Syconium
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November 16th, 2017






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46 . by: August 23, 2019, 4:09 pm

This bat is the wisest character in the whole comic, haha!
45 . by: November 21, 2017, 8:39 pm

* "I" love it.
44 . by: Magenta November 21, 2017, 8:38 pm

My mom handed me down a 1988 Toyota Camry that lasted for years until one day it up and quit on us. Years later, and several cars on, I now have a Chevy Spark in my name. I overheard someone calling it an "Egg on Wheels", and one of my coworkers calls it the "Unicorn" because of the radio antenna smack in the middle. But it's a darling, and love it. :D
43 . by: Papeipou November 21, 2017, 12:21 pm

Whoops I’m dumb and forget emojis don’t work even close to everywhere. Sorry!
42 . by: Papeipou November 21, 2017, 12:21 pm

Well my Saab only cost $1,000. And my Beetle assaults me monthly with horrendously, embarrassingly high payments. I’m poor too 🤷‍♀️ Wish I did just have a 99 Accord lol
41 . by: TenWren November 20, 2017, 7:03 pm

Previously had a 93 Camry named Tammy that got me through high school, college, and several years after that before various problems forced me to get something else. I've got so much history with it but I don't miss it at all, lol

Comment section continuing to be great.
40 . by: Trustthapo November 20, 2017, 6:51 pm

@Furrama
That's my reaction driving any car put out in the last ten years. Hell, my tape deck is busted so I have to use a FM transmitter for music!
39 . by: November 20, 2017, 6:31 pm

i have a 99 honda accord... how yall out there buying cars u actually want lol
38 . by: Furrama November 20, 2017, 6:14 pm

We just had to get a new car two weeks ago, the old one was a 95 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme with a messed up break system and with 3 small kids and two doors it was a bit of a clown car situation anyway. Now the proud owner of a car payment BUT IT WORKS Y'ALL.

2010 Volkswagen Tiguan, and it's a lovely royal blue, which is the best quality to incidentally have in a car imo. AND IT DOESN'T JUST TAKE CASSETTE TAPES! THE WIPERS DETECT RAIN! IT. HAS. A. BUTT. WARMER. I'm living in a new century or something!
37 . by: Papeipou November 20, 2017, 5:54 pm

My grail car is a 1993 Saab 900 Commemorative Edition. I do own one, #137 of 325. However, mine is in poor shape. It’s been sitting well over a year and reverse gear is toast.

My commuter is a manual 2012 Beetle. However, I’m pregnant now and due in May, and frankly I don’t know how sustainable a 2dr is going to be now. And I don’t know when I’ll get to my poor Saab either. C’est la vie.
36 . by: Trustthapo (31) November 20, 2017, 2:46 am

Ah, might as well start using my handle since I comment here enough, lol

Anyway! Botany, my next vehicle is... anything that can go off road. I live in the SE United States and we have slim pickings in the used car market. In my area, you really only have the choice of "this car that's literally falling completely apart and doesn't have a spot of clear coat left on it- $300" or "relatively new sports car that I have to part with because I'm a young military kid that made a bad spending decision- $2000 over blue book value". I'm not incredibly picky.

However, I've always been a sucker for Subarus. I would rock a battle wagon! An Outback hatchback would be the biggest I go, and that's honestly what I'm shooting for. I love going to the woods and dragging home vulture culture things or huge logs covered in resurrection ferns. While I've made this work in a two wheel drive sedan, I would appreciate the space upgrade and ability to go through mud holes, lol

I also quite fancy the idea of owning a Suzuki Samurai. My dad has one and it's a ridiculous little rig. I hated learning stick in the work truck, but the Samurai was a treat to drive. We crawled over miles and miles of woods in that plucky little rig. Through all of the sand beds, creeks, and mud holes the little Sammy conquered, I don't think it ever ended up stuck- not even once. To quote one auto enthusiast we met while driving the Bloodmobile out on the town, "you could drive one of those things up a tree!"

Currently, I'm ripping around in my 99 Infiniti I30. Her name is Kaiju and she is an absolute grandma car. A quick fact, the Infiniti I30 is just a Nissan Maxima in a tuxedo. The car I owned before Kaiju was Whaleshark, a lovely 95 Maxima which had been purchased brand-new by my grandmother only months after I was born. I loved that car! At first I was a bitter teenager grumbling about how I had to inherit a grandma car, but for what it was, Whaleshark could fly. She took me on so many adventures and I cried and cried like I had lost a friend when she was "murdered" by a high school kid that t-boned us. Even though I am driving the upgraded and newer version of what I started out with, I would trade Kaiju to get Whaleshark back in a heartbeat. (sorry Kai.)

URL : http://trustthapo.tumblr.com/
35 . by: Zack November 19, 2017, 10:33 pm

Hi Botany,

You have a very nice car.

I do not have a car at this time, although there is a cameo appearance by my previous car on Lycosa's page 152, in the first panel: that old green BMW. I think I even drew it again on page 99. It's also one of the cars on that original page 16 that I discarded. (It was placed in the Untitled comic book instead.) I think that I would like another small BMW, if I ever had the chance to get another car.

Corv,

Your story about your old Mercedes-Benz diesel is hilarious. Although, the car on page 16 is an S-Klasse, which is the car tied to Nephila clavipes. They do have very similar front ends, though.
34 . by: Corvidophile November 19, 2017, 8:23 pm

WOW I WROTE A WHOLE THING ABOUT OUR CAR ABD ACCIDENTALLY HIT HIDE COMMENTS AND BYE.

Long story short, we have a diesel Mercedes 124, so seeing the 126 drawn on page 16 of Lycosa was neat. It’s name is Rudolph, it smells like an idling truck, and my favourite memory in it is that it has a hole in a wheel well that splashes up rainwater from the road into the car and slowly floods it, right? One time during a bad rainstorm on the highway I was bailing it out with a turkey baster into a giant rest stop soda cup and dumping it out the window repeatedly, all the while having a laughing fit imagining what this looked like to the car behind us.
33 . by: Botany November 19, 2017, 6:14 pm

...I'm gonna go ahead and take this moment to wonder about cars for a bit.

31, you got any plans for what it's gonna be?

My own car is a 1997 Jaguar X330 of the Vanden Plas trim I named Valium Skies after that song by The Verve. It's been there for me when noone else, nothing else could. Guiding me along with as much input as I've given it in turn through a wood and leather steering wheel. And sure, I'd probably get pulled over bunch for it, but I would go as far as have the custom vanity plate of VALIUM to honor it for all it's done to soothe me.

I guess that Zack, I could ask the same thing of you as 31. What I could have dismissed before really can't be now, when I'm aware you're a bit an automotive enthusiast yourself... What's your car? Or at least the car you covet above all others? Your wallposter car. That Summit car above all others for you?

Because me, I've already got something I could never replace with anything else, couldn't take a million, a billion, a title and key to every other car on the road or in the junkyard.

But I still want that 2000 TVR Tuscan Speed Six in Reflex Purple with a white interior. Above even the Countach 5000QV with it's useless spoiler. Even the Talbot Lago Teardrop with beauty above even a Bugatti 57 Atlantique.
32 . by: Zack November 19, 2017, 12:23 pm

Hello,

Thank you for your compliments.
31 . by: November 19, 2017, 2:45 am

Well, since my whole town thinks it's already Christmas, I went ahead and treated myself to the Secretary Addendum and Secretary'! Thank you for your lovely work, Zack. To be able to indulge in your stories is a wonderful priviledge. I almost want a reason to go ahead and get my next car so I can order a Solar System patch for it, since I'm naming the next car after Discovery, haha
30 . by: November 18, 2017, 11:10 pm

Witticastor... I'm kind of left wondering if, with VD, Fig Tree's pred fetish brother, having the connections he did with the Rationale and HIOT's presence throughout all this... If Fig ending up in the brothel was some kind of experiment.

Sure, Smoothie conducted his own, but is it not possible that the Rationale & HIOT still aren't in the background?
29 . by: November 18, 2017, 10:19 pm

@Furrama I think he's a long eared bat, but could be wrong.
28 . by: Furrama November 18, 2017, 10:08 pm

Hey, what kind of bat is that?
27 . by: Witticaster November 17, 2017, 10:31 pm

#25, you make really good points. XX erred towards sexual freedom to the point of oblivion, and it seriously damaged her artistic career and social standing. Smoothie erred towards sexual control to the point of vilifying a natural bodily function, and it seriously damaged a person he truly cares about. (And, due to HIOT's influence, his view likely helped to damage people all across society... see the scene of XX and Green getting pressured out of their home.)

They're interesting foils to one another.
26 . by: November 17, 2017, 6:48 pm

Also expanding on 25, Smoothie not being able to even have sex with a person he loves is a problem. That isn't a positive stance on sex, and I think it mirrors Fig's not positive stance in surrendering herself to use and abuse by others. Two unhealthy extremes that landed them in this situation. Fig admitted she felt happy because she felt like she'd made love for the first time, but Smoothie can't even look at her now. Both of their unhealthy stances on sex came to a head when they lost their color.
25 . by: November 17, 2017, 1:33 pm

I mean, really, Fig and Smoothie aren't so different, they just come from the opposite ends of the spectrum.

Fig was into sexuality and deeply exploring it, making it a huge part of herself, thinking it was what she wanted, and now she's doubting that stance, was obviously doubting it before Smoothie was even a factor. She was surrendering herself to her life as a sex worker right before they met, but not in a positive way. She was willing to let her body be used and abused until there was nothing left of it, throwing herself away to the darker sides of sex and paving the way to her own ruination.

Smoothie was on the opposite end, believing from the start that sex is corruptive and something to be avoided, buried, suppressed. He also ended up being wrong and doubting his stance. This factor of the story is absolutely not painting Smoothie's stance on sex in a positive light, or as if he were right all along.

Just like Fig's internal struggle with the two halves of herself, the truth and the answer lies somewhere in the middle, I think. Two extremes that need to find the middle ground to be harmonious.
24 . by: November 17, 2017, 12:45 pm

he doesn't seem to be considering at all on how she has to process this all on her own? Her life as a regret, a mistake who did something she shouldn't have, something he defined to her as weakness.

I agree @witticaster ... he's lost all hope and Fig is collaterally damaged, and he wants to lay down and not deal with that damage he's inflicted. He never respected her with a look and a discussion she deserves to be apart of... like many other times in this comic, she sat there while he went on and on. I really wish her dialogue meant something to him, but I keep feeling like it doesn't, in practice. He's sat there unresponsive after she confesses her ideas so many times in this comic. You can say you care so many times... but what does he do but leave her hanging, if the subject is difficult for him?

I guess it feels to me like consistently, if he doesn't have the power in the discussion, he doesn't continue it.
23 . by: Witticaster November 17, 2017, 12:32 pm

On the one hand, I see his point: chasing pleasure for its own sake is what animals do, and part of advancing society - in fact, one of the most important parts - involves second-guessing and circumventing those instincts if they don't support your societal goals. Even the sacred cows of 'love' and 'passion.' I'm reminded of the chef stoat; he decided to honor his love of food over all else, and in order to do that he abandoned society completely.

But he's spent nearly a year using (abusing) his position of authority to convince a battered, despair-filled sex worker to support his flawed views. He's built himself up into a savior figure. He is the ultimate asshole if, after embroiling her in a year of mental turmoil and building up her hopes and dreams, he fucks her, says "oh, never mind about the whole life-changing discourse I taught you, guess I was wrong!" and refuses to ever look at her again. He has an obligation to make amends and include her on his journey of rediscovery, no matter what kind of love or temptation he feels.

I love the shading on the bat's fur. Really conveys that sense of their ultrathick fuzz.
22 . by: November 17, 2017, 11:57 am

My attention’s on the amended labyrinth. If all the openings are blocked, you can’t get lost, and you have one path, and it seems like progress at least.... but you’re still trapped, and there’s no way to get out now.

I was surprised to see it without Fig around. I think this has to do with his visual transformation into her.
21 . by: 20 again November 17, 2017, 9:01 am

No, although he isn't very forthcoming with Fig about what actually happened, he does imply he remembers the different natures he encountered in the dream. So yeah I guess that's part of it, @19.
20 . by: November 17, 2017, 8:51 am

Yeah I'm a little confused about his risky actions after the dream excursion. Is it possible he doesn't remember it very well, since it was a dream? Since his dictation was all garbled he doesn't remember the danger? Maybe he thinks he only got the scar because he didn't do the technique very well. I need to reread that part.
19 . by: November 17, 2017, 8:01 am

I wonder if part of his conflict in love is having met that part of Fig and been assaulted by her? He already was suspicious towards the "animal," and then he was taunted by a representation of his love's animal side who told him that the animal is all that is "truly real" and that he should be a "real man" by having sex with her. Then she bit his face and permanently scarred him. Its probably disturbing to know that that's part of how she feels about him.
18 . by: November 17, 2017, 7:27 am

ditch the stoats date the bat
17 . by: natoon November 17, 2017, 3:05 am

Mr. Bat, please come back and go give this guy a kick in the pants.
16 . by: Dani November 17, 2017, 1:01 am

Some good food for thought there, Camila!
15 . by: November 16, 2017, 11:30 pm

Also the "it's better this way" thing is killing me. I feel you, buddy, but please make amends.
14 . by: November 16, 2017, 11:26 pm

GO FIND HER YOU FCKING COWARD
13 . by: Tenka November 16, 2017, 11:09 pm

I love the bat, thanks bat. The background panels amplify the mood to me very much already, but I'm only properly appreciating them for their colors. Is the background of panel 12 some kind of chain, or something repaired? Shots in the dark.
12 . by: November 16, 2017, 11:06 pm

i fear hes going to be met with.......... something very awful.
love this bat fellow though.
11 . by: November 16, 2017, 10:49 pm

So he DID just leave her inside to wait while he summoned and dictated a letter to a courier. wtf
10 . by: Zack November 16, 2017, 10:44 pm

Hi Furrama,

Thank you for alerting me to the disappearing scar again. (Unfortunately, I presume that this will not be the last time.) It has been restored.
9 . by: Camila November 16, 2017, 8:44 pm

One more thing...
As others have pointed out, this story has a lot of the same visual vocabulary of Secretarity, sharing the same metaphors as the blue lightning and the pure black/white contrast to represent the scope of influence over others. That resemblance of the two sotries might also apply to their themes: they both explore a "duality".

On Synconium, it is sex. On Secretary, it was malice.

"malice? like, bad, malice?" "no...the other side"
8 . by: Camila November 16, 2017, 8:40 pm

@3: that's one of the things I've come to believe very strongly over the years: our virtues are intrinsically linked to our faults. Most of the time, they're the same thing. What makes them good or bad qualities depends on the situation, and on how exacerbated they are.

For example... The things that make Greenie such a morally bankrupt character, his fierce independence and pro-activeness, his sense of self-preservation...those are the same things that would make him a hero if he were working against the system, and not for the profit of it.
7 . by: Furrama November 16, 2017, 8:24 pm

@4 Well, yeah.

Ball's in her court.
6 . by: November 16, 2017, 8:22 pm

smoothies fur is looking quite alot like figs.. with a even bigger tail
5 . by: November 16, 2017, 8:03 pm

Jackass
4 . by: November 16, 2017, 7:46 pm

I also wonder if he'll stop visiting Fig now. I hope that's not the case, that would be a really shitty note to end things on, especially for Fig.
3 . by: Furrama November 16, 2017, 7:34 pm

And pffft, you little scientist dweeb, you don't have to quantify EVERYTHING GOSH I KNOW PEOPLE LIKE YOU I'VE BEEN YOU.

See, this is his weakness, it's the same as his strength. I guess Fig has the same sort of thing going on, eh? Duality wooooo....

(I hesitate to mention that something's missing again....)
2 . by: November 16, 2017, 7:30 pm

Aw, now I wonder if after that realization he'll take it back and just let things be this way. It's sad, considering he had that little moment of positivity, and then went right back to feeling bad.
1 . by: Furrama November 16, 2017, 7:20 pm

Wow, you can watch his internal emotional journey play out in the backgrounds.