i got here so early it hadn’t updated yet even tho it was 3:00 lol — longest 15 seconds of my life! goddamn this is so so heartbreaking, i wonder how dainix is gonna react to this
Oh my lord that is horrible. Guess we know who has the most tragic backstory… Anyways, anyone notice how in the 4th panel we see Falst’s Mum without the shadow? Her arms look like they’ve been mutating, and her hair is still there. Highly possible that she still looks like her, which means Falst had to have seen his mothers face as she tried to kill him.
Aurora Question #68: What is the worst thing, in your opinion, that can happen to someone in Aurora?
I would say watching someone you love being transformed by Cave corruption or Void corruption or Chimera corruption and not be able to help them or release them and worst for a young innocent child. Where’s the Paladin when you need him? Right now fortunately I can not imagine worste but I know Red can and does know something even worst since Vash is still the vile trap and being experimented on and cut up by the Collector. I try not to dwell on thoughts like that and let the professionals create catharsis. The ancient Greeks called them playwriters.
I agree.
Imagine growing up with your family who probably are the only people you love and who love you back, because the rest of the world is racist towards you, even though you are a literal CHILD and then having to watch your mother get sick, without anything
you can do about it because you are still a literal child. It just keeps getting worse, which would be bad enough on it own if she died of her illness and you and your dad would have been in grief together.
But then seeing your dad leave uncertain of him ever comming back or even surviving, turning your life into a waiting game with the only hope of it getting better being a return that might never happen, leaving you, again just a CHILD alone to survive on your own and also in charge of your mothers obviously not changing and unwell well being, which is why you will feel guilty about not being able to help or save her for the rest of your existence, even though NOTHING about this situation was your fault.
THEN your mother, who tried to make you feel betten about this situation “dyies” under your care, which obviously makes you feel even more guilty and horrible.
OH just kidding it’s way worse than that, because your mothers mysterious sickness was cave corruption this whole time and now she’s turning into an elderich abomination, who still kind of looks like this person you have loved and who has cared for you your entire Iife and who is trying to KILL you, her own, beloved son now, while you hide, unable to leave your own home which is now turning into your tomb.
Meanwhile you, halfway starved and dehydrated, wonder if you have the same fate as her and will soon transform into a monster yourself, who will destroy everything you have ever known and loved, while probably still having an awful lot of pain, trying to fight against this process.
Still not traumatized enough? Well thankfully your dad returns after you hilde for who-know-how-many miserable days, just in time to KILL your mother and his beloved partner, while you try to convince yourself that this monster wasn’t her anymore, so you don’t fully go insane because of the hell on earth you have just went through, emotionally scared for the rest of your life.
Wow sorry for the rant, but apperently I have a LOT of thoughts about this.
Naw, ir’s good feedback. Red appreciates getting the honest emotions of people- its how Red knows how effective her storytelling is working @karryisamess
I might be wrong, but I think we saw him become a tree? Unless the tree was just a transport tree. My read of that situation was more of a “your body gets reorganized to become a tree while your soul fully stops being you, on account of now being a tree” thing than a “trapped forever, still conscious, inside a tree” thing… but Gleicann is a nature god, his divine punishments might get that messed up.
… Red may be able to crack a joke about this in the alt-text, but I can’t.
Choosing when or when not to use SFX is important for the scene, as Red has explained on the tumblr a few times. No SFX in the flashbacks makes them feel distant, slower, the scenes of violence in panels 3 and 8 carry a different weight, that all melds with the different brush style so well.
Many different traumatic events happened to Falst then, and unfortunately several followed afterwards all his life. While he wanted to be human so he would no longer be alone, I bet part of it was also to remove his claws. Still, I think him traveling with the gang, while detrimental to his physical health, is probably good for his mental health.
This may add an element of grief and guilt to Falst’s dad supposed abandonment of his son. Having to kill his own wife after finding no cure and too late to protect his son; his sense of failing his wife and living with Falst, a constant reminder of her, could have been what made him push Falst away. He’s still in the wrong, but I think it’s good to play devil’s advocate for characters we don’t know properly.
Did she know…? What she was turning into?… Did she have those terifying last minutes of concience, knowing what a danger she would become to her own child, while unable to move, speak? And the father? He probably knew or atleast understood. But did he knowingly leave Falst behind, to be eaten if he was too late to save both of them? Would he?
Let me just pull out the boards again hold on
There was nobody else to help, either way.
They didn’t live in a city nor a village.
It might’ve been just the three of them, away from all help – a human and a Ferin with a Ferin child; possibly some sweet forbidden love story that ended in the worst way possible for everyone involved.
And when he returned, he wouldn’t be able to see Falst. And tiny, tiny Falst would still be up there
She probably didn’t, or she would have told Falst to run and be safe or something. I’m starting to think the father didn’t know either. Why would he leave his child to die and then come back? He must have thought it was some generic although serious illness and meant to come back as soon as he found a cure. He probably wasn’t prepared to find his wife horribly mutated, with bloodied claws and son gone.
Initially I was worried he had gone out for milk but seeing he came back I think it’s safe to assume he cared and wanted to help his family. We know Falst’s mom cared about her son, singing to him even when sick. The parents must have been really in love to choose to live together and start a family, considering how unkind society is to ferin.
I did say minutes – although you’re right, I don’t think mom would’ve been conscious enough to realise she was losing her sanity. I was drawing upon cave crawlers retaining some awareness for a just a little bit, like the one that was able to utter “please” at Dainix. As for the dad going “I can either save both or neither” I definately overdid it. He couldn’t have possibly known. Perhaps he thought he could be home sooner but yeah.
I still do believe Falst was full on abandoned at some point (see “find your way if you’re trully my son”, panel 1 page 1.15.1, over the writing on Emira’s gravestone (seen again in page 1.21.16) ergo soon. As well as page 1.11.33)
As to why, my only guess was Falst’s father felt he couldn’t raise him alone, nor give him to another family (note their isolation, probably a place very hostile to ferins). I worry that Falst might’ve inherited his hatred for his condition from his father, who perhaps (and I am overdoing it here again) felt they couldn’t possibly continue living safely without Emira. I am stretching it, but it was my only guess. We’re going to find out soon anyway.
Oh, don’t worry about doing a little wild theorizing – it’s FUN! Besides, it’s really tough to put the puzzle pieces of Falst’s abandonment(?) together at this point. So far we have:
¶ Falst’s dad’s only confirmed actions so far are trying his best to help his sick partner – followed by the only apparent solution left.
¶ “You will find your way if you are truly my son”
¶ Erin (to Kendal): “Listen, no matter WHAT kind of parent you have– you don’t owe them just because they made you.”
. .Falst: “Psh. No kidding.”
. .(https://comicaurora.com/aurora/1-11-33/)
¶ Falst says he doesn’t remember hating his claws before this incident.
Hm. No evidence of Falst’s dad caring about HIM yet. Just about mom (Emira?). It does seem like nothing in Falst’s upbringing before this incident fomented ferin–based self–loathing though, that’s new information!
I’m pretty sure they aren’t immune to elemental corruption but are more resistant. So they could still be corrupted, but maybe they’d need more cave exposure to get a certain amount of corruption. I can’t remember exactly where I got that from- something Red said, maybe?
I find panel two- face of Falst, such a mix of emotions and words, so rational in tone quite a contrast and mix of tensions and framed by his innocent look of shock and the blood spilt on the wall still fresh really polarizing, What a way to build tension!
how did Red manage to make a comic wherein I want to hug all the characters? Kendal, Alinua, Tess, and Dainix because I love them and they’re great; Erin because he’d find it annoying and I think that’s hilarious; Falst because he so desperately needs it and honestly so do I. The obvious best way to end this conversation will be however Red chooses to do it, but the second-best way would be Dainix giving Falst a big ol’ bear hug.
In other news, happy pride month to all you loud & proud out folks, and to those like me who haven’t come out yet. I’m ace and I know if I tell my parents they’ll say that I’m gonna change my mind when I meet the right person.
I am glad you have come to terms with your orientation. I pray that someday your parents will be able to accept that have no control over your perceptions and accept you as you are and confuse your own self view. Love should be unconditional but we all so wanting in mature thinking. (smiles sadly)
Y’know, even IF a person isn’t as decided as you & might very well change their mind about how they label their orientation or whatever other aspect at some point, that really doesn’t give anyone a right to discredit how they define themself here & now.
That’s how I see it, at least, as one of those less decided people (orientation–wise). One might even say I’m… on the fence about it!
F*ck. Just… f*ck. The terror Falst felt upon seeing his mom transformed and violent. The amount of blood she drew. His implied panicked scramble up the walls. The fact that he was up in the rafters, starving, bleeding, unable to move, for days, all the while terrified of the thing his mom had become and terrified that he would end up like her. His dad finally getting home, reigniting a spark of hope within him… only to watch what had been his mother killed right before his eyes. I don’t think Falst’s dad failed to notice Falst in the rafters, but if this is the point where “You will find your way if you are truly my son” becomes relevant, then he really deserves to be punched in the face.
Falst’s earlier conversation with Dainix makes me think he no longer has species dysphoria, but we can see here where it got its start in him. It ran even deeper than I thought it did, not just born of bigotry, but of childhood trauma too.
Is it just me, or does Small Falst look like he has claw slashes in the same place on his right side as the slashes that Big Falst is currently sporting? Might be just a torn shirt that’s looking like injuries because of the awesome sketchy effect, or it might be something that’s contributing to this whole situation hitting him even harder than it already was…
Isn’t it great that we have not one but two people with very good and valid reasons not to go into the caves and try to help Vash? So helpful and convenient! hope they manage.
I know Dainix is the emotional core of the group and he’s probably going to give Falst the hug he needs, but he’s also just spent quite some time very much in prison, very much surrounded by tragic backstories so I am also fully prepared for the most “cowabummer” reaction possible on the next page.
For mobile readers.
Alt-text: introducing falst’s father the way he was always meant to be seen: ass first
Image source: gone
i got here so early it hadn’t updated yet even tho it was 3:00 lol — longest 15 seconds of my life! goddamn this is so so heartbreaking, i wonder how dainix is gonna react to this
Honestly, the most messed up part of this is that I’m kinda relieved Falst wasn’t the one to kill his mom, because I was dreading that for a while now
You think kid Falst could kill a cave crawler?
Yes. but it’d be a draw likely.
Oh my lord that is horrible. Guess we know who has the most tragic backstory… Anyways, anyone notice how in the 4th panel we see Falst’s Mum without the shadow? Her arms look like they’ve been mutating, and her hair is still there. Highly possible that she still looks like her, which means Falst had to have seen his mothers face as she tried to kill him.
Aurora Question #68: What is the worst thing, in your opinion, that can happen to someone in Aurora?
This.
Based on this flashback
I would say cave starvation
Or life mutations
I would say watching someone you love being transformed by Cave corruption or Void corruption or Chimera corruption and not be able to help them or release them and worst for a young innocent child. Where’s the Paladin when you need him? Right now fortunately I can not imagine worste but I know Red can and does know something even worst since Vash is still the vile trap and being experimented on and cut up by the Collector. I try not to dwell on thoughts like that and let the professionals create catharsis. The ancient Greeks called them playwriters.
Probably this, your own mom trying to kill you due to cave corruption.
I agree.
Imagine growing up with your family who probably are the only people you love and who love you back, because the rest of the world is racist towards you, even though you are a literal CHILD and then having to watch your mother get sick, without anything
you can do about it because you are still a literal child. It just keeps getting worse, which would be bad enough on it own if she died of her illness and you and your dad would have been in grief together.
But then seeing your dad leave uncertain of him ever comming back or even surviving, turning your life into a waiting game with the only hope of it getting better being a return that might never happen, leaving you, again just a CHILD alone to survive on your own and also in charge of your mothers obviously not changing and unwell well being, which is why you will feel guilty about not being able to help or save her for the rest of your existence, even though NOTHING about this situation was your fault.
THEN your mother, who tried to make you feel betten about this situation “dyies” under your care, which obviously makes you feel even more guilty and horrible.
OH just kidding it’s way worse than that, because your mothers mysterious sickness was cave corruption this whole time and now she’s turning into an elderich abomination, who still kind of looks like this person you have loved and who has cared for you your entire Iife and who is trying to KILL you, her own, beloved son now, while you hide, unable to leave your own home which is now turning into your tomb.
Meanwhile you, halfway starved and dehydrated, wonder if you have the same fate as her and will soon transform into a monster yourself, who will destroy everything you have ever known and loved, while probably still having an awful lot of pain, trying to fight against this process.
Still not traumatized enough? Well thankfully your dad returns after you hilde for who-know-how-many miserable days, just in time to KILL your mother and his beloved partner, while you try to convince yourself that this monster wasn’t her anymore, so you don’t fully go insane because of the hell on earth you have just went through, emotionally scared for the rest of your life.
Wow sorry for the rant, but apperently I have a LOT of thoughts about this.
Naw, ir’s good feedback. Red appreciates getting the honest emotions of people- its how Red knows how effective her storytelling is working @karryisamess
thx:)
Any number of “I have no mouth and I must scream” scenarios, one of which I imagine has visited Dr. Jolon since the Gleicann Arc.
My bet is on “Doctor’ Jolon being transformed to a harmless but useful woodland creature that would be more Gleicann’s style of justice I think.
I might be wrong, but I think we saw him become a tree? Unless the tree was just a transport tree. My read of that situation was more of a “your body gets reorganized to become a tree while your soul fully stops being you, on account of now being a tree” thing than a “trapped forever, still conscious, inside a tree” thing… but Gleicann is a nature god, his divine punishments might get that messed up.
John clear all my meetings, I need to go cry my eyes out.
oh lordy how horid
Oh god did he know Falst was watching. 🙁
… what if he thought Falst had already been eaten?…
ohh my god, what if thats why was all was alone? falsts dad thought he had been eaten so just left, unaware of falst hiding in the rafters
… Red may be able to crack a joke about this in the alt-text, but I can’t.
Choosing when or when not to use SFX is important for the scene, as Red has explained on the tumblr a few times. No SFX in the flashbacks makes them feel distant, slower, the scenes of violence in panels 3 and 8 carry a different weight, that all melds with the different brush style so well.
Many different traumatic events happened to Falst then, and unfortunately several followed afterwards all his life. While he wanted to be human so he would no longer be alone, I bet part of it was also to remove his claws. Still, I think him traveling with the gang, while detrimental to his physical health, is probably good for his mental health.
This may add an element of grief and guilt to Falst’s dad supposed abandonment of his son. Having to kill his own wife after finding no cure and too late to protect his son; his sense of failing his wife and living with Falst, a constant reminder of her, could have been what made him push Falst away. He’s still in the wrong, but I think it’s good to play devil’s advocate for characters we don’t know properly.
Did she know…? What she was turning into?… Did she have those terifying last minutes of concience, knowing what a danger she would become to her own child, while unable to move, speak? And the father? He probably knew or atleast understood. But did he knowingly leave Falst behind, to be eaten if he was too late to save both of them? Would he?
Let me just pull out the boards again hold on
There was nobody else to help, either way.
They didn’t live in a city nor a village.
It might’ve been just the three of them, away from all help – a human and a Ferin with a Ferin child; possibly some sweet forbidden love story that ended in the worst way possible for everyone involved.
And when he returned, he wouldn’t be able to see Falst. And tiny, tiny Falst would still be up there
She probably didn’t, or she would have told Falst to run and be safe or something. I’m starting to think the father didn’t know either. Why would he leave his child to die and then come back? He must have thought it was some generic although serious illness and meant to come back as soon as he found a cure. He probably wasn’t prepared to find his wife horribly mutated, with bloodied claws and son gone.
Initially I was worried he had gone out for milk but seeing he came back I think it’s safe to assume he cared and wanted to help his family. We know Falst’s mom cared about her son, singing to him even when sick. The parents must have been really in love to choose to live together and start a family, considering how unkind society is to ferin.
I did say minutes – although you’re right, I don’t think mom would’ve been conscious enough to realise she was losing her sanity. I was drawing upon cave crawlers retaining some awareness for a just a little bit, like the one that was able to utter “please” at Dainix. As for the dad going “I can either save both or neither” I definately overdid it. He couldn’t have possibly known. Perhaps he thought he could be home sooner but yeah.
I still do believe Falst was full on abandoned at some point (see “find your way if you’re trully my son”, panel 1 page 1.15.1, over the writing on Emira’s gravestone (seen again in page 1.21.16) ergo soon. As well as page 1.11.33)
As to why, my only guess was Falst’s father felt he couldn’t raise him alone, nor give him to another family (note their isolation, probably a place very hostile to ferins). I worry that Falst might’ve inherited his hatred for his condition from his father, who perhaps (and I am overdoing it here again) felt they couldn’t possibly continue living safely without Emira.
I am stretching it, but it was my only guess. We’re going to find out soon anyway.
Oh, don’t worry about doing a little wild theorizing – it’s FUN! Besides, it’s really tough to put the puzzle pieces of Falst’s abandonment(?) together at this point. So far we have:
¶ Falst’s dad’s only confirmed actions so far are trying his best to help his sick partner – followed by the only apparent solution left.
¶ “You will find your way if you are truly my son”
¶ Erin (to Kendal): “Listen, no matter WHAT kind of parent you have– you don’t owe them just because they made you.”
. .Falst: “Psh. No kidding.”
. .(https://comicaurora.com/aurora/1-11-33/)
¶ Falst says he doesn’t remember hating his claws before this incident.
Hm. No evidence of Falst’s dad caring about HIM yet. Just about mom (Emira?). It does seem like nothing in Falst’s upbringing before this incident fomented ferin–based self–loathing though, that’s new information!
Are ferrin immune to the effects of the singing caves/ void dragon corruption? Since they’re magically inert?
I’m pretty sure they aren’t immune to elemental corruption but are more resistant. So they could still be corrupted, but maybe they’d need more cave exposure to get a certain amount of corruption. I can’t remember exactly where I got that from- something Red said, maybe?
I’m impressed, Falst’s backstory got EVEN MORE depressing 🙁
Oh, just wait til Friday…(cue ominous and foreboding music)
oh no, please.
I’d say that it can’t get worse than this, but that would probably jinx it
Knowing how Red treats Falst, it’s almost certainly going to get worse
I find panel two- face of Falst, such a mix of emotions and words, so rational in tone quite a contrast and mix of tensions and framed by his innocent look of shock and the blood spilt on the wall still fresh really polarizing, What a way to build tension!
Yeah, “ghoul” seems more and more like the right description, flesh-hungry undead. Sort of sentient, but not really a person anymore.
I just hope her soul got to leave rather than be trapped inside of that body, unable to do anything about what was happening.
how did Red manage to make a comic wherein I want to hug all the characters? Kendal, Alinua, Tess, and Dainix because I love them and they’re great; Erin because he’d find it annoying and I think that’s hilarious; Falst because he so desperately needs it and honestly so do I. The obvious best way to end this conversation will be however Red chooses to do it, but the second-best way would be Dainix giving Falst a big ol’ bear hug.
In other news, happy pride month to all you loud & proud out folks, and to those like me who haven’t come out yet. I’m ace and I know if I tell my parents they’ll say that I’m gonna change my mind when I meet the right person.
I absolutely agree. Also, I hope you find a way to make your parents understand someday:)
Happy pride! I’m in the same position as you, so I know what you’re going through.
I am glad you have come to terms with your orientation. I pray that someday your parents will be able to accept that have no control over your perceptions and accept you as you are and confuse your own self view. Love should be unconditional but we all so wanting in mature thinking. (smiles sadly)
Sorcerer General’s Warning: Hugging the Void Dragon may be hazardous to your health.
Happy pride!!
Y’know, even IF a person isn’t as decided as you & might very well change their mind about how they label their orientation or whatever other aspect at some point, that really doesn’t give anyone a right to discredit how they define themself here & now.
That’s how I see it, at least, as one of those less decided people (orientation–wise). One might even say I’m… on the fence about it!
I’m ace too (and also enby), tried to come out, and was promptly shoved back in. Because LGBT+ people are fine, but not in the family.
???
dangit those were supposed to be hugs and they came out looking like grapes
More like those candy wrapper raspberries.
She’s literally just hungry, what’s the big deal?
“Eat a Snickers, Mom, you’re not you when you’re hungry!”
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH
F*ck. Just… f*ck. The terror Falst felt upon seeing his mom transformed and violent. The amount of blood she drew. His implied panicked scramble up the walls. The fact that he was up in the rafters, starving, bleeding, unable to move, for days, all the while terrified of the thing his mom had become and terrified that he would end up like her. His dad finally getting home, reigniting a spark of hope within him… only to watch what had been his mother killed right before his eyes. I don’t think Falst’s dad failed to notice Falst in the rafters, but if this is the point where “You will find your way if you are truly my son” becomes relevant, then he really deserves to be punched in the face.
Falst’s earlier conversation with Dainix makes me think he no longer has species dysphoria, but we can see here where it got its start in him. It ran even deeper than I thought it did, not just born of bigotry, but of childhood trauma too.
ohhhh no
Sorry I keep commenting the same thing but the pages here are good enough I can’t form a coherent response
Falst needs therapy
everyone in this comic needs therapy
group therapy for characters. group therapy for characters for 1000 years
I like your comments, the’re so true.
Therapy for everyone in the comic (and everyone reading it I think after THAT we could all use some)!!
that’s weird this chapter is only showing up for me now even though there have been comments on it for hours apparently.
Oh that hurts, poor Falst.
DANIX, PLEASE IM BEGGING YOU, GIVE THE POOR KITTEN A HUG.
he would get slapped
I think he’s writing SEAL, which is a good sign for his ability to use the life lacrima in a helpful and not dangerous way. Also ow.
Is it just me, or does Small Falst look like he has claw slashes in the same place on his right side as the slashes that Big Falst is currently sporting? Might be just a torn shirt that’s looking like injuries because of the awesome sketchy effect, or it might be something that’s contributing to this whole situation hitting him even harder than it already was…
Isn’t it great that we have not one but two people with very good and valid reasons not to go into the caves and try to help Vash? So helpful and convenient! hope they manage.
Ohhhhh, snap. Hadn’t thought about it like that yet!
But Erin should be fine after they “sort out [his] little possession problem”, right? Surely… ha.. ha.. haaahhhh…~
ayyy I’m all caught up! Now I can follow along as soon as its updated 😀
The second panel. That expression, those cast-down glowing eyes… ?
I know Dainix is the emotional core of the group and he’s probably going to give Falst the hug he needs, but he’s also just spent quite some time very much in prison, very much surrounded by tragic backstories so I am also fully prepared for the most “cowabummer” reaction possible on the next page.
TL;DR: Someone give this Catboy a hug, he saw his father kill his corrupted mother and is obviously not okay.
Oh my gods, the poor little guy
This experience too sad to pass by!