Story Monday, August 19, 2019

[detrius 20]

http://egscomics.com/comic/party-050

 

PLOT TWIST! Ashley is allergic to cats! It's anaphylactic shock time!

 

(Seriously, though, he might be hypoallergic. I don't remember. And Ashley has probably met the Dunkels' cat during the last date, so no allergy.)

[Tom Sewell 268]

Does this mean we finally find out how Jeremy and Max (remember Max? Adrian's cat?) came to be?

Really, Ashley has already seen three immortals, two griffins, Sirleck, that golem, Dragon Ellen, and five different Elliot transformations--and a funny-looking cat throws her off? (Blond girl at school; Rose Elliot at the mall; Cheerleadra; Uryuom-suit Cheerleadra; not-Cheerleadra to fight Magus-Ellen)

[detrius 20]

My guess they were created as proof-of-concept by the same organisation that created Grace and her siblings.

[hkmaly 490]

Ok, so Tedd definitely didn't bother to spend any effort to hide his female transformation from Ashley.

1 hour ago, detrius said:

(Seriously, though, he might be hypoallergic. I don't remember. And Ashley has probably met the Dunkels' cat during the last date, so no allergy.)

Even if she didn't met her, the anaphylactic shock is not caused by seeing cat ; being in house where cats live should be enough to trigger some trouble.

56 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

Does this mean we finally find out how Jeremy and Max (remember Max? Adrian's cat?) came to be?

12 minutes ago, detrius said:

My guess they were created as proof-of-concept by the same organisation that created Grace and her siblings.

Considering Tedd's dad brough him home one day, I would consider it quite likely. If not, then he's proof-of-concent of some OTHER organization Edward sabotaged.

1 hour ago, Tom Sewell said:

Really, Ashley has already seen three immortals, two griffins, Sirleck, that golem, Dragon Ellen, and five different Elliot transformations--and a funny-looking cat throws her off?

She didn't expected funny-looking cat. In all other cases, people around acknowledged it's something weird ; here, there is weird monster inside house and everyone considers it normal.

[Tom Sewell 268]

11 minutes ago, detrius said:

My guess they were created as proof-of-concept by the same organisation that created Grace and her siblings.

Sounds reasonable--except that cats are not that long-lived, and Adrian Raven has the other cat, Max. The rift between Edward and Adrian probably goes back at least to the divorce, and possibly further. But solving this mystery  could eventually lead to an explanation in canon exactly why that split, and the divorce, happened. Probably not at this party, though..

[mlooney 3,594]

1 minute ago, hkmaly said:

She didn't expected funny-looking cat. In all other cases, people around acknowledged it's something weird ; here, there is weird monster inside house and everyone considers it normal.

And let's not forget that Jeremy is much bigger and stronger than most house cats.  Big enough to open cat food cans by biting them.

 

[Tom Sewell 268]

1 minute ago, mlooney said:

And let's not forget that Jeremy is much bigger and stronger than most house cats.  Big enough to open cat food cans by biting them.

Then why does Jeremy whine when Tedd forgets to feed him? At least Max knows how to catch mice.

[mlooney 3,594]

3 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

Then why does Jeremy whine when Tedd forgets to feed him? At least Max knows how to catch mice.

Might be that he can't get to the cans with out thumbs.

[hkmaly 490]

13 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

37 minutes ago, detrius said:

My guess they were created as proof-of-concept by the same organisation that created Grace and her siblings.

Sounds reasonable--except that cats are not that long-lived, and Adrian Raven has the other cat, Max. The rift between Edward and Adrian probably goes back at least to the divorce, and possibly further. But solving this mystery  could eventually lead to an explanation in canon exactly why that split, and the divorce, happened. Probably not at this party, though..

You mean NORMAL house cats are not that long-lived. Who knows what is natural livespan of hybrids like Jeremy?

12 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

14 minutes ago, mlooney said:

And let's not forget that Jeremy is much bigger and stronger than most house cats.  Big enough to open cat food cans by biting them.

Then why does Jeremy whine when Tedd forgets to feed him?

I wouldn't describe it as whine. However to answer the question: apparently he is ABLE to crush the can but it requires serious effort from him and possibly takes him hours.

15 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

At least Max knows how to catch mice.

There may not be enough mice in Edwards magically reinforced house.

[ijuin 594]

16 minutes ago, hkmaly said:

Ok, so Tedd definitely didn't bother to spend any effort to hide his female transformation from Ashley.

I like Tedd's current appearance--it says "This is me, a perfectly normal appearance for me to have" as opposed to the earlier "This is an artificial form designed to look sexy" seen on Grace's birthday. Tedd has really started just being "herself" ever since realizing her own genderfluidness in "Squirrel Prophet".

[hkmaly 490]

4 minutes ago, ijuin said:

26 minutes ago, hkmaly said:

Ok, so Tedd definitely didn't bother to spend any effort to hide his female transformation from Ashley.

I like Tedd's current appearance--it says "This is me, a perfectly normal appearance for me to have" as opposed to the earlier "This is an artificial form designed to look sexy" seen on Grace's birthday. Tedd has really started just being "herself" ever since realizing her own genderfluidness in "Squirrel Prophet".

I don't think the FORM itself is so different. However, I would say that she's flirting a little with Elliot here (or teasing him) ... and, obviously, she has more clothes here.

[ijuin 594]

Well, I more meant that the Tedd that we see in today's page is Tedd just being herself as opposed to play-acting. This is more like Tedd is letting her inner self out instead of just putting on a new shape. This is not Tedd playing at being a girl; this is Tedd actually being a girl.

[Tom Sewell 268]

Why does Tedd cook as a woman? Maybe because he associates cooking with his missing mom, even if he isn't aware of it.

[mlooney 3,594]

8 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

Why does Tedd cook as a woman? Maybe because he associates cooking with his missing mom, even if he isn't aware of it.

The canon reason is she is hot as a woman.

[Tom Sewell 268]

Just now, mlooney said:

The canon reason is she is hot as a woman.

That's what Tedd said at Grace's birthday party. But he also admitted that preferring to cook as a woman was irrational.

[mlooney 3,594]

Just now, Tom Sewell said:

That's what Tedd said at Grace's birthday party. But he also admitted that preferring to cook as a woman was irrational.

I would hope that being hot and memories of her mother would not be in the same thought process.  

[hkmaly 490]

2 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

Why does Tedd cook as a woman? Maybe because he associates cooking with his missing mom, even if he isn't aware of it.

The official explanation is that he's most likely cooking when Edward is not home, which is also the time he's most likely to be girl. But, like, maybe?

[Darth Fluffy 338]

57 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

Sounds reasonable--except that cats are not that long-lived, and Adrian Raven has the other cat, Max.

... the only two that we know of ...

[ijuin 594]

Good point--and if the organization had any plans to breed them, then they might have created some females as well.

I wonder if Arthur also has one of these hedge-cats in his home . . .

[hkmaly 490]

47 minutes ago, ijuin said:

Good point--and if the organization had any plans to breed them, then they might have created some females as well.

I wonder if Arthur also has one of these hedge-cats in his home . . .

First, maybe they didn't planned that - as we said, could be prototype for different creature. Second, them planning that doesn't mean they get to it.

Nevertheless, the idea that Arthur has one home is funny.

It's also possible Wolf and Cranium has one. .... or Noriko.

(Although personally I would say that Noriko was already away at that time ; meanwhile, the relationship between Adrian and Edward was bad, but not SO bad they wouldn't stand each other on mission.)

[Pharaoh RutinTutin 1,619]

Oy!  Why did I not see this from the beginning?

Ashley was prepared to expect and accept significant strangeness from the PEOPLE at the party.

No one said anything about the monster pet.

Ashley, Just be grateful you weren't here for "KITTY"!

No, I am not providing the link.  That would be almost as cruel as TV Tropes.

[ChronosCat 158]

9 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:

Does this mean we finally find out how Jeremy and Max (remember Max? Adrian's cat?) came to be?

Maybe, maybe not. If Jeremy's origin involved aliens (such as coming from the project that created Grace), or if it involved some other secrets the government is covering up, Mr. Verres might have just told Tedd it was DGB, particularly if Tedd was still fairly young. While Tedd has actually been trusted with a lot of secrets by this point, that trust was extended gradually and in the mean time everyone has gotten used to Jeremy; it's possible it hasn't occurred to Tedd to ask since he started being let in on such secrets.

8 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:

Sounds reasonable--except that cats are not that long-lived, and Adrian Raven has the other cat, Max. The rift between Edward and Adrian probably goes back at least to the divorce, and possibly further. But solving this mystery  could eventually lead to an explanation in canon exactly why that split, and the divorce, happened. Probably not at this party, though..

The average lifespan for a pet cat is 15 years these days, with some cats actually surviving into their 30s. Even back when Jeremy was introduced in the 2002, it wouldn't have been all that odd for a well-cared for cat to be in their teens; at the time my family had several cats that had been born in the late 80s.

[Haylo 57]

Fortunately, I really like decompressed stories, so having Ashley first step into the house 50 comics into the party arc is fine by me.

[hkmaly 490]

14 hours ago, ChronosCat said:

On 8/19/2019 at 6:52 AM, Tom Sewell said:

Does this mean we finally find out how Jeremy and Max (remember Max? Adrian's cat?) came to be?

Maybe, maybe not. If Jeremy's origin involved aliens (such as coming from the project that created Grace), or if it involved some other secrets the government is covering up, Mr. Verres might have just told Tedd it was DGB, particularly if Tedd was still fairly young. While Tedd has actually been trusted with a lot of secrets by this point, that trust was extended gradually and in the mean time everyone has gotten used to Jeremy; it's possible it hasn't occurred to Tedd to ask since he started being let in on such secrets.

Tedd has been getting information based on need to know. If there is no need to know what Jeremy is, he may not get answer even now.

14 hours ago, ChronosCat said:

The average lifespan for a pet cat is 15 years these days, with some cats actually surviving into their 30s.

Of course, Garfield is 41, but he's may be even further away from ordinary cat than Jeremy.

16 hours ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

Ashley was prepared to expect and accept significant strangeness from the PEOPLE at the party.

No one said anything about the monster pet.

Exactly. They were PREPARING her for people, but not for monster pets.

It's more weird how calm SUSAN was about Jeremy when she saw him first time.

 

[Pharaoh RutinTutin 1,619]

12 hours ago, hkmaly said:

It's more weird how calm SUSAN was about Jeremy when she saw him first time.

Justin realized that Susan had no experience with cats.  Thus it is possible Susan did not realize just how unusual Jeremy is.