Oops :c Why so pissed?
In other news, thanks for voting for the comic the last few days! The word for the wallpaper challenge isn’t terribly long this time (6 letters), so make sure to keep voting to find out the rest :) Regardless of if a letter is posted, I am updating the incentives every day so there is still something to see.
I’m almost to page 15. It’s the last of the setup pages for this chapter, so I’m so relieved to have finally reached it. It’ll probably be posted on the weekend, see you then!
*edit* I realize the old dude fell to the wrong side XD Consider us all trapped in another dimension where I drew him falling to the left and not to the right, and also consider that tonight while you’re sleeping you will travel unbeknownst to you through a wormhole into the correct reality where I actually drew it the right way (tl;dr: I’ll fix it tonight).
Heh, now I REALLY want to know what kind of pistol she has. Ouch!
It’s a very large, old revolver, given the implied level of technological development so far, it’s probably entirely steel (with wood grips), rather than being partially constructed of alloy to save weight. Getting hit in the face with the ass end of one of those is exactly like getting hit with a thin headed hammer.
Based on what little we’ve seen so far, she appears to carry single action revolvers that are more or less what most people would recognize as ‘cowboy guns’.
Could be double though, now I guess its all about the caliber.
Respect for the elderly, Soli has it.
Yikes, someone struck a nerve. Then again, a smart person wouldn’t be verbally abusing their armed captor… >>
In emotional situations people tend to say the dumbest of things. I am one of those people.
Thattagirl, Soli. You know how do.
Soli smash.
On a side note, is he unconscious now?
“On a side note, is he unconscious now?”
If he is, he’s probably got a serious concussion and enough internal bleeding to kill him in a few minutes. :)
Psst, Der-shing, just mirror the second panel and redo the text! We won’t tell. c:
LOL, I can’t, the flow will be all wrong XD
Psst.the tattoo,the tattoo~~~
In the last panel, the old man looks like he’s sprawled in the wrong area. He should be on the floor after that hit with his head facing towards the right of the page.
Haha, I know XD I commented on that in the comment box, it’ll be fixed soon.
Maybe the old guy wobbled around after being hit and then finally slumped down to the left.
Why not just say that she hit him so hard that he spun around to the other side?
Because that’s a copout XD
Ooooh, touched a nerve there, did we? :D
Aw man, I loved the original line of there with the pistol whipping…But it’s still wonderful to see it in color :)
I actually like cranky middle-of-the-desert research-guy. (Geriatric should probably be in there somewhere). While Soli is awesome, I think he has a point about the whole ‘stealing ten years’ worth of research.’ He’s also a lot braver than I would probably be in that situation.
In my experience, there are few people more crazy about their work than research scientists.
Why is the old guy fallen to the left?
haha I was going to mention something about that
She hit him so hard it broke physics.
lol
That’s anger, right there.
This. Comment win.
win. xD
I really love how intense Soli’s eyes look in the third panel! You captured the emotion of the moment beautifully.
On a side note, if the old man got hit on the left side of his face, shouldn’t he have fallen onto his right side, not his left?
Dammmnnnn, you on fi-ya!!! I love the way you did the dialogue in the second panel, and the way Soli’s eyes seem to light up with rage. Great! :D
Really, if you leave it as is, I would have no problem. I’ll just assume he rolled over before he passed out :)
You’re doing good work here. Thank you for making this comic!
Woah, woah Soli. Yeeeeeeee. I need to know more. That was intense.
Well, at least she did not shoot him. I am really looking forward to getting back to Luca and Angora. I really do not like elder abusers. Is it wrong that I like a man who burned off the face of a woman with his bare hands more than Soli?
Dershing is the master of her craft and her story. I think I forget this and take the open comments for granted. My posts has been too critical in this scene especially when I love her work so much that I visit this site daily. Keep up the fantastic story.
Oh, Dershing is a woman? I thought Dershing was a man?
*scratches head*
Yeah. I’m starting to miss Angora and her perky brea… erm, perkiness. :P
We were also left off on a major cliffhanger with many hanging by a thread:
“Will Angora start wearing a shirt?!!!” To be continued…
I kid!
Soli <3
I’m with Alamand in that last panel. :p Not really nice to hit an old man like that, of course, but I never figured Soli to be nice.
Ooooo nice page!
And Soli being not so nice.
I think there’s no need to fix the ‘mistake’.
When he’s hit, he could’ve fallen to the other side.
It’s possible.
I should know. I’ve been hit many times. XD
The problem with this strip is that now I hate your main character and want her to die.
That’s definitely a problem :B
Soli does seem to get indignant way to quickly from the last panel of 3.13 to the first panel of this page. Without knowing her past it may seem like she’s overreacting. But it appears to be intentional. Soli has a button and you don’t want to push it.
If Soli apologized right after “accidently” knocking him unconscious in a lapse of blind fury you’d probably still like her because it shows her human side of remorse while still retaining the unpredictability of a thief and the mental scars of the past.
Anyway, I’m sure Dershing has a tear jerking backstory of love, sacrifice, and loss to make you empathize with Soli later on.
Lets hope so. In my eyes she’s gone from dashing anti hero to desert scum in the span of two short strips.
wow, that makes me feel bad for hearing a little cheer in the back of my head. I’ve met plenty of rude old peoples during the course of my short, insignificant life…
I’ll grant you those definitely do exist lol.
You go girl Soli XD
Yay for flawed protags who aren’t all ‘sunshine and roses’ type heroes. In yo face stereotypes! :D
I didn’t say anything about protagonist, haha…
That’s what I thought. If Angora is indeed to judge humanity as a whole somewhere down the line, Soli might hope this incident doesn’t pop up.
Your comment made me think of the movie “The Good, the Bad, the Ugly”. Which is Soli?
Certainly make for an interesting chat with St. Peter.
“Says here you pistol whipped an old man who you’d tied to a chair.”
“St. Peter… he totally deserved it.”
“Oh, that’s gonna look good in my report. Gotta thank you though, lady. You sure make my job go a lot quicker.”
lmao
Yessssssssssssssssssssssss
I have found a new role model.
Well! If Research Guy didn’t know Soli was a lady before, he sure does now!
hahaha *insert obligatory pms comment here*
What is interesting here is that we know next to nothing about Soli. With Luca we had an entire chapter to get familiar with his problems, so when he flips out it fits. With Soli, all we know is that she can’t spell, is willing to take what she wants by force and has a short fuse. Because we know nothing of the reasons behind this it is easy to jump to dislike and possibly fear. I look forward to seeing how you play the evolution of both the character and our understanding of her.
This.
Oh, rubbish. When Luca lashed out against his wife, you should’ve read the remarks here about ‘wife beater’, etc. But since Soli ‘only’ robs an elderly guy of his life’s work and since eldery guy apparently ‘deserved’ to be knocked unconcious with a metal club (which the but of a revolver is) because he didn’t cower like a good ol’ granpa should when a masked thief comes calling, we need to wait to ‘understand the character’?
No matter what has happened to Soli in the past, it does not excuse her from breaking into stranger’s houses and viciously beating them unconscious. She’s a thug.
Here, here.
I’m frankly quite surprised by the amount of accolades her character is getting. I am really hoping to get more of a back-story about her.
I mean, the only thing that would excuse this behavior in my eyes is if she somehow has psychotic episodes whenever someone mentions something about sacrifice, etc.
I was not making a statement about the morality of the character, I am saying that it is an interesting way of introducing her. Usually authors try to lead the reader a bit more carefully so even if we disagree with a character, we understand them. Throwing us in like this is a risky move in terms of character development as it sets our perception in a way that may be difficult to modify later on. This kind of move (along with the excellent world building) is a good bit of what makes this comic stand out from the standard fantasy stock for me. I am fascinated to see how Der-shing plays it out.
Every time I look at this page, I can’t help but notice that you’re on chapter 3 page 14. Mmmm, pi! ♥
Am I a bad person if I couldn’t help laughing at the last two panels? :(
We are together in our horribleness.
So, what’s even the point of masking their faces if they’re throwing each other’s names around so freely? XD Stealth fail, Alamand.
Could also deserve pointing out that Soli’s tattoo is still really visible. I think it’s kind of a “pro forma” stealth, like wearing a domino to conceal your identity. Everybody knows its you, but nobody can say so in court.
I freaking love Alamand.
And Soli too, but that’s just the lust. I somehow manage to be gay for Soli while being male.
Welcome to The Meek fandom, where everyone is gay for Soli.
<3
If the second panel is reversed, later on, can someone animate a gif cycling between the two? I feel as though it would be quite humorous.
Twack ! Twack ! Twack ! Twack ! Twack !
Old Man Cueball just got his shit ROCKED
scary soli eyes in panel 3 (4?)!!
Hmmm. This particular nerve that got touched is pretty interesting – raving about his work did nothing, but telling her that she doesn’t understand sacrifice and love DID. I really look forward to finding out why.
Also, I just voted and the image didn’t have a letter on it. Was it supposed to?
Wow, Soli hit that dude so hard, he spun around and landed on his left side.;)
Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. :P
Alamand has gone awfully pale in the 4th panel…Or is it just me wanting them to just feel a little bit sorry for the old man? :D
Soli is a great female character ! Too bad that these strong (or short tempered…) and funny women are often drawn like men or bimbos…
She seems so over sensitive and furious… she surely had a lot of pain, and she reminds me a lot of Luca (but Luca is much more… attractive ! Grrrr).
I want to play the “guess”-game. Sooo, she is violent, because once she placed LOOOVE above her own life, and the guy was such a crap she wants to kill him now.
And this guy is Pinter.
HAHA !!
omg. Soli/Pinter = new OTP
YES. <3
And that’s why WE love you Alamand.
Wow. Last chapter, you impressed me by how well you managed to play an obvious Bad Man and antagonist as a sympathetic character. I even still like Luca more than Angora, because he feels more human and relatable (Angora is still a little too silly for me, though I expect that’ll change as we get to know the character more). The way that Luca manages to be so likable and so unlikable all at once is what made Chapter 2 so amazing to me.
While Soli certainly feels human, this page right here has me wondering whether I’ll ever find her a sympathetic character in the same way I can Luca. She does have an advantage being a individual instead of In Charge.
Basically, all this is to say that I’m on the edge of my seat to find out what her motivations are.
I’m actually really surprised by all this dislike for her character, though of course in hindsight it seems pretty obvious. And you’re all absolutely right, she isn’t acting in a sympathetic or understandable manner at all right now. Basically you want me to keep popping out these pages so I can show you more of the story so you can see the character as I do XD Yay for mutualistic relationships.
I think it’s because it is a tiny, scrawny old man who is bearing the brunt of Soli’s wrath. Had the fellow been younger, bigger, more arrogant and snotty, etc., I think we might have been more understanding towards her.
However, tying an innocent person down and beating them when they are helpless does not a sympathetic character make. At least not at the start.
True XD I wrote this scene so long ago I forgot some of the elements I’d planned out. I’m glad it’s still holding up.
Well you never know, he could have tried to sit up afterwords or wobbled a bit and fell to the other side. xD
He can’t say nothing, she warned him. He should have kept quiet, he should. D=
After reading through all these comments, I’m amazed that no one said anything about pi! 3.14, people. Sheesh.
It is a time for baked goods, not pistols to the face!
Speaking as someone who had a loved one be the victim of an assault/theft not once, but twice: no matter the rationalizations, saying that tiny old man should have kept quiet is pretty much the same as telling the victim of a sexual assault they shouldn’t have dressed “provocatively”. Or that my elderly aunt shouldn’t have been waiting by the bus stop when those kids decided to rough her up for her handbag. Notice it was SOLI who baited him into speaking, both times. Once, threatening to burn the tower, second, “So. Shack out i the middle of nowhere. How’s that working out for you?”
Ew. Just….ew. :/ But I suppose that’s the reaction you’re driving for?
Also ew to the ones actually cheering her for doing it. Seriously. This isn’t Wile E. Coyote slapstick. I suppose you’d want to see your grandparents “ROCKED” lololol.
Disgusting.
Great points, and thanks for having a strong viewpoint on her character so far. You’re right on the money in terms of how her actions should be viewed, she is not behaving well.
Personally I don’t know if I’d go so far as to call other reader’s reactions disgusting, since this is a portrayal of fictional events… and believe me, I definitely mean no disrespect meant to actual victims of violence (or attempted/ actual rape, or murder for those who are still wary of Chapters 1 and 2)! And after all I’m writing with a theme in mind, whereas actual violence is often terribly senseless and meaningless.
Thanks again for sharing your opinions, I’m really interested to see how they will change as the story continues.
I am totally with you, Tara. I find all the accolades Soli is receiving for her actions downright creepy.
While I thankfully have not had any loved ones who were the victims of criminal assault, I think Soli is downright despicable. A woman who breaks into another person’s home, steals his life’s work, and then proceeds to beat him for saying something that in no way justifies a beating is not a good person. At all. And even if he did say something that was truly bile-inducing and insulting, nothing justifies a crack across the jaw (that easily could kill him) when he is tied and helpless.
I don’t think any “pet the dog” moment is going to make up for what she did just now. The only possible thing that could make up for this is if in the next panel Soli is tending to the old man’s injuries, clearly remorseful for what she did. Anything short of that, well…let’s just say that I am looking forward to getting back to Angora and Luca.
Controversy in every chapter! Oh me oh my
Chaotic neutral much?
I’d say she and Alamand probably both are. Chaotic neutral I mean.
I love this page, it definitely intrigues me. I knew Soli must have had something horrible happen to her in the past, but now I’m itching to know what it was. Perhaps she gave everything to have love, only to have it snatched away. Sounds something like that, but it will be exciting to get to know the details of whatever it was.
One thing about fiction is that you can feel differently about characters than you would if they were real people. Folks love a Disney villain even though they do despicable things. Now this is obviously no Disney moment. But I think for the people who’ve commented saying they still like Soli or enjoyed this page, it’s sorta the same deal.
I still like her even though I recognise that she just did a real bad thing. I’m guessing it’s also not the worst thing she has done or will do, either. Eager to see how it all pans out.
Constructive Criticism:
Wouldn’t the old man be lying down on his right side, since the force of the blow was going in that direction? Because in the last panel he’s lying to the left and I don’t think that it makes sense for him to collect himself and then lean over on the left side.
Feel free to tell me if I’m wrong, I’m just pointing it out in a nice way.
Yep, see the comment box above :)
Pretty much love the fourth panel for those eyes. The lighting / highlighting job is superb, and definitely gives her that ‘in the moment crazed’ appearance. And even though I don’t approve of abuse of the elderly, that was one heck of a smackdown a la Soli. Pistol whip, ho!
Hey~! Maybe the old guy is just so unbalanced, that even if all that force he still couldn’t help but fall to the other side! XD
Ooops! Looks like he pushed the wrong button!
U mad bro?
Gotta love those angry eyes.
Ò_Ó
Just wanted you to know I’m a long-time reader, and you’ve got my vote for top webcomics. Keep up the lovely work.
wait, wich one of them is a girl?!?
The one with the gun is the lady :)
She may be female, but sure ain’t a lady.
This panel’s buildup makes a LOT more sense when you read it right after the previous one. At the end of the previous page, Mr. Scientist called Soli ignorant. Soli laughed it off and told him to “shut up already!” Obviously, Ms. Areni has little patience for those who think of her as just some amoral criminal.
OH NO YOU DID NOT JUST WHACK AN OLD MAN IN THE FACE.
BITCH.
I’ve been playing a lot of Red Dead Redemption recently and now Soli sounds exactly like a slightly higher-pitched John Marston in my head.
Poor old man! I feel for him – 10 years of hard work is worth risking your life for. :S *shudders*
(Can’t wait to see how this unfolds!)
Everyone wonders about Soli, and yes, she does have some black stains unwashed form her past. Especially with her strong reaction to “love” and sacrifice…” But I can’t help but wonder about Alamond. How does he fit into all of this? Why’s he tagging along with someone like Soli? Also, I’m curious as to where the chair Soli was sitting on before went XD
It got knocked on the floor, you can see it behind her :)
I dunno about John Marston, to me she sounds like Rebecca from Tankgirl…
This is by far my favorite web comic up to date. I never given so much attention to any other comic until now! I could go on and on of what I love about your comic. However, the one thing that stands out about this story are the characters. Angora, Pinter, Phe, Rana, Suda, Soli and Luca have broken stereotypes that many would associate with a dictator and his family (Luca plus family), the naked wild child and her human guide(Angora, Pinter), and the cowgirl with her sidekick(Soli, Alamand).
My favorite character right now is Luca. I am really fascinated about his story becuase we get to see a different side of a powerful mad dictator with a tragic past. By the end of the chapter, I was literally on the edge of my seat reading the conclusion of Ch.2. Now I am anxious and upset b/c you left me hanging there!! But it’s a great cliffhanger when Rana said she knows who’s responsible for this mess! Overall, I can’t wait what you have in the next chapter and after! I wish you great luck on your beloved comic!
;D
Not liking this guy much. Hopefully Soli has some virtues besides what’s appeared, because I heavily sympathize with the old guy.
I don’t know, the way I’m interpreting this is that Soli ALSO has (had?) something she cared about more than her life. I would be pissed too if some random guy was condescending enough to assume that I didn’t have something I cared about as much as he did.
In my eyes Soli had a reasonable (if violent) reaction.
… Hey, at-least she didn’t shoot him :D Though according to shooting games( the basis of my real world knowledge) being Pistol-whipped IS more lethal…
Uh, no. First of all, this is not some random guy. This is a man whose house she broke into and threatened at gunpoint, and is robbing of his life’s work. And he didn’t even say something that would make any rational person viewing this say “oh yeah, that was totally out of line.”
I would contend that her actions as reasonable as any sociopath’s. In fact, based on her personality, up to this point, and on closer analysis, she could probably be called a sociopath.
So whacking an old man across the jaw…an old man whose house Soli broke into, and from whom she are robbing of his life’s work, and who is helpless and at her mercy…is reasonable because he made an off-color remark about her not knowing how much he has had to lose?
Mr. Tophat, not to besmirch your character, but you probably do need to lay off the shooting games and get out more.
Of course, old guy also broke the fundamental rule of being tied up in front of a gun-toting individual of questionable sanity:
DON’T PROVOKE THE PSYCHO!
I feel sorry for the old guy. I mean come on, he spent ten years of his life researching and some masked strangers come in, tie him up, and steal his work?
I’d be pretty pissed too.
Soli needs to go to therapy, man.
(Love this page. Especially Alamond’s reactions. I like that he’s not ALWAYS entirely nutty. :D)
Awesome incentive. xD
Soli + troll = Trolli?…
I love that your characters are all so complex! A lot of authors/artists try to make their characters well-rounded by giving them a couple minor personality flaws and calling it complexity. I always feel like that’s kind of a cop-out, both for authors and readers: “Look, I like this character even though he/she has a dark side (a.k.a. a short temper and a dislike of small animals)!” But real life is full of good people who do nasty, stupid stuff. Villains who are too relateable and heroes who are too flawed make readers uncomfortable because it makes us look at ourselves more than we want to. But that just makes it all the more valuable when writers take the time to create characters who are really, deeply neither all good nor all evil.
In other words, I don’t admire Soli for doing this, but I can still like her even though she’s done something despicable. Otherwise I’d end up with very few people (in the real world especially) to like.
are they bf and gf?
Isn’t he half her age? D:
Voted, yay!
I can’t get over how much I love your coloring technique …
are they bf and gf?
ain’t nobody pistol whips old folk like you do. that’s why i love you. you hit them so hard you can hear the dentures crack.