OOTS #1267 - The Discussion Thread

[aquablack]

Wait a minute, the ads in the ad supported summoning continue for the entire duration of the task, not just during negotiation?
Reddie, I think you may be undervaluing your sanity. Most of these things cost 5 bucks tops to go ad-free anyway.

Of course in this case, that would mean adding on the "minimal" cost of one of the rules folks keep confusing the current contract for:

• odd number of syllables
• odd number of letters in entire sentence
• odd number of words in sentence
• etc.

Or worse, extend it to the next most chaotic character, likely the neutral MitD. Though somehow, I feel like he'd break the rule sooner if he was still trying to help team evil

[Rrmcklin]

Well, a quinton is. If this is in fact a quinton, then this one is too. But if it isn’t, then not.

I’m operating under the possibility that this is Sabine in disguise, stirring the pot.

That feels like the kind of things that raises more questions than it can answer.

[The MunchKING]

Good thing Xykon's being so oblivious with regard to the MitD.

Redcloak might be a bigger problem, especially since the Monster is getting less and less subtle.

I'm pretty sure Xykon has already figured out that MitD is asking him even answered questions. The question is whether he thinks it's rebellion or just straight trolling.

I can't see MitD's questions succeeding, besides being forced to stop asking by Xykon. Legal systems recognise mistakes can be made and regard remedying a failure to fulfil contract as acceptable. If Xykon ends a sentence with an even number of characters, the quinton will stop, demand Xykon correct his mistake, then carry on when it's corrected. The quinton has not specified no mistakes must be made and is merely interested in Xykon's effort in considering his words, not some perfect, vocal effect.

That is certainly an interpretation, but not the only viable one. The assumption about what it would do is what I'm challenging.

What's the singular of people? (DISCLAIMER: the question isn't entirely rhetorical.)

You have many people, you have one person.

[Fish]

That feels like the kind of things that raises more questions than it can answer.

The best kind of answer!

[InvisibleBison]

Well, a quinton is. If this is in fact a quinton, then this one is too. But if it isn’t, then not.

I’m operating under the possibility that this is Sabine in disguise, stirring the pot.

I don't think that's possible. A succubus can assume the form of any Small or Medium humanoid, and the quinton is Large and arguably not a humanoid.

[sirgarberto]

Yes, Xykon is on to MitD, but is not ready to reveal that.

My thoughts exactly - if he could see through Right-Eye, he can absolutely do the same for the MitD. And he's reacting in the same way, too.

Puñal (dagger) is male, daga (dagger) is female.
Ave (bird) is female, pájaro (bird) is male.
Ser humano (human being) is male, persona (person) is female.
Animal (animal) is male, bestia (beast) is female.
Alma (soul) is female, espíritu (spirit) is male.
Pecho (breast) is male, teta (boob) is female.
Sombrero (hat) is male, gorra (cap) is female.
Vaso (drinking glass) is male, taza (cup) is female.
Caldero (cauldron) is male, marmita (cauldron or pot) is female.
Pene (penis) is male, polla (penis) is female.
Vagina (vagina) is female, coño (vagina) is male.

As a fellow Spanish speaker I feel the need to point out: "puñal" is specifically a poignard, not just any dagger. Conversely, "ave" means fowl, not as specific as bird. All the slang terms for sexual organs should probably be replaced by their English counterparts, too.
But really, what drives me insane is that the grammatical genders don't remain the same for different languages. Trying to learn German almost broke me.

[BriarHobbit]

I agree that Xykon sees through the MiD's ruse; Xykon just doesn't care. Interesting that Xykon did not threat MiD with death.

[The MunchKING]

I agree that Xykon sees through the MiD's ruse; Xykon just doesn't care. Interesting that Xykon did not threat MiD with death.

What I think is interesting is, IIRC this is the first time he's threatened the Monster in the Darkness directly. If not it's the first time in a long time. So he's like actually paying attention to him now.

Also if the monster DIES Xykon can't make him suffer any more. Beating him up instead prolongs the pain.

[Edric O]

The MitD displays significant intelligence. But there's no way Xykon doesn't suspect something now.

So, Xykon's dilemma is: Literally all his allies are just waiting for the right time to betray him. He is probably aware of this, but doesn't do anything about it because... he's also waiting for the right time to betray them.

EVIL: An unstable industry!

[Xirdus]

Xykon's "hmmm" is 4 letters apparently. I wonder if we'll see him resort to ending a sentence with "hmm" or "hmmmm" at some point.

[Clistenes]

My thoughts exactly - if he could see through Right-Eye, he can absolutely do the same for the MitD. And he's reacting in the same way, too.


As a fellow Spanish speaker I feel the need to point out: "puñal" is specifically a poignard, not just any dagger. Conversely, "ave" means fowl, not as specific as bird. All the slang terms for sexual organs should probably be replaced by their English counterparts, too.
But really, what drives me insane is that the grammatical genders don't remain the same for different languages. Trying to learn German almost broke me.

What exactly "ave" means varies from country to country. In some countries "ave" means all birds, and "pajaro" means small birds only.

We can't write english slang words in this forum.

[Ruck]

Well, after I saw the title I was hoping the strip would be called "Dead Letter Office" instead, but, that's a pretty specific pull.

I guess I don't have a lot else to say. Enjoyed MitD trying to mess with Xykon; I wonder how blatant he's going to get with his sabotage as the story continues.

[Laurentio III]

Like other people mentioned I can see Xykon just dismissing his familiar at level 1 or something or just blowing it up at some point and not bothering to resummon it.

This is how Xykon fails the even word requirement:
"We need someone to scout this small hole."
"Can I stuff you inside... this... hole... wrong-eye?"
"Hard pass. Why don't you send your familiar? I presume is a snake or a spider, right?"
"I don't know what you are speaking about."
"Oh, for the Dark One's sake! Just call your familiar!"
"I never had a..." *a snake pops in* "WHAT THE FU-?!"

[Fish]

But really, what drives me insane is that the grammatical genders don't remain the same for different languages. Trying to learn German almost broke me.

Oh yes, I’m L1 English learning Spanish, German, Mandarin and Greek on Duolingo. (I’ll do French eventually.) There’s almost no sense at all to German grammatical genders.

[siprus]

Isn't "A parasol" 8 letters?

[Yirggzmb]

Isn't "A parasol" 8 letters?

Sure, but "parasol" is 7, and it's the very last word that counts.

[Fyraltari]

Oh yes, I’m L1 English learning Spanish, German, Mandarin and Greek on Duolingo. (I’ll do French eventually.) There’s almost no sense at all to German grammatical genders.

Less than for the others you mean?

Also, wow, that's an impressive number of languages!

[danielxcutter]

Eh, it's all Greek to me.

*ba dum tiss*

[Xirdus]

Less than for the others you mean?

Yes. For example, Mädchen (girl) is neuter.

[Fyraltari]

Yes. For example, Mädchen (girl) is neuter.

Yes, that's how diminutives work in German. That makes sense.

[hroþila]

Hot take: using the words "masculine", "feminine" and "neuter" for grammatical gender was a mistake.

Dutch knows what's what with its de-woorden and its het-woorden.

[Xirdus]

Yes, that's how diminutives work in German. That makes sense.

But why would a diminutive change the noun's gender in the first place?

[Tzardok]

But why would a diminutive change the noun's gender in the first place?

Why not? I mean, Greek apparantly does it too.

[hroþila]

I can't think of any examples of Spanish diminutives changing a word's gender after thinking some 25 seconds about it, but it's easy to come up with examples of lexicalized augmentatives doing the same. La caja~el cajón, la subida~el subidón, la taza~el tazón. And it also happens with unlexicalized augmentatives: la noticia~el notición, la foto~el fotón (in the sense of "awesome photograph", not "photon"). Dunno, it just never struck me as particularly weird that an ending could change a word's gender.

[Jason]

Hot take: using the words "masculine", "feminine" and "neuter" for grammatical gender was a mistake.

Dutch knows what's what with its de-woorden and its het-woorden.

Dutch did have all three at one time, and so did English. English got rid of all of them and the Dutch compromised by shrinking three genders down to two, eliminating the feminine gender.

[danielxcutter]

Possibly relevant:

The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and riffle their pockets for new vocabulary.

-James Nicoll

[Laurentio III]

Possibly relevant:

American English has yet to decide when a noun is a noun and not a verb. Or the opposite.

[Charity322]

So, uh, what is the capital of Anywhere?

[Resileaf]

So, uh, what is the capital of Anywhere?

Didn't you hear Xykon? He said it was 'No clue at all'!

[Riftwolf]

What I like about this is Xykon will probably brush it off as MitD messing with him for no reason because it's what Xykon would do to anyone else in the same position.

So, uh, what is the capital of Anywhere?

Possibilities: Here, Not Here, Over Yonder, This Hill, Nextdoor, Capital City of Anywhere, What.