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172
June 1st, 2017
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| 44 . | by: Downhill | June 6, 2017, 4:09 am |
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@43 Not that I know of, but that'd be cool! The comment section is great and all, but a forum would let us stick to one topic easier and talk about old pages without leaving spoilery comments on them for new readers to find. @Furrama I love this breakdown, great summary of how the story's gone down. I think the girls' stories could also be defined as them having lost something. Plum may have returned to the brothel, but she lost her family. Lemon is still in the brothel, but she lost her hopes and ambitions. Apple lost her life physically, Cherry lost her way of life. |
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| 43 . | by: | June 5, 2017, 8:51 pm |
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is there a forum setting of any sort for nofna discussion? i like all of you people |
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| 42 . | by: Furrama | June 5, 2017, 6:05 pm |
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I think the 'another one bites the dust' bit of the narrative is over. It was a motif for the last "chapter" of the story, and the cycle went: 1. Girl in peril 2. Girl leaves the brothel (either physically or spiritually) 3. Fig paints a picture of the girl Repeat ~Plum-Pomello-Chestnut-Apple-Lemon-Cherry~ Plum physically left, (later returned) Pomello is MIA Chestnut physically left Apple is deceased Lemon mentally gave up Cherry was removed (by Cherry II) As Fig, Acai, and Cherry II are not a part of the 'normies' it's safe to say that this cycle is over. Cherry hung around for a little bit after, but she should be considered as gone as Lemon was after Cherry II took her name away. If I were to break up the story into chapters: 1-9 Prologue (Budding) 10-32 Chapter 1 (Bloomless) 33-58 Chapter 2 (Taking Flight) 59-131 Chapter 3 (Broken Wings) 132 on we'd be in chapter 4 (Pollination) |
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| 41 . | by: Kai | June 5, 2017, 1:11 am |
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I do agree that I ultimately want Fig to be the one who pulls herself together and solves her problems. Help along the way doesn't hurt, but I want her to have that satisfying feeling of self confidence and inner strength. @39 Yeah, it does feel like the brothel girls are torture fodder, doesn't it. They're being plucked off one by one for some reason or another. |
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| 40 . | by: Ñire | June 4, 2017, 10:52 pm |
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I like smoothie, but I still want XX to be the one that single-handedly pulls to victory towards the end, or does whatever big action serves to finally wrap up the story. In fact, if someone's gotta defeat Greenie, I think XX and nobody else should do it (even though she's not his only victim). Furthermore, I am under the impression that it is going to happen, and that the huge canvas Greenie gifted her is going to be painted towards the climax, in a very relevant scene that hopefully involves his blood or/and body parts lol. That said, I am still half expecting Pomelo to eventually re-appear (I think she escaped the laberytnth, there was just too much focus on her body never appearing, plus the pair of purple dots in the dark when Fog was looking for her), and likely Chestnut as well, as I am still under the impression that it was her who made the beer that killed the director (she was wearing a hops when she came to visit Apple). My theories/expectations may be all wrong, but, only time will tell! URL : http://nothofagus-obliqua.deviantart.com |
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| 39 . | by: | June 4, 2017, 9:03 pm |
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@witticaster yeah... my worry is that açaí and the chef boy were also guiding lights here.. and I just want that role for more of the actual women in the brothel with fig. A little bored of intervening men whose thoughts/opinions seem more important than the female characters being continuously hurt. I keep wishing at least açaí was a fellow female presence to meaningfully connect to. anyway... yeah... I wouldn't be able to enjoy anything at all if I let these concerns stop me from reading things, but I'll just continue quietly hoping my vibes about him are right and that the girls up in prominence beyond torture fodder.... |
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| 38 . | by: Witticaster | June 4, 2017, 5:36 pm |
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I feel on edge hoping this isn't going to turn into yet another saga of The Adventures Of The Smart & Selfless Man Who Valiantly Rescues The Poor Helpless Damsel Who Doesn't Know What's Best For Her. Not hinging my enjoyment of the story on that, though, since if I did I'd pretty much obliterate my ability to enjoy 95% of all media. It's really interesting that her mirror "dreams" are no longer restricted to the dream world. She's reacting to them in front of others, even. Guess it makes sense in this world, though, where the things you believe are so easily given form in reality. |
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| 37 . | by: | June 4, 2017, 2:52 pm |
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I'm glad there are a handful of people who feel annoyed by smoothie and want to keep him at an arm's length... I think he deserves suspicion. I don't think it's a coincidence that he's also XY like her boyfriend. I find his place in this story more boring and pointless if he is just a knowledge-saint and well-meaning friend... since I crave for fig to have her epiphany and agency without having been lead there by the hand of another man who is hinging his own goals on her. It's fine for others to disagree and get more out of him as a positive force than I can see in him, but I wanna periodically pop in to say: heh nice, when anyone else lets it out that they also don't like/trust him and find him boorish and self-centered. |
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| 36 . | by: 35 | June 4, 2017, 3:49 am |
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adding on, sorry lol; i forgive smoothie here cause i dont think he understood that she was dealing with a deep emotional thing (as evidenced by his inquiring in the last panel) and thought it was simply a common fear since most people in their world probably dont see their reflection in such high quality. he doesnt understand that its trauma in figs case, he is still naive. in my personal experience with psychologist-types, they are always more optimistic and out of touch with what actually goes through a persons mind who is dealing with these things. at least smoothie does a good job of not talking over her when she does feel comfortable bringing up her own thoughts and feelings, ive not had the same luck myself lol. and since it keeps coming up, i dont think its a bad thing that smoothie tries to explain psychology to her, he's trying to get her to open up. she's in an environment where everyone is expected to keep hush hush about these things so she has learned to hide them, especially now that sherry is around. also, while smoothie cares about figs well-being, i think his overall goal is to learn about an interesting case (i feel like this is probably his first time getting hands-on experience in a real-world scenario like this?). to me, he is respectable enough all things considered. |
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| 35 . | by: | June 4, 2017, 3:33 am |
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i dont know how it applies to this world, but i imagine a shard of a mirror is a huge difference between seeing your reflection in water, it can be a lot more lifelike and startling. ive seen this in mythology/folklore and other stories before and i think it makes sense to apply it here. i think of fairies who become catch their own reflection and become so caught up in their vanity that they forget who they are and become obsessed with their image and fall in love with themselves. fig was at one point captured by her own appearance (as shown in previous pages) thinking she could use it to her advantage, and now its controlling her to the point she has become its prisoner and her entire life feels a facade out of her control. (forgive any unclear or obvious wording here im a little foggy headed atm) |
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| 34 . | by: | June 3, 2017, 11:57 pm |
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I think it's worth remembering that society here is still pretty uneven in its development here, and psychology is an art that is, in the big scheme of things, still exceedingly green in our world. What he is doing may literally be some of the best this society has developed so far as far as understanding how this sort of thing should be done. Even though, yes, by our standards it's piss poor. |
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| 33 . | by: | June 3, 2017, 12:40 pm |
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@Juna that's why I'm still waiting on the line about him wanting honesty so he can be honest himself to come in, he IS too vanilla, nobody into psychology is that vanilla. |
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| 32 . | by: Juna | June 3, 2017, 12:28 am |
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I'm of two minds with Smoothie: on the one hand we've gotten a lot of overarching discussion on the theory(ies) of sex that inform the comic, and that gives XX a chance to work out her inner conflict with a receptive person. But he's drawn up a little too neatly to make a deep impression on me, I suppose. I could compare him to other male characters who've had significant conversations with XX, like Acai or Morning Glory, who've put out more of themselves with her in those moments. Well, he's probably got one part of being therapist down by keeping his own personal history out of the conversation. It might not be totally fair to put it that way, since he -does- consider art important to him, but I feel that's the thing that's most likely off about him. |
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| 31 . | by: Papeipou | June 3, 2017, 12:20 am |
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"Who do you think you are?" reminds me of Greenie from way back when he was ripping on her exploration in non-representational work. |
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| 30 . | by: Kanya | June 3, 2017, 12:00 am |
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I don't think smoothie realizes the depth of her fear though. He's thinking it's just a little irrational fear, and she can't get hurt, and could easily be cured by it with a little example of what it is. So I don't see him as forcing her knowingly in a deep fear. Sometimes it IS good for friends to push you a little in the smaller stuff, I like to think. URL : http://Theroamingredwolf.deviantart.com/ |
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| 29 . | by: Seven | June 2, 2017, 10:09 pm |
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Fig for the first time is standing up to her inner demon, instead of cowering in terror. I think Smoothie's done a lot to help her achieve that. But he has been condescending, and inconsiderate here. Shoving her towards the mirror when she obviously doesn't want to rubbed me the wrong way. He means well, but he needs to step back and respect her boundaries better. |
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| 28 . | by: Lex | June 2, 2017, 8:23 pm |
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I mean, he did say he wants to help her. And through these talks he is helping her realize a lot about herself. It's like when you see a (good) therapist, they help you understand why you might behave the way you do. |
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| 27 . | by: | June 2, 2017, 6:18 pm |
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does smoothie have to do EVERYTHING for fig? cool |
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| 26 . | by: Kaidona | June 2, 2017, 5:39 pm |
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...I feel like calling his face 'smug' is reaching a bit. I've seen him be smug once and that was when he told Green Bean they weren't going to have sex. URL : http://kaidona.deviantart.com |
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| 25 . | by: 22 | June 2, 2017, 4:38 pm |
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Oh I know he definitely has good intentions, and I didn't mean to sound as if I dislike him. I'm on a neutral scale with him right now. And I did fail to consider that Fig asked for that explanation. |
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| 24 . | by: Downhill | June 2, 2017, 1:43 pm |
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Smoothie's lessons to Fig have been a fascinating and thought-provoking read. And he's flawed, sure, but he seems to have honest and kind intentions towards Fig. I think he's something she really needs right now. |
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| 23 . | by: | June 2, 2017, 1:42 pm |
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You have to consider though that his biggest info dump, about the 'true nature of sex', was requested by Fig herself. It wasn't as if he just rambled about it for pages for no reason, she wanted to know, and eventually I know she'll find a way to put this new information to use, but I think it will be in a middle ground of sorts where XX/Fig find a way to be more harmonious. |
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| 22 . | by: | June 2, 2017, 1:39 pm |
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I'd like Smooth more if their sessions felt more like some kind of therapy, he does most of the talking, though. For someone who claimed he wants to get to know her, he doesn't have her say much about herself. Usually he talks and she asks questions about whatever subject he's on. |
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| 21 . | by: | June 2, 2017, 1:31 pm |
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Dark Fig. |
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| 20 . | by: Furrama | June 2, 2017, 1:25 pm |
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I honestly don't mind the recent info dumps. They're like an oasis in a sea of symbolism and non-verbal cues. We went so long without certain context keys that it doesn't bother me here. Also, is it me or is reflection Fig getting... more purple? |
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| 19 . | by: | June 2, 2017, 12:45 pm |
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nnnNNNNnnnnnnnnoooooooo |
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| 18 . | by: | June 2, 2017, 11:52 am |
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It's no coincidence they smell the same. |
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| 17 . | by: | June 2, 2017, 11:47 am |
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Oh yeah, Greenie's got the attitude of an angel, that'd be a great exchange..../s |
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| 16 . | by: | June 2, 2017, 9:49 am |
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I kind of wish Greenie zaps XY's ass at this point. I'm sick of his smug face. |
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| 15 . | by: Seven | June 2, 2017, 8:12 am |
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Fig (Kate Winslet voice): I KNOW WHAT CLEAR WATERSTONE IS! |
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| 14 . | by: kuu | June 2, 2017, 5:57 am |
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his words of "it's you" are going to rile her more |
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| 13 . | by: kuu | June 2, 2017, 5:56 am |
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this is we talk of. the other animals being afraid of mirrors. their halo brain lets them have self reconition. and thus self awareness. 20-24 and onwards months of human age. is when we reconise ourself in a mirror. before then at other ages, a human baby will think there is another baby |
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| 12 . | by: 8bit | June 2, 2017, 5:34 am |
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Poor Fig, she doesn't know how to react... |
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| 11 . | by: | June 2, 2017, 5:03 am |
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@6 maybe. When Fig meets Sherry, her first words to her are "you remind me of someone." Fig could have meant this reflection. |
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| 10 . | by: | June 2, 2017, 4:03 am |
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Aaaaand there's the "she takes pleasure in violating herself" side of Fig. |
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| 9 . | by: | June 2, 2017, 3:29 am |
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Ooooh. He's looking at her as if he's seen this/read about it before. I know he comes off as pretty condescending, and exposition dump characters can get exhausting, but as a long-time reader of NofNA I'm really enjoying learning more about this point in their history. I think Zach briefly mentioned that this point in the timeline is comparable to the Greeks? They're learning a lot about themselves in this point in their society, but they still got a ways to go. Maybe Fig reveals more about the halo brain and the being within it that causes a societal breakthrough! At any rate, poor Fig's got some 'splainin to do. |
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| 8 . | by: | June 2, 2017, 3:13 am |
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I believe Zach mentioned that mirrors are decently rare since they're salvaged from human dumps. Since this is XX's room at the brothel and not, say, her personal home, it could be assumed that maybe the mirror came with the room and she just never knew what it was or was afraid of it or never bothered to look under the cover. Of course, we know her past experiences with it, but that's what Smoothie could have gathered. |
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| 7 . | by: Kai | June 2, 2017, 2:36 am |
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I can't help but laugh as Smooth explains mirrors? Like, dude, it's in her room, therefor it belongs to her - it's safe to assume she's seen her reflection at least once. Unless he assumed she thinks her reflection is another person? I know my cats and dogs go crazy when they see themselves in the mirror. Heck, even my friend's ferret thinks her reflection is another ferret! But this society seems too progressed to still think like that. |
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| 6 . | by: | June 2, 2017, 2:30 am |
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Ah, I look at the reflection and it reminds me so much of how Fig saw Sherry. In appearance, and also in those facial expressions. Maybe Fig sees Sherry that way, because Sherry reminds her a lot of this reflection in terms of personality. |
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| 5 . | by: Downhill | June 2, 2017, 2:28 am |
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Oh man, I've been waiting to see if she'd ever hallucinate in front of someone else. I'm really, really interested to see how this resolves. And wow but Smoothie is a total sweetheart. Condescending as hell, but he's so cute and sweet that you only want to punch him a *little* bit. |
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| 4 . | by: Furrama | June 2, 2017, 1:45 am |
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Look how fluffed up scared she is! I'm guessing that reflective surfaces aren't terribly common in this world, or (S)XY's speech would be awfully condescending. Though I still think most everyone would have seen themselves in water at some point. |
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| 3 . | by: | June 2, 2017, 12:45 am |
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Is that the Fig she once wanted to be? The Fig she's been slowly trying to break away from since her talks with Smooth started? |
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| 2 . | by: Jen | June 2, 2017, 12:27 am |
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I'm talking with the Fig in the mirror I'm asking her to change her ways |
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| 1 . | by: Picanco | June 1, 2017, 11:41 pm |
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My heart... it breaks. |
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