August 17th, 2016
17 Aug 2016 · page 627 of 1306
Vee is basically handing Mal a nuke, here.
Hey hey, the Volume Six kickstarter is still running, but not for much longer! It'll be over it just over a week, so grab your copy now!
Also, a friend of mine is running a kickstarter for her own comic, too, and it needs a little push to make it to goal- Check it out for a beautiful comic about 18thC spies!
Cast: Benjamin Thackerey, Harriet Barber, Heinrich Wolfe, Jack O'Malley, Sidney Malik, Verity Cunningham
Comments (135)
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Oh, wow. Nothing like the ex-girlfriend showing up in the middle of everything to really put the topper on it.
Mickey on "Dr Who": "Oh wow. Every bloke's nightmare - the missus and the ex."
This day just keeps getting better and better...
Several people on this page might dispute your choice of adjectives.
OH MY GOD WHATEVER THEY ARE TO EACH OTHER I'M SMILING THE SIZE OF THE MOON BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE IT COMING.
I bet they are siblings.
Her last name is Cunningham as is her father's, and Ben's last name is Thackery so siblings seems unlikely (though not impossible). The guesses of cousins or ex boy-friend/girl-friend seem most likely to me, and I can see either one having great comedic potential.
Vee also seems to have some red on her face there. Whatever their relationship is, I'm betting it's not familial.
She does indeed, but I think those are her glasses.
Oh well! And given what Kate's said above, it's looking more like a family connection after all.
Could be both familial and romantic: marrying cousins was extremely common up until this last century.
Look at the page Kate pointed to above. Ben is Victor Cunningham's grandson, I'll bet.
I invite you to look at this guy again [http://www.widdershinscomic...](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn-character/victor/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn-character/victor/") :P
Oh wow, I can't believe I missed the family resemblance.
"Grandfather to Verity, amongst others". How on Earth did I miss that the first time?
I feel like you could sub in "Ben" for "Victor" and "Wolfe and Mal" for Henry in Victor's description and it would work just as well, which is something else we all should have noticed.
Also, Sidney's pet Magpie needs a name. ^_^
I vote we name him like my uncle's cat: Some variation upon snitching and snatching von somethingelse, different every time.
Examples:
Snitchers von Magpie.
Snatchums von Snitcherton Magpie the third.
Snitchie von Snitch
Etc.
Gazza.
Short for La Gazza Ladra.
... There's another [Magpie](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gascoigne "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gascoigne") I can think of by that name... And, no. Gazza may not be a good fit. :/
It steals...
Maggie, of course.
Yup, or Meg, or Margot, or any other short form of Marguerite, the name from which it derives originally.
Esther Woolfson who wrote a book on Corvids called hers Spike.
Who's afraid of Esther Woolfson?
Whelp definitely not the rook, crow or magpie. Or the cockateil (sp?) come to think of it. Probably some of the pigeons and the canaries.
Edit: In seriousness I really enjoyed her book and highly recommend it to anyone who likes birds.
Do you mean cockatiel?
I think so? A small crested parrot. Loud, mantra-shouting (this is I think normal parrot behaviour?), also something of a one-woman bird.
Yes, that would be a cockatiel, though cockatiels sing more than they shout. That's my experience with them, though. :)
It was her daughter's bird not hers. I don't think the bird got on with her. Which I get the impression happens with a lot of birds- they bond strongly with one or two people and arn't that happy with everyone else. She didn't complain about the shouting as such, the only bird she didn't really like voice-wise was a Sun Conure. She described it as having a voice that could 'like his beak, bisect wood and stone.'
Filch seems fitting
WAIT, ARE THEY COUSINS? That is perfect!
Also, of course it's a Magpie. Brilliant!
How romantic. Mr Thackerey and Ms Cunningham are so obviously made for each other.
No. No no no no nope nope nope nopers nopety nope nope no.
But it will mean there are only 2 unhappy people, rather than 4.
They're cousins, it appears, so perhaps not.
Is everyone related in Widdershins? It's worse than the Fens.
Welcome to Yorkshire. :/
Well, you know how it is. Widdershins is actually pretty isolated, and it's unavoidable after one hundred years of solitude.
Really Ben, you should know better than to tempt fate in a setting where I'm pretty sure Fate is an actual sentient being of some sort who deliberately and maliciously targets people who say things like "could this day get any worse"
It didn't even let him finish SAYING it!
"Look, we're all kind of BUSY here, what with the magical apocalypse and all. Excuse me for anticipating the guy when he was clearly about to say the nominal trigger phrase." - Fate.
"Besides, I've got him on special surveillance due to the mileage."
;)
My personal belief is that there are multiple agents of "fate", and there's one that really just targets anyone who says that. Cousins with the one who misplaces things like keys when you're rushing out the door.
I bet there's at least some form that looks like a rain cloud.
"Well at least things can't get any worse!"
kracka-THOOOM! downpour
Nemesis believes in working long hours in Widdershins, i see.
"Twenty-four hour service - no waiting."
I must say, it's rude to drop it on him before he's finished summoning you.
Yeah, well, but the next thing he's going to say is "Oh, bugger!"
And only has to change one letter in their name to appear in the comment section. ;D
I'm not entirely sold on the being's malevolence (the being's ability to entertain is, however, not in question).
Years of great story payoffs happening just from having the right characters in the same place. Heck yeah.
Oh, NO.
Oh. My. God. Yes.
AAaaaaaaah so that's what :
One for sorrow.
Benji! And from Verity! I can't stop laughing. And Sid is so happy to know about his magpie. And, Mal in second panel. And Sid's "aura-colors". This is a great page.
Oh, I forgot, Sid mistake in second panel is precious too.
By the way, did Sid himself make this buggerup when he was a-learning wizardry? Oh, I suppose we'll have to wait to know this, won't we.
He says he's "always" had the problem, so if he did create it, it was before he entered university, i assume.
And based on his reaction, it's an amazing and possibly rare thing to have.
And OMG, what spirit was the buggered-up summon supposed to summon, actually?
THEORY:
-- Sidney's "always had it"
-- He apparently has a strong innate talent for wizardry
-- Malforms can result when the caster is "distracted" from the summons ( [http://www.widdershinscomic...](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/april-23rd-2012/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/april-23rd-2012/") )
So, as a young child, Sidney summoned the magpie when he wanted something the adults wouldn't let him have -- probably by accident, which is why he thinks its a "condition" (or he just doesn't remember doing it intentionally). It's unlikely he would have known how to make the circle, but maybe he re-used someone else's... OR he summoned it near an anchor like Voss (that's the only other example we have of a spirit following around a specific person, too -- except Mal, but he's a special case).
There are seven sin spirits, but suddenly I wonder if there are the 7 good counterpart. With the magpie being one (...except it's stealing ?)
So if Sid's magical kleptomania is caused by a magpie shaped buggerup, and Mal and company send buggerups home for a living, does that mean that Mal and company can cure Sid's magical kleptomania? If so, does he want them to? If they do, could he go back and finish his degree?
Also, I like the way that Mal is still unsure about the names of colors...
And WHY does Sid seem so enamoured of the invisible magpie, anyway?
Because he's the same guy who had this response to a gun being pointed at him: [http://www.widdershinscomic...](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/november-2nd-2011/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/november-2nd-2011/")
Magpies chatter. So does Sid.
From the giddy way Sid is acting, they might need to wrestle him to do it. xD
1) Between the magpie and "Benji", this page is entirely amazing.
2) I'm curious about Sid's giggly reaction to the idea of a magpie spirit. He's actually excited about it, and it's clearly significant. I'd love to learn how his curse originated.
3) Mal can barely stand the sight of Sid, but has no problem looking at Ben (see previous pages).
Possible reasons:
- Ben's psychedelic effects are less intense
- Mal is used to looking at Ben/has grown to like him
- Other. Any ideas?
There's been some discussion about the differences between Ben and Sid's magic. Ben seems to be a technician; he does magic by the book. Sid, on the other hand, seems to have more magical intuitiveness and flair. The idea of bargaining with Curiosity, for example--probably not an idea Ben would have come up with. So that might account for Sid's magic being brighter than Ben's to Mal.
I agree that Mal is probably used to Ben's aura by now, too.
That, and the fact that they've spent many an hour staring longingly into one another's eyes.
[http://www.widdershinscomic...](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/june-27th-2012/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/june-27th-2012/")
Yeah, Ben's glow in Mal-vision seems neater and less bright. (Also, holy cow has the art evolved since chapter 2, Kate!). Still, his chronic insecurity about it is frustrating to watch: he deserves better from himself.
Here, have another view of Ben's glow from a more recent chapter, when Ben had Mal's vision!
[http://www.widdershinscomic...](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/november-21st-2014/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/november-21st-2014/")
"3) Mal can barely stand the sight of Sid, but has no problem looking at Ben (see previous pages)."
Well, that's certainly a step-up in their relationship.
I'd say it has something to do with the development of their friendship. To Mal Sid is just another wizard with a bright shiny aura but Ben and his aura signify someone he knows and can trust. Kinda like how for Mal there's normal violin playing and then there's Wolfe's playing.
I've been suspecting that Sid's a naturally stronger wizard than Ben (goes along with Tikatu's suggestion below, that Ben's a technician and Sid has more magical intuitiveness), so maybe that results in Sid's aura being brighter than Ben's.
Also, Sid is more chaotic in his personality than Ben, and that may mean his aura is more chaotic, even when he's "calm".
Oh, and I humbly submit the fanfic I wrote recently: my idea of how and when Sid got his magpie: "The Secret Origin of Lancelot Sidney Arthur Oliver Malik" [https://archiveofourown.org...](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27445750 "https://archiveofourown.org/works/27445750")
THIS IS MY FAVORITEST PAGE maybe not ever but maybe ever? In a long, long time? It's certainly competing with Ben's hair because man, lookatit! Mal's got a bird and that's the thieving problem and it's a MAGPIE and the keys and BENJI and all of my fangirl buttons have been PUSHED SO HARD.
From panel 5 of [http://www.widdershinscomic...](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/november-7th-2011/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/november-7th-2011/") :
"Hrm. Your wrist and this priceless relic just happened to bump into each other?"
"Well... yes, actually!"
"After it flew, bird-like, from another man's wrist."
"Yes!"
Yes indeed, Sid. Yes indeed.
Ah! Excellent remark! Thanks.
So rereading that story I realize that Harriet's Pipe is going to be the conduit for greed. Interesting.
DEAR GOD...
Ben, you are dealing with the seven deadly sins. Of course this day can get worse--and will!
... interesting - it's not just a magpie; it's a PROPER magpie. Most spirits/buggerups aren't so clearly shaped like real animals, are they? The malformations are usually exciting mishmashes of creatures, colors and sometimes objects. Sure, some of them look animal-like, but compare the Purple Hippo of Happiness to that magpie and compare how closely they resemble their animal. Perhaps the best formed was Envy, but Voss specifically gave Envy that form based off his name, and even then Envy was green and not, you know, fox colored.
You can see a bit of swirly-ink-things on its tail though. I'd say it's slightly less animal-like than Envy.
Horray for the confused magpie of randomly nicking things!!! HORRAY!
I love magpies so damn much.
Why, so I was correct in my theory that the larger the aura, the more potential a wizard has.
Did anyone notice the bird has its own aura?
I saw it, but didn't catch the fact that it is significant. However I don't think that any of the other spirits or malforms that we have seen have their own aura, so the fact that the bird does must be significant. It may be as simple as the fact that this malform has been specifically tied to Sid for years while none of the other malforms we have seen have been specifically tied to anyone. The fact that Sid seems to be a reasonably powerful wizard (as far as his potential goes anyway) may also have something to with it.
I'm betting the Sid has the potential to be more than a merely moderately powerful wizard.
Not only does the bird have its own aura, so does the map Sid is carrying!
Well, ya, its imbued with curiosity.
Ohhhhhhhhh crud.
[http://www.widdershinscomic...](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/february-29th-2012/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/february-29th-2012/")
Benji?! Isn't that what Q used to call Benjamin Sisko? As Ms Ashwin listed Deep Space 9 in her #7favtvshows, I don't think this is a coincidence.
Not the angle I was shooting for, but I do utterly adore DS9!
Hahahah, of COURSE it's a magpie, WONDERFUL. And Ben, you should know better than to say things like that in this town.
...and on a completely different topic, I thought I was pretty familiar with nursery rhymes, but could someone enlighten me as to which rhyme has a magpie, please?
(Can't wait to see what's up with Ben & Verity!)
Found it!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wi... "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_for_Sorrow_(nursery_rhyme)")
(apparently I have decided to just constantly provide links in the comments. It's kind of fun?)
So sweet of you! I'd wondered if it was something like this. Over here,
One for sorrow,
Two for mirth, Three for a funeral And four for birth
refers to the number of crows, probably because they're more common than magpie. I actually only saw a magpie for the first time a few years ago. I had to ask what type of bird it was.
I love this! I adore your ability to have every single character experience the most impossible day ever, all differently, and all at once!
And oh, so very Ben..."Keep the keys, the house burned down anyway."
If that magpie is a buggerup, it's one of if not the most clearly and distinctly formed that we've seen.
And magpies are known for taking shiny things, of course
They actually don't. Adult magpies and crows shy away from strange, shiny objects because of the potential risks. Man has taught them that shiny metal = bad news = probably choking or a trap. :P
Stuff can wind up as structural material in nests, but usually because they get taught by their parents that e.g. wire is safe if woven into a nest carefully. :)
It's a stereotype.
Everything about this page is great.
....PERFECT!!!
Is it called Yoink? :D
I was just typing up a recommendation for "Widdershins" on a forum, and i realised that people who stumble upon the comic for the first time with this page are gonna have five years worth of running gag spoilt for them...
Haha, I'm sure they'd forget by the time it became relevant! Thanks for spreading the word, it's very much appreciated! Easily one of the best ways to support a webcomic.
You mean Sid's condition, right?
97 comments and no-one has mentioned the humorous misunderstanding about the use of 'bird' in panel 2. Am I correct in thinking this has sailed over the heads of our readers from the Americas?
Just because some of us are from the Americas doesn't mean nobody uses "bird" as a term for girls over here, whether for better or for worse. It's quite common in slightly older literature, or at least the literature I've read.
Oh right. I tend to think of it as a British term from the 60s and 70s that you don't hear much nowadays. And it's still the best line on a great page. Probably a good job Ms Harriet wasn't around to hear it in person, otherwise O'Malley might not have got the chance to explain before he got his nose broken again.
And I wouldn't be surprised if that's actually one of the reasons those of us from the English-speaking parts of North America kind of let it go: 'bird' as a term for a young woman is kind of derogatory in our dialect. My response was a sort of "OK, well, clever pun but I wouldn't make it" kind of thing.
Yes! I've always heard it as an insult, so I thought the same thing. :)
Is it a magpie because Sid summoned it (accidentally) while trying to do a stage magic trick? That would explain its relatively benign aspect -- that aura isn't associated with any of the deadlies -- and would also explain why it sticks with Sid.
so i just read through the entire archive in about a day and i love that you knew where this story was going 5 years ago. i cant wait to see where it goes now my only problem is now i have to wait for each page.
Don't know if you ever check up on the old Darken site, but there's missing comics now, starting in the Blood Bond chapter. I don't have time to get into other chapters just now, but...
[http://darkencomic.com/?web...](http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20050620 "http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20050620")
[http://darkencomic.com/?web...](http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20050629 "http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20050629")
[http://darkencomic.com/?web...](http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20050706 "http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20050706")
[http://darkencomic.com/?web...](http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20050715 "http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20050715")
[http://darkencomic.com/?web...](http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20050718 "http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20050718")
[http://darkencomic.com/?web...](http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20050720 "http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20050720")
And apparently one of those was a chapter change because I'm up to Beast.
Oh dear :( I need to make a stripped-down version of that site, just a simple php gallery instead of the wordpress install it currently has, but all the comics gallery installs are too fancy :|
Another in chapter 7...
[http://darkencomic.com/?web...](http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20051111 "http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20051111")
Chapter 13
[http://darkencomic.com/?web...](http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20061013 "http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20061013")
So 1-4, 6, 8-12, and 14 don't have any issues. I've got a long day that starts early so I need a nap but I'll resume checking ASAP.
ETA: So far halfway through 18 and no problems since 13!
ETA2: So absolutely NOTHING past 13 is missing anything. Only 8 comics all in all. Not too bad. :)
Also - nose boop. LTNS.
"I swear officer! I didn't steal that thing, it was the bird!"
I need to go back and read everything just so I can imagine the magpie being there stealing things. ^_^
So I'm completely new at commenting, but I was doing a re-read, both on comic and comments, and I noted that in this panel (http://www.widdershinscomic... "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/april-17th-2013/)") there was a discussion on whether it was Vee or Sidney's gift that took the part. A lot of people figured it couldn't be Sidney's curse because the door opens and a curse wouldn't have to open the door to get to the part. except now we know that Sidney's curse is actually a buggerup and buggerups are corporal, which means the Magpie would have to had opened the back of the robot to steal the part, which makes it really awesome and subtle foreshadowing.
Also on a completely different topic, the lady knitting outside of Mt. Everest here: [http://www.widdershinscomic...](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/may-23rd-2014/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/may-23rd-2014/") , I would bet good money is Mt. Everest's witch, her comment about having great emotion in his heart takes on extra meaning if she has the sight like Mal, and if she is the Witch and has the sight, the two meeting would be very interesting.
Sid is way too happy about this.
Oh my. Reading the GoComics site as well: [http://www.gocomics.com/wid...](http://www.gocomics.com/widdershins/2016/08/20 "http://www.gocomics.com/widdershins/2016/08/20")
Kate, you are amazing. <3
Ooooo my gosh, Sid's had a Stand this whole time!
Been catching up and just realized this came out on my birthday! Between the magpie and "Benji", I'd say this makes a magnificent birthday treat. :)
Two giant things revealed on this page! "Bird" (it had barely even occurred to me to wonder about Sid's curse ...) and then "Benji!". After reading, I fell into an approximately six-second silence and found my head had tilted almost entirely sideways ...
... then clapped. And laughed - with my voice box - with siblings in the house and it's just fortuition (that's a word, right?) that they didn't hear me.
AWESOME!
Something that got lost in all the awesome going on in this page is that Mal apparently watched Ben's keys get taken and did absolutely nothing to stop it or even mention it to him, which is highly amusing to me.
Probably amused Mal too, even as it was giving him a headache. :-)