Headscratchers for the webcomic Peter Is the Wolf. Ask any burning questions you have about the logic of the story here for fellow tropers to possibly answer.
How is Juniper Stebbins not a lycanthrope now?
So Juniper got sneezed on, asked if that transmitted lycanthropy, and Jean immediately said "no". But way back on page 13 of the comic, Jean told Peter that it's transmitted through enzymes, and listed as examples breastfeeding, scratches and mucus membranes. Am I misunderstanding what that means, or is this a plothole?
- At a rough guess, I'd say it means the virus has to contact your mucus membranes. It's not that their mucus contains the virus, it's that it can infect you that way.
- Exactly; biologically, "mucous membranes" refers to a bodily lining, typically connecting to the skin, which both absorbs and secrets, as well as acting as a germ layer. So while people hear "mucus" and think the nostrils, it also refers to the lips, the rest of the mouth internally, eyelids, ears, and yes the genital areas.
- Wait, so lycanthropy can be transmitted via mucus membrane? So that means kissing, right? Are we supposed to believe Peter never kissed his gf before they had sex? On that note, could a sneeze transmit lycanthropy if the spittle/mucus hit their eyes/mouth?
- Word of God: A sneeze must hit a gaping wound for it to transmit lycanthropy according to https://www.wlpcomics.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2909
. - Also, viral load matters, even if the basic conditions for transmission are otherwise met. A sneeze might simply not carry enough of the virus to result in infection under most to all circumstances, fluid contact notwithstanding.
