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Grrl Power #1006 - If everyone's crying...
🕑 Added 2021-12-16 11:00:06 +0000 UTCThanks so much for your support! Like, seriously, you guys.
This page took a long time to lay out, cause I really wanted to include some dialog that I finally cut for space. Sydney starts off by saying "Didn't Napoleon or Himmler or someone say..." and Arianna responds with "Sydney, as your public relations manager, I beseech you to never publicly quote anyone in Nazi high command. Even if they said two plus two equals four, please do not attribute them with the notion." Her mom adds "I entirely concur." To which Sydney says "Right, that makes sense. I… I wasn't trying to invoke…"
But I couldn't make it all comfortably fit. I just liked the exchange because it shows Arianna and Mom being on the same wavelength. I also assumed that bit would cause a bunch of comments about whether or not it's appropriate to quote professional assholes even when they say something sensible. Jeffrey Dahmer might have said something very prescient and poignant at some point, but quotes are nearly as much about who said them as they are about what was being said, in my opinion. Einstein might very well have at some point in his life said "Sometimes when you fart, God rolls his dice to determine if something other than gas comes out." But people never invoke Einstein for oddly phrased folksy flatulence wisdom. Besides, tons of quotes are mis-attributed, so really, you can probably just attribute whatever you want to whoever you want. After all, did not Galileo once say, "Thunderbolts and lightning, very very frightening me"?
Wearing the Cape #8 came out recently, for everyone into superhero novels. Also, WtC #7 came out a while ago, (which is unsurprising given that 8 is out, and considering how both time and numerical progression usually goes) and I think I forgot to pimp it, so check that link if you're behind.
Wearing the Cape was my first superhero novel, and is among my favorites. It's also the only series Sydney has had a cameo in (check the sidebar there if that is news to you).
Around the same time I read Confessions of a D-List Supervillain, which is another of my favorites, and actually does a great job of showing how an honest guy could get pushed into supervillainy.
I also read a She-Hulk novel, in which she had recently broken up with Tony Stark, and for some reason had a secret identity. Well, it was a secret so she could have a cool reveal at some point, but I remember the book being entertaining if not especially seminal.
Tamer: Enhancer 2 – Progress Update: Getting Proofed!
I want to keep noodling on it, but I could spend six months doing that, so I sent it off to the proofers last night. I will probably continue to tweak bits here and there while it's getting the once over, but I expect to have it to you guys in early January?
Comments
FeyOne
@Blyss, from what I saw, there were plenty who were average across the board. Exceptional, though? Yeah, I met a few really senior NCO's and O's who were clearly exceptional at both, but by and large it was just as you say. In my case, I was quite proud of being the level of "field soldier" that I was, and I was damn good at my job even in garrison..... but I somehow managed to constantly find myself in some sort of trouble whenever I wasn't either deployed or involved in some sort of training, etc... The "now" version of me can look back and see what a pain I was in my garrison self, but the young version of me that existed back then was really not made for garrison, (for many of the same reasons as Sydney, actually).
Blyss
that's usually what happens. soldiers are usually either garrison or field. rare to be good at both.
Marc Vun Kannon
Especially when you consider that Sydney has felt inferior to most of those people for most of the series, as a soldier.
Eric Loken
No, I don't think it would get her in the patriotism. The 'gratitude of your country' is honestly a hollow and meaningless thing because the truth is simply that all but a tiny fraction of your country couldn't give two shits - and I say this about any country. The 'thank you for your service' nonsense (which I understand a lot of soldiers actually hate) is a platitude said to make the person saying it feel like they have actually recognized someone for doing something that they would never do... and is promptly forgotten about 2 seconds later. No, the recognition and appreciation of the people you know and respect, THAT matters. For Max to respect and appreciate what Sydney has done, maybe even for Faulk to do so, THAT would mean something to Sydney, because their respect *means* something to her. The 'respect' of every other rando in the world, who gives a shit what they think? What does it matter what they think?
FeyOne
I love this whole scene. Seriously, the action that Sydney likely got that medal for WAS remarkable. She was the living example of heroism in everything she did while protecting her fellows, dealing with being trapped alone, etc... and she didn't drop back down to "Sydney being Sydney" until she was pretty safe again. So far she's the definition of a fantastic "field soldier", even if she needs a lot of work on her garrison professionalism.
D.A. Lamont
Oof! Max is such a LG paladin, training up the new Acolyte. 🤦♂️ Sorry, jaded a bit. There are troops who would absolutely sell out their grandmother for a bit of ribbon. Seen it, myself. Napoleon wasn't being misanthropic. He was being realistic, if a bit cynical. 🤷♂️
Jeffrey Hirschman
Actually, Wearing the Cape #9 just came out. Wearing the Cape #8 ("Repercussions") came out in late 2019. Thanks for recommending this series in the past -- I've enjoyed it a lot.
Dave, sorry to be picky, but Galileo never said that, it was Copernicus all along. So said Kierkegaard in his "State of the Union" address. Common mistake...
Mantarok1205
I would also like to point out that, in addition to Napoleon being from a different time, the French have different moral standards than English-speaking nations... VERY different moral standards.
Dave Barrack
Oh, heh, I'm a dummy. I'll have to pimp that one next page.
Miyaa
You’d think ARCSwat have their own dry cleaner battalions for things like this.
Andrew Park
I think we've established pretty firmly here that Sydney's second mother is Arianna
Les Bonser
I'm not usually a big fan of anime eyes, but for some reason it works here. That last panel really got to me! BTW, Wearing the Cape #9, "Joyeuse Guard," just came out a week or two ago.
Marc Vun Kannon
Sometimes it seems Max is a Big Sister to Sydney, if not a second mother.
MiqoRems
Could be unit citations or a "mission patch"; there's 'award' ribbons for just being an active participant in operations sometimes.
Town Crier
Hmm. Sydney may be vulnerable to the Pipes & Drums this day.
Jan
I'm not a military person and I have no idea if this was discussed before but doesn't the fact that Sydney already has 3 colored bars above her medal mean that she already got 3 other awards?
Aaron Mauthe
Okay Sydney, for the totally not crying scene, give us Big, Anime Eyes.
Michael Obert
There is no crying in this woman's ARCSwat!
