Belkars dream: new (interesting) theory.

[littlequietguy]

Y'now how Eugene contacts Roy through his sword? Well what if Shojo is contacting Belkar through Mr. Scruffy? The Scruffinater IS Shojo's primary weapon, even if only metaphorically. Also :belkar: certainly uses Scruffy as weapon (and a partner). Of course the fact that Shojo's isn't :belkar:'s relative makes the connection kinda weak, not to mention the fact that Mr. Scruffy is not a traditional weapon so I think that Shojo not even aware the contact while it was happening.

Sorry for the adding the 30000002341nth theory thread to these noble boards.

[The Blackbird]

My brother and I had the same thought.

[[TS] Shadow]

I'm pretty sure I was the first to come with this idea, way back in strip 609. It's an interesting idea, that may or may not be explored in the future.

[David Argall]

Now why would Shojo want to contact Belkar? And the advice he gives sounds much more what Belkar would think he should give rather than what he actually would have.

[Optimystik]

I doubt Shojo would be parceling out advice on how to be a better murderer. On how to be more Chaotic, maybe, but not more Evil.

His hallucinatory self also says that distinctions between "a scheming benevolent ruler and a bloodthirsty killer don't matter as much after death" (#606). That sounds much more like a Belkar thought than anything Shojo would come up with.

[Zevox]

Now why would Shojo want to contact Belkar? And the advice he gives sounds much more what Belkar would think he should give rather than what he actually would have.
Agreed. Shojo was Chaotic Good - he wouldn't have advised Belkar on how to be sneaky about "raising hell," as Belkar said after their discussion. And he really didn't care enough about the little sociopath to bother. They exchanged all of what, one sentence each during Shojo's life? When Belkar told him he admired him for telling Paladins to clean the litter box?

What possible reason would Shojo have to appear to Belkar like that anyway? About the only thing I can think of is boredom, and I doubt that. I mean, if the Lawful Good afterlife has something like a Tavern of Infinite One Night Stands, I imagine the Chaotic Good afterlife has plenty to entertain Shojo.

Zevox

[Optimystik]

What possible reason would Shojo have to appear to Belkar like that anyway?

Well... he might be worried about his cat...

(I don't think it was really Shojo either.)

[JaxGaret]

Tavern of Infinite One Night Stands

Thanks for reminding me of that. It's a nice thought.

[Tempest Fennac]

Shojo may care about Belkar as far as the gates being protected goes, which would explain why he would bother to give Belkar advice which would allow him to continue to adventure.

[factotum]

Shojo may care about Belkar as far as the gates being protected goes, which would explain why he would bother to give Belkar advice which would allow him to continue to adventure.

If all he wanted to do was get Belkar up on his feet and adventuring he just had to get him to say something that the cleric would use as an excuse to remove the MoJ. You don't imagine Belkar wouldn't have killed all those thieves even without his new outlook?

However, Shojo was the one who put the Mark of Justice on in the first place--that was done secretly, outside Azure City law; therefore it was Shojo's own idea. Why would he then get it taken off? Shojo knows what a murderous little git Belkar is, and the "insight" gained during his vision isn't going to make him any less of one--he'll just hide it better.

[bluedolphin359]

I doubt Shojo would be parceling out advice on how to be a better murderer. On how to be more Chaotic, maybe, but not more Evil.

Shojo knows enough about Belkar to know that he is impossible to change. For all we know, this is Shojo's way of trying to change Belkar: By making him hide it, it becomes more difficult for him to commit flagrantly evil acts.

And, of course, Shojo cares about Mr. Scruffy.

Edit: Also, Shojo was one of the few people who cared enough to try to work around the moral codes in order to save the world. He's not gonna make Belkar useless if he will save the world, at least not until the world is saved.