February 16th, 2018
16 Feb 2018 · page 773 of 1306
Just Sid bein' Sid.
Cast: Sidney Malik
Comments (68)
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Last-minute speculation: the magpie spirit has been collecting things all these years because it wants Sid-senpai to notice it. But Sid has always been kind of embarrassed about the mishaps that it always causes. Once Sid acknowledges its efforts and expresses appreciation/approval, the bird won't feel the need to steal anymore. And then, you know, it'll get a respectable job or whatever.
And now I'm trying to imagine various every day jobs a magpie could get.
Newspaper bird, courier, chimney sweep, majordomo.
Anyone else got some suggestions?
Lost & Found searcher
I really hope this is the case
Billboard painter of course.
Makes Sense. A Magpie only steals shiny junk to impress a Mate. So who's to say the Spirit Magpie just wants Sidney to notice them?
I ship it :P
Yes!! Or maybe it owes him some kind of debt, and won't let up until he accepts its "payment"?
Still curious as to why no one seems to be directly affected by Greed - there's no green text except for his. Could it be that Greed isn't extending his influence and just letting human nature take its course?
Maybe Greed does not spread out because it wants to consolidate.
And someone already theorized it's affecting the Magpie instead of the humans.
It does look like the Magpie's being affected with the green on its body, but it also seems willing to talk to Sid, something that most of the other Deadly-affected people didn't want to do (at least not at first). I'm not saying the Magpie's not affected, but it's interesting that it seems to have some rational thought in agreeing (I assume) to talk with Sid.
Remember that Wolfe was perfectly willing to listen to Ben and Sid, even when under the influence of Pride, and Wolfe was able to snap Ben and Vi out of Wrath's influence through dialogue too. The times this hasn't worked was when they fought Envy (because everyone except Wolfe, Voss, and Ben got captured, and Wolfe had to save his friends that were in peril, and then got himself and Voss caught too) and Sloth (because everyone who fell to the Sin fell asleep, although, come to think of it, Harry did essentially talk Mal out of Sloth's influence).
The thing with Sloth seems to suggest that at least some of the effect is passive - experiencing the Sin while being near the spirit causes a feedback loop that makes you indulge more, but doesn't leave you mindless or a mere puppet of the spirit itself, it just strengthens it.
So I think in part, the sin can only affect those who willingly give into it. Greed may be nicer than the other sins (or at least Envy), but it's restraint is mostly because it doesn't have the power to force those under it's influence to indulge in the sin, at least by any active measure. It has to entice what is already there to the surface and amplify them.
Then again, it maybe it just really likes Sid for some reason...
Yes, that's why I said most of the others. I think Wolfe listened because he still had a subconscious desire to break free of the influence (while Vee had stopped caring), and with Ben and Verity, they were only just starting to be influenced by Wrath - plus he physically stopped them, giving him time to talk.
It does seem weird that Greed would like Sid in particular. Surely Greed must realize at this point (or have realized a lot sooner) that it's a buggerup giving these things to Sid? Greed keeps calling it a "gift" ...
> I think Wolfe listened because he still had a subconscious desire to break free of the influence (while Vee had stopped caring)
Other people (students and teachers) captured in mirrors wanted to break free, too, after their mirrors got cracked. And they did. So I tend to think Verity was a big exception.
> It does seem weird that Greed would like Sid in particular.
Well, in the end of the first chapter Greed claimed itself to be grateful to Sid for its freedom. OK, a Deadly Sin' gratitude is a weird notion. Pride and Envy didn't feel any gratitude to their summoners, for example.
Greed is still a Deadly Sin. Misrepresenting matters to its own advantage is part of its bread and butter.
As for liking Sid - he gave Greed its freedom at a great price. All it had to do was not exert itself to turn Sid's bones to ashes and sign a receipt.
I don't think Sid is influenced by Greed here. He's figured out a way out of this situation, talking to the magpie, but Greed thinks he's winning.
Yes, I am pretty sure this will not go the way Greed expected it to.
I think the magpie exists because Sid is rejecting a part of his own personality. In rejecting it he cedes control. In embracing it he can channel it toward his own ends.
Ooooh. I like that theory.
back in the cave incident, he basically left him free choice too
Greed is both the oddest and kindest of sins. When he first met them he did strike a deal without going back on it or making a loop hole. His tactics are essentially what humans would use... Aka working with free will. Yes he will try to trick you, but he's not enhancing your emotion to the point your practically a 40k insane chaos cultist.
Yes he did have a small cheat with the dispersing man but that's more... Honest than what the others have done.
Nominate greed for best sin of the year!
The Magpie is Greed-green -- it is, after all a stealing bird.
Greed doesn't want to share its greed?
Does a set containing all other sets contain itself? Somehow I think that is relevant to your comment.
And Sid remains my favourite character. I'm pleased by this turn of events.
Magpie: "Huh? Talk? The nest wants to talk? But ... the nest is for collecting shinies, not talking ... isn't it...?"
Ain't gonna lie I'd love that kind of familiar for when I lose my keys or my glasses
Well... maybe if it took direction. ^^;
"These are not my glasses."
"This is not my keyring."
"This is not my wallet!"
"O-officer...? I - I didn't mean to ... uh ... y-you ... dropped? ... your sidearm? Eheh."
Sid: "This is not my cat!"
Magpie: "Um, what part of 'Magpie is a bird' did you miss?"
"This is not my beautiful house"
"This is not my beautiful wife"
Also, it's England. Police officers don't carry sidearms.
Unless circumstances call for it. Such as when Widdershins is at Defcon One due to the Seven Deadlies rampaging through the city?
Okay but now I want to write a story with a familiar who really genuinely believes that it's the hero and the human is just the stuff-holder, which happens to have a nose for treasure.
human goes into dungeon
Bird: Alright, boy, what did you find? Good boy! Look at all these shinies! Let's just load you up... Oh no! Goblins! Alright, gotta keep the shinies safe. Let's get you out of this, boy. Don't you worry, I've got you. buffs or whatever familiars do Yeah, good boy!
Later:
"Where did my good boy go? I was sleeping... where is he? There you are, you good boy you! Awww, do you have a little headache? Poor boy. Let's look at the shinies, okay boy? Wait... did you lose the shinies? Again??"
Oh no, Sid got an idea ! Everyone run for the hills !
Has anyone speculated yet what malform emotion the Magpie is supposed to be? It obviously isn't greed, it just seems to be collecting shinies for the sake of collecting. Mischief? Kleptomania?
Curiosity? This IS the man who was asking if a gun was enchanted as it was being pointed at his face
if it is curiosity it would be awesoome cause then the magpie could stay and help them with their cases
And then we can have a quick buddy-cop short of Gren and The Magpie, solving the cases they think are important while Sid and Harry are off doing 'weird human things' together
Now I need to see this.
Title Card: Widdershins Freelancers Gren and Maggs.
Maybe Harry could hire the bird for her company. The Magpie would be the quirky criminal who, in spite of its light-fingered tendencies, is still firmly on the side of the detectives. ; )
It can't be Curiosity, exactly, because that's who Sid contracted with to get the map.
Ambition. And it was put on him by his parents, only the summoning got flubbed. Or it wasn't a ritualized summoning at all, because obviously people with the right kind of inherent talent can summon spirits naturally because otherwise how could people learn how to do it formally? Only doing it untrained can almost guarantee malforms.
...I'm guessing.
There have been a few discussion posts on the previous few pages. Honestly the debate has been quite enjoyable.
Oh, Sid. Not even slightly green.
Somehow I think Sid's version of "accepting it" won't be quite what Greed had in mind...
Greed: Yes yes!
Sid: something completely greedless
Greed: Wait no what stop
Sid's not talking in green, I think he's gonna be fine ;)
Gotta have one easy one, right?
Sid: Instead of giving all these things to me, give them to people who really need them!
Magpie: ... affirmative caw sets about emptying the vault
Greed: NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not redistribution of wealth!!! It'll never work... bound to fail... socioeconomics... not to mention that it may kill me outright!!
Sid: Er... well...
Greed: Look, just tell it to do something else, and I promise to go back to Hell and leave everyone alone!
Sid: Alright... er... um... hey...! how about you take and deliver love letters instead?
Greed: ...............Yes, that'll do! demanifests
Many years later...
Vicar: Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today, in the presence of God, and of the Marrying Magpie, to join these two people in holy matrimony: Miss Elinor Watt, who sent a declaration of love via the Magpie to Mister Arthur Temple, and Mister Temple, who sent one back. And since we don't want the Marrying Magpie to revert to being the Marxist Magpie and redistributing wealth - again - especially since we no longer have Sir Sidney around to wrangle it... if any person knows of any reason why these two people should not be joined in holy matrimony, please keep it to yourself. Now, repeat after me:-
Magpie (perched on lectern): happy cackle ^V^
>:=)>
XD That was brilliant.
Lust: Sounds good to me! Come here, little birdie!
Yesssss, make friends with your adorable magpie friend, yessssss <3
Sometimes, friends just need to chat their issues out. Bribery meals are also an acceptable form of negotiation. ;)
Then I hope Sid has some cheese with him. ; )
We must remember:
Despite appearances it's not a bird so 'Who's a pretty boy then?' type interactions are out.
It's no longer a malform so the cheerful Mal-type loyalty is no longer to be assumed althought it has not (yet) changed
its lifestyle.
It is now a fully summoned spirit of - what? Sid's summoning included a read so presumably he knows but has not
yet announced the identity.
As it's a fully summoned spirit somehow out of its circle it may or may not require an offering before it will comply but its
current activity suggests it hasn't realised this and so simply pointing out the status might be a sufficient gift.
And once Greed an Macavity catch on they are unlikely to do nothing.
It is beyond Greed's comprehension that Sid isn't planning on accepting Greed's plan. Being Greed, it is incapable of understanding the generous spirit that is Sid.
That's a problem all the Deadlies have; they are by their nature incapable of understanding why someone wouldn't indulge in them. As Luxuria made clear, the human mind is ridiculously mixed and muddled to their perception.
Awwwww teeny bird eyebrows weeeee
Yes. That is the amount of structure I feel like delivering at that sight.
damn it now i got navi's voice stuck in my head "Hey! Listen!" thanks sid -grumble grumble-
I am reading Greed's voice in Android 16's tone from DBZ Abridged.
Wait, the hero saying "Hey, listen!" to the annoying winged companion? What role reversal madness is this!?
Ummm ... Avarice - i think you just gaveSid an idea.
I think you are NOT going to like the result of that idea.
I wonder... the magpie steals, but then it gives what it steals to Sid. So it isn't so much greed as it's a weird kind of generosity. Could it be a malform of Charity?
huh, that actually makes sense
I'm reminded of how very disappointed Greed was when Sid originally took the boring old deal for the idol about a zillion strips ago. I feel like he might have a little bit more of a sense of humor about people being broken to his sin than some of the others. (I still expect he's going to be livid about whatever Sid is actually planning on saying to the magpie, but he's kind of in "winning" mode at the moment.)
Sid was totally channeling Joan Rivers in that last panel.
So is it just me or does it always seem like Greed is just testing Sid? Every time we see him he is always trying to push Sid into making a decision, But it always feels like Sid passes each time, only failing the first quiz of sorts. I think we haven't seen the last of Greed, and this thief king stuff is going to continue being relevant.