I love Tess just casually punching lightning out of it’s trayectory. Will we encounter a storm god maybe? Will Kendal keep that information to himself until far after this page? Switching of from the doubts this page has given us, how about seeing what it’s taught us? We know at least Alinua, and probably the whole Floof squad, has been briefed on sailing terms and in at least steering the ship. We also know Falst and Dainix are still below deck, presumably doing what we saw them do last. And last and coolest, Tess, be it by being ironcaste, a storm mage, or both, can forsee and punch lightning. Fun page!
It’s been said at least once (2.2.3) that Kendal’s stronger. I’d say starfire and lightning are tied at the very least (though honestly starfire’s prolly better overall) and I’m inclined to think that if this “fair fight” lets Kendal keep his space sword, he’s not losing a fight with Tess. She might be more maneuverable, but so was Falst, and we saw how that worked out for catboy vs Kendal once the relative strength came into play.
In a full-on no-holds-barred fight Kendal would easily win.
“Tess’s strength is high for a humanoid, but her primary thing is she’s so durable that she can use most of her strength without hurting herself. She can punch a wall full strength without worrying about fracturing her knuckles. Kendal is legitimately much stronger than is possible for an unaltered human, able to break stone or bone with minimal effort – approaching “world of cardboard” levels.”
While Erin handles the wind and water,
And Alinua holds steady the wheel,
Tess leaps higher than the mast and punches
Away a lightning bolt with a thundering peel.
Dainix: What was that noise?!
Falst: Either Erin and Tess’s storm handling is going incredibly wrong or incredibly right. Either way, we’re better down here.
Alinua at the helm, to Helm? Makes sense since everyone else is occupied; both Ruunaser siblings are handling the storm, Kendal was asleep but a minute ago, and Dainix is in no condition to work. Falst could do it, but he’s (indirectly) looking after Dainix, and I’m not sure how he’d take to following such orders from Erin. So yeah, Alinua is at the wheel since she has nothing else to do and is following the orders; she’s questioning the orders, as many would do in this situation, but still following them.
Yeah, a solid chunk of ice would be harder to move or disrupt than wispy water, lightning, and air. While the Ruunaser’s track record with storm management is … patchy, they have a lot more experience with that than ice. Still, an iceberg could be hiding in that bad weather and take them by surprise; stormy weather plus that could make for a hairy crossing.
Lovely final panel of the Ship of Fools with the lightning illumination; their hero ship never fails to look dynamic and the metal hull looks right at home on the ocean. Nice layering of all the different water effects from the lightning strike splash to give it both a dynamic feel and depth to the impact.
Although, I may have ruined my perception of this panel forever after zooming in on Tess; one look at that and my mind immediately thought of the Sonic Adventure pose.
If I may suggest @Evil Tree, Don’t think of it as stealing some one else’s idea but expressing an element common to many stories (especially in comics and movies) that people can talk about and contrast in other contexts/situations, Red can show her vision of an element found in many stories which gives depth the culture and community that share that point of commonality. The more connections the richer the conversation can be. Panel five can the talked about in refer to legends, stories, superheroes, sports, body dynamics to sample the possible range of topics. Sorry for going long I was inspired by Red’s diatribe uniqueness worth vs reaching to elements many can appreciate.
Don’t suppose Erin would be willing to turn off the magic engine for a bit and hunker down until the storm passes? No…? Full steam ahead? Alright then, your funeral.
continuing under power is the correct decision; boats aren’t like buildings with fixed foundations, they exist in a fluid environment which requires the ability to proactively respond
There’s a Coast Guard captain who lost his commission because he did not follow orders to get underway and head into the storm. Well, he started to eventually when his subordinates finally convinced him to, but it was too late. The ship got flung onto an island and the keel broke. My station was pissed at him because the cutter in question used to be stationed at our port. He was its first captain after the ship was transferred and given a new crew.
Always take the wind onto your bow, and always be underway during a storm so you have power and control.
(my uncle lives on a boat, so I suppose there’s a non-zero chance of me one day needing this advice if I’m ever visiting and the weather turns bad.
…he did once drift into a rocket launch site and nearly got the whole launch that day cancelled because he didn’t realise the radio guy shounting to get out of the danger area was talking to him. Not a great day for people with a tight schedule 😛 )
If I had a nickel for every time a piece of media did something with lightning that made me stop and go “whoa” in the last year, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice, right?
(For those curious— the other time was Ozai’s lightning blast during the Day of the Black Sun episode in Avatar)
Ozai’s lightning is definitely a worthy “Whoa” moment. He does it lightning-fast (sorry, not sorry) and it has enough momentum to send Zuko across half the length of the room.
My character Moriko would be impressed and maybe a little bit jealous. She’s an air/lightning monk herself, but that’s outside her power scale right now.
Also, she’d think that was damn hot and were she not already a happily married woman, she’d be very interested in Tess, for a fling at least.
At first I thought Tess was just checking to make sure this wasn’t another Tynan situation, but then I realized she’s DEFLECTING the lightning.
Oh. Oh this is a metal ship. In a thunderstorm. ERIN!!!
TYNAN FIGHT PHASE THREE!!!
While it would probably be easiest for him to manifest as a cloud/storm, esp. since he lost a bunch of people’s fear in the last fight, I don’t think that’s actually what this is. Its a fun thought though!
Yeah, a return of Tynan is not happening; Tahraim imprisoned Tynan at the end of the Zuurith arc.
Just as well as, while he doesn’t have as much fear to leech off of, he has plenty of ambient water to use. The tactic they tried in Zuurith to burn away his power wouldn’t work here as he would have an entire ocean to regenerate himself with. While we may debate the moralities of imprisoning Tynan, if Tahraim hadn’t done so, he’d have continued stalking the gang for a rematch.
Tess’s dynamic pose in panel 4 and her punching lightning is so hecking cool!!!
I just remembered the merfolk(?). I hope they’re safely out of the way and not disturbed by the redirected lightning. I think they should be fine… Tess’s redirect probably wouldn’t feel worse than a direct surface strike from the storm, which they’re probably used to dealing with or avoiding.
Ssssqqquuuuueeeeeeeeee! I am fangushing SO much right now. Tess, literally PUNCHING lightning to make it hit somewhere else! Look at that sproing in her jump! The slight crackle on her skin! The PUNCH!
I love Tess so much that my comment disappeared ;u;
Metal ship into storm, time to bring out the lightning trappers to cage it and sell to- no, wait, wrong fiction. The lighting effects are glorious as always in either case!
Anyway Tess PUNCHING the lightning is the most Tess thing. She is glorious and I fangush.
This is undisputedly my favorite page EVER which of course officially makes Tess my favorite character and all around best girl. SHE PUNCHED THE LIGHTNING STRIKE AWAY. SHE PUNCHED IT, AWAY. WAAAAAAAAAA
The Ruunaser siblings defeat another storm!
also I clicked on this update the MOMENT it posted lol
Fitting username for this page, haha.
well, it’s fitting for pretty much any page Tess is on lol!
It’s fitting for any page she isn’t on, too, really. Because she should be on every page.
100%
For mobile readers.
Alt-text: why don’t we take the lightning and push it somewhere else
Image source: sure
Tumblr text: those kids were fast as lightning
Twitter text: boing
Mage senses are tingling here
Agreed, that lightning felt personal
I love Tess just casually punching lightning out of it’s trayectory. Will we encounter a storm god maybe? Will Kendal keep that information to himself until far after this page? Switching of from the doubts this page has given us, how about seeing what it’s taught us? We know at least Alinua, and probably the whole Floof squad, has been briefed on sailing terms and in at least steering the ship. We also know Falst and Dainix are still below deck, presumably doing what we saw them do last. And last and coolest, Tess, be it by being ironcaste, a storm mage, or both, can forsee and punch lightning. Fun page!
She might not grab hold of the lightning, but she can certainly punch it!
*Boinnngggg*
Bulletproof.
Super strong.
Her go to solution is to leap high into the air and punch the problem.
Confirmed: Tess is 1940s Superman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UJphNPwDfk&t=445s
Seems like it, although I’m still not sure she has actual flight so she might be the “leap tall buildings” era Superman.
I wonder how Kendal would do in a fair fight against her.
That would certainly be an interesting Mind Control episode.
It’s been said at least once (2.2.3) that Kendal’s stronger. I’d say starfire and lightning are tied at the very least (though honestly starfire’s prolly better overall) and I’m inclined to think that if this “fair fight” lets Kendal keep his space sword, he’s not losing a fight with Tess. She might be more maneuverable, but so was Falst, and we saw how that worked out for catboy vs Kendal once the relative strength came into play.
In a full-on no-holds-barred fight Kendal would easily win.
“Tess’s strength is high for a humanoid, but her primary thing is she’s so durable that she can use most of her strength without hurting herself. She can punch a wall full strength without worrying about fracturing her knuckles. Kendal is legitimately much stronger than is possible for an unaltered human, able to break stone or bone with minimal effort – approaching “world of cardboard” levels.”
https://www.tumblr.com/comicaurora/752573174663823361/im-sorry-if-youve-been-asked-this-before-but-i
I love Tess so much AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
While Erin handles the wind and water,
And Alinua holds steady the wheel,
Tess leaps higher than the mast and punches
Away a lightning bolt with a thundering peel.
Congratulations to the voters for ‘wierd storm’
Dainix: What was that noise?!
Falst: Either Erin and Tess’s storm handling is going incredibly wrong or incredibly right. Either way, we’re better down here.
Alinua at the helm, to Helm? Makes sense since everyone else is occupied; both Ruunaser siblings are handling the storm, Kendal was asleep but a minute ago, and Dainix is in no condition to work. Falst could do it, but he’s (indirectly) looking after Dainix, and I’m not sure how he’d take to following such orders from Erin. So yeah, Alinua is at the wheel since she has nothing else to do and is following the orders; she’s questioning the orders, as many would do in this situation, but still following them.
Yeah, a solid chunk of ice would be harder to move or disrupt than wispy water, lightning, and air. While the Ruunaser’s track record with storm management is … patchy, they have a lot more experience with that than ice. Still, an iceberg could be hiding in that bad weather and take them by surprise; stormy weather plus that could make for a hairy crossing.
Lovely final panel of the Ship of Fools with the lightning illumination; their hero ship never fails to look dynamic and the metal hull looks right at home on the ocean. Nice layering of all the different water effects from the lightning strike splash to give it both a dynamic feel and depth to the impact.
Although, I may have ruined my perception of this panel forever after zooming in on Tess; one look at that and my mind immediately thought of the Sonic Adventure pose.
If I may suggest @Evil Tree, Don’t think of it as stealing some one else’s idea but expressing an element common to many stories (especially in comics and movies) that people can talk about and contrast in other contexts/situations, Red can show her vision of an element found in many stories which gives depth the culture and community that share that point of commonality. The more connections the richer the conversation can be. Panel five can the talked about in refer to legends, stories, superheroes, sports, body dynamics to sample the possible range of topics. Sorry for going long I was inspired by Red’s diatribe uniqueness worth vs reaching to elements many can appreciate.
So many words. So little said.
i love that tess can just straight-up punch lightning. like. what. wow. what. i love it
My thoughts exactly.
Alley-oop!
Now it’s Tess time!
Don’t suppose Erin would be willing to turn off the magic engine for a bit and hunker down until the storm passes? No…? Full steam ahead? Alright then, your funeral.
continuing under power is the correct decision; boats aren’t like buildings with fixed foundations, they exist in a fluid environment which requires the ability to proactively respond
Turning the speed down from “fastest vessel the world has ever seen” might still be wise though.
yeah, Lurker has it right.
There’s a Coast Guard captain who lost his commission because he did not follow orders to get underway and head into the storm. Well, he started to eventually when his subordinates finally convinced him to, but it was too late. The ship got flung onto an island and the keel broke. My station was pissed at him because the cutter in question used to be stationed at our port. He was its first captain after the ship was transferred and given a new crew.
Always take the wind onto your bow, and always be underway during a storm so you have power and control.
Huh. Good to know.
(my uncle lives on a boat, so I suppose there’s a non-zero chance of me one day needing this advice if I’m ever visiting and the weather turns bad.
…he did once drift into a rocket launch site and nearly got the whole launch that day cancelled because he didn’t realise the radio guy shounting to get out of the danger area was talking to him. Not a great day for people with a tight schedule 😛 )
Lightning redirection!
TL;DR: In the absence of fleshy targets, I shall punch THE LIGHTNING!
The Stormbreaker lives up to her name!!!
TESS THE GOAT
Tess bitchslapping lightening only increases my love for her character. She is so cool
Can I spend 5 seconds complimenting the anatomy and pose in those panels? Tess prepping to punch is very satisfying
Punch that lighting in the face, like a Boss!
I love that you can see Alinua’s (anxious) expression even when she’s so small! Very cool.
I guess when you’re a sentient lightning rod you have to find ways to NOT get zapped sometimes. RIP to any fish that were right there in particular.
Storm: Eff this boat in particular.
Tess: No, how ’bout this fish, instead?
>metal ship
>uninsulated
>in the middle of the ocean
>going into big storm
hmmmmmmmm BOY
If I had a nickel for every time a piece of media did something with lightning that made me stop and go “whoa” in the last year, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice, right?
(For those curious— the other time was Ozai’s lightning blast during the Day of the Black Sun episode in Avatar)
Ozai’s lightning is definitely a worthy “Whoa” moment. He does it lightning-fast (sorry, not sorry) and it has enough momentum to send Zuko across half the length of the room.
God Tess just gets cooler and cooler.
My character Moriko would be impressed and maybe a little bit jealous. She’s an air/lightning monk herself, but that’s outside her power scale right now.
Also, she’d think that was damn hot and were she not already a happily married woman, she’d be very interested in Tess, for a fling at least.
They face the storm head on (like you do)
While Tess punches lightning to save her crew
At first I thought Tess was just checking to make sure this wasn’t another Tynan situation, but then I realized she’s DEFLECTING the lightning.
Oh. Oh this is a metal ship. In a thunderstorm. ERIN!!!
What could EVER go wrong with that!
At least this storm isn’t sentient!
I don’t think we know that for sure yet, though probably not
Can she- can I- um is she sing- I mean to say, um is she…MARRY ME????
TYNAN FIGHT PHASE THREE!!!
While it would probably be easiest for him to manifest as a cloud/storm, esp. since he lost a bunch of people’s fear in the last fight, I don’t think that’s actually what this is. Its a fun thought though!
Yeah, a return of Tynan is not happening; Tahraim imprisoned Tynan at the end of the Zuurith arc.
Just as well as, while he doesn’t have as much fear to leech off of, he has plenty of ambient water to use. The tactic they tried in Zuurith to burn away his power wouldn’t work here as he would have an entire ocean to regenerate himself with. While we may debate the moralities of imprisoning Tynan, if Tahraim hadn’t done so, he’d have continued stalking the gang for a rematch.
Tess’s dynamic pose in panel 4 and her punching lightning is so hecking cool!!!
I just remembered the merfolk(?). I hope they’re safely out of the way and not disturbed by the redirected lightning. I think they should be fine… Tess’s redirect probably wouldn’t feel worse than a direct surface strike from the storm, which they’re probably used to dealing with or avoiding.
Ssssqqquuuuueeeeeeeeee! I am fangushing SO much right now. Tess, literally PUNCHING lightning to make it hit somewhere else! Look at that sproing in her jump! The slight crackle on her skin! The PUNCH!
There once was a girl of storm.
Punching lightning was her norm.
With her great big grin
And her metal skin
She’s in peak storm-fighting form.
Young woman punches cloud.
Erin: “I’d much rather face storms than icebergs”
Tess: *Immediately illustrates WHY*
TESS IS SO COOL I LOVE HER
– or just punch the lightning, that works too
i love the rune-like circle thing behind the boat. it just makes everything look so… magical!
I love Tess so much
I love Tess so much that my comment disappeared ;u;
Metal ship into storm, time to bring out the lightning trappers to cage it and sell to- no, wait, wrong fiction. The lighting effects are glorious as always in either case!
Anyway Tess PUNCHING the lightning is the most Tess thing. She is glorious and I fangush.
Tess’s solution truly is to punch. Literally. EVERYTHING.
Such a queen, I love her SO MUCH.
Tess: Literal lightning bruiser XD
I love how tess immediately knows what erin’s telling her to do before he’s even done
+parry
Tall metal boat meets lightning storm. Something tells me our protagonists are going to be very busy…
so exited for the next page
Tess once again being Aurora’s best girl uncontested.
This is undisputedly my favorite page EVER which of course officially makes Tess my favorite character and all around best girl. SHE PUNCHED THE LIGHTNING STRIKE AWAY. SHE PUNCHED IT, AWAY. WAAAAAAAAAA
Gorgeous