Housepets!

A gratuitous shot of Karishad
hints things are on the right path.
After all he’s wanting to show
he doesn’t just show for a laugh.
Marion’s plan seems to win,
even the little demon agrees
as, amongst the things it does,
he’s one of them that it frees.
Only Breel, it seems, is nervous
about signing his relife away.
The others seem quite happy
to bring some dice into play...

Oh? Something everyone agrees on? "Keeps our options wide open"? Now I'm [even more] curious...

Frankly, the fact that Keene is super into it, AND Breel was hesitant, doesn’t seem like a ringing endorsement to me.

Part of me is wondering if Rick is just going to end the comic with them making the deal and it being over, and we're just told that it was a great deal but never shown exactly what it was.

Another part of me wonders if he's going to pull what... I want to see the comic was called Fuzzy Things? Where like, 50 pages in, the author got tired of his initial premise and had an arc that retconned the entire universe so he could reboot it with younger characters in a scifi setting?

Meanwhile, tempted to speculate on what the contract actually has, so here are some guesses, aside from the obvious fact that Keene's initial plan works...

- Either Marion or Lois getting changed to the other's species

- Steward gets something of his old life back.

...that's actually all I can think of at the moment, and I have to go.

The other thing worth speculating on is how they are going to make the ECP thing work out. Do they just change the culture with a snap? Do they change everyone's hearts so things happen fast? Do they turn all the major opponents of the ECP into animals so that they have to support it or lose their rights? Do they show up, going loud, as giant god beings in front of the world leaders telling them that they are in charge of the universe and this is how they are changing it now?

Lots of interesting options there.

I'm not signing `til I read the fine print!

I wonder if Cerberus just had this contract prepared ahead of time, or if she's so fast she can just pull it together in an instant.

Also, I'm half expecting Todd to try and say no just because it's not what he personally wants, but we'll see how that goes.

Housepets needs a wiki so I can add "contract lawyer" to the list of professions Cerberus is certified to perform

The line about ichor implies Nega Breel either gave himself a paper-cut or is just spontaneously spewing it out of his fingers. I don’t know which is worse.

Frank wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 10:18 am Housepets needs a wiki so I can add "contract lawyer" to the list of professions Cerberus is certified to perform

There is a wiki, actually, but I don’t think there’s occupational listings in anyone’s bio.

RockstarRaccoon wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 3:11 am Part of me is wondering if Rick is just going to end the comic with them making the deal and it being over, and we're just told that it was a great deal but never shown exactly what it was.

Just popping in here as I want to correct you here: The comic is not ending. Rick has stated that he is no longer doing long form arcs, like this one, and going back to shorter stories and slices of life (he has stated numerous times that there are more stories he wants to tell within the Housepets world).

SeanWolf wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 11:02 am

RockstarRaccoon wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 3:11 am Part of me is wondering if Rick is just going to end the comic with them making the deal and it being over, and we're just told that it was a great deal but never shown exactly what it was.

Just popping in here as I want to correct you here: The comic is not ending. Rick has stated that he is no longer doing long form arcs, like this one, and going back to shorter stories and slices of life (he has stated numerous times that there are more stories he wants to tell within the Housepets world).

I believe he's referring to a jump to the end of this STORY without telling us what it is that 'made the world better'. A.K.A. a wish for noodles?

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 11:10 am

SeanWolf wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 11:02 am

RockstarRaccoon wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 3:11 am Part of me is wondering if Rick is just going to end the comic with them making the deal and it being over, and we're just told that it was a great deal but never shown exactly what it was.

Just popping in here as I want to correct you here: The comic is not ending. Rick has stated that he is no longer doing long form arcs, like this one, and going back to shorter stories and slices of life (he has stated numerous times that there are more stories he wants to tell within the Housepets world).

I believe he's referring to a jump to the end of this STORY without telling us what it is that 'made the world better'. A.K.A. a wish for noodles?

Probably (also, that emoji wasn't there when typed that post...I hate my tablet's touch keyboard...)

Oh Rick, you big tease. Keeping us all in suspense like this. X3

SeanWolf wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 11:19 am

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 11:10 am

SeanWolf wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 11:02 am

Just popping in here as I want to correct you here: The comic is not ending. Rick has stated that he is no longer doing long form arcs, like this one, and going back to shorter stories and slices of life (he has stated numerous times that there are more stories he wants to tell within the Housepets world).

I believe he's referring to a jump to the end of this STORY without telling us what it is that 'made the world better'. A.K.A. a wish for noodles?

Probably (also, that emoji wasn't there when typed that post...I hate my tablet's touch keyboard...)

Noodles?

Noodles?

It's in reference to something in 'Calvin & Hobbes'. All that's known is it was an incident involving Noodles that usually prompted a declaration from Calvin that "No-one can prove that was me!" It became a recurring gag that brought 'Noodle incident' into the lexicon, meaning 'an incident that the creator plans to never explain' as the revelation will never be as great as the scenarios the reader has thought up for themselves.

Please be school.

Also, i'm super curious :3

Yes, Breel is cautious and I doni't blame him, but it sounds like it's because it's over his head.

As long as everybody is happy with the deal I am content with where it is going. I just did't want them to be forced into something they didn't want to do.

Curious move from Cerberus proposing a deal for all, and they all seem to accept it... I wonder what's about. It shouldn't be about be back as humans, what the transformed ones were looking for, except a little for Marion, who was looking doubtful... If this deal gives also a mortal body, it's good that NegaBreel wants to accept it. It reminds me of what happened with Breel. Sounds to be a deal with a kind of balance, then.

I suspect it's something like: "Stay animals for X time, helping the ECP to grow. After that time, you can choose to be human or stay critters."

That would qualify as "keeping all options wide open", and Marion would get to explore his world without "shutting the door" so quickly, so he might find that fun.

Though Breel's reluctance is concerning...

Shryke wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 3:17 pm I
Though Breel's reluctance is concerning...

I'd imagine he knows a compromise deal means someone doesn't get what they want. If it's him, he may end up reunited with his other half. And I DON'T mean Keene.

Welsh Halfwit wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 12:16 pm Noodles?

It's in reference to something in 'Calvin & Hobbes'. All that's known is it was an incident involving Noodles that usually prompted a declaration from Calvin that "No-one can prove that was me!" It became a recurring gag that brought 'Noodle incident' into the lexicon, meaning 'an incident that the creator plans to never explain' as the revelation will never be as great as the scenarios the reader has thought up for themselves.

Intriguing. Thanks for the lesson, Welsh.

Why couldn’t it be as simple as pets and ferals are now first class citizens in society, equal to humans? That’s basically where Housepets has been evolving towards anyways.

Because with ferals being first class citizens, it means you have to deal with some predators and their instincts. That isn't gonna go away just because they have rights. You would still have to figure out how to deal with that. Especially since I'm sure some predators wouldn't WANT to change.

Amazee Dayzee wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 9:55 pm Because with ferals being first class citizens, it means you have to deal with some predators and their instincts. That isn't gonna go away just because they have rights. You would still have to figure out how to deal with that. Especially since I'm sure some predators wouldn't WANT to change.

Oh right, that pesky food chain. https://www.housepetscomic.com/comic/20 ... o-get-off/

Will Cathy the Viper get dental coverage under this contract?

Remember that Steward, as the (former?) executor of the Milton estate, is most likely a contract lawyer. If he says they probably aren't going to get a better deal, that doesn't mean they get everything they want, but that they're getting the best possible combination of all the things they want. This can often include things that aren't party of the contract directly.

For example, if Steward wants to stay out of Heck, that likely stipulates that he needs to avoid taking which are obviously evil, so the contact may include a clause that specifically exempts any actions he took while he was a demon.

Will probably never know, however; we don't need to.

I think that we will learn some of it. But not all of it however.

NHWestoN wrote: ↑Sat Jan 28, 2023 7:58 am Will Cathy the Viper get dental coverage under this contract?

I wouldn’t be surprised that she has some coverage since she lives at the zoo, they seem to have some perks, maybe they get medical and dental coverage.

Pretty sure that she is taken care of at the zoo like a pet would be. I doubt the owners want any of their attractions sick or injured.

NHWestoN wrote: ↑Sat Jan 28, 2023 7:58 am Will Cathy the Viper get dental coverage under this contract?

Who is Cathy the Viper?

Why do I suspect Kari had something to do with this deal?

Cosmacelf wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 12:12 am

NHWestoN wrote: ↑Sat Jan 28, 2023 7:58 am Will Cathy the Viper get dental coverage under this contract?

Who is Cathy the Viper?

Cathy the viper comes under the heading of "Incredibly obscure characters". In fact, she's never appeared in the comic. her name is mentioned in the 30 December 2016 comic, (Cricket Noises, where Roosevelt and Bruce Kangeroos are being menaced by a sinister voice and digging sounds from the snow bank surrounding their home. The voice claims to be "The Viper" to which the reply comes, "You mean like Cathy from the reptile house?"
It's actually Delusional Steve, who answers "Um, no". It's kind of a funny little sequence of about three strips in length.

Delusional Steve is a seldom-seen minor character. Roosevelt and Bruce appear occasionally, but rarely. They're also significant in the history of Housepets! as the first homosexual couple to appear in the comic. (If I'm wrong, I'm sure some helpful soul will enlighten us both.)

Delusional Steve is a great guy.

Yeah he really is. Though not when he is in the middle of a delusion.

Amazee Dayzee wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 2:13 pm Yeah he really is. Though not when he is in the middle of a delusion.

Not sure he ever isn't.

Probably not but it is fun to think otherwise! If only because maybe some of his rambling does have a point sometimes.

Think we're ever gonna see Contract Pains? ... and, apparently, the answer is 'YESZ!"

I figured that the contract was gonna be polarizing the minute it was brought up. Big choices like that almost always are.