I don't understand something in strip #225

[Petrocorus]

I was rereading the strip 225 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0225.html).
Maybe it's because English is not my first language and i don't get some subtleties or maybe i don't remember some previous episode, but i don't see why Belkar want Miko to take a bath. I she was smelly, wouldn't she notice it?

Can someone explain.

Thanks

[hamishspence]

In OoTS, halflings seem to have a more sensitive sense of smell than some of the other PC races.

[Asta Kask]

He wants Miko out of the way so he can attend to Windstrider?

[Shale]

I assumed it was because she smells; she's been traveling hard, getting in fights, etc, for weeks, and doesn't seem to have brought a change of clothes along. And somebody who's been traveling alone for weeks would likely become immune to their own body odor.

[hamishspence]

She also rants about the immorality of luxury:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0224.html

which might imply she isn't the type to indulge in luxuries like bathing, while on mission.

[fwiffo]

Gee, it would be so above Belkar to tell Miko that she stinks. Yep, gratuitous and barely veiled insults are just not his style.

[hamishspence]

Gratuitous unveiled insults are more his style, than thinly veiled ones.

[Tafkan]

I kind of figured he just wanted to see Miko bathing. Naked and all that.

[ThePhantasm]

I kind of figured he just wanted to see Miko bathing. Naked and all that.

That was my interpretation too. The way he said it sounded less "I'm insulting you because you stink" and more... "I want to peep in on your bathing." Little creep!

[Xesirin]

I kind of figured he just wanted to see Miko bathing. Naked and all that.

You mean there was ever another interpretation? If the only level-headed member of the party thought she was attractive, then she must have been a looker. (Plus, unless I'm recalling incorrectly, Charisma is supposed to be good for Paladins in some fashion)

[factotum]

You mean there was ever another interpretation?

Yes, there's the "Miko smells bad!" interpretation already mentioned, which is the one I always had--never occurred to me that Belkar would be attracted to Miko enough to want to see her in her birthday suit. Besides, if you believe V's idea of Belkar's brain, Miko definitely fell into the "Hate" column! :smallwink:

[DBJack]

If Belkar said she needed a bath because she smelled, he would tell her to her face. It's not like him to withold insulting someone when they set him up. I always saw it as a 'so he could sneak a peak' thing as well.

[Zeb The Troll]

Interesting, I always thought it was "so you'd be without your armor and off your guard when I try to slit your throat".

[factotum]

If Belkar said she needed a bath because she smelled, he would tell her to her face. It's not like him to withold insulting someone when they set him up.

Belkar is a crafty little sod. He isn't going to directly insult Miko to her face when he knows she could kill him easily--unless he already had his "get her to kill me and she Falls" idea, but there's no evidence he'd thought of it at that point.

[Morquard]

It was probably a combination of all of it.
He thinks she smells and while she's bathing he can peek a look, and while she is naked without her armor, weapons and magical jewelery he can go and kill her.

[Petrocorus]

I didn't think when i first read this strip that Belkar would already be willing to kill Miko. Well, not more than he would kill anybody else.

But i thought, being Belkar, if he wanted to tell her she stink, he would simply tell her: "You stink".

BTW, what the word "spurging" exactly means?

[Shpadoinkle]

Interesting, I always thought it was "so you'd be without your armor and off your guard when I try to slit your throat".

That's the way I took it.


BTW, what the word "spurging" exactly means?

It's probably a typo and supposed to be 'splurging,' which basically means indulging in some kind of costly luxury.

[Douglas]

I assumed it was a continuation of the previous strip's joke about Miko's attitude towards "luxuries". The implication is that, in addition to sleeping at the side of the road, eating lichen, and using rocks for pillows, she also doesn't bother to bathe and Belkar has noticed. He doesn't tell her outright "you stink" because of her demonstrated temper and combat superiority. When she doesn't get the hint, he briefly pauses in confusion about how she could possibly not notice before falling back on his "don't piss off the high level paladin who wants to kill me" principle.

That's how I interpreted it, at least.

[Petrocorus]

It's probably a typo and supposed to be 'splurging,' which basically means indulging in some kind of costly luxury.

Typo are the doom of non-english-speaking OOTSers!:smallannoyed:

I guessed it was synonymous of "spending".

[ThePhantasm]

I imagine Belkar as being smelly himself though. Doesn't seem like the type to care about smells.

[factotum]

I imagine Belkar as being smelly himself though. Doesn't seem like the type to care about smells.

He's been shown in the comic as having an extremely sensitive sense of smell--he was able to tell Nale apart from Elan simply from his scent. I'm sure he therefore takes good care to ensure he DOESN'T smell, in the same way that someone with extremely light-sensitive vision would wear sunglasses because it's less painful for them that way!