2019/07/10 - Sing The Refrain

[SeanWolf]

Am I the only one who wants to give Steward the benefit of the doubt? Not flat out trust him, his past transgressions have burned that bridge. However it's been a long time and we haven't seen him since in depth. For all we know he could actually have good ideas at heart.

Or not. Point is that he's been gone and we don't know if he's changed or not.

I'm with you there. While a leopard can't change its spots, it has been a long time since we seen Steward so, who knows? Maybe he had a awakening and actually wants to help (I'm suspecting that the coin is a major red herring).

[Amazee Dayzee]

Welp there it is. Steward as this arc's villain confirmed.

Or maybe he just is trying in his own misguided way to get a human advocate for wildlife but somehow I doubt that.

[dr_eirik]

Am I the only one who wants to give Steward the benefit of the doubt? Not flat out trust him, his past transgressions have burned that bridge. However it's been a long time and we haven't seen him since in depth. For all we know he could actually have good ideas at heart.

Or not. Point is that he's been gone and we don't know if he's changed or not.

I'm with you there. While a leopard can't change its spots, it has been a long time since we seen Steward so, who knows? Maybe he had a awakening and actually wants to help (I'm suspecting that the coin is a major red herring).

I'm still thinking that he's evil, but not exactly a villian. I dont think he had anything to do with Marion's transformation, and he might genuinely want to help him. Though if he had a real way to do that, he wouldn't be a badger anymore. I also dont think he had a plan, exactly, but a squirrel with human intelligence and sufficient motivation just fell into his lap and I think hes formulating one now.

If Steward didn't know Marion was once human, he does now. The "I dont want to be an animal" line is a pretty good give away for anyone paying attention.

I will say the most horrifying line in this comic? "To be continued". Rick has his roo-ish paws into me and I cant wait for the next part!

[shadowlucario50]

I have a lot more respect for Jessica after this strip. Despite not knowing Marion that well, it's amazing how much Jessica's willing to stand up for him. The best part? Jessica is using "he". Jessica listened and is respecting Marion's statement of calling himself a boy. Zach, you got an awesome possum on your paws!~

[fenrirblack]

I hope Marion calms down enough to really listen to what Steward is saying. I mean he didn't flat out say he used to be human but what he said was extremely suspicious and now that Marion knows that randomly changing into an animal is possible then he needs to read between the lines. "How can you sympathize with....OH MY GOD!"

Am I the only one who wants to give Steward the benefit of the doubt? Not flat out trust him, his past transgressions have burned that bridge. However it's been a long time and we haven't seen him since in depth. For all we know he could actually have good ideas at heart.

Or not. Point is that he's been gone and we don't know if he's changed or not.

I'm with you there. While a leopard can't change its spots, it has been a long time since we seen Steward so, who knows? Maybe he had a awakening and actually wants to help (I'm suspecting that the coin is a major red herring).

I'm still thinking that he's evil, but not exactly a villian. I dont think he had anything to do with Marion's transformation, and he might genuinely want to help him. Though if he had a real way to do that, he wouldn't be a badger anymore. I also dont think he had a plan, exactly, but a squirrel with human intelligence and sufficient motivation just fell into his lap and I think hes formulating one now.

If Steward didn't know Marion was once human, he does now. The "I dont want to be an animal" line is a pretty good give away for anyone paying attention.

I will say the most horrifying line in this comic? "To be continued". Rick has his roo-ish paws into me and I cant wait for the next part!

Villain: a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot.

So to recap, the coin is a red herring and like i said earlier Steward wants to show it off (probably a bit of foreshadowing), Steward clearly knows now because Marion was not subtle about it and if you read between the lines of "Kid, I sympathize but you can't always get what you want" then yeah he knows, he has all night to come up with a plan and with the coins resurgence then I'm going to go with the theory of using it on more innocent souls to join the ECP like Marion.

[dr_eirik]

I hope Marion calms down enough to really listen to what Steward is saying. I mean he didn't flat out say he used to be human but what he said was extremely suspicious and now that Marion knows that randomly changing into an animal is possible then he needs to read between the lines. "How can you sympathize with....OH MY GOD!"

I'm not sure if Marion knows enough just yet to make the connection. I think that without a little more information it's still a leap. I suspect Steward will flat out tell him in the next couple pages.

Villain: a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot.

I understand the definition, but IMO, there's a difference between "bad guy" and "Villian". The plots in HP have often have bad actors to drive the plot, Bino, Tiger, even the raccoons and Cory, but none of them are really villiians. I think up to now, Steward has been a bad guy, he stole and undermined a charity program for his own ends. Now he might make a turn into a complete villain, going after those that he feels wronged him, or this might be an honest attempt to get something that he thinks will turn him back. We've still got a ways to go, here.

So to recap, the coin is a red herring and like i said earlier Steward wants to show it off (probably a bit of foreshadowing), Steward clearly knows now because Marion was not subtle about it and if you read between the lines of "Kid, I sympathize but you can't always get what you want" then yeah he knows, he has all night to come up with a plan and with the coins resurgence then I'm going to go with the theory of using it on more innocent souls to join the ECP like Marion.

I could see him holding the coin over Marions head and threatening to use it on his mother, his girlfriend, etc, unless he helps. Even if Marion doesn't tell Steward any of that information directly, they are likely on the news by now as people are starting to look for a missing teenager. So I'm not so sure that the coin is a red herring, or perhaps it was, but now might be turning more into a macGuffin.

[Ash Greytree]

Was not expecting the arc to end like this. Echoing others sentiments, I want to give Marion a hug really badly. Seriously bummed that another arc ended on yet another bad note for him. But again, Marion has to be broken down in order to develop him and build him back up.

Marion just said he doesn't want to be an animal and wants his life back in front of Jess, Ink, Karishad, and maybe some other animals heard him too. I'm curious as to whether or not that's going to lead to him getting questioned or confronted by any of them. I really hope that it doesn't make him some kind of pariah in the treehouse that nobody wants anything to do with except if absolutely mandatory.
I honestly don't know where Marion's story is going to go from here in the short term. I could see him deciding to wallow in sadness in his room for a good chunk of the next day, not knowing what to do and just wanting to be all by himself, in standard teenage fashion. Jess asks somebody to take some breakfast/lunch/brunch up to Marion, and they object because they think he's weird. Jess then threatens them with some comedically horrific violence if they don't.

Character: Do I have to? She doesn't seem right. I'm kind of scared she'll jump me and bite my face o-
Jess: [Not even looking up from her phone.] If you don't bring him some food, I'll make sure that whenever those bulldozers Steward keeps blabbering about finally get here, you're the first thing in their way.
Character: U-understood...

I'd like for him to get a confidant sometime soon; a Fox to his King that can give him the support, compassion and companionship he needs. The closest bets would be either Jess or Falstaff & Truck. Like I've said tons of times before, I would absolutely love to see Falstaff & Truck become best pals with Marion, have them reveal some hidden depths as characters, and develop over time as they bond with him.

[dr_eirik]

Marion just said he doesn't want to be an animal and wants his life back in front of Jess, Ink, Karishad, and maybe some other animals heard him too. I'm curious as to whether or not that's going to lead to him getting questioned or confronted by any of them. I really hope that it doesn't make him some kind of pariah in the treehouse that nobody wants anything to do with except if absolutely mandatory.

I suspect most of the residents would interpret that as "I don't want to be a wild animal". Since he's wearing what amounts to a collar, most likely would think that he's an escaped or lost pet.

I honestly don't know where Marion's story is going to go from here in the short term. I could see him deciding to wallow in sadness in his room for a good chunk of the next day, not knowing what to do and just wanting to be all by himself, in standard teenage fashion. Jess asks somebody to take some breakfast/lunch/brunch up to Marion, and they object because they think he's weird. Jess then threatens them with some comedically horrific violence if they don't.

Character: Do I have to? She doesn't seem right. I'm kind of scared she'll jump me and bite my face o-
Jess: [Not even looking up from her phone.] If you don't bring him some food, I'll make sure that whenever those bulldozers Steward keeps blabbering about finally get here, you're the first thing in their way.
Character: U-understood...

The way you wrote that, it feels like Truck. Falstaff, maybe. Ink I suspect would just do it.

I don't think that Steward is going to let Marion wallow for long. Assuming that he didn't already have a plan, he's going to formulate one pretty fast and he'll need the lost squirrel to pull it off.

I'd like for him to get a confidant sometime soon; a Fox to his King that can give him the support, compassion and companionship he needs. The closest bets would be either Jess or Falstaff & Truck. Like I've said tons of times before, I would absolutely love to see Falstaff & Truck become best pals with Marion, have them reveal some hidden depths as characters, and develop over time as they bond with him.

Another obvious confidant is Zach. He's likely to meet the nervous little bunny at some soon point, and I think he knows enough about the temple to believe what happened to Marion. That's assuming that he isn't sent into the Miltons sphere of characters. From there, you can make a direct line to King as a sounding board. It would be nice symmetry. Besides, King was supposed to find a job. Maybe he works for the ECP now.

[Cesco]

But, then... Steward's purpose with Marion is really that? I know that talk about his transforming case couldn't help Marion to return back as an human, but talk with him only to force him to join this ECP, isn't good. He doesn't care either, obviously. Poor Marion. You can't always get what you want? That's right, but... Great Kitsune, are you inside Steward? And wow, he still has that cursed coin, and so, maybe he knows that he must keep it to remain a badger...

[trekkie]

I, too want to give poor Marion a hug. Hopefully, Marion will be cautious if Steward tries to recruit him into a scheme of some sort. I’d love to see someone, maybe Truck or CustomInk, try and comfort him when we rejoin this story. As for his future, if he has to remain a squirrel maybe he can be adopted by his parents, so that they’d have Marion back, albeit as a squirrel, and Lois could visit. I also have a lot of credit to Jessica for calling Marion “he” sometimes things that may seem minor are the things that matter the most. Marion might remember that Jessica respected his wishes and be more willing to side with her.

[fenrirblack]

Clearly he has no experience in magical transformation which tells me he has never seen Disney movie before. So far his only research has been using "Metamorphosis" and the dude couldn't even talk in that book so that doesn't work in his favor. I mean I know he was caught off guard but after the initial shock he could have told her the truth. What was she going to do, not give him the pie? "No pie for crazy squirrels." He keeps trying but gives up too easily. How has he not taken a moment to come up with a decent explanation. At this rate it's explode out of him (like with King) once he gets to Jess's house and all of them are going to be "Uhhhh...." He's kept it together for this long but I don't think there is enough pie in the world to change the fact that he's still in trouble at the moment.

I knew this was going to happen. What do you know I was right and it explode out of him. There were even tears to like with King.

Was not expecting the arc to end like this. Echoing others sentiments, I want to give Marion a hug really badly. Seriously bummed that another arc ended on yet another bad note for him. But again, Marion has to be broken down in order to develop him and build him back up.

That is true. King did the exact same thing only with more cursing.

Marion just said he doesn't want to be an animal and wants his life back in front of Jess, Ink, Karishad, and maybe some other animals heard him too. I'm curious as to whether or not that's going to lead to him getting questioned or confronted by any of them. I really hope that it doesn't make him some kind of pariah in the treehouse that nobody wants anything to do with except if absolutely mandatory.

I can't imagine any of them are going to take it to heart. If Pete and Dragon are any indication they are use to young animals yelling about how unfair their lives are and how the wild sucks. Jess will probably treat him like he's any other teenage and let him sulk and get out the teen angst. There is no reason to take what he said seriously although it might be an indication that he would want to join the ECP if he actually knew what it was. The problem right now is that he is emotional still and hurting and doesn't realize that, for better or worse, the ECP and the Miltons' are his best shot are regaining some portion of his old life. That ignorance is exactly what Steward will take advantage of.

I'd like for him to get a confidant sometime soon; a Fox to his King that can give him the support, compassion and companionship he needs. The closest bets would be either Jess or Falstaff & Truck. Like I've said tons of times before, I would absolutely love to see Falstaff & Truck become best pals with Marion, have them reveal some hidden depths as characters, and develop over time as they bond with him.

I was against it before but at this point, I'm ready to steal the coin from Steward and track down Lois myself to use it on her. This is partly her fault for not taking him seriously. I mean I know it sounds crazy but even if it was a joke she should have at least humored him. Tell him, "Stay inside, keep hidden, don't talk to anyone, and I'll stop by after school. But so help me Marion, if this is a joke, I'm dumping your tail."
I hope she at least had the decency to check on him after school.

We all knew that King’s life was better as a dog, and that the only thing he had waiting for him if he became human again was jail. That’s not the case with Marian. He has family, a girlfriend, a bunch of people who are going to be going nuts looking for him while he’s stuck like this, and he can’t really do anything to convince them of what happened without just looking like some crazy squirrel. He does not deserve what’s happening to him right not, and I’m hoping we make at least some progress towards getting him the help he needs soon.

Ah! And here lies the greatest moral conundrum of this story arc:
Marion, as far as we know, did nothing to deserve his pain, and he has a mother, a girlfriend, and probably many others who would miss him dearly, or suffer along with him even if they found out what happened. Marion deserves to go back with his family and friends, to go to college and to be succesful and happy.

BUT!

If he goes back to being a human...........................................................we won't get to see him as a cute animal cast member anymore!

Marion can still remain a squirrel and return to a semi-normal life. All he needs is to convince the right people of who he is then go from there. Don't underestimate the desperate. College and possibly graduation are going to be on hold but there is no reason for his entire story arc to end so soon or for him to change back to human before the End of Year 12. I'm still in the mind frame that he is going to stay a squirrel for a few years before eventually changing back for the sake of whatever plot is unfolding. Remember we went through a lot to get to this point, so it wouldn't just be for some quick arc. The only other character who this much complex introduction was Joel.

Villain: a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot.

I understand the definition, but IMO, there's a difference between "bad guy" and "Villian". The plots in HP have often have bad actors to drive the plot, Bino, Tiger, even the raccoons and Cory, but none of them are really villiians. I think up to now, Steward has been a bad guy, he stole and undermined a charity program for his own ends. Now he might make a turn into a complete villain, going after those that he feels wronged him, or this might be an honest attempt to get something that he thinks will turn him back. We've still got a ways to go, here.

For starters I wouldn't call Tiger a "bad actor." But we have had villains to drive the plot. They not be the classic comic book super villains but bad guys none the less like Pete, Ptah, Orwell Johnson, Thomas, and Human Steward. They are Antagonists who, for better or worse, did/do bad things for the sake of the plot usually for their own selfish gain. Bino and Duchess as well can qualify as antagonists. They aren't good at it but being an antagonist isn't about what is accomplished as much as what the goal is and what you are willing to do to get to it.

I hope Marion calms down enough to really listen to what Steward is saying. I mean he didn't flat out say he used to be human but what he said was extremely suspicious and now that Marion knows that randomly changing into an animal is possible then he needs to read between the lines. "How can you sympathize with....OH MY GOD!"

I'm not sure if Marion knows enough just yet to make the connection. I think that without a little more information it's still a leap. I suspect Steward will flat out tell him in the next couple pages.

Yeah, honestly that is the way my mind works. I have a tendency to pick up on small details and work them around until I come up with even the most outlandish conclusion. Marion, being the poor ignorant soul he is, probably wouldn't be in the right state of mind to pick up on the subtle innuendos in Steward's words.

Marion just said he doesn't want to be an animal and wants his life back in front of Jess, Ink, Karishad, and maybe some other animals heard him too. I'm curious as to whether or not that's going to lead to him getting questioned or confronted by any of them. I really hope that it doesn't make him some kind of pariah in the treehouse that nobody wants anything to do with except if absolutely mandatory.

I suspect most of the residents would interpret that as "I don't want to be a wild animal". Since he's wearing what amounts to a collar, most likely would think that he's an escaped or lost pet.

We don't talk about human envy much in the comic but it would be foolish to assume that all animals and pets enjoy being what they are and don't long for something more. Miles and Gale are good examples but still don't so far as actually desire to be furless. But there must be some animals who want to actually be human and not just pets or just living as humans.

[dr_eirik]

We don't talk about human envy much in the comic but it would be foolish to assume that all animals and pets enjoy being what they are and don't long for something more. Miles and Gale are good examples but still don't so far as actually desire to be furless. But there must be some animals who want to actually be human and not just pets or just living as humans.

While true, the animals living in the tree-house (save for Steward and possibly the kits if they thought about it) might see that statement as aspirational and not literal, they would have to see it as irrational, too. Steward and the kits are the only mortal creatures in the house that have any direct knowledge that such a transformation (at least in the reverse) is possible. Kitsune does too, but so far we haven't seen hide nor tails of him.

So assuming anyone present (which I think at this point are just Steward, Jessica and Ink) even thinks about what he says as more than the rant of a tired, upset squirrel I doubt that they are going to be thinking that he wants to literally turn into a human.

[Ash Greytree]

I don't think that Steward is going to let Marion wallow for long. Assuming that he didn't already have a plan, he's going to formulate one pretty fast and he'll need the lost squirrel to pull it off.

I’m not sure that he’s going to be seeing Marion for a bit. Jess could be watching him like a hawk after this. It’s likely an “If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me” situation where Marion goes to Steward voluntarily after a certain amount of time with no leads, or Steward does something on the sly that causes Marion to “voluntarily” come to him.

Another obvious confidant is Zach. He's likely to meet the nervous little bunny at some soon point, and I think he knows enough about the temple to believe what happened to Marion. That's assuming that he isn't sent into the Miltons sphere of characters. From there, you can make a direct line to King as a sounding board. It would be nice symmetry. Besides, King was supposed to find a job. Maybe he works for the ECP now.

Zach would be neat. Having King serve as Marion’s confidant,
having to keep it secret from others while the two of them try to solve his problem would be really interesting and a bit of role reversal for him. But at the same time, I feel like that would be too easy a path toward a solution since King has all the connections that one would need to potentially solve Marion’s problem. I really want to see more of the folks at the treehouse, and if our squirrel gets whisked away to where he interacts more with King and the other pets, I feel like that would be a waste of potential.

[Obbl]

I was against it before but at this point, I'm ready to steal the coin from Steward and track down Lois myself to use it on her. This is partly her fault for not taking him seriously. I mean I know it sounds crazy but even if it was a joke she should have at least humored him. Tell him, "Stay inside, keep hidden, don't talk to anyone, and I'll stop by after school. But so help me Marion, if this is a joke, I'm dumping your tail."
I hope she at least had the decency to check on him after school.

That would have been a better course of action for Lois to take. That said, the judgement of Lois based on her choosing a less good course of action starts getting into the area of negativity that we want to avoid. As a general note to all members, please remember that not everyone is going to agree with your negative assessment of a character, and that harsh judgement on a character that someone sympathizes with can push people away from discussion rather than engage them.

[Silly Zealot]

Lois is not to blame.
I mean, come on, show of hands: if someone sent you a Whatsapp message saying they got turned into a squirrel and they need your help, would you really believe them?
As in, really really believe them?

.....
Really really really believe them?

[dr_eirik]

Lois is not to blame.
I mean, come on, show of hands: if someone sent you a Whatsapp message saying they got turned into a squirrel and they need your help, would you really believe them?
As in, really really believe them?

.....
Really really really believe them?

Nope, not a change. And I'm primed to believe since I've been reading TF fiction since I tore through the mythology section of my local library back when an episode of Stranger Things would have been a peek at the future. I've also written dozens of short stories (most of them 20-ish years ago when I had this mystical thing called time) that explore it.

And if someone texted me a picture of an animal holding a cell phone for a selfie and typed in that they were transformed, I'd think it was a friend trying to pull a mild joke.

Unless Lois turns out later to have been in a position to actually know human-animal TF is possible (she volunteers at the zoo and has heard the grumbles of the new camel, she once gave a Corgi an orange soda and it spewed something about being really a human...) then her reaction in thinking that this was a senior prank is right on target. She should have stopped by after school, and we don't know that she didn't, since presumably Marion didn't respond after the text exchange we saw and he didn't take the phone with him.

[fenrirblack]

It does make you wonder what was going through her head at the time. Marion never showed up at school during final exams of their senior year, texted her a photo of some random squirrel wearing the friendship bracelet, then never texted her back for the rest of the day. She doesn’t have to believe him but you know she probably tracked him down to demand to know why he was trying to pull some ridiculous prank only to discover that he’s missing. And we still don’t know enough about Marion to know if this type of prank was out of character or not.

[dr_eirik]

It does make you wonder what was going through her head at the time. Marion never showed up at school during final exams of their senior year, texted her a photo of some random squirrel wearing the friendship bracelet, then never texted her back for the rest of the day. She doesn’t have to believe him but you know she probably tracked him down to demand to know why he was trying to pull some ridiculous prank only to discover that he’s missing. And we still don’t know enough about Marion to know if this type of prank was out of character or not.

Even if its not, it isn't all that odd to think of a kid doing something out of character as a senior prank or something like that. Teenagers are weird and impulsive.

I'm sure whatever she was thinking, it wasn't that her boyfriend is now two feet tall, running around with a tail that doubles as a blanket and worrying about if he might die if he follows his new species normal diet. Even when he first turns up missing, I can't imagine anyone jumping to that conclusion. I do think that eventually, perhaps by morning, the police will be very interested in finding the squirrel to find out what she knows.

Now, will we ever see any of that? Who knows?

[fenrirblack]

It does make you wonder what was going through her head at the time. Marion never showed up at school during final exams of their senior year, texted her a photo of some random squirrel wearing the friendship bracelet, then never texted her back for the rest of the day. She doesn’t have to believe him but you know she probably tracked him down to demand to know why he was trying to pull some ridiculous prank only to discover that he’s missing. And we still don’t know enough about Marion to know if this type of prank was out of character or not.

Even if its not, it isn't all that odd to think of a kid doing something out of character as a senior prank or something like that. Teenagers are weird and impulsive.

I'm sure whatever she was thinking, it wasn't that her boyfriend is now two feet tall, running around with a tail that doubles as a blanket and worrying about if he might die if he follows his new species normal diet. Even when he first turns up missing, I can't imagine anyone jumping to that conclusion. I do think that eventually, perhaps by morning, the police will be very interested in finding the squirrel to find out what she knows.

Now, will we ever see any of that? Who knows?

She probably thought he was sick and missed school and decided to "pretend" to be a squirrel or that's my best guess as to her train of thought. I would jump to that conclusion of yes he’s telling the truth about changing into a squirrel because it would be awesome. You'd be surprised by what passes through my head, actually probably not since I usually post that stuff here. Come morning when he's still missing, you know she'll probably be thinking just maybe it wasn't a prank. A little voice in the back of her head.

You know what we need, L from Death Note. Even the most impractical and outlandish idea turned out to be correct and he didn’t care how it sounded when he told people. He knew what was happening and was willing to do what it took to stop it.

[GameCobra]

Pretty sure Lois went with the "boyfriend is trying to get a squirrel to throw me off for a surprise" since that would be the most believable, realistic route i would believe in this situation if normal humans aren't aware of the crazy everyday shinanigans we've seen in the comic so far.

Also, I would also think it's safe to assume even the squirrel not knowing his/her own gender would be more believable than Marion being transformed into a squirrel. Hah.

[Amazee Dayzee]

If Marion could take on that part of his personality we might actually get somewhere within the plot a bit quicker. LOL

[Silly Zealot]

I'm sure whatever she was thinking, it wasn't that her boyfriend is now two feet tall, running around with a tail that doubles as a blanket and worrying about if he might die if he follows his new species normal diet.

Oh, man, yes, the allergy! I wonder if it will come up again later in the story.
I had completely forgotten about that detail, and the way you put it into words is.... well, there is phrase said by Rick himself that really applies right now:

You know what we need, L from Death Note. Even the most impractical and outlandish idea turned out to be correct and he didn’t care how it sounded when he told people. He knew what was happening and was willing to do what it took to stop it.

If we get a detective character that makes deductions the same way as L did when this story resumes I won't be surprised, but I WILL be very pleased!

[fenrirblack]

I'm hoping for at least a series of one-offs showing what Lois was doing during all of this from the time she sent that text to basically the present. Like Meanwhile.... Maybe one of those long ones that is comprised of several scenes that slowly show Lois panicking over the course of the day as she slowly realizes that just maybe what Marion said was true. If she does go to the same school as Miles, I could see a scene where they talk and Miles just happens to drop the King bomb.
Part of me wonders if he would think it was uncommon after living with King for so long. Like it's weird to him but would he think it weird to other humans or is it one of the "human things?" Casually mention like oh yeah, I have dog friend who was human once. That raises another question of what would refer to King as: friend, roommate, pack member, ...son maybe? Miles was probably a better father to King than Mr. Robinson despite King probably being older than Miles or at the very least the same age.
Back to Lois, Then another can be her at Marion's house talking to Julia followed by her running into Kevin and Ralph who are talking about the weird squirrel. Little things that slowly sow the seeds of doubt. Doubt in what she once knew as reality and what is possible. Sooner or later her world is going to come crashing down so we might as well prepare her.

[dr_eirik]

I'm hoping for at least a series of one-offs showing what Lois was doing during all of this from the time she sent that text to basically the present. Like Meanwhile.... Maybe one of those long ones that is comprised of several scenes that slowly show Lois panicking over the course of the day as she slowly realizes that just maybe what Marion said was true. If she does go to the same school as Miles, I could see a scene where they talk and Miles just happens to drop the King bomb.
Part of me wonders if he would think it was uncommon after living with King for so long. Like it's weird to him but would he think it weird to other humans or is it one of the "human things?" Casually mention like oh yeah, I have dog friend who was human once. That raises another question of what would refer to King as: friend, roommate, pack member, ...son maybe? Miles was probably a better father to King than Mr. Robinson despite King probably being older than Miles or at the very least the same age.
Back to Lois, Then another can be her at Marion's house talking to Julia followed by her running into Kevin and Ralph who are talking about the weird squirrel. Little things that slowly sow the seeds of doubt. Doubt in what she once knew as reality and what is possible. Sooner or later her world is going to come crashing down so we might as well prepare her.

I'm wondering if something like that might be the next arc. We're at a point in the story where there is something of a natural break. We could easily pick this up a couple days later, with Stewards explanation assumed and some plan in action. Seeing how the people back home have reacted would be interesting. It's also a chance to bring back in some of the pets, easily the K9s and others, who haven't really been present in a while.

The only way that we don't someday see the home front reaction is if somehow, Marion never returns home. That strikes me as an very unlikely direction. I just can't see a not too-dark-for-Housepets way that could be pulled off.

Miles roles with things pretty well. When King asked if he knew he was once human, Miles just mentioned that Daryl told him. He never took that information back to King even to confirm it. He just assumed it to be true. I lean toward thinking that Miles is at least aware that, in the case of King, it's not an open topic. I don't think that he'd spill that information on his own, but if given enough information to realize that Marion is a squirrel, he might help connect some of the characters up...

Oh, and he might tell the rest of the pack that, for the time being, squirrels are off the menu. At least until he finds out if one of his students is one.

[John-056]

Uuuuhhhmmm...Steward...if you try to play "Oh life isn't fair, kiddo" card to gather sympathy...no. Just no.
There is a difference between a guy, who try to trick his employee and a random student, who get pulled into something he doesn't have any connection with.

Seriously at this moment I don't have any sympathy for him.

It's clear he's doing this to likely make Marion a Spy or a Saboteur in Keene's plans, playing on what Marion wants, mayhap even saying that "Keene Milton has some notes on such things, bring them to me, and we may give you back your Human form".

Not saying he is against 'Equal Animal Rights', but he sure as Hek doesn't want Keene running the show, and his aggressive demands to push the ECP on the Wildings, feels like he is trying to 'Bloat' the System, since the ones living in Jessica's house are just the minority she allows to live in it, compared to the entire forest around it.

And considering the whole 'Opener of Ways' case spread like wildfire to those living in the local forest, kinda tells that if Steward Succeeds, the ECP will be Overloaded.

And to a lot of you, Steward had been Suspect ever since he intentionally Left Keene in the Zoo, which a small headcount and a backtrack would have solved, and Keene mentions that after Temple Crashers, Mr Steward was acting Suspicious, as in he was asking odd questions that he had no business in, and was nosing around Keene's notes, something he shouldn't be doing, considering that Mr Steward's role was to manage the Milton Funds, not poke around Private notes that aren't related to Funds.

Frankly, it was that far back that, if Steward wasn't a 'Bad Guy' then for effectively leaving his Boss to Rot in a Cage, the fact that he was poking around things he shouldn't have, prior to his actions that cost him his humanity, feels like he was at least committing corporate espionage, especially when Keene points out that Steward wasn't hired, but sent by the Bank.

It meant that for a long While, Mr Steward was a Wild Card, with no real fixed 'Faction', so to speak, and had been like that for years. Being sent out in the Wilderness hasn't stopped him, and this scene feels very much like a Repeat of King and Pete at the end of the Christmas Arc, which, as pointed out, mirrors the latter two, with Steward walking away, Marion on her knees, well on their way to Despair, and Steward giving off his parting words that drive it home.

The question is, will Marion be as Stubborn as King? Or will she submit to Steward's whims? Whatever Steward has in mind, it's not good.

[fenrirblack]

I'm wondering if something like that might be the next arc. We're at a point in the story where there is something of a natural break. We could easily pick this up a couple days later, with Stewards explanation assumed and some plan in action. Seeing how the people back home have reacted would be interesting. It's also a chance to bring back in some of the pets, easily the K9s and others, who haven't really been present in a while.

The only way that we don't someday see the home front reaction is if somehow, Marion never returns home. That strikes me as an very unlikely direction. I just can't see a not too-dark-for-Housepets way that could be pulled off.

Miles roles with things pretty well. When King asked if he knew he was once human, Miles just mentioned that Daryl told him. He never took that information back to King even to confirm it. He just assumed it to be true. I lean toward thinking that Miles is at least aware that, in the case of King, it's not an open topic. I don't think that he'd spill that information on his own, but if given enough information to realize that Marion is a squirrel, he might help connect some of the characters up...

Oh, and he might tell the rest of the pack that, for the time being, squirrels are off the menu. At least until he finds out if one of his students is one.

If this was a different comic I would see an arc showing Lois's day in more detail but because she's human her screen time will be limited. Miles doesn't have to mention King by name just mention that he is aware that a human turning into an animal is possible without getting into the details. Lois just brings it up and Miles says "Oh yeah, it's possible" and walks away. That would be a good way to move the plot along and begin to sows the seeds. It would be a good way to bring Miles into the story later on. I have a feeling Miles is going to play a role in Marion's story down the line. The ferals have already mentioned the wolves so it is possible that names will be dropped and if Marion happens to know of them just from around the neighborhood then that is one way. I mean honestly, wolves moving into the neighborhood everyone is going to know about it. I wouldn't be that surprised if Julia was one of the mom's at the baby shower Lucretia hosted.

Marion: Do we know anyone who would know anything about human to animal transformation? A witch, a scientist, a priest?
Lois: Actually, Mr. Wolf said something odd the day you went missing when I mentioned the text. He might know something.
Marion: Really? Okay, it's a good enough place to start. Do you know where he lives?
Lois: Why would I know that? I mean, I think he lives somewhere in the neighborhood. We can ask someone and see if they know.
Marion: MOM! DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE WOLVES LIVE?
Julia: WHY DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT? ARE YOU TRYING TO GET YOURSELF EATEN?

[Sir Chestnut]

Another thing I was thinking about is that at some point Marion might find out Jessica has a cell phone and try to use it to contact Lois or Julia again.

[Nobody]

Villain: a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot.

I understand the definition, but IMO, there's a difference between "bad guy" and "Villian". The plots in HP have often have bad actors to drive the plot, Bino, Tiger, even the raccoons and Cory, but none of them are really villiians. I think up to now, Steward has been a bad guy, he stole and undermined a charity program for his own ends. Now he might make a turn into a complete villain, going after those that he feels wronged him, or this might be an honest attempt to get something that he thinks will turn him back. We've still got a ways to go, here.

This argument is why I prefer to use the term "antagonist." It's a more neutral term and simply means a character whose actions oppose the protagonist.

[dr_eirik]

Marion: Do we know anyone who would know anything about human to animal transformation? A witch, a scientist, a priest?
Lois: Actually, Mr. Wolf said something odd the day you went missing when I mentioned the text. He might know something.
Marion: Really? Okay, it's a good enough place to start. Do you know where he lives?
Lois: Why would I know that? I mean, I think he lives somewhere in the neighborhood. We can ask someone and see if they know.
Marion: MOM! DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE WOLVES LIVE?
Julia: WHY DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT? ARE YOU TRYING TO GET YOURSELF EATEN?

Marion: OF COURSE NOT! LOIS THINKS... [quiets down as his mother walks into the room] Lois thinks he may know something. We're not having any other luck.
Julia: OK, I went to that baby shower at their house. It's on the other side of the neighborhood near the Milton place. I'll drive. [looks at Marion] You are going to stay in the car until we make the introductions. Lucretia will have you whipped into an appetizer before I could stop her!

[Later, Marion is standing on a coffee table, surrounded by the wolf clan. His tail is sticking straight up, and his pulse is almost visible.]
Marion: So that's the story. I have no idea how or why I transformed.
Miles: I've heard of this before, though not into a squirrel. I think we need to fetch King...

[Champion Wallace]

I'd like for him to get a confidant sometime soon; a Fox to his King that can give him the support, compassion and companionship he needs. The closest bets would be either Jess or Falstaff & Truck. Like I've said tons of times before, I would absolutely love to see Falstaff & Truck become best pals with Marion, have them reveal some hidden depths as characters, and develop over time as they bond with him.

I was against it before but at this point, I'm ready to steal the coin from Steward and track down Lois myself to use it on her. This is partly her fault for not taking him seriously. I mean I know it sounds crazy but even if it was a joke she should have at least humored him. Tell him, "Stay inside, keep hidden, don't talk to anyone, and I'll stop by after school. But so help me Marion, if this is a joke, I'm dumping your tail."
I hope she at least had the decency to check on him after school.

Even if did come over after school, it wouldn't have helped. Various forces (Julia, Kevin, that squirrel, Truck and Falstaff) have all pushed or pulled Marion away from his house. Unless Marion was able to convince Lois to come out of school early (during finals week), but still isn't able to convince his own mother in person, Lois couldn't have changed Marion's fate.

[fenrirblack]

I'd like for him to get a confidant sometime soon; a Fox to his King that can give him the support, compassion and companionship he needs. The closest bets would be either Jess or Falstaff & Truck. Like I've said tons of times before, I would absolutely love to see Falstaff & Truck become best pals with Marion, have them reveal some hidden depths as characters, and develop over time as they bond with him.

I was against it before but at this point, I'm ready to steal the coin from Steward and track down Lois myself to use it on her. This is partly her fault for not taking him seriously. I mean I know it sounds crazy but even if it was a joke she should have at least humored him. Tell him, "Stay inside, keep hidden, don't talk to anyone, and I'll stop by after school. But so help me Marion, if this is a joke, I'm dumping your tail."
I hope she at least had the decency to check on him after school.

Even if did come over after school, it wouldn't have helped. Various forces (Julia, Kevin, that squirrel, Truck and Falstaff) have all pushed or pulled Marion away from his house. Unless Marion was able to convince Lois to come out of school early (during finals week), but still isn't able to convince his own mother in person, Lois couldn't have changed Marion's fate.

My thinking was basically he hides from his mother all day until Lois arrived. If he didn’t leave his room then his mother would have never kicked him out. It was a long shot but possible. Unfortunately Marion doesn’t have enough exposure to these kind of situations to understand the consequences of his actions and what he should have done in case of waking up as a random animal.

[Ash Greytree]

This argument is why I prefer to use the term "antagonist." It's a more neutral term and simply means a character whose actions oppose the protagonist.

Agreed; it's a very useful term. Currently, Steward is in the 'antagonist' slot for me, personally. Not an inherently evil person, but I think that whatever his motivations are, they're selfish to the point where he causes problems for the protagonist(s).

[Champion Wallace]

My thinking was basically he hides from his mother all day until Lois arrived. If he didn’t leave his room then his mother would have never kicked him out. It was a long shot but possible. Unfortunately Marion doesn’t have enough exposure to these kind of situations to understand the consequences of his actions and what he should have done in case of waking up as a random animal.

That still has the issue that not only would that necessitate be so much trust between them that Lois puts stock in the impossible that Marion transformed into a squirrel with no explanation and Marion takes her advice and hides from Julia, but the difference in trust seeing as that would basically involve Lois saying "I'm the only one who can help you. You can't show your self, let alone ask for help from your own mother." Additionally, I don't think Marion would be able to sit still all day. He has the yellow pages, Google, and caffeine. He could solve it himself while Lois is taking tests .

[fenrirblack]

My thinking was basically he hides from his mother all day until Lois arrived. If he didn’t leave his room then his mother would have never kicked him out. It was a long shot but possible. Unfortunately Marion doesn’t have enough exposure to these kind of situations to understand the consequences of his actions and what he should have done in case of waking up as a random animal.

That still has the issue that not only would that necessitate be so much trust between them that Lois puts stock in the impossible that Marion transformed into a squirrel with no explanation and Marion takes her advice and hides from Julia, but the difference in trust seeing as that would basically involve Lois saying "I'm the only one who can help you. You can't show your self, let alone ask for help from your own mother." Additionally, I don't think Marion would be able to sit still all day. He has the yellow pages, Google, and caffeine. He could solve it himself while Lois is taking tests .

It wouldn't be that Lois put stock in it as much as she thinks "Okay, so Marion is up to something, I don't know what but after school I'll go to his house and see what it is but in the mean time I'll play along." Any advice she would give him would mainly be in jest. It would be up to Marion to think to himself "Okay, so if Mom sees me like this, she'll freak. So I'll grab my drink, the phone book, and use the computer that his already in my room to find answers. Then after school I'll try to convince Lois to come over." He has tv and the internet and he's a teenage boy. I mean staying in his room all day would not be a stretch once the initial freak out was over. Food would be his biggest concern but it's not like he got much anyway.