Yet another Katsucon has passed and it seems like I was just writing the report for 2012. The con went well. We sold preorders of the first volume, and the angry elk were a big hit. This year was a little different as Eren joined the Anime Orchestra and played first chair French horn. Check out the concert here: http://www.youtube.com/
Unfortunately , we didn’t get to hang out with all of our awesome artist friends as much as we wanted to as the artist alley was decently busy and orchestra practice was rather on the early side so we packed it in early every night, but we definitely made sure to make the rounds to everyone’s tables to say hello. Here are just a few of the stellar artists and creative teams we got to hang out with in the Artist Alley: Jen Zyren Smith creator of LaSalle’sLegacy, Eric and Brittany of Snow By Night, Greyliliy of Wiglaf and Mordred and her brother, Monica, Dave and Rachael of Tangent Artists, Laura and Andrew of Technoangel Studios, Eldanis, Megami Jadeheart and Kat, and the team of Demon Fart Cabbage Studio.
Few other amusing things of note that happened over the weekend… I bought a long black wig with the intent of using it to cosplay Asami Sato from Legend of Korra and when I tried it on I realized that it was completely perfect Kip hair (check our facebook page for a pic of the wig which I picked up from The Five Wits) So possibly at some time I may just have to make a Kip cosplay. XD Also Sunday morning as Laura of Technoangel Studio and I were on our way to the AA room, we noticed apparently that the huge glass atrium of the hotel was full of smoke. Upon closer inspection by myself, it appeared that all the smoke was coming from a smoldering patch of landscaping that looked to have been freshly mulched… I am inclined to blame the mulch for starting itself into near flames…as most con goers were still snug in their beds at that time. So yeah… the hotel was nearly on fire and we smelled like a bonfire for part of the day. Still… it was exciting.
We’d like to say thank you to all our friends and readers that stopped by our table for a chat or just to say hello and welcome to all the new faces and new readers who discovered us for the first time!
The Tamuran Artist Alley table at Katsucon (minus artists)
Ouch. Yes, that is insensitive, but Kip has so AMPLY demonstrated her inability to do things quickly or to understand the need for haste (even though it’s not just Mister Bossy Breeches that feels like that, but Ranon as well – although she might call him sire, she clearly doesn’t think of him as having any special authority (though does anyone in Kip-World?)) that I can completely understand where they are coming from…
Thanks for another page with complex feels! And for keeping us going with the inks, it’s much appreciated that you keep the story going when you can rather than leaving us waiting!
Yeah, that’s pretty darned insensitive. I’m thinking he needs to be pushed in the water or something when they stop. Surely there is a stream or something that will do the job. Fair is fair. :-) Even NOW I’m trying to come up with a romance angle! (Which is hard for poor Nashua. I do hope his family turns up alright.)
If you’re thinking Nashua/Kip romance that’s a REALLY mean thing to wish on poor Nashua… hasn’t he got enough stress just having to be part of a party with her, without having Feelings and complications involved? :-) Insensitive and earnest, yes, but those aren’t crimes enough to deserve that… anyway, Kip is far more mental-age-compatible with Ranon (although in this chapter he’s been acting far more grown-up, which is an impressive response to the crisis he’s found himself in). Not that personally I see any of the main four as open to relationships at this point – they all seem to have quite enough on their plates just being themselves, without any other complications or distractions. And I tend to find friendships much more interesting to read about than romances, so perhaps I am also just hoping the story goes in a way that appeals to my particular preferences, just like everyone else!
I’m always looking for a romance angle. Even in totally divergent characters. Hopeless romantic you see! :-)
I don’t think anybody is acting well though but it’s been a bad day. Kip is surely being annoying in the extreme, but then the other guys (save Varony) are breaking chivalry rules right and left. So there’s blame to go around. ;-)
(@ both Nessa and Jane) As a note… Kip didn’t personally know the hawk morphus, any more than she knew the cobra, or the guards in the room outside the dungeon. Ranon probably did, though (once Kip confirmed that it wasn’t just an ordinary hawk)…
I’m not a fan of romance generally, unless there’s something about it that makes it really interesting (to me). I will say that there are one or two EPIC romances… somewhere in the story. :P
What probably matters more for the analysis of their behaviours is how much what happens to a dead body matters philosophically or spiritually or whatever to elves and to morphyx. Kip’s point is ‘it’s one of my people’, which implies that she feels some racial bond (it’s not species, since morphyx are Tu Naul and Tu Naul are a human offshoot if I remember correctly) with the dead. So does she have a reason to believe that if disposed of incorrectly whatever part of that person survives the death of the bosy will be negatively affected? They have Gods in this world, and magic, and things Beyond Normal Ken, so maybe they also have post-death rituals that matter? I mean, I was raised non-conformist protestant and believe that funerals and other rituals are for those left behind not the person who died, but that’s partly about my culture and partly my own worked-out-belief. Someone raised traditional catholic might feel rather differently about the importance of masses and rituals… and there are all SORTS of other options in our world, including the risk of haunts and worse if you DON’T do the right things.
So if there is a ritual morphyx need, her wish to ‘help’ makes sense. If there is a ritual elves need and Nashua is effectively denying it to a morphyx without specific knowledge that morphyx have different customs, he’s being… pragmatic, but insensitively so. If elves don;t think ritual matters, then maybe he’s just not thinking about what a morphyx might think, but reacting logically. Or maybe he’s just one of those pragmatic, let the dead bury their dead whilst I try and look after the living types.
What still comes across is that he and Ranon are both driven and afraid of pursuit at this point, whereas Kip is still feeling mostly inconvenienced. Come on Tuesday! I need my next fix! :-)
Sorry I keep hogging your comments. But it’s all interesting…
Heh, I wasn’t trying to color judgments either way, just offering more information to take as you will. Certainly their reactions are dependent on their cultural and religious views of the afterlife.. and you are really tempting me to post an essay on the subject. >.> I’d imagine, at any rate, that if she believed that there were some ritual NECESSARY for Tu Naul to pass on properly, Kip’s reaction would be more along the lines of “Fine, then, don’t blame me when it comes back to haunt you and kills us all” or “Good job, condemning that poor soul to an eternity of unholy torment just because you refused to listen to me” rather than “You are SO insensitive.” Granted, she’s generally not too worried about passing on crucial information, but given the regard she holds for her own people, I doubt she’d let it go without more of a fight if it were that critical.
I’m not sure how much I should say on the subject of spirituality and views of the afterlife – while it’s not really ‘spoilers,’ per se, we want to be sure that the story supplies enough information for it to make sense on its own, whether directly or through inference. You’ll definitely see more of various cultures’ views on death and spirituality as the story goes on. I think I can say at least that it’s fairly common knowledge for this area of the setting that ‘souls’ exist and that after death they (usually) move on from this plane to the afterlife naturally and without required assistance, though the importance and nature of rituals to honor the deceased, send them on their way, and console the living vary a good bit from culture to culture.
Thanks for the analysis. We’re glad you’re enjoying the story!