Housepets!

Owl Gang Signs

In both scenarios bad stuff happen, soooo yeah Fals, you’re good on this one

Rick out did himself on this one. I can imagine him at his desk, twirling a pen, and thinking “How can I make this situation even worse for him.”
I was screaming and laughing at the same time, “Noooo, hahahahahaha,”

The sheer level of irony has surpassed all human comprehension.

I have not seen that much of a “drop dead” look in the fourth panel since King’s good old days.

You’ll have to find out one day, Girl -
but at least that’s been confirmed -
whether you have the allergy or not
seems something vital to be learned.
Owlergies and Allergies abound,
(even if Fals does make the error.)
Taking young Marion on here
might help end hunger’s vile terror.
Her knowledge lends her vital skill
as she remembers what Human’s do.
Add speed and the other boy’s ways
and Marion might just win through.

(I wonder if Marion's fibbing about the allergy?)

Wow. Really could not have got it more wrong if you tried.

Welsh Halfwit wrote:You’ll have to find out one day, Girl -
but at least that’s been confirmed -
whether you have the allergy or not
seems something vital to be learned.
Owlergies and Allergies abound,
(even if Fals does make the error.)
Taking young Marion on here
might help end hunger’s vile terror.
Her knowledge lends her vital skill
as she remembers what Human’s do.
Add speed and the other boy’s ways
and Marion might just win through.

(I wonder if Marion's fibbing about the allergy?)

Rick hasn't stopped giving the squirrel sources of misery, why would he let the little guy be able to eat the diet of his new species? Still, I'm not against the raccoon duo becoming a trio, they'll finally have a brain with Marion around. You think the usual habit of the rodents might carry over for Marion and he rides around on one of the two's head like Spo and Squeak do for Fido and Joey respectively? And to anyone who thinks that its unlikely Marion is staying with the raccoons for awhile... you're probably right, but Rick does seem to enjoy drawing raccoons a lot considering another comic he's working on and how many strips these two have been in. Maybe he's just wanting to see if he can work the two more into plot stuff. Also, I'm actually willing to bet if Rick ever changes his sona from West of Heaven to something else, a Raccoon is pretty likely gonna be what comes next species wise

Marion is a she to the raccoons! Confirmed! This is not a drill!

Since Marion has completely different biology now I'd say the allergy probably didn't transfer. But, if it was a bad enough allergy I can certainly understand Marion not wanting to risk it. His new body probably can't handle a bad reaction as well as a human body could.

Again, Marion hints he wasn't always a squirrel with "still" and they are not picking it up.

Welsh Halfwit wrote:(I wonder if Marion's fibbing about the allergy?)

He has his arms crossed over his head, I think it's a confession. Also, if it was a lie, the part about testing if it's still in effect wouldn't make any sense.

Frank wrote:Marion is a she to the raccoons! Confirmed! This is not a drill!

Some people questioned Lois, but this will be hard to doubt.

All they need is a few more animals and they can recreate either “The Nut Job” or “over the Hedge” if they decide to break into Mrs. McGillicuddy’s place.

Meanwhile Marion asks “Can I come with you?” And the world screams “Noooo, Don’t go Marion. It’s a trap!”

A squirrel having a (possible) tree nut allergy is real cruel irony. Whatever magic/character/whatever turned him into a squirrel was playing some real mean hardball. And we got the hardest confirmation yet that his body is indeed female now. Two raccoons who've likely had a lot of experience with other woodland critters as competition for food referring to him with she/her lends a lot more credence to that. Guess Lois didn't confuse Marion's new body for female after all, nor did she try to counter-prank him for what she thought was his senior prank.

Welsh Halfwit wrote:(I wonder if Marion's fibbing about the allergy?)

He's been quite honest and straightforward with regards to everything else, so he's likely telling the truth here. The only thing he'd have reason to lie or keep secrets about at this point in time is his former humanity, so as to not alienate anybody who might be able to help him with food and shelter.

Anyways, light-hearted food theft hijinks with Falstaff and Truck it is, then. Called it. Can't wait to see what mischief they get into.

Would transformation cure the allergy?

Count on good ol'Falstaff to come up with the most brilliant error imaginable....

That is quite the allergy to have when you are a squirrel. There goes a lot of his food.

Ash Greytree wrote:

Welsh Halfwit wrote:(I wonder if Marion's fibbing about the allergy?)

He's been quite honest and straightforward with regards to everything else, so he's likely telling the truth here. The only thing he'd have reason to lie or keep secrets about at this point in time is his former humanity, so as to not alienate anybody who might be able to help him with food and shelter.

Actually, there's another reason he might lie.

He's desperate. He needs help and the best way to get strangers to help you? Make them feel sorry for you.

For those who’ve been paying attention since 2018 we know these two are living in the same den as a certain badger

I do understand Marion's concern, but now I'm really wondering if Marion still has that allergy.
Think about it, not only is Marion now a squirrel, he is even a female squirrel (if Lois was right) so...what else has changed?

bjchan95 wrote:For those who’ve been paying attention since 2018 we know these two are living in the same den as a certain badger

Not to mention two former Demi-gods who just might have a clue what's going on and an ACTUAL Demi-God who keeps popping in to give them 'fatherly' advice?

Welsh Halfwit wrote:He's desperate. He needs help and the best way to get strangers to help you? Make them feel sorry for you.

His quick response of "I can't" to Falstaff's "Let them eat nuts!" quip combined with the arms-folded pose in the second panel makes me think he's telling the truth. Marion's been shown to be smart and quick with his wits, but he really needs help of some kind. Lying to two animals that are more experienced than him at scavenging wouldn't be to his benefit; Falstaff & Truck could easily abandon him at the drop of a hat acorn if they found out he was lying to get a free meal from them.

Rick, stop abusing poor Marion

A squirrel allergic to nuts. Oh the irony.

Also, Marion's a boy Truck.

Saturn381 wrote:Also, Marion's a boy Truck.

Not right now he isn't.

Marion's channeling Iago.

One of the basic rules for the scriptwriters of the Aladdin movie and TV series was "When in doubt, hurt the bird".

fenrirblack wrote:Rick out did himself on this one. I can imagine him at his desk, twirling a pen, and thinking “How can I make this situation even worse for him.”
I was screaming and laughing at the same time, “Noooo, hahahahahaha,”

The sheer level of irony has surpassed all human comprehension.

I have not seen that much of a “drop dead” look in the fourth panel since King’s good old days.

About the only abuse left is to start the next comic with a squirrel tail sticking out the mouth of one of the wolves or something.

The expressions sin e the start of this arc have been really good, on all the characters. From the moment of joy when Marion surveyed the kitchen to Kevin's only slightly serious apology for the pun to Falstaffs grin from yesterday. Rick always does good work but he is really topping himself lately.

The racoon said "her". The gender changing is confirmed

Saturn381 wrote:A squirrel allergic to nuts. Oh the irony.

Yeah, I don't think I ever saw a squirrel allergic to nuts.

Mctwisp wrote:The racoon said "her". The gender changing is confirmed

Mmmmmmmebbeee. I'm not comfortable taking Truck's judgment on anything as authoritative. Still, it's encouraging to see the masked pair switch from menacing to sympathetic. As we've seen before, they're both capable of considerable kindness once they get focused.

NHWestoN wrote:

Mctwisp wrote:The racoon said "her". The gender changing is confirmed

Mmmmmmmebbeee. I'm not comfortable taking Truck's judgment on anything as authoritative. Still, it's encouraging to see the masked pair switch from menacing to sympathetic. As we've seen before, they're both capable of considerable kindness once they get focused.

Truck is being sympathetic, but Falstaff I dont see that. I think in general Truck is the kinder of the two. Oddly, if it came down to sharing food, I think Truck would be more willing than Falstaff.

NHWestoN wrote:

Mctwisp wrote:The racoon said "her". The gender changing is confirmed

Mmmmmmmebbeee. I'm not comfortable taking Truck's judgment on anything as authoritative.

I mean, there's only so much an author can do to convince you to accept what's being expressed

How is Truck always so super adorable? He's got such a big heart ^^
And I'm all in for a heist! Really hoping that's the way this is going

Obbl wrote:And I'm all in for a heist! Really hoping that's the way this is going

This being a heist also gives me renewed hope that maybe, just maybe, he ends up with the pets if things go awry and they get arrested by some K-9's who're on night patrol.

[Marion's in handcuffs, being carried at waist-level by one of the K-9's, whose face is off-panel. He starts to have a real breakdown and begins talking to himself.]
Marion: Well, looks like this is absolute rock bottom.
K-9: Yeah, that usually happens when you hang out with those two.
[Marion clearly isn't paying attention to the officer talking to him and continues wallowing in self-pity.]
M: I mean, I could've been somebody, you know? But now it's all over.
K-9: Hey, kid, you're life's not over yet. We can always let you off easy with a-
M: I was about to graduate high school! My grades were great!
K-9: What?
M: Lois and I were going to go off to the same college together, and get married afterward and have kids! Or, well, maybe just one kid given this economy and all, but I guess that doesn't matter anymore because fate chose to doom me to life as a girl squirrel after all my hard work as a human!
[K-9 lifts Marion up to eye-level, revealing that the one carrying him is Fox. He has a quizzical, yet genuinely concerned look on his face.]

Obbl wrote:

NHWestoN wrote:

Mctwisp wrote:The racoon said "her". The gender changing is confirmed

Mmmmmmmebbeee. I'm not comfortable taking Truck's judgment on anything as authoritative.

I mean, there's only so much an author can do to convince you to accept what's being expressed

How is Truck always so super adorable? He's got such a big heart ^^
And I'm all in for a heist! Really hoping that's the way this is going

There is also the fact that Falstaff confirms it by saying the owls would come to eat "her". I think that we can all rest easy knowing that the universe (aka Rick) declared "it's a girl!"

Besides, raccoons are always adorable! Truck is just more so.

But Rick also says his pronouns are male. So he's trans.

That would be the easiest way to think of him at the moment. Besides, not like Rick is actually going to "show" the confirmation of biology in this comic.

dr_eirik wrote:

NHWestoN wrote:

Mctwisp wrote:The racoon said "her". The gender changing is confirmed

Mmmmmmmebbeee. I'm not comfortable taking Truck's judgment on anything as authoritative. Still, it's encouraging to see the masked pair switch from menacing to sympathetic. As we've seen before, they're both capable of considerable kindness once they get focused.

Truck is being sympathetic, but Falstaff I dont see that. I think in general Truck is the kinder of the two. Oddly, if it came down to sharing food, I think Truck would be more willing than Falstaff.

Truck did succeed in getting Tum's medicine back to Ink while Falstaff got caught by animal control. It was also Falstaff who was going to unleash termites on Jessica's modernized tree house so, besides being incompetent, Fals does have a petty streak... Truck seems the gentler soul.

D-Rock wrote:That would be the easiest way to think of him at the moment. Besides, not like Rick is actually going to "show" the confirmation of biology in this comic.

I'm of the opinion that Rick doesn't do anything that big without some reason in mind. So far, it's been a bit of a joke and another stressor for Marion. I'm not saying that we're going to see her abruptly decide to go native and start a squirrel family, but I strongly suspect there is some planned payoff for this part of things, even if it's not something we see for some time.

Yep, Marion had a such bad day that you couldn't even realize, it should be evident by looking at him (or her). Truck is much more compassionate, while Falstaff wants to do the teacher failing at it. But yeah, scrounging is raccoon's specialty. Oh my, that's even worse: become a squirrel having a nuts allergy... Eheheh, good explaining, Falstaff. Well, bring Marion with you, because I think that a squirrel's climbing ability would come in handy for you.

I mean, if that happened, I feel forest animals would be more sympathetic if that happened each time he ate nuts. However, if Marion does try to eat nuts later on, I'm hoping that an owl will come out of nowhere and try to eat him.

Whooooooooo ?

dr_eirik wrote:I'm of the opinion that Rick doesn't do anything that big without some reason in mind. So far, it's been a bit of a joke and another stressor for Marion. I'm not saying that we're going to see her abruptly decide to go native and start a squirrel family, but I strongly suspect there is some planned payoff for this part of things, even if it's not something we see for some time.

I think the planned payoff for him being a female squirrel is going to happen around either the climax or conclusion of his main character arc, and I agree that we won't be seeing it for quite some time. It has to be one of three things:
-He stays a female squirrel for one reason or another
-He decides to change back and becomes a friend to the pets and other animals
-He gets the ability to change between male human and female squirrel

As I've said before, what I'm personally hoping for is the first one, with the reason being that Lois gets turned into a squirrel too and only one of them is able to be changed back for one reason or another, and they'd both rather be with each other as female squirrels than leave one of them behind. This gives Marion's character arc a happy albeit bittersweet ending, gives the comic two new recurring characters of a species that's never gotten a lot of on-panel time, and the comic would have (I think?) its first lesbian relationship.

Right now, in the near-term, I'm excited to see how this heist goes. Does the trio manage to pull it off with Marion being the brains, earning him kudos with Falstaff & Truck and potentially the others living at Jessica's tree? Do they all three botch it in a hilarious fashion and go back to Jessica's place dejected and hungry? Cause while I said I hope the K-9's catch him, that's a very long shot and the most likely outcome is him shacking up with the Opener crew where he comes into contact with Craig, Draig, and badger-fied Steward, who are likely due for some more development too.

I keep on forgetting that Marion is now a gender-flipped squirrel and get confused when the "she" pronoun is used.

Also, I have quite a hard time reading his dialogue in my head as a female voice so I still use a male voice. >_>