Webcomic / Tiger, Tiger

After half a year at sea, Lord Remy Bonnaire has returned to Lucentia in the company of his friend and first mate, Lord Jamis Arlesi. His sister — and Jamis' fiancee — Lady Ludovica awaits them. Ludovica has other plans for the reunion, however. Through a convoluted plan of her own design, she manages to leave the Bonnaire Estate with her fiance, taking her brother's ship and clothes and his very identity with her. Ludovica hopes to find love and adventure, and to write a book about her favourite subject: the fascinating life cycle of sea sponges!

Tiger, Tiger is a Swashbuckler Adventure webcomic (with elements of fantasy and romance) by Petra Erika Nordlund (Prague Race), hosted on Hiveworks. The comic started in March 2018, and Nordlund completed the first book in June 2020. According to Nordlund, the comic is planned to be three books long.

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Tiger, Tiger contains examples of the following tropes:

• Abusive Parents: During a flashback to when Remy inherited the Gallant, we see Jamis' father, Lord Arlesi, slap his son, apparently unconcerned about who might be watching.
• Admiring the Abomination:
  • After getting over the initial shock of encountering such a strange creature, Ludovica becomes fascinated and endeared by Luck in their animal form, treating it like a pet.
    Ludo: I can't handle that pudgy puffy snout!
  • This continues in the Maldoror’s dream realm; while initially shocked and terrified, Ludo quickly overcomes her fear as she comes to understand the situation, and instead starts geeking out about Luck’s incredible potential for ancient knowledge.
    Ludo: There's no room to be terrified in front of a chance like this!
• Ambiguous Gender: Janos seems unsure whether to describe Luck as "he" or "she," before settling on "the creature." The Previously on… summary for Book One describes Luck with gender neutral pronouns.
• Ambiguously Bi:
  • Ludovica is fairly awkward around her fiance but starts getting more friendly with him over the course of the comic, while on the other hand she's quite flustered by the attention of the waitresses at the Forty Elephants including a moment during her Binge Montage where one of them kissed her.
  • Likewise, Jamis is initially very stiff around Ludo but begins to have a more relaxed relationship with her as they spend more time together- however, he's also deeply loyal to Remy and early in the comic feels intense guilt about betraying him. Remy's diary also reveals Jamis was very flustered by Remy's early attempts of companionship. And then there's that dream he has in Chapter 2... and its sequel on Nordlund's patreon page, which involves Remy stripping and Ludo in just a blanket.
    • Jamis has been confirmed bi via Word of God, but it remains to be seen if Jamis himself realizes it.
  • The waitress at the Forty Elephants herself. She clearly has some history with Honeyfoot, and it turns out that at some point, presumably before their kiss, she figured out Ludo is a woman.
• Ambiguously Gay:
  • Remy would rather knock himself out than approach the topic of him settling down with a woman, but his diary reveals that he is in love with someone: Jamis. Chapter 3 of Book 2 essentially confirms this, going into detail with Remy's history dealing with his sexuality.
  • In contrast to her reaction to the waitresses at the Forty Elephants, Ludo later laments that "all men look the same" and "turn into shapeless porridge in [her] head", suggesting she might lean more towards this than Ambiguously Bi.
• Attractive Bent-Gender: Ludovica-disguised-as-Remy is very popular with the waitresses at the Forty Elephants.
• Back from the Dead: The first time we see Luck, they're hanged and their body is dumped in the ocean. They get better.
• The Bear: Arno, the owner of the Starfall, is around middle-age, pretty heavy-set, and hairy-— in regards to his face and under his clothes, as the reader sees during his first meeting with Remy.
• Binge Montage: The scene at The Forty Elephants ends like this, with the night dissolving into a blurry montage of Ludovica drinking and partying with Honeyfoot and the waitresses including a moment where one of them kisses Ludo.
• Big Beautiful Man: Arno, the owner of The Starfall with a shady past, becomes Remy's first male lover and later confidant. The older man is heavyset, and when he first propositions Remy, there's a panel that's clearly from Remy's point-of-view lingering over Arno's thick figure.
• Boats into Buildings: The secret base of Captain Katla, Fris, Jonica, and rest of the Swiddentown pirates is a upturned ship hidden away in a coastal cave.
• Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Luck, a proud, capricious being, does not take being treated like Ludo's pet well. The only reason they decide not to sink the Gallant immediately is because swimming back to shore would be boring; instead, they settle on pretending to be a lapdog, living the easy life and letting the "princesscaptain" dote on them.
• The Casanova: Honeyfoot doesn't just have one girl in every port; he has SEVERAL. Refreshingly, they're all aware of this and fully happy to share him. Luck’s first appearance involves them waxing poetic about how they’re Maldoror’s gift to women, and Rakkatak also claims that "girls always [love him]", but we've yet to see any of this supposed popularity in-universe (there is mention of him being involved in an orgy, but it's one he paid for).
• Cerebus Call-Back: A minor, darkly humorous detail: the first time we see the sound effect “krunts”, it’s being used to describe the sound of Luck biting down on a bone. The second time? Maldoror!Luck CRUSHING THE SKULL of one of their previous incarnations to protect Ludo.
• The Chains of Commanding: Remy takes his role as captain of the Gallant extremely seriously. As an example, he blames himself instead of Jamis for the boat almost capsizing; sure, Jamis did a lazy, slap-dash job of tying down the cargo, but it was Remy’s job to make him correct it.
• Creation Myth: In Farpoint, Ludovica comes across a theatre troupe putting on a performance of "The Story Of Creation," which involves the wind giving birth to twin gods of land and ocean, and the latter eventually creating Maldoror out of its bitterness and envy over the wind's seemingly preferential treatment of the creatures of the land.
• Dangerously Loaded Cargo: Jamis refuses to properly tie down a heavy load and Remy gives in and lets him get away with it. When the Gallant subsequently gets caught in a storm, the ship nearly capsizes and dooms the entire crew due to the heavy cargo breaking free and tumbling about in the ship's hold.
• A Day in the Limelight: Most of Chapter 4 turns into an extended flashback from Remy's point of view after Ludovica discovers his diary.
• Death Glare: Upon encountering Jamis in the middle of an enormous storm that's threatening to capsize the ship— with both men well aware that the reason they're in such a dire situation is that Jamis didn't want to go through the effort to make proper precaution— Remy simply gives him this look.
  Remy: I had no words for him.
• Determinator: In Chapter 4, Remy manages to steer the Gallant during a horrific storm, at one point being so focused he doesn't realize his arm has been dislocated. It isn't until Jamis steps up to help before he realizes, and subsequently passes out from sheer exhaustion.
• Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: The first time Ludo gets stuck in the Maldoror’s dream, she slaps Luck when they start getting a little too weirdly touchy-feely. The second time, she smacks one of the previous Maldoror incarnations in the face with a branch while running away from them.
• Disney Death: Discussed by Luck's crew. Some believe she somehow survived her execution and hasn't returned for unknown reasons, though Fris thinks Luck has been gone too long to still be alive. However, as the audience knows by that point, Luck is the Maldoror and is definitely still living.
• Eldritch Abomination: Witnessing Maldoror in their true form causes Janos to have a breakdown.
• Erotic Dream: A conversation between Remy and Jamis in the interlude between Chapter 3 and 4 of Book 2 abruptly transitions from Remy talking to Remy stripping off his trousers and climbing into Jamis's lap. And then Ludo appears, naked apart from a blanket that doesn't fully cover her chest, technically making this more of a "bierotic" dream.
• The Gadfly: Honeyfoot is rarely serious and clearly loves to tease people. He has a lot of fun with Jamis.
• Guys are Slobs: Apparently said almost word-for-word by Remy after his first voyage. Later, Ludo reads about a very disgusting example of typical sailor behavior in Remy's journal.
• Half-Identical Twins: In an unusually realistic version of this trope, Ludovica and Remy do look similar enough for Ludo to impersonate her brother, but they are drawn in subtly different ways, such as in the shape of their jaw or their eyebrows. The most obvious difference is how Remy's beauty mark is by his eye while Ludo's is at the edge of her lip.
• Happily Married: Lord Bonnaire was very happy to hand the Gallant down to his son and finally spend more time with his wife.
• Has a Type: Between Remy's attraction to Arno and his infatuation with Jamis, one can get an idea for his type: large, beefy, hairy men. This is also in contrast with "The Rooster," a thin, beautiful swordsman, who Remy openly admits that he didn't actually like so much as he "decided to have a crush on him" because he wanted to be in love.
• Hate Sink: In-universe, no one likes Rakkatak, especially if they're close to Remy. Knowing he's been bothering Ludo is enough to make Jamis grip a bottle so hard he shatters it and threaten Rakkatak's life, while one of the waitresses in the Forty Elephants asks Honeyfoot if he's killed that "long-faced man" already.
• Heel Realization: After barely surviving the storm mentioned under Death Glare, Jamis watches over Remy until he wakes and apologizes for his actions, breaking down in tears while he does.
• Hunk: Jamis is one of the tallest characters in the comic and built like a brickhouse. Remy also happens to be absolutely infatuated with him.
  Former First Mate: It seems like you really got that Arlesi kid straightened up! He's been working ten times as hard as the others!
  Remy: Well, he's ten times bigger than a normal man, so that's no achievement.
• I Have You Now, My Pretty: Rakkatak's slow ascent into complete scumbag culminates in him having Ludo taken into custody by a sect of ultra-conservative religious zealots. He takes full advantage of the situation to sleaze all over her, including wiping her Spiteful Spit off his face and licking it off his finger, much to Ludo (and the fans') disgust.
• Indispensable Scoundrel: Rakkatak is a slimy bastard absolutely loathed by Remy, who would fire him from the crew if he wasn't irreplaceable due to his expert knowledge on ships. Rakkatak knows this and uses his position as leverage to force Remy to give him ridiculously high pay and Ludo's hand in marriage. Ludo is disgusted when she finds out, but is trapped in the same position as Remy and can't fire him without massive risk.
  • It later turns out that Rakkatak was deliberately invoking this trope by planting the "rot" (actually harmless mushrooms) on the Defiant.
• Intimate Haircut: During a flashback, Jamis walks in on Remy attempting to shave his face while still recovering from a dislocated shoulder, and immediately volunteers to do it for him. This comes right after a long reflection by Remy about his grappling with his sexuality and the fact that he has very little trust in other people, so the fact that Remy lets him do it marks a significant shift in their relationship. And yes, it is very intimate.
  Remy: He smelled like home. Something familiar, something I had been missing my whole life and only now realized it.
• Like Father, Like Son: Apparently Remy takes after his mother, being the savvy, socially-conscious sibling, while Ludo takes after their father, sharing his enthusiasm and willingness to cast off traditional decorum.
• May–December Romance: Remy has a brief one with the owner of the Starfall tavern while first exploring his homosexuality after being directed there by his openly gay fencing instructor.
• Mentor in Queerness: Remy's diary details his relationship with Arno, the stoic, older owner of a tavern where gay men regularly convene. At first it seems like the two only had a one-night stand but it's revealed that Remy saw Arno several times, with Arno becoming a confidant that the still-closeted Remy frequently voiced his troubles to, such as his increasing infatuation with Jamis. Arno is also the one who introduces the idea of Maldoror as a sort of patron god to people "rejected by the world" (the implication being that this includes gay people) as a way to comfort Remy.
• Oh, Crap!: Honeyfoot's eyes go wide when he's rowing back to the Gallant with a hungover Jamis and recognizes a ship at port that should be on the other side of the ocean. It appears that taking a major merchant ship for a joyride caught up to him much sooner than he was expecting, and he hurriedly tries to make Jamis look presentable as he panics.
• Older Than They Look: A few readers were surprised by the revelation that that Rakkatak has something like a decade on the Bonnaire siblings.
• One Head Taller: Jamis with... pretty much everyone, but specifically the Bonnaire siblings.
• Otherworldly and Sexually Ambiguous: Luck, the human incarnation of Maldoror, is referred to with any pronouns and was confirmed by the author to be considered non-binary.
• Phrase Catcher: People (and even Eldritch Abominations) describing Rakkatak as “that long-faced man”.
• Plucky Girl: Ludovica might be a spoiled noble but she has the will to make her dream come true through sheer determination and audacity.
• The Power of Family: When the Gallant is struck by a terrible storm and almost capsized by loose cargo, Remy is pulled back from the brink of despair by the thought of his sister.
• Previously on…: After completing Book One, Nordlund wrote a quick summary of everything that had happened so far.
• Renaissance Woman: While her true love is in marine biology, Ludo is apparently also an incredible mechanical and chemical engineer, designing both a diving bell and a revolutionary new form of light. She seems to be completely oblivious to just how amazing these feats are, mentioning them offhand in passing, selling her blueprints for ridiculously low amounts of money, and mostly seeing them as means to the end of studying sponges.
• Seen It All: Arno is described on the cast page as "old and tired and has probably seen it all."
• Secret-Keeper: Jamis is the only one on board the Gallant who knows "Remy" is actually Ludo.
  • After Honeyfoot recognizes Ludo, he becomes this as well, and in turn, Ludovica keeps his secret that he's actually the bastard son of Lord Bonnaire - and her and Remy's half-brother - from Jamis.
  • Ludo just tells Dr. Quin, mostly in order to have someone else to geek out at. He admits he was getting suspicious anyhow, since Ludo has not been keeping up with Remy's smoking habit.
• Stocking Filler: In the interlude in Book 2 ( that turns out to be Jamis having a dream) Remy strips his trousers off but not his shirt— nor his stockings. The fact that Jamis is specifically staring at the bare skin between his socks and shirt makes this a very rare case of historically-accurate and male Zettai Ryouiki.
• Strong Family Resemblance: Harold Bonnaire's children all take after him to some extent: on the shorter side, with rounded features, a broad nose, and dark, curly hair. Once you find out that Honeyfoot is Remy and Ludo's brother, it's very easy to see.
• Sweet Polly Oliver: Ludovica is pretending to be a man, specifically her brother Remy.
• Twin Switch: Though they aren't actually twins, the plot kicks off when Ludovica steals her brother's identity.
• Twin Threesome Fantasy: It's heavily implied that this is what the subtext of Jamis' dream at the end of Chapter 2 is.
  Jamis: Oh don't be like that! I'm a big man, there's plenty of Jamis for all of you!
• Wham Line:
  • Chapter Three ends with the one-two punch of Honeyfoot revealing that he's figured out Ludo is impersonating her brother and how he was able to realize it.
    Honeyfoot: I knew who you were right away when I saw you up close! Because we are - I mean, your father, is, our father, so I'm...
    Honeyfoot: I'm your brother!
  • In Chapter Four, Ludovica is overcome with curiosity upon discovering her brother's diary and decides to give it "just a teensy look." She opens it to a random part in the middle and within two pages realizes she's reading Remy's declaration of love to Jamis.
    Remy: Oh my gods!! I'll pull the plug on this ship, and sink us straight to the maws of beasts down below! The worst has happened! I have fallen in love - with Jamis Arlesi!
• Where Everybody Knows Your Flame: After Remy confesses his "feelings" for his openly gay swordfighting instructor, he takes off, but not before suggesting Remy pay a visit to a place called The Starfall. When Remy eventually gets to see The Starfall for himself, he's surprised to see it's a perfectly average looking tavern— as well as empty, apart from the owner, Arno. For a time he wonders if he managed to go to the wrong place, until, after a bit of light conversation, Arno suggests they "move upstairs."
  Arno: We protect our patrons' privacy. What happens in Starfall, stays in Starfall.
• Wooden Ships and Iron Men: Tiger, Tiger takes place in a fictional world but this is very much the setting.
• You Are Not Alone: This is Arno's purpose in giving Remy the sixlinked knot of the Maldoror as a way to comfort him, explaining that the Maldoror has been adopted as a sort of patron saint by those "rejected by the world."
  Arno: But if the world will not have us, at least we have each other. You are so afraid of what the world will think of your true self, but if the world will not accept you the way you are, because you don't love the way they want you to love, in my opinion, that world isn't worthy of you.
• Younger Than They Look: Jamis towers over pretty much everyone, and especially Remy, but the captain is actually older than him.

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