he makes a good point :V

My thoughts prezackly.

Oren should have had such a conversation a long time ago. Be it with Egg or Rusk.

Is survival not reason enough. Oo.

Rask fears are getting very validated here ...that's not a good thing

The framing of the teeth in the last panel is a nice touch.

One of my favorite things about this comic is that there’s really no “good” or “bad” side (aside from maybe Singer’s pack). Just means and methods of survival. Life is messy and filled with gray areas; this comic showcases that. Beautiful writing — and framing! Look at those teeth!

I must admit, it caught me off guard that Oren sees Rask's killing as "without reason". He seemed to understand that carnivores need protein, he'd just place the life of herbivores (and omnivores?) above carnivores. Which is fair and understandable.

Weirdly, it stung a little to hear it from Oren. Like ow. Here I thought Rask had Oren on his side, not simply just using him.

For the lurkers I'm aware overall that The Hollow is using Rask. I guess I thought Oren, on a personal level, was a little more....wise? Aware?

It sucks finding out that someone you trust misunderstands something deeply fundamental about you. Oren believes all hunters enjoy the act of killing and he's surprised given a 'good' reason, Rask doesn't relish it. We see that Oren holds Rask apart, not as a rational equal. (It was meant to sting a bit, so I'm glad it hit the mark.)

Now this makes me wonder if Sprig also viewed Rask this way (he definitely hinted at it), and if it would've hurt Rask even more to find out

I can't express how happy it makes me to see Rask standing up for himself. He's done everything to try and make others happy just to belong, but if they only ever see him as a killing machine, regardless of whose side he's on, then he'll never belong. He's not a mindless killing machine, he's capable of so much more than that and he knows it. Hopefully the others can grow to see that as well!

Sounds like the kind of argument someone would have if they "tolerated" a difference under the assumption that it would be useful, perhaps even feeling a bit proud of themselves for "taming" something thought aimless into something useful for "civilization", and then feeling betrayed when told it doesn't work like that.
Pretending to be a friend in order to remain on their good side and get them to do tricks without really getting to know them as a person.

(ie "All this time you only liked me because you thought I would kill for you, something that I'm self-conscious about but have to live with?!")

Charitably, misconceptions that they'll now have a moment to reconcile, or less charitably "showing true colors" when inconvenienced that things didn't go to plan nor was Rask merely "one of the good ones" serving only as a tool to fight against carnivores while ignoring that the other carnivores are people too.
(accepting carnivore personhood has some heavy implications but then again, Rask never had a choice in that, while everyone else can choose whether to exploit his willingness to fit in.)

Oooo, this should be good!

From Oren's POV, I could understand it, but it is incredibly naive for a herbivore not to understand the natural order of things.... Im expecting Rask to drop some solid knowledge and it is a shame that they would welcome a predator into their fold, even if reluctantly and still not understand what he or she is as another living being, including their needs

I'd imagine that waking up everyday of your life with the knowledge that today could be the day you are killed and eaten would take something of a tole on someone. Oren could have compartmentalized it or back slide a bit from his talk with Hemlock and have to be brought back down to earth by Rask laying down some hard yet simple facts. The simple yet bitter pill that predators have no other choice but to eat meat and that doesn't make them monsters.

Precisely, I am looking forward to this conversation

Oren finally let what he really thinks slip, that or Hemlock got into his head. It isn't Rask or any other predator's fault for being born as meat eaters. If anything, Rask has the best view of things as both predator and prey.

Rask at his core is a predator trying to feed himself and his family, it's hardwired into his very being so for him to go so far against it is hard for him but he's making the active choice to go against all of that and side with prey animals out of a sense of respect for this new found ideology.

Oren is fighting from the point of prey, he wakes up every day with the knowledge that today could be the day he's killed and eaten. It's easy to forget or compartmentalize the fact that predators literally have no other choice but to eat other animals. It's easy for him to write off predators as killers because he's undoubtedly lost family to them at some point. You don't live that long without some kind of damage.

Unlike Hemlock who can't see the forest through the trees, Oren can and I hope he actually considers this going forward while keeping the safety of all of his charges in mind.

ouch, poor Rask being seen only as a killing machine, especially by Oren. in fact, that last shot in which Oren partially looking at Rask's fangs almost confirms that he only sees it that way

Last panel: "my eyes are UP HERE STOP LOOKING AT MY TEETH"

Okay, that actually gave me my laugh for the day, even if you didn't intend your comment to be humorous.

I did :3c

That made me think of this https://www.furaffinity.net/view/55378746/

I love these kinds of conversations. There are no winners. There are only raw wounds that either lead to healing or hatred.

*grabs popcorn*

As Willy Wonka said, "The tension is unbearable. I hope it lasts."

Good drama. Well written. Yes, Maximus, I am entertained.

Damn, Oren not really walking the walk on this one. At least Sibyl gets it, so Rask isn't fully alone... it's interesting that the assumed worldview of Oren is actually a lot more limited in scope than it at first seemed when digesting it from Rask's perspective. I hope Oren comes to understand what really motivates Rask really quickly; that's what it will take to make it through this.

Difference between "hunting" and "killing" ...

Well Oren your own credo is now biting you in the ass.
You forgot the one principal of nature the reason for predators to kill is survival as the meat of prey is their sustanance to live.
And also Swift was not a danger to the Hollow at all. She was just trying to protect her pups.

He has a good point, he needs to kill to survive