New offering.
Congrats on completing your mission, Allison.
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New offering.
Congrats on completing your mission, Allison.
Hmm still wondering how that works with the whole carapace thing. Well guess our MC can take stabs in the eyeball without damage so that might be less of a problem or Cio is softer than she looks.
Anyone else notice similarities to The Lie of The Iron Plum from this page in the comic
Seeing that page, it's interesting to see the way Cio was drawn when she was supposed to be a creepy, quasi-insectoid devil and not some dark sexy imp. I wonder if Abaddon planned for this to be the relationship from the get-go or if this was a different direction he decided to take. I'm kind of surprised, it really doesn't feel like this current Allison has any of the old one left in her.
Cio's been low key fanfic shipping herself with Allison since Book 1. Look at her reaction in this page. IIRC, Abbadon says that he was still working out Cio's visual design at that point. In Book 2 she outright expresses physical attraction to her during her drinking match with Vladok.
As for Allison, what we saw of the old one was basically 90% having an existential freak-out. And Cio's still insectoid from what we saw in the previous volume, but as a devil and therefore primordial chaos artificially given identity, her physiology isn't exactly consistent.
The changes in Allison that have occurred during the comic's run, and particularly accelerated at the start of this most recent arc, are pretty interesting. On the one hand, I agree with you that the "current" Allison has made a pretty big leap from where she was previously, without clearly showing the trajectory. Her characterisation has not been very fluid, and while the current flashback covers some parts, it's one of Abbadon's weaknesses as a writer that makes it somewhat difficult to pick the comic up, I find.
However, I think the problem lies with the choppiness of the changes, not with the scale of them. It's true that few things of the "old" Allison seems to remain right now (even if we do see her retain a few habits, like putting on lipstick). But I think that's indicative of just how fake the old Allison was. She focused all her attention outwards, on presenting an image, and forgetting herself. I mean, even when she was trying to sleep with Zaid, the primary purpose was to check a box on a list, to be able to present as "not virgin".
Now, when she's developing abilities with a focus on herself primarily, it's not really strange that what emerges is something completely different. Training and learning and developing her abilities is what's helping her gain the confidence she was previously trying to gain from external approval. This also comes with a healthy measure of introspection. Previously, she rejected attraction to Cio because she wasn't attracted to females, as if her presentation of her identity made such feelings impossible. Now, when Cio eats plums all cutesome, she's confident enough that she doesn't need to negotiate her feelings with her sense of identity. It's a pretty different Allison, and if you thought the old one was funny then I can see the issue, but I do think it makes sense. It also plays into the Asian idea of martial arts training as honing not only the body but also causing spiritual and personal development, which seems to fit the setting.
And, frankly, if you look deep there were hints of this side of Allison previously as well. I mean, she might not have a transformation sequence or a cat, but she's starting to become a pretty magical girl right now.
I am pretty sure that what we look at here was not the first lesson of Allison in magic. Though I am NOT sure if this comic is showing "present day" (aka one year after the bankrobbing) or sometimes in-between, bat late enough that Allison is already buffed up and with long hair.
But I'm again pretty sure, that this is a routine scene, and this is not the first time that Allison asks Cio out.
Remember the end of book 3? Cio: "I don't date. But, just ask [whenever you want sex]." Beat. Beat. Allison: "I'd like that?" Cio: Ha!
It follows for me that Cio has made it a rule for herself to not take the initiate and to never assume that Allison wants sex right now (not after what happened in the vault, and not after the conversation I cited above). And if that is her rule, Allison has to take the initiative whenever she wants to try it, and a wink-nudge wouldn't be working. She has to explicitly state it, so that there are no unfortunate misunderstandings that would lead to new scars. Hence, Cio has "no subtle bone."
I wonder what White Chain has to say about that relationship. Silent understanding? Silent grumbling? Outspoken reproach?
New Offering.
The King of The Pit returns.
For some reason I genuinely thought we were rid of him.
I like this page, though, because it shows that training and lesbianism haven't solved all of Allison's issues offscreen. Her relationships with both Cio and herself are still complicated.
This might not even be his power. He just likes showing up and snarking. And he seems intent on presenting himself as the charmingly rougish and reasonable one of the Demiurges to the Rising Heir. Which might well work as long as Allison never actually sees his realm or his real body.
Edit: also, the textbox "final lesson" makes me think this might actually be a regular occurence. Maybe he's dream-teaching her regularly? Given that the alt-text speaks about his mastery of sword law, which makes sense if he's the current General of the Middle Army, maybe he's actually given her weapons training.
In the previous page, Allison talked about things neither Cio nor White Chain can teach her. I bet that's why she keeps him around. Lessons about her key, rulership, ambition, etc.
New Offering
Divinity Activation
Also, I love Inky's joker smile in panel 4
New Offering
Wherein Allison receives instruction in Royalty
Well, managing to wound a Demiurge at all is already pretty damn impressive. With the confirmation on the Tumblr that Incubus is a master of Head of John, though, that little cut on the face gains even more significance.
One of two possibilities, one is that Allison's Will is now powerful enough to dent the Atum-hardened flesh of a living god, the other is that Incubus' astral projection isn't representative of his true power and he let Allison scratch him in order to build up her ego.
I go with the "Incubus is a projection/extension and not as powerful as he is normally." theory.
Still, interesting he is still hanging around. Wonder if its intentional of Allison or not.
I like the astral projection theory. The image he projects there (heh) is quite different from how he appears in the flesh anyway, in the short bit were we saw him.
Well there's actually multiple questions there.
Incubus' body is pretty beaten up and he appears to be blind.
So there's basically 2 questions:
1) How powerful is Incubus' dream projection compared to his physical body
2) How powerful is that compared to the other Demiurges? Per the author, he is ranked 4th in Demiurge power, behind Jagganoth, Solomon David, and Gog-Agog.
Even if his Astral (or physical) body were weaker, would it still be more powerful than Mammon or Mottom?
As we've already seen, he can make multiple copies of himself at the same time and alter his physical being in the dreamworld.
Perhaps what we're looking at here is different bodies, different strengths, where his Astral body is far more powerful in terms of magic and flexing his Key, while his actual body is more of physical threat with swordsmanship and speed.
New Offering
Genesis of the Tyrant Saint or "Salami Dave's Origin Story"(I think)
Or, it's Maya ? The hair from the back fits both. The cloak indicates Maya as does the fact that Inky's the storyteller. The Ki Rata story indicates Solomon as does the fact that this book has Solomon on the cover.
We have seen a young, bald(!) Solomon devouring the atum of another demiurge in Seeker 2:10; but Yemmod is a different guy.
I think it is Solomon as well. Incubus doesn't strike me as the type that wants to talk about Maya anymore.
Okay, who's Salami Dave, and why?
Solomon David. You now, that guy. His name is full of... um, let's say, subtext. And pretense.
Salami is a long, fat sausage made from horse. And S. Dave is a major beefcake. Some things can only be mocked by not taking them seriously.
And for some reason, there are unwise readers who like to mock Solomon David, believing he cannot escape from the comic panels and crush them with an eyelash.
Well, yeah, I know who Solomon David is. I just hadn't heard that particular nickname before. Thanks. :smallsmile:
I prefer the nickname "Swolomon David".
Like, he set his empire's tech level at Classical Greco-Roman because that's how everyone gets to walk around shirtless and do hard physical labor. And then he gets to showboat about how he's the swolest man.