I love how Alinua’s awesome magic has become so familiar now that Red feels comfortable drawing it in the background and not dedicating a whole frame to it.
Also, my heart is breaking even more for Falst, and I can tell Kendal’s feeling it too.
It looks pretty fricking awesome in the background, too
Also Kendal’s suddenly realizing “Falst can’t be evil, he’s moved on from saying “NO” to saying “PLEASE”
i feel for falst. i assume hes talking about alinua destorying the lacrima. also i think that the magic removel proccess somehow doesnt work (maybe because falst or kendal ended up sabotauging it) and then it breaks
Those are good lines, but I respectfully disagree. Nothing can beat the dialogue between Erin and the Void Dragon. Still my favorite scene of this strip, and it’ll probably always be. They’ve just got SUCH a great dynamic!
EVERYTHING about that chapter is amazing. There’s so much to like! The way the Void Dragon doesn’t play the “oh please you’re not immortal so you’re an idiot” card and acknowledges that Erin is smart. VD’s monologuing. Erin’s almost-sacrifice. The Dragon’s brilliant appeal to his ego.
Some of my favorite lines are:
“Don’t play dumb. I’m in your mind.”
“So there’s no way out.” – “A matter of perspective.”
“Heh. There’s no point in fear NOW.”
“I do not wither. I am the withering.”
“Yes, the Storm. More than a shield–the perfect lure for a curious mind.” (“Oh jeez that’s me.”)
“Well, you certainly know how to sour a victory. Being your puppet is taking all the fun out of being an elemental magus.”
“Wow. Sounds like you’ve already got this all figured out.” – “Yes. I thought you’d appreciate it.”
“Your plan has one small problem, though.” – “Oh?” – “I don’t like it.”
“Don’t think you can bluff with me. We both know you can’t do this. You’re not the self-sacrificing type. You’re selfish! Arrogant! TERRIFIED!” – “And you gave me NOTHING to lose!”
“Wow, you’re getting really desperate. You’ve made it very clear that your power’s not mine to control.” – “But someday it could be.”
I could go on and on–seriously, I think they have my favorite villain/hero dynamic in all fiction–but I’m sure it’s annoying for me to spout lines from parts of the comic long-gone, so I’m gonna sign off now. Still, though. Awesome scene.
I like how Kendal told Alinua that she’s the best person to destroy the lacrima, and despite not being the strongest physically, despite not being the extensively trained and tutored in sorcery, despite being a uniquely powerful life mage, her first plan is not to use said unique life magic powers, but just to YEET the thing as hard as she can until it shatters.
It’s hilarious, and I would expect nothing less from the Floof Squad who share about two brain cells between them, both of which are currently being used by Kendal to figure what Falst actually wanted with the lacrima.
Hmm, I wonder. Is Kendal looking down at Falst after he said please or is he looking across at Alinua or something else?
Pleading, not cursing his opponents, not bemoaning his defeat, pleading to the heroes to stop. Doesn’t really paint him as the villain almost everyone in the comic has labeled him, something tells me Kendal is going to follow up on that next page.
I love that eye shot in panel 4, you can just feel his shock as to what was happening and his hope fading. That shot of Ali is good too, are green kirby dots the theme of the life magic and gods in this forest?
Kendal had better follow up on that. They’ve come too far now to not find out what Falst ACTUALLY wants with the lacrima. And I swear to a deity of your choice, it’s gonna turn out that he wasn’t creating the chimeras, he just wanted to be accepted into society.
Falst, I get it. You’re angry. But doing what you were doing with that Lacrimal? NOT the solution. It’s definitely not gonna help your people. (look, at least you don’t have a priest singing about their unholy boner for you)
So… You know how Dr. Jolon said he used the lacrima for spells in major surgery? Is ‘plastic’ surgery or something like it existent in this world? Is that what Falst wants? Not to ‘cure’ himself of his Hybrid Ferin nature, but just to look differently? That’s my current theory, and probably the last one I’ll have a chance to share before we find out Falst’s actual intentions.
Nope, according to the extra lore they are magically inert, which means then cannot be mages, but they are affected by magic. If a thunderbolt is sent at them they get shocked. In the lore when explaining life magic it is said that nobody is totally inert to life magic because the body recognizes it has to grow and so reacts to life magic when it’s affecting his insides.
Mages can be attacked even internally by the kinds of magic they aren’t inert to.
Ferin cannot be attacked internally, but can be healed and transformed.
That’s certainly possible, Falst seems smart enough to know that if the highest mages of the planet couldn’t cure the Ferin curse he certainly can’t. Cosmetic surgery to appear human sounds like an easier feat to accomplish and is something most mages wouldn’t voluntarily do to a Ferin.
From the Ferin lore page it seems they are magically inert, so they can’t be mages, and resistant to magic, so they could tank spells that would debilitate other people. I figure he needs that lacrima for two reasons: it stores and redirects life energy so he doesn’t need to be a mage to use it, and it’s large size can cast spells powerful enough to overcome his magic resistance (remember it’s a resistance, not an immunity).
I think this will go one of two ways, either they will learn Falst’s side of the story and his agressive nature is just his ferinness or he is going to fake this “hug me to the side of good pls” thing while taking the lacrima for himself again. Either way will play out well.
At first I thought he was the “Only Sane One” character but then I realized you were right, especially after Falst’s “Wh-ANYWAY” comment makes him fit that role perfecctly.
Hm, I hadn’t actually thought of this option: maybe someone has convinced Falst that they can make him human, or at least give him the power to make sure that it doesn’t matter either way. We know magic doesn’t effect Ferin, so I doubt he wants to use the lacrima on his own body. I think that either messing with the lacrima will actually do something dangerous, or it will cause whoever’s taking advantage of Falst to become angry with him.
… wait a second, weren’t the Collector and Falst on the same chapter cover page? Maybe the Collector’s ‘soul magic’ or whatever it is can effect Ferin, or allow them to become human? Or at least, that’s what the collector wants Falst to think? Sorry for the text wall!
I stand by my comment back on 1-9-31 that if Falst had said please Aluna would have given him the lacrima because please is “the magic word” (confirmed in the alt text for this comic;).
I predict that ironically Kendall is Unix based, so Falst should have said “Sudo don’t destroy the lacrima” for best effect.
There we go, Falst, use your words! Explain. You might actually accomplish something that way.
Is poor Erin still blind, by the way? I love that Alinua was fully ready to just smash the lacrima even as she checked in with him.
Looks like Erin is still rubbing one of his eyes. I’d guess it’s like getting soap in your eyes in the shower- even after you wash it out, it doesn’t feel right until you’ve attended to your eyes a bit more.
What if (dun dun dun) Doctor Jolon has something to do with Falst? After all Falst stole the life lacrima from him/her/them (I’m not really clear on the gender).
Tragic, there is no TL;DR for this page. Allow me to step in:
Pink floof wants to yeet the lacrima. Nerd floof objects. Lionboi also objects strongly but is too busy being tackled to do anything.
I love how Alinua’s awesome magic has become so familiar now that Red feels comfortable drawing it in the background and not dedicating a whole frame to it.
Also, my heart is breaking even more for Falst, and I can tell Kendal’s feeling it too.
My heart is breaking too. But not as much as Falst’s wrist.
*rimshot*
Oof
It looks pretty fricking awesome in the background, too
Also Kendal’s suddenly realizing “Falst can’t be evil, he’s moved on from saying “NO” to saying “PLEASE”
i feel for falst. i assume hes talking about alinua destorying the lacrima. also i think that the magic removel proccess somehow doesnt work (maybe because falst or kendal ended up sabotauging it) and then it breaks
oh Falst 🙁
“DO I JUST SMASH IT?!?”
“WH- NO!”
one of the best dialogues in this comic so far omg
Those are good lines, but I respectfully disagree. Nothing can beat the dialogue between Erin and the Void Dragon. Still my favorite scene of this strip, and it’ll probably always be. They’ve just got SUCH a great dynamic!
“Please, no formalities between us.” *sinister grin* “We’re already so close.”
That line is so f*cking RAW and I love it
EVERYTHING about that chapter is amazing. There’s so much to like! The way the Void Dragon doesn’t play the “oh please you’re not immortal so you’re an idiot” card and acknowledges that Erin is smart. VD’s monologuing. Erin’s almost-sacrifice. The Dragon’s brilliant appeal to his ego.
Some of my favorite lines are:
“Don’t play dumb. I’m in your mind.”
“So there’s no way out.” – “A matter of perspective.”
“Heh. There’s no point in fear NOW.”
“I do not wither. I am the withering.”
“Yes, the Storm. More than a shield–the perfect lure for a curious mind.” (“Oh jeez that’s me.”)
“Well, you certainly know how to sour a victory. Being your puppet is taking all the fun out of being an elemental magus.”
“Wow. Sounds like you’ve already got this all figured out.” – “Yes. I thought you’d appreciate it.”
“Your plan has one small problem, though.” – “Oh?” – “I don’t like it.”
“Don’t think you can bluff with me. We both know you can’t do this. You’re not the self-sacrificing type. You’re selfish! Arrogant! TERRIFIED!” – “And you gave me NOTHING to lose!”
“Wow, you’re getting really desperate. You’ve made it very clear that your power’s not mine to control.” – “But someday it could be.”
I could go on and on–seriously, I think they have my favorite villain/hero dynamic in all fiction–but I’m sure it’s annoying for me to spout lines from parts of the comic long-gone, so I’m gonna sign off now. Still, though. Awesome scene.
I like how Kendal told Alinua that she’s the best person to destroy the lacrima, and despite not being the strongest physically, despite not being the extensively trained and tutored in sorcery, despite being a uniquely powerful life mage, her first plan is not to use said unique life magic powers, but just to YEET the thing as hard as she can until it shatters.
It’s hilarious, and I would expect nothing less from the Floof Squad who share about two brain cells between them, both of which are currently being used by Kendal to figure what Falst actually wanted with the lacrima.
You’re forgetting the extensive knowledge our dear floofy boi, Kendal has in the graceful art of stabbing things until they go away.
great, Everyone in a 10 mile radius is gonna di- oh wait that’s erin
Also Falst is zuko basically
everyone is waiting for when he joins the gang
and hates what he’s doing
Those last two panels… Kendal realizes that he never found out WHAT THE LACRIMA WAS FOR
Hmm, I wonder. Is Kendal looking down at Falst after he said please or is he looking across at Alinua or something else?
Pleading, not cursing his opponents, not bemoaning his defeat, pleading to the heroes to stop. Doesn’t really paint him as the villain almost everyone in the comic has labeled him, something tells me Kendal is going to follow up on that next page.
I love that eye shot in panel 4, you can just feel his shock as to what was happening and his hope fading. That shot of Ali is good too, are green kirby dots the theme of the life magic and gods in this forest?
Kendal had better follow up on that. They’ve come too far now to not find out what Falst ACTUALLY wants with the lacrima. And I swear to a deity of your choice, it’s gonna turn out that he wasn’t creating the chimeras, he just wanted to be accepted into society.
Pretty sure he’s looking at Falst, given the look of surprise on his face.
Falst, I get it. You’re angry. But doing what you were doing with that Lacrimal? NOT the solution. It’s definitely not gonna help your people. (look, at least you don’t have a priest singing about their unholy boner for you)
Hellfire indeed
Also, we don’t know if the chimeras are his
So… You know how Dr. Jolon said he used the lacrima for spells in major surgery? Is ‘plastic’ surgery or something like it existent in this world? Is that what Falst wants? Not to ‘cure’ himself of his Hybrid Ferin nature, but just to look differently? That’s my current theory, and probably the last one I’ll have a chance to share before we find out Falst’s actual intentions.
The problem is that magic doesn’t really work on Ferin. I don’t think such a surgery would be successful on Falst.
Shoot. I forgot about that. Well, I’m still not sure what’s going on then, but Falst is definitely up to something unexpected.
Nope, according to the extra lore they are magically inert, which means then cannot be mages, but they are affected by magic. If a thunderbolt is sent at them they get shocked. In the lore when explaining life magic it is said that nobody is totally inert to life magic because the body recognizes it has to grow and so reacts to life magic when it’s affecting his insides.
Mages can be attacked even internally by the kinds of magic they aren’t inert to.
Ferin cannot be attacked internally, but can be healed and transformed.
That’s certainly possible, Falst seems smart enough to know that if the highest mages of the planet couldn’t cure the Ferin curse he certainly can’t. Cosmetic surgery to appear human sounds like an easier feat to accomplish and is something most mages wouldn’t voluntarily do to a Ferin.
From the Ferin lore page it seems they are magically inert, so they can’t be mages, and resistant to magic, so they could tank spells that would debilitate other people. I figure he needs that lacrima for two reasons: it stores and redirects life energy so he doesn’t need to be a mage to use it, and it’s large size can cast spells powerful enough to overcome his magic resistance (remember it’s a resistance, not an immunity).
Well, this might correspond to what they said about the runic spells on the lacrima…but again, I don’t know if it could even work.
Hellfire indeed
Oh god, the “krick” of Falst’s right wrist in the fifth panel… ouch
This opens the door to a number of possibilities.
I think this will go one of two ways, either they will learn Falst’s side of the story and his agressive nature is just his ferinness or he is going to fake this “hug me to the side of good pls” thing while taking the lacrima for himself again. Either way will play out well.
I like that erin has returned to his tried and tested role in the group as the person who tells the others that their plans and actions are stupid
At first I thought he was the “Only Sane One” character but then I realized you were right, especially after Falst’s “Wh-ANYWAY” comment makes him fit that role perfecctly.
Hm, I hadn’t actually thought of this option: maybe someone has convinced Falst that they can make him human, or at least give him the power to make sure that it doesn’t matter either way. We know magic doesn’t effect Ferin, so I doubt he wants to use the lacrima on his own body. I think that either messing with the lacrima will actually do something dangerous, or it will cause whoever’s taking advantage of Falst to become angry with him.
… wait a second, weren’t the Collector and Falst on the same chapter cover page? Maybe the Collector’s ‘soul magic’ or whatever it is can effect Ferin, or allow them to become human? Or at least, that’s what the collector wants Falst to think? Sorry for the text wall!
KENDAL GIVE FALST A HUG HE NEEDS ONE NOW
I stand by my comment back on 1-9-31 that if Falst had said please Aluna would have given him the lacrima because please is “the magic word” (confirmed in the alt text for this comic;).
I predict that ironically Kendall is Unix based, so Falst should have said “Sudo don’t destroy the lacrima” for best effect.
There we go, Falst, use your words! Explain. You might actually accomplish something that way.
Is poor Erin still blind, by the way? I love that Alinua was fully ready to just smash the lacrima even as she checked in with him.
Looks like Erin is still rubbing one of his eyes. I’d guess it’s like getting soap in your eyes in the shower- even after you wash it out, it doesn’t feel right until you’ve attended to your eyes a bit more.
Agreed, though considering Falst’s possible past as a social outcast I doubt talking ever got him far.
(btw how do you get your comment into italics?)
That’s what I want to know. I LOVE me some italics.
Please share with us your secrets, O Tifa the Learned
Gotta love Falst’s slit pupils widening and contracting depending on his emotional state
I wonder if he sees different frequencies of light like real cats. Or if he’s as nearsighted or if he has ‘eye shine’?
What if (dun dun dun) Doctor Jolon has something to do with Falst? After all Falst stole the life lacrima from him/her/them (I’m not really clear on the gender).
Him
I thought as much…
Alinua: I’m gonna YEET the lacrima!
Erin: DO NOT YEET THE LACRIMA!
“You’re the best person to destroy it”
*two panels later *
“DO I JUST SMASH IT?”
Alt text: the magic word!
Image source: please
(Kindness goes a long way. Or in this case just far enough.)
Tragic, there is no TL;DR for this page. Allow me to step in:
Pink floof wants to yeet the lacrima. Nerd floof objects. Lionboi also objects strongly but is too busy being tackled to do anything.