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King’s look in Panel three is PRICELESS!
Oh man, I was too busy laughing at the faces in the last panel.
You know first I thought the confused King was great, but Pete’s maniacal laugh at Spirit Dragon my just top them ALL! Bravo Rick, BRAVO!
I dunno, I’m rather partial to the Kitsune’s expression, myself.
This
Failed
Agreed!
Agreed.
You’re gravitar has the expression of “agreement”. The word just fit.
PS, who knows what the Cat is that Pete speaks of? Is it… oh I can’t remember the name, but there’s a character with another ancient symbol as a collar. Help me out guys! >_<
Well, the sheet King is looking at has “GRA” – and what might be a “P” – scribbled out on it. That provides a fair guess I think.
sabrina
12 Canadian Dollars.
THERE PRICED WE CAN NOW ALL SLEEP IN PEACE
Heck no! The price for all those expressions in dollars is OVER NINE THOUSAND!!!
There, never thought I’d ever say it, but there, I did.
Dude, I wouldn’t pay that for a facial expression when I can go make my own in a mirror.
I’m a champion at faces
(I got it from my mother … )
I just wanted to use that
TO BAD FOR YOU
MUHAHAHA
I’d pay “five hundred and ninety-nine U.S. dollars.” ;3
Also, where’d this “Great Kitsune” come from, and why is he sitting behind the DM’s screen? Guess we’ll find out soon enough…
Also-also, I likes the idea of Tarot-Dragon being love-love with Peanut! <3
Also (etc.), What's this about "avatars"? Is Pete trying to prepare King's body to be inhabited by him? Was "Tarot" once a normal dog before being possessed by the dragon? Craziness abounds!
Well, in D&D terms, the player would have created or taken some one else’s character. The player would be that person’s spiritual being and the avatar whom they control. In Housepets’ term, the spirits (Pete and Tarot) inhabit the avatars (e.g. Tarot). Regardless, the spirit would be well aware of their past life and inhabitation would be like gaining magic powers and knowledge. The spirit can’t do what they wouldn’t do, else it’s not roleplaying, hence we have a Dungeon Master (the Kitsune) to say what the players (Pete & Tarot) can or cannot do. Why do this? It’s fun!
But what I wanna know which “the cat” Pete is talking about. Is it Grape or Maxwell? And if it is Grape…Pete wants to play as a girl cat? LOL
one D&D game board $20
two tweleve packs of soda $8
the look on King’s face….priceless
there’s somethings money can’t buy. for everything else, there’s Housepets.
Great Kitsune!!!
Equals Fox?
That’s kinda what it looks like, but something tells me this Great Kitsune is possibly NONE of the housepets.
Well, he did say, “What did you have to go and get me up here for?” which suggests that he was perhaps enjoying the celebrations down below, which would explain why it seems like he’s so cranky.
I was gonna say that. But I’ll add that in one of the D&D groups that I play with, our DM has a couple PCs that come along with the main group. It is entirely possible that the Great Kitsune has a character or two in the game, if for nothing else than to ensure that the rules are followed.
Ya know that’s a good point from both of ya, to find out who’s the fox is we’d just need to check out the newer characters in the “game”, like if someone was acting wierd or was makin the events “move”… don’ ya think it’s wierd how Zach is the one who opened that door to the temple so easily? :O
I think the DM could poke any NPC into action without having to make them an avatar.
@Gaboris:
I think anyone who didn’t spend almost all their lives in the forest would see how obvious it was to open the door.
@Argent:
I don’t, never have, and most likely never will play D&D, but I don’t need to. I understand the basic concepts well enough to agree with you on this.
I think he was celebrating, just as the Housepets are, at that party thingy. And that he wasn’t playing U&U at that moment, but I still get the feeling he plays it at other times.
It’s the fourth of July. There’s parties all over the place he could have been in. There’s no reason to assume he was in Babylon Gardens at all.
And even then, he wouldn’t have to be using an avatar like the Dragon, he could have been manifesting directly like Pete.
@Furry: True, but that was a wierd stone slab with wierd symbols… of course it may have been a “Press here.” symbol that I didn’ see so… XD
) so I didn’ know aboot that, thx for the clearing. 
Aboot the fourth of July ye’re right again, but it would be a bit random I’d say… but what do I know, right? XD
@Argent: Never played any D&D type rpg boardgame(wated to so bad but there are no ppl here for that anymore.
Nonono. I didn’t mean the Babylon Gardens party. I was drawing a parallel.
I’m thinking he’s the DM. :3
one thing i notice is that their personalities are intact in both forms. so if hes fox.. hed seem more like foxes attitude in his speech which to me he doesnt.
Plus he’s hot.
hmmm i think ur wrong there boyo, notice how hes not around the gameboard, just cos hes kinda like fox in some ways doesnt mean he is fox
I love the Spirit Dragon’s look on her face!!
Which panel? 7 or 8? or Both?
Both!!^^
i like the spirit dragon period ‘wink wink nudge nudge’
Oh God no
menachem ur just jealous
The GM is a kitsune? Yay for Japanese mythology!
rally i just gonna call it 9-tails (shorter : )
Well i’ll kall it 9T
Or 9
Or
O
Can you see 9 tails? I think he’s got 7. Just because.
@Lupus
Look at Panel 4 and count. There are nine tails.
I fail so bad
rally there r 9 tails? i wud just callin it dat cuz ai felt like it ^^
Can we call it Kit? I like that :3
kyubi is the actual name.
and why does he only have 9, they don’t become omnipitent until they grow 10 tails
9 is like world destroying and rebuilding in his own image wizard…10 is reality altering diety
I’ve never heard anything about ten tails, but I’m not an expert. I didn’t even know the name kyubi. I should try to keep that in mind.
I’m positive Kitsune’s only go up to 9 tails. Based off of you calling it a “Kyubi” am I correct in assuming that you got that name from Naruto? If that’s the case, the 10 tails you mentioned is refering to the Juubi and isn’t an actual part of Japanese mythology. If I’m wrong in my assumption, I apoligize.
I believe you are correct, though I did a report on Chinese Mythology for English last year, I still prefer to study the Japanese. The Kyubi in Naruto was actually referred to as “The 9 Tailed Fox”, so apparently it never reached omnipotent status (well, Naruto’s world wouldn’t exist if it had).
But in this case, I believe this guy is a Kitsune. They’re like a lower-class Kyubi, never reaching omnipotent status. In the Housepets! universe, that’s a good thing, as from what we know none of the mythical beings are really interested in creating/destroying the universe(s) for their own purpose. As Pete pointed out earlier, “Why create a new one when we can just pick one we like?”
Going by everything I’ve ever heard of in official folk lore, Kitsune only have had up to 9 tails, never more. The 10+ tail thing is mostly a more recent creation of fanboys and furries who like to claim their virtual alter ego has more power than anyone else etc. Course that behaviour is long associated with younger people just playing a bunch of munchkins anyway so it’s hardly a furry only thing.
“My Kitsune goes up to 11″
Oh yeah? well mine goes to:
OVER 9000!!!!
9000 tails? Bet he’s got a chiropractor on speed-dial.
Let’s clear this up. The Kyuubi (9-tailed Fox) from Naruto is based on the Japanese legend of the Kyuubi no Kitsune (the Fox of Nine Tails). Kishimoto just used it as a plotline for the story.
Whether or not a Kitsune can go up to 10 tails, I don’t know. I certainly haven’t read anything about that (and I’ve read a bit), though I do know that when it rains while the sun is shining in Japan they say that a newly wed Kitsune pair is walking through the forest.
Kitsune’s are basically just Fox Demons who are more like imps and prone to possess women more often than men. They can also shapeshift (again, usually into a woman). The only thing that they can’t hide with magic is their tails, which they are very good at disguising in other ways. The only way to defeat or exercise a Kitsune is to make it show its tail by either tricking it or getting it drunk enough off of sake.
Kitsune are not demons or spirits, they’re just foxes who’ve learned a little (or more than a little) magic.
that’s why he’s the “Dungeon Master”
The word Tails is even shorter, but I don’t thing this dude is from Sonic
King in the 3rd panel makes me think of Metal Gear Solid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P5qbcRAXVk
Im with King!!
It all makes sense now. Olright, hold up, I have to wipe my brains off the walls
i dont remember a KABOOM of brain
Sometimes the brains just squirt out the ears.
That’s why I keep mine in a secure place!
I’m guessing in a locked box that is linked wirelessly to your body that is up high in a Skytower?
Mine is kept in a jar on my desk at work.
So what happens when a burglar comes in after everybody leaves for the night, and when you come in the next day it’s gone?
Nothing, because he doesn’t have a brain…
I just use one of my back up brains I collected while working at a theme park. None of those patrons needed them.
I dont know why but i finally understand it!!
Man im slow!!
hey Joker nice Avi!! XP
OH LOL
Sorry King I don’t think there is a metaphor and if there is… well this D&D game is too confusing to me.
Somehow I have a sinking feeling King’s going to wake up from either his orange soda hangover or the pet cage crash and wonder if it was all just a bad dream.
Then again, these are supernaturals involved…
I doubt it, simply because that leads to a lot of confusion amongst the readers as to which events in other characters lives actually took place and which ones were part of the dream-sequence – hence the occasional confusion as to Peanut’s actions and knowledge versus those of Dream-Peanut from the original “The Grove” arc.
http://www.housepetscomic.com/category/comic/the-grove/
they might do that in order to throw him off their trail, make him think it was just a bad dream…
The problem there is that it’s so easily checked; for example, King made a date with Sasha. If Sasha remembers this, then it probably wasn’t a dream.
Which is the problem, a dream sequence often confuses readers; a month later, some wouldn’t remember that it’s a dream – and would want to know how the date went. Others would remember – but after a few more months of strips, the confusion would escalate. Thus the note on Dream-Peanut versus Peanut.
But before he wakes up a new metaphor scene must take place something liiiike:
A fourth character some sort of big bro type busts in on them and smashes the game and lecturing the three for being so careless with worlds and lives and well known quote (with higher-being portions of course) “Playing U&U? How old are you guys anyway? 9607 or what?”
But this is just my first guess of course… and after smashing the table King falls back to earth just to wake up somewhere.
Like that.
Very good, funny comic. Seems that everyone who was predicting Tarot was not the Spirit Dragon were correct. Time to count the minutes until Monday’s comic.
Ok so shes not but again that is not what the Word Avatar means unless I’m really missing something here.
The Spirit Dragon is Tarot isn’t she. In panel 7, “I… Tarot still loves him”.
Right now I really have no clue anymore who is right and I think the only way will find out is if Rick just tells us or Monday maybe
I had interpreted that to be a slip. She instinctively wanted to say “I still love him,” but realized a half-second too late that it’s Tarot (the actual dog) that’s supposed to be in love with Peanut (hypothetically). I would support this with the fact that Pete is trying to gain King as an avatar. Pete is not King, Furthermore, Dragon states that what Pete did was done without King’s permission. This implies a necessity for the avatar to agree to be an avatar for the spirit. Ergo, it made sense to me that Tarot exists in “reality” as a Pomeranian who agreed to act as an avatar for Dragon.
This is the best explanation so far, kudos.
I second this. Though that makes me wonder how much of a bad guy Pete really is; yes, he’s a jerk, yes, he changed King into a dog likely so he could make him his avatar. However, King has to agree to this, and he definitely won’t now that 1)Pete’s abused him (or at least been a bad owner) and 2)He’s heard all of this conversation, and I don’t think they intend on just poofing him back down, thinking it was all a dream. Because why explain everything to him if they were just going to do that?
Because true D&D geeks LIVE for explaining things.
But they’re not D&D geeks, they’re U&U geeks.
Dungeons and Dragons, Tunnels and Trolls, Bunnies and Burrows, whatever…
I have a problem with this, mostly because of the fact that Tarot -turned into- the dragon. King is not going to suddenly explode into Pete, Pete’s standalone. But Tarot disappeared and Spirit Dragon replaced her. I think it’s a disguise
…Wut? I’m not mad. Stupid misinterpreted emoticons ._.
Yeh, the transition from Tarot to the Spirit Dragon really made it look like the Pomeranian was an illusion, like Gaspar.
I just can’t get how’s this again… okay I get it I just don’ realy like it and try to deny. XP So Tarot’s not real just an image the dragon made for herself… that’s sad don’ ya think?
BTW you guys know what that Gaspar thing is, cuz the only thing I could find on that is the hungarian name “Gáspár”, it’s cool to see hungarian stuff here, but still is there any connection?
No Rick just confirmed on the forum that The Dragon and Tarot are Separate people everyone. The transformation I now take to mean more like a Bruce Banner and the Hulk like thing.
I didn’t like the idea of Tarot just being an illusion either. But that’s what it really looked like.
Gaspar is what Pete called his “Welshman” illusion.
And Bruce Banner is the Hulk, it’s just a bad case of multiple personality disorder… like the Jeckyl/Hyde character he’s based on.
I meant in the sense that they inhabit the same body because I doubt that Dragon is just sitting around at the table when Tarot is out. And it would explain why The Kitsune had to be awoken he was in his Avatar at the time also it explains where Tarot is right now shes in the form of Dragon. (at least this is how I’m taking it for now I might be wrong)
You know what The Hulk might have been a bad analogy
In fact Marvel comics Thor would have been a better analogy I think
You know what I suck at Analogies just forget it my post right after Argent Stonecutter explains what I mean (at least I hope it does)
I want Rick to explain that transformation business. Is Tarot still there in the Housepets universe, just not in touch with the dragon (but maybe with other spirits)? Or have the Dragon and Tarot become one?
@Ice: Thx a housand for the info man, that helps alot and though the Bruce/Hulk thing was a bit off as ya said it was still clear so no prob.
@Argent: Yeah it would be the best to hear it from him, but meh what are the odds right? BTW I know it’s his alter name and such, but just wanted to know if is it a normal name in english or the like… but meh let’s leave it. :p
But Tarot transformed into Spirit Dragon since she WILLINGLY became her avatar, hence King was forced to be pete’s.
I love the Kitsunes’ face in the last panel its priceless and so is Pete’s and they are all Nerds absolute Nerds
Also question so if Tarot and the Dragon aren’t the same person then that mean Tarot is not in love with Peanut only the Dragon is. Right i’m understanding this here right.
You may be wrong about Tarot/Dragon being two different people but I don’t think so (see above comment). So either Tarot is there on Dragon’s behalf, without much/any love for Peanut, or they both love him, in which case Peanut’s relationship status can no longer fit in a stereotypical triangle =P
But if they aren’t the same person then Pete’s line implies that The Dragon loves Peanut and not Tarot and she’s basically making Tarot be with Peanut because she wants to be and not because Tarot has any real feelings for him.
so yeah Tarot is not in love with Peanut if they aren’t the same person. (I think I’m explaining that clearly)
Yes, I can understand you. That’s quite possibly the case, but I have yet to find a good reason to completely reject the possibility that both Tarot and Dragon love Peanut.
I have a hard time believing ANYONE doesn’t love Peanut!
Agreed
Possibly, I think this is the only time “Tarot” ever refered to Peanut in romantic terms and this would clearly be when she is an avatar (if she isn’t just entirely one)…
http://www.housepetscomic.com/2009/11/23/so-cool/
as a seasoned role player, it is completely possible that tarot was the first to fall in love with peanut between the two. if this is the case, what dragon said could fall into one of two, if not both, categories.
1-the whole “i’m still in character” slip. in an extended role play session one can get caught up with all the “I’s” and “You’s” of speaking in first person. and since you have to keep thinking in character, even when not speaking as such, you could slip up like that.
2-what i like to call “Avatar projection syndrome” lol. in short, you grow so attached to things your avatar is doing that you end up unable to differentiate between your feelings and the “in character” feelings. as such you might end up falling in love with another one of the characters. if so, dragon prolly jus has the hots for peanut’s kind of personality in the first place.
OH wow. Awesome Kitsune!!!!
and yeah, sounds like a Lower level being ribbing of DnD…. even super powered beings it seems love to ribbed one another. They are more…. “human” dare I say it?
anyway, good comic, and FYI, I was going to return no matter what happened, you got me hooked for a long time and I always like seeing what Housepets will be like next comic.
Uh….. can we get the Kitsune in some Avatars?
Iz already done!
The problem is there’s not enough of him to have more avatars (you’d have to start getting creative with Paint/Cut-n-paste to make ‘em different).
Last panels expressions are just XD
Yay kitsune my favorite. i love how the spirit dragons in love with peanut. this proves that the whole avatar being her thing. but even better that i assume a god loving a low order being is sooo worse than the fact that peanut loves a cat
Okay. Now I’m horribly confused.
This is Rick we are talking about! Just pictured it for example: Hideo Kojima the creator of MGS introduced Raiden then that goofy LaLiLuLeLo stuff we were all horribly confused then after awhile we were all like “ooh ahah we get it now”!!
I believe the there is a trope for that: Mind Screw. I am sure Rich will clarify when he is good and ready.
Who is this “Rich”? Unless you’re implying that Rick has a brother named Rich. Or maybe Rick is rich?
Rick! What have you been hiding!
(PS: Yes, I enjoy nitpicking such mistakes
)
I think this scene is the equivalent of Order of the Stick’s crayon drawings.
If you’re going to be such a nitpick, it’s called a typo. :p
Now that’s just silly. Why would namelessone go through all the trouble of accidentally pressing a key they didn’t mean to, and not go back and fix it? Don’t you people type looking at the screen?
If you’re going to be such a nitpick, it’s called a typographical error.
Now who’s the nitpick? XD
they need an edit button…
It’s true, but then people would be editing their comments all the time, and instead of checking for new comments, we’d have to re-read all the previous comments all over again! Not to mention the confusion of commenting on something someone said, only to have them edit it out. Mind you, there could be some rule or something in which you cannot edit a post once someone has replied to it.
Man, it must suck to be King. (especially if he understands how bad he’s being insulted here)
He’s not really being insulted; he IS a lower-level being, and there’s no shame in that. You’d prefer all mythicals go around calling humans “Sons of Adam” and “Daughters of Eve”, maybe?
huh similar situations like this happen when i game with my friends…
The faces… the faces are amazing. Im glad I have to wait a day for stuff like this
I’m confused and I feel terrible for King. Oh dear.
ur image thing makes all your comments seem sarcastic >.>
That’s the purpose. OR IS IT?
wait wait wait.. now narutos is in on the housepets action?
As long as the Housepets version of Sasuke doesn’t happen…bleh.
i hate when kitsunes are related to naruto -_-
sorry… thats the only media ive seen one in
Inuyasha. =P
In Pom Poko it’s revealed that at least one family of foxes have given up trying to live as foxes and live as humans all the time.
Oh, and don’t forget that Vulpix and Ninetails Pokemon are obviously multi-tailed foxes.
oh duh!!! i cant believe i forgot that!
oh yeah and the kitsune was also in zelda majora’s mask give or take afew tails…
never mind it only had 3 tails
Lol! The Kit’s face in the last panel is priceless. Man, this is getting weird, I’m feeling like someone is just tripping or something, but part of me is hoping I’m off about that.
I think if I were King I’d be looking for some place to dig a deeeep hole to crawl into. This look like it going to get bad. HaHaHaHa…
Guess this proves that Tarot does exist… but SD also exists… But King was… metaphor is the great kitsune is AWASEM
Being in love with an in-game character, Tarot?
I’ve been there…sigh
*looks wistfully at Morrigan from Dragon Age’s portrait*
The Great Kitsune’s face reminds me of Max…I don’t remember exactly where from but didn’t Max smile EXACTLY the same way at some point? Tarot/Dragon’s discomfort amuses me but not nearly as much as Pete’s face in the last panel.
http://www.housepetscomic.com/2010/03/03/indiana-was-the-dogs-name/
Does this one come close?
Yes, and one from the christmas arc as well… similar but maybe not exactly the same after looking at it again, maybe it’s just Rich’s style of drawing…
Okay this just got funny again, but so if I got it right then Tarot’s not real in the end… Ya know what that means? PXG shippers heaven. X3
The part what I don’ get is what’s wrong with Tarot still being with Peanut and is Pete refering to Grapes dream in panel 6?
On the contrary I’d say things got infinitely more interesting for the Tarot…I mean Spirit DragonxPeanut shippers. I don’t seem to recall Tarot ever showing as much emotion as she (by which I mean Dragon) showed in the last two panels of that comic. It is both heartwarming and hilarious (a winning combination). Also Dragon doesn’t want to get mocked endlessly for falling for what pretty much amounts to a game character in the view of the ‘higher beings.’ I would presume that he’s talking about the dream.
*heavy sigh* Clearly I am very bored tonight…
Hmmmmm good and true points sir… bit wierd view though but still. :3
Who isn’t, I’m sittin on a beer rack right now in the back of our pizzerias kitchen cuz there’re no orders at the moment… there is a kinda big disco goin on in the main room but that’s not my world so I’m still bored. XD
Another thing, does the character card say “Grape” which was then scribbled out and replaced with King?
Pete says in Panel 6 he was unable to obtain the cat as his avatar. Maybe he was planning on using Grape is Avatar, but Spirit Dragon restricted it, so he had to choose King
That would appear to be the case, although if that’s true we really have no idea why Dragon didn’t want Grape to be Pete’s avatar.
I’m sure Rick will explain that in due time. Until then. Epic shouting faces from Pete and Spirit Dragon. Kitsune’s look is one I make all the time when I play D&D and someone’s about to lose…..
When the GM smiles…It’s already too late.
well said darastrixen well said
…because the Dragon didn’t want Pete getting too cozy with Peanut, maybe… especially since she wanted to? Just a guess here…
As for whether Tarot is or is not the Spirit Dragon, this reminds me of the movie K-Pax, where it was not clear whether the man who called himself Prot was or was not an alien.
Based on the above comic, though, Tarot seems to be a willing host to an alien entity.
It seems to me that both Tarot and the Spirit Dragon like Peanut and SD wants to stay with the scene.
BUT… if the duels are only to be between cats and do…Oh. Neither Pete the Griffin (Griffon? Gryphon?) nor Pete the Welshman has actually been involved in a duel.
pete the griffin..
D’oh
Peter Griffin
I guess… if Dragon’s avatar is in love with Peanut, then it would be just too weird to have Pete’s avatar in love with Peanut as well.
Pete’s really bad at this game.
Hard to say really, at least until he either wins or loses.
hey i lost the game!
yes
Your avatar goes quite well with your name.
You know what I just realized. I think Pete was attempting to lure Grape to being an avatar in “The Grove” story arc.
http://www.housepetscomic.com/category/comic/the-grove/
Think about it. Pete being all nice and trusting to Grape was just a ploy to get her to join his side.
IDK But to me…
Having Grape as Pete’s avatar may have seemed too girl-ly for my tastes…
…then again maybe Pete doesn’t know that Grape is a girl. XD
Well we all assume Pete is a guy too, just as much as we assume the Spirit Dragon is a girl. They could be reversed, or both, or neither. Yay for gender ambiguity!
Spirit Dragon is definitely a girl. She makes it clear that her avatar is in love with Peanut, which would be EXTREMELY awkward if SD was a guy.
Plus Pete’s a guy, Tarot even said once that “he’s a bit of a jerk”.
I noticed that too. But notice how Pete dodged the question of why King in the bottom panels.
yeah well its probably grape scribbled out there i mean tarot (the dragon) said that grape whas trying too help pete free at some point then when she did i suppose she whas normal again then they scribbled it out because shes not doing anything anymore.
Not to be mean, but would it kill you to use a bit of punctuation every now and then? I could barely read that.
Interesting… it looks like Spirit Dragon is playing her avatar directly while Pete is playing his indirectly. It looks to me like King isn’t really Pete’s avatar at all.
It’s also possible though that Tarot being so crazy psychic, she’s aware of the game and it;s players, and so behaves more true to the dragon’s wishes, rather than the dragon having direct control.
Kinda interesting theory. But somehow sense-making.
Or she’s manipulating them from inside the game.
Like Neo in The Matrix? Cool! Will she start tossing people red and blue pills? Speaking of… If the red pill lets you escape the matrix, and the blue pill makes you forget everything, what happens if you take both?
A bunny happens. And then you wake up in Laos.
It’s probably like that wishing kettle in Warehouse 13. You get a ferret.
I think Pete’s just really bad at the game. He failed to get Grape and I don’t think he’s going about things the right way with King…
What I mean is… King isn’t his avatar yet, and it’s looking like something else is going to happen.
[cool special effects as King splits into King and Joel, and Joel stays at the table and King goes into the world as Joel's avatar]
….. Three words:
AWE-SUM-MUH!!!
… This is my grammar, so but out!
YAY! a Kitsune! lol
Free Agency? Joel had a shot at free agency! Man by ending up going with Pete he got the short end of the stick there. He should have signed with the Miami Heat, apparently everyone and their brother is doing that now.
that’s so sweet, Tarot loves Peanut even as a super all powerful dragon.
But on the flipside, did anyone else catch that? Apparently Grape’s supposed dream wasn’t just a dream, pete was trying to use her!
OMFG XD HAHAHA LOL *every1 looks at me weird* wut y cant i lauf
I dunno. Why?
well on the plus side for king he didnt get arrested : )
Actually he did and spent six months in jail for it. And he was either about to be sentenced fully or released for paying his debt to society when Pete showed up. And given his unexplained departure everyone in the BGPD thinks he broke out and escaped.
It was going to be “time served”.
oh yah ia forgots
Just a LLIIITTLLE bit creepy in the last panel there, Pete.
HUGE eyes, teeny-tiny PUPILS!
You’ve never played D&D and had a moment like that then have you? Cause when you get really into it, those sort of things become second-nature to start seeing…
AWESOME comic … it has cerainly made my morning
but i wanna know HOW do you pronounce Pete’s REAL name ?!?! arff
o seven theta square backwards j square. Can you decipher that?
that’s the sequence of buttons you press to get King to do his secret move.
Falling-down-stairs-jitsu.
It’s not all that great though. It has lots of drawbacks.
Or is it “Fall-backs?” XD
Unfortunately, it didn’t fit any of the likely alphabets that I was familiar with. Of course, if it’s metaphorical, it might just be Joel/Kings placeholder for “cryptic stuff I don’t know or understand”.
Oh-7-block-reverse J-block?
you missed the greek theta in the middle there….
The blocks are characters that can’t be represented in a three-dimensional metaphor. You know, like when you’re missing the right font in Unicode?
is it me or does 9-tails look kinda like a mixture or fox & king?
Yuuuuuup.
nice avie ; )
Ditto. =)
thnx XD
Spirit Dragon and Peanut sittin’ in a tree~
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
First comes love~
Then comes marriage~
(Do they do that in this universe?)
I can only imagine what will come after THAT!
Then comes a horrifying dragon doglizard hybrid.
… in a baby carriage.
You guys are awesome, btw
Also: http://www.explosm.net/comics/1764/
I love how the kitsune calls them squares. You just don’t see that terminology anymore!
i call lots of ppl squares and sometimes circles ^^
What does that mean?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_%28slang%29
it basicly means like they have no fun or they always play by the rules stuff like that
Aaw. The dragon is in love with a dog. Taking the interspecies relationships to the next level. How sweet.
And emotionally scarring.
what i find more funny is that a Human in dog form was hitting on a dragon in dog form !! i mean .. talk about not knowing each other (ok tarot did know him but still)
and yea
all is fair in love and housepets
Hilarity ensues in the form of cutesy crushes.
And emotional scars.
Why bother with the cutesy at all? Let’s just get straight to the scarring.
Okeydokey. *knifetoyourface*
Everyone get’s an adjective before their name, except for Pete. Sucks to be him?
No, he gets the adjective after his name, so he’s special:
Pete the Jerk.
WAIT, WHUT, so pete tried to possess grape and failed so now he wants to possess king?
now we have orders an stuff, i am so close to being done with this comic
Not exactly; an avatar, in the original sense, contains a portion of a god’s essence. That doesn’t make them a god, but it does make them somewhat powerful in their own right… and also liable to get involved in the god’s fights. It’s more that Spirit Dragon prompted Tarot to intercept Grape before Pete could grab her as an avatar… so he got King instead. Tarot is likewise capable of independent thought; it’s SD’s decision to respect her wishes.
Man, the few times I have played D’n'D it ends up in weird and confusing discussions like that… after the first 15 minutes. I’m really bad at that game.
Last panel made me laught awfully loud. The characters’ expressions are hilarious.
u no i got a QUESTION *don don dooooon* wts ur avie?
A shiny Zangoose
oooohhhh thnx ; )
It looks sort of like the author of this comic drew it:
http://cblue.katbox.net/
CB is ah majical comic : )
So, if Spirit Dragon is not Tarot, per se, is it a he or she or genderless?
she
Pete referred to the Dragon as a “she” in panel 2.
Oh, nevermind… Pete calls her “She”. But what about this whole deal about pets in their past?
It’s against the rules to use a non-canine or non-feline as an avatar. Dragon was complaining that since King was once a human, he ought to be disqualified as an avatar. However, the ruling was that all that counts is that he’s canine now.
Actually, Pete already had two avatars that were neither cats nor dogs: one is the Griffin (well, that’s part feline at least), and the other is his Gaspar outfit as King’s owner.
What requires strictly cat/dog avatars are the *duel pacts*… which means that Tarot is going to have to fight whatever Pete’s avatar is going to be, because the arguments are still going on about whether it’s going to be King or not.
…which makes me wonder if Rex has also rejected Pete…
Sounds like Pete/Griffin and Pete/Gaspar are not avatars, they’re just Pete manifesting directly. Which sounds like it should be against the rules.
Maybe it’s only against the rules until you get some mortal “opener” to let you in through your temple.
So where’s Tarot’s temple?
Until we know more, I’m going to say the place where Pete was trapped was Tarot’s “temple”. It just looks like the closest thing, ya know?
I was thinking of that as Pete’s temple, ‘cos Pete’s was able to manifest fully once it was opened.
I dunno Argent. There are plenty of examples of malevolent spirits being held in a temple that was not their own. Now, granted, Pete’s not completely malevolent, but if it were his temple, he would likely have no problem escaping it because it’s his.
It’s sorta like Ganon, in the Zelda games? He was trapped in a few temples, but they were never his own, and therefore he wasn’t able to manifest himself fully until some unwitting moron… Er… mortal… operated the mechanism that allowed him to escape.
In terms of the game he’s not a malevolent entity being chained up, he’s a player trying to manifest in the world directly because he’s having a heck of a time getting an avatar any other way.
Let’s try another tack. What I’m getting at there is that for gameplay purposes they would likely have similar restrictions and rules, so if Pete couldn’t manifest directly until someone set him free, wouldn’t Dragon have the same problem?
Unless Dragon trapped Pete for breaking the rules. Or someone else already freed her.
AHA! I WAS RITE!!! XD
It would seem likely that Dragon is female, from the way that she is (at least seen to be) in love with Peanut.
no offesne strixen but ur avie make meh kinda sad <:(
Gender’s got nothin’ to do with love sometimes there, babe.
But since Dragon’s being addressed as a she, I’d also say female.
Somehow I’d suspect that “lets get this hallucination over with” – spoken AFTER the transformation – wouldn’t really count. Perhaps Pete is counting something Joel said as a child? When he was out on the streets, cold, and hungry, he might well have wished he was a dog.
1 time i wished i was a dog and then i had a dream i was
But Notice how the DM says… “Time paradox’s and changes are not happening… doesn’t matter what he was in the past, he is a dog now, so I let it slide.
Interesting DM… and seems he was woken up for this game…. Must be annoying not knowing if you will get a call to come out and handle a dispute, as from the looks of this, there are no “Set” Game nights.
You’ve never played with my three buddies then huh? Usually I’d end up being the DM by dice roll. I’ve gotten woken up at 3 a.m. just to settle a simple dispute that we wrote down at the beginning of the campaign. Try being a DM, going to bed, then getting woken up. You’ll know how Kitsune feels…
That was the first complaint: the second would be the “free will” – or “free agency” – matter of changing Joel “without his express permission”. Ergo, we’d be looking for expressed prior consent (thinking or dreaming is not expressed). Extracting such consent after the fact is irrelevant without “weird time junk” – ergo, Joel/King presumably said, wrote, or otherwise communicated something before he was transformed that Pete is interpreting as Express Consent. This may constitute the “abuse of the rules” that was mentioned earlier.
Well, when he was first turned into a dog, he said “Are you going to turn me into a dog, or what?” Granted, Pete had already turned him into a dog by this point, but it could still be construed as consent. Since Pete has already shown no qualms about bending the rules to his benefit, he could be using king’s “assumptions” as consent.
Yep – but assumptions are not expressed consent, and aren’t prior to the forced change. The obvious loophole is “Expressed at some point in the past” – either to no one in particular or to someone with whom Joel was just sharing a passing thought with no belief that such a thing was possible.
Well, I anticipate a flashback to clear this little bit up.
Would a flashback count as weird time travel stuff?
Well, definitely not if it’s aimed at the readers, since those are just memories or discribed memories, and memories are generally allowed.
Probably not if it’s simply using some odd power to show the past to the other characters. That wouldn’t fundamentally be any odder than consulting a book or a photograph.
If it allows actual changes in the past, such as the people in the flashback actually being aware of the characters in the present, then that’s a pretty definite yes.
Nobody noticed that the Kitsune resembles the Pokemon Ninetales quite a lot? >_> Golden fur, red eyes, etc.
Well, knowing Rick, I think it was intentional. He does seem to have some Poke-art somewhere. Otherwise, I’m wrong.
dude (or girl) i already called that -_-’
That would be because the inspiration for Ninetails was itself drawn from the Kitsune of Japanese mythology.
yet agian already called that
I felt it required further explanation -shrug-. Not trying to steal your thunder.
You guys have (relatively) the same avatars!
I’m aware. I’ve been thinking of just letting Sonic take this one and grabbing another. I was literally just working on that, actually.
Yours was better because you actually edited out your speech bubble. *high-five*
Nice, now you still have the dragon but your identity is no longer confused!
Well, my ego didn’t need the confidence boost, but I’ll take it where I can get it =)
Unfortunately, Gravitar seems unresponsive, as I can no longer get my avatar to update. But…if Dragon is my avatar, and Tarot is her avatar, how does that….I’m going to stop this train of thought before I hurt myself.
OMG REALLY UR SO NICE!!! *GIVE HUG TO STRIXEN* ^^ oh yah and srry about tha thing ai sed ^o^’
You are actually the avatar of your avatar.
TRUE FACT
Dear Mr Rick Griffin,
Pete’s eyes. Yellow or Blue-Gray?
Regards,
Adoring, yet nit-picky, fan
Actually both I think. They are normally blue-gray, which explains why Joel’s changed color when he turned into King, but flip to Yellow when he gets aggressive.
So it’s similar to some animes where characters lose their pupils when angry?
This comic in particular has a lot of eye-changes-colour-under-certain-conditions:
http://www.twokindscomic.com/
Also, sorry if my linking to other comics on your comic bothers you, Rick. If some of these comics actually had comments right on the comic itself, I’d link here for sure.
When were they blue-grey?
I have said it once and again.
I feel very sorry for King…
and nice touch of the paper being larger then King, and showing the change in avatars… but, what in this U&U game, constitutes an Avatar…. let alone is it them in the game? Or …. okay…. I am confusing myself, and I am going to just wait till some kind of explaination is given to save my brain from hurting.
ooOoOOOoOoWwwwWWwWyyyyyYyyYy u maid mah brain hurt tu >:(
I am sorry I did, That is why I try and not post my thoughts here, I like keeping everyone’s minds intact and happy.
it ok mah hed stop huwrtin soon ^_^
That’s okay. My brain decided to take a vacation from saneness as soon as school was out. So it hurts, but it doesn’t mind
At this point, I’m rooting for Tarot to be homuncular, since that would make the final revelation all the more uncomfortable.
“Hey, Peanut, honey? I’m not actually a creepy pomeranian that summons spirits but I’m instead a soulless husk that was created for the express purpose of conveying a spirit dragon to your lower plane so that she(?) could play a nerdy cosmic game.”
Well, everything sounds bad when you say it like THAT.
The funny part is that even though I would not do something so horrible, there’s still plenty of people who would assume this MUST be the case
lol ^^
People always secretly hope for tragedy. It evens things out, I guess.
Cases in point: Tavros, Tinkerbull. Absolutely everybody on those fora wanted aT to be crippled and his lusus to die in the way it did until both things actually happened.
Then everybody just cried.
“It’s no fun until someone dies” – Tool, “Vicarious”
oh PEESHAW! there can be fun without death … sometims
Really, sonic?
Try saying that to all those gamers out there who play just about every kind of genre except for racers.
ai is like dat ~ ♥
Well, you know, Rick, Peanut got Tarot to imaginate a whole army of soulless zombie hyenas just so he could beat them up. How would Dragon imaginating Tarot be creepier than that?
As far as I know, Peanut didn’t fall in love with any of the hyenas. Sure, he had a fanboy attachment to Saso, but I don’t think he ever crossed over to thinking of that miscreant as fully real.
That is SORT OF like saying that the sprites in a video game are soulless husks
Sprites are easy to tell. Just look at their skin colour or their eyes.
Now, three dimensional models on the other hand are harder. There’s a lot more room in there for a spirit to possess (i.e. they’re not flat).
Not seeing them as real doesn’t make it any less creepy that Tarot imaginated a whole army of talking hyenas just so Peanut-as-Spot could waste them.
Tarot’s imagination is more like a Holodeck with full AI characters than like a videogame as we have them today. I always found the way Holodeck characters seemed to be full Turing-level AIs created just to be blown away by the “real people” kind of creepy. Even before the “holodeck is kinda creepy” episodes with Barclay. And that whole Holodeck-people arc in Voyager.
So, yeh, if sprites in videogames were that apparently intelligent, yeh, I’d wonder about whether they should be treated better than that.
If characters in video games were that intelligent, then we’d have to use at least 12-core CPUs. I don’t think today’s 6-cores can handle that much stress (maybe for like, 5 enemies at once).
Also, that would make “realistic” shooters even more realistic. They could hurl creative insults at you, most of which you wouldn’t even understand
I think the holodeck must be using massively parallel computing. maybe even “smart dust” like Vinge’s “localizers”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Deepness_in_the_Sky#Localizers
Hmm… perhaps. But I was actually referring to standard VR or even immersive AR, not quite something so advanced as a holodeck.
By the time holodecks arrive, each microprojection system will have its own multi-core, multi-thread processors smaller than 25nm.
Or maybe even something better.
Oh, I was referring to what Tarot’s imaginating is like.
Right sort of got off topic there XD
I wonder who the kitsune’s avatar is…..
Same here…. we may never know.
Though someone up top suggested it was Max, with the smile at the end.
w8 who r yuh takin ’bout?
oooohhh i get wut u gize’s takin about
Sabrina perhaps?
That would actually make sense.
I don’t think the DM needs an avatar. But…
Sasha. That’s how she could play the toy piano like Schroeder.
If he’s the DM, he quite likely doesn’t actually have an avatar of his own. The DM usually isn’t playing a character like the players are.
Who even says the the DM is even a he? I think that the Great Kitsune is a ‘he’ but since gender ambiguity happens in Housepets who can really be sure?
Daisy.
It all makes sense! Really.
*LAUGHTER*
I had the same idea.
The Kitsune needs to play Daisy, because she’s only an observer. By answering every question with “Hi! I’m Daisy!”, she ensures that she does not cause any changes to the balance of power in the Housepets! universe.
Played by Peter Sellers, just “Being There”.
You know, suddenly I have this image of Daisy being the Grand Galactic Inquisitor. You know, from the Venture Bros? Only instead of shouting “IGNORE ME!!” she says “Hi! I’m Daisy!”
Sorry, I don’t know from Venture Bros.
Tarot vs. Grape?! This might get UGLY!
Sooooooo, exactly how long until we get the ” Peanut is the chosen one ” plotline
I thought Zach was the chosen one. But of course, Zach isn’t a cat or dog. Where does that fit into the rules?
Zach is the Opener of the Ways. You know, like Rick Moranis.
So who in HP! is Sigourney Weaver?
(Not that the whole gatekeeper/keymaster thing is gonna happen in a PG comic, granted…
)
Well, he’s going Walkies with Sasha on Tuesday.
Dr. Peter Venkman: You’re gonna endanger us, you’re gonna endanger our client – the nice lady, who paid us in advance, before she became a dog…
That was King, on Tuesday, not Zach.
Zach may be doing so on Thursday, though.
(And tangentially, when did the maximum level of reply nesting get truncated? I could’ve sworn that it was possible to go more deeply nested than this.)
Oh, it doesn’t matter who goes walkies… remember, Rick Moranis wasn’t Sigourney Weaver’s boyfriend until she turned into a dog.
Does King get to be Bill Murray or Dan Ackroyd?
I think Bino would make a better Bill Murray.
Debate it with the DM, no sense shoutin at each other. His word is law… (in appropiate context with the rules
)
Don’t you mean UM?
Nice one. :rolleyes:
Yes, I’m aware there is no Smiley for that. Doesn’t mean I can’t imagine there is one
I wonder which cat Pete is talking about. Most likely it’s Grape, but there are a couple others.
I shall never view Housepets! the same way after this arc. (I’m not complaining though ^-^)
yah it gwape……… I wike gwape but who duzn’t? ^^
It says in Panel 3, Pete originally had intentions on getting Grape as his avatar, it’s scribbled out, and re-wrote in red pen “(King)”
Sorry. I was too focused on what they were saying that I completely ignored that piece of paper.
Now it makes me wonder why he wanted Grape in the first place, and why Tarot prevented him from doing so…
Isn’t it obvious?
If Grape was Pete’s avatar, it would make PeanutxGrape that much harder! This is all for the best.
I believe there is another rule that no one can choose Peanut or Grape. Tarot said earlier that they had to be together, or something. So if Pete had chosen Grape as his avatar, not only would it be weird (guy talking through a girl?) but it would probably interfere with the natural flow of the universe.
Mind you, I’m not quite so sure what’s “Natural” anymore -_-’
This reminds me of Quest World for some reason!
wut dat -_-?
Perhaps he means World Of Quest
oh -_-
(I really hope he doesn’t. I really do.)
I’d like to give a big thank to everyone for making me scoll down past all of that.
Now for my two sense, was I the only one that widened their eyes during the panel showing that Grape was scribbled out?
nu evryw1 saw dat >_>
And I just realized I made two mistakes of failing to put my OWN avatar on, and writing “sense” instead of “cents”.
Which is a perfect excuse to use some sort of pun here, because I know the two could be easily switched around…
First off, *cents.
Second, Pete said he originally intended to use “The Cat”, which explains Grape’s dream.
Gee, you sure didn’t see my self-correction. :/
We need Pete’s mom to start yelling at them about making a ruckus in the basement and how they need to shut up when they play that stupid game or go home.
Maybe they’re in the Kitsune’s house. Every time I’ve played D&D, it’s basically “It’s my house, I’M the GM.” I don’t know if other people play like that though.
Cosmic beings have weeeeeird familial structures?
Or maybe their moms are having cosmic tea upstairs. With little cosmic cucumber sandwiches.
Yes! Although Imma have to agree with wyldkat on the whole Kitsune’s house deal.
That being said, if anybody came down and told the group to keep it down, wouldn’t that make that person like, a DOUBLE god?
I’m thinking of these cosmic beings as the dangerous group of misfits we know as the Greek and Roman and Norse and everybody else pantheon. They have all the squabbles and interactions of normal people, just with magic juice. And more bizarre familial relations (what the heck, Loki?).
I’d like to think that we aren’t going to get to any sort of god until we find out who the cosmic beings worship. Unless this is some sort of Ouroboroid mess.
Careful throwing Uncle Fox’s name around like that.
And, you know, it’s obviously D&D all the way down. Or up. The Gods are chess pieces in the tentacles of the Elder Gods. And it sucks when they manifest ‘cos they always get ichor all over the cosmic chips.
The highest level, however, is Video Poker.
Nooooooooooo!
Quite a difference in interest from the first Houspets! comic, eh?
From two pets playing pretend, to cosmic D&D (or U&U to be specific) with a griffin, a dragon, and Naruto’s true form. (Cyber high-five for Unnecessary Naruto reference!)
YAY NARUTO
buuut i already named it 9-tails -_-’
Wbat makes you think it’s a Naruto reference?
Yeah, I was wondering that, myself. Considering Pete and Spirit Dragon are mythologicals, taking a creature from another mythology is a lot more likely than pulling from an overhyped cartoon series.
It’s not a Naruto reference. Naruto itself borrowed from Japanese mythology. So really, the Kitsune is referring to that, not Naruto.
Oh, I don’t know; Mythology is stories about greater beings, doing impossible things, in ways that humans can only dream about and which sometimes carry morals that illustrate the culture. Some people try to model themselves on mythical heroes, some will believe they are or were real, and most will accept the stores and entertaining and sometimes enlightening tales. I’m not sure that anime productions like Naruto don’t qualify as current japanese mythology under some of its definitions.
I know that, I was wondering why other people thought “Naruto”.
And Thoth, Naruto was a cheap rip-off of the mythological kitsune. For starters, real (well, within context, anyway) kitsune wouldn’t be caught dead wearing orange vests while trying to be all ninja-y.
A living mythology, like a living language, changes over time. The point is that Anime could reasonably be taken as the most current version of japanese mythology, and thus would not be “borrowing from ” or “ripping off” classical mythology: it would simply be the current version.
Of all the hilarious face gestures in this strip, Pete takes the cake on his mocking face on the latest comic
The comic took a really interesting turn (Mindf*** plot twist for some, heh), and so far you’re running it very well. Specially with Tarot’s “player” being way too into her character
Also, awesome seeing another two-row strip, similar to the second version of last Wednesday’s
I like 9tails face better.
…I think this is a metaphor for the fanbase. Pete represents Grapenut shippers, and the dragon represents Tarot x Peanut fans, and the message is basically shipping is evil.
…not that King would know that.
How does Pete represent Grape x Peanut?
Okay, that he intended to do what the dragon is now doing was a bit of an assumption; all we know is he was planning to make Grape his avatar.
How’s the message that shipping is evil? Nerdy perhaps.
It goes against the rules of the game and involves creepy mind control.
Pete doesn’t seem to have a problem with creepy mind control.
Q.E.D.
Pete does have a problem with Dragon being in love with Peanut.
Technically, he’s never mind-controlled anyone in this comic. He guided Zach through dreams, for instance, but the choices were still Zach’s; likewise, King’s name wasn’t mind “control”, as much as a convenient “edit”.
BLASPHAMY! *Burns you at the steak*
Mmm…steak…
O noes!
Burned steak!
Nine tails. where do I know that from…?
Oh riiiiight… http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u1/killermike707/Okami___Demon_Lord_Nine_Tails_by_sy.jpg
okami wuz a wicked good game ^^
It was and still is the best game for the wii.
I still say Twilight Princess ripped off Okami, not the other way around…
Well, Okami did come out first.
Though it’s been outright said that the Legend of Zelda games were one of the definitive inspirations for Clover’s swansong masterpiece.
I dunno. I thought that Twilight Princess ripped off Ocarina of Time more than anything else… Not that that’s a bad thing at all! I found it an exceptional game in its own right. But it DID feel a lot like OOT.
Anybody play it on PS2? That’s originally what it was for…
I still haven’t played it, and I’m not letting the ridiculous-looking DS game be my introduction to the series. So I’ll have to rent it and try it out on Wii sometime…
I have the PS2 version. It’s incredible. The only complaint is that the intro is way too long, though I did enjoy it. Get past that and you’re gold.
There’s more to the PS2 version than the Wii. They cut out a good portion of the ending.
However, the Wii version does have the remote functionality. Some people love it, some people hate it. Seems a wash to me, on the balance.
Wii has also a bit better graphics and music than the PS2 version.
You can never have too much of an awesome thing.
I love that game and that boss.
So by association, I love YOU.
Why thank you! I’m glad you do.
You get a cookie and a hug!
=3
Cool. Now I need to go and finish that game so I can see the Kyuubi no Kitsune boss.
How can you NOT finish that game?!
ADD and webcomix
Okay. Sorry for saying this. But I am very confused. In this the universe and everything is a game of D&D. SO pete and tarrot are playing in a avatar in the game. And when they opened a temple to free pete. Why couldnt he just get out without being freed.
because! XP
Obviously, he rolled with 6 decades, and got a bad luck outcome, thus making him trapped in that space until he got a god enough roll to get out, or another player set him free! Guh!
Haha, Jk, me no play D&D, I just know some terminology and the basic rules.
It probably had something to do with the complicated set of rules they’re playing by. Remember, the rules are so complex, that they cannot be contained in a mundane rulebook. Pete also complains about how Dragon had to have the exactly copy of the rules she wanted, which probably included having Pete start sealed up in a temple.
“In the Jungle you must wait
Until the dice read 5 or 8″
At least we know why an ancient Akkadian temple was doing in the middle of the USA. Now the question, who moved it? Dead Mr. Milton?
The Hulk.
Your Mom. With the assistance of Limerick Guy.
Oooh, that makes sense. They were originally going to have the game in Babylon but Mr Milton had the temple moved to his estate and later called the neighborhood Babylon Gardens. That’s why the map’s got “Gardens” pencilled in.
Im starting to wonder if king just got “knocked out” due to over consumption of Orange Soda…. but thats just me
My theory? The spirits will make him think that after all this is over.
I doubt they could do that, really. I mean, he knows magic exists now. He was turned from a human to a dog. I mean, seriously.
Basically, they’re going to have to lobotomize him a bit to make not seriously consider this to be potentially real.
Though having a concussion from the fall earlier would definitely confuse the matter, and may make him doubt his current experiences.
You do remember the fall down the stairs, right?
Dang! The rules to this version of U&U are almost as hectic than Calvinball! Quite an achievement, masters of the HP universe!
Quit yappin’ about yer Narutomans, kiddies; kosmik kitsunes were around before animes!
No, Animes have always been and always will be. It was the great Anime who said “Let there be light!” It was the Anime who wrote the ten commandments of drawing. It was the Anime who created the number 42. ANIME RULES ALL!
So killallnerds.exe is actually the great destroyer? I knew computers would be the death of us!
Okay, have to put my two cents in here.
First, the past three comics have made me wtf harder than I have ever wtf’d before.
Second, an avatar, or at least the understanding I have of it, is a secondary being controlled by a greater force, a physical presence that allows metaphysical or spiritual beings to act in the physical world. Sometimes, these avatars are merely constructs made via the controller’s power, and sometimes they are beings who willingly, or unwillingly, give control of their own bodies to another being.
Personally, I believe the situation we have here to be one of the latter variety, but I will wait until this plays out further to make any serious judgements.
Wait, that other being is a fox with 9 tails… did you use to watch Naruto Rick?
CONGRATULATIONS!!! *Confetti explodes all over the place, and balloons fall from the ceiling.*
You’re the 1 millionth person to bring up Naruto in this comment thread!
You’re prize is this reply!!!
hehe, JK. But seriously guys, ENOUGH with the Naruto.
Hey, that fox reminds me of Naruto!
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
*Hits with a rolled up newspaper* Bad! Even I am a big Naruto fan, but don’t see this is a Naruto reference. I see it more as the Kitsune being the DM, cause Kitsunes, like dragons, are magical o.o And make such cute plushies! *huggles Kitsune*
*Steals Kitsune to huggle*
…I thought touching one of the tails would curse/burn you. Or maybe that was just a different legend…
well, depends, Ninetales if you pull one, but what if the Kitsune says you can hug and touch their tails?
But yeah, it is Ninetales that the pull of one of their tails is the cause of their curses.
Ahhh! I’ve been assaulted! Man down! Man down!
I would say this has an oriental theme, except that Pete is a gryphon. Do they exist in Asian mythology or are they only in European myths?
I believe the earliest known occurances are pre-1000 BC around greece, somewhat later – but still BC – appearances are widespread, including central asia.
I wanna huggle Yarrofox’s avatar. Grey foxes are so cute.
I feel bad for King and I keep hoping for him to stand up for himself and tell off the spirits.
…you do realize that they could just shoot him with lightning or something if that happened, right? I can see it now…
Pete: *Tells off the spirits*
Tarot: *Zaps Pete with lightning*
Pete: Hey! Foul! You can’t use godly powers against each other’s Avatars!
Tarot: It doesn’t count, he’s here on the table and not on the battlefield.
King: That’s great. When any of you feel like it, please just drop off my smouldering remains at a hospital.
King isn’t his avatar yet.
Wait… So king’s soul gets drained from his body?…
…I don’t like this plan D:
Did Tarot’s soul get drained from her body? I sure hope not! That’s the kind of thing that was creeping me out before!
LOL! The Spirit Dragon is a serious RPer!
Housepets is like a sandwich. Drama and cute pictures are the bread. Romance is the condiment. And comedy is the main ingredient.
Great job comparing Housepets! with a sandwich like that, given the fact that the two main characters that everyone wants to be together’s last names are Sandwich.
Don’t Pete’s wings get tired being constantly held up like that?
I think it would have been ironically odd and a bit funny if Pete did get his way and had “Grape” as his avatar.
If that were the case then you would have Grape and Tarot as avatars with lone Peanut in the center to witness this epic rivalry.
His “Girlfriend” Tarot vs. “Just friends… but might still love” Grape
Now which team should Peanut root for?
Grape, no thought needed. He is only with Tarot because Grape is taken, but still would choose her over anything and everything else, cause he truly loves her most.
I second that comment.
I guess the decision would have been unanimous.
It’s just the thought of Peanut witnessing two of his best friends battling each other that make me smile at the idea.
(Imagining Peanut on the sidelines holding both a “Go Tarot!” and “Go Grape!” sign at the same time.)
Must… resist… nerdy Naruto joke.
Let it out, man! Let it all out!
Oh great, now we have the reject from Naruto dropping by. What’s next, Degan or Cthulu makeing an apperance?
cthulu would be AWESOME.
Hey. The Kyuubi no Kitsune was around long before Mr. Bright-Orange-Jumpsuit. He is an old Japanese legend that, in my opinion, deserves more respect than he is given in the Narutoverse.
There’s any respect possible from being featured in that overhyped series?
If there was, It probably got high on cocaine and threw itself under a bus.
To the people who walk around in Naruto cosplay all the time, yes.
Then those people can die fire.
Hey, I could have said “Oh look, it’s one of thoes Pokemon rejects”, but that woulden’ make a difference since both Naruto and Pokemon blow
Truthfully, the Pokemon Ninetails is closer to the Kyuubi no Kitsune than the Kyuubito is.
Well, at least on the ethical front, the Spirit Dragon may be off the hook; she was apparently unaware of Joel/King’s actual status, and may be registering a protest on his behalf. Depending on what Pete presents for a rationale (if we see it), and the Great Kitsune’s ruling (if we see that), he/she/it and the rules may also be exonerated. Pete’s harder; he’d need some really good reasons to justify his abuse of Joel/King and apparent abuse of the game rules at this point.
Now, the notions of free agency and free will suggests some form of bargain with benefits for the mortal involved (possibly the origin of some or even all of Tarot’s special powers). I suspect that Pete may be one or more of (a) a cheapskate, who doesn’t want to pay, (b) a control freak, who wants a pawn rather than a delegated representative and feels that Joel/King, who can be easily manipulated though has legal problems, desire to be human again, desire for human privileges, inexperience as a dog, and lack of an existing mortal owner (making him totally dependent on Pete), would be easily controlled, or (c) sees some special advantage in using an ex-human – probably a form of powergaming.
Ah, the many joys of speculation…
…you play D&D/U&U a lot, don’t you?
No, sadly; I invariably get stuck writing the rules, inventing the worlds, and running the games. I did put out some books as shareware though. Since I think that linking to something free is probably fair enough – even if it is self-promotion of sorts – if you want a free book or two, here’s a link to one:
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=51255&filters=0_0_0_0_0&manufacturers_id=617
I think Pete’s just not very good at this. All stick, no carrot.
Well, a lot of conflict comes down to logical gamers – who tend towards a stragegy of playing the rules and odds – versus social gamers, who tend towards an (often unconscious) strategy of manipulating the game master and their fellow players. Unsurprisingly, the players who run to one or the other extreme tend to see the other approach as cheating. The logicians see the social players as manipulating things that are outside the game to obtain unfair advantages. The social players see the logicians as rules-lawyers who are abusing the system.
Fortunately, most games have enough middle-of-the-road players to keep the two extremes from meeting head on. Sadly for them, Pete and the Spirit Dragon don’t seem to have a large enough group for that.
When you gotta actually convince your character to cooperate, you need to be able to operate on both sides. Spirit Dragon seems to be good at that. Pete doesn’t.
And thus the difference in strategy; attempting to convince someone of something – especially in the face of opposition from someone with better social skills than you have – is often an exercise in futility. In that scenario, Pete has taken a quite logical – if socially inadept – approach of attempting to leave his chosen Avatar with no real choice except to cooperate.
Still unethical of course, unless something really important for the individual involved is at stake. Thus Joel’s stated desire to work for pets rights could be taken as consent if Pete arranges some way in which Joel becoming Pete advances that cause.
ehhm, you can see that Pete is referring with “Prevented me of gaining the CAT”, check the 3rd panel and the first Avatar name… Grape… Grape was meant as the Avatar of Pete…
I wanna have a edit button ^^
ehm yes it was mentioned above and I am sure her dream was the gain of the avatar… also like mentioned above…
This has gotten…so strange yet im still inlove with it….
Amen.
You have to rearrange that into a prayer, first.
“Dear God, thank You for the gift of Rick Griffin and his masterful piece of storytelling and artwork that is Housepets!
Amen.”
Ditto!
Mmh … Can we go back to Housepets! please? *puppy eyes*
New Comic: I AM YOUR HOUSEPETS! NOW! *Weird mouth noices*
No. Oh and you’re grounded.
Pete, panel 6.
Kitsune, every panel.
Darn it, Rick! Stop strumming my heartstrings! <3
…
Or continue. Whatever. ^_^
he loves us so much!
So… so much…
i wuv evry1 exept for some ppls that i will not mention *cauf cauf*majin*cauf cauf*
no i just kidin i wuv u to majin ^_^ * huggles majin*
Ha! I totally called it! Pete made King is Avatar! Woot
Or tried to.
Besides, I thought Avatars (with the capital “A”) were supposed to be 7-feet-tall blue people?
*grins hugely*
Oh, and I thought Avatars (with a capital “A”) referred to taking on new bodies and controlling them with your mind. The huge blue people appeared to be inhabitants called Na’vi
*grins hugely in return* has only seen the movie twice
*tries for a huger grin* has seen the movie same amount of times – has movie, in fact
The Avatars were based on the Na’vi. So in other words, we’re both right.
exactly my point!
*sorry, has huger grin* just kidding
No, Avatar is the player character in Ultima, so named from U4 onwards. 1985 trumps 2000-whatever, so Cameron can kiss Richard Garriott’s butt.
He’s trying to, anyway. King isn’t cooperating.
Who knows? Considering Joel/King’s “success” record, he just might be more helpful while not cooperating.
Pete isn’t acting like he’s all that helpful.
And if Joel/King’s “rebellious” activities were working out well for Pete, wouldn’t he want to act like that was not the case?
Of course, the trouble with that is that you can never be sure just how deep the levels of manipulation go, or of who is manipulating who in the end.
His name’s Pete, not Xanatos.
Ahh! How does Argent know about Pete’s role in the last game!
at least we can all agree on one thing you all just lost THE GAME!
So, I went back a page to check on something and apparently the previous strip has doubled in length?!
Just fyi for anyone who wouldn’t otherwise have noticed
Interested to see where this goes BTW
And I’ve a feeling neither of them have their originally chosen avatars. Quite what game they’re playing is anyone’s guess. Possibly some pointless little diversion like Harvest Moon or Animal Crossing?
You missed the huge war in the comments in the previous strip that got wiped out when Rick re-uploaded it at 10:30.
DO WE GET EPIC BATTLES!?
I HOPE SO! Because if he introduced us to the world of U&U, and he set us up for all these epic battles, and Rick DOESN’T give us any epic battles… well… let’s just say it won’t be pretty. *Pulls out midevil flail*
How about CARD GAMES ON MOTORCYCLES!
CARD GAMES ON MOTORCYCLES!
How about the Kung-Fu CB Mamas on Wheels versus The Motorcycle Aztec Wrestling Nuns?
Hm. Maybe I should be writing that one in ancient akkadian.
—–End ancient geek joke—-
MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB! (punches random old lady in the face in slow motion)
Thoth: increased mental agility / experience? After all he’s already lived longer than most of the pets would hope to (going on the stated canon re: speed of growing up). Though then again, despite an understandable childishness, they’ve often seemed smarter than their “masters”
Oh, in IQ terms, Grape is about 3-4, and I’d say she compares favorably with most human teenagers; in terms of learning ability, that would peg her around a 400 IQ (as a ratio of Expected Knowledge to Physical Age)- just like most of the other pets. They may slow down drastically after physical maturity (likely around 4-5 from what information we have) however.
Actual ability to manipulate acquired facts, make logical deductions, and project future consequences seems far more limited in most of the pets, and may constitute a reason for human dominance.
In terms of Joel/King, he’s been to college (although we don’t know what he studied or whether or not he graduated), and has certainly had access to human skills and financial experience. Ergo my speculations on some earlier comment threads about the possible advantages of having a speaker for the pets who is a pet and yet is still familiar with the law with regard to pets, driving cars, formal logic, and similar items. If Pete really was attempting to bring about equality (of sorts) for pets and humans, or drastically change the world, such a figure might be extremely useful – and it might even make sense of his casual abuse of Joel/King; it could be a way of pushing King into a role as poster boy for pets rights – which is one reason why it’s still possible that Pete is NOT fundamentally grossly unethical.
There’s a lot of this stuff over on the Character Dossiers thread, which I really must find my password and get back to updating: http://www.housepetscomic.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=199
Now THIS is a theory I want to believe in!
Phonti: NO D:
*SQUEE* OMGISAKYUUBINOKITSUNE!!!!… *ahem* OMG it’s a Kyuubi no Kitsune! Epic. Win.
Now that THAT is out of my system… So, Pete basically wanted to have Grape for an Avatar. Not surprising really. I don’t know why she wouldn’t have accepted, seeing her reaction the first time she met him.
Wait… now that I think about it, while Grape may be a choice, Sabrina may be a choice as well. Perhaps she is Mr. Kyuubi no Kitsune’s Avatar.
Who says he has one?
If he does the idea that he’s Maxwell is appealing but Max is firmly established to be cat and only a cat (time in shelter, lives with Bino, hangs out with every cat in the neighborhood apparently)
I still say it’s far too confusing and weird for a male spirit to have a female avatar.
Of course, now that I’ve said that, Rick’s going to make it so. -_-’
For all you know gryphon spirits have 13 genders, and “he” and “she” are just metaphors.
THEY REALLY ARE NERDS!!!! xD
We prefer the term “Geeks” thank you very much.
There’s a Venn Diagram for people like you.
XKCDFTW
….Silliness time:
The nerd overlords with living beings as avatars have become avatars, here.
Talk about the circle of karma
Yes, I would completly agree with you if it wern’t for the fact I didn’t understand what you just said.
Oh, I understand that quite well.
On a completely unrelated note, now that I’ve seen Kitsune’s malicious grin, I keep trying to do one.
Kyuubi? The nine-tailed fox? (And yes kyuubi was also sometimes called the Great Kitsune.)
I want Joey to join the game. Think about it, a mere mortal puppy giving the Gods a run for their money..
ROW ROW FIGHT THE POWER
Yes! Doesn’t everyone play themselves in D&D at least once? It’s King’s chance!
This is what I can tell is on this strip so far:
So, Pete and Mrs. Spirit Dragon have agreed to a “duel” for whichever reason. They then set up the rules for the pact to make it fair and went for it. However, for some reason the Temple in which Pete was being held changed locations, meaning a handicap to him, altough the third party who did it remains unknown. Pete’s choice of Avatar was Grape, but Spirit Dragon knew it and entered with Tarot, somehow preventing Pete from taking Grape as Avatar by becoming an item with Peanut. As a result, Pete had to make do with a replacement, which became Joel, turned into King. However, he had to keep King separated from Tarot, otherwise she would have realized something was wrong. Now she has and called the local Gamemaster (KitsuneFTW btw XD) to settle the issue to keep the duel going on.
Now, all that is left is who is the third party, why they moved the temple and for whatever reason. Also, how Pete is going to explain turning Joel into King against his will is anyone’s guess.
Rick, you’re awesome btw.
Okay, first, I’ll get my fan-boy ism out of the way. *Ahem*
OMG IT’S THE NINE TAILED FOX THIS IS AWSOME RICK YOU’RE AWSOME THE NINE TAILED FOX LOOK EVERYBODY IT’S THE NINE TAILED FOX!!!!!
Okay… okay, I’m good now.
Also, aww, Tarot really loves Peanut! This doesn’t change my whole PeanutxGrape views, but aww, it’s so adorable!
I think he looks more like a coyote in the last panel. Though I guess the Tricksters are all really just aspects of the same Force.
Oh, look, we finally know Pete’s real name… of O7Sliced-OSquareReverse-jSquare….
uh, I believe it’s Greek
There’s no way all those characters are in the Greek alphabet.
Unless Rick is using his own form: Geek Greek?
sweet!! I love kitsunes!
I couldn’t have guessed.
I know! who would have right? oh, and thanks for that comment on liking my avatar way up at the top. I’ve always had a thing for gray foxes so…….
I didn’t find out how cool they were until a few years ago. They’re dogs, but they can climb straight up trees. Win!
Spirit Dragon loves Peanut!
perish the mutt…
A Kyuubi-no-kitsune as a GM. That is just BEAUTIFUL.
Wait, how did the Spirit Dragon prevent Pete from using Grape?
P.S.: Fifth character of Pete’s real name, I SWEAR, looks like an “E” (I think, or a “C”) in Twilight Princess Hylian…
right when her avatar, Tarot, showed in to warn Grape and Peanut not to become separated or the end of things would have come and yadda yadda.
After that, she tried to use Peanut to stop Zach and Grape from setting Pete free.
Ah, thanks. (I’m still confused as to the “And Nothing But” title, though…)
It’s part of the phrase: “The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”
God, I’m clueless…Spanks ^_^
So Monday we get “The Truth”.
Is THIS what gods domin their free time to control the world?
woops
love the last panel! XD
Is THIS what gods do in their free time to control the world?
No, this is just a game. Say hello to Pastimes of the Bored and Godlike…
If Pete supports Grape x Peanut, then I will support Pete n_n
it sorta ressembles the second strip on http://www.housepetscomic.com/2008/12/05/come-on-its-your-thing/
an all powerful imoratal being falling in love with a mortal? have i seen this somwhere?
Oh My Goddess perhaps? It’s not an uncommon notion, but that one is – in some ways – fairly close to the Housepets style and self-imposed restrictions.
wait wait.. So Pete was sopposed to play Grape? Or was sopposed to play an avatar that was with Grape? But couldnt so he used King as his avatar… But Im still confused….
Cause Dragon is Tarot.,,,,,,, but Griffon is Pete a Human… Shouldnt both their Avatars be Animals?
UGH! My brain is about to explode.. But I love the whole IDEA!
Seems you’ll have to wait till Monday or later for it to be explained further.
You just reminded me I’ll have to wait 2-4 days to continue. Noooooooooo!
Pete and the Kitsune’s expression in the last panel, win.
KITSUNE. *flails*
DRAGON’S IN LOVE WITH A LOW-ORDER BEING!
-Priceless. 83
Whatever that dog creature is…he’s now my favourite purely because of that awesome expression in the last panel
He’s a kitsune. I thought that was obvious. o.o
Not many people learn alot about the mystical creatures. Everyone knows of dragons and Griffens, cause there used alot in like, the olden days myths with knights and castles all around the world. But Kitsunes are used more in folklore over in Japan I think. I wonder how many people would know what a Xenomorph is. And to give you a hint, it’s not of this world o.o
I’ve heard of Xenomorphs, but I can’t remember what they are, exactly.
Great, now I have to go search that on Google!
Ahh, I didn’t know that was the actual name for one of those; it sounded like someone’s interpretation.
GET IT NOW. I’m more in tune with the ‘olden days myths’ as JiroDyne says. I don’t know a whole lot (anything) about Japanese folklore. :3
And what on Earth is a Xenomorph? :O
OMG your avatar reminds me of Bun Bun!
It’s rather adorable, methinks. X3
WAIT WAIT WAIT
… Is Tarot a real dog that Spirit Dragon took over? Or did she create Tarot??
The requirements for “consent” and the reference to “free agentry” tends to imply that the game calls for approaching a pre-existing individual and getting them to agree to allow you to act through them. Presumably there are benefits for the host-turned-avatar in agreeing to share control of their lives with a “higher being”.
Sadly, it wasn’t really clear on what happens to the host. It probably will say in the next page since King will most likely want to know. But it doesn’t say if, like, the host is in full control but gets new powers, however have to listen to the player. Or if the player is in control with the host being the little voice in the back of their head. Or even if they both control the body, taking turns and such. Also to Kitch and Argent below this, We don’t know if Tarot really IS psychic, Grape says she was because of her powers, but we don’t know if their her own or if their one of the benifits from being a host
Yes – but the indication that the Spirit Dragon considers the statement that “Tarot still loves him” to be a possibly-creditable alternative to whatever-it-as that would have started with “I” would seem to indicate that the host consciousness continues to exist, remains aware, and continues to exercise that aforementioned free will.
She took over Tarot, and is probably the source of Tarot’s power.
Or she’s channeling through Tarot because Tarot was psychic. That would make sense, picking a psychic for an avatar would be useful.
It wouldn’t be “taken over” as much as influenced. If King is Pete’s avatar, as seems to be the case, then it would appear that most of the rules that King fleshed out would be in action here. In short, she can’t interfere with the free will of Tarot. So, it appears that tarot WANTS to give the dragon control, or WANTS to do the dragon’s bidding. Since she’s already invested in the occult, she could just be much more in tune with the dragon’s will.
As for the creation? I don’t think she created Tarot outright. Just like Pete didn’t create King. I know, I know, he changed King. But that’s all he did. He CHANGED him. It’s like Pete said earlier why would we create a universe when there are infinite amounts of them to choose from. Likewise, why would they create their own avatar when there are lots to choose from there, too? The fact that Pete had to go to all that trouble to try to get ahold of Grape suggests to me that they are not allowed to create their avatars outright. But they are allowed to take an existing form and change them to suit their needs, assuming of course that they have permission from that form to do so.
I dunno. Why do you make new avatars every once and awhile?
*philosophical sarcasm*
Next a Stoner unicorn will show up, and he’ll start playing the ferrets
Is that before or after Native American spirit Thunderbird returns, apparently having won his cease-and-desist case against Ford.
He’s still out fishing with an Easter Island statue.
So does that mean that Sabrina might be that kitsune, or is that out of the question?
And on another note, King now reminds me of my best friend in every aspect… how strange is that
I’m thinking “out of the question,” as Male Spirit -> Female Avatar would be just creepy. As already stated, the DM does not need a character, but then again, I don’t think the guy was just down on Earth sleeping away until he was needed.
Yeah, but keep in mind that Pete wanted Grape for his avatar even though she’s a girl
Since when has Great Kitsune been male? Honestly, I’ve been thinking that it’s a she.
Which would make sense since Kitsune are mostly Female (There are some Male ones but they are rare in Mythology)
I guess that you don’t agree with Thoth’s line of thought that Naruto can be interpreted as the “current version” of Japanese mythology then, huh?
I dunno, the entire time I just thought that the Kitsune was a guy, but now that I think about it… the speech bubbles do look a little pink.
The foxes we read about in Japanese mythology are mostly variants of the fox-wife story. So it’s not so much that powerful foxes are necessarily mostly female, but more the nature of the story.
A male fox playing the same game in Japanese society wouldn’t have land or property so wouldn’t marry his human lover. It would be a completely different story.
They sure have a lot of stars in the Housepets! universe, huh?
Maybe they’re other universes.
KYUUBI!
*shot*
hahaha king is so confused by whats going on
Wait a minute… Pete changed king into a dog for him to be his avatar…. So earlier when he said he was doing it to have King learn his lessen and trying to be nice and such, it was a lie! Pete is totally a jerk/evil! So no one can say he is a nice guy anymore, woot
Still possible if Pete feels that this is required for some sort of save-the-housepets-world intervention (a possible, if ominous, interpretation of “Universes and Unrealities”) or if he’s fulfilling one or more of Joel’s underlying desires – perhaps to effectively work for pets rights.
Whether or not that’s likely is another question entirely.
Wow… that was a lot of interesting conversations going on. I watched the comments building up and now I wish that I had commented earlier. Now my comment is at the bottom of the list. BUT IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT!!! I have no life and now I found other people who have no life!
Wow… well, at least one person read your comment *Laughs*, although, I’m not sure how enjoying a web-comic translates to having no life.
Yesss, U are of Our kind.
We welcome U with open arms.
You’re not at the bottom any more.
Hilarious! One word to sum it all up. The fox in the last panel was funny.
dude, it’s called a Kitsune -_-
Im Sad, I watch Naruto I should’ve known that D:
It’s OK, “kitsune” just means “fox”.
But that’s not what they call it in grorious nihon which is liek so much cooler and stuff @_@
This is not a Japanese comic, so technically, “fox” would be the correct terminology.
Is just me or there’s another point (that I’ve missed someone commenting?)…
The way they talk about ‘the dog’ and ‘the cat’… Peanut and Grape seem QUITE important to this game, like some kind of prize!
actually it was grape who was meant to be petes avie
then he couldnt get grape so he got king instead
and spirit dragon got tarot
You’re right; even an earlier conversation between Grape and Tarot (I forget exactly where) indicates that they’re extremely important to this whole mess.
hehehe i think pete is going to be in trouble, and now joel has to deside….
I’m not sure how I feel about the direction this comic is going in. But I do know one thing. I laugh so hard every time a new comic comes out and 50% of people switch their avatar to a screen cap of one of the characters.
This is awesome, Rick! How far ahead do you plan these things? It’s very neat
Although this is AWESOME, y’know, being crazy universe space land, I kinda wanna see everyone else.
Also, who thinks king could be a good addition to the comic? He wouldn’t really be human again if that were the case though. Good way to stay outta jail, i guess.
I say we keep him!
Hehe, so this is what goes on whenever Tarot goes into trance to communicate with the spirit world? Adorable. And dorky. ;3
I keep reading “naruto” as “natto”.
Eeew.
(Ever read the extras in one particular Fullmetal Alchemist manga volume?)
So it seems like the reason the map in the last comic had ‘GARDENS’ scrawled on it was because tarot moved this ‘temple’ from Babylon, Egypt to Babylon Gardens
or Babylon, Iraq
take your pick
please note that Pete never said that the temple he was in was on Earth in the HP! realm.
Oh, that’s a nice theory.
Except Babylon’s in Iraq, not Egypt!
Teach me to hit refresh more often.
thank you
I bet the people who moved his temple are going to be the main bad guy/antagonists of the series eventually because its clear while Pete is a jerk (and IMO so is The Spirit Dragon but that is just my feelings on it) he is not the main antagonist any more (if he ever really was) I just wonder who it could have been who moved it. (Unless it was Milton and Rick is going for a Gargoyles like thing here with the moving of the Temple)
there are villians in the Hp! realm. only people who make fun of others for a living.
I can’t decide if King’s life sucks more or less after finding out the truth.
i think it might be the same level of sucking of King’s life.
I find it interesting that King’s life maintains a pretty constant level of suck throughout. So, even though he DID get to have some fun, enough bad stuff happened to even everything out.
I’ll go for “less” first. On the hopeful side, he now knows that Pete has opposition on his own level, that someone opposed to Pete now knows about his situation and actually registered an objection, that there are rules (even if he doesn’t understand them), that Pete may actually need him for something, that Pete can be effectively defied, and that he’s actually of some importance for some reason.
On the downside, Pete evidently has even more powers than he’s shown, he wasn’t even a first choice, he’s bluntly regarded as a “low-order being”, that the whole “lesson” thing was a blind, and that his attempt at finding a confidant was a failure. Still, most of that isn’t even really news.
Ergo, I’d say looking up a bit – if not a lot.
Maybe the “lesson” thing was an excuse to treat him like a dog and make him enough like a dog that he could be used as an avatar without Tarot twigging to him. That’s basic sympathetic magic.
Which explains why he didn’t want him to go to the party and meet Tarot… he was still too human.
I suspect Pete may not have wanted King to meet Tarot because he wanted to avoid exactly what’s going on now.
I wish that gryphon would do me.
Um.
Good night, everyone!
What exactly do you mean by that?
Honestly, i think we’re better off NOT knowing.
Incidentally, “Kitsune” just means “Fox”. In Japanese mythology any fox who cares to take the time and effort to learn how can learn shapeshifting and other tricks of the fox clan, and grow extra tails as they grow in power.
Also just so people know any Kitsune can gain Nine Tails and when they do they become very close to a God in terms of power.
And by the way, Naruto Is actually a nice anime. You shouldn’t hate it just because its Over-hyped. Im not even going to go into the content, but its a person whos just trying to make a living off of what they do. Just Like Rick Griffin and Housepets!
They’re more than welcome to try to make a buck. That doesn’t mean people have to like their work, however.
The guy running the grocery shop and the guy he’s paying protection money to are both “just trying to make a living.” Doesn’t mean I have to like the extortionist.
I have this feeling in the back of my mind he (King) will wake up the next morning in the middle of the woods with seven or eight soda cans around him and think it was all a bad dream. Odds are it may be anyway.
Nah, it can’t be, Too much info he has never seen before. There wouldn’t be a way he’s dream about so much info he just doesn’t know. We know cause we’re watching it, but he doesn’t.
i agree with you.
Ditto. Same reason I couldn’t buy the “he’s still in his cage at the foot of the stairs” theory after he met Tarot. It’s just too unlikely he’d dream about stuff he didn’t know. That would be poor storytelling.
If not for the Na**** references, there’d be 38 fewer comments in this thread (including mine).
pete: spirit dragon and peanut sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!
spirit dragon: stop it, you over size turkey!
What’s confusing is what, exactly, an “avatar” is. King and Pete are obviously quite separate, and even on “our” plane, have separate characters. But the Dragon and Tarot seem to be much more closely connected, if they aren’t the same person altogether… Was Tarot just an average canine before the Dragon got to her, with a life and mind of her own — like King? In that case, is the Dragon some sort of body-snatcher, while Pete, all his other jerk-iness notwithstanding, at least has the decency not to take over King’s body altogether? Or was Tarot created whole-cloth, like Pete’s Bowler Hat persona? Either way, it seems they’re playing by different rules when it comes to “avatars”…
you are making me learn and it’s summer! why!?!?
Rick implies on the board they are separate.
We do not have the answers, but I think on Monday it will be explained. I’m pretty sure King will pick up the “Pete choose King” Part and act on it. Then either they will explain it then, or in the comic after it, on wensday
Personally I got the impression that Tarot and Dragon are the same person, after all Tarot appeared to transform directly into Spirit Dragon a few pages back as well as the whole love comment in the second-to-last panel which sounded quite personal. Also something that has nagged at me a bit has been the fact that Tarot seemingly appeared at Babylon Gardens in the middle of the ‘date’ arc, nobody seemed to know her before that (yes I understand how this could very easily be explained away but how do you miss a psychic dog?).
I’m overthinking all of this aren’t I? Rick will explain eventually…
She could have just been really shy. Perhaps she had a crush on Peanut and struck a deal with the Spirit Dragon for her powers which she thought she needed to impress him. Maybe she really needed the confidence they could bring her. It’s a thought.
If the game was originally going to be in Babylon, then when they realized the temple was in Babylon Gardens instead that’s when Tarot showed up.
Or maybe Babylon Gardens is bigger than we’ve seen, and there’s lots of pets we haven’t met yet.
remember they said the temple was moved..
perhaps the rich guy used his money to build babylon gardens.. MOVED THE TEMPLE to the forest!
Mr. Milton. If Mr. Milton moved it, that would certainly explain why he called the neighborhood Babylon Gardens.
I would assume that yes it was Mr. Milton who moved the Temple. Its possible Mr. Milton figured out about the game and wanted to stop it for some reason and moved it into the woods to hide it but it could have been someone else who did it for possibly the same reasons.
And that brings up the question of where was the Dragons Temple from the look of Tarot and Sabrina’s Tags it could have been Egypt and that means either Tarot is from Egypt originally or possible both of them but the cast page says (or implies anyway) that Fido met Sabrina when he was a Puppy so most likely its just Tarot who is from Egypt.
Mr. Milton is the one who left all his money to his ferrets, hid part of his assets using a secret map, and … well, guys like that don’t need any better reason to move a temple from Iraq than “oh, hey, that looks cool”.
Especially not when you’ve got eighty billion dollars to play with and a massive income.
Argent Its possible that he did just do it for fun (and that was what I originally thought) but why hide it in the middle of the woods where its hard to get to that doesn’t make any sense.
That’s why I think its either some one else who did it for the reasons I stated or Mr. Milton did it for those reasons because normally people who buy things like that wouldn’t hide them unless they had a reason to.
King looks at his character sheet.
“Charisma 15, okay…
Wisdom 6 — hey, wait!”
lol
hehe, on top of the joke, six is one of the funniest numbers, EVAR!
So…. if this game is called U&U… wouldn’t the Kitsune be the UM, not the DM? Just wondering.
What say we just call him the GM (Game Master) and be done with it?
You know its serious when the Nine-tails is your GM.
Let’s see.
Pete the Griffin
—-
Pete Griffin
—-
Peter Griffin
I C WAT U DID THAR!
I get it now!
No, Rick said, “no”.
Indeed. It was just an unfortunate coincidence.
i think rick took of sum of my comments
I care not what his name actually is. I’m calling the new guy Michael.
He looks like more of a Steve to me..
So long as he’s not Gary.
i will call he bishop. after the Synthetic crew member in Aliens.
HID NAME IZ NYNE-TAILES!!!!! >:(
Good name there e!
thank you, Majin-Wolf.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH
HERESYHERESYHERSYHERESYHERESYHERSYHERESY
*Smash smash smash*
wow who’s the gorgeous with fox
he’s cuuutue
lol wut?
i would who the Great Kitsune’s avater is? it has to be someone who smart and yet cool at the same time. hmmm
i mean i “wonder” who the Great Kitsune’s avater is? he has to have a low-order being form when he on Earth.
Does he/she? (Pink-ish speech bubbles and the strong arguments here have me leaning more towards Kitsune being female.)
Totally has to be Sasha! I can see her doing it. Kitsune: “Be my Avatar, and you can have Fido” Sasha: “Deal!”
I still think it might be Sabrina
Well, that would fit in with the “you get Fido” theory there.
Then that means that she would have had to accept the deal WAY before, as when Sabrina and Fido are introduced they are already together.
Oh yes – but for all we know, the game really has been going on since Akkadian was a modern language.
I don’t think this particular theory is really all that likely, but it doesn’t contradict any observed facts and does fit in with a known relationship.
I’m pretty sure that if Pete can manifest directly as Pete/Gryphon/Welshman then Ninetails can manifest directly as well.
Can you imagine one of the ferrets or the buttler? lol
Sasha’s dad’s boss.
i do not think he has one… great kitsune looks like hes apparently the guy who decides who is right and who is wrong and what the rules are what you can and cant do or something i don’t know.
I think the Kitsune is like the DM, he makes up all the stuff that goes wrong. As for gender, it seems like a male look. Females have a more rounded structure, curvatures, not so many sharp angles, but Tom’s right, cute as hell.
I’d also like to announce I’ve taken this as the true explanation to the universe, it’s the one that makes the most sense so far. D&Dism
Hey, Rick, I’m curious — exactly how far did you have this all planned out when you started the thing with Pete way-back-when?
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
ok this will be an addition to my daily reading
(make one big book of around 83 pages and read them whenever I want)
…wow…
(I’m kinda surprised no one is complaning that i print these comics)
yup! I am an addict
I can’t help it! they’re to cute (93 pages of cutenes)
…
and now i’ve printed all of them (just now)
Okay something went wrong here
I was NOT talkin’to myself
AUGGHHH! Brain… Hurting!
from what … thinking?
Man what is up w/ you rick and 5,000,000 geeks and Dungeons & Dragons?!?!?!!? I can’t get the appeal of it for nothing in the world. >_> Nice twist in the story though and the last panel ’tis pure win, even if I called it. ;P
Side Note: btw I’m new to la comic, spent most of my week(when not working) digging through the archives. Past couple of arcs were too much win. Keep it going Mr. Rick, and expect to hear alot from me from now on. My madness ’tis too contagious!! >:D
If you really wanna know, it’s because D&D and RPGs in general are a “make your own game” sort of thing, your actions aren’t limited to what the designers can come up with, and it’s completely modular without having to know any code or any equipment other than paper, pencil and dice.
……I think I’d rather stick w/ RPGs like Pokemon, Strategst(Yugioh), Fighters, and MMOs where I can kik some tail. If I where to make a D&D game, people would probably think I’m insane….which probably I certifiably am. >_> XD
I find d&d more fun when im not dming… theres a slight chance every thing would go to hell if i was dm… plus uve got full creative control of your characters apearance.
hmmm….I may have to try it sooner or later. I’ve always wanted to do/play something that will let my imagination completely free….I have ALOT of day dreams about random stuff everyday, yet I can’t seem to dream at night. :S
I approve of the DM, nine tailed fox spirits ftw X3;
Y’know, cuz all this fancy talk goes a widdle over my head ^^;;
So essentially, peanut, grape, max, and all of the above are NPCs? o.0
when Pete means the cat.. does it means Sabrina .. or Grape?
remember Pete appeared in Grape’s dreams? o_O
in the other hand.. wtf
they use third party style control (indirect) to control their “avatars”?
because the paper that King has, shows that ” KING ” is the avatar of Pete, and not Melchior.
this is kinda confusing. XD
ok, that sheet of paper that King is holding? Look beneath his name and you’ll notice that it has Grape written there first, but it’s kinda hard to read since Pete scribbled it out
Melchior?
my theory: if any immortal would came to earth they would take a mortal form. it would makes more sense to transform into something else than jump into someone’s head and make them do what you want against their will. what kind of the powers to be would want to screw with one free will?
Ones that are “a bit of a jerk”.
but Pete has a mortal form.
But he’s been plenty screwing with Joel’s free will.
Actually… Technically he hasn’t… He has never actually forced him to do something he didn’t want to do. He locked him in a cage, yes, but King broke out, of his own freewill, and wasn’t kept there magically by Pete against his will unable to escape without Pete there to let him out.
Um, turning someone into a dog against their will? And Joel can’t even say his original NAME any more.
It’s purely a technicality, but transformations and preventing people from doing things isn’t really interfering with his free will; free will is always limited by the environment and by the actions of others.
My free will says I ought to be able to fly through space and visit alien worlds via pure willpower. Physics keeps telling me “no!” though.
Miserable physics.
My hypothesis is that Tarot and the Dragon are in a symbiotic relationship. In return for being allowed to inhabit Tarot’s earthly body and serve as the dragons avatar, she is allowed to use a portion of the dragons powers. Perhaps this only works if the avatar is willing to share their body. Maybe that was what Pete was planning to do when he insisted that King say home, go over the terms and perform a ritual or something to join himself to King. Of course, this is all just my postulation, so take it was a pinch of salt.
No, He insisted on him staying home, so he would not meet Tarot, the Dragon’s avatar. Pete wanted king to be his Avatar, and wanted it without a fight. But since Tarot met him at the party, she now knows he was once human, which is why the dragon brought up that issue.
Actually U&U seems to be precisely opposite to D&D.
D&D is all about pretending to be someone you’re not, with abilities you don’t have, in an imaginary setting that only the game master can manipulate, with rules to tell you what you can do, and (normally) no particular stakes involved except your time.
U&U seems to be about limiting the abilities you actually do have, with rules to tell you what you can’t do, playing in an existing setting through existing creatures – both of which the players can manipulate – with a game master to prevent excessive manipulation of the setting and some sort of stakes involved – whether that’s something to do with the universe being used as the setting or some sort of higher-level thing humans can’t comprehend.
I’m still wondering whether it’s simply that Pete and the Spirit Dragon have a philosophical difference about meddling, with Pete being for meddling with the Housepets universe to produce greater equity between humans and animals (and thus having concerned himself with the details of the restrictions on pets) and the Spirit Dragon liking it the way it is and being opposed to meddling – and thus associating with Tarot, who would then presumably have a loving owner who takes good care of her and sees nothing wrong with the Housepets world the way it is.
I think you’re Rick, secretly in disguise.
Nah, Rich is too cool to have an avatar like Thoth, and isn’t the kinda person to do that. Thoth is just your average Stalker fan, stalking Rick, going through his trash for failed plot ideas, and using them to eliminate what can’t be happening o.o;….. That, or he is just thinking too much on this comic and needs to go back to playing video games, like DDO xD
Rich?! 0.o
Nah, it’s no fun to try and make deductions about your own stuff. Where’s the puzzle?
666 comments.
Ayep.
Anoying for WII users aint it?
The only thing the Wii users would be able to see would be the fiery pits of hell reaching out from their non-3D TVs.
Now, thankfully, you get no such thing. But 730+ comments are still annoying to read on a normal TV (font is not as crisp as on a monitor).
I. Love. The. Great. Kitsune. So. MUCH!
Rick, you rule!
D’aww. I am suddenly for TarotxPeanut and not PeanutxGrape <33
Is it just me or am I detecting a case of Cerberus Syndrome? I’m not saying that’s a bad thing though so long as Rick keeps the humor intact.
ITYM Cerebus.
If one is willing to advance any kind of future plot with Tarot/Spirit Dragon (presumably immortal) and Peanut (presumably not) a bit of Cerberus Syndrome is to be expected. I’m confident that Rick will continue to balance this out with expressions like the one Pete has going for him in that last panel.
This comic couldn’t get any weirder, yet I still can’t wait for what’s next.
Are we going to see more of the Great Kitsune character?
Does anybody else think that there is a reason both players are aiming for Peanut? First the dragon uses Tarot to get to Peanut, then pete using Grape…wait…
there must be something really special about Peanut.
Well it really implies that there might be something special about both Grape and Peanut but the fact that Pete’s Temple had been moved so the starting points were supposed to be different IMO means that no their not special and there could be a hundred reasons why Pete wanted Grape. (most likely IMO is because Pete thought they would be a fit personality wise or she was just closest to his temple.) As for Dragon she just likes Peanut and didn’t want to see any harm come to him most likely.
Housepets just shifted into the 7th gear of STUNNAH AWESOME and cooked the pooch. XD
LOL
name: ???????? <- scratched
(Pete)
remember the comic were peanut introduced pete to Grape?
“I’m gonna call him Pete!” “I already told you my name is-” “I can’t pronounce it!”
Oooh! Good catch!
I find that this strip answered more questions for me than it asked…
Although I am curious as to why Dragon is letting Pete get away with such evasiveness…
So Tarot is the dragon’s possessee/avatar, Pete wanted grape but settled for Joel/King, and there’s another avatar we don’t know about yet? TIGER OR ZACHARY!
Zach may not be a cat or dog, but he has so little screen time. Tiger could end up becoming better loved around the neighborhood as an avatar. Wait. Marvin, Sabrina, and Daisy might also have potential…
It is possible that Zach might make an appearance in this arc.
We still don’t know what was the business with Zach opening the temple and Pete flying out… and since there’s now talk about a temple, and we have Pete, maybe Rick is planning to tie these loose ends together?
If the Great Kitsune is functioning as a game master, he/she/it really doesn’t need an avatar; he/she/it is enforcing and intrepreting the game rules rather than playing under them, and so is not subject to their restrictions.
Heehee, they’re D&D player stereotypes.
Pete’s the powergaming jerk who picks stuff that doesn’t even make sense within the setting. (“My avatar is a human that became a dog!” “Dude, we already had talking cats and dogs that acted like humans. Going a bit far there.”)
Spirit Dragon’s the fanfiction writing RPer girl. Technically Peanut doesn’t count as more than a fictional NPC within this ‘game’, and Spirit Dragon’s releasing her creepy fangirl side.
DM’s the bitter “Oh god why did I become DM these players are a disaster” type.
there is always a stereotype for something in this domain we call Earth.
I don’t agree with the last one. I believe the Kitsune is more “I need more friends than these geeks” kinda person
Soo, they have to pick a creature that they use an avatar of which they control semi-directly… uuuummm ok.
Though for the universes sake I hope this dimensional breaking thing doesn’t zoom out some more and reveal that they are in Pete’s bedroom in his parents house and the stars are just some cheap wallpaper cause he’s weird. xD
Also glad theres no Naruto refrences, the US version of his tag line quote would be so horribly fitting here what with the NineTails and unbeleivable bits, I think I hinted enough at it.
Hmm, is this why Orange soda is intoxicating? For small animals anyway.
Also isn’t Tarot her own person and not the dragon? Or they temporarely the same person which brings the question as to why King here has to be forced into it….
Eh anyway, is that Cherry Cola or Regurlar cola…. does this mean theres interdemonsional cola distributers and if so then they mu…… *brain explode*
My guess is that Tarot and the Dragon get along because Tarot was already psychic and the Dragon was sympatico. Joel and Pete… not so much.
So that means Peanut isn’t dating a mystical dragon god like thing?
Sucks for him. xD
Not like Tarot doesn’t already have a ton of powers anyway so not much of a loss.
Though Tarot and the Dragon seem very much alike so far.
Hmm, would kinda think Tarot would be there with them too…
But anyway…
*explode*
Mkay, few questions… If Tarot and Pete are both the major, well, players, and Tarot has Tarot and Pete WANTED Grape, then why are they in the same spot? If Pete picked an “avatar” far away from where Tarot’s Avatar was, then couldn’t she have not stopped him? Or did he have to remain close to there, as a result of the temple being there? Is the whole area that Housepets takes place in of some special significance, or is it like that for the story’s purpose?
What abut the Fox? As he APPEARS to be the DM, does that mean he has no “avatars”? Or does he have one, but it is not currently with the rest of the Housepets? Is he hidden? Or can he manipulate “NPCS” such as Peanut and Grape (though she almost wasn’t one)? Maybe we’re all overthinking the game concept?
Many more questions… But I think I’ll wait till Monday to ask those.
All good questions. Add them to the “what does it REALLY mean to be an avatar anyway” stack.
Well they have mentioned a “duel”, with the only allowed parties being cats and dogs. Ergo, possibly it’s…
(1) Get someone to come to your temple and fulfill your entry conditions. It seems reasonably likely that any valid creature that comes to your temple and lets you out will become your default avatar. Since it was Zach who released Pete, and Zach – not being a cat or dog – was not a valid choice for an Avatar, that may be why Pete was free to wander around and try to manipulate his selection of an Avatar for the maximum possible advantage.
In any case, if you don’t already have an Avatar after being released, then:
(2) Obtain an avatar in the vicinity. Speculatively, given multi-dimensional “Higher Beings”, an avatar may serve as a necessary focus to work at full capacity in a lower-order universe. What makes a good avatar is as yet unknown, but what (little) evidence there is suggests:
(a) Agreement to become an avatar, albeit possibly obtained under duress.
(b) Useful personal qualities. This may have been being inclined towards psychic abilities for Tarot – or simply a sympathetic personality, which was probably important to the apparently socially-oriented Spirit Dragon. Pete may have wanted Grape because she’s shown an excellent capacity for effective violence, and little compunction about employing it. Pete’s current choice of King may indicate that he sees an advantage in an avatar with human skills and memories.
(c) The ability to channel a Higher Beings power effectively or serve as an anchor for them in a particular low-order universe.
And
(d) Whatever other advantages might mean something to a higher-order being.
(3) Maneuver for advantages – whatever those may be in the context of the cosmic game and the universe you’re playing in.
(4) Resolve the outcome of your “Duel” – or possibly, be forced to call it a draw or postpone things.
(5) Tie up loose ends, pay off any bargains struck with Avatars, and (possibly) fix up the universe you’ve been imposing on a bit before you go. I’d like to think that the game calls for cleaning up your messes before leaving a lower-order universe.
There might well be other steps, or entirely different ones, but those do seem fairly likely.
Hmm, is that inscription above Pete’s name in the parantheses Akkadian?
It’s metaphorical. I figure that since they have a tesseract die their own script is 3- or 4- dimensional, anyway.
No its not Akkadian at all. Its most likely just some random symbols that Rick strung together
THAT AD TO THE LEFT GROSSES ME OUT!! BLARGHHH
BCB?
yeah that ad freaks me out, too.
He said “grosses”, not “freaks”. If that freaks you out, you should not be playing the Game of Life.
Spin a 7 to advance to the “I’m Outta Here” retirement spot.
Ahhh… so little images of Kit. MS Paint what would I do without you? *huggles avvy*
Minor point for those wondering about King’s free will:
http://www.housepetscomic.com/2009/12/02/an-undigested-bit-of-beef/
Pete didn’t actually make the decision. :> All he did was create the conditions for Joel to make the choice and have it take effect, by starting out with his little speech about “a broken conscience”; by setting it up like that, he prompted Joel to choose either a dog or a cat, in keeping with his known issues.
Oh dear. This makes me want to play D&D. But it’s nearly midnight and the closest people who would play with me are six hours away. Sadness.
Anyway, I’ve decided to stop lurking. Yay.
Don’t suppose you’re in Texas… ?
apparently grape was forced then controlled by Pete but tarot knew that he was not abiding by the rules by forcing grape to free him with mind control without her acceptance to it so after he was free he was forced too break the mind control because he knew tarot had found out that she was being forced and because king went too the party he met tarot and tarot found out that he was human and told the dragon made her/him bring the subject up.