OOPs #243
Sep23
Silma’s worked with baxxid long enough to get a feeling for when they’re nervous.
It’s a body language thing.
Colorists: Koof, Oniontrain, Raptie
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Out-of-Placers
A story of inconvenient changes
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It seems not everyone takes to the red as easily as some.
Remember, the Baxxid are so afraid of reminding the humans that they are huge predatory creatures that physical labor, especially the violent kind, is highly taboo among them, and he didn’t choose to be here, he’s here as a punishment, which is double shameful.
Ooh, is this the one that shrieked about a bug?
Yes, it is.
What’s the hand mark on Silma’s shoulder? Do I smell more world building? (of course it is)
I thought it was because she was a set of “hands” for a Baxxid, I think that’s come up at some point in the past
‘Bout time zhey got some kind of unit patch/mark!
Looks like it was so much of a world building thing the writer decided to make a whole page explaining it. :V
Baxxids, peaceful, intelectual, have giant knives for limbs.
I’m getting the impression that that’s a cultural lifestyle that has been taken to an extreme to protect the facade that they are gentle giants and not apex predators. Living in a human city is very good, far better than they would be left to their own devices, as highly intelligent creatures without hands: their lives in the desert were probably miserable, while here, they have humans to make things for them and provide services. If I remember the explanation correctly, they were starving to death when they sieged the city, but we’re completely incapable of mounting an effort against the human defense forces, which led to the negotiations that brought them into the city as another race hundreds of years ago.
The moment humans stop seeing them as peaceful intellectuals instead of giant apex predators, their entire way of life is threatened. The battle to not be seen as a potential threat is a battle for basic survival.
My humani simulator has for entertainment a movie called “Tremors” which is not at all unlike what it it to face a Baxxid in a bad, bad mood in a desert environment, de main difference being zhat de Baxxid are almost guaranteed to be smarter zhan you are.
Needless to say, de Trademaster would zhrow someone off his balcony who threatened to mess wizh de peace de Baxxid and Humani have in ValSalia.
I always think of Baxxid as Hydralisk-like, but Grabloids are a much better comparison, in terms of being snakelike creatures that pop out of the ground and grab whatever they’re hunting.
IDK that the Baxxid are “smarter”, but they’re definitely aware of their precarious situation. It’ll be interesting to see how this links up with guard duty: Shtivv’kr here seems to be emphasizing the role of being protectors, which is likely the only time the use of their biology for anything remotely violent is acceptable in Baxxid culture.
I zhink de description is apt, de Baxxid are like Graboids zhat would catch you, zhen do your taxes! Nozhing is so, so terrible as being kept captive by a well meaning accountant! All de terrible numbers, and one’s head goes all spinny-spinny as dey keep finding deductions and mazh errors! By de time de Baxxid would be done wizh you, your entire operation would be running at 30% greater effeciency, and you would know down to de last copper how much your net worzh is, down to de tiplod droppings.
Is it just me, or is the Guardmaster enjoying rubbing in the irony of seeing Kalgkur on guard duty? Not quite schadenfreude, but a benevolent elder’s satisfaction that’s too tempting not to milk a little at the undisciplined youngster’s expense. 😀
I don’t think so. I thought that at first, but I think he’s genuinely trying to be reassuring, trying to remind him that this is a very important job that their bodies are well suited for…
…which makes me wonder, once again, if he’s going to apprehend Brakka. I’m just imagining him and Brakka stabbing each other, and Brakka ends up impaled one of those claw things with his pointy thing broken off again.
I dun seen zhis! He doin’ a Poak! Poak tell me “Don’t, Feelbad!” So I didn’, an’ I behave! Good nice Poak!
I can’t see why Bakka would be down in the lower gardens. Kal’s story must intercept that of the other threads at some point, but what is the motivation for anyone else to head to the lower gardens? The only one to visit there at all is Isher, who enjoys work in the undergardens.
Kalgkur isn’t guarding the lower gardens, he lives there. The place he is implied to be guarding is the open markets, which is near where Brakka stabbed Elim. I don’t know why people are mixing that up, but it’s clearly established…
https://www.valsalia.com/comic/out-of-placers/oops-130/
Isher is the one who likes duty in the Undergardens, because that’s a farming job where being tall just means reaching high places. I don’t think they have a heavy guard in the undergardens: it’s pretty much Baxxid controlled, and otherwise low traffic, so I doubt much goes on.
That does make more sense, and now we have plot lines intercepting again: Bakka’s thread has been left dangling a bit. He was last seen being ‘rescued’ by some helpful yinglets and their human, er, friends, in the vicinity of the market area. So Kal might well become involved in the next encounter, as a guard who gets drawn into the conflict.
It’s possible that a general description of Bakka is being circulated to guards in the markets on the slim chance that he might be spotted. In which case Kal should be hearing about it in a couple of strips as part of his morning briefing.
A simple apprehension would leave Kal’s roll swiftly over. But perhaps if he realises he cannot catch a swift and nimble yinglet without causing serious disruption, he’ll opt for covert tailing instead and may overhear interesting things.
Or perhaps he will simply be assigned a last-minute change of task, to act as temporary guard to a VIP diplomat. The recruit who previously acted as personal guard having been incapacitated, a replacement is needed on short notice, and Kal isn’t part of the regular guard rota so he is the easiest guard to reassign to deal with this unanticipated need.
Yes those seem to be likely ways Kalgkur could get introduced to Kass’s circle of friends. I kind of wonder, though, if Kalgkur even has it in him to fight anyone at all. As shy as he is around non-baxxids, the most he might do is raise an alarm with that huge voice of his. On Brakka, I’m starting to wonder if he’ll ever resurface. With a head injury like he got, even if he does resurface, there might not be much left of him to interrogate. The two numbskulls who “saved” him would be out and about on the street from time to time, so maybe the Bakersroof Oracle knows something? Surely Beizel’s scouts are keeping in touch with him.
I don’t think so. I thought that at first, but I think he’s genuinely trying to be reassuring, trying to remind him that this is a very important job that their bodies are well suited for…
…which makes me wonder, once again, if he’s going to apprehend Brakka. I’m just imagining him and Brakka stabbing each other, and Brakka ends up impaled one of those claw things with his pointy thing broken off again.
…how do I delete this bugpost…?
I eatza bugz! Gimmie…
*I Hand Andi Feelbad a Glue Bug.* Enjoy!
…Iz stikki to yer paw.
Is because you haven’t licked it yet to get it off my pawhand :3
Oho…
I like Old Man Guard Captain Baxxid
De boss did make zhem look pretty badass, no?
It’s honestly not hard to see Kalgkur’s nervous, with the way he’s fidgeting, lol.
This girl has a tag but he’s only in one frame.
I am immediately assuming she is going to show up again later in a non-trivial manner.