Latest Page Discussions/Comic Update Chitchat

[Róisín]

I think Taru, Tuuri and Lalli all know what is going on with Onni. It would not surprise me if Tuuri knew at the time what was going on with Lalli too, her body language and her evasive replies when Emil asked if Lalli was sick seem to suggest that.

[Grade E cat]

Just noticed something about this page: the central panel has Tuuri decide to keep Onni out of the loop about her troll bite, and it's followed by showing us the consequences of Sigrun doing exactly that to Mikkel.

Also, the more I think about it, the more I put my money on Reynir spilling the beans to Onni via dream-space. Lalli could be either told by Tuuri not to do it or take the initiative himself. Reynir is less likely to be directly told not to do it (I'm still not sure whether Sigrun and Tuuri actually take his mage powers seriously or not) and tends to treat Onni an older adult more than Tuuri does.

[Róisín]

You may well be right about that. Other possibility is that Lalli has figured out what Onni did, is worried about him, and asks Reynir to take him to Onni - possibly asking in dumb-show by pointing at Onni in the portrait and miming sleep? Since he would know better than to ask Tuuri to translate. The question would be whether Onni is conscious enough in his dream space to be told anything. At least Reynir saw what happened, so will be able to say something in Lalli's defense if Onni blows up at him about failing to defend Tuuri from being bitten.

[thorny]

I think Taru, Tuuri and Lalli all know what is going on with Onni.

Looking at today's page, it certainly does look like Tuuri does -- she's got no questions for them about what's going on with him, which I'd certainly expect if she had no idea; and she's got quote marks around "hit by lightning".

Just noticed something about this page: the central panel has Tuuri decide to keep Onni out of the loop about her troll bite, and it's followed by showing us the consequences of Sigrun doing exactly that to Mikkel.

That's an interesting thought -- though Tuuri's got a lot less reason to think Onni can do anything about the troll bite than Sigrun should have had to think Mikkel could do something about her wound.

And that sure is a nasty looking arm. Sigrun may be immune to the Rash, but it doesn't look like she's immune to other infections.

[Buteo]

You may well be right about that. Other possibility is that Lalli has figured out what Onni did, is worried about him, and asks Reynir to take him to Onni - possibly asking in dumb-show by pointing at Onni in the portrait and miming sleep? Since he would know better than to ask Tuuri to translate. The question would be whether Onni is conscious enough in his dream space to be told anything. At least Reynir saw what happened, so will be able to say something in Lalli's defense if Onni blows up at him about failing to defend Tuuri from being bitten.

I'd like to see that. Something the Hotakainens haven't had until this mission is anyone else's viewpoint on their way of handling... anything.

[Elleth]

I'd like to see that. Something the Hotakainens haven't had until this mission is anyone else's viewpoint on their way of handling... anything.

Lalli and Tuuri both got Emil's at/after the soup incident (at least Emil commented on Tuuri's presumed lack of care - of course Lalli didn't understand him - and afterwards he expected Tuuri to help him solve that mess), and I guess all three of them (more or less) got Taru's in the very beginning when Onni was trying to prevent them from leaving. Reynir also did his fair share of calling out Onni on his behaviour, but that was Onni alone, not in reference to anyone else.

Looking at today's page, it certainly does look like Tuuri does -- she's got no questions for them about what's going on with him, which I'd certainly expect if she had no idea; and she's got quote marks around "hit by lightning".

Yes! Especially if someone mentioned the giant fiery eagle rushing in to the rescue, Onni (who came to their rescue before, at that) being unresponsive and with burn injuries is somewhat obvious. I'm still convinced that Tuuri knows a fair deal about Finnish magic - she didn't fully explain the condition to Emil back when Lalli was without his Luonto, but then he also made his stance on magic very clear, so that'd have been a waste of breath...

[thorny]

I wonder whether Tuuri knows that Reynir asked Omni for help?

He might have told her while they were waiting in the cat tank; or Lalli might have realized that Reynir did so -- he looks over at Reynir as Reynir goes into his trance, looks away, and doesn't grab him to come set up flame runes until after Reynir's done asking; and if so Lalli might have told Tuuri about it after the battle.

-- do we actually know that the Hotakainens weren't given other peoples' opinions as to how they handled things while they were living on the military base?

[Fauna]

I'm still convinced that Tuuri knows a fair deal about Finnish magic - she didn't fully explain the condition to Emil back when Lalli was without his Luonto, but then he also made his stance on magic very clear, so that'd have been a waste of breath...

I don't think she fully understands the comatose as actually being dangerous. I doubt she'd be neutral, or even HAPPY, to hear about how her cousin or only brother might be in a condition from which they may never wake up. If it ever happened to Lalli in the past, it would be the sort of scenario where I could absolutely see Onni trying to protect her from the truth and going "oh it's just a mage thing, don't worry about it".

TBH, I don't think she knows much about magic at all. She can't use it, and Lalli especially would likely just find any curiosity about it from her part to come across as annoying.

[thorny]

I had a thought:

I've gone most of this time thinking that when the troll broke through the floor, Reynir froze for the few moments it probably took for Lalli to get in there, and didn't do anything at all -- maybe because what I was expecting him to do was to throw up a protective bubble, though I don't know whether the one he used against the ghosts would work against trolls.

But take a look at page 654. What's that attracting Lalli's attention? Isn't that Reynir's spirit dog there on the left of the page, first barking at Lalli and then turned back to the tank to lead him in the right direction?

Maybe Reynir did what Reynir does best: yell for help from the person most likely to be able to provide it. And that is a genuinely useful talent; if, in this case, fractionally late -- I was going to say fractionally too late, but it was in time to save Reynir and Kitty, and at least buy Tuuri some time.

[wavewright62]

I had a thought:

I've gone most of this time thinking that when the troll broke through the floor, Reynir froze for the few moments it probably took for Lalli to get in there, and didn't do anything at all -- maybe because what I was expecting him to do was to throw up a protective bubble, though I don't know whether the one he used against the ghosts would work against trolls.

But take a look at page 654. What's that attracting Lalli's attention? Isn't that Reynir's spirit dog there on the left of the page, first barking at Lalli and then turned back to the tank to lead him in the right direction?

Maybe Reynir did what Reynir does best: yell for help from the person most likely to be able to provide it. And that is a genuinely useful talent; if, in this case, fractionally late -- I was going to say fractionally too late, but it was in time to save Reynir and Kitty, and at least buy Tuuri some time.

I dunno, I read that panel on p654 a bit differently.  I see it more as the tickle on the back of Lalli's neck, as the inchoate spiritual scream of a troll (which Lalli is sensitive to), but coming from an unexpected direction.  That said, I like your thinking.  The idea of Lalli picking out just that one troll in the mayhem is not that great.

[JoB]

There is at least one door that opens in the front, so I guess Tuuri will be using that.
http://www.sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=373

The door on the passenger side opens, too, so as to please particularly impatient ones. (Lalli takes his cousin's side, of course.)

[Jharad17]

I dunno, I read that panel on p654 a bit differently.  I see it more as the tickle on the back of Lalli's neck, as the inchoate spiritual scream of a troll (which Lalli is sensitive to), but coming from an unexpected direction.  That said, I like your thinking.  The idea of Lalli picking out just that one troll in the mayhem is not that great.

I think the left side of panel one on #654 shows the outer wall of the cattank, then the left side of panel two shows that same spot being hit hard, and even punched out some. Lalli heard the huge Clang that would have made, a sound like no other during the fight, so he knew something bad was happening inside the cattank.

[Róisín]

A noise like the troll would make hitting the inside of the tank would penetrate even the chaos of a night battle, yeah, and his other senses would tell him what it was.

[Grade E cat]

I can't help thinking that the reason Emil called Sigrun out on her behviour is that he's still expecting people to try to sabotage him from his time in public school. This can be annnoying to everyone involved when it's not actually the case, but that means that he has the right reaction when an actual case of someone trying to break his confidence for no good reason shows up.

[heiteru]

okay, Google, how to comfort books/comics/etc characters ?! Because I really wanna comfort them :<