It’s particularly satisfying to see Zuurith’s shock. Didn’t think Kendal had it in him, eh? Of course this means that Kendal, a mere walking automaton, is more powerful than he.
Prediction: Kendal will come out of this whole, but the sword will have vanished, become part of him. Vash didn’t give off that blast of starfire from a forged blade. He blasted starfire when the metal conjoined with his broken body.
But Kendal still isn’t Vash. He’s not a god, so even if he vanquishes Tynan, he can’t cut a deal and banish Tynan again.
“I’m sorry… I made you wait” he whispers.
Alinua screams as he bursts,
In blue starfire that distant Zuurith sees,
And near the blast, blazing Dainix and crouching Falst.
Sorry for making you wait too, I was up late last night playing DND.
Well, I guess now we wait for thunderbowl part 3: Bloody self-sacrificial idiot gets a power up rewarding him for his idiotic behaviour and reinforcing his martyr complex.
Also Alinua is gonna kill Kendal if Tynan doesnt
Jesus Christ… assuming Kendal survives this, i don’t even know what this means for him and Alinua, because even if he did it to protect everyone, even if he knew he would survive… god this is so messed up. i just wanna pluck them both out of the comic, wrap them in the fluffiest blankets i can find, give them some tea or hot cocao and just one hell of a hug and cry with them until we all feel better.
Also Red, thank you so much for the Content Warning, i don’t mean to put too fine a point on it but i’ve been in both positions before and it really means alot that someone takes the time to acknowledge that stuff like this can be really triggering.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Also Zuurith’s back?
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Instead of starting my comment with a joke, I’ll say that content warning is a good call. Nothing wrong with thinking about others and giving sensible warnings to those it may affect.
If I were to guess I’d say Kendal is doing his own “make the blade your own” thing as Vash did the last time Tynan attacked. Is it Vash’s sword anymore or Kendal’s? Is this good for Kendal’s personhood in him making his first true possession, or bad as it may be borne of his self-sacrifice complex?
Zuurith is still here and seems to have an idea about what’s going on. It’s also taking him a long time to reform; is he putting in more time to make a stronger incarnation, or have the panicked and evacuating citizens affected his power that much?
Tynan has pooled most of his essence into that body, said body is already damaged from the void attack, particularly the wings preventing a quick escape, and is literally right on top of the erupting soulfire. He’s too slow to run, nowhere for him to hide, and is about to be on the recieving end of about 99% of the fire. And from the expression on his face, he knows it.
Poor Alinua… “How many times are you going to make me save you?” She said not long ago. And now, she sees him, the first real friend she made and the one who helped bring her out of her self-imposed exile, doing what looks like grievous injury to himself.
That woman deserves a break after this. And to kick Kendal’s ass six ways to sunday.
Also, is it me, or in panel 4 is it still snowing in the city of Zuurith? If so then hats off to Erin for making such a long and durable spell, still working after Tynan’s dragon incarnation, V.D. putting the breaks on Tynan, then Tynan returning.
Resigned to risking / life and limb
The sword-man stabs / his starmetal sword
Into his stomach. / The soulfire starburst
Radiates afar / as the remnants realize
Tynan’s in trouble– / but did it cost too much?
P.S. Thank you so much to whoever posted that very helpful comment about how to show the space between the half lines of Old English poetry.
I think Kendal might be speaking… to Kendal. As in, he waited to make the starmetal a part of his body like Vash did.
If the Blade and Man as One theory is correct, this marks the reunification of Kendal’s entire soul, which might explain why he was having so much difficulty with summoning starfire earlier; he was channeling with only half his soul, and less of his starmetal, just the bones and not the blade.
Skye:
Considering how divine perception works, Zuurith can probably tell what Kendal is doing here. He’s probably surprised that someone he dismissed as a weak non-person could channel such a large amount of divine power.
Evil Tree:
I don’t think it is just you; that looks like snow to me, too. That would explain the lack of snow while everyone was fighting Tynan; the fight took place outside the city walls, while Zuurith is currently in the arena. Erin must have centered the spell on the valley, so that the effects would last the longest in the most vulnerable part of the city.
Also, I just noticed some symmmbolism. *sparkles* In panel one, we can only see Kendal’s left eye, and can only clearly see his right arm, the parts that Vash replaced way back when. (A much smaller portion of his left arm is also visible, but it’s such a small portion that it barely shows up in the panel, so shh.)
Man, Zuurith has been off-screen for so long, I’d forgotten what he looked like and was Deadass confused who ‘the purple guy’ was for a hot minute. orz
I really wish the content warning took up less of the page, it’s not even graphic at all! And I’m sorry but this just doesn’t read like a tragic suicide or self sacrifice, this totally reads like he’s got a plan in mind for doing that. Personally I find the content warning a bit unnecessary, though perhaps others may have appreciated it.
Thank you for your sensitivity to those who wrestle with their demons hard, Red.
Hmmm Panel 3 is all flash and no sound? What does that mean? What are Zuurith and Tynon reacting to?
@Called by Magic-I am glad you found the ‘/’ useful! Way to Rock Old English poetry! And Praise to all our other Poets too!
P.S. Feel free to ignore this blatant fanservice request Red, for but I am still waiting for Alinua to be hugging Kendal’s chest while Kendal is looking all confused and maybe a little worried. I was amused by you HIMBO ranking video/podcast!
i think this is a certified “oh sh*t” moment, as that was my immediate reaction (and thank you red for the warning, as someone who struggled with that kind of thing it really does mean a lot even if its not very graphic)
Came back to the page to see if my comments had loade- GAH! F*ck… the content warning’s coloration gave me a mini-panic attack, not the content it was warning about! All the more so because it wasn’t there earlier, and I wasn’t expecting it to be there now.
@ULTRA – the red trigger warning wasn’t there in the wee hours of the morning, just the text warning below. Red changed it to make the content warning upfront and unmistakable.
Visually, the original version was starkly blue and gorgeous. I wished I’d saved a screenshot now that it’s gone. ?
oh Gods.
Kendal realized he had to do this back in 1.17.17, when Alinua was healing him, but he didn’t have the chance to until now, when Tynan would get a full hit of starfire.
A: “how many times are you going to make me have to save you?”
K: “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
If that was because he knew this would happen and he wouldn’t (or probably wouldn’t) survive, as opposed to him saying that he wouldn’t be that reckless… I’m gonna cry.
Kendal was already holding the sword over his chest on the previous page. There should’ve been a content warning on the previous page that refers to the following page as well. Also, the content warning should be specific rather than just having one for ‘heavy stuff’.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAA THE BLUE FIRE EXPLOSION IS SUPER PRETTY AND COOL, BUT KENDAL. MY DUDE. YOU GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT WITHOUT SELF-DESTRUCTING AND GIVING YOUR ENTIRE PARTY A FREAKING HEART ATTACK. FKDJGHLDJFGHSFKJHGFD
On a completely different note, it is interesting how this lines up with Kendal’s own personal tendencies of destroying himself in order to try to save others, albeit in a very unfortunate physical way as opposed to what we’ve seen before of him sacrificing his mental health and personal freedom (Not that that’s good for him either). The current situation does do a great job of lining up thematically (if I’m using that term right) with his character, which is some really good writing, even though I hate that it’s going to reinforce his “My entire purpose is to help others at the cost of myself” ideology, given that this power that he is, in part, built to wield, is only obtained by doing so.
This. I understand and appreciate the fact that it’s there, but a little less of it (in size and brightness) would have been in my opinion preferable!
To Sig Figs:
…I mean, there’s a couple ways that he can get out of this, especially if the Sword Theory is true. And he probably will, even if he thinks he’s gonna die here… I mean, this isn’t Shadowrun, Red’s not gonna permakill her lead protagonist halfway through the plot–if we’re even halfway through the plot, and considering this is still the first volume, I doubt that we are. Plus, remember Alinua’s own last words–she lived, too.
Deep breaths. Deep breaths.
WHAT THE ACTUAL FRICK, MAN. I MEAN, I KNOW YOU’VE GOT ISSUES, BUT MY GODS!
depressingly, it *does* fit his character. Yaaaay. (That was sarcasm in case you couldn’t tell. It’s hard to convey via text)
I do appreciate the content warning. Having slowly gone down that spiral myself over the past few months, I’ve gained a new appreciation for them, even if it didn’t stop me.
@The Registrar
I’m… not sure it was needed in the last page. Maybe one not quite as dramatic, just like a box at the top “this page and the next contain yadda yadda, proceed at your own risk”. I don’t know why content warnings are so vague, maybe people want to avoid saying it? Maybe they think the specific words can be triggering? But Red’s hardly the only one that does it.
@TheUnknownGame
Yeah, it’s… let’s go with ‘striking’? Certainly makes the message clear, though at first glance I thought there was something wrong with my screen.
@The Registrar @SarissaTeiflingDruide my guess (based partly on what @TheUnknownGame and @Icarusancalion said about the initial CW being modified) is that Red is still learning the best practices for content warnings. She did at least provide the specific terms in the text *below*, but it would have been useful in the text *above* as well. As a creator who only learned about CWs relatively recently, I 100% understand confusion about when and where to be specific (partly out of fear of spoilers, partly out of concern that the terms themselves could be triggering somehow). I think a good example of a webcomic that does content warnings well is Lore Olympus.
tl;dr the CW probably could have been executed better, but I appreciate that Red is making an effort to protect her fans
…hold up, I misread @SarissaTieflingDruid’s comment and somehow forgot that Red was, in fact, specific in *this* comic’s initial CW. anyway, if she wanted to include one for yesterday, best practice would be to call out self-harm. But she probably could have gotten away with keeping it in the text-box or making it less obtrusive
Is this the first time we’ve seen Zuurith since chapter 16? And he still doesn’t have his avatar back together? Tynan has been through like 20 of these. Step up your game man.
@Skye
I think you’re right. I don’t think Kendal’s going to die here, especially since there’s the whole Vash/Collector plot. But I suspect that Kendal doesn’t think he’s going to survive it. Or that was just a coincidence. idk
How is it that Even after getting fully blasted by disintegration Void stuff, Alinua’s hair is STILL floofy? I can see black void stuff on her still in panel 2- she’s distraught.
Amusement over the ever-changing content warning aside, I can’t wait to find out what happens with Kendal tomorrow and in the coming week. This is *not* at all what I expected, though it makes sense and goody-goody gumdrops, this. is. Interesting.
Really? A content warning? Once upon a time the contents of such a warning were important thematic elements for the impact of a scene. Like “Oh shit! (Character) did (that)?!”, but now it’s “Oh. (Character) is going to do (that). Oh look, (Character) did that thing I expected them to do.”
I was abused as a kid, and lived in some pretty bad neighborhoods and got in plenty of fights, maybe you should put a huge content warning at the top of each new page if it includes any form of violence, or else my PTSD might flare up and I’d have some nasty words to say about your telling a story.
@DepressedWithDiarrhea whelp i held out my hope for this long that this community living in our little comment section would be free of snide bitter grains like you, hope you’re getting help for your PTSD but you do have to keep in mind that not everyone responds to things like this the same way. We kind of expect fantasy violence at this point, it’s a running theme, and for the most part Red has actually been really good at adding what i think is the right level of injury to get across that a character is injured without being particularly gory.
When i first came to this page the trigger warning was at the bottom, and I’ll be honest when i say that, as someone who both was the person committing the self harm, and the person helplessly watching as someone else committed the self harm, this page was literally the only one in this whole comic thus far that came close to making me properly break down. It hit HARD, not because it was upfront about showing explicitly the process or anything like that, but for tapping into those exact feelings and experiences I’d held on to and am still trying to deal with. I for one am glad that Red has come back and updated the content warning, that’s just me. Is it a bit annoying when i’m coming back and skimming the pages i’ve already read? sure. But if i could go back and do my first read of this page again i would very much have appreciated the content warning as it is now, and if on the off chance someone else is reading this comic for the first time and struggles with this sort of thing? I think honestly it’s incredibly important that Red has come back and made sure something this potentially triggering, that people in the comments section other than myself have reaffirmed hits a little too close to home, is something they can go in mentally prepared for. Is it annoying at times from a storytelling perspective? Yes, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s there to protect people, and honestly? How can you be mad at that?
TL:DR don’t get pissy just because an artist has included a content warning for something you don’t personally consider triggering, everyone is different and is dealing with their shit in a different way and all have different triggers, just because you don’t have a problem with it, doesn’t mean everyone else will just be fine because you were too
With love and frustration, signed a person who also has PTSD
And Red if you’re reading this, Thank you.
For those viewing this on mobile.
Alt-text: “:o”
Image source is “sorry.”
Hah! I KNEW we wouldn’t get to see the full power-up today!
And now we have to wait till friday. :/
😮
Hey, don’t make it an emoji, I don’t wanna use those.
*You are scarring your friends you daft, Labrador of a godling!
P.S. On behalf of the mobile users, I thank thee, ZerO WOlf.
I hate when pages do this
‘:o’
It’s okay, he is just stabbing the mortal part…. right?
One thing he can do
Set the battleground alight
With a flash of blue
Wait. Made who wait?
It’s particularly satisfying to see Zuurith’s shock. Didn’t think Kendal had it in him, eh? Of course this means that Kendal, a mere walking automaton, is more powerful than he.
Prediction: Kendal will come out of this whole, but the sword will have vanished, become part of him. Vash didn’t give off that blast of starfire from a forged blade. He blasted starfire when the metal conjoined with his broken body.
But Kendal still isn’t Vash. He’s not a god, so even if he vanquishes Tynan, he can’t cut a deal and banish Tynan again.
Last page: Ooooh! Fuck yeah, Kendal!
This page: Ohhhh! Fuck no Kendal!
WOW that looks cool.
Looks like this is the end of the fight-imagine what the audience is thinking about all this.
He turned himself into Starfire.
Funniest shit i’ve ever seen.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN “I’M SORRY I MADE YOU WAIT”???
Truly merciful that this isn’t a Friday cliffhanger
“I’m sorry… I made you wait” he whispers.
Alinua screams as he bursts,
In blue starfire that distant Zuurith sees,
And near the blast, blazing Dainix and crouching Falst.
Sorry for making you wait too, I was up late last night playing DND.
Kendal! D’:
Why is my comment awaiting moderation?
I call Vash
Well, I guess now we wait for thunderbowl part 3: Bloody self-sacrificial idiot gets a power up rewarding him for his idiotic behaviour and reinforcing his martyr complex.
Also Alinua is gonna kill Kendal if Tynan doesnt
Jesus Christ… assuming Kendal survives this, i don’t even know what this means for him and Alinua, because even if he did it to protect everyone, even if he knew he would survive… god this is so messed up. i just wanna pluck them both out of the comic, wrap them in the fluffiest blankets i can find, give them some tea or hot cocao and just one hell of a hug and cry with them until we all feel better.
Also Red, thank you so much for the Content Warning, i don’t mean to put too fine a point on it but i’ve been in both positions before and it really means alot that someone takes the time to acknowledge that stuff like this can be really triggering.
How to: “Heroic sacrifice”
Say something dramatic, shoot fire at skies
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Also Zuurith’s back?
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Instead of starting my comment with a joke, I’ll say that content warning is a good call. Nothing wrong with thinking about others and giving sensible warnings to those it may affect.
If I were to guess I’d say Kendal is doing his own “make the blade your own” thing as Vash did the last time Tynan attacked. Is it Vash’s sword anymore or Kendal’s? Is this good for Kendal’s personhood in him making his first true possession, or bad as it may be borne of his self-sacrifice complex?
Zuurith is still here and seems to have an idea about what’s going on. It’s also taking him a long time to reform; is he putting in more time to make a stronger incarnation, or have the panicked and evacuating citizens affected his power that much?
Tynan has pooled most of his essence into that body, said body is already damaged from the void attack, particularly the wings preventing a quick escape, and is literally right on top of the erupting soulfire. He’s too slow to run, nowhere for him to hide, and is about to be on the recieving end of about 99% of the fire. And from the expression on his face, he knows it.
Poor Alinua… “How many times are you going to make me save you?” She said not long ago. And now, she sees him, the first real friend she made and the one who helped bring her out of her self-imposed exile, doing what looks like grievous injury to himself.
That woman deserves a break after this. And to kick Kendal’s ass six ways to sunday.
Oh that’s just a gut wound he should be able survive that no problem.
Also, is it me, or in panel 4 is it still snowing in the city of Zuurith? If so then hats off to Erin for making such a long and durable spell, still working after Tynan’s dragon incarnation, V.D. putting the breaks on Tynan, then Tynan returning.
Hey look, it’s Zuurith. Say hi, everyone!
…well, shit.
-K
QotD:
What do you think is going on in Zuurith’s head right now, based on his expression?
This page is way too serious for a limerick.
Resigned to risking / life and limb
The sword-man stabs / his starmetal sword
Into his stomach. / The soulfire starburst
Radiates afar / as the remnants realize
Tynan’s in trouble– / but did it cost too much?
P.S. Thank you so much to whoever posted that very helpful comment about how to show the space between the half lines of Old English poetry.
I think Kendal might be speaking… to Kendal. As in, he waited to make the starmetal a part of his body like Vash did.
If the Blade and Man as One theory is correct, this marks the reunification of Kendal’s entire soul, which might explain why he was having so much difficulty with summoning starfire earlier; he was channeling with only half his soul, and less of his starmetal, just the bones and not the blade.
Skye:
Considering how divine perception works, Zuurith can probably tell what Kendal is doing here. He’s probably surprised that someone he dismissed as a weak non-person could channel such a large amount of divine power.
Evil Tree:
I don’t think it is just you; that looks like snow to me, too. That would explain the lack of snow while everyone was fighting Tynan; the fight took place outside the city walls, while Zuurith is currently in the arena. Erin must have centered the spell on the valley, so that the effects would last the longest in the most vulnerable part of the city.
Is he…..is he merging with himself?
Also, I just noticed some symmmbolism. *sparkles* In panel one, we can only see Kendal’s left eye, and can only clearly see his right arm, the parts that Vash replaced way back when. (A much smaller portion of his left arm is also visible, but it’s such a small portion that it barely shows up in the panel, so shh.)
Reaction shots from Tynan & Zurith can mean only one thing.
Vash! Vash! Vash! VAAASSSHHH!
Man, Zuurith has been off-screen for so long, I’d forgotten what he looked like and was Deadass confused who ‘the purple guy’ was for a hot minute. orz
OI KENDAL JUST STABBED HIMSELF?????!!!!!!! Goodness poor Alinua, she looks horrified.
Zuurith looks so shocked, like ”What Vash’s SOULESS INCARNATION can do more than ME a GOD???!!!!! Is this plot? That’s not allowed!!”
Thank you for the content warning red, it is much appreciated
Now,
WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FU- NOOOO
I really wish the content warning took up less of the page, it’s not even graphic at all! And I’m sorry but this just doesn’t read like a tragic suicide or self sacrifice, this totally reads like he’s got a plan in mind for doing that. Personally I find the content warning a bit unnecessary, though perhaps others may have appreciated it.
Has Zuurith just been reforming on the sidelines and we haven’t seen him until now?
oooh! Sacrificing yourself for more power to save the day!
Odin, and JC (and many other gods) would be proud!
“Sorry I made you wait.”
Vash.
That starfire conjoins Vash and his sword, his right arm. Kendal is busting him out with starfire.
Why wasn’t he holding the sword by it’s hilt???????
Thank you for your sensitivity to those who wrestle with their demons hard, Red.
Hmmm Panel 3 is all flash and no sound? What does that mean? What are Zuurith and Tynon reacting to?
@Called by Magic-I am glad you found the ‘/’ useful! Way to Rock Old English poetry! And Praise to all our other Poets too!
P.S. Feel free to ignore this blatant fanservice request Red, for but I am still waiting for Alinua to be hugging Kendal’s chest while Kendal is looking all confused and maybe a little worried. I was amused by you HIMBO ranking video/podcast!
i think this is a certified “oh sh*t” moment, as that was my immediate reaction (and thank you red for the warning, as someone who struggled with that kind of thing it really does mean a lot even if its not very graphic)
Implied intent of self harm, what a nice birthday surprise ?
Tynan’s wings are totally shredded! So much for “the thunder that shatters your sky.”
Alinua might just kill him for almost dying again, and everyone else will at least give him a stern talking to.
Zuurith is just impressively pathetic if he is STILL working on reforming.
RUH-ROH
Came back to the page to see if my comments had loade- GAH! F*ck… the content warning’s coloration gave me a mini-panic attack, not the content it was warning about! All the more so because it wasn’t there earlier, and I wasn’t expecting it to be there now.
@ULTRA – the red trigger warning wasn’t there in the wee hours of the morning, just the text warning below. Red changed it to make the content warning upfront and unmistakable.
Visually, the original version was starkly blue and gorgeous. I wished I’d saved a screenshot now that it’s gone. ?
Every new page I want this as a hard cover book more and more!
You know it’s gonna be good when there’s a content warning
hey kendal what the FUCK
oh Gods.
Kendal realized he had to do this back in 1.17.17, when Alinua was healing him, but he didn’t have the chance to until now, when Tynan would get a full hit of starfire.
A: “how many times are you going to make me have to save you?”
K: “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
If that was because he knew this would happen and he wouldn’t (or probably wouldn’t) survive, as opposed to him saying that he wouldn’t be that reckless… I’m gonna cry.
also I really want to see Walter’s reaction to this. And Tahraim’s.
did he just Sora himself? Does that mean we have to deal with xehanort among every other antagonist? lol
Kendal was already holding the sword over his chest on the previous page. There should’ve been a content warning on the previous page that refers to the following page as well. Also, the content warning should be specific rather than just having one for ‘heavy stuff’.
He’s fine he didn’t need a chest
AAAAAAAAAAAAAA THE BLUE FIRE EXPLOSION IS SUPER PRETTY AND COOL, BUT KENDAL. MY DUDE. YOU GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT WITHOUT SELF-DESTRUCTING AND GIVING YOUR ENTIRE PARTY A FREAKING HEART ATTACK. FKDJGHLDJFGHSFKJHGFD
On a completely different note, it is interesting how this lines up with Kendal’s own personal tendencies of destroying himself in order to try to save others, albeit in a very unfortunate physical way as opposed to what we’ve seen before of him sacrificing his mental health and personal freedom (Not that that’s good for him either). The current situation does do a great job of lining up thematically (if I’m using that term right) with his character, which is some really good writing, even though I hate that it’s going to reinforce his “My entire purpose is to help others at the cost of myself” ideology, given that this power that he is, in part, built to wield, is only obtained by doing so.
To TheUnknownGame:
This. I understand and appreciate the fact that it’s there, but a little less of it (in size and brightness) would have been in my opinion preferable!
To Sig Figs:
…I mean, there’s a couple ways that he can get out of this, especially if the Sword Theory is true. And he probably will, even if he thinks he’s gonna die here… I mean, this isn’t Shadowrun, Red’s not gonna permakill her lead protagonist halfway through the plot–if we’re even halfway through the plot, and considering this is still the first volume, I doubt that we are. Plus, remember Alinua’s own last words–she lived, too.
Still gonna leave a mark, though.
–K
Deep breaths. Deep breaths.
WHAT THE ACTUAL FRICK, MAN. I MEAN, I KNOW YOU’VE GOT ISSUES, BUT MY GODS!
depressingly, it *does* fit his character. Yaaaay. (That was sarcasm in case you couldn’t tell. It’s hard to convey via text)
I do appreciate the content warning. Having slowly gone down that spiral myself over the past few months, I’ve gained a new appreciation for them, even if it didn’t stop me.
@The Registrar
I’m… not sure it was needed in the last page. Maybe one not quite as dramatic, just like a box at the top “this page and the next contain yadda yadda, proceed at your own risk”. I don’t know why content warnings are so vague, maybe people want to avoid saying it? Maybe they think the specific words can be triggering? But Red’s hardly the only one that does it.
@TheUnknownGame
Yeah, it’s… let’s go with ‘striking’? Certainly makes the message clear, though at first glance I thought there was something wrong with my screen.
@The Registrar @SarissaTeiflingDruide my guess (based partly on what @TheUnknownGame and @Icarusancalion said about the initial CW being modified) is that Red is still learning the best practices for content warnings. She did at least provide the specific terms in the text *below*, but it would have been useful in the text *above* as well. As a creator who only learned about CWs relatively recently, I 100% understand confusion about when and where to be specific (partly out of fear of spoilers, partly out of concern that the terms themselves could be triggering somehow). I think a good example of a webcomic that does content warnings well is Lore Olympus.
tl;dr the CW probably could have been executed better, but I appreciate that Red is making an effort to protect her fans
…hold up, I misread @SarissaTieflingDruid’s comment and somehow forgot that Red was, in fact, specific in *this* comic’s initial CW. anyway, if she wanted to include one for yesterday, best practice would be to call out self-harm. But she probably could have gotten away with keeping it in the text-box or making it less obtrusive
Is this the first time we’ve seen Zuurith since chapter 16? And he still doesn’t have his avatar back together? Tynan has been through like 20 of these. Step up your game man.
@Skye
I think you’re right. I don’t think Kendal’s going to die here, especially since there’s the whole Vash/Collector plot. But I suspect that Kendal doesn’t think he’s going to survive it. Or that was just a coincidence. idk
As a few above are expecting, I wonder if this will pull Vash into him. And if it does, how The Collector will react to that.
Bury the liiiiiight deep withiiiiin~
Cast ASIDE, there’s no CO-MING HOOOOOOOOME…!
!
How is it that Even after getting fully blasted by disintegration Void stuff, Alinua’s hair is STILL floofy? I can see black void stuff on her still in panel 2- she’s distraught.
Slightly bemused at the content warning showing up and becoming slowly more and more dramatic every time I check the site lol
it’s a good idea to have it there, to be clear
WAIT WTF JUST HAPPENED DID HE STAB HIMSELF?! DID HE BECOME A LIGHTING ROD?! DID VASH TAKE BACK THE BODY?!
Amusement over the ever-changing content warning aside, I can’t wait to find out what happens with Kendal tomorrow and in the coming week. This is *not* at all what I expected, though it makes sense and goody-goody gumdrops, this. is. Interesting.
Really? A content warning? Once upon a time the contents of such a warning were important thematic elements for the impact of a scene. Like “Oh shit! (Character) did (that)?!”, but now it’s “Oh. (Character) is going to do (that). Oh look, (Character) did that thing I expected them to do.”
I was abused as a kid, and lived in some pretty bad neighborhoods and got in plenty of fights, maybe you should put a huge content warning at the top of each new page if it includes any form of violence, or else my PTSD might flare up and I’d have some nasty words to say about your telling a story.
I just binged this entire comic, and it’s totally a mephobic hate crime that it ends on this cliffhanger. Will be anxiously awaiting Monday.
TL;DR: Now for the fireworks…
@DepressedWithDiarrhea whelp i held out my hope for this long that this community living in our little comment section would be free of snide bitter grains like you, hope you’re getting help for your PTSD but you do have to keep in mind that not everyone responds to things like this the same way. We kind of expect fantasy violence at this point, it’s a running theme, and for the most part Red has actually been really good at adding what i think is the right level of injury to get across that a character is injured without being particularly gory.
When i first came to this page the trigger warning was at the bottom, and I’ll be honest when i say that, as someone who both was the person committing the self harm, and the person helplessly watching as someone else committed the self harm, this page was literally the only one in this whole comic thus far that came close to making me properly break down. It hit HARD, not because it was upfront about showing explicitly the process or anything like that, but for tapping into those exact feelings and experiences I’d held on to and am still trying to deal with. I for one am glad that Red has come back and updated the content warning, that’s just me. Is it a bit annoying when i’m coming back and skimming the pages i’ve already read? sure. But if i could go back and do my first read of this page again i would very much have appreciated the content warning as it is now, and if on the off chance someone else is reading this comic for the first time and struggles with this sort of thing? I think honestly it’s incredibly important that Red has come back and made sure something this potentially triggering, that people in the comments section other than myself have reaffirmed hits a little too close to home, is something they can go in mentally prepared for. Is it annoying at times from a storytelling perspective? Yes, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s there to protect people, and honestly? How can you be mad at that?
TL:DR don’t get pissy just because an artist has included a content warning for something you don’t personally consider triggering, everyone is different and is dealing with their shit in a different way and all have different triggers, just because you don’t have a problem with it, doesn’t mean everyone else will just be fine because you were too
With love and frustration, signed a person who also has PTSD
And Red if you’re reading this, Thank you.
Is it bad that I read ‘here we go’ in the Mario voice?