2019/10/04 - Contemplating Life Choices

[D-Rock]

[2019/10/04 - Contemplating Life Choices]
Title Text:

They said it, not him.

[dr_eirik]

I'm guessing its Keene on the phone. Nice to see Poncho again.

Wonder why Marion didn't dress on the way over. Seems slightly risky.

[Lockely]

Man, Lois looks so absolutely done in that last panel.

[Gbr23]

Always good to see Poncho

[Champion Wallace]

Do you know how much damage a camel can do by spit alone, Marion? Though really, how much damage can that do? I see Ponch is channeling his inner Tarot.

Wonder why Marion didn't dress on the way over. Seems slightly risky.

Did Marion leave his clothes (including his bracelet/necklace) on the tree at school?

[fenrirblack]

There is something kind of sad how there are a lot of camels just doing nothing and they seem very uninterested in literally anything happening around them. Even for zoo animals this seems sad. At least Roosevelt and Bruce tried to entertain.

Oh, Poncho never change. Speaking of which, Marion where are your clothes? Please don't tell me you left them in that tree.

This is priceless. Just good old fashion timed comedy.

But this does lead to some theories about Thomas's location. I would like to put he is living at the Manor back on the table. Keep our enemies close and all that.

[Welsh Halfwit]

Poncho, were you waiting for that line,
you rugged young Wolf Lothario?
Were you watching them all this time,
wondering just how far they’ll go?
I wonder if they’ve told him the tale
and if he even believed their lies?
Or if he’s used to ignoring things
with skill equal to camels swatting flies?
What will he tell these seekers of truth?
Where will he take them from here?
With the plot expanding out in all ways
who does Marion still have to fear..?

[Saturn381]

So either the camel they're looking for has either died, or is in a special exhibit.

[Champion Wallace]

But this does lead to some theories about Thomas's location. I would like to put he is living at the Manor back on the table. Keep our enemies close and all that.

If Thomas was living at the manor then why would Lana tell Marion he was at the zoo?

[Lockely]

Wonder why Marion didn't dress on the way over. Seems slightly risky.

Did Marion leave his clothes (including his bracelet/necklace) on the tree at school?

I'm surprised he left the braceletnecklace at least. The other clothes? They were wet weren't they?

[fenrirblack]

I see Poncho is channeling his inner Tarot.

Random thought, it's funny that King, the one who was human, was the one who bought a hat. Less haha funny but a nice touch to reinforce the fact that he's not a regular animal like the others.

And Lois is channeling her inner King. She clearly knows how the world works. I knew she was smart. That expression of "wait for it."

You know this is a long dead subject but Poncho could have gotten a job working at the zoo as a guard or some other position. He didn't need to be an exhibit. From the looks of this he passes for a guard or security officer which he has experience with.

[LunarFox]

So which camel once was Thomas?
Does Poncho even know?
And when he shows up, will he tell them?
Or ask them all to go?

I think I'm getting some idea now
Of where Marion's story's going to lead.
I sure hope we'll find out if
Paid off did Thomas's greed.

Poncho really looks uninterested,
And I can't say I blame him.
The sooner Thomas gets here,
The sooner alone they'll leave him.

Poncho, I wouldn't blame you either, sir,
This makes no sense at all,
But thanks for putting up with them
And their tale that's oh so tall.

On a side note, seeing that power pole in the background makes me think of the time Kari blew one.

[Ash Greytree]

Quick thoughts before I head off to sleep: I was thinking Poncho would show up. That could very well be Keene or Lana on the other side of the phone convo. Wonder if they want to help Marion return to human, or if they’re going to try to impede his efforts to find Thomas in order to keep him in the ECP? Whatever happens there, alongside this path potentially leading back to Steward, as well as Marion losing his necklace, has me thinking about a few ways the plot could thicken. I’ll get around to elaborating on those tomorrow, though; time for bed.

[dr_eirik]

Is there alt text? It's not posted and I can't see it on my phone.

[fenrirblack]

I have a few thoughts about this situation.

A. Thomas was such a handful to the staff that he got shipped off to parts unknown or a different zoo. OR he got sent to a different Zoo all together. No one actually said he was sent to the River Ridge Zoo.

B. Keene lied to Lana about where he put Thomas or secretly went behind his siblings back and moved Thomas to the Manor to keep an eye on him.

C. Lana lied to Marion for unknown reasons about Thomas's location. They told him about Thomas but to keep him away from him they gave him the wrong location.

D. They are purposely keeping Thomas and Marion apart to avoid Thomas spilling the beans about the magical mishaps happening in Babylon Gardens. The last thing Marion needs to know is that there was cursed treasure that turned people into animals. Marion gets a wild idea in his head to track down this treasure believing it holds the secrets to his transformation or how to change back. They would want him to remained focused on adapting to life as a squirrel to better the ECP's reputation.

The problem with B-D is that if any of that was plausible then why would Poncho come up to them and tell them that A. they are in the wrong place and B. most likely tell them where Thomas actually is?

SO unless this all was one HUGE miscommunication I honestly don't see why of this is happening or what could be gained or prevented. Why go all the way to the Zoo only to go someplace different unless someone was trying to hide something or manipulate the situation which makes this entire thing sound ridiculously overcomplicated.


Actually I have a few more questions, How did Poncho know where to find them, how did he know they would be there, how did the person on the other end off the phone call know they would be there, how did they know they would be looking for Thomas that afternoon?

[mr_abomination]

Is there alt text? It's not posted and I can't see it on my phone.

I also don't see any character tags, something got missed in the upload perhaps?

[Champion Wallace]

What are the chances there is no one on the other side of the phone and Poncho's only doing that for the sight gag?

You know this is a long dead subject but Poncho could have gotten a job working at the zoo as a guard or some other position. He didn't need to be an exhibit. From the looks of this he passes for a guard or security officer which he has experience with.

He might have been promoted to security by now, but his original reason for coming to the zoo (other than getting the ECP off his back for getting a job) was to get with the she-wolf, which he did, so he wouldn't have much a a motivation to get himself on security detail.

Why go all the way to the Zoo only to go someplace different unless someone was trying to hide something or manipulate the situation which makes this entire thing sound ridiculously overcomplicated.

Satiate the people who keep asking to see the part of the zoo without kangaroos again, perhaps.

[VeryAngryDeer]

Wonder if they want to help Marion return to human, or if they’re going to try to impede his efforts to find Thomas in order to keep him in the ECP?

Maybe I'm not seeing something, but surely the headline "ECP RETURNS SQUIRREL TO HUMAN FORM" is better advertisement than anything else they could possibly do?

[NHWestoN]

Try hollering "Keene Milton is a bum!" and you'll meet Thomas quick enough. H'lo, Poncho.

[Jakkal]

wow, Pocho, rude and uncalled for...

[NHWestoN]

wow, Pocho, rude and uncalled for...

The lad is a little obtuse, now that I recollect.

[Gameb18oy]

What are the chances there is no one on the other side of the phone and Poncho's only doing that for the sight gag?

You know this is a long dead subject but Poncho could have gotten a job working at the zoo as a guard or some other position. He didn't need to be an exhibit. From the looks of this he passes for a guard or security officer which he has experience with.

He might have been promoted to security by now, but his original reason for coming to the zoo (other than getting the ECP off his back for getting a job) was to get with the she-wolf, which he did, so he wouldn't have much a a motivation to get himself on security detail.

Why go all the way to the Zoo only to go someplace different unless someone was trying to hide something or manipulate the situation which makes this entire thing sound ridiculously overcomplicated.

Satiate the people who keep asking to see the part of the zoo without kangaroos again, perhaps.

The accuracy of this last part kinda hurts, this is the closest to a new non-kangaroo zoo arc were gonna get for awhile so I'm gonna enjoy it in all of it's likely brevity. The roos can be fun characters, but I wonder if they'd have more comedic range if Rick didn't restrict them to basically only getting to interact with each other. Like, even with the major cast, can you imagine if King took his pups to the zoo at one point, and he gets worried the kangaroos are gonna teach them to play football like they do down under

[Argent]

Hm.

Don't know why everyone's assuming that because they can't identify the ex-human by looking that Thomas isn't there.

Did Marion leave his clothes (including his bracelet/necklace) on the tree at school?

I ASKED ABOUT THAT WEDNESDAY. Darn, Marion, you've got the brains of a squirrel.

[trekkie]

Could be that Lois has the clothes and bracelet/necklace in a small sandwich bag in her backpack. Worst comes to worst she could loan Marion her own bracelet. Good to see Poncho again.

[SeanWolf]

Just a random thought but what if Thomas totally forgot he used to be a human at one point and, instead, always believed he was a camel?

[NHWestoN]

Just a random thought but what if Thomas totally forgot he used to be a human at one point and, instead, always believed he was a camel?

Sophie will remind him, I figure.

[dr_eirik]

SO unless this all was one HUGE miscommunication I honestly don't see why of this is happening or what could be gained or prevented. Why go all the way to the Zoo only to go someplace different unless someone was trying to hide something or manipulate the situation which makes this entire thing sound ridiculously overcomplicated.


Actually I have a few more questions, How did Poncho know where to find them, how did he know they would be there, how did the person on the other end off the phone call know they would be there, how did they know they would be looking for Thomas that afternoon?

A few thoughts on the matter:

First off, I'm certain that it's Keene on the other end of the phone. Poncho sounds like he's repeating back what he's being told, like "Find those idiots!" That's far more likely to be Keene than Lana. I suppose it could be Miles having found Marions clothes, but seems way less likely.

How Poncho found them or likely-Keene knew where they were? That's easy to suppose. It seems very possible that Marion and/or Lois are being observed from a distance. But more easily, if Thomas was at the zoo then Keene could have cameras there (or simply tapped into existing CCTV footage). I'm not sure that part even really needs to be explained.

Could be as simple as Lana causally telling Keene that she told Marion about the existence of Thomas and he figured immediately that he needed to alert Poncho.

It's all speculation, but none of this is exactly odd or requires any leaps of logic. Keeping tabs on Marion would be easy for someone with money.

As for Thomas? I doubt Rick has brought us to the zoo only to reveal that Thomas was shipped off yesterday to North Africa to be sold to a camel farm. There are at least three camels there who we can't see well enough to tell if its him or not. Poncho might be there to simply tell Marion and Lois not to trust him. Or that he's had some kind of psychotic break and thinks he was always a camel.

Or, if he's not there, perhaps that he was recently busted out by a badger...

Edit:
I looked at the "spit" comment and an image suddenly popped into my head: Thomas the Camel in full Hannibal Lecter mask because he won't stop spitting at people. Perhaps we're going to have a "Silence of the Camels" moment.

[NHWestoN]

SO unless this all was one HUGE miscommunication I honestly don't see why of this is happening or what could be gained or prevented. Why go all the way to the Zoo only to go someplace different unless someone was trying to hide something or manipulate the situation which makes this entire thing sound ridiculously overcomplicated.


Actually I have a few more questions, How did Poncho know where to find them, how did he know they would be there, how did the person on the other end off the phone call know they would be there, how did they know they would be looking for Thomas that afternoon?

A few thoughts on the matter:

First off, I'm certain that it's Keene on the other end of the phone. Poncho sounds like he's repeating back what he's being told, like "Find those idiots!" That's far more likely to be Keene than Lana. I suppose it could be Miles having found Marions clothes, but seems way less likely.

How Poncho found them or likely-Keene knew where they were? That's easy to suppose. It seems very possible that Marion and/or Lois are being observed from a distance. But more easily, if Thomas was at the zoo then Keene could have cameras there (or simply tapped into existing CCTV footage). I'm not sure that part even really needs to be explained.

Could be as simple as Lana causally telling Keene that she told Marion about the existence of Thomas and he figured immediately that he needed to alert Poncho.

It's all speculation, but none of this is exactly odd or requires any leaps of logic. Keeping tabs on Marion would be easy for someone with money.

As for Thomas? I doubt Rick has brought us to the zoo only to reveal that Thomas was shipped off yesterday to North Africa to be sold to a camel farm. There are at least three camels there who we can't see well enough to tell if its him or not. Poncho might be there to simply tell Marion and Lois not to trust him. Or that he's had some kind of psychotic break and thinks he was always a camel.

Or, if he's not there, perhaps that he was recently busted out by a badger...

Edit:
I looked at the "spit" comment and an image suddenly popped into my head: Thomas the Camel in full Hannibal Lecter mask because he won't stop spitting at people. Perhaps we're going to have a "Silence of the Camels" moment.

Or every cartoon from the 1930s with a grasshopper in it.

[fenrirblack]

Did Marion leave his clothes (including his bracelet/necklace) on the tree at school?

I ASKED ABOUT THAT WEDNESDAY. Darn, Marion, you've got the brains of a squirrel.

Aside being wet, his clothes are probably disgustingly filthy from the toilet. We don't know how "clean" it was and even if you aerie that it was "clean' try convincing someone to put them back on after being soaked with public toilet water. The bracelet is the same. He probably wouldn't want to put it back on until it's been boiled in alcohol.

SO unless this all was one HUGE miscommunication I honestly don't see why of this is happening or what could be gained or prevented. Why go all the way to the Zoo only to go someplace different unless someone was trying to hide something or manipulate the situation which makes this entire thing sound ridiculously overcomplicated.


Actually I have a few more questions, How did Poncho know where to find them, how did he know they would be there, how did the person on the other end off the phone call know they would be there, how did they know they would be looking for Thomas that afternoon?

A few thoughts on the matter:

First off, I'm certain that it's Keene on the other end of the phone. Poncho sounds like he's repeating back what he's being told, like "Find those idiots!" That's far more likely to be Keene than Lana. I suppose it could be Miles having found Marions clothes, but seems way less likely.

How Poncho found them or likely-Keene knew where they were? That's easy to suppose. It seems very possible that Marion and/or Lois are being observed from a distance. But more easily, if Thomas was at the zoo then Keene could have cameras there (or simply tapped into existing CCTV footage). I'm not sure that part even really needs to be explained.

Could be as simple as Lana causally telling Keene that she told Marion about the existence of Thomas and he figured immediately that he needed to alert Poncho.

It's all speculation, but none of this is exactly odd or requires any leaps of logic. Keeping tabs on Marion would be easy for someone with money.

As for Thomas? I doubt Rick has brought us to the zoo only to reveal that Thomas was shipped off yesterday to North Africa to be sold to a camel farm. There are at least three camels there who we can't see well enough to tell if its him or not. Poncho might be there to simply tell Marion and Lois not to trust him. Or that he's had some kind of psychotic break and thinks he was always a camel.

Or, if he's not there, perhaps that he was recently busted out by a badger...

I understand the logic but that seems overly excessive and "Big Brother" even for Keene. Hacking into the security cameras, monitoring zoo security feed, even watching them from afar seems overly stalkerish even if it's to make sure Marion doesn't get himself hurt or killed. I could see Keene putting a tracking device into Marion's clothes and track them like that but that would imply that Lois did think of grabbing them from the tree before they left.

It could be that simple that Keene warned Poncho that he if saw Lois and Marion at any point to immediately call him but that feels awfully convenient that Poncho would happen to see them pass by the wolf exhibit.

As for Thomas, I agree that it seems odd that Rick would have them go to the zoo just for Thomas to not be there or has never been there. My best guess is that Thomas is off on his own away from the camel enclosure. Possibly out of sight of the patrons either because he was deemed dangerous or the Miltons' pulled some strings to have him live in a unmarked building not unlike a jail cell. i've said many times that Thomas would be too dangerous to leave to his own devices and let to scream at the patrons. A man like Thomas isn't going to roll over and accept that this is his life now without yelling and screaming and scheming.

[Cesco]

And they went at the zoo. Yeah, it's a pretty awkward situation. Eww, camel's spit... It can do some damage to a small squirrel, probably. You don't know the name of this camel, right? You Marion didn't ask Lana what it is... If yes, could be enough shout it and see if the camel you're looking for was going to reply and reach you. Eheh, seems that Poncho has something for them, which sounds good, but also, he figured out what they're feeling to be right now.

PS: still no title text available...

[dr_eirik]

I understand the logic but that seems overly excessive and "Big Brother" even for Keene. Hacking into the security cameras, monitoring zoo security feed, even watching them from afar seems overly stalkerish even if it's to make sure Marion doesn't get himself hurt or killed. I could see Keene putting a tracking device into Marion's clothes and track them like that but that would imply that Lois did think of grabbing them from the tree before they left.

It could be that simple that Keene warned Poncho that he if saw Lois and Marion at any point to immediately call him but that feels awfully convenient that Poncho would happen to see them pass by the wolf exhibit.

My thought had been that Keene had been keeping an eye on Thomas when he was somehow alerted that Lois and Marion are there.

There are a lot of ways that this could have been accomplished without getting worked up about it. It could be as simple as Miles overhearing Lois and letting the limo driver know so they knew not to stick around. Word then gets back and a call is made.

As for Thomas, I agree that it seems odd that Rick would have them go to the zoo just for Thomas to not be there or has never been there. My best guess is that Thomas is off on his own away from the camel enclosure. Possibly out of sight of the patrons either because he was deemed dangerous or the Miltons' pulled some strings to have him live in a unmarked building not unlike a jail cell. i've said many times that Thomas would be too dangerous to leave to his own devices and let to scream at the patrons. A man like Thomas isn't going to roll over and accept that this is his life now without yelling and screaming and scheming.

I think that's a bit more likely than he's living at the Milton estate or some random place. I suspect it is going to turn out that he's isolate somehow or that he's had some kind of psychotic break.

I'm not sure that there is no way that Thomas could have grown to accept this as his life. He always struck me as scheming because he was lazy. After the initial shock wore off, I could see him eventually reaching acceptance, especially since there was no way to turn back. We shall see...

[fenrirblack]

I understand the logic but that seems overly excessive and "Big Brother" even for Keene. Hacking into the security cameras, monitoring zoo security feed, even watching them from afar seems overly stalkerish even if it's to make sure Marion doesn't get himself hurt or killed. I could see Keene putting a tracking device into Marion's clothes and track them like that but that would imply that Lois did think of grabbing them from the tree before they left.

It could be that simple that Keene warned Poncho that he if saw Lois and Marion at any point to immediately call him but that feels awfully convenient that Poncho would happen to see them pass by the wolf exhibit.

My thought had been that Keene had been keeping an eye on Thomas when he was somehow alerted that Lois and Marion are there.

There are a lot of ways that this could have been accomplished without getting worked up about it. It could be as simple as Miles overhearing Lois and letting the limo driver know so they knew not to stick around. Word then gets back and a call is made.

That would imply the limo driver would be the one to take Marion home instead of deciding before hand that Lois would do it which makes more sense. It would make sense that they would tell someone about their plans like Miles even but that implies that they had the forethought to think that the others would need to know. Miles probably saw them leave but I doubt he would know where they were going unless he did overhear their conversation. Actually I just remembered something. Keene has that CrystalSlab3000 which Breel used to watch over everyone during the Temple Crashers arc. He could have used that to keep tabs on Marion. Still creepy but possible.

[Ash Greytree]

I’m very likely reading way too much into the decision to have Marion forego his necklace, but my thoughts on where this could go mainly revolve around Marion losing faith in his ability to function in regular human society or return to his former humanity.

I get the feeling that, with how Marion doesn’t have his bracelet-necklace and the way his day at school went, something else is going to come along to serve as a catalyst for him giving up. Possibly a revelation that Keene just wants to use him and prefers having him as a squirrel. Or Thomas actually does show up, explains the coin to Lois & Marion, and drops info about Steward, after which Marion leaps to conclusions and believes that Steward turned him into an animal to get him to join the ECP so Keene could use him. Or Thomas explains that he found the counter-curse, but the parchment’s likely crumbled to dust under the weight of the temple by now. Maybe a mix of all three.

As for what he would do afterward if that scenario came to pass, he’d probably have a serious breakdown and decide to go feral. Running away and striking out on his own, he gets a much-needed intervention from Kitsune or an unfortunate visit from Eudoant in his dreams.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I have to say that I really do love how deadpan and annoyed Poncho looks when he finds Lois and Marion and is calling them idiots to their face.

[VeryAngryDeer]

I’m very likely reading way too much into the decision to have Marion forego his necklace, but my thoughts on where this could go mainly revolve around Marion losing faith in his ability to function in regular human society or return to his former humanity.

Or, for a more optimistic take... maybe now that he's rebuilding his support structure, he doesn't need an object like a bracelet to keep him sure of his identity. When he was run out of his house by his own mother, the bracelet was the only reminder of his old life that he owned, and he needed it as a reminder that he's not a squirrel that had some kind of mental break and thinks its human.

Obviously the bracelet is still meaningful to him in that is symbolises his relationship with Lois, but its no longer a lifeline to reality. That he can leave it behind with his clothes (with the intention to retrieve it later) may be more suggestive of him achieving some stability, though not acceptance, in his situation.

[dr_eirik]

Or, for a more optimistic take... maybe now that he's rebuilding his support structure, he doesn't need an object like a bracelet to keep him sure of his identity. When he was run out of his house by his own mother, the bracelet was the only reminder of his old life that he owned, and he needed it as a reminder that he's not a squirrel that had some kind of mental break and thinks its human.

Obviously the bracelet is still meaningful to him in that is symbolises his relationship with Lois, but its no longer a lifeline to reality. That he can leave it behind with his clothes (with the intention to retrieve it later) may be more suggestive of him achieving some stability, though not acceptance, in his situation.

There is an important practical reason for him to wear in the necklace: It shows that he's not wild. That seems to be an important differentiation. I'm curious if it'll be an issue before he puts it back on.

[fenrirblack]

I’m very likely reading way too much into the decision to have Marion forego his necklace, but my thoughts on where this could go mainly revolve around Marion losing faith in his ability to function in regular human society or return to his former humanity.

I get the feeling that, with how Marion doesn’t have his bracelet-necklace and the way his day at school went, something else is going to come along to serve as a catalyst for him giving up. Possibly a revelation that Keene just wants to use him and prefers having him as a squirrel. Or Thomas actually does show up, explains the coin to Lois & Marion, and drops info about Steward, after which Marion leaps to conclusions and believes that Steward turned him into an animal to get him to join the ECP so Keene could use him. Or Thomas explains that he found the counter-curse, but the parchment’s likely crumbled to dust under the weight of the temple by now. Maybe a mix of all three.

As for what he would do afterward if that scenario came to pass, he’d probably have a serious breakdown and decide to go feral. Running away and striking out on his own, he gets a much-needed intervention from Kitsune or an unfortunate visit from Eudoant in his dreams.

It is possible that the missing bracelet serves as some type of symbolic significance. If that is the case then lets break down what it could be. The necklace symbolized his relationship and his past form. It is possible that he removed it out of anger. His wording about having Lois "find him a place he could be happy" sticks out to me as something that could hint at the thought of running away. Of course Marion being an emotionally distraught teen or emotionally distraught in general would have those thoughts pass through his head without any intent to follow up. He already rambled nonsensically about moving to Winnipeg so him talking about so running away from his life in general would simply be a follow up to that. I doubt there is any emotional reason for him to discard the bracelet because if there was then we should have seen it. Something that important and significant to Marion's story and character development would need to be shown.

It's also important to know that Marion is not the type to have a breakdown and go feral just because things are not going his way. He already had an emotional breakdown and he already ran into the woods. Marion is not an idiot and has come too far to throw his progress away. He has a support system in the form of Lois, Fox & King, Julia, the Miltons, and the Wolves. Even if he tried to run, one of them would bring him back. We've established that there is a risk to him living as a squirrel. He's a teenager. Any breakdown would essentially come in the form of locking himself in his room and not getting out of bed. He has a week left of school then Keene can have his way with him which tells me Keene will not let him get away that easy either. The most important thing to remember is Lois. She's not the type who is going to let Marion do something stupid like run away.

Or, for a more optimistic take... maybe now that he's rebuilding his support structure, he doesn't need an object like a bracelet to keep him sure of his identity. When he was run out of his house by his own mother, the bracelet was the only reminder of his old life that he owned, and he needed it as a reminder that he's not a squirrel that had some kind of mental break and thinks its human.

Obviously the bracelet is still meaningful to him in that is symbolises his relationship with Lois, but its no longer a lifeline to reality. That he can leave it behind with his clothes (with the intention to retrieve it later) may be more suggestive of him achieving some stability, though not acceptance, in his situation.

This is more likely but the bracelet is crucial to Marion's character. It is his defining characteristic that not only separates him from every other squirrel but was even in his initial concept art. If he was going to get rid of it because he no longer needed it then he would have left it home after receiving his clothes and stuff from the Miltons. That also raises the question of why he would wear it at school if he was trying to hide his identity. A squirrel that just happen to be wearing Marion Ward's bracelet would seem suspicious. Anyway, the bracelet is a symbol os his relationship to Lois which is why I think he kept it for as long as he did. Lois still wears her's. It is a part of his past self he can still hold on too and show to the world who is he instead of more than what he is.

There is an important practical reason for him to wear in the necklace: It shows that he's not wild. That seems to be an important differentiation. I'm curious if it'll be an issue before he puts it back on.

The clothes also did that but they're wet and gross so no point in putting them back on. That leads me to two theories of why Marion is no longer wearing the bracelet. First, like his clothes it needs to be disinfected before putting it back on. Second, Rick does intend to make it an issue or have some kind of story significance. Remember that the bracelet itself doesn't prove that he is not feral. It sure did not help him before with the other ferals or even Mrs. McGillicuddy. Bracelet or not they saw a feral squirrel. So what could Rick do with this fully naked Marion? We could have some kind of symbolic gesture of either him discarding it all together or putting it back on. It could cause some confusion and people would believe that he is feral compared to if he had it on. The difference this time is that he could pass as Lois's pet with it and without it, he would raise some eyebrows.

Personally, I think its missing because it fell in a toilet and he is not going to put it back on until it's clean. If you lost jewelry in a toilet, would you put it back on without at least washing it in hot water?

[Amazee Dayzee]

I wouldn't put on any jewelry that fell into a toilet without BOILING it for a few minutes on the stovetop.

[VeryAngryDeer]

-snip-

There is an important practical reason for him to wear in the necklace: It shows that he's not wild. That seems to be an important differentiation. I'm curious if it'll be an issue before he puts it back on.

Maybe wild animals get to go in the zoo for free? Or at least, the zoo doesn't care if wild animals go in and out because they couldn't pay anyway.

-snip-

This is more likely but the bracelet is crucial to Marion's character. It is his defining characteristic that not only separates him from every other squirrel but was even in his initial concept art. If he was going to get rid of it because he no longer needed it then he would have left it home after receiving his clothes and stuff from the Miltons. That also raises the question of why he would wear it at school if he was trying to hide his identity. A squirrel that just happen to be wearing Marion Ward's bracelet would seem suspicious. Anyway, the bracelet is a symbol os his relationship to Lois which is why I think he kept it for as long as he did. Lois still wears her's. It is a part of his past self he can still hold on too and show to the world who is he instead of more than what he is.

I didn't say he was going to get rid of it. I just think that its function has been replaced by the people around him. Marion doesn't need a bracelet to remind him that he's a human with a girlfriend when said girlfriend is right in front of him and he can interact with her. Its still as important as it was before he got turned into a squirrel, its just lost the extra significance it had while he was stuck on his own with no help.
[/quote]


I'm not sure Marion wanted to hide his identity indefinitely, more that he wanted to reveal himself on his own terms and Mr Wolf bypassed that. After all, he still expected to be called by his own name by the teachers. If he were hiding his identity, he'd use a pseudonym. Even if he did want to remain hidden, maybe the meaning of the bracelet was more important to him than the risk it would expose him... which may already have been minimal since like all the other humans in HP, the kids have no idea that humans can turn into animals. If they notice a squirrel wearing Marion's bracelet, they're less likely to think "is that Marion?" than "Did that squirrel steal Marion's bracelet?"

[Amazee Dayzee]

If I was a regular person within the HP! universe and I saw an animal with a bracelet that I knew a human owned, my first thought would be that the owner lost it and the squirrel pocketed it for herself. I wouldn't automatically jump to accusing the squirrel of theft.