2019/09/13 - Time Makes Fools Of Us All

[fenrirblack]

Another potential hiccup: They cant get Marion recognized legally as human. Since they dont exactly have proof, then the legal system may have no actual option. That would be a blow and would likely knock the pins out from under him just as things are getting better.

Add to that a bizzare plot twist right our of my... ether. Marion turns out to be an endangered species of squirrel. Now the local zoo wants him...

Getting "proof" might be why they need Steward. If someone "volunteers" to be changed then maybe Marion and the rest will have a chance. Mr. London would be my first choice because A. He's an established character and B. he's expendable. If they did something like this then i would have to be a character already in the cast but I don't see any of the owners wanting to do this or Lois (but she'll still be changed eventually for some other reason). That's a funny thought, Marion going "Join us Lois. Join us.)

That seems like a possible direction, a new transformation of a volunteer in a setting where it can't be written off as a trick. If that was to be an existing human character, I think you've found about the only two that might even be possibilities. London I could see because that's the kind of courtroom antic that might actually get him really noticed. Lois I could see her doing it without fully grasping that there is no going back. I really can't think of another character that would be even a possibility.

Another potential hiccup: They cant get Marion recognized legally as human. Since they dont exactly have proof, then the legal system may have no actual option. That would be a blow and would likely knock the pins out from under him just as things are getting better.



I would assume Marion could get his parents and Lois to stand witness as to his humanity - although the Zoo might make them an offer to recant ...

?

Assuming a general legal system of the current United States, there would be no law on the books that would cover this. Unless there is some kind of "citizenship" clause for animals, which if there were then Keene would be exploiting the heck out of it. So it's hard to say what a court will do.

That's even assuming that's the direction Rick is taking it. Keenes idea of a "thing" could be straightforward like a court battle, but could be using the coin to transform *many* volunteers that he can find.

The more I think about it, the harder it would be no matter what to convince the legal system to recognize any therian as human. Each time someone has joined the ECP, unless something has changed since Year 2, they've all been "Keene's pets." In that regard, the "thing" might not have to do with legalizing or restoring rights as much as simply legalizing Marion and etc as "pets." In Marion's case, Julia's pet. Keene said before that "all the humans would want their rights back" but that can be interrupted any number of ways. Miles and the wolves and Gale don't exactly have the same "rights" as humans (I don't see them voting anytime soon) but are still treated with the same manner of respect by the general population as a human i.e. they have jobs and can go to the store and do human things without Animal Control being called each time. This logic being that they have their rights in the regard they are not feral animals and therefore can't be hauled off into the great yonder just for existing but still have to follow the same laws and rules as before.
I hope Keene breaks down to Marion what exactly happens next like he did with King and Miles just so we know for sure where we and he stands regarding the legal system. Because revealing the truth will cause a major backlash that I doubt Rick wants to have to write about.
As far as the rest goes, I thrown some theories at the wall but in all honestly the simpler route might be best. Don't tell the school the truth because now that Julia knows she can make up some excuse for why Marion can't take his exams there. Can't go to graduation so that sucks but that's his life now. College is still up in the air as far as if Marion still wants to even bother with it. Neither Steward and the coin have to be involved nor do any other humans have to be transformed despite Keene's ominous tone and phrasing (at least for the time being).
It may get more complicated if someone else gets transformed or changed into the wrong animal but for the time being there doesn't really need to be a rush for announcing to the world that the supernatural and magic exists.

All this legal mumbo jumbo brings up an interesting gray area in the comic that I've touched on several times in the past and basically it boils down to "legally how different are the pets and the humans?" As we've seen the wolves and gale have jobs. The cubs are in school and I wonder if this is a new concept because no other animal even bothered trying. Keene's influenced help get them there (knowing the right people isn't a new idea considering that how it works for humans too) but legally is there a law that had to be overlooked or bypassed? I doubt it because other pets have gotten jobs before like Zach. Look at Itsuki who is technically a legal Japanese citizen in the states on a student visa and no one really cared. Earl was caught off guard but beyond that no said anything. Anyway, if I were to wager a guess about how this all works I would say that essentially if an animal wanted to do all of this they would have to be a "pet" therefore recognized as a legal citizen but more than that essentially a human (or Keene) would have to take responsibility for their actions which makes them a legal citizen by association.

All this to say, that sure Marion would want to be recognized legally as Marion Ward the 17 year old Human male but I really doubt that could happen right away (if ever) and even if he wasn't, his life wouldn't be that different legally. I mean he's still physically different, psychologically damaged, socially outcasted, and emotionally scarred but beyond that how different from someone who wasn't even a legal adult.

[Jakkal]

Perhaps a bit hurtful, but I'm not sure I'd react any better in the first couple minutes. At least shes on board by the final panel.

I do wonder about Dad. He was mentioned in present tense wat back at the beginning. Wonder where he is?

If there is still a Dad around. But yeah, first the shock and then the realization. And this really has a "transgender vibe" all over...

[Amazee Dayzee]

Just because his father is still around in the present tense doesn't mean that he and Julia are still together. They might be divorced as divorce is INCREDIBLY common now.

[Champion Wallace]

Walking at graduation is important, but it's the least of their concerns right now. It's not like they won't give you your diploma if you don't walk regardless of your circumstances.

Getting back to the “reveal” topic for a moment. I don’t know about telling the state, country, or world about Marion and the possibility of spontaneous human-animal transformation but they do need to tell the neighborhood. Not just because this is the fourth time this has happened but for Marion’s safety, we don’t want another Kevin incident.

Are you saying other squirrels deserve fewer rights than Marion?

His voice might give away the fact that his body is female, but maybe not. I was actually wondering the other day what Marion would sound like. Been thinking of several different voices he could have. One that keeps sticking out is Melissa Fahn, the voice of Gaz in Invader Zim as well as the voice of Rika in Digimon Tamers. A tomboyish voice that doesn’t sound too squeaky like a chipmunk’s but you could still imagine coming from a squirrel.

We know he sounds like a female squirrel because of how Truck and Fido responded to Marion. It's hard to say what that would sound like, given the medium, but probably a small, squeaky voice. I don't know if male squirrels and female squirrels would sound the same, but I doubt Julia could tell the difference.

[Ash Greytree]

We know he sounds like a female squirrel because of how Truck and Fido responded to Marion. It's hard to say what that would sound like, given the medium, but probably a small, squeaky voice. I don't know if male squirrels and female squirrels would sound the same, but I doubt Julia could tell the difference.

I know he’s gotta sound female, but reading all of his lines in a squeaky voice like he’s one of the Chipettes from Alvin & The Chipmunks is a bit too jarring, so I’d like to imagine he sounds something like this.

[dr_eirik]

We know he sounds like a female squirrel because of how Truck and Fido responded to Marion. It's hard to say what that would sound like, given the medium, but probably a small, squeaky voice. I don't know if male squirrels and female squirrels would sound the same, but I doubt Julia could tell the difference.

I know he’s gotta sound female, but reading all of his lines in a squeaky voice like he’s one of the Chipettes from Alvin & The Chipmunks is a bit too jarring, so I’d like to imagine he sounds something like this.

Falstaff, Truck and later Jessica all saw Marion au natural. Jessica even looked down when she was corrected. I think regardless of their voices, the animals can tell a physical female body when they see one.

[fenrirblack]

Getting back to the “reveal” topic for a moment. I don’t know about telling the state, country, or world about Marion and the possibility of spontaneous human-animal transformation but they do need to tell the neighborhood. Not just because this is the fourth time this has happened but for Marion’s safety, we don’t want another Kevin incident.

Are you saying other squirrels deserve fewer rights than Marion?

Considering the purpose of the ECP, I’m going to say yes if they are “feral”

We know he sounds like a female squirrel because of how Truck and Fido responded to Marion. It's hard to say what that would sound like, given the medium, but probably a small, squeaky voice. I don't know if male squirrels and female squirrels would sound the same, but I doubt Julia could tell the difference.

That doesn’t confirm anything about how he sounds. Lois knew he was a girl from a photo so clearly it is obvious to those in universe just by looking. No one has said anything about what he actually sounds like.

[Champion Wallace]

We know he sounds like a female squirrel because of how Truck and Fido responded to Marion. It's hard to say what that would sound like, given the medium, but probably a small, squeaky voice. I don't know if male squirrels and female squirrels would sound the same, but I doubt Julia could tell the difference.

I know he’s gotta sound female, but reading all of his lines in a squeaky voice like he’s one of the Chipettes from Alvin & The Chipmunks is a bit too jarring, so I’d like to imagine he sounds something like this.

Falstaff, Truck and later Jessica all saw Marion au natural. Jessica even looked down when she was corrected. I think regardless of their voices, the animals can tell a physical female body when they see one.

My point was that he sounds like a squirrel not a human, and to a lesser extent that he sounds female. It's a bit like proving a negative, but no one so far has mentioned that Marion sounds masculine for a female. I think it would be relevant to Fido if the squirrel who said she isn't what she looks like also didn't sound like what she looks like and Jessica had to get the idea Marion was a girl from somewhere before she checked out between his legs.

[Buster]

Jessica had to get the idea Marion was a girl from somewhere before she checked out between his legs.

Scent and body shape are things, it's no necessarily voice.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I'm sure that ferals are able to figure out the gender of someone very easily since they live out in the wild and have no other being to tell them.