NofNA, "Syconium" page #70

Syconium
70

June 26th, 2016

14 .	by: Kanya	January 29, 2019, 7:20 pm
I still wonder if the ‘government scent’ part will still come into play.

13 .	by:	October 10, 2017, 10:34 pm
This page is so interesting to re-read.

12 .	by: Furrama	June 28, 2016, 5:22 pm
I honestly don't see any posturing from the rat on this page. He's not saying that Streaky is less of a man, he's reminding him that he's not alone. That perhaps because of his relationship woes with XX that he's where he is now, instead of the loner narrative that been crafted. The rat seems to be shrugging any posturing from Streaky off, (yeah, yeah) like he's heard similar stories before. He doesn't need to posture in his position -- at best he's toying. Streaky is shown here to not really understand art, (in learning the technique to keep the lights on, which somewhat harkens back to his reaction XX's paintings). He's also not saying anything too different from what he told his friend on page 17, it's just more telling and elevated here, so there's not even that much in the way of posturing coming from Streaky, just passive aggressive tones. The truth is that at this point he has nothing. Nothing to offer anyone, and no room to grow but down. What he has is given to him by other people that he's manipulated, and the second they see that he's done. As long as he keeps the attitude that he has he never will have anything of real value to offer anyone. Think about it, what does he have to offer XX? What is she getting out of this? He's not any sort of support for her now, he's leeching off of her. Why has she allowed herself to remain even after what he's done back to her? Is it guilt? Is it love? I doubt it's love.

11 .	by:	June 28, 2016, 3:59 pm
Furr, this is one of those things I hate about macho types overexagerating their masculinity. Of course mr.mangled is bringing up green's lover. It's to fuck with him and remind him that he's "Less than a man" for whatever injury XX gave him. And even he was intact, Mangled would still be reminding him that he's a bitch that took it in the ass. Green is living in the aftermath of having been used put into the receiving position. In a society with the same "you're not a man if you take it up the ass" / "only gays get penetrated" / "Real men never ____". Having been on the receiving end of it, he's seen it's power. He's been taught about control in a way that he cannot deny, and now it's captured him. He may not fully believe he got to where he is today by himself, but in his position, under the possible threat of being put back into submission, he has got to (in his mind) answer saber rattling with like saber rattling. That whole dialogue between the two is masculine posturing. There's no way to really tell how much of what he's saying is truth or exageration.

10 .	by: Furrama	June 28, 2016, 2:17 am
Guys, he's literally saying he's were he is today thanks to no one but himself, (a sentiment he's alluded to a couple of times before). Even A Rat Named Slickback is quick to bring up XX when he says this. This is all implying that everything XX has done for him up to now he is counting as his achievements, not hers. She is under his control, his domain. He's entitled and manipulative and was since the page he debut. I hesitate to call any characters in these particular comics good guys or bad guys as generally everyone has their good and bad points and things are rarely black and white, (though Rule did kill quite a few people without remorse and I can't really get around that) but so far Streaky has done little to endear himself to me. I understand him, he's got a sympathetic past yes, but if I knew someone like him in real life I'd kick him to the curb.

9 .	by: theroguez	June 27, 2016, 10:31 pm
he seems almost like a warning of the future XX could have if she stays here... but I don't really think he's a bad guy. I want to see both of them get out all right, but I wonder how they would survive in society, now that they've both taken this path.

8 .	by: Seven	June 27, 2016, 9:35 pm
Sorry for the multiple comments, but I stumbled across this on Amazon and had to share. URL : http://www.amazon.com/Mojo-Fun-387164-Ermine-Weasel/dp/B01C9LUC5K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467077632&sr=8-1&

7 .	by: Seven	June 27, 2016, 6:42 pm
Greenie's talk about being "dead" to society has me wondering if Figgy might be able to use her "invisibility" to her own advantage at some point.

6 .	by: Witticaster	June 27, 2016, 4:13 pm
The bro has a government scent? Another part of the reason this place hasn't been shut down... the corruption runs deep. Hey, if this place is outside of the norms of society, and societal roles and dogma have ruined XX and him, then maybe that means being outside it all can bring them some kind of healing, contradictory as it might seem. Calling someone a 'prize', a 'treasure', and a 'other half' all rankle me for various reasons... the 'other half' part also harks back to the many, many times we've seen people tell or imply to these two that they're just not good for each other. If you're damaged enough to feel like you're missing half of yourself, stuffing (or guilting) someone else into the empty space and calling them your 'other half' isn't going to improve YOU as a person, even if it might make it easier to function in the short term.

5 .	by:	June 27, 2016, 11:56 am
Hazard, this has been why I've felt pity for him this whole time. This is why I've found it hard at times to follow this arc. He is a complex person that society's dogma about worth and roles have brought ruin to. "Once you work in here, you're dead out there." I don't see the worth in being vindictive about his current or future suffering, because it's the suffering he's already gone through that's made him who he is, held him back, and hell has it done any good? I just want him to see the error in his ways and die as himself. Aware and remorseful for wrongdoings he did in retaliation for those of others. A rehabilitation of his being. These are all fools, cowardly enabling the oppression of artists like Fig, like Acai. Hell, remember that line green spouted on page 40 before calling himself a master poet? Maybe that's how he got in this sex worker mess in the first place. An unappreciated poet in a society that didn't want art. So this is where he ended up. A place you can never leave.

4 .	by: lunch	June 27, 2016, 11:07 am
'depredation'...now that's an interesting way of putting it. but like before, i wonder if the connoisseur likes being predator, or prey? also i agree with Seven, love the description of the alembic process. wonder where Battery's off to- maybe to get those first dibs?

3 .	by: hazard	June 27, 2016, 8:29 am
Greenie is wearing their mantel now. XX has neither the sex worker flowers nor the cloth. Greenie!! I think his upbringing here has warped how he sees people, that that's the source of objectifying XX. So his thought process goes from thinking of her as a prize to thinking of her as an extension of himself. To me, that looks like first thinking the programmed, automatic thoughts that sexual partners = a thing you get/win, to a spiritual partner = someone you love for who they are as a person. I think Greenie is struggling with those two extremes, the "old way" and the "new way". I think rat guy's culture will push him back in to thinking of XX as even more of an object, but maybe he'll fight back for her since he has a vindictive streak against them?

2 .	by: Seven	June 27, 2016, 4:37 am
Interesting explanation on how the alembic works! Yeah liking Greenie even less now.

1 .	by: Jen	June 27, 2016, 12:27 am
double entendre? Q: "Why are brothels only one floor?" A: "b/c otherwise there's too much f--king overhead lolololol" =p (still super mixed feelings about Figgy's "other half" tho)