Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire, Mk. XLIV: Stunt Bro and Hella Jayden

[Frogwarrior]

Great series, enjoy!

Well... I only discovered it a week ago or so, and I'm already 60 pages into Book 3... I think it's safe to say I enjoy it ^_______________^

I think she could either not fully transform, or couldn't control it properly.

Cannot fully transform, as a result is quite emotionally unstable because of raeg. As we've noticed.

[T-O-E]

It's the name of an organization, not an object or thing, for what its worth.

I literally thought it was just a magic-based internet for people who couldn't use computers.

What it actually is makes more sense and fits better with the setting. Thank god, I always thought the idea of a magical internet was stupid and Deegan-esque. Now I know why.

[MReav]

It can work, but considering the amount of references, it feels more like an excuse than a reason.

Doesn't he mainly quote movies which he could watch as long as he maintains sufficient distance from the projector? Otherwise I think the only internet related thing he quotes was The Evil Overlord List, which, considering he roleplays with a bunch of nerds, not exactly unexpected.

[rocketpony]

Okay, let's give this a shot.

TRYIN TO EXPLAIN WEREWOLVES

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The werewolves of the Winter Archipelago are the result of Callanian expansionism, back when the empire was young and dynamic, instead of farting away money and soldiers on meaningless tasks. Having to deal with the constant winter (which is a result of native magic, and not some actual human-caused accident), the colonists began an aggressive program of magical research into alterism, then a craft in its infancy. The magical eternal winter was harsh on the general Callanian hostile-environment magic - black magic fires ebbed and were chilled, and white magic became a stunted and shriveled thing. But alterism only had to work once.
The breakthrough came with the human/wolf splice, which imparted various excellent qualities of the wolf to the settlers; excellent heat preservation, and enough muscle density and general resilience to largely replace the functions black and white magic played in Callan at the time. The cost? The apparent visage of a wolf, and the consequent mistrust of the people back at home.
Through concentration, a Archiepelagan could shift his form to something with human seeming - still mighty, still dangerous, still with the stench of a predator and the bearing of an animal, but something that frail human eyes would accept as their own. And this was accepted as the "civilized" thing to do - it is men who are civilized, not beasts, after all.
Following a cowardly and crippling attack from the orcs on the southern border, however, Callan had to withdraw presence from the Archipelago to address the threat. The war dragged on, and the Archipelago reverted to a way of life that made sense to the climate, no longer held in place by the need to interface with Callanians. The arising of a mad Scapilian prophet among them who claimed that it was the WOLVES who were God's chosen race after all further fuelled the fires of cultural shift. Following the extended war, the Callanian return to the Winter Archipelago found a backwards society of beasts, too crazed by their emotions to even make the pretense of being human. The first Callanians to return were, in fact, killed for the crime of teleportation.
Weary from an extended war, Callan was in no mood to shed further blood and treasure to reclaim their colonies in the armpit of the world. The colonies were abandoned to their fate.

[Mono Vertigo]

I literally thought it was just a magic-based internet for people who couldn't use computers.

What it actually is makes more sense and fits better with the setting. Thank god, I always thought the idea of a magical internet was stupid and Deegan-esque. Now I know why.

There's another comic that eventually features some kind of Magical Internet thingy: Zebra Girl. In the defense of the author, it is a concept that, like many others, gets deconstructed/goes horribly wrong/doesn't impact the plot for long/several of the above.

[M84]

Having grown up raised by television, videogames, and later the internet in lieu of human parents, I can't imagine living like Dresden. Not being able to watch television, use a computer, drive a car more advanced than an old Beetle, or even a modern fridge.

I guess being able to set buildings on fire with a word makes up for it all. Almost.

Edit:

As for the comic itself, anyone else think Katya's interest in Milov is a little creepy? He's her nominal superior/caretaker. The age difference (Katya is implied to be close to Nimmel's age and Milov is in Dominic's age group) raises the possibility that Milov might have helped raise Katya too. It's a good thing Milov is unaware of Katya's attraction to him, given the unequal nature of such a pairing.

[T-O-E]

Having grown up raised by television, videogames, and later the internet in lieu of human parents, I can't imagine living like Dresden. Not being able to watch television, use a computer, drive a car more advanced than an old Beetle, or even a modern fridge.

I guess being able to set buildings on fire with a word makes up for it all. Almost.

Edit:

As for the comic itself, anyone else think Katya's interest in Milov is a little creepy? He's her nominal superior/caretaker. The age difference (Katya is implied to be close to Nimmel's age and Milov is in Dominic's age group) raises the possibility that Milov might have helped raise Katya too. It's a good thing Milov is unaware of Katya's attraction to him, given the unequal nature of such a pairing.

Aren't they supposed to be cousins too?

[Trazoi]

Darn, and I was hoping Katya's loyalty to Milov was going to be a strong familial thing. But I guess that's not Mookie enough. Oh well, time to cross "incest" off the wrongness list.

Also because why not, Dominikudigan:

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[ninja_penguin]

Oh my, that's a thing of beauty today.

[Humbug]

Time for another crazy girl love? Oh dear, what is it with Translation Party and borderline erotica?

[Frogwarrior]

Humbug, Humbug. There's nothing REMOTELY borderline about it!

[elros]

Mookie portrays Nimmel the same way he portrays Luna: both are "damaged" but are capable of wondrous feats that no one else can do. Both are surrounded by stupid, uncaring jocks that are completely powerless compared to the "oh-so-special" Nimmel/Luna. That is why Mookie is including so many links- it's his way of saying "look at the latest character that I'm crushing on!" The only difference is that Nimmel is guy, so he has weaker women falling for him. Because, as you know, every woman in Mookie-land is unable to stand up without a man (and in the case of the latest comic, literally).

Mookie really needs to stop recycling the same crappy ideas.

[Nerd-o-rama]

As for the comic itself, anyone else think Katya's interest in Milov is a little creepy? He's her nominal superior/caretaker. The age difference (Katya is implied to be close to Nimmel's age and Milov is in Dominic's age group) raises the possibility that Milov might have helped raise Katya too. It's a good thing Milov is unaware of Katya's attraction to him, given the unequal nature of such a pairing.

All creepy, all pretty common in fiction, since unrequited and unsuited love is such an easy source of conflict. Or in Mookie's case, since so many other people have done it before.

[Gez]

As for the comic itself, anyone else think Katya's interest in Milov is a little creepy? He's her nominal superior/caretaker. The age difference (Katya is implied to be close to Nimmel's age and Milov is in Dominic's age group) raises the possibility that Milov might have helped raise Katya too. It's a good thing Milov is unaware of Katya's attraction to him, given the unequal nature of such a pairing.

It's funny, because she's always been the patient, loyal friend who supports Milov in all his decisions even when she doesn't agree with them, like getting in a pack with a Callanian woman, and she's been jealous all this time but never said anything out of respect for her idol, and now that his heart has been broken she is immensely angry towards the <insert gendered insult> responsible, but she still loves him so much that she dares not say anything in front of him, and she'll just let things happen until Milov's heart is broken again and then maybe he'll see that he had what he wanted all this time in Katya...

In other words, she's a complete Nice Girl(tm).

Which is why it's so hilarious that Nimmel is being such a complete Nice Guy(tm) to her. Heh, they deserve each others.

[Glass Mouse]

Darn, and I was hoping Katya's loyalty to Milov was going to be a strong familial thing. But I guess that's not Mookie enough. Oh well, time to cross "incest" off the wrongness list.

Huh. I thought this was pretty much a confirmation that she loves him. "Some of us can only dream about having what he gave you..."
I'm actually a bit surprised that the comic treats this as a twist.

But I'm obviously in the minority.


@Gez: I hadn't noticed that. That's awesome

[Deme]

Huh. I thought this was pretty much a confirmation that she loves him. "Some of us can only dream about having what he gave you..."
I'm actually a bit surprised that the comic treats this as a twist.

But I'm obviously in the minority.


@Gez: I hadn't noticed that. That's awesome

Yeah, but I could also see another reading of that line.
Someone loving you and trusting you completely, with gentleness and warmth, accepting and loving you despite your not being his society's idea of an acceptable mate, and holding you dear despite what the world says?
Someone in her position, whose casual friends get harassed just for being around her, could only dream of having that. So it's easy to read the line as being about the type of love and relationship, without involving Milov specifically as an object of desire.... It's not true, but it wasn't certain at the time. It's what I would have liked that line to mean.

[Veridis Quo]

There's another comic that eventually features some kind of Magical Internet thingy: Zebra Girl. In the defense of the author, it is a concept that, like many others, gets deconstructed/goes horribly wrong/doesn't impact the plot for long/several of the above.

I liked what the way Mr. English uses the "maginet", it wasn't really the magical equivalent of the internet. It was more akin to a pocket dimension created on the astral plane. I think it came to be called the "maginet" by the people using it which made sense since most of them were either in their teens, or would naturally equate a mass meeting site to the internet. It's an idea that could easily be used in Dominic Deegan given how we've seen.

[Frogwarrior]

But nope. She was talkin' 'bout his Big Dog.

[T-O-E]

But nope. She was talkin' 'bout his Big Dog.

What could this possibly mean? Oh, if only there was some kind of comment under it to explain the joke? Perhaps with links to previous instances or maybe a suggestion to carry on?

The joke is that this is what Mookie does in his newsposts.

[Frogwarrior]

Still don't get it; you didn't link to enough instances of Mookie doing it for me to make the connection

(it's funny because it's a reference to this joke made, just now, by you)

[T-O-E]

You didn't tell me to-

-Rock on and geek out

[Trazoi]

Yeah, but I could also see another reading of that line.
Someone loving you and trusting you completely, with gentleness and warmth, accepting and loving you despite your not being his society's idea of an acceptable mate, and holding you dear despite what the world says?
Someone in her position, whose casual friends get harassed just for being around her, could only dream of having that. So it's easy to read the line as being about the type of love and relationship, without involving Milov specifically as an object of desire.... It's not true, but it wasn't certain at the time. It's what I would have liked that line to mean.

Yes, that's the complex reading I'd have liked (it fits in better with romantic comedy hijinks too). But knowing the comic I knew it couldn't be more complex than "Katya crushes on Milov".

[Lord Seth]

Well... I only discovered it a week ago or so, and I'm already 60 pages into Book 3... I think it's safe to say I enjoy it ^_______________^

If you enjoyed the first two books, you're going to really love the rest. The first two are almost universally considered the two weakest books in the series.

[Frogwarrior]

If you enjoyed the first two books, you're going to really love the rest. The first two are almost universally considered the two weakest books in the series.

.... Duuuuuude.
That AND my copy of For the Crown is only 2 days away?

Best day ever. ^____________^

That's all from me for now.
Rock on and (nerd metal vegan) geek out.

[Trazoi]

Sneaky Gate
Future Link

I salute the Beast's noble effort to try to force itself back into the comic, no matter how hard Mookie tries to ignore it. Keep up the good fight, Snuggly.

Dominikudigan:

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[Veridis Quo]

Sneaky Gate
Future Link

I salute the Beast's noble effort to try to force itself back into the comic, no matter how hard Mookie tries to ignore it. Keep up the good fight, Snuggly.

I think that is one of the archmages. The beast is more "flying spaghetti monster" this is more "slug with long eye stalks".

Edit.
Seems like this is Alduraithel of the fourth circle.

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[Trazoi]

I think that is one of the archmages. The beast is more "flying spaghetti monster" this is more "slug with long eye stalks".

You're right. I forgot a third of this comic's power hierarchy consists of eyeball stalk creatures.

Also shouldn't the Dominion phrase be "tosserphant in the room?"

[Humbug]

Boy, this page is boring, does it need to take up the entire update? It's less interesting because of the complete lack of conflict. I guess Mookie was trying to spice it up by having Snuggly/the Archmages spy on them, but what exactly will it accomplish? It's got nothing to do with the supposed plot at hand, you know, the necklace? *Sigh*

[colonelslime]

Read that sentence in panel five:

I don't think we... should work on us with one another.

Who talks like that, seriously?
I understand what Mookie was trying to say, but not how he said it. Does he not read these things back to himself even once before uploading them?

Boy, this page is boring, does it need to take up the entire update? It's less interesting because of the complete lack of conflict. I guess Mookie was trying to spice it up by having Snuggly/the Archmages spy on them, but what exactly will it accomplish? It's got nothing to do with the supposed plot at hand, you know, the necklace? *Sigh*

I think we are supposed to infer that all the archmages are trying to get their mitts tentacles on the necklace. Alduraithel (I think that's his name) was hoping to get some plot important exposition, instead he got boring relationship drama.

[T-O-E]

Milov is just luring her into a false sense of security so he can slit her throat again and dispose of the body. Katya is there to occupy Nimmel.

Also shouldn't the Dominion phrase be "tosserphant in the room?"

To illustrate a point, a Deegan comic was cut-out into pieces. Four men were told to look at a section of this and this is what they said:

"Look at his snout! He must be a pig!

"Look, I can only see one eye. He must be a chameleon!"

"Look at that line! It must must be an eel!

"Look at that jaw! It must be a helmet!"

So you see, you need the full picture to understand the truth: Dominic Deegan has a crappy faux-anime style that makes no sense.

I think we are supposed to infer that all the archmages are trying to get their mitts tentacles on the necklace. Alduraithel (I think that's his name) was hoping to get some plot important exposition, instead he got boring relationship drama.

Don't worry, it's not like it's completely unprotected or anything.