Latest Page Discussions/Comic Update Chitchat

[snowilsadmiral]

Definitely unrelated to this particular page (I couldn't find a general discussion thread, so sorry to disrupt the "latest update" trend), but there's something I've been wondering about for a while.

Is it possible that what Lalli does on this page (http://sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=846) is somehow related to what he does on this one (http://www.sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=383)? I know there was some discussion on page 383 about what Lalli may be doing, and I think all of them are possible answers, but the movements seemed to be similar. Maybe that's why Tuuri was so upset about his actions, because he knew it was hurting him?

It's been bothering me for ages, and I hadn't seen anyone else mention the possibility.

[Mebediel]

Definitely unrelated to this particular page (I couldn't find a general discussion thread, so sorry to disrupt the "latest update" trend), but there's something I've been wondering about for a while.

Is it possible that what Lalli does on this page (http://sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=846) is somehow related to what he does on this one (http://www.sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=383)? I know there was some discussion on page 383 about what Lalli may be doing, and I think all of them are possible answers, but the movements seemed to be similar. Maybe that's why Tuuri was so upset about his actions, because he knew it was hurting him?

It's been bothering me for ages, and I hadn't seen anyone else mention the possibility.

Wow, I never noticed that before. That's a really good catch. I wouldn't be surprised if they're at least somewhat related...to steal language from some of the page 383 comments, "self-protection mode" is on in both, even though one looks more "epic" than the other.

[Vulpes]

Hm, interesting idea. And a good chance for a re-read!

It strikes me that although superficially similar, they are fundamentally different because one takes place in the waking world, and the other in the dream world. Also, despite both being a form of self-defence, I don't think what he does on p383 is upsetting Tuuri because she think he's going to do himself harm, just that he's shutting down/shutting out the world.

I took Lalli's action on p864 as an act of desperation, the only way he could think of at short notice to stop Emil. Consider here, http://sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=927, when he's developed a real friendship with Emil and really doesn't want to hurt him (perhaps also has learned a bit about seeing things from another's point of view, rather literally), and has had a little time to think up alternatives.

Clapping his hands over his ears is to shut out the world, and Tuuri is upset because she's seen him do it before, knows it means he's overwhelmed, that he'll be no use in that state, and that it's her fault for yelling at him. Digging his luonto lynx claws into his scalp is to hurt Emil and break the hold the spirit voices have on him. I suppose attacking his/Emil's head makes it maximally disruptive to the mind control, otherwise he could just easily have clawed his arms, say.

Neat parallel, but my interpretation is that they're not closely related.

[LooNEY_DAC]

(Cross-posted from the comments.) Here's some speculation: wouldn't it be ironic if Lalli's inability to walk away without Reynir forcing him to do so was because he got caught/entranced like Emil did by a creature playing on his feelings for Onni?

[Grade E cat]

Would be ironic indeed. And I sure don't want to know what would have happened if Reynir hadn't been there.

Here's my own contribution to the "things to worry about until they get explained" list.
Look at Panel 3 of page 321 and Panels 1-3 of page 324.
Noticed how Reynir actually sunk into the water in those two situations? And how he didn't in that place full of reeds, whose water showed other signs of being more like the water outside of personal dream places?
As if that place wasn't creepy enough.

[thorny]

I want to know how they train the cats to wear those collars.

[Grade E cat]

They are not actually wearing the collars, the collars are hovering about an inch away from their necks. I may or may not have been reading about Anti-Gravity Clothing today.

[thorny]

Lalli's actually done quite a good job of getting his question across.

The problem is that the people he's dealing with aren't as good at translating their answers. -- or rather, none of them seem to be trying to translate their answers at all, except in the sense of pointing.

[Antillanka]

Lalli's actually done quite a good job of getting his question across.

The problem is that the people he's dealing with aren't as good at translating their answers. -- or rather, none of them seem to be trying to translate their answers at all, except in the sense of pointing.

Right? I mean, for being a black&white doodle of a boat and a flag (in a forest), it's doing a wonderful job! Hehe, reminds me a course I had at university, where you had to express your ideas mainly by doodles. In fact, the least you used words, the better the mark you got. Lalli would excel, drawing poorly and all.

[Demopans]

Lalli's actually done quite a good job of getting his question across.

The problem is that the people he's dealing with aren't as good at translating their answers. -- or rather, none of them seem to be trying to translate their answers at all, except in the sense of pointing.

Icelandic is the lingua franca of the Y90 world, so everyone in Iceland would assume that Lalli would understand something they said, even if Lalli didn’t.

[JoB]

Icelandic is the lingua franca of the Y90 world, so everyone in Iceland would assume that Lalli would understand something they said, even if Lalli didn’t.

That's a rather braindead assumption, seeing that Lalli should be expected to at least try to speak up if he had any knowledge of Icelandic at all. (Though I admit that him throwing a "hello" in Finnish, just to demonstrate he isn't mute, would have been worthwhile.)

Now if only dude #1 had asked for the exact city Lalli wants to go to and then grabbed a pen and written a bunch of keywords on the back of Lalli's drawing, say, (the Icelandic translation of):

1. Reykjavík → Bornholm
by Krabben
2. Bornholm → Saimaa
???

then dude #2 already would have known that "we're sending junk to Bornholm" doesn't mean that Lalli needs to go elsewhere ...

(After all, Finnish is a way different language, but it uses the same script and, presumably, identifies out-of-Finland places&companies by their native names ...)

Extra points for showing a) the entire trip and b) the way to Krabben's booth on maps, if available ... Lalli is a scout, after all.

[wavewright62]

Lalli's map leaves out some likely*** pertinent bits, including:
The time the whale beast attacks their ship;
The fact that said whale-beast will drag them to Svalbard;
The side trip to rescue the Pre-Rash seed collection while they repair the boat;
The giant sjødraug masquerading as a sand bar that shunts their next boat ashore at Helsingborg, and their escape from there;
Lalli finally having ENOUGH of boat travel and proceeding overland from Oresund base;
He stumbles upon the ruins of Afrikapark in Malmö, which by some miracle has a population of immune animals including elephants and (naturally immune) lions adapted to the conditions;
and he also meets up with Onni, who nows lives among the elephants;
and...Yeah nah.


***I predicted these, so they will never ever eventuate, never fear.

[Róisín]

Amusing possibilities! Reckon the might be an AU fic or two among that lot?

[Grade E cat]

My own crack prediction for Monday's page:
  By the way, how did Reynir manage to come here without his parents noticing?
  Well...
* Cut to Guðrún and her beau discussing wedding plans with the parents *

[wavewright62]

My own crack prediction for Monday's page:
  By the way, how did Reynir manage to come here without his parents noticing?
  Well...
* Cut to Guðrún and her beau discussing wedding plans with the parents "

I like it!