OOPs #217
Feb19
Viracroix knows what the ladies like.
While clams, oysters, mussels and the like are their primary superfood, yinglets can derive an enormous amount of nutrition, as well as the signature dopamine release, from most other forms of slime-meat, such as snails and slugs.
Colorists: Koof, Raptie, Oniontrain
Oh, he damn well knows what the ladies like.
Well, that confirms the Trademaster’s stone-cold, ruthless political philosophy. I’m surprised he was bold enough to suggest literally murdering Narklet, but maybe I shouldn’t have been. Maybe Narklet’s scavenging operation is a serious threat to the well-being of the city. At least Viracroix knows how to wine and slime the guests who are welcome in his house.
So now I’m curious about the yinglets’ diet. They’re carnivorous, but we’ve seen they can also eat some vegetables, even though their stomachs violently reject bread. I wonder where the line is between the vegetables they can eat and grains they can’t. Is it the part of the plant: yes to fruits and leaves but no to seeds and grains? Or is it the type of plant itself: yes to the little yellow flower but no to wheat?
I don’t know if I would characterize it entirely as “stone cold” and “ruthless.” I believe him capable of remorse. We haven’t seen how off-duty Viracroix lives, assuming he ever considers himself off duty, that is. If anything, I would call him “efficiently pragmatic.” He does the things he does because he believes them to be the most expedient. I see him as someone who is acutely and constantly aware of the passage of time and his portion of it, and so he acts to maximize Val Salia’s dynasty/development within that limited window of influence he will occupy.
I don’t think Viracroix is evil, but we see here that he’s hardened enough not to have any scruples about political murder. If Narklet was some kind of criminal, “disappearing” him would be in line with executing the noble who was stealing the grain stores, but until there’s proof of a conspiracy, it shouldn’t be assumed that Narklet is treasonous. That fourth panel was awfully dark too, calling “traditionalists” a “plague” to be “cured.” It’s how most people would talk about terrorists. The Trademaster must think they amount to the same thing.
Proof of a conspiracy? No. But there is evidence of a conspiracy. Strong evidence. Narklet has a plan, or the start of one. The question is what to do about it. Early assassination would put an and to any schemes, but comes with serious political consequences. Delaying in order to acquire further information risks giving Narklet time to put his plans in to action, whatever those plans may be. And Narklet, just like Vislet and the Trademaster, is that most dangerous of creatures: A true believer. One who believes in their noble cause strongly enough that they will justify any act to advance it, up to and including murder. Just as the Trademaster would. And as Vizlet… could probably be persuaded to, reluctantly.
I don’t think it’s that he thinks the scavenging is a threat to the city, but that traditionalist yinglets are of no *advantage* to the city. Which admittedly to the good Trademaster might as well be the same thing. He seems a very zero-sum man, but he weighs Val Salia against all other objects.
Do not forget that Narklet has his own schemes. Right now those schemes are not going very well, but we know that even within the otherwise simpler world of Yinglet enclave politics there are schemes and factions, and Narklet is courting the loyalty of those factions which might be needed for muscle should things turn violent. And that Vislet is aware of this, and thus the Trademaster probably is as well. This isn’t just considering the murder of an inconvenient person: This is considering the careful assassination of a rival in the great game of spycraft. A rival who is only an inconvenience right now, but may one day be a threat – is the risk enough to justify such preemptive measures?
Yes, Narklet is up to something more than just keeping the enclave from straying from the “old ways.” I don’t know if scavenging the beaches for artifacts is his own scheme or if it’s the real reason the elders sent him here. He doesn’t seem to spend much time with anybody but his scavengers, though, so unless someone like Kass makes a particular show of interest in his work as a patriarch, he’s probably going to be working quietly off screen until something serious happens, like Brakka resurfacing or another artifact getting found.
I think Viracroix’s offer has more to do with the fact he really wants the alliance with the yinglets to work, and Narklet is a threat to that. It’s also a friendly gesture – what’s a little assassination between friends, after all?
As for being unable to digest bread, my guess is that they’re obligate carnivores, like cats. They vomit up bread because it is so heavily loaded with indigestible starch (implying they would handle potatoes similarly), or perhaps because of the gluten content (in which case they could eat potatoes, they just wouldn’t get much from doing so). Other fruits and vegetables they may be able to extract some calories from the fructose and similar (and the starch – or gluten – content is low enough not to cause their body to reject it), but they probably just enjoy the taste (or because the plant matter provides some utility – wormy wraps stay good for longer than unwrapped worms).
A textbook ‘enlightened despot’.
Izzit a flower zhat Lippie serves to guests? Or is it some wierd combination of bug parts glued together wizh slug slime made creatively? Eizher way, bread is gross. It is theorized zhat Yinglets “chew” with a bird like crop, so have to ingest gastroliths which Kass has yet to be seen consuming I zhink, so her eating food dat first day would be hard for her to digest anyzhing harder zhan a clam.
Or de theory could be solely based on a dumb yinglet like me who has been eating rocks since I can remember. Oh well!
Vizlet calls them “ze little yellow petals.” I don’t know what else they’d be if not a flower or leaf, and there’s definitely a stalk with yellow petals on the tray Lippie serves (OOPs 27). We also see Kass successfully eating a fruit for breakfast after reverse-swallowing the bread on her first morning as a yinglet. You’d have to ask someone like Beizel if yinglets get anything out of drugs like bruisegrass powder, but the “Healthy Healthy Juice” that one guy invented was apparently made from swamp plants. As for your rock eating habit, people have had addictions to eating more dangerous things than rocks. I’m not a dietician, and I’m certainly not qualified to advise yinglets, but look up the Wikipedia entry on pica, and be amazed.
It’s possible the petals are a sort of yinglet seasoning, like bay leaf or oregano for humans. Of little nutritional value in themselves, and possibly not even digestible in larger quantities. But used in small amounts to flavor a dish.
I’m sure Yinglets have established some culinary culture of their own. It’s just that only yinglets could enjoy it. Or eat it without feeling disgust.
I would imagine that yinglets have issue with gluten in bread, most of all. Beyond that, they may be near-omnivorous like dogs and foxes, being able to gain nutrition from fruits and root vegetables, but still having trouble with gluten (some dogs can handle better than others, foxes don’t at all), and likely finding some vegetables poisonous. (again, if we’re going the canid comparison route, like the genus Allium is to such. or chocolate) They may also not be able to break down / gain nutrition from longer starch chains, which their bodies would treat as ours does cellulose (AKA dietary fiber – useful for cleaning out the works but doesn’t contribute to nutrition)
That said, the vomiting up of bread is odd, and may perhaps be due to the spongiforous structure of bread, perhaps instead of it’s contents? Given the difference in texture response yinglets have and all, it would make the most sense, obligate carnivores eating non-toxic vegetation tends to cause gut responses rather than vomiting, similarly to those who are gluten sensitive, albeit with some secondary effects, but again, usually not vomiting. So, perhaps dry-spongy materials like bread could trigger a yinglet’s gag response? Best guess I have for that particular end.
This is why I like her, she has genuine heart and care, even for people who are obstacles to her ambitions and goals.
This page definitely shows a difference between how Vizlet and Viracroix operate. They’re both generous and benevolent to the good, productive public in their communities, but only Vizlet seems to extend her care and grace to the not-so-good. I’d like to see some of that rub off on Viracroix. He’s still young, so maybe the matriarch’s example will teach him to temper his progressive zeal with a measure of patience.
alleviate*
last panel
It’s hard for me not to see the girl holding the bucket of slugs as having a double chin.
She is badged but no yellow collar, so a senior NCO like a sergeant. My second thought is that she’s a close-quarter protection agent, one of Viracroix’ personal bodyguards. The smile is part of the uniform.
The trouble always is, though, when the tradition you had thought was silly superstition suddenly turns out to have been load bearing once removed.
He does know what the ladies like!
Guess we’ve found out whom that secret girl of his is now. (No almost certainly not but I ship it now anyway)