Housepets!

That pose in panel 3 looks like it should be on the cover of some superhero comic.

Is Steward a female badger?

Well, that answers that. I was pretty sure she'd stayed female but this works. Its interesting that they both took that rather well. Marion had a short freakout, but nothing after that.

I guess we know now why Poncho didnt fall in love...

I’ve heard the phrase masculine/feminine persuasion before, but it’s none too common. It’s like puberty all over again with these two, but at least this time they’ll have someone with whom to talk about their changing body with. I can't help but observe Marion has his hands between his legs as he's saying his last line. It’s more excentuated here so I finally noticed it and it probably would have been dismissed like her abs before, but I just noticed Lois has the goatee-like chin fur similar to Maxwell or Concord. Wouldn't it be more comfortable for Marion to sit on her shoulder then her arm.

Title Text: or like, a seasonal estrus cycle, or however it works in this world, look I don't know I just write it

Think on the bright side. At least you didn't get the reproductive tract of a female ferret.

Well we have confirmation and more questions.

The fact he is not on her shoulder is quite disappointing. He’s a squirrel not a falcon.

Oh no. The Poncho and Lois relationship just went up in flames. Actually it’s more like someone set fire to the Titanic after it already hit the iceberg. Still sad. This is why I don’t ship.

Okay, real talk. Once is a cute coincidence. Fun let’s mix it up. But now that it has happened twice means someone is playing games. It’s a pattern. That means that there has to be someone pulling strings. Someone put this in motion, like it wasn’t already obvious but now for sure. It’s not just magic randomly reacting and striking. This is purposeful manipulation.

Oh oh, before I forget. It was seven strips again. The seventh strip had the big “reveal” with Marion and now this. Patterns.

fenrirblack wrote:Oh no. The Poncho and Lois relationship just went up in flames. Actually it’s more like someone set fire to the Titanic after it already hit the iceberg. Still sad. This is why I don’t ship.

In my experience shippers can be quite resilient. I don't think something like the character's having the wrong sex/orientation is going to stop shippers (didn't stop Fungo). Additionally, Lois is still mentally female even if she's physically male.

fenrirblack wrote:Okay, real talk. Once is a cute coincidence. Fun let’s mix it up. But now that it has happened twice means someone is playing games. It’s a pattern. That means that there has to be someone pulling strings. Someone put this in motion, like it wasn’t already obvious but now for sure. It’s not just magic randomly reacting and striking. This is purposeful manipulation.

That's not how statistics works.

fenrirblack wrote:Well we have confirmation and more questions.

The fact he is not on her shoulder is quite disappointing. He’s a squirrel not a falcon.

Oh no. The Poncho and Lois relationship just went up in flames. Actually it’s more like someone set fire to the Titanic after it already hit the iceberg. Still sad. This is why I don’t ship.

Okay, real talk. Once is a cute coincidence. Fun let’s mix it up. But now that it has happened twice means someone is playing games. It’s a pattern. That means that there has to be someone pulling strings. Someone put this in motion, like it wasn’t already obvious but now for sure. It’s not just magic randomly reacting and striking. This is purposeful manipulation.

Oh oh, before I forget. It was seven strips again. The seventh strip had the big “reveal” with Marion and now this. Patterns.

To quote my statistics prof: "Once is an anomaly, twice is a coincidence, three times suggests a pattern."
To which I append: "If it goes as high as ten, it's become a cliche."

Well, if you're asking me, the stats say that it's time for another poem, how's that sound?

I have to wonder, why the swap,
So what's the point behind it?
Are they both 'cream of the crop'
To swap places for a little bit?

Looks like they're balancing each other out,
In senses both literal and metaphoric,
Some swaps, time to figure what that's about,
And once they do it'll be euphoric.

Pushing the PG rating in our minds,
I think and alt-text once went,
As for their daily grinds,
Their normal selves have been bent.

Lois continues taking this on calmly,
Marion keeps making a ruckus,
I wonder where their next steps will lead,
And that Keene'll get kicked in the tuckus.

Nobody wrote:
To quote my statistics prof: "Once is an anomaly, twice is a coincidence, three times suggests a pattern."
To which I append: "If it goes as high as ten, it's become a cliche."

To quote just about anyone “I don’t believe in coincidences.”

Well, now that it has been confirmed
that they both did double switches,
this may end the Poncho shipping
as we know that he likes ladies(!)
There must be something to this thing;
this plot of them switching genders.
It sounds like a bad soap opera -
Falcon crest or, maybe, Eastenders.
At least s(he) can tell you about it,
as you ride on her sho… elbow?
Talking about all your feelings
and where this life is going to go.

Welsh Halfwit wrote:this may end the Poncho shipping

You can't sink a ship with things like facts and logic. It requires something more drastic, like a tactical nuclear strike.

Aaaaaaaand there goes the PG rating for this comic!

Silly Zealot wrote:Aaaaaaaand there goes the PG rating for this comic!

Told, not shown, and in the most general way. Rating's safe. (also explains the deliberate lack of rhyme on line #4 of my post...)

How much do you want to bet we won’t see Poncho anymore after this. I would not be surprised if he peeled out as soon as Lois’s paws touched the asphalt. Poor Poncho doesn’t need this carp in his life. His only job was to track them down and report back.

Thanks, Rick. But the analytical torrent'll still flow ... and be fun.

Champion Wallace wrote:I’ve heard the phrase masculine/feminine persuasion before, but it’s none too common.

"I can't help but notice you are of the male persuasion."
"What does liking boys have to do with anything here?"

Welsh Halfwit wrote:

Silly Zealot wrote:Aaaaaaaand there goes the PG rating for this comic!

Told, not shown, and in the most general way. Rating's safe. (also explains the deliberate lack of rhyme on line #4 of my post...)

Some things rise the rating just by talking about them, so............ na na na na na, I'm gonna change the rating in TopWebComics and you can't stop me! *runs off*

Okay here’s another theory. What if someone found Ptah’s hat and is now casting bad juju vibes for their own personal amusement. We don’t know what happened to it and a relic of heavenly power could have been lost then rediscovered then used for evil.

It was Bronson! It makes too much sense. He turned Marion into a female squirrel so not to have any possible chance of staying with Lois but when that didn’t work he turned Lois into a male bobcat so they definitely couldn’t be together and will only change her back if she agrees to date him. That’s was why he was so agreeable and understanding with Marion at school. He even subtly asked Marion about it but when Marion told him that they were still going to work it out he had to make a new move. So he followed them from school to the zoo and did the deed.

fenrirblack wrote:Okay here’s another theory. What if someone found Ptah’s hat and is now casting bad juju vibes for their own personal amusement. We don’t know what happened to it and a relic of heavenly power could have been lost then rediscovered then used for evil.

Possible but I thought it was Ptah that was magically powered, not that rather fetching chapeau?

Welsh Halfwit wrote:

fenrirblack wrote:Okay here’s another theory. What if someone found Ptah’s hat and is now casting bad juju vibes for their own personal amusement. We don’t know what happened to it and a relic of heavenly power could have been lost then rediscovered then used for evil.

Possible but I thought it was Ptah that was magically powered, not that rather fetching chapeau?

No, Fenrir is right, it was the hat. It was Dragon's consolation prize to him for not getting to be her new avatar.

But your other theories are crazy!
This was obviously the work of Doctor Dolittle! He's tired of not understanding people so he's going to turn everyone into animals so he can understand them.

I wonder if the Gender change combined with the species change is intended to disorient the subject, leaving them open to manipulation, coercion or even despair?

If so, that just makes Lois’ ability to sidestep all that, take charge & go on the hunt for answers even more admirable. Though I would imagine that if answers or a solution to her situation aren’t immediately forthcoming, she’s due some kind of breakdown just like Marion.

I can see that whoever is doing this was hoping to immediately break her. Though I can also see that if they can't change them back, Lois will break them.

Also, maybe Lois sees the sex change as an upgrade, based on what she just told Marion.

CALLED IT

I'm sure it will annoy the statistics professors, but we're talking about a webcomic here, not real life. Unless its going for Rule Of Three, there is no narrative neccessity for three coincidences to have a pattern, two is enough.

And that's assuming we don't specifically include all the transformations in the comic and look at the odd ones out.


As far as I'm concerned, the sex-swapping aspect of the transformation confirms a different cause to all previous transformations. I do not believe a coin did this. I especially don't believe Steward did it with his coin (Its been noted that his response to Marion telling him his name was "Interesting, interesting" is a strange thing to say, but I think it would make sense if he knew something about the situation but wasn't responsible for it. Why say something that shows you're considering the situation when you could say something that denies any knowledge?)

The bird in Presto Chango is either a red herring, or is a being capable of causing transformations directly.

Okay, let me explain this through writer logic. Bronson has motive. He wants Lois. Marion is in the way, take him out. Lois still doesn't want to do it, wear her down until she has no choice. Simple yet effective. There is nothing big or dramatic just a simple plot to do something very basic for the overall storyline.
My main point is that this means that Marion and Lois are one-hit wonders. Something that has been bothering me for months is what is the long term plan here? What are they going to do with the other pets/cast, with the ECP, with school? Answer, nothing. I think one of the reasons this is going on for so long is to get it all out of the way instead of dragging it out over six years like with King. We're up to five chapters. Anyway, they set the stage for what's really important. Steward. Steward gets inspired to use the coin and Keene gets the idea to further the ECP. Marion and Lois get changed back to human and they're done. Poof. Never seen again. Credits role. We don't need a big dramatic antagonist right now if the overall goal is the further the overall threads of the comic. THey're essentially tools to further the overall plot but once they're done, they are no longer needed. We had fun, we were entertained, but no sense in dragging this out. What is their point? Why have it take place right before school let out instead of after graduation? What is gained by including them as part of the main cast if they aren't pets? They could be part of the ECP recruitment for other therianthropes if that was even needed? Basically they're prototypes and once they have served their purpose get tossed. Ptah and Satau were the same way. They served their purpose for a long plot and were never seen again. I doubt we'll see Gale and Pueblo again in any major way. They too served a purpose for the overall plot thread.
Even more importantly, what is to stop Kitsune from snapping his fingers and changing them back other than some weak logic or simply saying "he doesn't want too." Do they need to be forced to stay this way? No. Not when they're are plenty of willing people who would jump at the chance to touch the coin willingly and join the ECP. Marion spreads the word to the school. He gets noticed. Attention falls on the ECP. People join because they can. The ferals don't want to. Keene should take who and what he can get.

Nobody wrote:That pose in panel 3 looks like it should be on the cover of some superhero comic.

It's an epic pose, right enough; hopefully we'll see it again in future strips. They both look pretty comfortable being together this way, even on a moving scooter!
Superhero, huh? My mind went first to Long John Silver and his parrot, and after that to a falconer about to launch an eagle from his or her arm...
Need coffee now.

Guess our question about whether Lois has changed genders has now been officially answered. That is why Poncho didn't go gaga over her once she became a bobcat.

Though now if she meets Grape we can have HER falling for Lois who is a male bobcat now since she wouldn't know any different. Onward Grois!

Don't know if this has been mentioned yet but something I'm waiting to see is if this situation happens to go reverse: one of the pets gets turned human. And man wouldn't it be something if it just so happens to be Keene, right before they get there!

fenrirblack wrote:Oh oh, before I forget. It was seven strips again. The seventh strip had the big “reveal” with Marion and now this. Patterns.

And what's more, they both reacted to this discovery in basically the same way: deciding that they had bigger things to worry about.

Don't think Marion has to worry about adolescence as much as a squirrel - unless throwing nuts is just as humiliating as a human. x3

This comic establishes more to me that these two are definitely going to be in the long run more. Also - possibly foreshadowing pets going to be going through what Lois and Marion think what humans go through just as roughly.

Title Text: or like, a seasonal estrus cycle, or however it works in this world, look I don't know I just write it

That's actually a fascinating subject. Humans are about the only animal that has that particular problem. Other animals have nothing like the horrorshow humans put up with, which seems to be due to the uniquely invasive nature of the human embryo. I won't go into details, you can look them up. It's creepy.

Ferrets though, as someone noted, rolled snake-eyes.

Nobody wrote:That pose in panel 3 looks like it should be on the cover of some superhero comic.

I was reminded more of Mordecai and Bloodwing/Talon from Borderlands.

Jamonius wrote:Don't know if this has been mentioned yet but something I'm waiting to see is if this situation happens to go reverse: one of the pets gets turned human. And man wouldn't it be something if it just so happens to be Keene, right before they get there!

As much as I love Keene in mustelid form, I would absolutely be down to watch how he'd react being changed into a human for a short while

I do wonder if he would prefer to stay human or not though, considering he would likely have greater chances of fulfilling his goal as a human

Cody wrote:

Jamonius wrote:Don't know if this has been mentioned yet but something I'm waiting to see is if this situation happens to go reverse: one of the pets gets turned human. And man wouldn't it be something if it just so happens to be Keene, right before they get there!

As much as I love Keene in mustelid form, I would absolutely be down to watch how he'd react being changed into a human for a short while

I do wonder if he would prefer to stay human or not though, considering he would likely have greater chances of fulfilling his goal as a human

Makes me wonder, if humans lose their clothes when they transform... would animals gain clothes? If so, what would they be and why?


I imagine Keene would go around with his sunglasses and a suit, looking like a Secret Service agent or something.

anhedral wrote:

Nobody wrote:That pose in panel 3 looks like it should be on the cover of some superhero comic.

It's an epic pose, right enough; hopefully we'll see it again in future strips. They both look pretty comfortable being together this way, even on a moving scooter!
Superhero, huh? My mind went first to Long John Silver and his parrot, and after that to a falconer about to launch an eagle from his or her arm...
Need coffee now.

Your comment gave me a chuckle, anhedral. I've long thought HP needed a bird character pet, and a snarky parrot would be perfect. Need third coffee now.

I think Poncho brought them someplace else; this house looks a little big...didn't Keene live in a little ferret-sized home with a little ferret-sized door and little ferret-sized furniture?

(...said the mouse with a spool of yarn for a table)

VeryAngryDeer wrote:

Cody wrote:

Jamonius wrote:Don't know if this has been mentioned yet but something I'm waiting to see is if this situation happens to go reverse: one of the pets gets turned human. And man wouldn't it be something if it just so happens to be Keene, right before they get there!

As much as I love Keene in mustelid form, I would absolutely be down to watch how he'd react being changed into a human for a short while

I do wonder if he would prefer to stay human or not though, considering he would likely have greater chances of fulfilling his goal as a human

Makes me wonder, if humans lose their clothes when they transform... would animals gain clothes? If so, what would they be and why?


I imagine Keene would go around with his sunglasses and a suit, looking like a Secret Service agent or something.

Nah, no clothes, it's a great opportunity for a bit of comedy!

Lana *cracks open door to Keene's office* Marion and Lois are here to see you sir.

Keene *hiding under desk*: A-ah.... um yeah great! Can you have them wait just a minute please? I I um I'm not not decent!
Lana: Being naked has never been a problem for us befo-
Keene: TRUST ME IT IS NOW!

Well there's our answer - Lol - that title.

I was pretty sure this was going to happen this way (ergo Lois was going to become a dude, as a foil to Marion's TF) IDK why Rick chose a Bobcat,
but it only makes me wonder what squirrel/ bobcat hybrids might look like.

Ahem, I digress...

I guess we can see now why Marion has been so subdued these past few strips. I think its safe to say the change in "persuasion", as Rick puts it, while it may have been
lateral for Lois most certainly was not so inconsequential for Marion. Reading from Lois' change til the current panel puts it all into perspective.
Poor Marion, what the little squirrel is going through.

Luckily for Marion, if this is a permanent thing mind you: A squirrel only goes into estrus once or twice a year, and, while a human's menstrual
cycle gives her several days a month during which she is ovulating and likelier to become pregnant, a squirrel's estrus cycle limits this to one or two days per year.

So its not the "that time of the month" that human females must deal with. There's at least that. >__>

Anyhoo, it'll be interesting to see where the story goes from here.

Welsh Halfwit wrote:

Silly Zealot wrote:Aaaaaaaand there goes the PG rating for this comic!

Told, not shown, and in the most general way. Rating's safe. (also explains the deliberate lack of rhyme on line #4 of my post...)

Ratings are crap anyway. They were always arbitrary, but now they're been turned into a marketing tactic. The knowledge of basic human biology is not objectionable and we only deem it so here in America because of our Puritan history.

VeryAngryDeer wrote:CALLED IT

I'm sure it will annoy the statistics professors, but we're talking about a webcomic here, not real life. Unless its going for Rule Of Three, there is no narrative neccessity for three coincidences to have a pattern, two is enough.

And that's assuming we don't specifically include all the transformations in the comic and look at the odd ones out.


As far as I'm concerned, the sex-swapping aspect of the transformation confirms a different cause to all previous transformations. I do not believe a coin did this. I especially don't believe Steward did it with his coin (Its been noted that his response to Marion telling him his name was "Interesting, interesting" is a strange thing to say, but I think it would make sense if he knew something about the situation but wasn't responsible for it. Why say something that shows you're considering the situation when you could say something that denies any knowledge?)

The bird in Presto Chango is either a red herring, or is a being capable of causing transformations directly.

Which is why I didn't argue back with Fenrir on that point, though my impulse was to do so. Story logic would dictate that there's a reason. Though, at just four total transformations, that's really not enough to draw statistical conclusions at all. The data sample is too smalll.
This means that the story must have more transformations so we can properly analyze it. *Puppy dog eyes* Please, Rick?

I kid, obviously.

Though the bird actually could just be a background detail. Birds are everywhere.

fenrirblack wrote:Even more importantly, what is to stop Kitsune from snapping his fingers and changing them back other than some weak logic or simply saying "he doesn't want too."

Tricksters be trickstin'.
As to the rest, I personally don't see that as narrative satisfying. All of Gale and Pueblo's story was about the wolves. Their purpose in the plot was to add more details to their characters, fill out their backstory. Patah and Satu likely won't be back because they're in the far distant past and how is anyone supposed to interact with them? However, they do have connections to Res and Mungo. There may be something about that which could come up later, though I can't imagine what at this time.
But Marion and Lois have been the focus of their own story for a long sequence of time. Why go to the trouble of getting us invested if they aren't going to be used after this arc concludes? Remember, when King's arc first started, he totally displaced all the main characters and he still has never had anything to do with them. It's one of the actual tangible flaws of the Celestial Game arcs. Grape and Peanut were both set up to be involved, but as soon as King comes along, they drop out of it and it becomes about this character invented more or less for that purpose. Despite Peanut's girlfriend being central to it, Peanut and Grape themselves became footnotes in the story. So, this comic isn't afraid to displace established characters for new ones.

If I hadn't come in AT King's arc and instead had been more invested in Grape and Peanut all along, I might probably have been more upset about that. It's not the best of structures if we look at the comic as a whole. It works as its own individual thing, though, and since I came in at the start of King's arc, for me (emotionally) this comic has always been about King and the original cast were distractions from that. This is one of those fun aspects of the subjectivity of audience experience. How we consume the media influences how we enjoy it.

I don't think anyone has mentioned this yet, but technically Marion doesn't have to worry about "that time" either. Humans are actually the only species that still undergo that process. Other mammals have evolved to not need it.