May 1st, 2018
1 May 2018 · page 791 of 1306
It was never going to be that easy.
Cast: Jack O'Malley, Mr Luxuria
Comments (59)
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See, Mal, this is why you shouldn't make friends.
On a more serious note, I appreciate how in the third panel when Luxuria is talking about something the two of them share, we see the scar around his neck. A nice little connecting point between them.
(I also like how Mal is so boldly NOT pink. Golly this page is neat.)
Huh. It kept the scar for its Former Duke of Kent look despite that it can change shape (and presumably could get rid of the scar at will).
I guess the old saying is true: "Chicks dig scars." (And the rest of us do too, I suppose.)
It's a sign, a warning of what he really, really is.
Sunjay, your comment brings a thought to mind. Despite his act... perhaps Lust... fell in LOVE with the queen? And keeps the look and scar to remember her...? omg that would be funny as all heck.
I suspect it can't get rid of the scar when it takes a human form. That is why the 'woman' who flirted with Wolfe had a neck band on.
Naw. The way it turns back into that pink sketchy form has me convinced it can appear however it wants. It just likes the way the scar goes with its "Duke of Kent" appearance.
It is chaos. Humans are so... messy, when they are emotional.
If people didn't have so many conflicting emotions, him and his pals wouldn't exist. Should think he would appreciate that.
Asexual =/= asocial. Longing for companionship falls under the purview of lust, does it not?
Definitely not.
I agree: an irrational desire for the companionship of friends would certainly fall into the purview of lust.
Except it's not irrational? These are people who gave him a chance (albeit grudgingly in Ben's case) rather than just writing him off as weird and to be tolerated only when useful. People he's been through bad stuff with and come out intact.
Between "you may have no interest in what I have to offer" and its frustrated reaction on first learning of Mal's asexuality, this manifestation of Lust is definitely squarely in Mr./Ms./Mx. Sexypants territory. It's just learned enough about humans to know how to work angles other than its native "You know you wanna do the sex."
Hey, wait! I didn't speak to whether O'Malley's relationship with Wolfe or Ben -- or his emerging friendship with Harry, for that matter -- were in any way unhealthy. I merely answered the question posed.
(Why, yes, in fact, I do have a background in the philosophy of mathematics. Why do you ask?)
I read Lust as exploiting something which it *acknowledges" it doesn't understand. People are the same way: someone who has a sufficiently deranged desire for power or wealth or fame or whatever is willing to use other people's feelings as tools to achieve their ends, even if they don't necessarily experience those feelings themselves. One would expect the Sin itself to be the same way, only multiplied.
Agree, especially since you said a social and not antisocial which are not interchangeable even if people use them like they are ( sorry, pet peeve of mine)
If it did fall under the purview of lust, then he wouldn't have had to spend years living with humans to recognize it.
"Longing for companionship" isn't a sin.
For either of them.
I really like the way the line of smoke guides you through panel 2
I'm still waiting patiently for Mal to open his gift box and use his "two minutes respite"! I'd love to see what form that takes. I thought he was about to do it here, but it's just O'Malley doing cool magic hands
Not to be confused with Spooky Arms.
Now I strongly hope that Harry didn't put this box in her bag. :/
Mal: So, wha - are ye goin' t' take away everyone's relationships? Or are ye gonna start a matchmakin' service?
Mr. Luxuria: Well, since you mention it, there isn't anyone around who would be better able to run such a service - indeed, the nations of the world should be begging me to, empowering my decisions with force of law - but that's hardly likely to happen, ever - it would just be a waste of effort... why are you looking at me like that?
Decades later...
Prince Luxuria (in his office at the palace, addressing paper-toting attendants and apparachiks present, but also agents and creatures elsewhere): Silas Kelling marries Darla Golightly. Miles Tonbridge marries Wendy Sildon, but gets to carry on seeing Rachel Gaines. Robert Forbes gets a blow-up doll and a punchbag, and no arguments - he's not fit for anything else. Gus Medford and Tom Phillips can have their white wedding, tell the vicar not to make me come down there. Alright, are you ready there? - Sally Horne and Irene Scott should move into the Jones's spare bedroom, Calvin Jones should provide Irene with all the babies she wants, and Irene should try coupling up with Melanie Jones while Sally and Calvin are out at work. Trust me. Okay - Rajiv Singh marries Molly McRae. Edward Naresby and Graeme Wallace marry Edna Caine - she becomes Mrs. Wallace-Naresby. Callum Webber marries Glinda Sams-
Queen Victoria (lying with her head in his lap): You look, and sound, just like my beloved Albert... and I do love watching you work.
Prince Luxuria: caresses her face I know, my dear - you keep saying that... :-) and I never seem to tire of it. ;-) ...Nathan Blatchett marries Millicent Holman. Steven Race marries Roberta Stanhope, but she gets to carry on seeing Neville Danforth. William Garner...
>:=)> Yes, another para-canon happy outcome from your friendly neighbourhood Goat!
I'd vote for him.
I notice that we've officially adopted polygamy in this scenario.
Yup. And polyandrous, polyamorous and homosexual marriages too! Obviously, in this scenario, Luxuria would be trying to move away from the idea of marriage being required for such relationships, but would have to tackle such an entrenched institution slowly and carefully.
"Polygamy" includes polyandry. : ) ...Why would Lux care about moving away from marriage? Surely marriage doesn't do anything to detract from it?
I notice that Lust doesn't say anything about whether O'Malley's relationships with Ben or Wolfe are actually in its domain -- Lust is only about disordered desires -- but rather just mentions them. People are complicated: we can want things without lusting for them, even if Lust can't really tell the difference.
I read that as Lux explicitly opposes that he "has to offer" (and Mal has no interest in) to "friends"/"family"/"love" Mal clings to (and Lux's own quotes about them show that they are concepts alien to Lux).
He does say "you may have no interest in what I have to offer." I think he knows full well that Mal is immune to his powers. But he's just suggesting that, although he can't affect Mal directly, he can still hurt him by attacking the people he cares about.
If Lust's powers were a loaded gun and Mal were Superman, then Wolfe and Ben would be Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.
I like the metaphor.
Mal's definitely leveled up with his witch powers - forming a free-standing binding between his hands like that, apparently without really thinking about it, is something new.
I wonder if he can do that outside the anchor or if it's like the ability to draw circles without chalk.
He has been getting a lot of practice recently, 6 major bindings.
Honesty is always to be respected, even from a demon. Actually, especially from a demon.
Especially. It's almost always a warning of things to come. This is going to be ugly...
Well that conversation was nice while it lasted
(not ?)
...I just noticed that Luxuria’s eyes aren’t brown, but deep fuchsia. Unnerving.
It is unnerving that you didn't notice that (j/k) ;)
Mal, he doesn’t honor agreements. Unless you can bind him to a contract, you shouldn’t make any deals with him.
"Bind" -- I see what you did there...
I used the word 'bind'?
Argh! Stop! We did nothing to deserve this pun-ishment!
Two things. One, I love that both Ben and Wolfe are included when Lust talks about love, friends, and family. Two, between Mal's "oh crap" expression/ cigarette fumble and Lust's response I really like the set up of that last panel.
>One, I love that both Ben and Wolfe are included when Lust talks about love, friends, and family.
Me too! And Mal doesn’t quibble about them being given equal weight in Lust’s comment - Ben is his family now, too.
The composition and facial expressions in panel three really speak to me. Mal tilting his head slightly back, the way Lux's shoulder intersects with Mal's arm... and seeing Lux with a grimace rather than the usual smarmy grin.
Also, wow, Lux really puts a lot of stock into having great hair, doesn't it. I guess I should know that already...
As Greed *tried* to tell him, just unsummon... The Binding was a mistake...a horrific mistake. Unsummon them...you have the real might to do JUST THAT.
It's so interesting how Luxuria is different from the other Deadlies in another way - he seems to be the only one not actually affected by his own embodiment. We've seen Acedia always lazy, Gula always hungry, Ira always angry, Invidia always jealous and cunning, Avaritia always greedy, and Superbia always self-centered... but Luxuria never has any true relationships, even with the other Deadlies. His whole idea of Lust or desire comes from his ability to detect what humans want and his own supernatural influence; it's never his /own/ carnal desire. While the other Deadlies happily cause havoc and relish in their respective sins, Luxuria bides his time and never seems to have any sort of need to indulge himself. He only ever uses his abilities when he has ulterior motives - and even those don't appear to have anything to do directly with the sin of Lust.
Very good point - especially since, as Greed reminded us, spirits don't work like we do, they ARE their thing.
IMHO, the main difference is that Luxuria's just great at hiding it and acting human. Below the facade, i think he must desire SOMETHING with all of his being. Hopefully we're on the verge of finding out what.
My own wild guess, based on this and what Greed said, is that he wants to end the 'chaos' of humanity's emotions by getting rid of all emotions but himself. Turn the whole world into his playground. Maybe he's gonna kill the other Deadlies? (And now that i think about it, he's got ahold of all the artifacts the other Deadlies are bound into, and he's got five captive humans plus Mal...)
Well, as we've been seeing, Lust isn't just about the physical kind. He really seems to be the embodiment of "desire" in all its forms - a kind of ur-vice. Ambition of all kinds would be under that umbrella, and he's certainly shown ambition in all of this...whatever exactly he's trying to achieve.
Spirits seem to have two primary motivations - feeding or indulging, which may or may not overlap. Because a spirit essentially is an emotion it wants to indulge, but it doesn't always - if it has an opportunity to grow by exerting influence on humans it will do so depending on whether or not growing or indulging is the higher priority to it. Lust seems to have simply focused on growing and feeding the last few centuries - it's been putting off the desire to indulge for the sake of expanding it's own power and influence. Even then though we see it indulge a bit - as it always appears around luxury and does resort to flirtation quite a bit, but since it wants more it puts it off for what is practical. We see with the other sins as well, most notably Gluttony and Envy - Gluttony puts off the desire to partake of it's own feasts for the sake of growing stronger off the people feeding, Envy plots and schemes for the sake of freeing Wrath and growing stronger even though it wishes to harm those that are better than it, Pride stokes the egos of the academics (and tries with Ben and Sid) even though it wants to be the center of attention. It's notable though, that even when being pragmatic their schemes are still heavily influence by the emotion, and this is true of Lust - Lust resorts to flirting and manipulating people and the social bonds they have with each other quite a lot, Envy hatches a scheme to free Wrath that would also bring harm to a lot of people who have things it or Voss coveted, Gluttony of course created massive feasts to grow strong.
Finally, the human world is fundamentally alien to the spirits, it is loud and confusing to them, even to the Deadlies to a degree - Lust finds humans confusing and conflicted and is irritated by this, and Greed mentions that they have so many more layers to them than it can understand. So I guess some spirits would rather not be summoned at all, like Sloth. In fact, Sloth's lack of ambition is what makes it the odd one out among the deadlies.
Wow. This page made me hate Luxuria.
So far I've just seen his elegant, long-winded speeches faintly irritating and typical. Mal's attitude towards him reflected my own quite well.
But seeing him tease Mal with the lives of his friends really pushes my buttons. And it feels like ALL of his digressions and flowery talk has led up to this, and how bizarre and infuriating is that? Feeding such an excess of words and pomp into such a cruel, personal move? God I just want to punch this guy/spirit.
Luxuria's speech about the maddening chaos and confusion of humanity is suddenly reminding me of the Auditors from the Discworld books. This can't be good.
Yeah...my first thought is "Quick, Mal! Give him chocolates!"
*I'm referencing Thief of Time here
This is not a sign.
Maybe I should stop reading so much Terry Prachett.
Eh, screw sanity.
I like how he took Harry's bag, but it disappears in the last panel.
haha, that's an error. fixed it now.
I love when you can tell that you're about to find out something real juicy. praying for you Jack, lol