2.1.30
on April 1, 2024
at 3:00 am
On the day of their birth Tarren’s fairy godmother blessed them to one day build a vehicle that can achieve escape velocity. This blessing is pulling double duty as Erin’s most fearful curse.
Aurora
A fantasy webcomic. Updates M-W-F.
Erin really is hubris mchubris
For mobile readers.
Alt-text: real talk, I truly believe that is the most hubristic line of dialogue I have EVER written, and it has the advantage of being what my anxiety tells me every day of my life
Image source: chance
Red seriously did not need to call me out like that.
Why do I feel like this is set up for some incredible random disaster.
Tumblr text: Erin thinks he’s very sensible by mage standards
twitter text: oh look it’s monday
Tumblr text: Erin thinks he’s very sensible by mage standards
Concessions are made
Since Tarren won’t get it back
Yay! New boat for free!
I’m fucking living for Tarren’s expressions <3
I’m living for “Bah!” We should bring that back.
“ALL RIGHT,” says, Tarren, and offers to add
A few spells of dampening.
“They’ll need recharging more often,” he says,
But Erin won’t feel the waves happening.
Tarren points out they could send him much faster
With explosives to propel the advance.
“I’m in the business of precision,” Erin says,
“I only fail when I leave things to chance.”
Sad it seems Tarren won’t be coming with on the ship.
Yeah, I was also hoping they would be on the maiden voyage of their boat.
This boat’s definitely getting exploded somehow
With grudge they agree to make a comfort addition
Since Erin claims to be “in the bussiness of precision”
Currently wondering whether Dainix and Alinua actually know how to swim, given that one of them lived in the desert and one of them lived in a tree. maybe speed shouldn’t be the top priority here
Im not very confident in their swimming abilities. Tess can swim, but shes a heavy metal lady. Kendal is a heavy metal-boned man from a tightly landlocked city. Living in a forest, Alina’s probably never seen anything deeper than a river. Maybe Erin can swim, but since he doesn’t get out much he’s probably not a very strong swimmer. Kendal nearly drowned as a kid so its possible he’s wary of water now.
The only one I have faith in is Falst. He probably picked it up as a survival thing when he was living alone. But he cant tread for 6 people dammit ;-;
Falst being the only one who can confidently swim feels very in-character for the floof squad.
Kendal nearly drowned as a kid?
Dainix nearly drowned as a kid (probably a typo, we’ve all been there)
Erin can probably pull an air bender for a while but will eventually sink 3 miles from the shore, Dainix would get bitten by something and end up drowning because the fire demon thing would panic. Falst would reliably doggy-paddle but choke on salt and Kendal would just walk on the ocean floor. Alinua would try to swim but fail as she doesn’t know how, and Tess would just sink. Maybe Tarren has a surprise deux-ex-machina in the form of a submarine somewhere in the workshop? Either that or a random sea-dragon would save them. Or they’ll actually make it through the whole voyage without getting dunked . . . I know what I’m betting on.
oh god then boats gonna fucking sink
Yeah, but the data will be amazing! What a golden opportunity for Tarren to learn about their design’s points of failure! Well, assuming Erin actually writes those notes, and sends them to Tarren in time for them to incorporate this information into their next prototype design, anyway. But I’m optimistic, Erin doesn’t really seem like the type to forget a promise like that.
“Erin we are DROWNING here!!!”
“Yes, but a promise is a promise and moreover, this is *science*! I can’t just not!”
*sends birb of light with all the notes*
“Glurblrghrlrhblrghdamn youuuuu Eriiiin.”
I love tarrens goggles <3
Tarren agrees that the ride can be easier
Though they point out that their way is much breezier
Erin will for some time off to Hollowsong
Skipping explosives is what makes the journey long
Erin, hubristic as always declares to us
That in precision, not chance, he puts total trust
Second. I finally caught up.
What do you have there?
The Ocean! 🙂
NO!
Nearly spat out my tea at this one, thank you ^u^
O Erin have you forgotten that you have a spirit rider who has unknown magic abilities and long memory and plans for the long game very patiently? Red, I am glad you are a fan of the classics as well as modern works! Erin has made his boast, I hope I live long enough to see him eat the pie! I am not sure I can last another 2 decades of story though I think you might live that long or more, but your hand would be really tired by then. Got any artists to mentor who can finish your long tale? Please tell me you are going not going to out page the Journey to the West!
I like Tarren! I hope they’re a recurring character
Mildly disappointed that this implies they won’t be accompanying the Floof Squad on the journey…but I’m sure this won’t be the last we see of them. At least, I hope not!
One of the great things about having a Pursuing Antagonist Squad is that it gives you an opportunity to revisit practically every place/character heroes encountered! As far as I’m concerned, Tarren’s got at least ONE extra reappearance in a later story chapter in the bag.
I can’t believe they would trust erin to stress-test their shiny new ship without them to make fun of him and also take notes.
is it just me or is the comment section in the process of the poetapocalypse? apoetcalypse?
this is also a great place to cut to a CATASTROPHIC failure
Oh, we’ve been that way for a while now. I’m new(ish) and I’m already planning to sum up the chapter in a sonnet when it ends (I’m usually a very succinct person, so there’s no way I could do one every page).
Stealer of thoughts! That’s the plan I did formulate
(My plans will change for I know villanelles are great)
That a problem to you? Sorry, I genuinely can’t tell (the ’tism is fun like that).
I think it very clearly shows that the readers are invested, and we all get to share in a bit of creative fun. So I really don’t see what the problem is.
oh i LOVE it, i think it’s great and unique! you’re welcome to join me in my bunker with my canned peaches any time!
Poetocalypse, I think.
And it is glorious
Haha, it seems so
Apocalypse of poets
More the merrier!
What I’m getting from this is potential foreshadowing for a rocketship and potential foreshadowing for the ocean ship running out of charge too fast.
Tarren “if you weren’t so fussy about explosives” I love them <3
Re: the alt text: oh. oh, yeah actually.
Tarren: If it weren’t for all of these pesky “human limits”, I could get you anywhere around the world in under an hour!
Erin: That’s EXACTLY what I’m afraid of!
“Put the ocean down”
and
“If you weren’t so fussy about explosives”
along with
“please. I already know I’m not getting her back.”
are why Tarren has made my list of best charecters
There is going to be a god of the sea that is going to intensely dislike Erin’s “comfort” modifications, won’t it?
Tarren: If it wasn’t for all of those pesky “human limits” I could get you anywhere in the world in under an hour!
Erin: That’s EXACTLY what i’m afraid of!
God damn red is SO GOOD at characterization. I would’ve never thought of that line but it works so WELL
Two great lines:
“Put the ocean down before you hurt yourself.”
“I could get you to Helm in five hours flat if you weren’t so fussy about explosives.”
Two questions:
1. What has Tarren been doing with explosives?
2. Is this foreshadowing?
What hasn’t Tarren been doing with explosives?
Making Erin comfortable I’d wager.
Nonsense, the explosives-based massage chair was a great source of comfort, briefly. I mean sure, it deconstructed itself energetically, but that’s progress and prototypes for you.
Wait, what was the explosives plan?!
Fr though, I really like the contrast between these two and how like fundimentally different they are, with Tarren being able to accept what comes at him and adapt while Erin is rigid in his ways and intent on not needing to adapt. It’s an interesting way to look at both the characters, and definitely helps contextualize some of Erin’s other traits (eg. Insistance on magic circles) and adds an extra layer to the whole Void Dragon thing
I bet it’s something along the lines of project premetheus, a surprisingly effective spacecraft propulsion concept that involves repeatedly setting off atomic bombs behind the ship.
I’m not yet sure we won’t see the explosives plan. After all, we’ve got the antagonist group on their tail, and if they don’t get a fast way to Hollowsong they’re going to fall very far behind.
Wait, what was the explosives plan?!
Fr though, I really like the contrast between these two and how like fundimentally different they are, with Tarren being able to accept what comes at him and adapt while Erin is rigid in his ways and intent on not needing to adapt. It’s an interesting way to look at both the characters, and definitely helps contextualize some of Erin’s other traits (eg. Insistance on magic circles) and adds an extra layer to the whole Void Dragon thing.
“Put the ocean down before you hurt yourself” is one of the sentences ever—
Erin’s final statement hits a little too close to home for me, but not in the hubristic way— I tend to get completely screwed over by the RNG whenever I leave something up to chance. Then again, it’s also likely I’ll screw myself over if I take things into my own hands, too…
IN HIS HUBRIS
“Put the ocean down before you hurt yourself.”
Anonymous Aurora Question #52: Would Tarren and Tess get AL ng and what sheneanegans would they be up to?
With Tarren’s love of explosive innovation and Tess’s love of punching stuff with lightning- they’ll get along like a workshop on fire. Literally.
The ‘give Erin an aneurysm’ team.
“I’ll take good care of her.”
“Oh, please. I already know I’m not getting her back.”
Tell me you know Erin very well without telling me you know Erin very well.
(I’m very tempted to get myself a ‘- Fan of Tarren’ Name approved, but since they probably won’t appear again for a while after the next chapter or so, I’m holding back for now.)
“I could get you there in just five hours if you weren’t fussy about explosives! Our medical data does not contain anything to tell us a 36g acceleration is rather bad for health, so I’m sure everything would be just fine!”
“I only fail when I leave things to chance”
The Void Dragon: “Bet”
The Collector: “Bet”
The comment section: “Bet”
The writer: “Bet”
Bet.
Aw man! I was really hoping that Tarren would become a new member of the Floof Squad, or atleast stick with them till they got to Hollowsong:(
They seem like such a fun character! Hopefully Red will bring them back in the future
Considering the prologue gave us more Shrike, Trust, and Theia, I’d imagine his chances of returning are high.
*THEIR, SORRY
I know they use they/them, I’m historically very bad at using that. The only person, real or fictional, who I consistently use they/them for is the Broken Vessel from Hollow Knight, and that vessel specifically and no others. I’ll try not to repeat my mistake in the future, but I’m not good at using they/them.
Tarren and the real-talk, though! “Urgh, comfort-schmomfort… explodions and bumps? Pish-posh, I feel the NEED, the NEED FOR SPEED!”
I absolutely love the dialogue on this page. All of it. Every single line. And the art conveying the story of the characters.
Tarren, you are brilliant (yes, yes, in that way too), please be a recurring character <3
I am looking forward to the day that Terran is smote with the inspiration for an escape velocity capable vehicle. they will be the fastest thing in all the world for a brief moment.
what was the most hubristic sentence you’ve ever written “put down the ocean before you hurt yourself” or “I only fail when I leave things to chance?”
It’s interesting Erin fears a lack of control. In retrospect, it makes sense he’d be a control freak. When you’re able to control almost every magic, why would things go wrong?
I guess the dragon’s just the ultimate result of his hubris.
I kinda like the last line because it can be this sort of retroactively true statement.
Any time you fail, you just have to find the thing you “didn’t realize” you had left to chance and that becomes your scape goat. Now you just have to “account” for it going forward! This is totally reasonable.
TL;DR: This could use a few tweaks in the comfort department but otherwise it’s cool, I’ll be taking this
Erin. Are we forgetting. The time when you planned out everything to stop the magical storm and STILL wound up unleashing (and getting possessed by) a primordial being of void magic?
Dude.
Tarren’s incredibly generous to give away their prototype like this. My fiction senses tell me that there’s no way this boat will make it through the journey unharmed
I love that Tarren has a need for speed. Five hours to Helm indeed.
now I want to see what he can build when allowed to use explosives tbh
If you dont make the escape velocity curse canon, I will find you.