January 24th, 2017
As always, there's a silly extra scribble if you vote!
Vote Incentive for This Comic.
Severian and the Terrible Horrible No-Good Very Bad Day
posted at 12:52am on January 25th, 2017
Suddenly having way more eyes than usually is probably really disorienting even for a shapeshifter... ....are there other non-aberrant species that have multiple eyes? Has Sev ever turned into a bug or something. :O
posted at 12:15am on January 24th, 2017
hmm... actually normal cats have four eyes! but they're, uh, usually not all pointing in wildly different directions, so I'm not sure it'd be all that, helpful,
posted at 12:52am on January 25th, 2017
When you're having a crap day but then you realise your favourite webcomic has updated and you feel great. Unfortunately Sev doesn't seem to be feeling so great atm..
posted at 3:01am on January 24th, 2017
omg, I'm so glad Sev's terrible evening could brighten yours xD
posted at 12:53am on January 25th, 2017
Every time you update I go "GAH I WANT MORE" because I love this series so hard. I wish I had money to throw at you so that you could update more often.
posted at 4:53am on January 24th, 2017
oh gosh, thank you so much!! ALAS THESE PAGES TAKE ME... A LONG TIME TO DRAW
posted at 12:53am on January 25th, 2017
This page is just filled with saddies. :( Jonan sore and thirsty, Tarri completely lost and Sev having a panic attack... Man, being Xira must be so hard.
posted at 6:23am on January 24th, 2017
really it's less of a Panic Attack and more just your normal garden variety Panicking
BUT EITHER WAY NO ONE IS HAVING A GOOD EVENING
posted at 12:54am on January 25th, 2017
Xira really does hold a lot of responsibility in this little group, being the only one capable of chasing after people and communicating with them in the dark.
posted at 6:44am on January 24th, 2017
if it weren't for all the secrecy, he'd be Best Communicator hands down!
posted at 12:54am on January 25th, 2017
I'm trying to imagine how weird and unfocused and confusing it must be to have multiple eyes from all over one's body at random. Spooky. That has to be a really sickening, disorienting sensation. I mean to say nothing of how awkward snd disorienting it must be to be s tentacled mass.
Poor Sev!
posted at 7:12am on January 24th, 2017
AN EXPERIENCE WE'D ALL PREFER TO AVOID
tho I'm not entirely clear on Severian's guts situation right now, he might be incapable of feeling sick
posted at 12:55am on January 25th, 2017
So what is affecting Sev so strongly? It is obviously connected to the Order and what they are doing in some way, but how?
I wonder what Xira thinks he can do for Sev, especially now he has found him! Poor Xira, he seems to genuinely like and want to help these people he has fallen in with (it has only been a few days, right?). I'm wondering at the thought he catches from Jonan - is he just trying to ignore the food smells and noise, is he trying to record his recent observations, or is it something he wants to share with the party?
posted at 8:02am on January 24th, 2017
My guess is that Sev has a literal abherant on his arm, who is affected by the Order's abherant-luring spell.
I don't think Xira saw the eyes before this page, but he's probably very good at moral support - since he knows what people think - and he thought that's all he would do.
About Jonan, I think he knows Xira is a mind-reader: he showed signs of it before, and now he may have heard him cast; he might be concentrating on writing so Xira won't hear his thoughts.
I'm curious about Sev's thoughts: is "don't break stuff!" a sign his abherrant arm has a mind of its own, or is Sev talking to himself? Is "don't freak out" directed at Xira or himself? Time (as in, one week) will tell. (I hope Xira won't freak out. I trust you, Xira!)
Also poor eyes, they look so sad and worried and afraid!
posted at 1:14pm on January 24th, 2017
Sev is clumsy with his tentacle-hands; often can't release his grip when he wants to. I imagine giant tentacle-mess arms are even worse. He's probably desperately trying to control his movement without really being able to. I think he will eventually get better at it, but that doesn't help him right now.
posted at 3:00pm on January 24th, 2017
"it has only been a few days, right?"
Xira has been with the party for a little over 24 hours! ITS BEEN A VERY EXCITING DAY.
"I'm wondering at the thought he catches from Jonan"
Here's a better look!
he's definitely distracting from his thoughts, but probably not for Xira's sake.
posted at 12:55am on January 25th, 2017
I know Jonan has an attitude problem, but he isn't all bad. I had a medical condition a while back where I had times I couldn't eat or drink for a couple of days, so he certainly has my sympathies - the hunger headaches and the need to actually swallow a drink are very debilitating. I hope he gets some help soon.
posted at 8:39am on January 25th, 2017
It's been a little while since I read the earlier comics, but is someone doing something to keep Jonan alive? Or is he taking water up his nose?
posted at 9:17am on January 24th, 2017
Jonan was fully hydrated by the elemental in Dhemin (the trader lady whose memories got temporarily hidden by Xira). It's been a little more than one day since then!
The food situation is not doing great, though.
posted at 12:58am on January 25th, 2017
Okay WOW.
I can see Shazzbaa got real good at driving with stick, because she shifted gears pretty fast :D
Sev apparently turned into an aberrant. And apparently he is still in control, to some degree at least. (The tear int the one eye at last panel is a nice touch btw)
But actually, didnt Sev wanted to try a rune that would turn him into an aberrant??? Like at the very beginning? Then it didnt work and now it is taking effect???????????
Or maybe he is totally screwed now and he will die? I hope not.
Maybe he will be able to assume the shape of someone as aberrants do, tho assumedly he would need to steal their shape first so uuuuuugh.
You know the only thing right now is that Tarri's mom does not read this comic or she would get a heart attack and/or come herself to strangle Sev to death with a frying pan (you read that right).
posted at 1:28pm on January 24th, 2017
Sev used that rune! It..... sort of worked. That's how we got into this mess to start with! (But he did mention on that one wall-of-text page I regret that he was actually trying to turn into the blood aberrant, which is the skeletal one with all the arms. He didn't know about facestealers before then, and that wasn't what he was going for at all).
You are probably correct about Mrs. Ari though....
posted at 12:59am on January 25th, 2017
Oh god. Realizing that Sev wasn't going for a facestealer in the beginning makes this ten thousand times worse.
posted at 4:04pm on January 25th, 2017
I'd ask if Sev is okay, but the only response I'd get is eye.
posted at 3:42pm on January 24th, 2017
maybe some incomprehensible schlorching noises, you never know
posted at 1:01am on January 25th, 2017
He's only got eyes 4 u ;D
posted at 11:33pm on January 29th, 2017
Whoo-boy, Sev has apparently gone full aberrant, at least in terms of shape. At least he still has his own mind though (can't imagine a real aberrant thinking stuff like "seriously, can I get one freakin mouth instead of ten billion eyes" . . . although if that was what real aberrants thought they would definitely cross that thin line between terror and comedy for me!). Honestly, I'm glad that Xira is there, presumably trying to help, if only because Xira's presence lets us hear Sev's thoughts, and his inner voice is so completely the same as his outer voice that it makes me feel much better!
Also, I agree with Glew: that tear in the eye is a nice touch. I also love the general upset and confusion showing in all of the aberrant eyes; great job showing emotion on something with only eyeballs!
posted at 11:00pm on January 24th, 2017
everyone's nervous about having a mindreader around BUT THEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS AND YOU'RE GLAD YOU HAVE ONE
(omg thank you! IT IS... CHALLENGING to make eyes emote with no face for context)
posted at 1:01am on January 25th, 2017
My problem would be if I was trying to read a book and my arm was reading at a different pace than me- I'd have two arms fighting about when to turn the page
posted at 3:18am on January 28th, 2017
OH NO I JUST REALIZED THAT ONE OF THE EYES ON SEV'S ARM IN THE LAST PANEL IS CRYING D:
posted at 7:07am on January 25th, 2017
Do normal shapestealers / aberrants have thoughts he can hear?
posted at 1:20am on January 30th, 2017
Oooh, I wonder about that...
posted at 7:33am on January 30th, 2017
Comment by RedClause
Oh lord this is not a good time for Sev. 8c
posted at 12:08am on January 24th, 2017