Ooh! Like how the SHAAAA SFX cuts through the last three panels as a buildup to the lava centipede’s arrival. Also like the detail of Falst’s pupils being slits constantly; there’s a lot of light everywhere he is so it makes sense.
Good news: with the scarf back on, Falst has recovered from those nasty fumes and it looks like the Ignans haven’t noticed him. Bad news: my predication a while back about this temple having guard dogs, or at least nasty wildlife inhabiting it, was correct. While I do see Falst getting past them, and maybe running down their backs to reach the fireseed, I don’t see him doing so quietly; the Ignans may finally notice him.
That could be interesting as after reading the extra lore on tumblr, I’m not sure whether these Ignans even know what Ferin are. Ferin are hardy, but I doubt they’re volcano dwelling-level hardy, and Volcanic Ignans are extremophiles to the volcano; they could have heard of Ferin in stories, but I doubt any of them have met one.
Hi I’m back from my holiday! Had a great time, lots of nice walking, bird sightings, reading, sketching, and swimming in the cold, cold Atlantic ocean. A perfect holiday. A brief summary of my thoughts on the pages I missed:
2-4-32: Aaaand he made it! And there’s the funny image! Silly me back then thinking it was a tree he was holding onto.
2-4-33: Ugh! Don’t you just hate getting lava in your hair? Then again, thinking of Zelda Gorons, it could be normal for these Ignans; do they enjoy mud baths in lava after a long days work?
2-4-34: Ah crud, Rakhn would demand Kendal to bring out Vash wouldn’t he? And with the Collector actively looking for Kendal, doing so might lead her right to him.
2-4-35: So that intricate spire IS the temple, eh? Looks like I was wrong. I suppose it could be on the northern side of the caldera; I assumed it was dead centre, but it’s hard to tell exactly from the angles we’ve seen. The spire certainly looks very fitting for a temple. Also, great to see Kendal refusing Rakhn’s request, but now he’ll have a more difficult time distracting him.
2-4-36: Ah, the old brick-in-a-sock weapon! Falst is ready to survive Ankh-Morpork it seems.
2-4-37: (Indiana Jones music intensifies)
Wow. This is actually worse than the Glort. Rotting globules of partially animated corpses I can deal with, but I draw the line at lava-dwelling Attack On Titan giant centipede shit. It’s just not on.
Falst. No contest. He’s stuck in a neverending cycle of getting dropped into and then abruptly pulled out of bad situations. At this point, the ammount of times he’s been screwed over by the narrative is getting a little unbelievable. How many more cartoon bombs can we throw at him before he’s actually taken out? Who knows!
Depends on what you mean by bullied. Being made fun of outside the comic by fandom and the author herself? Erin. Poked fun at on-screen in dialogue with the other main characters? Also Erin, I think, though infrequently and lightly at most. But getting beaten up by the narrative? Falst. He got slammed around in the nightmare slime ruins, the way he lost his mother (and was almost eaten by her) was horrible, much of the comic world discriminates against him to the point that he’s literally been driven out of villages with pitchforks, and now this. Little guy just can’t catch a break.
Falst. He tries to maintain the mysterious and held together persona but all that means is that the only way to make him show any kind of vulnerability is to kick him in the balls repeatedly.
HMM… Alinua bullies herself for getting the Chimeric Plague bearer mark, Kendal has the Collector and major gods and beings poking him, Dainix got turned into an enemy to his own people by Caliban and Tahraim, Falst has a hard time with most people, Erin has the Void Dragon and his own ego to contend with, even Primordial Life has trouble with the Collector. Even Tess seems to have her own troubles. I think there is plenty of drama to discover yet. Red isn’t done with Arc 2 yet.
Extremophile centipedes that have evolved into apex predators in the habitat of Big Fucking Lava Pit? Fascinating! Do the centipedes innately use fire magic to keep themselves from burning up, or are they simply regular centipedes that evolved such traits by living NEAR the lava until they became fire retardant enough to live there?
I’m less curious about the heat and more about density. That’s rock they’re swimming in. Very hot liquid rock, but still rock. How do they keep from bobbing to the top constantly?
in this episode: Falst. Poor, *poor* Falst. Whatever Surprisingly Normally Named Kendal is going through, Falst is going through a decidedly worse time.
Bloody hell, Red. Lava Centipedes.
(to the tune of Red Flags by Tom Cardy) Lava Centipedes, Lava Centipedes (I think that I’m gonna get murdered tonight) /j
Is there some functioning volcano ecosystem that somehow manages to feed these things or do they just stay dormant until they sense a catboy is near? At this pace, Rahkn will leave Kendal alone just so he can deus ex machina but to join in on the cat-kicking.
Oh thanks, I hate it. They even have a horror movie circling strategy.
That’s terrifying.
Poor Falst. I think I’d have a heart attack on the spot if I was there
Prediction: this is what makes the ignans notice him. He doesn’t seem to have any kind of escape route from the tiny island, so either he makes a route somehow, or one gets made for him. Also, Falst has been shown to be very distrustful and paranoid about strangers in general (well, rather grounded paranoia). I predict that the ignans are going to prove him somewhat wrong, and try to help him out of this mess! He’s literally trying to save a fellow ignan, and maybe the volcanic ones will even know about Dainix’s demonic condition!
That, or they’re immediately hostile. But I hope not. Falst deserves having people being nice to him.
For mobile readers.
Alt-text: new contender for best falst facial expression
Image source: cough
Bluesky Text: good morning it’s monday
Tumblr Text: mondays amiright
Bluesky was posted a few hours later than tumblr, might be a joke about that. Just for context.
Mondays, amiright?
Turns out this Volcano Heist is “Oops, all Dark Souls!” Better git gud, Falst. XD
From what I have seen of Soulslikes, in that case he would not have to be worried about falling into lava
There’s a centipede boss fought in a volcano in Dark Souls 1. He needs to worry about the lava
On the bright side there’s no way the Ignans DONT intervene since these things are pretty hard to miss.
I think Reds comment of Falst being one she uses as a kickball the most is pretty accurate.
It’s a standard hazard of taking the job of “Guy with a healing factor.”
Nope
Nope nope nope nope nope.
I am the millipede I am amaaazing…
Um, actually, these are centipedes🤓
I love how Falst does not even look scared here. Just 110% done with this place.
First?
oh no
Horrors from the deep
They plague my prescious catboy
Please Red, let him rest
In non-haiku news
Fast screams in the last panel
The shaaa turns to aaa
Can’t stop the haiku
An accident I promise
I would never lie
Oh Red, Red just why
Please can you give him a break
He needs one so bad
NOPE. NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE *nope-badgers right out of there*
(But, yes, one more Best Falst Facial Expression!)
i think the cruelest thing about this is he cant even swear. let falst say fuck he deserves it after this bullshit
Oh, boy, new page! Time for more Falst suffering!
Arthropleura? No, Arthroplava!
Ooh! Like how the SHAAAA SFX cuts through the last three panels as a buildup to the lava centipede’s arrival. Also like the detail of Falst’s pupils being slits constantly; there’s a lot of light everywhere he is so it makes sense.
Good news: with the scarf back on, Falst has recovered from those nasty fumes and it looks like the Ignans haven’t noticed him. Bad news: my predication a while back about this temple having guard dogs, or at least nasty wildlife inhabiting it, was correct. While I do see Falst getting past them, and maybe running down their backs to reach the fireseed, I don’t see him doing so quietly; the Ignans may finally notice him.
That could be interesting as after reading the extra lore on tumblr, I’m not sure whether these Ignans even know what Ferin are. Ferin are hardy, but I doubt they’re volcano dwelling-level hardy, and Volcanic Ignans are extremophiles to the volcano; they could have heard of Ferin in stories, but I doubt any of them have met one.
Hi I’m back from my holiday! Had a great time, lots of nice walking, bird sightings, reading, sketching, and swimming in the cold, cold Atlantic ocean. A perfect holiday. A brief summary of my thoughts on the pages I missed:
2-4-32: Aaaand he made it! And there’s the funny image! Silly me back then thinking it was a tree he was holding onto.
2-4-33: Ugh! Don’t you just hate getting lava in your hair? Then again, thinking of Zelda Gorons, it could be normal for these Ignans; do they enjoy mud baths in lava after a long days work?
2-4-34: Ah crud, Rakhn would demand Kendal to bring out Vash wouldn’t he? And with the Collector actively looking for Kendal, doing so might lead her right to him.
2-4-35: So that intricate spire IS the temple, eh? Looks like I was wrong. I suppose it could be on the northern side of the caldera; I assumed it was dead centre, but it’s hard to tell exactly from the angles we’ve seen. The spire certainly looks very fitting for a temple. Also, great to see Kendal refusing Rakhn’s request, but now he’ll have a more difficult time distracting him.
2-4-36: Ah, the old brick-in-a-sock weapon! Falst is ready to survive Ankh-Morpork it seems.
2-4-37: (Indiana Jones music intensifies)
Glad you’re back Evil! Good to see you and your paragraphs again. Glad to hear you had fun, though!
Wow. This is actually worse than the Glort. Rotting globules of partially animated corpses I can deal with, but I draw the line at lava-dwelling Attack On Titan giant centipede shit. It’s just not on.
I thought those were some sort of shrimp on the tumblr preview, I was happier when I thought they were shrimps
… Lava centipedes.
*coughs* so, ah, you don’t mind if I go an borrow that idea, right?
It can’t become a trope unless a lot of people borrow it for their own use. Just don’t try to copyright it OK?
So what shall we dub these?
I nominate “Magmapedes”.
Oh… That’s a thing now.
Aurora Question #47: Which character do you think gets ‘bullied’ the most?
I think it’s a tie between Erin and Falst.
Falst. No contest. He’s stuck in a neverending cycle of getting dropped into and then abruptly pulled out of bad situations. At this point, the ammount of times he’s been screwed over by the narrative is getting a little unbelievable. How many more cartoon bombs can we throw at him before he’s actually taken out? Who knows!
Depends on what you mean by bullied. Being made fun of outside the comic by fandom and the author herself? Erin. Poked fun at on-screen in dialogue with the other main characters? Also Erin, I think, though infrequently and lightly at most. But getting beaten up by the narrative? Falst. He got slammed around in the nightmare slime ruins, the way he lost his mother (and was almost eaten by her) was horrible, much of the comic world discriminates against him to the point that he’s literally been driven out of villages with pitchforks, and now this. Little guy just can’t catch a break.
Falst. He tries to maintain the mysterious and held together persona but all that means is that the only way to make him show any kind of vulnerability is to kick him in the balls repeatedly.
Technically Vash as he’s currently being tortured.
HMM… Alinua bullies herself for getting the Chimeric Plague bearer mark, Kendal has the Collector and major gods and beings poking him, Dainix got turned into an enemy to his own people by Caliban and Tahraim, Falst has a hard time with most people, Erin has the Void Dragon and his own ego to contend with, even Primordial Life has trouble with the Collector. Even Tess seems to have her own troubles. I think there is plenty of drama to discover yet. Red isn’t done with Arc 2 yet.
Hey look it’s like that pokemon centiskorch
WHAT’S THAT POKÉMON?!
the last face really screaming “…really?!”
I know, right? Falst’s “are you SERIOUS?!” face is gold.
Extremophile centipedes that have evolved into apex predators in the habitat of Big Fucking Lava Pit? Fascinating! Do the centipedes innately use fire magic to keep themselves from burning up, or are they simply regular centipedes that evolved such traits by living NEAR the lava until they became fire retardant enough to live there?
The latter. Elemental adaptation goes a long way. It’s why the volcanic ignans are Like That.
I’m less curious about the heat and more about density. That’s rock they’re swimming in. Very hot liquid rock, but still rock. How do they keep from bobbing to the top constantly?
The implication that this Large Bug is denser than actual molten rock is terrifying. Living rock in a sock. Very much do not like.
…Maybe they’re friendly?
!
Lava crawlies
Oh great things live in the lava, yeah sure why not.
OMG! Lava bugs! New ‘so effed’ facial expression. Falst is officially a cat having some hot time hate.
…and Ima steal those lava centipedes for my tabletop game. My players will hate them too.
in this episode: Falst. Poor, *poor* Falst. Whatever Surprisingly Normally Named Kendal is going through, Falst is going through a decidedly worse time.
Bloody hell, Red. Lava Centipedes.
(to the tune of Red Flags by Tom Cardy) Lava Centipedes, Lava Centipedes (I think that I’m gonna get murdered tonight) /j
Cut off its tale for a fire-resistance ring!
Well this certainly looks fun, I’m glad Falst is getting such top quality enrichment
I can feel Falst saying “Oh come the FUCK ON!” in that last panel. Peak expression.
Is there some functioning volcano ecosystem that somehow manages to feed these things or do they just stay dormant until they sense a catboy is near? At this pace, Rahkn will leave Kendal alone just so he can deus ex machina but to join in on the cat-kicking.
Rakhn’s fight might be agitating them and the volcanic ignans must be getting there hides from something.
Oh thanks, I hate it. They even have a horror movie circling strategy.
That’s terrifying.
Poor Falst. I think I’d have a heart attack on the spot if I was there
Stand aside Lava-sharks! Your ‘nightmare fuel’ throne has just been taken by the Giant Magmapedes!
Falst will not get a chill second in here…
Great, and they’re probably venomous too…
millipedes? in MY volcano? It’s more likely than you think.
Also, I think we now know what creature the janitors get their chitinous armor from. Neat!
That’s some Fromsoft dungeon design right there.
Me too Falst. Me too.
“I shouldn’t have thought that it couldn’t get worse, it’s my fault really.”
This POOR POOR CATBOY!! He needs a nap!
“The things I do for other people. I am a damn SAINT”
– Falst internal monologue
At this point Falst’s going to have to chuck Dainix into the heart of the volcano from 30 meters away
Yup. Definitely a top contenteder for Best Falst Face. Giving off peak, “EXCUSE ME?? THIS IS BS!” vibes.
oh god red what even are these things
are we gonna ride the lava centipedes???
Prediction: this is what makes the ignans notice him. He doesn’t seem to have any kind of escape route from the tiny island, so either he makes a route somehow, or one gets made for him. Also, Falst has been shown to be very distrustful and paranoid about strangers in general (well, rather grounded paranoia). I predict that the ignans are going to prove him somewhat wrong, and try to help him out of this mess! He’s literally trying to save a fellow ignan, and maybe the volcanic ones will even know about Dainix’s demonic condition!
That, or they’re immediately hostile. But I hope not. Falst deserves having people being nice to him.
“He doesn’t seem to have any kind of escape route” what if he uses the centipedes to run back up. tai lung style
why did it have to be lava centipedes
If not fren, why fren shaped?
I’m gonna boop them.