Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire, Mk. XXXV: DJ Callan Turns the Tables

[Johnny Blade]

Apparently, lower-caste characters can not only just randomly pop into existence on a featureless plain, but also in a featureless plane.
The ambushing part, however, seems to work less well.
That's almost interesting.

So, what's gonna happen this week, I wonder? I bet they are just gonna spend the week gawking at the Royal Wizards until the Friday cliffhanger, sigh.

And then, Facebath.

[Gez]

It started when colored splash pages on Sunday became a tradition. Mookie would then stall or (hypothetically) accelerate the pacing so that a given scene could fall on the Stupendously Superfluous Stupid Sunday Splash Strip.

It became a lot worse once he decided to stop updating on weekends. Instead of stalling the pacing for a dramatic reveal on a Sunday, he started stalling the pacing for a dramatic cliffhanger on a Friday.

[Darkmyst]

Secondary thought: This would be an excellect time to cut back to to the physical plane, showing that the Battlecasters (can someone please come up with a better name for these goons? A synapse breaks every time I type that word) are actually in the room with them. Then maybe commenting on how unintelligent it was to scry a high-priority target without even the faintest obfuscating cantrip to protect them from being spotted and traced.

That thought also leads smoothly into gutting Luna and dissassembling Quilt for later analysis. Then again, so do most things.

[T-O-E]

The problem I had is that every time Rayne did something 'nice', it always came across as insincere or out of character. Plus, it's easy to be charitable when you get anything you want, have no significant problems, and have received confirmation from a supernatural being that you can literally do no wrong.

That happened to Ethan too.

[rocketpony]

Wait, is this the reveal that got set up on Friday? "What the hell is that?" -> "Royal battlecasters."
But at least good king DJ is actually doing something proactive in this whole finding Celesto business, namely putting trained people, or maybe golems? on the case, instead of pinning 100% of hope to the darkest horse anyone has ever seen.

Arguably it doesn't advance the plot though, because part of the package of assumptions we've had to make about DJ is that he's a rational player.

[SiuiS]

I am rather deeply touched that y'all will actually miss us leavin' folk. Thanks for that.

Someone needs to create a Myers Briggs test to determine what kind of snarker someone is.

1. An entire strip is devoted to how great Luna is. Your reaction is to:

a) Declare Luna as so derailed that she is now negative-dimensional.
b) Declare Luna the character you now hate most.
c) Write a spoiler box about how each flaw of Luna's could possibly be mistaken for a virtue.
d) Write down the lyrics to a Disney song and replace some of the words with praise for Luna.

Every time I see a post like this, I get set to defend Luna, and then I remember which Luna you mean and get physically sick at the thought of protecting that thing.

On the plus side, my subconscious is full of pony!

What he said.
(I wish there was a "like" button in the forum,, so I could signal approval without writing content-less posts that serve no other purpose.)

There's a purpose! You're keeping th pace of the thread consistent with the pace of the comic; whole lot of words, not so much actually getting anywhere. Otherwise, you may confuse some poor folks into actually starting up DD as a fast-paced read! ;3

The last two weeks of comic really were pointless, weren't they?

Seems I got out of Dodge at just the right time to not have a break down.

[Fangly]

And so, I present my proposition that being awake past 5 a.m. isn't a particularly good idea. Good night, everybody!

Incorrect! 5 am is when BRILLIANCE happens!

We are leaving! We still believe ourselves to be freemen, with dreams and plans and hopes for our future. We will walk away from this abomination of writing and art, never to think of it again. It will not haunt our dreams, invade our waking thoughts, until all we can see is Mookie. Eventually, we will most certainly not stay awake at night, past that dreaded 5 am hour when you are alone with your thoughts, knowing that if we pause, if only for a moment, the memories will resurface. And when we hold our loved ones close, their faces will not waver, suddenly revealing a pointy nose, blank eyes, and an endlessly smug mouth. We will not then realize that we will never be free, that our reading has corrupted our souls completely and thoroughly. And then we definitely will not trudge back to this thread after two years, defeated but wiser. For if we must suffer this burden, at least we must not suffer it alone.

Good luck with that.

Potential activity sighted!

2. It is Thursday. An obvious filler strip has been posted. You respond by:

SINGING

Cause this is FILLER, FILLER NIIIIIIIIIGHT!!

Silliness

So. Um. What are these guys doing actually? Just chilling in the mindscape? Playing ring around the rosy? Red rover? What? Cause they're just sort of standing there, being faceless.

[Trazoi]

But at least good king DJ is actually doing something proactive in this whole finding Celesto business, namely putting trained people, or maybe golems? on the case, instead of pinning 100% of hope to the darkest horse anyone has ever seen.

Arguably it doesn't advance the plot though, because part of the package of assumptions we've had to make about DJ is that he's a rational player

I like how DJ Callan has been built up to be a genius, because it's going to make the absurdity sweeter every time the plot forces him to make a mistake a five year old wouldn't make in order to give Dominic a chance.

Although the fact King Dave hasn't found Celesto yet might count, given he's had a month or so head start. If Quilt could scry his position in under a day, I'm sure DJ can. Or at least find someone else who can.

[Darkmyst]

Every time I see a post like this, I get set to defend Luna, and then I remember which Luna you mean and get physically sick at the thought of protecting that thing.

Heh. Glad to see I'm not the only one who suffers that particular cognitive disconnect.

It's not all bad though... the idea of sealing DD Luna in the moon for a millenium is rather appealing .

So. Um. What are these guys doing actually? Just chilling in the mindscape? Playing ring around the rosy? Red rover? What? Cause they're just sort of standing there, being faceless.

Just like everyone else in the dominion.

[Whoracle]

So. Um. What are these guys doing actually? Just chilling in the mindscape? Playing ring around the rosy? Red rover? What? Cause they're just sort of standing there, being faceless.

Isn't it obvious?

Since there is a limited amount of Stunt Heads (tm) (i.e. One), the people whose turn it isn't have to go somewhere, and have to be faceless, naturally.

And where to better hang out while faceless and unused? Right!
the Plane Of Unused Character Storage, or POUCS, of course!

Summon Dei Ex Machinae / Exposition Dumpers / Mooks / Collateral Damage Assets at will from this conveniently located plane at no additional costs!

It's the go-to place for lazy webcomic artists, and it's only $9.99 a month with our wonderful subscription plans*.

* May or may not enclude induced smugness on long-standing characters. Offer only valid after jumping the shark.

[colonelslime]

Hey, where exactly are LUna and Quilt right now? When did they jump into the psycho plane? Are they still on the material plane in some way? Right now, I'm picturing them running through a cloud of bubbles, yelling at random strangers.

Also, where are the battlecasters' hands? I keep looking, but there arms just seem to join at the middle.


Also, also: Stunt and Bumper are blushing pretty hard on the cover of the new book, but then I would be embarrassed too, being that badly drawn. (Seriously, look at Stunt's face... What is with those eyebrows)

[Bobikus]

Wait, is this the reveal that got set up on Friday? "What the hell is that?" -> "Royal battlecasters."
But at least good king DJ is actually doing something proactive in this whole finding Celesto business, namely putting trained people, or maybe golems? on the case, instead of pinning 100% of hope to the darkest horse anyone has ever seen.

Arguably it doesn't advance the plot though, because part of the package of assumptions we've had to make about DJ is that he's a rational player.

The idea of Quilt being able to scry Celesto out before the Casters though, and possibly being able to see them while they can't see him. Quilt is a bumbling golem that up until very recently couldn't successfully scry anyone but Pam, while the Battlecasters are an apparently elite group put together and likely trained by possibly the best human mage in history.

[random11]

So. Um. What are these guys doing actually? Just chilling in the mindscape? Playing ring around the rosy? Red rover? What? Cause they're just sort of standing there, being faceless.

The scry is compiling

[Glass Mouse]

Also, also: Stunt and Bumper are blushing pretty hard on the cover of the new book, but then I would be embarrassed too, being that badly drawn. (Seriously, look at Stunt's face... What is with those eyebrows)

Wait, what was Donovan doing in that arc? I don't remember him at all!

And who's that girl he's with?

[mwchase]

Wait, what was Donovan doing in that arc? I don't remember him at all!

And who's that girl he's with?

I'm pretty sure that's Elanora, trying out a different shampoo.

Man, why aren't the protagonists a magical plastic surgeon and a bard/diplomat/troll? That sounds like a concept that could really go places. Anyone have any good ideas about what to do with that? My mind is just going "Oh, cool!".

[Garland]

What is up with... Quilt's legs.

(I won't even ask what the deal is with everyone's feet as I know the deal is Mooks can't draw them)

[Kageru]

Hmm I would say Quilt has a wood leg, it symbolizes that he thinks dominic is wonderful and wants to be like him, thus he lacks a leg on that weird plane.
Anyway I think the casters haven't found Celesto till now, because they spend most of their concentration on letting their cloaks billow. Afterall how will it look to Celesto if his opponents have capes which don't billow the right way? Or what if one of them messes up his floating with crossed/fused arms pose, that would be quite embarrassing.

[rocketpony]

The idea of Quilt being able to scry Celesto out before the Casters though, and possibly being able to see them while they can't see him. Quilt is a bumbling golem that up until very recently couldn't successfully scry anyone but Pam, while the Battlecasters are an apparently elite group put together and likely trained by possibly the best human mage in history.

I mean, yeah, on the face of it this is an absurd situation - this isn't scrappy underdogs defying the championship team, this is the scrappy underdogs vs. the Ocean - but at least there's a nod to maybe the Ocean's going to make a wave or two, instead of just letting the First Caste walk all over it.

[Mauve Shirt]

It looks like Mookie just traced over a picture of floating legless Dominic when drawing Quilt today.

[Mr. McGician]

(I won't even ask what the deal is with everyone's feet as I know the deal is Mooks can't draw them)

More evidence that Mookie is Rob Liefeld?

[Trazoi]

What is up with... Quilt's legs.

Quilt takes his pirate costumes seriously.

The scry is compiling

Gaaarggh graaagh why did you link that whhhyyyyyyyy *shakes fist at random11*

[Palmer]

What is up with... Quilt's legs.

(I won't even ask what the deal is with everyone's feet as I know the deal is Mooks can't draw them)

I think he's a gingerbread man.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Guess What?
Sneaky Gate
Future Link


Ok, the little circles make me imagine a huge pause in between each conversation snippet, so it feels more like a bunch of disconnected snippets than actual dialogue...

[Penquin47]

Ohnoes! Quick! Pop the bubble!

[Mr. McGician]

"Can they do that?"
"Apparently."

Great worldbuilding there.

Also:

"I don't think they see us."
"Then our plan is working."

????????

It looks like Quilt was supposed to say something between those two speech bubbles, but Mookie forgot to add it in.

[Palmer]

HALT! No plot developments until Friday. I'm gonna have to ask you to cut that sentence short, sir.


Man, it sure is good that Mookie clarified that the King's personal seers weren't hijacking soap bubbles for their scrying. I...actually it is. This thing is so poorly fleshed out that I don't know what's going on. Now they're in the bubbles again? What?

[mwchase]

All I got out of this was, a lot of the stuff that people have been saying is pointless... actually was, demonstrably, completely, overwhelmingly pointless. Good show, enthusiastic naysayers. I mean, unless they pop the bubble and just act on the info they got on Celesto.

Also, weren't they going to perform an extraction on Quilt to get evidence against DJ Callan with the Archmages? I asked this before, but why do they need Quilt to be the one who finds Celesto, to do that?

[Trazoi]

Shocking twist in Dominikudigan! It turns out Luna and Quilt were working with Itsukimashi all along! Are they traitors, or are they double agents?

Spoiler

Show

Nothing much to say about that other webcomic - I prefer the one with a plot.

[Bobikus]

The last two comics could have very easily been just one.

[Humbug]

Ugh, Mookie is so stalling for Friday again.