Short version, one of the sketches Red did a while back shows Falst and his mother in a cute dress. Another sketch later shows a cave crawler wearing rags, and some people think the rags look like the same dress, suggesting that Falst’s mother got void-corrupted at some point (cave crawlers are humans corrupted by void and consequently tormented with insatiable hunger, thus always sssstarving). That word, or maybe realizing this is a cave crawler, seems to have affected Falst more than just “ew a monster”.
I explained it somewhere in the comments below. Go take a look if you do not mind a -possibly correct-prediction of a -possibly heartbreaking- plot point
Aurora Question #24: Picture for a moment if Red decided one day to put one of the Floof Gang in a situation where they had o lose their floof. How do you feel about this possibility?
Probably a very contraversal opinion but I quite enjoy it when characters get dramatic appearance changes. As such it is likely I would think it would be cool.
Ha! If Red were to draw the floof squad bald that might be entertaining but if she told the story without explaining/exploring/showing their inner floofiness that would boring!
It would make for a very dramatic and introspective character arc; who are they now, without their floor? how do they process this loss? why was their floor taken away? was it a necessary sacrifice, or a traumatic attack? will their floor ever return? are they stronger without it?
If it helps any, I read every instance of floor as floof without noticing whatsoever. Then I read about your plight and re-read to check, and indeed, was floored.
To veggiesnake & Testing-the-waters We all make mistakes, computers can be annoying, most readers are more interested in the Aurora storyline and your ideas than unintended errors (though they can loom large in the writer’s mind) and I am glad you are aware of making them because it shows you are aware of them and conscious of wanting to do better. Good joob!
Having been shorn myself. Empathy. As to who would handle it from best to worst Tess and Erin are disqualified as neither of them are fluffy so much as feathery. Danix (most practical, has too much else to worry about), Alinua (she can probably grow it right back and she doesn’t strike me as quite as disturbed by that sort of thing), Falst (is very displeased because personal space issues and the possibility of not being fuzzy anywhere), Kendal (because his identity is so tied up in Vash. Also it would be his first haircut, I doubt Vash ever needed a haircut being that he didn’t stay in his incarnations long).
Oh c’mon Falst, maybe it just needs a Snickers.
Another thing that sets this crawler apart from the others; it can be scared away. The chapter 7 crawlers never seemed to hesitate going after Erin or the Paladin champion, but this one isn’t blinded by hunger, at least not yet. Good news for these two, unless it’s scampering back for reinforcements.
Falst yelled with a jagged speech bubble with jagged, distorted, slanting letters; not a good sign. Neither is his shaking body in panel 4 and need of a cooldown in panel 5. I’m not sure he’s encountered cave crawlers before, but this one certainly reminded him of something he has experienced.
I did not notice that but I did notice that in the second panel of this page that the text describing the action (‘whip’ and ‘crack’) for the thrown rock implied great force (some accuracy based were it hit in the picture).
I feel like it’s a lot simpler than people think. Falst was shunned and hated for being what he is. I would bet you money that people threw rocks at him to scare him off. It just suddenly hit him that he was doing the same thing those people he hated did.
I fear this may be a more powerful foe than anticipated. The shear length of its hair means that if it just took a proper shower, its floof could rival the greatest.
Alright, adding a pin to my Falst backstory mental conspiracy board; legitimately triggered by starvation and mentions thereof. I know he’s had to survive on his own for a while, and inferring from his sarcastic comment to Alinua when she was buying that melon, he’s had to steal just to keep himself fed; but I wonder if his reaction here alludes to something else as well as that. Perhaps he was starving even before he was on his own, and his family cast him out to conserve resources, expecting him to survive? “Find your way if you are truly my son.”
About that… me and atleast one more person have this theory, the cavecrawler mom theory. It all started when Red posted a couple sketches of Falst’s mom on her tumblr (you can find them fairly easily under the “sketches” tag, I think). Combined with a storyboard from ch21 Red posted somewhere a LONG time ago (which I couldn’t find anywhere no matter how much I looked), they sparked this theory.
Among the sketches of Falst and his mom, there’s a cave crawler earily dressed like her. On the top of that picture, a pair of hands can be seen, as if looking from above.
The storyboard, as I remember it, looked like a messy flasback of many pictures (a child’s(?) hand grasping an adult’s, Falst fighting cave crawlers, a fallen person AND- what I assume to be the full picture of that sketch, from falsts perspective; him looking down to crawler
I don’t know about that. I found that post myself ( here, if anyone is interested.) and I’m pretty sure that’s the top of Dainix’s head in the second image. Plus you can kinda see the mom’s freckles in the crawler. Maybe Falst has a flashback and tells Dainix his repressed memories of his mother turning into a monster.
Hmm, strangely emotional reaction. I think there’s two options here as to what triggered it.
1: This reminded Falst of some previous traumatic experience
2: Falst gets really freaked out by horror stuff
I’m guessing that Falst isn’t so much affected by the Cave Crawler here as he is by the fact that it said it was “STARVING”. Being a homeless fugitive on the run for most of his life, the guy can probably relate.
Oh gods I completely forgot to check when the page uploaded, I guess this is what being back to school does to you. (Also dangit Red now I had to raise the screen brightness because of how dark these pages are!)
His thrown stone misses, the Crawler evades
He hides the tears, follows where its laughter fades
Random Theory:
Since being a ferin prevents someone form accessing magical powers, and the void dragon needed an elemental magus to release it, could it be possible that the wandering mage created ferin for the express purpose of depleting the world of any viable magic users? Obviously this plan would have taken a lot of time but since ferin populations have been steadily rising over the centuries since their creation, It could have worked. Thoughts?
And it would give them other abilities to help them survive without magic such as enhanced strength, agility and healing. That’s actually a pretty good theory
You’re not the only person to have this theory!
My version of this theory goes like this: The ferin mage was both a Life mage and a Paladin, and since I believe that LD represents soul energy, I think this might be what allowed them to change the way ferin’s souls form.
and it would give them other abilities to help with the loss of magic such as enhanced strength, agility, and healing. that’s actually a pretty good theory.
Aww, Falst is such a nice lad. He aimed to miss the crawler and just wanted to scare it away, even if he was freaked out. Well, freaked out, shaken and injured.
Seriously, ALL the floof squad need to be hugged and held and wrapped in blankets to rest for at least a week.
…uh oh. The mom theory…
what is the mom theory?
Short version, one of the sketches Red did a while back shows Falst and his mother in a cute dress. Another sketch later shows a cave crawler wearing rags, and some people think the rags look like the same dress, suggesting that Falst’s mother got void-corrupted at some point (cave crawlers are humans corrupted by void and consequently tormented with insatiable hunger, thus always sssstarving). That word, or maybe realizing this is a cave crawler, seems to have affected Falst more than just “ew a monster”.
what’s that about?
I hadn’t heard the mom theory but just hearing the name made my heart break
The what now?
I explained it somewhere in the comments below. Go take a look if you do not mind a -possibly correct-prediction of a -possibly heartbreaking- plot point
The what?
Add my voice to the chorus desperately asking “Huh?”
I think he means there could be a bigger badder zombie.
Nope! Even worse!
(Btw, *she)
You’re rocking it, Falst! Keep up the good work!
Aurora Question #24: Picture for a moment if Red decided one day to put one of the Floof Gang in a situation where they had o lose their floof. How do you feel about this possibility?
Probably a very contraversal opinion but I quite enjoy it when characters get dramatic appearance changes. As such it is likely I would think it would be cool.
The Floof must stay.
she already did that, don’t tell me everyone forgot long haired princely erin so quickly
Ha! If Red were to draw the floof squad bald that might be entertaining but if she told the story without explaining/exploring/showing their inner floofiness that would boring!
Depends on if the character looks good, if they look more fabulous then the floof was an acceptable sacrifice
It would make for a very dramatic and introspective character arc; who are they now, without their floor? how do they process this loss? why was their floor taken away? was it a necessary sacrifice, or a traumatic attack? will their floor ever return? are they stronger without it?
NO AUTOCORRECT CHANGED EVERY “FLOOF” TO ‘FLOOR’ 🙁 IT’S SO SILLY NOW
If it helps any, I read every instance of floor as floof without noticing whatsoever. Then I read about your plight and re-read to check, and indeed, was floored.
To veggiesnake & Testing-the-waters We all make mistakes, computers can be annoying, most readers are more interested in the Aurora storyline and your ideas than unintended errors (though they can loom large in the writer’s mind) and I am glad you are aware of making them because it shows you are aware of them and conscious of wanting to do better. Good joob!
Depends on who. I usually like changes to design, but I just cannot picture some of these guys floof-less.
Having been shorn myself. Empathy. As to who would handle it from best to worst Tess and Erin are disqualified as neither of them are fluffy so much as feathery. Danix (most practical, has too much else to worry about), Alinua (she can probably grow it right back and she doesn’t strike me as quite as disturbed by that sort of thing), Falst (is very displeased because personal space issues and the possibility of not being fuzzy anywhere), Kendal (because his identity is so tied up in Vash. Also it would be his first haircut, I doubt Vash ever needed a haircut being that he didn’t stay in his incarnations long).
woah. pent up anger there buddy.
And self-loathing, don’t forget the self-loathing.
Alt Text: I’ll keep all my feelings right here and then one day I’ll die
File name: “CH20_008_crack”
Our usual person was late. :V
Oh c’mon Falst, maybe it just needs a Snickers.
Another thing that sets this crawler apart from the others; it can be scared away. The chapter 7 crawlers never seemed to hesitate going after Erin or the Paladin champion, but this one isn’t blinded by hunger, at least not yet. Good news for these two, unless it’s scampering back for reinforcements.
Falst yelled with a jagged speech bubble with jagged, distorted, slanting letters; not a good sign. Neither is his shaking body in panel 4 and need of a cooldown in panel 5. I’m not sure he’s encountered cave crawlers before, but this one certainly reminded him of something he has experienced.
Thank you for that insight into this panel/page. I found it encouraging!
“I’ll keep all my feelings right here and then one day I’ll die” (Alt-Text)
You… you okay there, buddy?
falst…? what is that hesitation…? some kind of backstory thing…?
can we talk about the huge hulking arms red gave falst in the last row of panels… those biceps man
I did not notice that but I did notice that in the second panel of this page that the text describing the action (‘whip’ and ‘crack’) for the thrown rock implied great force (some accuracy based were it hit in the picture).
Either I slept through my alarm again or it didn’t go off, but I woke up just in time to catch the Twitter and Tumblr links.
For mobile readers.
Alt-text: I’ll keep all my feelings right here and then one day I’ll die
Image source: crack
Wow that cave crawler wasn’t very good at it’s job
FALST? BACKSTORY ANGST?? I COULD NEVER
A traumatic backstory? In MY angsty catboy lancer?
It’s more likely than you think.
I feel like it’s a lot simpler than people think. Falst was shunned and hated for being what he is. I would bet you money that people threw rocks at him to scare him off. It just suddenly hit him that he was doing the same thing those people he hated did.
I fear this may be a more powerful foe than anticipated. The shear length of its hair means that if it just took a proper shower, its floof could rival the greatest.
falst is totally fine. doesnt need therapy or anything.
Alright, adding a pin to my Falst backstory mental conspiracy board; legitimately triggered by starvation and mentions thereof. I know he’s had to survive on his own for a while, and inferring from his sarcastic comment to Alinua when she was buying that melon, he’s had to steal just to keep himself fed; but I wonder if his reaction here alludes to something else as well as that. Perhaps he was starving even before he was on his own, and his family cast him out to conserve resources, expecting him to survive? “Find your way if you are truly my son.”
About that… me and atleast one more person have this theory, the cavecrawler mom theory. It all started when Red posted a couple sketches of Falst’s mom on her tumblr (you can find them fairly easily under the “sketches” tag, I think). Combined with a storyboard from ch21 Red posted somewhere a LONG time ago (which I couldn’t find anywhere no matter how much I looked), they sparked this theory.
Among the sketches of Falst and his mom, there’s a cave crawler earily dressed like her. On the top of that picture, a pair of hands can be seen, as if looking from above.
The storyboard, as I remember it, looked like a messy flasback of many pictures (a child’s(?) hand grasping an adult’s, Falst fighting cave crawlers, a fallen person AND- what I assume to be the full picture of that sketch, from falsts perspective; him looking down to crawler
Possibly his mom.
Heck, I made a spelling error. Got carried away and wrote too much too fast.
Forget all that, the more I think about the starvation explanation the more it makes sense. One thing is certain, this boy can’t catch a break
I don’t know about that. I found that post myself ( here, if anyone is interested.) and I’m pretty sure that’s the top of Dainix’s head in the second image. Plus you can kinda see the mom’s freckles in the crawler. Maybe Falst has a flashback and tells Dainix his repressed memories of his mother turning into a monster.
Good job falst you threw a rock
Hmm, strangely emotional reaction. I think there’s two options here as to what triggered it.
1: This reminded Falst of some previous traumatic experience
2: Falst gets really freaked out by horror stuff
gollum, gollum
nooo my perfect child
get some therapy
seriously, it’s free real estate in this world
I’m guessing that Falst isn’t so much affected by the Cave Crawler here as he is by the fact that it said it was “STARVING”. Being a homeless fugitive on the run for most of his life, the guy can probably relate.
Oh goos point. Hadn’t considered that
*good
What’s with the spelling errors todayyyy
Oh gods I completely forgot to check when the page uploaded, I guess this is what being back to school does to you. (Also dangit Red now I had to raise the screen brightness because of how dark these pages are!)
His thrown stone misses, the Crawler evades
He hides the tears, follows where its laughter fades
Laughter?
Like the murky background nightmare text when Falst was drugged and asleep? I don’t see any of that here.
I think the “hahh hahh” is just him breathing hard.
TL;DR: Much more effective than a snowball, try throwing rocks today!
Or do what Calvin does: put rocks in the snowball. Heheheh…
Can’t find the storyboard mentioned elswhere in the comments (first time commenting)
Random Theory:
Since being a ferin prevents someone form accessing magical powers, and the void dragon needed an elemental magus to release it, could it be possible that the wandering mage created ferin for the express purpose of depleting the world of any viable magic users? Obviously this plan would have taken a lot of time but since ferin populations have been steadily rising over the centuries since their creation, It could have worked. Thoughts?
And it would give them other abilities to help them survive without magic such as enhanced strength, agility and healing. That’s actually a pretty good theory
You’re not the only person to have this theory!
My version of this theory goes like this: The ferin mage was both a Life mage and a Paladin, and since I believe that LD represents soul energy, I think this might be what allowed them to change the way ferin’s souls form.
and it would give them other abilities to help with the loss of magic such as enhanced strength, agility, and healing. that’s actually a pretty good theory.
Aww, Falst is such a nice lad. He aimed to miss the crawler and just wanted to scare it away, even if he was freaked out. Well, freaked out, shaken and injured.
Seriously, ALL the floof squad need to be hugged and held and wrapped in blankets to rest for at least a week.