NofNA, "Syconium" page #213

Syconium
213

October 23rd, 2017

49 .	by:	October 27, 2017, 9:01 am
"Smoothie" is so much better than "Brandon".

48 .	by: Furrama	October 27, 2017, 12:01 am
Stupid story time: One time I found a cat hanging around some bushes outside our front door while my husband and I were living in student housing. We couldn't find his owners after looking for a couple of weeks, and we couldn't keep him, so we took care of him until we found a reputable shelter. The shelter nearby was... not great, so I made an arrangement with a shelter near Little Rock, about an hour and some away from where we lived. We met the person who ran the shelter at a Petsmart, where they were showing their cats that day. She gave me some paperwork so I could sign the cat off to them. On the form it asked me the name of the cat, and I hadn't named this cat. If I name a cat I'm going to keep it and I had tried VERY HARD not to name this cat. But he was a long-ish hair brown cat with no stripes though he did have solid dark brown markings on his face, legs, and tail tip, and I thought he looked a bit like a tanuki, (I had recently seen Pom Poko for the first time). So I named him "Tanuki" and said goodbye to him, thinking I had done pretty well to name a cat on short notice. I really liked it actually, and I felt myself getting attached to it so much that I could only be grateful that the cat would soon not be physically in my presence anymore and I wouldn't feel compelled to keep him and hide him in my No Cat Apartment Where I Was Already Hiding Two Cats That I Should Not Have Had. The lady told me that I could see a picture of the cat on their website later, and that would let me track him and see if/when he got a home. She, this blonde middle aged very Arkansas heavy accented woman, looked at the paperwork, gave the name a weird look, asked me how to pronounce it and what it meant. I told her, "It's this animal that lives in Japan and blah blah" and she was all "... Neat." I said goodbye and good luck to the newly dubbed Tanuki and the husband and I drove back home. I went to check up on the cat on shelter website the next day, and lo, after some searching I found his picture! And next to it: Brandon They renamed the CAT BRANDON!???!??!?! I then looked at all of the other animals on the site and they were all like: Ashly Tom George Robert Harrison It was in that moment I died. They were all generic white people names. And guys, there's nothing funnier to me than a cat named BOB or LYNDA because THOSE ARE NOT CAT NAMES. Cats are meant to be named ridiculous things like Lucifer, Little Sir, Sheriff, or Creamsicle. OR TANUKI DAGNABIIT. He got adopted pretty quick (this was a gorgeous young people friendly cat) but forevermore, the name BRANDON is now that "Generic white guy name that got unfairly attached to a perfectly good cat". I hope his new owners rerenamed him The Good King Snugglewumps. So, I cannot think of our very white stoat man as a Brandon, because it will break me in a giggle fit.

47 .	by: Mutt	October 26, 2017, 11:01 pm
So we're calling him Brandon now? It fits.

46 .	by:	October 26, 2017, 9:56 pm
Body painting? Ah, I see you're a man of culture as well.

45 .	by:	October 26, 2017, 9:40 pm
@41 Fun fact: Incel was actually coined by a woman! ...And then, uh, you can guess what happened next. URL : http://www.elle.com/culture/news/a34512/woman-who-started-incel-movement/

44 .	by:	October 26, 2017, 8:46 pm
Just look at panel 6 and tell me that's not a Brandon face

43 .	by:	October 26, 2017, 8:12 pm
HE IS A BRANDON TYPE

42 .	by: Furrama	October 26, 2017, 7:44 pm
(E)XY VERSES SV (IMPERFECT MALICE MODE) Or, CHERRY II VERSES ACAI (NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION, FOX ONLY, OBVIOUSLY) URL : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAwWPadFsOA

41 .	by:	October 26, 2017, 7:01 pm
I have taken to calling the XYs volcel and incel respectively (voluntary celibacy VS involuntary celibacy), but also, the communities that coined the terms are largely horrible dudes, and I find them both horrible dudes, so ymmv. but its certainly efficient for my purposes :B

40 .	by: Seven	October 26, 2017, 6:35 pm
Speaking of games, anyone play William and Sly? I just pretend William can't tell fox genders, and that Cherry went off on an adventure... URL : http://kizi.com/games/william-and-sly-2

39 .	by:	October 26, 2017, 4:08 pm
Lowkey want to make a NofNA fighting game now, Zack should make a kickstarter haha

38 .	by:	October 26, 2017, 1:01 pm
I keep forgetting who Smoothie is, so I support dubbing him Brandon.

37 .	by: kuu	October 26, 2017, 6:32 am
i had a weird dream that Smoothie's real name is Brandon, and XX also had a talent for dancing

36 .	by: Downhill	October 26, 2017, 4:20 am
Fig's mental projections and Quintet's siblings vs all the different forms of Strelka

35 .	by: Furrama	October 26, 2017, 3:53 am
Quintet knows Kung Fu. Figs vs both instances of SV.

34 .	by:	October 26, 2017, 2:23 am
Fig's mental projections vs Quintet's hypothetical siblings

33 .	by:	October 25, 2017, 10:15 pm
every fighting game has its clones and nofna is no exception

32 .	by:	October 25, 2017, 8:55 pm
Choose your fighter (A lineup of ever-fracturing-into-more stoats appears)

31 .	by:	October 25, 2017, 6:57 pm
choose your meme physical Fig, or Phyg Phyg (physical fig)

30 .	by: Furrama	October 25, 2017, 5:47 pm
PiXXel - an echo of young XX, therfore incapable of growing or challenging Fig. She's coming back into focus though, as the final battle approaches. Currently stands in for Art, and the past. "Fig" - The parasitic entity that represents The Animal. Very bitey. Stands in for death, a return to the wild, body over mind. Core XX/Fig - AFK, still baking. The "real" person within the body. Looking for a means to grow beyond her prison. Wants to represent Art, the future, hasn't found her true power yet. If "Fig" squashes her she's done, and "Fig" wins full control of... The Body, or Physical Fig - An amalgamation of the first two (right now).

29 .	by:	October 25, 2017, 4:33 pm
I'm not sure why it only recently occurred to me that the nightmare sequences earlier in the story weren't just nightmares showing the inner struggle XX was facing, but are how we got here, to the current state of her mind-manifestations of herself, with mind-XX being abstracted and mind-Fig being in control, having her color. We first see it happen in the nightmare where mind-Fig quite literally strips her of her color and steals it for herself back on page 103. Mind-XX still had some power back then, but we gradually witnessed Fig losing herself as she fell deeper and deeper into her life as a sex worker and gave up hope completely as an artist. Mind-XX was at her weakest around when Smoothie explored her mind, to where you could barely even make out a stoat shape from the blocks that made her up. It's interesting that mind-Fig didn't really reach full power until a ways into her doing sex work. Mind-XX was still the more powerful, since she was the one with color, but it was slowly being taken from her by her external circumstances.

28 .	by:	October 25, 2017, 4:29 pm
the one went sleeping at 121 is starting to fight back?

27 .	by: Blazic	October 25, 2017, 3:30 pm
Okay, so if I have this right, this is - XX/Fig's body. Mind-XX/Pixel.Fig/PiXXel - the artist and 'real' personality, behind everything else. She seems a bit stronger as of late (Due to the art lessons, perhaps?) She seems to have a defenite outline for the first time in awhile, if at all, and is broken into less separate pixels. I believe PiXXel was formed around page 136 Fig/Sexy Fig/Mind Fig - Estrus, or the embodiment of such, the crimson eyed one who is currently in control of XX's body, and constantly beating down PiXXel to keep control. Pre-Fig/XX - Only, from my knowledge, has been seen before her college days, which began on page She resigned the painter's life and first met Smoothie on page 133 - This is where her last 'painting' is shown as well, I think. She lost her shading (Possibly the understanding herself, as well) on page 25. Feel free to correct me or elaborate on anything, this is just to my knowledge so everyone can be up to date on things.

26 .	by:	October 25, 2017, 2:49 pm
@25 Yep. The third one can be found on pages 121 and 190, and I think on a few other pages.

25 .	by:	October 25, 2017, 11:04 am
So........ there are 3 entities in XX/Fig?

24 .	by: Witticaster	October 25, 2017, 9:30 am
PiXXel is the cutest name :D

23 .	by: ItPierces	October 25, 2017, 8:26 am
Is sex an abstraction?

22 .	by: Furrama	October 24, 2017, 6:56 pm
PiXXel is cute.

21 .	by:	October 24, 2017, 6:38 pm
I think mind-XX, or Pixel-XX (PiXXel?) represents the artist side of her, thus always in conflict with purple mind Fig. Remember page 167 talks about feeling a need to punish ones' self - I think Fig manifest this by having purple mind Fig constantly attacking and oppressing PiXXel. She feels feels (at least to some degree) that she failed as an artist, and so the manifestation of her as an artist must be punished.

20 .	by:	October 24, 2017, 6:22 pm
I don't think it's that she's rejecting it, I think it's that she's lost it and it's been overpowered. Presumably mind-XX is XX, the artist, not the courtesan. We've seen her become more and more defined, shifting from just a cluster of ambiguous boxes, to now actually having a defined shape/lineart again. She's definitely regaining power, and I'd assume these art lessons with Smoothie are part of the cause.

19 .	by:	October 24, 2017, 5:12 pm
What if Pixel!Fig represents the aspect of herself that 'gave in' to the lure of sex? That's why it's constantly getting its ass handed to it. She is trying to reject that part of herself too.

18 .	by: Furrama	October 24, 2017, 5:01 pm
I think Core XX is that which was and who could be, going by what Sexy Fig is saying here. She was supposed to be worn away by Sexy Fig and cease to be (usurped, more parasite analogies), but she shut herself off to protect her existence, and to observe and learn so as to find a way to fight off her attacker and secure a future. She left a shadow of her past self as a bit of a conscience for the Real Fig/XX to draw off of, which has kept Real Fig/XX from being entirely Sexy Fig, though she's incapable of overthrowing her. I would argue, Seven, that she wasn't balancing anything back then. She could paint in her spare time, but she wasn't satisfied with the attention her art was receiving. Hence why she turned to sex full time, eventually giving up her hope in Art. "Who I am NOW has value." She had a hunger she couldn't feed, and so she filled the void with something that proved destructive. Once she started down that road she was always going to end up here, even if it was easier going at first.

17 .	by: Witticaster	October 24, 2017, 4:59 pm
Just gotta say, it's wonderful to see XX in her element, with something valuable and unique to teach, explaining what makes her chosen craft so compelling. It was depressing watching her constantly being devalued, and we only had a viewpoint of abstract art being a reaction to the rejection of her more representational art. But instead she's showing us how valuable she finds it for its own sake. I like it. The spilling-over of Fig's violent words into the relatively peaceful real-life panels is excellently done and very ominous. Interesting how Fig phrases things on this page. XX "left behind" her young adult form when she bottled herself up in the womb. But she also "left behind" her aggressively-sexual form too! It's almost like splitting off your negative aspects and pretending they're not a part of your true self can have an overall bad effect on your mental health and behavior...

16 .	by: Seven	October 24, 2017, 4:19 pm
So would Fourth-Fig be the Fig we saw during her street worker days? She seemed to be happy and balancing her work and her art nicely back then.

15 .	by: kuu	October 24, 2017, 4:17 pm
oh, how could I forget abot fetus seed XX Mind fig is the fushia eyed one

14 .	by:	October 24, 2017, 2:58 pm
There are four XXs. Real life Fig/XX, the physical entity. (Speaks in grey.) Mind Fig, the representation of the overwhelming power of sex. (Speaks in the same grey.) The fractured image of pre-Fig XX, who used to appear in brown fur before being broken by Mind Fig. (Speaks in tan.) The fourth is not present here, but referred to by Mind Fig ("She was supposed to disappear. But she sequestered herself away...") This is, presumably, the complete and hopefully healthy "real" personality of XX, currently encased in a womb as she reinvents herself.

13 .	by: kuu	October 24, 2017, 2:32 pm
the text in tan is orginal xx, before being rejected for her art? so then we have her, and 2 other versions of her self fighting in her mind or just two?

12 .	by:	October 24, 2017, 12:09 pm
Fig's already a murderer, I hope she doesn't become a rapist, too.

11 .	by:	October 24, 2017, 11:47 am
I hope we see real-Fig not try to come onto Smoothie and just continue with the art lesson. Mind-Fig has had too many victories and reasons to feel superior and like she has ultimate control. It'd be nice to see XX pull some power here rather than mind-Fig yet again and ruin her relationship with Smoothie, or maim him too.

10 .	by:	October 24, 2017, 9:51 am
Man, what will Smoothie do? His guard is broken, and if he doesn't regain it quickly this won't end well. He's still avoiding eye contact with Fig too. I'm not sure if he's purposefully doing it or he's just too embarrassed to do anything else, I guess keeping his eyes off the prize might be a good strategy regardless. It's interesting that Smoothie's fetish is body painting too. He's a man that really does love art.

9 .	by: Furrama	October 24, 2017, 2:30 am
By the way, I love the use of blue here. Blue paint, blue teeth, blue reflection in his eyes. Blue lightning.

8 .	by:	October 24, 2017, 1:21 am
she’s definitely saying the Is that your thing part out loud because there’s a panel inset of her speaking

7 .	by: Furrama	October 24, 2017, 1:05 am
OH.

6 .	by:	October 24, 2017, 12:57 am
@ 4 it's his legs, tightly crossed.

5 .	by:	October 24, 2017, 12:36 am
I think it may all actually be mind-Fig other than the final bubble, since you see mind-XX look over at mind-Fig when the first lines are spoken. I do wonder if she also said them aloud, but it would be odd since she obviously isn't saying the rest aloud.

4 .	by: Furrama	October 24, 2017, 12:29 am
@3 It's both. But it was indeed said out loud, since (S)XY reacts to it. I can't tell what's going on in panel one. It's his cloak but, then I'm kinda lost.

3 .	by:	October 24, 2017, 12:24 am
Actually upon reading it again I can't tell if "I've never seen that one before.... How abstract." is spoken aloud by IRL!Fig or said by Mind!Fig. I think it might be Mind!Fig due to Mind!XX replying directly to it, and the kind of taunting feel of "How abstract." It's hard to tell though, since it's still in the panel of Smoothie reacting to what IRL!Fig said.

2 .	by:	October 23, 2017, 11:27 pm
Whew, had to read this a couple times to work out what was being said out loud and what wasn't. My interpretation: IRL!Fig: "Is this it? Is this your thing? ...Body Painting? I've never seen that one before.... How abstract." Mind!XX: "Don't." Mind!Fig: "Now we've got him." (It's the inner voices up until the big DIE! in the final panel.) IRL!Fig says the final bit starting with "...Above all," I wonder if the colors used for IRL!Fig and Mind!Fig will start looking more different at some point.

1 .	by:	October 23, 2017, 11:19 pm
This feels like it could be a fairly significant turning point in terms of the power struggle between Fig and XX. I know we won't really see that struggle come to a head until the XX within the fruit-womb come out, but I wonder if, in this moment, we'll see a small 'victory' from XX with her shunning the sexual impulse and leaving Smoothie alone about it. Or will we see Fig 'prove her point' yet again and see real-Fig lose her grip even further. It's been nothing but negative developments for her so far in terms of that inner struggle, it would be nice to see a positive development for a change. Although seeing abstracted XX become much more defined is definitely a little ray of hope.