wrote:Wow, Craig and Draig are both losing their grasp on their former lives. Draig is using kid vernacular (“big ol’ scary dragon”) and Craig is making monster sounds; then again, he could be introspectively channeling what a horrible person he was into that one sound. But more likely just a kid play pretending.

What do you want to bet they’ll grow up thinking that their old identities were just a little game they made up and used to play for fun?

GK wouldn’t let that happen, he’d get less fun out of them that way. Speaking of him though, that’s basically Marion’s last hope there. Have a feeling something in the plot will make it so he can’t reverse anything, but it be good for Rick to establish if he’s living with Kix or not anyway (those bedroom eyes they exchanged make me think he’s at least not an unfamiliar face in Jessica’s house), so why dodge that meeting? At the very least, maybe he has enough power to give back Marion his lost acorns, if you catch my drift

I agree that Kitsune wouldn't allow that because that ruins his fun. Plus as long as he is present then there is no way for them to forget because Kitsune is a constant reminder of who they were and what he did to them. Pete strikes me as someone who can hold a grudge forever mortal or not.

This isn't the first time we've seen them fall into their childish tendencies. Pete was screaming for Pop Tarts so it comes and goes. It comes with the territory of being treated as children (labeling theory) and then their own biology is competing with their memories so it is common practice when dealing with transformation and reincarnation. It is not unusual and does not mean that they will completely forget who they really are down the line anymore than King did. If anything time will change them but they will always know but after a certain point it won't matter as much to them personally. If you want an example of this read Trials of Apollo

Dragon and Pete were already pretty immature. Remember when Dragon threw a rainstorm tantrum after being rejected by Peanut?

NHWestoN wrote:
Yeah, about 9PM sounds right. As to the shadow figure, it seems a bit slim to belong to Cory. Maybe Friday will give us a reveal, and Marion seems to have an invitation to stay.

Jessica has a really good heart and cares for the animals that are less fortunate around her. As long as Marion doesn't directly cause trouble, I can't see him getting thrown out.

The perceptive Jessica understood that there's something wrong with Marion, indeed... The house is big, there's plenty of space for another critter. It doesn't help ask that particular question, and her reply doesn't help either. Well, actually, the two fox kits are saying the truth, but their age and size turn it into an imagination. Marion must meet King, then, but he's still too far to reach.

CunningFox wrote:Dragon and Pete were already pretty immature. Remember when Dragon threw a rainstorm tantrum after being rejected by Peanut?

Or, like, literally anything they do. Their entire characters have been kinda-bratty nerdy teenagers in their own ways.

I like the little detail of jessica personally sharing the pie with marion last comic, and them eating it this one. She's nice

Maybe this isn’t important, but who’s that in the background? Is it Karishad still, or Kix? Or maybe it’s Great Kitsune in disguise as a mortal! The tail’s the same shape as Craig’s and Draig’s, and the figure is very lean, so it’s pretty clear it’s one of the foxes.

I like Dragon and Pete 2.0. I think this experience will benefit them in the long run, assuming they don't do anything really stupid to try to reclaim power.

Their path so far reminds me a bit of one or two TNG episodes. x)