Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire

[Morty]

The funniest thing here is, people in Dominic Deegan don't really change. They're either good or evil in Dominus' eyes and stay that way forever. If an evil character "redeems" it means just that he or she has been good this entire time, and was just misguided before The First Caste has shown him/her The Light.

[Khosan]

I don't understand!

She stabbed him and then tried to stab him again after the first one didn't take. Any sane person would have no problem just watching them die at this point. But nooo...We get speeches about how she deserves a second chance, despite murdering what is probably dozens of people, crippling several (one of whom is a personal friend) and then stabbing you with a diseased knife that shatters wood.

For the life of me, I cannot see any logical path that leads to that conclusion.

Further thoughts: Greg is technically torturing the OH at this point. He's prolonging her death; so what was already going to be a very, very painful death (but at least quick, if Taggerty was any indication) is now being stretched out over the course of several minutes. I can only hope she stabs him for it.

[Gez]

For the life of me, I cannot see any logical path that leads to that conclusion.

She didn't even express any form of regret. But it's the caste system in action. First they thought her possibly related to DD, then they knew her related to Luna. Either way, she's not a redshirt so she has to be saved.

Further thoughts: Greg is technically torturing the OH at this point.

Of course. He's saving her life.

[Monnock]

Well, the government does, that's why you don't stay in jail indefinitely. And, interestingly, Mookie established that people can be released on parole in Dominion not too long ago.

It's even devoid of the risks it comes with in reality. Just let a priest/magical lie detector interview the convict and have a seer look into his/her future.

(Admittedly, this means Dominic's vigilante justice even makes some sense here. After all, he does know it better than most people, a fairly significant and vocal part of which would probably demand Barnet being thrown into jail for all eternity.)

I should clarify - by 'second chance' I mean Dominic's version of 'second chance' which is 'get out of jail free card.' Yes, you can get out of jail but you still have to 'pay' for that crime in some way.

The thing about Justice is that it must be served no matter who commits the crime or why. The Oracle Hunter not only committed several counts of first degree murder, but also was involved in conspiracy to commit murder, multiple counts of breaking and entering, possession of illegal magical equipment, multiple counts of aggravated assault, multiple counts of attempted murder in the first and second degree.

Now tell me, how the hell is it just or fair that she not have to serve prison time for that (if not execution, but for the sake of moral simplicity, let's leave that out of this). Dominic isn't just arguing against the Death Penalty, he is arguing that she should be allowed to just go free if she 'atones' for her sins. You could theoretically say that he is in a position of knowledge where he could accurately make this assessment but 1) Seers' testimony is not allowed in court because it can be flawed and 2) he only probed her working consciousness - that is, what she was thinking about, and even there it showed that she was nothing but a cold blooded killer.

Even if she has a 180 and feels super remorseful about what she has done, she should still serve jail time for what she has done. If she feels so bad then she would accept that this is the consequence of her actions and not cry about it because it's 'not fair.' But given what she has done, and is still willing to do, if she is worthy of being let free then nobody should ever be put into prison.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Um, I hate to play Dominic's Advocate here, but he's not saying she shouldn't go to prison or even be properly tried. He's saying he doesn't want some random guy to messily dispatch her.

In other words, vigilantism is okay and, in fact, much more effective than regular policing...unless you go so far as to kill them, in which case its Very Wrong.*

Of course, it's still possible that Mookie-D is just going to let her go instead of turning her over to the cops/priests, but he hasn't said anything to indicate that.


*Before someone brings it up, an exception made for Amelia because a Third Caste character killed her without Mookie-D's knowledge or consent, and was therefore a regrettable but unpreventable mistake. Not that Bumper was ever so much as arrested for her murder...

[Gez]

He's saying he doesn't want some random guy to messily dispatch her.

Oooohh... You didn't notice, but you found the actual, sensible reason: "No, Celesto, don't make her explode yet! I'd never get her blood and organ bits out of the linoleum! Wait until she's outside!"

[Winterwind]

Of course. He's saving her life.

You mean he is...
Nah, that's too easy.

Regarding Dominic's "second chance" - well, it's true, he did not say anything about setting her free, merely about Celesto not killing her. But on the other hand, he does not exactly have a clean record regarding not setting (would-be-)murderers free (Snowsong, anyone?).

[Clockwork_Seal]

On one hand, The 'second chance' point isn't half bad. If not for the final panel, and the cognitive dissonance involving Dommykins(a 'smart' character) mentioning BUMPER AND SZARK, of all people, to try to convince Celesto to take his side, it'd be good.

But then that panel is there, offending every sensibility I have.

There's your freudian excuse, btw. She deserves a second chance because she was upset because Amelia was killed. First off, Luna, Dommy's torture and the other visions made it painfully obvious that OH was EXACTLY the same when she was a kid, so we've been given no reason at all that she should be upset that the sister she hasn't seen for *INSERT UTTERLY UNGUESSABLE PERIOD OF TIME HERE* whom she didn't like in the first place was killed. What's more, she's reading the story. And if Amelia's death were REALLY that significant for her, why in the hell didn't she do something to BUMPER when she had him from behind?

Seriously, the dialogue and setup ALMOST makes it what it should be. Dominic saying that Celesto was RIGHT in Sin City when he talked about second chances, and that he wishes he could've given Amelia one. Almost. But then the mention of Szark and Bumper clarifies that this only means that Dommykins only learned that everyone he LIKES deserves a second chance. Throw in that the entire setup and the final panel throw the comic on a choo-choo straight to cognitive dissonance land, and we've definitely got one winner of a strip on our hands.

[RationalGoblin]

when she had him from behind?

No, no no, thats all wrong. Szark (who is gay) does that, don't you remember?


Anyway, I agree completely with you. Why should a murderer get off scot-free? Because the Marty Stu of the story likes them? (In a completly platonic way of course, sorry, Szark [who is gay].)

[Monnock]

Um, I hate to play Dominic's Advocate here, but he's not saying she shouldn't go to prison or even be properly tried. He's saying he doesn't want some random guy to messily dispatch her.

He's taking a very roundabout way of saying that. Instead of pointing out that by killing her you become a murderer and thus no better than her (one of the arguments against the death penalty - violence with violence), he instead makes some floury speech about how she can 'change.' So no, he isn't saying that he doesn't want her to messily dispatch her, he is saying that (just like he said) she should get a 'second chance' and that to kill her denies that second chance. Yes, of course it's also implied by that argument that killing her is bad, but the point is that he isn't focusing on that aspect.

You would think that sending her off to prison for life (or worse) would also deny her that second chance, ergo you can assume that he isn't planning on turning her over to the knights (which no longer exist) or any other kind of law enforcement and that after her swift rehabilitation at The Cathedral she will be free to be a productive member of society again.

She isn't going to the knights. I know that for a fact. It just wouldn't make sense. They would find her guilty (because she is) and sentence her to death/life in prison without parole, so handing her over to them is practically as bad as just letting Celesto kill her. I have a hard time believing that she is going to go to the priest because that was just done not too long ago, but that is the likely outcome.

With Snowsong it made sense that it would fall to the Mayor to make the decision as to what was going to happen to her since it affected only her city. If justice is denied to the other city members who were effected by this person, then...

[Nerd-o-rama]

Normally, I'd make a retort about the good guys honoring the due process of law, or at least the idea of non-despotic justice. I'd comment on how sending someone to a life sentence is far more morally justified than just killing her while not being as freaking stupid as letting her go. I'd point out that, while its morality is arguable, execution by the state after one's rights as a citizen are accounted for is still better and gives more opportunities for second chances than summary murder by an insane vigilante.

However, this is Mookie we're talking about, so you've probably hit the nail on the head this time.

[Oracle_Hunter]

You know, I didn't expect Mookie-D to actually respond with the Caste System against Celesto's Moral Dissonance. This can only mean one of two things:

1) Mookie is aware of the Caste System, and explicitly uses it as an ordering principle for the Deeganverse.

2) Mookie is unaware that he uses the Caste System; it just seems like the natural and ordinary way that morality should run.

Sadly, I think case #2 is more likely, which has frightening implications as to how Mookie's mind works. This means that he actually sees the world in arbitrary black and whites - everyone should get a second chance, but those people who were denied a second chance were denied it for very good reasons. This would explain his Retconning Amelia into a woman with no redeeming qualities and Siggy into an actual monster (as opposed to a Freudian Excused person working on Redemption). We never knew why Hexia kept being evil, but I can only assume it was because she was a Card Carrying member of the Evil Union.

But I hesitate, because if Mookie in unaware of his use of the Caste System, how is it that he creates a morally ambiguous character like Celesto? I mean, he probably isn't (I'm sure this will all turn out to be one huge Xanatos Gambit and that Celesto Raped Dogs all over the place... and not in the good way) but as Celesto is portrayed now, he implies that Mookie must be conscious of the Caste System in order to write a character who is clearly conscious of it.

@Nerd-o-rama

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Um, I hate to play Dominic's Advocate here, but he's not saying she shouldn't go to prison or even be properly tried. He's saying he doesn't want some random guy to messily dispatch her.

In other words, vigilantism is okay and, in fact, much more effective than regular policing...unless you go so far as to kill them, in which case its Very Wrong.*

*Before someone brings it up, an exception made for Amelia because a Third Caste character killed her without Mookie-D's knowledge or consent, and was therefore a regrettable but unpreventable mistake. Not that Bumper was ever so much as arrested for her murder...

I'd like to say that nobody regretted Bumper "offing" Amelia.

EDIT:

Gah, I forgot to mention! Since Mookie-D has intervened on Travoria's behalf, she has been elevated to Third Caste Status. That makes her the Patron Saint of the Third Caste, taking over the seat that Szark abandoned when he was elevated to the Second Caste and proclaimed Patron Saint of Unintentionally Offensive Stereotypes.

Hmm... Lord Dominius should have more Saints. Someone, make up a chart!

[Khosan]

So I've had some time to think on it.

I'm thinking there are two wa-...Make that three ways I can see this ending:

1. OH dies. Somehow. Celesto blows her up or someone stabs her or she gets the death penalty. I don't really care either way.
2. OH gets sent off to Aber_hast because Celesto has some weird change of heart and Dominic manages to ignore the law.
3. OH gets sent off to prison for life, escapes without reforming at all, and becomes yet another villain hogging screen time.

I like the first one. It's practical. I'd also consider it "in line" with Celesto, if it weren't for the fact that we haven't seen Celesto do anything for the better part of, what, the past couple years? If the OH weren't some strange anomaly within the caste system, I could say whether or not this would happen. I'm thinking it won't.

I do not like the second, but it's still got a reasonable chance of happening, if only because the OH bears a striking resemblance to Snowsong.

The third I almost ruled out because I'd seen it so many times already that I doubted it would happen. Then I remembered every story arc for the past year or so and included it. I'd bet on this one, personally.

[Oracle_Hunter]

So I've had some time to think on it.

I'm thinking there are two wa-...Make that three ways I can see this ending:

1. OH dies. Somehow. Celesto blows her up or someone stabs her or she gets the death penalty. I don't really care either way.
2. OH gets sent off to Aber_hast because Celesto has some weird change of heart and Dominic manages to ignore the law.
3. OH gets sent off to prison for life, escapes without reforming at all, and becomes yet another villain hogging screen time.

I like the first one. It's practical. I'd also consider it "in line" with Celesto, if it weren't for the fact that we haven't seen Celesto do anything for the better part of, what, the past couple years? If the OH weren't some strange anomaly within the caste system, I could say whether or not this would happen. I'm thinking it won't.

I do not like the second, but it's still got a reasonable chance of happening, if only because the OH bears a striking resemblance to Snowsong.

The third I almost ruled out because I'd seen it so many times already that I doubted it would happen. Then I remembered every story arc for the past year or so and included it. I'd bet on this one, personally.

My money's on two. This is a perfect time for Celesto to say "pah, you are a weak and clueless moron who doesn't understand how to get things done" and then stalk off. Travoria will be revived, and sent off to Aberxast because that's what Pam does with female villains after Mookie-D is done with them.

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Hey, what about Pam? This whole killer thing is going on in Barthas and she wasn't involved again? I bet she'll be pissed and tell Mookie-D to tell some more fortunes. That'll learn 'im

It is equally likely that Travoria will be broken out of Aberxast (don't ask) by Celesto and told to go on another pointless rampage (ostensibly by Serk, but you know...) at which point Celesto will show up to squish her head (as was Foretold) and say "look Mookie-D, exactly what I said happened. If I wasn't a Seer, this would be suspicious, but I am, so there."

Then, assured that Mookie's mind has been crushed (it won't be), Celesto will go off and do his Evil Works. Mookie-D will recover, and thwart Celesto, who will then be killed (well, sent to Hell) where he can be another pawn of Karnak.

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Huh, it's actually possible that Celesto will be sent to Heaven, since his "intentions" are pure (and so Mookie can reduce the number of Unique and Memorable Villains cluttering up the plot). In such a case, Celesto will die via Redemption

EDIT:
New comic, and I am vindicated! It remains to be seen exactly what Celesto is doing, but I'm willing to bet it is, in fact, sending Mookie-D into the "soul" of Travoria for more examination. This should, in theory, look something like Szark's "mindscape" and will probably be very "hazardous" for all parties involved. It could be that Mookie is just compressing my "told you so" gambit by forcing Mookie-D to actually see how terrible OH was and see if he still thinks she can be saved. Mookie-D will still want to save her, Celesto will say "and that is why you are weak," and obliterate her soul (a really EVIL act) and leave. Cue Roaring Rampage of Revenge.

Oh, and when did this gem get added?

[Morty]

Gah, I forgot to mention! Since Mookie-D has intervened on Travoria's behalf, she has been elevated to Third Caste Status. That makes her the Patron Saint of the Third Caste, taking over the seat that Szark abandoned when he was elevated to the Second Caste and proclaimed Patron Saint of Unintentionally Offensive Stereotypes.

Hmm... Lord Dominius should have more Saints. Someone, make up a chart!

I belive Snowsong should be Patron Saint of Get Out Of Jail Free Card.

[Winterwind]

"A problem you ought to examine on a much, much deeper level."
- "Oh, no, Celesto, don't."
- "Come now, Dominic. You and I have both plenty of experience with souls. Now, let's see what happens when I shatter yours and send it into the depths of Barnet's soul, thus melding both together, unseperable for all eternity."

Oh, and when did this gem get added?

...Why does this focus on the arc with Amelia, of all things? Dominic really was not responsible for what happened to her (well, I mean, in our interpretation it obviously happened due to some vile manipulation by Lord Dominus, but that's way too much of an insider for TVTropes.
Now, the War in Hell, Snowsong and Oracle Hunter arcs, on the other hand...

[Clockwork_Seal]

I actually have no problem with this comic. Sure, it stretches the 'I WANT TO MAKE AMENDS' thing by first having Celesto forcibly draw Dominic into OH's head when he was going to go in ANYWAY, and then shunt him into her soul (which is apparently dangerous?).

This part, I have no problem with. But I thoroughly dread what's coming up next.

I swear to god, if OH ends up having two souls in order to 'explain' her absurdly schizophrenic characterization (writing, not actually BEING deranged), one of which is small and weak and innocent, but it's being bullied and cowed by the big bad evil monster soul that the WORLD made her become, I might just have to break something.

Mookie threw away a GOOD way to make OH an actual quasi-interesting villain. And I'm almost certain that he's about to take her to new levels of fail.

Edit: Also, wtf at the 'What the Hell, Hero?' trope listing. Bad DD examples and abject LIES about Final Fantasy:Tactics Advance. All in all, pretty poorly written examples.

[Monnock]

It's funny how Celesto seems to already know so much about the OH, like how he seems to know that it is a foregone conclusion that her soul is corrupt. COINCIDENCE?? I think NOT!

[Johnny Blade]

@ Monnock:
Well, what is justice in this case, if it doesn't mean to make sure the criminal in question never commits a crime as horrible as the one he was convicted for again?
I'm pretty sure it's impossible to find any acceptable ultimate foundation of justice, since we all are taught what our societies see as morally right and wrong early in our life, which defines our further perception of crime.
So what it comes down to is that punishment is ordered because the criminal has offended the intersubjective norms and rules that hold a society together, the conscience collective, so to say.
So, in a very idealistic world, yes, I'd even go as far as saying that all that counts is whether a delinquent, no matter the crime, atones.
In reality, though, I don't even want to know what chaos a legal system like that would cause, since punishment is a vital part of affirming a society and it's values.
(Although some crimes, given that they are challenging dominant moral systems, can prove healthy to a society. Murder, of course, is not among them, at least not for the reasons I'm getting at here.)


Eh, now that I've more or less paraphrased Durkheim, I might as well link to his work. I haven't checked if the extracts touch the subjects, but it's the best I could find.

EDIT: Eh, I'm either dumb as a rock or unable to do the obvious, like a google search for Durkheim and crime. Whatever.



On to the comic:
So...if Mookie-D and his badass counterpart are going to examine Barnet's mindscape next, where exactly are they now?
Or is the psyche of people divided into different, isolated layers?

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. My name is Celesto Morgan and I'd like to welcome you on board for our flight from mindscape to soulscape. Thank you for flying with Badass Longcoat Psychelines. Note that we will be violently breaking through the wall of consciousness in about thirty seconds from now, so please fasten your seatbelts."

Anyway, did anyone notice how Barnet's nose was replaced by a stream of blood today? That's a level of lazyness even I'd have trouble reaching.

Also, any bets on how long Mookie will manage to ride his Dynamic Panel Layout this time to cover up that what he's doing are essentially talking heads exchanging clichéd dialogue dripping with pathos?
I'd say the end is near, but who knows what will happen when they examine Barnet's soul?

Speaking of which, here's what I want tomorrow's strip to be like:

Dominic, now miraculously with two functioning legs, and Celesto walk through a green meadow full of flowers, bunnys dancing around them and the birds singing songs of love and peace, towards the person in the middle. It is Barnet Travoria, clad in a pretty dress. They approach her.

Barnet, singing and dancing: "La la la, I love pretty dresses..."
Dominic: "See, Celesto? Deep down, she is innocent. Do you realize she only became a mercenary so she would be able to buy herself the pretty dresses she loves so much? She can still be saved."
Suddenly, the birds stop to sing, the sky goes from a fair azure to a heavy grey in not more than a second. In this very same second, Barnet produces a knife inmidst of one of her twirls and stabs Dominic in the chest. He falls down, dead before he hits the ground.
Barnet, continuing with her dance: "But you can't...brother."
Celesto: "Yes, my most useful tool, he can't. Neither can you."

Without further hesitation, Celesto crushes Barnet's mind. The sky turns from grey to red, the bunnys and birds are twisted and now horrid mockings of natural life. The flowers become black tentacles, binding Barnet to this unholy place. Celesto smiles calmly at his work before he vanishes.

Three years into the future: We see an obviously jaded woman in a tiny hut, aged beyond her years. It is Luna, who had to give up all her former dreams and aspirations to look after her one love and her sister, who are now both nursing cases, their minds completely gone.
She washes them, then goes to leave the room. She takes another look at the two, but they show no response, staring mindlessly at the wall.
Luna sighs, and while she sheds a single tear, closes the door.

The End

[Winterwind]

*clap*

*clap, clap clap clap clapclapclapclapclapclap*

That's it. Johnny Blade has told the real ending of Dominic Deegan. Anything Mookie can tell from now on is merely a fanfic, expanding upon what might have occured in an alternate universe; but our world is not cruel enough for whatever Mookie concocts to be the true continuation of the story, instead of the beautiful and elegant epilogue Johnny Blade has woven here.

Well done, awesome sir. Well done.

[Doompuppy]

Hmm... after browsing some more Tropes (as you tend to do), I noticed something.
Shouldn't there be a reference to the Snowsong aftermath over here?

[Nerd-o-rama]

I added a suggestion to the discussion on What The Hell Hero, if other tropers here want to look at that.

Also, I'm trying to decide if Mookie-D belongs on the Omniscient Morality License page. He's the designated protagonist, and not a supporting character, but everything else about that trope fits him after the Power Creep in his oracular ability.

[Oracle_Hunter]

I added a suggestion to the discussion on What The Hell Hero, if other tropers here want to look at that.

A neat point. I'll see if I can re-edit it somehow, since the Wiki doesn't like conversations.

Also, generally: What The Hell Hero indicates a point when a character within the narrative points out Moral Dissonance or that we're dealing with a Designated Hero. Aside from Pam, Celesto is the only one in the Deeganverse who calls Mookie-D on his true nature - which is why that particular strip is so prominently cited.

Also, I'm trying to decide if Mookie-D belongs on the Omniscient Morality License page. He's the designated protagonist, and not a supporting character, but everything else about that trope fits him after the Power Creep in his oracular ability.

When I wrote up the Dominic Deegan page, this was the very first thing I attached to Mookie-D. He completely embodies this trope, even though he is the Hero, and not some supervising authority. Plus, you know, he's omniscient.

[Hell Puppi]

I'm getting a 'hi, I've become Lucifer' vibe from Celesto.

Not the evil scheming Lucifer, but one that truly sees into the souls of all and is disappointed with what he finds.

'Cause that would be awesome.

[Clockwork_Seal]

First off, the LOL KILL EVERYONE AND/OR MAKE THEM COMPLETELY MISERABLE ending fanfiction all sucks. It has sucked throughout the topic, and not one of them has actually been a good idea for the comic's (Even as much as IT has sucked itself at points) ending.

Something many of you have probably not realized by now: I'm an optimist! As such, I can look at a few signs from this arc that AREN'T utterly abysmal, and start to think that maybe Mookie is poking fun at his own characters and tropes (notably Celesto calling attention to the 'Caste System').

As such, I think he might well finally be ACTING on comments other people have posted about things that are wrong, and the optimist in me wants to predict the following sequence of events.

Dommykins talks to Barnet's Soul. Barnet DON'T GIVE A DAMN 'BOUT NOONE 'COZ NOONE DUN GAVE A DAMN 'BOUT HER! The caps and faux-dialect are important, damn it.
Dommykins makes Barnet SEE THE TRUTH: That Luna is outside being all upset (for no reason at all, really). Thus, Luna cares about her. That's why he's trying to save her, even though he was torturing her earlier, after all.
Oracle Hunter, Teary Eyed, breaks down and relents, performing an on-the-spot conversion (or nearly so, more likely).
Dommykins goes to get rest, OH talks to Luna. She ALMOST apologizes, but being the stubborn and until-recently-pure-evil older sister she won't actually deign to apologize. Luna gets the point though and smiles when OH isn't looking. It's a lesson in familial love or something.

Up to that point, I can see it happening REGARDLESS of optimism.

Then, optimistically:

OH finds out about Celesto (either from the Deegans or some other source).
OH gets shipped off to aber(x)hast or prison, though if she's shipped to prison it'll be a pretty cushy one since the Deegans like her and have infinite clout.
OH BREAKS OUT of whichever reformation location is selected.
OH hunts down Celesto. Partially for revenge, and partially because she feels like she owes Dommykins and Luna something for saving her and caring about her.
The exact scene from Dommykins' vision occurs.
Dommykins finds out, blames himself for setting her down that path.
He DOESN'T immediately get told to stop doubting himself, because Luna mopes about losing her actually REFORMING evil sister, Szark (who is gay) is busy having his romantic crisis, and Donovan and Miranda are off affirming their relationship or some nonsense.
Dommykins LOSES, but isn't horribly killed or maimed or anything in the process. What's more, he actually caused OH to die in the specific manner he saw in his vision, rather than averting said vision as was his intent.

Celesto: Just as planned.

[Lenlalron]

Maybe Dominic and Barnet switch places, but nobody else knows! Then hilarity ensues as Dominic suddenly is no longer Deity over every character, and Barnet convinces the gang to do all sorts of wacky things!

Also, guest appearance by Fabio as the wily Celesto, the man who steals Szark's heart!

[Lord Fullbladder, Master of Goblins]

By the way Dom doesn't like where this is going, I'm thinking that some of the people are right in thinking that Dom will soon awaken as Barnet/they'll switch places/they'll have to fight for control of their mutual body.

It'll be so damn awesome that I will be able to die happy.

[Johnny Blade]

First off, the LOL KILL EVERYONE AND/OR MAKE THEM COMPLETELY MISERABLE ending fanfiction all sucks. It has sucked throughout the topic, and not one of them has actually been a good idea for the comic's (Even as much as IT has sucked itself at points) ending.

Oh my, and I really hoped Mookie would read what I wrote in approximately five minutes so he could make good use of my ideas, since my intent clearly was to give him advice here.

I just wanted to help!



Also: Heh, "fanfiction"...



(On a more serious note, you've got to accept that many people that post in this thread have given up on the comic and only read it to ridicule it afterwards.)

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Something many of you have probably not realized by now: I'm an optimist! As such, I can look at a few signs from this arc that AREN'T utterly abysmal, and start to think that maybe Mookie is poking fun at his own characters and tropes (notably Celesto calling attention to the 'Caste System').

As such, I think he might well finally be ACTING on comments other people have posted about things that are wrong, and the optimist in me wants to predict the following sequence of events.

Dommykins talks to Barnet's Soul. Barnet DON'T GIVE A DAMN 'BOUT NOONE 'COZ NOONE DUN GAVE A DAMN 'BOUT HER! The caps and faux-dialect are important, damn it.
Dommykins makes Barnet SEE THE TRUTH: That Luna is outside being all upset (for no reason at all, really). Thus, Luna cares about her. That's why he's trying to save her, even though he was torturing her earlier, after all.
Oracle Hunter, Teary Eyed, breaks down and relents, performing an on-the-spot conversion (or nearly so, more likely).
Dommykins goes to get rest, OH talks to Luna. She ALMOST apologizes, but being the stubborn and until-recently-pure-evil older sister she won't actually deign to apologize. Luna gets the point though and smiles when OH isn't looking. It's a lesson in familial love or something.

Up to that point, I can see it happening REGARDLESS of optimism.

Then, optimistically:

OH finds out about Celesto (either from the Deegans or some other source).
OH gets shipped off to aber(x)hast or prison, though if she's shipped to prison it'll be a pretty cushy one since the Deegans like her and have infinite clout.
OH BREAKS OUT of whichever reformation location is selected.
OH hunts down Celesto. Partially for revenge, and partially because she feels like she owes Dommykins and Luna something for saving her and caring about her.
The exact scene from Dommykins' vision occurs.
Dommykins finds out, blames himself for setting her down that path.
He DOESN'T immediately get told to stop doubting himself, because Luna mopes about losing her actually REFORMING evil sister, Szark (who is gay) is busy having his romantic crisis, and Donovan and Miranda are off affirming their relationship or some nonsense.
Dommykins LOSES, but isn't horribly killed or maimed or anything in the process. What's more, he actually caused OH to die in the specific manner he saw in his vision, rather than averting said vision as was his intent.

Celesto: Just as planned.

Well, I could actually see the first part happening. And, for the record, think it is at least slightly more probable than what I came up with.
However, I highly doubt anything you have called an optimistic speculation will come into effect, simply because it requires the death of a Third Caste character.

Also, not to say that what you wrote doesn't make sense, but I somehow think that you had a few beers today.

By the way Dom doesn't like where this is going, I'm thinking that some of the people are right in thinking that Dom will soon awaken as Barnet/they'll switch places/they'll have to fight for control of their mutual body.

It'll be so damn awesome that I will be able to die happy.

Don't say this before you haven't seen it being played for cheap laughs only to be anticlimactically resolved.
(Also, I don't think it will ever happen.)


Finally, @ Winterwind: Thanks a lot.

[Gez]

Maybe Dominic and Barnet switch places, but nobody else knows! Then hilarity ensues as Dominic suddenly is no longer Deity over every character, and Barnet convinces the gang to do all sorts of wacky things!

And let's not forget that if you mind-switch Barnet and Dominic, then logically hijinx ensues with a lesbian incest wedding!

... Damn. That would be such a literary disaster that I'm thinking it may very well be what Mookie is planning.

[Lord Fullbladder, Master of Goblins]

I only own enough shoes to last me the rest of my life. This is my last pair, and the toes are falling off. I'm ready for this 'miles in her shoes' arc to start.

Actually, I'm only making a particularily bad and obvious reference to a recent movie. I intend of seeing this damn thing through. Hell, I intend on seeing the very last comic, the day that Mookie's carpo tunnel inflicted, elderly hand can draw no more, his lungs grasp at too little air to support his frame, and his muscles no longer work.

Though I may be setting my sights to high. What if Lil' Mookie, the spawn of our Mookie, takes over his hypothetical father's comic some time far down the road? What then, O Masters of the Snark?