#the other secret panel is the realization that ive run out of time doing everything else

[qqchurch]

pain

[northoftheroad]

The Robin 80th Anniversary Special

It's not a secret that I'm first and foremost a Dick Grayson fan, whether he comes dressed as Robin, Nightwing, Batman or something else. But I try to be charitable and be happy for fans of the other Robins that they got a pice of the birthday cake, i. e. the Robin 80th Anniversary Special.

For your enjoyment (?), here are my thoughts about the book. Spoilers ahead, obviously – don't like, don't read!

I honestly thought almost all of the stories were ok – but pretty forgettable. Marv Wolfman's spin on Dick leaving to become Nightwing, in "A little nudge" (art by Tom Grummett and Scott Hanna), is probably the only one I will remember and reference in the future. I don't know if or how it is supposed to fit into the (any?) continuity, but as far as I can see, it works nicely in the current setting.

Dick's parting from Robin and Bruce was successively portrayed as more and more hostile. When he originally left Robin to become Nightwing (1983–1984), the two still had a good relationship. This changed in comics to, first, that Bruce decided to retire Robin, and then to that Bruce outright fired Dick and kicked him out of the cave. This lead to that their relationship was portrayed as poor, antagonistic even, for a good many comics years.

The bad mood was picked up by Batman The Animated Series, where Dick left being resentful of Bruce and his methods.

I don't have a lot of good things to say about what has happened to the Bat-family after Flashpoint. But from what we've seen from scattered panels, Dick was the one who decided he wanted to leave Robin. You can read Marv Wolfman's story as confirmation of that. Which is nice.

Bruce is only a little bit of a jerk in this story, being utterly rigid about that Robin has to follow orders. Dick, however, chooses to stay with a kid that had been shot instead of following the criminals.

Dick has had it with Bruce's rules and leaves the cave, but he says "later" rather than "goodbye".

It's made clear that those strict rules were Bruce's way to say, "I know you've grown up, and you should move on; I'll be fine without you."

Batman # 408, where Bruce decides to retire Robin because he got scared when the Joker shot Dick, is firmly established in my mind as the "correct" leaving story in my mind. It was the only one I had read and knew of for many years, and the two still part on decent terms. But Marv Wolfman's 80th Anniversary version has a lot going for it.

On to the rest of the stories...

"Aftershocks" By Chuck Dixon, art Scott McDaniel and Rob Hunter.

Set during Cataclysm (a storyline from 1998) where Dick lived in Blüdhaven before he moved back to Gotham and became Batman. It's an action-filled story where (fingerstripe) Nightwing comes to Gotham after an earthquake has hit the city.

It's interesting to read this, living through the corona crisis that is going on right now. I don't know how it is where you live, but where I am, people are setting up networks to help people who can't go out to shop or walk the dog, University students are helping kids do their math lessons with the help of Facebook, people make masks for health workers etc. But when Chuck Dixon writes what happens after a catastrophe, Dick has to fight his way through masked thugs who are trying to rob an ambulance of "painkillers and tranks" when he tries to save a cab from falling with a damaged bridge. A woman is giving birth inside the car, and the story ends with that the mother wants to name the boy after Nightwing.

"Well...Robin works, right", he says.

"Team building" by Devin Grayson, art Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapund.

Well, I'll always soak up everything that has to do with Dick and the Titans – Teen Titans, New Teen Titans, Titans, any Titans...

Devin Grayson wrote The Titans 1999–2000, which is the setting of this story. Most of it takes place inside a H.I.V.E. locale, where an exasperated boss (Damien Darkh) chews out his soldiers after a fight with the Titans. But Darkh decides not to kill the lot of them, because they did distract the Titans while he stole a red crystal/power source. Of course, it turns out Dick is the soldier who has kept his helmet on; he takes the crystal with him and gives Darkh a bit of advice on team-building on his way out.

"Generally speaking, fear of execution isn't a great motivator. I've found basic team-building and morale-boosting to be much more effective. Like, I'm just spitballing here, but... You ever consider a pizza night?"

Well, it did keep me amused, and it shows us that Dick is a good leader and strategist, (and a great acrobat who manages to get out of the H.I.V.E. uniform with one hand, on the way out), although it isn't exactly a surprise that Dick was in the building when you get near the end.

"The Lesson Plan" by Tom King and Tim Seeley, art Mikel Janín.

Now, I do like some things about the Grayson run, but with a bit of distance, I've realized it was mostly the art. The sexualization of Dick and how King and Seely wrote him as a guy who jumps first and plans never got tiresome. This story is in-character for Grayson; Dick is accompanied by a girl (Paris) from St Hadrian's on a mission, and on the way, he remembers the lessons Batman gave him and imparts his own interpretation of them to Paris. As is Batman says, "plan everything", and Dick says "Improvise. Leap first... figure it all out on the way down." Ergo, classic King and Seeley. Also, it is possibly implied Dick made out with a beautiful girl that turned out to be gorilla in disguise...? Yep, vintage King and Seeley.

Other than that, I don't have a big problem with the story. Some things ring true to me – as when Dick remembers Batman saying, "At their core, people are cowardly and self-serving. Trust no one until you know them. And even then, never completely". And what Dick says is, "Give the benefit of the doubt until you gotta knock 'em out."

For my own peace of mind, I'm reading this as Dick is half-joking with his advice. It's not like we've never seen him make plans and be suspicious post-Flashpoint.

On a side note, one of the best characterizations of Dick Grayson to my mind is a panel from Black Mirror. When Dick explains he had injected James Gordon Jr with a subdermal tracer, and says about himself, "I am a softie. And I do try to see the best in people... but that doesn't mean I'm stupid."

Detective Comics # 881. By Scott Snyder, art Jock and Francesco Francavilla.  

"More Time" by Judd Winnick, art Dustin Nguyen.

Jason has a cute story about him repairing Thomas Wayne's watch as a present to Bruce. He started the work as a tiny Robin (too tiny, in my opinion, but with Dustin Nguyen on art it probably couldn't turn out any other way) and finished the work as Red Hood. Jason delivers the present to Bruce on his birthday, placing it on the Batmobile while it is parked in a Gotham alley.

"Extra Credit" by Adam Beechen, art Freddie E. Williams II.

Tim has an appointment with the guidance counsellor at Gotham City High School. Tim sees a future in law enforcement (that's the first I've heard of that, but I'm no expert on Tim) and he's adopted (again, something I haven't seen post-Flashpoint). But the counsellor doubts that Tim will be admitted because he has nothing to show when it comes to extracurricular activities. It's kind of a fun few pages where the counsellor suggests things that Tim could do, and Tim thinks about what he does as Robin on his spare time.

"Boy Wonders" by James Tynion IV, art Javier Fernandez.

Tim, Red Robin, is unsure what he wants to do with his life and goes to his brothers? fellow Robins? for advice.

I know emotions have been running high because Dick tells Tim that he is "demonstrably smarter" than he is, which makes it sound as if Dick is not really smart at all.

Again, for my peace of mind, I choose to read this as I want: that "big brother" Dick is encouraging, he has always thought highly of Tim, he has no ego to preserve. This doesn't make Dick a reliable narrator on the subject, and the page ends with that Tim thinks "He was the first. He's the best. He's always going to be the role model. "So, two brothers who admire each other.

Tim also talks to Jason and Tim, and the story ends with that he tells Batman he wants to start Gotham Knights protocol, the team in Detective Comics (Rebirth.) 2016-2018.

"Fitting In" by Amy Wolfram, art Damion Scott.

Stephanie, as Robin has problems because Tim's Robin suit doesn't fit her female body. But at the end of the day, Bruce gives Stephanie her own "changing room" in the Bat-cave, because she's female.

...are Bruce and Alfred idiots? Did Dick, Jason and Tim have exactly the same body type when they were Robin? Stephanie deserved a story worth being told, not this one.

"My Best Friend" by Peter J. Tomasi, art Jorge Jimenez.

Jonathan Kent writes a school essay about his best friend, Damian. As he writes the words on his laptop at home, they are illustrated with pcitures of the two as both Robin and Superboy, and as Damian and Jon in civvies. Tomasi and Jimenez worked with Super Sons (2017–2019), and though I didn't read that, I'm pretty sure this story is an extra chapter in that series.

"Bat and Mouse" by Robbie Thompson, art Ramon Villalobos.

It's not the worst story in the book, but somehow the one I disliked the most. It is part of what is going on in Teen Titans and Bat-titles right now; we see Alfred's tombstone and how Batman and Robin have a strained relationship and difficulties in communicating. I'm not keeping up with what is going on with Damian and Bruce in detail, so I really can't say whether this story is consistent with how things have been going lately. I'll let Bruce-and-Damian fans take that ball.

To be honest, my reaction to "Bat and Mouse" is probably due to that I really, really don't like what's happened in the Bat titles lately. I firmly hope that the current situation will be changed and Alfred will be alive again, and I wish I could go back and re-read this book years from now without being reminded of this very dark time when DC seemingly doesn't want any money from me for new comics...

Being who I am, I probably take it waaaaay too seriously to try to understand where/if these stories fit in the DC continuity... The writers have probably (rightly) thought more about writing a good story than making it consistent with any grand plan for a timeline for all of the DC universe. But whatever.

The Grayson story clearly happens in a post-Flashpoint universe, as does Damian's and Tim's stories. But Tim says he's adopted, which I believe has never been said outright post-Flashpoint. And Stephanie has as far as I know not been Robin in this continuity. Chuck Dixon's Nightwing story is explicitly set during Cataclysm (a storyline from 1998) where Dick lived in Blüdhaven before he moved back to Gotham and became Batman. Post-Flashpoint, he moves to Blüdhaven for the first time in Nightwing vol 4., so Dixon's story should take place in the old continuity.

On the other hand. The last pages of the book are made to look like profile overviews in the Bat-computer and use pictures from different Robin runs. If the snippets of information are supposed to be the current continuity for the Robins, a lot from the pre-Flashpoint universe is back in canon.

Shortly, Dick was adopted (that's the word they use), formed the Teen Titans, moved to Blüdhaven and was Agent 37 for a while. Blüdhaven comes before Agent 37, but it's not explicitly stated when he first moved there. Because if Dick was in Blüdhaven before his time with Spyral, it is inconsistent with parts of Rebirth Nightwing. (Which I can live with...)

Jason's story starts as the street kid who tries to steal the tires of the Batmobile, his stint as Robin was short, and today, Red Hood has formed a tenuous alliance with Batman. Tim uncovered Batman's secret and made a bid to become the new Robin – and his new moniker "Drake" is acknowledged. Stephanie was Robin for a very short while. Damian was created with genetic material that Talia stole after a romantic tryst with Bruce, and he was bred to be an assassin.

Personally, of course, I think that Dick Grayson was worth more of an effort from DC on his 80th anniversary. But on the whole, the things we got were decent, "A little nudge" gave me something I will keep with me, and several of the covers are great.

(The cover photo is still pinched from Dan Jurgens' Twitter – I haven't bought all of the variant covers.)

[otakucalsama]

cal’s bella x wolves fic recs

hello! this is cal here (obviously) and i’m just reposting this. i made it a while back, but the links didn’t work, so now i’m redoing it. this time, i’m going to make it smaller, with more posts, instead of larger in one post. so without further ado, here is my bella x the wolves fic recs. also, this is only for completed fics, so if you have a story i didn’t add (that’s complete) send me a link and i’ll read it and then decide whether to add it or not. i will not, however, take any bella x edward, bella x jasper, or bella x jacob fics. 

other fic recs here

last updated- 12/2/19

j a r e d x b e l l a

i. firebound by someryn / m / 70-75k, multi-chaptered / complete

After the battle with the newborns, Bella stumbles into an entirely new destiny. She’d thought she’d already made all the hard decisions. Now she doesn’t know if her world is falling apart or finally falling together. Bella/Jared.

ii. she belongs with me by booksteaandcake13 / m / 70-75k, multi-chaptered / complete

A fan fiction about the imprinting on Bella by Jared. When Bella goes looking for Jake, she meets Jared instead. How do they make their relationship work, and how does Jacob deal with it? Will Jacob find a new romance?

iii. a difficult choice by nefertel / t / 25-30k, multi-chaptered / complete

Bella breaks free from Edward to visit Jacob but something happens that no one expected. What will happen to Bella and Edward. BXJ pairing. Rated T for now may change to M.

iv. seven days by lilyaurora / m / 2-3k, one-shot / complete

“Please. I’m begging, just… just talk to me. Please.” His heart ached as he watched her eyes fill with unshed tears. Her long, beautiful hair moved fluidly as she shook her head in reply, not trusting her voice. He reached towards her, wanting to comfort her. But she pulled away, a gasp on her plump lips, eyes wide

v. the man who can’t be moved by vampirefairy13 / t / 10-15k, two-shot / complete

Songfic. Despite being imprinted on by Jared, Bella chooses another, his sworn enemy. When all his previous attempts to change Bella’s mind fail he is forced to wait where they first met hoping she will come to her senses. But what if it’s too late?

p a u l x b e l l a

i. no more secrets by just lil ole t / m / >1k, one-shot / complete

Paul loves a challenge and she definitely fits that bill! AU, ONE SHOT!, Rated M mostly for language

ii. redemption by khyharah / t / 35-40k, multi-chaptered / complete

Redemption can come in many forms. For some, it’s finding the light at the end of the tunnel. For me? It came in two forms: a red-haired vampire out for vengeance and a 6'4", copper skinned man….. No man isn’t right. GOD would be closer. Oh, and he just happens to turn into a giant wolf and kills vampires. But really, that’s just a bonus.

iii. holy crow by geezerwrench / m / 15-20k, multi-chaptered / complete

The feather Paul found was a confirmation of what he already knew. Bella is the imprint he requires, but maybe he’s just what Bella truly needs. Written for Afke in the 2014 2nd Annual Tricky Raven Author/Artist Silent Auction. AU. Paul Lahote, Bella Swan

iv. hot headed angel by obsidian stained roses / t / 25-30k, multi-chaptered / complete

IMPRINT STORY: After Edward left, I couldn’t function. I didn’t think I’d ever move on with my life. I was trying for Charlie and Jacob; but it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t good enough for anyone; I just wanted Edward. It wasn’t a life without him. But life has purpose, and after Jacob broke his promise, I found my purpose. I had someone to live for. I had Paul. P/B A/U OOC

v. life in la push by ifeelittoo / k+ / 20-25k, multi-chaptered / complete

What if Charlie had lived in La Push? Bella moves in with him, and everything goes down differently. Will Bella still fall for Edward? Or will a member of the pack appeal to her?

vi. listening to your heart beating by kaialuna / m / 3-4k, one-shot / complete

A little one shot trying to get my writing back after a long setback. Paul finds and imprints on Bella in the woods after Edward leaves. Can she be healed by the quiet warmth of his presence and the gentle thrum of his heart beat.

vii. hearts in sync by untamed loner / m / 30-35k, multi-chaptered / complete / sequel- hearts ever right

When Charlie gets called away to testify, Bella moves to La Push where she meets Paul. It doesn’t take long for the two to form a bond unlike any other. As Paul convinces her to talk about her past, it becomes clear. She was always meant to be HIS.

viii. harmonic convergence by nostalgicmiss / m / 90-95k, multi-chaptered / complete

When Bella comes to stay with Charlie, his first inclination is to keep her away from the vampires and send her to school on the Reservation where she’ll be protected. Her life changes forever when bad boy Paul comes out to play. A/U, BxP, Rated M

ix. big bad wolf by kaialuna / m / 10-15k, one shot / complete

A slap derails Bella’s life. She’d never hit someone before, ever. Now all she can think about is Paul. Odd little one shot. Not my best writing but thought I’d post it anyways.

x. shades of the past by mysteriouslyme / m / 3-4k, one-shot / complete

When he left, she was left broken. When the world was left devoid of warmth, he defrosted her frozen sheilds of self preservation, helping her piece back together what she had forgotten.

xi. paul’s girl by sweetashuney / m / 50-55k, multi-chaptered / complete

Takes place in New Moon. After Paul imprints on Bella they become close. But how will they fare when the Cullen Family comes back? Will Paul be able to keep Bella’s heart or does she still belong to a vampire? M for lemons and language.

xii. poisoned love by 9poisonivy9 / m / 45-50k, multi-chaptered / complete

What if, when Jake took Bella to meet Sam and the others, Paul imprinted on her. Can Paul fix Bella or will she be the broken girl forever? And will their love survive the newborns and Victoria?

xiii. somewhere i belong by juxtaposed92 / m / 55-60k, multi-chaptered / complete

Bella ran away from an abusive relationship and who should she run into other then the pack? She falls in love with Paul, who has in fact imprinted on her, as they all try and help her escape her dangerous ex.

xiv. my savior by teamjacobrulez / m / 30-35k, multi-chaptered / complete

In the midst of her near death, he was the only one who was there to save her. When everyone else had abandoned her, he was the one who came to give her comfort. When no one else loved her, he did. After suffering a bad heartbreak, can she love again?

xv. believe by bexxyy / t / 3-4k, one-shot / complete

When the wolves are in trouble, a former legend comes to life. All Bella can do is sit and wait but sometimes you can see more than you believe from the sidelines, based on the Quileute legend about the Thunderbird.

s e t h x b e l l a

i. the clearwater solution by shadowpast620 / m / 6-7k, one-shot / complete

Seth does what no one else has been able to do – stop Bella from marrying Edward.

ii. unintended by jasper’sdarlinbunny / k / 1-2k, one-shot / complete

Set during New Moon. A little Oneshot about Seth/Bella and a little thing called Imprinting!

iii. tradition by notashamedtobe / m / 7-8k, one-shot / complete

Some traditions change with time, only to get better. This is an entry from the Tricky Raven’s winter contest. It also checks off my desire to write Bella with all the wolves, minus Colin and Brady. I might add to it later on, but it’s done as of right now.

q u i l x b e l l a

i. closure by lilyaurora / t / 2-3k, one-shot / complete

Some Fluffy Fluff lol

ii. promise me by just lil ole t / k+ / 4-5k, one-shot / complete

What if Bella and Quil grew up as life long friends? How would their lives have turned out? AU, Rated K, ONE SHOT, This piece won Third Place in Tricky Raven’s Twitterpated in Springtime One Shot Competition! :D

iii. walking away by betterintexas / m / 6-7k, one-shot / complete

A different take on the Breaking Dawn wedding. What could have been. Entry to the Tricky Raven Silent Auction. Prompt provided by GeezerWench.

iv. love in an elevator by lilyaurora / m / 5-6k, one-shot / complete / sequel- be mine bella

“Quil!…I swear to god if you press another button on that panel, I’m gonna kick you right where it hurts!”

v. i’m yours by pengins.are.lovely / t / 40-45k, multi-chaptered / complete

After Jake ditched them both, Quil and Bella strike up a friendship, which turns into something more.

vi. that’s not what i expected by carliecullenblack by just a kiss contest / t / 6-7k, one-shot / complete

ENTRY FOR THE JUST A KISS CONTEST: Jake sends Bella away in New Moon after he first phases and Quil finds her crying and upset. The two connect over the loss of their friend in an unexpected way.

vii. i’ve always loved you by knblair86 / 40-45k, multi-chaptered / complete

Imprint Story! After Jake gets ‘sick’, Bella starts hanging out with Quil. How will they help each other heal? What happens when the Cullen’s come back to town and Will Victoria finally get her revenge? Please give it a chance!

viii. well ain’t that something by wolfpull85 / t / 3-4k, one-shot / complete

Bella goes to La Push to confront Jake after he disappears but finds his friend instead and a whole world she didn’t expect opens up.

e m b r y x b e l l a

i. gettin’ game by just lil ole t / k / 1-2k, one-shot / complete

Embry’s struggling to find his game…to catch his girl. He goes to his best source of manly advice for some suggestions. ONE SHOT!, AU

ii. brown sugar by geezerwrench / t / >1k, one-shot / complete

Looking at her, he realized he didn’t really want to know the answer after all—to either question. Perhaps later he would, but right then, in that moment, it didn’t matter. Written for the Tricky Raven Weekly Fanfiction Flash Fic challenge prompt #36. AU Embry Call, Bella Swan

iii. how do i love thee? by chrissihr / m / 2-3k, one-shot / complete

AU: Embry and Bella are lying in bed one lazy summer Saturday morning, basking in the sunshine pouring through the slats of the blinds like cats in a sun puddle as Embry recites “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…” and shows her. Pairing prompt provided by Afke Deen for the 2nd Annual Tricky Raven Author & Artist Silent Auction. One-shot, COMPLETE.

iv. bella on ice by kookykatie / t / 3-4k, one-shot / complete

Set in New Moon, in February. Bella is moving on with her life after Edward left and has taken to Jacob and his pack of friends. They can get her to do many things she wouldn’t normally do, and they take advantage of that in this particular story. Embry/Bella pairing, Jacob only loves Bella as a best friend.

v. bella’s insecurities by sfj0813 / t / 1-2k, one-shot / complete

Bella thinks she’s not good enough for Embry. Oneshot

l e a h x b e l l a

i. lost and found by sophieangel69 / m / 1-2k, two-shot / complete

After Edward leaves her Bella bumps into Victoria but is then saved by a passing werewolf. (Dub-con) Challenge

ii. magic on the cliffs by whitewolflegend / t / 1-2k, one-shot / complete

“Am I so horrible that no one will want me?” she whispers to the she wolf after a few minutes of silence. Leah held back another snarl and cursed Jacob in her mind before pulling back so she could look Bella in her eyes for the first time. Gasping as she felt the world around her shift and latch onto the woman crying in front of her, nothing mattered but her.

iii. moonlight sonata by izzyiniguez / t / 6-7k, one-shot / complete

Bella/Leah. Leah imprinted and kept it to herself, eventually the wolf will be let out of the bag.

iv. acceptance by mskathy / m / 7-8k, one-shot / complete

Written for the TwiSlash Unveiled Femme Slash Contest - Leah struggles with her self-identity and Bella just wants someone to love. When Alice sets them up on a blind date, they each find more than they had hoped for in each other. Lemons, femme slash.

v. secrets of the heart by sparklingfae / m / 2-3k, one-shot / complete

She was tired of waiting..tonight was the night that she would reveal the truth to her imprint. FemmeSlash warning.

b r a d y x b e l l a

i. all for you by welsharcher / t / 50-55k, multi-chaptered / complete

The meeting with the wolves didn’t go quite as everyone had planned. Especially not when a wolf imprints on Bella. Bella/Brady.

[kosmicdream]

Hi I’m Kosmic. I draw webcomics and my webcomics are really long sprawling huge cast ones that will go on for years and they’re non linear and all this stuff that makes ppls heads spin when they try to explain wtf they’re about. I ask myself this question a lot: How the fuck do I maintain this motivation for continuing projects that are honestly, probably bigger than i can possibly feasibly create??? How do i avoid swallowed up by anxiety of my own creations???? is that energy going to run out at any time? should i be worried?? Well! For some reason I... don’t? like i get winded sometimes but in the end, I actually quite like what i do and I don’t care that it takes literally years to make my stories. but when I step back and look at it objectively it does make me scratch my head and wonder how i came to be in this situation. So, sometimes i  try and write a few things that help me with understanding my own process, for whatever reason. Or at least I’ll TRY to articulate some of the things i seem to tell myself again and again that help me feel very comfortable with my writing/creating process. So if you want an insight into tips that i give myself.. this is that! 

TIP #1 - Everything you Plan will take longer than you planned, but you can make it easier by unexpectedly including information you might have otherwise withheld.

Secrets are cool in your stories. I have so many of them, but I also understand that they’re much more fun to share than to always keep locked up and out of knowledge. I often overshare to the point where ‘info dumping’ happens which is often considered an unattractive quality in comics. But IDM it so much because my comics just need to be drawn and you can’t glorify and hold every flaw over your shoulders when in the end its not going to be that big of a deal. I think its better to give out more information than finding reasons to bend around a story to avoid revealing things. I feel it might even be more obvious if you attempt to do that.

Also, I feel that everything planned in a story can happen quite quickly, and feel much shorter than actually drawing it. Even with the experience ive gained, i still am surprised just by how much i must throw out to make my long scenes shorter and snappier. even then, they are still really long scenes. I don’t mind doing this, I like to make my stories this way- but ive also designed my comic to serve this pace by making my pages less intensive physically to make. I’m not going to go in depth about this as ive already discussed this many times before, but I do think its important to understand that generally, a commitment to a comic is going to be bigger and longer than it appears in your mind or even on paper as a script or thumbnails.

(my comic eggshells, for example, was originally going to be 340ish pages long. but back then, my pacing was much different-- and my pages were generally twice as wide with around 15 panels per page..sometimes more. but i would over-render and make them hard to read, and now i draw very few panels per page and my comics are much ‘longer’ in page count.)

TIP #2

-Accept that your ideas are bigger than what you can draw and enjoy the private context and history of your work without feeling like its less accomplished for not being all out there. Validate yourself but also understand that your readers are not going to understand the depth from your perspective and they will be engaging with the view they’ve been exposed to.

This is kind of a complicated one but I think that its both humbling to accept your work as this multi layered experiences of contradicting perspectives.. theres the planning and your engagement with the goals, the work of translating your creation to others and the vulnerable exposure of these ideas to the audience. As the creator, you get to see things in a very unique way that no one else can but... the one feeling you will never get to see is the audience who has no idea what will happen next. You can anticipate it, but in the end its so vast and unpredictable that it will be impossible to judge what they ALL will FEEL and sometimes? their perceptions can alter your own enjoyment of your work. I guarantee it will change it in SOME way.. that’s part of the sacrifice.

TIP #3

-Allowing change, flexibility and growth into your series- and letting go of control over all facets of it.

As time goes on things just change. Its hard to accommodate or prepare for that kind of investment in your work when you feel like you havent even gotten through the starting gates of your story. Comics are particularly difficult for that because once you draw a thing, it takes time to edit and you cant really undo and go back. Each panel informs and builds on the next. You have to use what’s there and figure out how it can be a structure for the future.

Accepting the past that has helped create the situation and platform of your comic in the present, which will lead into the future. Personally, i’m not a fan of retconing* certain decisions that have been already made into the canon-- however, i think if a new conclusion or idea is discovered in the process of writing and it works to include because it creates a new and alive energy in the work that will help push it to the next stage.. i think that’s very helpful and useful for sustaining the growth and motivation in a story. Making choices like this can be tricky, however, but even small ones can give a lot of natural growth and flexibility in the comic. The problem can often come with letting go of that unseen, unrealized version we had intended. I know for myself, i can get very nostalgically attached to old ideas but-- if i think of something better that works or makes more sense, I’m always thankful to let go and let my stories grow into a better thing. I try to remember where it came from, however. Because that helps inform me where to go.

(*generally my definition for this is altering events of the past, certain core plans of the comic, character motivations, or facts that are connected to the worldbuilding. im kind of a hoarder so once its in the story aka on a specific page-- its not going anywhere. until then things can be up in the air. for example, the characters knife and spoon were not originally intended to be mutually in love and it was more of a one sided idol worship, but as i fleshed their characters out i realized that it was mutual and it changed and altered the story because of that. now it cannot/will not be “undone” for whatever reason bc this is.. an established fact in the story. but at one point, it was not! i hope that makes sense.)

SO TO SUMMARIZE... plans will always be “”bigger”” in the ever expansive space of your mind so also dont be afraid to get to the point sometimes even if it feels a little, like. less exciting than you thought? accept your story is going to be different for YOU vrs your audience and make peace with that disconnect even tho its disorienting + upsetting sometimes & accommodate the ~natural personal and artistic growth~ you will experience and let go of things that might be holding you or your work back from improving with you. but also dont try to cut out too much of the past because.. it is what helped you get to where you are right now? focus on the present & allow growth for the future, dont try to alter the past and pretend it didnt happen. bc that will be confusing as fuck for everyone involved and also probably hurt the story more than help it. esp if its a long one. ur building a tower dont pull out too many foundational blocks and try to make it too much of something else unless its growing there on its own.. u kno? 

When I try to write these tips these are just things I find myself doing in a cycle as i create that seem to keep re igniting my passion for my story again and again. It makes me curious because it also is a very instinctual thing so I thought I might try and write it out!!!!!!!!!! ENJOY.

ALSO some bonus thoughts!!!!!!!!!! I will say that I’ve never completed a long format comic series, so take it w/ a grain of salt imo. HOWEVER...I probably will, eventually. Even if I don’t, I do enjoy writing really big ones and I feel very happy with the work i do on them! and still feel no inclination to move onto other things. Or even when I work on other things, I don’t have a feeling of dropping a story entirely. (for example, i still intend to work on my older series eggshells and don’t really feel a desire to ‘quit’ that story even when i have matured as an author/artist since starting it.)

When I read really long comic series I wonder a lot of internal decisions that happen out of sight, since the timeline of a comic that you read is so much different than the timeline it takes actually creating the thing. its so easy to write/plan/form ideas for lifetimes of work that will never be realized, so what is it that we actually get in the pages? What aspects of this author are we actually seeing? how much have they grown since beginning and what about the story we will never know? I know I’ll never know, because, I am only the reader! And as the creator, I will never know what the feeling of my work as the reader. or the cool and interesting things they predict will happen based on their perseptions, which are so different from mine. Yet!! we are all engaged in the same story unfolding, never fully discovering what its like on the other side but only getting little glimpses and thats fascinating how a story is almost this vast illusion of experiences maintained by so many different minds. 

Long format comics captivate me because they are just, really time consuming to make and the pacing of them are so different and less consumable than other stories. They like become.. this place you live in! Why are they my favorite to enjoy even when its natural that, when a story becomes longer, its going to end up attracting more & more issues? Why do i Not care about resolutions to long stories sometimes bc my expectations for them are different?? (also lets face it, experience writing long stories is going to be different than writing short ones because it takes time to write longer things & we are not going to have as much experienc having more than one completed super long multi-act-multi-characterplot story vrs a bunch of smaller ones. it doesnt mean its EASIER to write shorter ones, if anything id argue its probably much harder to write good short things + isolate a story down to that focused vision than making tons of long ones that avoid endings) but..yet!! here i am...

why am i constantly drawn to trying to understand long format stories when I probably could improve faster by writing shorter things??! i dont really know! but i follow my heart and my heart likes to do things this way......

anyway, this entire post is mostly inspired by the fact that many of my favorite stories started before i was even born or have been going on for decades and i wonder if we’ll ever read the endings to many of them.... would it.. matter? they’ve already inspired me so much even without a resolution because i can imagine my own endings to things.. but in the end that is not what happened in the actual story. it was only in my mind.. and yet it never happened, and was an illusion unknown to anyone but myself.....and sometimes my favorite stories are my favorites because of the things i imagined them to be, rather than what they actually were or how they actually turned out.. i dont know how this happens..... but i wonder about what this means with my OWN comics, and how my perceptions of what they could be vrs what they are is like, this weird illusion that also exists only in my mind and no one else can see it. yet we are both looking at the same thing. and i want to know what others see and i never will get to??? ....stories are......... so fucking spooky!!!!!!!!!! AHHH!! ok thats all. thx for reading

[fictional-before-real]

You’ll Just Have To Prove Them Wrong

@damereyevents summer exchange:

for @micsmays1031

The prompt I chose was ‘Rey as a new pilot for the Resistance under Poe’s wing.’ What I actually did was ... roughly 7500 words leading up to that. I will be continuing this soon, but in the meantime, here goes. Comments, prompts and constructive criticisms are all welcome!

The first time Rey met Poe, they were celebrating. Finn had talked about him, of course, but she hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting the infamous pilot that had Finn all abuzz. And now that she was finally meeting him, Finn was in the infirmary and they had no idea when he’d wake up.

All of the higher-ups were standing around in the control room. Poe was on one side of General Organa, Rey was on the other. Poe gave BB-8 the data chip with the map, and the droid projected it into the air, fitting it perfectly with the map R2 was already projecting.

“The map—it is complete!” one of the techs exclaimed.

Instantly, the room was ringing with laughter, shouts of joy. Rey just barely heard General Organa softly say, “Luke.” Her face showed relief, the lines that were normally stern relaxing for just a moment.

The energy of the room was infectious. Pilots, mechanics, and officers alike were patting each other on the back, riotous shouts filling the air. Rey spun around with a smile on her face to hug Finn, forgetting that he wasn’t there. Instead, she wound up pressed against the man she knew to be Poe.

“Hi,” he said, looking down at her with a grin, but a hint of nerves in his voice as well.

“Hi,” she replied, out of breath from the sudden feeling of being this close to another person.

“I’m Poe Dameron.” Poe said awkwardly, stepping back to run his hand through his hair.

“I know,” Rey said before she could think better of it. She coughed to hide her blunder.

“I see Finn’s been talking me up.” Poe’s grin was a bit more sure now, and Rey felt herself relaxing in the safety of it.

“I’m Rey.”

It was Poe’s turn to say, “I know. Everyone knows the name and face of the girl who saved the Resistance with the help of a defected Stormtrooper and two smugglers no one has seen in years. Also, I heard you beat the shit out of Kylo Ren, and I have a vested interest in all things relating to Kylo Ren getting the shit beat out of him.”

Rey wasn’t used to the Force and all of the things that it came with yet, but she could feel the dark cloud surrounding Poe. She could see the single bead of sweat drip down his hairline, the way his hands shook and the force he used to clench them together. He glanced nervously around, and Rey slowly put her hand on his arm, giving him plenty of time to pull away. His eyes locked with hers, and she saw the desperation in them.

Rey led Poe out of the command center and down the one sequence of corridors she knew—to the outside. Poe breathed a bit easier once they were in the open air. They stood there for a minute before Rey said, “Let’s take a seat.”

She surveyed the area before leading Poe to a stone wall, climbing to the top and swinging her legs over the side. Rey kept a reassuring hand on Poe’s arm or shoulder the entire time, trying to keep him grounded.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked gently. Poe shook his head, jaw tense. “Do you mind if I do?” Poe looked off into the distance, but eventually shook his head again, still mute.

Rey stared at the ground below them as she started, “I’ve lived on a desert planet as long as I can remember, I’ve been injured more times than I can count, I’ve seen people die of disease and starvation because they can’t work and I’ve been too powerless to help. All of that was wiped away in that moment, making way for the blinding pain unlike I’ve ever felt.” She sighed, closing her eyes and holding a bit tighter to Poe’s arm.

“That was the moment that really connected me to the Force. I guess I’ve sort of felt it all my life, but I didn’t really know what it was. There were things before that, this whole big thing at Maz Kanata’s, but there was this surge in the Force when Ren pushed into my head. It started with all of the souls of the people Kylo Ren has killed calling out to me, letting me feel their anguish.

“When I pushed back, the pain got worse, the voices got louder, but I could feel his presence. I knew I couldn’t let him get the map, so I pushed.” Rey’s eyes were closed, so she couldn’t see the awed look on Poe’s face, the way his eyes traced the planes of her face.

“‘You know I can take whatever I want,’ he said. It wasn’t just about the map. I felt his emotions through the Force. His obsession with me. He did it again, later, ‘You need a teacher,’ he said, as if I were a wayward child.” Rey coughed, opened her eyes.

“So it might not be exactly what you went through, but you have someone here if you need it.” She forced a small grin. “Besides, from what I’ve heard we’re the only two people who have made it out of Kylo Ren’s torture alive, so there’s that.”

Poe grabbed her hand off his shoulder and held it in his own, trying to send reassurances through the Force. He had no idea if that was a thing, but it was worth a shot. Then he turned and lay down so that he was stretched along the top of the wall. Rey laughed and did the same, hands still lightly connected, reassuring both of them that the other was really there.

“So,” Rey broke the silence after a moment, “I just realized that I don’t know anything about you except the little bit that Finn told me.”

Poe laughed, “And here I know the deepest and darkest parts of your mind.” Rey rolled her eyes, using her free hand to smack him lightly on the head. “Fine, fine,” he gave in. “I grew up on Yavin-IV. My parents were in the old Resistance, back when the Empire was in power. When I was growing up, my mom had an A-Wing that she let me work on with her from the time I could toddle around. When I was old enough, she taught me how to fly.” His eyes drifted shut, remembering the first time he went up, the spots of grass he could just barely see between the trees, the lake just beside his house as seen from the sky, the feeling of freedom from inside the cockpit, as if there were nothing between him and the air.

“When did you learn to fly?” Poe asked, eyes open again and staring into the endless expanse of space.

Rey chuckled. “Here’s the thing … I didn’t. I’ve spent most if not all of my life scavenging parts, living day to day. When I took apart ships and cruisers, it helped to know what was what so that I knew if I was going to get to eat that night. I learned all of the names of everything, then pieced together the functions, then adapted it to know how it all fit together. Before I met Finn and BB-8 and we stole the Millenium Falcon, I had never actually flown a ship above atmosphere.”

Poe scoffed, “There’s no way. Even I’m not that good, and I’m the best pilot in the Resistance.”

“I guess you’ve got some competition then, Dameron,” Rey said. She finally dropped Poe’s hand and rolled off the wall down the other side, tucking and rolling when she hit the ground. Poe rolled his eyes and hopped down after her.

“So, what do you want to do now?” Rey asked him when they were standing together at the bottom of the wall.

“We should probably go back inside,” Poe responded with a sigh. “Tonight is a night for celebration, but tomorrow preparations will have to be made for whoever is going to find Luke Skywalker.”

“I think I’m going to just turn in,” Rey said. She started walking away from the base and towards the Falcon.

“You do know we have spare quarters you could use, right?” Poe said as she walked towards the dingy ship. He ran a few steps to catch up with her.

Her voice was low, sad. “I want to make sure that there’s someone on the ship with Chewie. It’s been a long time since he was alone.”

Poe closed his eyes against the memory of the sorrow on the General’s face when she found out about her husband’s death by her son’s hand. When he almost tripped on an uneven part of the concrete, Poe opened his eyes again.

He walked with Rey to the ramp of the Falcon, where he leaned against the hydraulic lift. When Rey started up the ramp, he said, “What, I don’t even get a tour of the legendary Millenium Falcon? You’re breaking a pilot’s heart here, Rey.”

She turned back, a grin on her face. “We’ll save that for when I drag the last Jedi back by his ancient ear, Dameron. Wouldn’t want to ruin the suspense of all the secrets this baby holds.” Rey fondly patted the hull. “Night, flyboy,” she called over her shoulder as she continued into the ship.

“Night, Jedi,” he called back, waiting a second before he turned and walked back to the base, where by this point someone had probably broken out whatever stashed alcohol they had. Faced with the possibility of celebrating, Poe chose instead to go to the infirmary and sit by Finn.

The doctors still had no idea if or when he would wake up, but Poe still hated the idea of him sitting alone until something happened. Before he knew it, Poe’s eyelids were feeling way too heavy and his head kept drooping off to the side. He wanted to stay awake, just in case Finn woke up, but sleep overtook him within moments.

***

When Rey woke up, she was surprised to see the bright sky and not feel the normal searing heat that came with it. All at once, the events of the past few days came back to her. She realized eventually that she was in the pilot’s seat of the Millenium Falcon, her legs propped up on the control panel. She heard lumbering footsteps behind her. Chewie made a low, mournful noise when he saw her in the seat. It didn’t really translate in her head, but she guessed that it was the Wookie equivalent of a whimper.

“Morning, Chewie,” Rey said, turning in her seat to look at the creature.

‘Han used to sleep there sometimes,’ Chewie said in Wookie.

“I’m sorry,” Rey whispered, getting out of the seat and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. She felt his arms come up around her and hug her back, and she smiled slightly into his fur.

She only broke the hug when she heard a droid beeping in the cargo bay. She recognized the noise as BB-8.

‘Friend-Rey!’ The droid whirred into the cockpit, which wasn’t that big to begin with. It certainly wasn’t big enough for a human, a Wookie, and an astromech.

Rey squatted down to pat BB’s head. “What’s up, BB-8?”

‘General Organa requests the presences of both you and Chewbacca in the command center as soon as you’re able. I must find Master-Poe. Do you know where he may be?’

“I’m sorry BB. I have no idea. I haven’t seen Poe since last night. Maybe he went to see Finn in the infirmary. I was going to do that this morning, but it can wait until after the meeting.”

‘Goodbye, Friend-Rey.’ BB-8 began to roll back through the ship.

“Bye, BB-8!”

***

Poe woke up with his head resting against Finn’s cot in the infirmary, BB-8 bumping his little head against his leg.

‘Master-Poe,’ the little astromech beeped, ‘my readings suggested that this would be the best time in your sleep cycle to wake you up. General Organa requires your presence in the command center.’

“Thanks, buddy,” Poe said, patting BB-8 on the head before he got up and stretched, his spine popping in several places. Maybe falling asleep on this damn chair wasn’t the best idea.

Before Poe could leave the room, one of the doctors whom Poe recognized, Doctor Kolonia, came in, data tablet in hand.

“Good to see you’re awake, Dameron,” she said. “Although now I have to tell you that it was rather stupid of you to sleep in here instead of your own bed. I know you’re worried for your friend, but it won’t do him any good if you wind up in here next to him.”

“Understood, Doc,” Poe said, walking out the door and down the halls to the command center. He stopped when he saw Rey just outside the door, far enough down the hall that no one could see her resting her head against the wall.

He slowly walked up to her, making his footfalls just loud enough that she could hear. She picked her head up off the wall. “Hey, Poe.” She smiled, but he could see that it was forced.

“Rey, what’s wrong?” he asked gently.

“I just need a second before I go in.”

“Ok.” He stood there with a hand resting gently on her shoulder until she took a deep breath, centering herself and straightening up.

“Let’s go.” Rey took the lead, striding into the command center with the same self-assurance she normally exuded.

Poe shook his head with a small smile and started after her.

When they were in the control room, Rey and Poe made a beeline directly for General Organa. He wasted no time. “What is it, General?”

“We’ll need to wait for the others, Dameron. I’d rather only have to do this once.”

Eventually, there was a collection of roughly two dozen individuals around General Organa, all chattering to each other and speculating what the meeting was about. Most had the general idea, but Leia called everyone to order before they could get any concrete ideas.

“You all know that we’ve obtained the entire map that leads to Luke Skywalker,” she started. “I know who I want to go on this mission, but if anyone has ideas, I’m open.”

Rey stepped forward into the circle of space for about three feet around the General. “You know I want to go. I think that I should take the Falcon, R2-D2, and Chewie. We can have Master Jedi Skywalker back before you know it.”

Leia nodded. “That’s what I figured. Any objections or amendments?” she asked the room at large.

A human man stepped forward. He introduced himself to Rey, reaching forward to shake her hand. “Major Caluan Ematt.” He turned back to the room at large to say, “I, for one, think that we must send a larger force to accompany the Falcon. We have no idea how large the First Order has truly grown, nor how quickly they will recover from the destruction of Starkiller Base. The last thing we need is the total annihilation of not only the Jedi, but our only possible lead on how to defeat Kylo Ren.”

Poe stepped forward then. “All due respect, Major Ematt,” he said, “I think that your points are exactly why we cannot afford to spare more than the Falcon to find Skywalker. We are not sure how long it will take the First Order to come after us, and now they know where our base is. There are many decisions to be made in the coming days, and we simply cannot send a large force.”

He turned to give Rey a reassuring nod. “Besides, I believe that Rey and Chewbacca are more than capable of bringing Skywalker back into the fold.”

Poe stepped back, having said his piece, and went to stand by Rey. Leia centered the attention back on her by saying, “Alright, we’ve heard from both parties; it’s time to vote. All those in favor of a larger force accompanying Rey and Chewie?”

A few weak ‘aye’s were heard through the room.

“Those in favor of letting Rey and Chewie go on their own?”

The ‘aye’s were practically deafening.

“It’s decided then.” Leia turned to look at Rey. “Can you have the Falcon ready in a day or two?”

Rey nodded solemnly. “It’ll be ready to go by tomorrow.”

“Excellent. If you need anything, you can ask Commander Dameron.” She raised her voice to the dozens of soldiers around her, “As for you all, we’ve got plenty of work to do. There are fighters to be fixed, injured to attend to … funerals to plan. We must move on, but we will not forget the brave pilots who lost their lives to destroy Starkiller base. Dismissed!”

Most of the soldiers began to slowly amble towards the exits, glances cast over their shoulders, whispers that Rey could still faintly hear. “They don’t know about me. They don’t think I can do it,” she said to Poe, who was still by her side.

He crooked a grin at her. “I guess you’ll just have to prove them wrong, won’t you? Besides, I believe in you.” The look in his eyes told Rey that he meant it.

“Thanks,” she said simply. “Want to help me fix up the Falcon? She needs a few patches in the hyperdrive, not to mention that the steering is a bit wonky. Chewie and I could use the help, if you’re not doing anything.”

“You mean I’ll get to see the famous Millenium Falcon before you even leave? Yes!” Poe pumped his fist in the air, the most childish movement that Rey could imagine. And yet, somehow, it was extremely endearing when he did it.

“C’mon, flyboy,” she laughed, grabbing him by the wrist and leading him out of the command center, towards the Falcon’s spot on the landing zone.

***

Three hours later, Poe finally crawled out from the belly of the Falcon with a groan. Rey and Chewie had been running him ragged, demanding nothing but the best from not only him, but themselves. It was a bit of an adjustment, trying to work with Rey translating from Chewbacca to him, but the results paid off.

The hyperdrive was patched, the steering was probably better than it had been when Han first got it, not to mention the dozens of little fixes they’d made to improve the efficiency, speed, and handling.

When they were finally done, Rey shoved Poe out the floor hatch before popping up triumphantly herself. She ran to the cockpit, checking the status of the dials on the control panels. Chewie came up behind her and said something that Poe didn’t understand.

“Yeah, everything looks good,” Rey responded to the Wookie. “I’ll need to take her up just to be sure. Do you want to come with? It’s ok if you don’t.”

The Wookie growled something else, then shook his head and walked out of the cockpit. Poe heard his lumbering footsteps down the ramp. “What did he say?” Poe asked gently.

“Just that he wasn’t ready to do it without Han yet.” Rey smiled through the tears welling in her eyes. “Do you want to come with me? I still need a copilot.”

“Let’s go,” Poe said excitedly, all but throwing himself into the copilot’s seat.

Rey laughed and sat down in the pilot’s seat, starting to flip the switches in the right order. The control panel lit up after a second, and Poe just stared in awe. Finally, Rey was satisfied with her pre-flight check, and she maneuvered the ship into the air.

Poe shot to his feet once they were in the air, his face practically smushed against the window. The look on his face was one of someone who had never flown before, and Rey had a small sense of pride that she was the one making him feel like this.

Finally, Poe sat down again, though the rapturous look on his face didn’t go away. Rey finally asked him, “Do you want to take over for a minute?”

“Me?” Poe asked incredulously, looking from the window to her.

“No, Poe, we have a stowaway that I figured would like to fly for a bit.” Her sass seemed to shake Poe out of his worship of the ship.

“Why not?” Despite his carefree attitude, Rey felt his nerves as she switched control from her side of the cockpit to his. He grabbed the steering controls and tested it out, moving the ship first one way, then the other.

“Good luck ever getting me out of here,” he said happily, maneuvering the ship so that she was in the upper atmosphere.

“Well, we really should check that the hyperdrive repairs work, so you’ll get to fly her a little bit more. I think we can make a quick hop to the nearest planet and back.”

“Wait, you mean that I can take the ship that did the Kessel Run in fifteen parsecs into hyperspeed?” Poe truly did sound like a child who had just been handed fifty credits and pushed into a candy shop.

“Twelve parsecs!” Rey said with mock indignation. “Ha—Chewie will have your head if he hears you talking like that.” Now Rey looked sad, so Poe did the one thing he knew how to do. He flew.

The ship burst through the atmosphere and into the void of space. Taking one last look at the navigation computer, he engaged the hyperdrive. Within seconds, they were at the next nearest planet in the Illenium system.

He whooped loudly, face lighting up. “This is amazing!”

Rey grinned at him. “Now don’t get so excited you hurt her. I do need to keep her working long enough to find Skywalker and get back.”

“Speaking of getting back,” Poe sighed, “We probably should get back to the base. You’ll need to refuel and resupply before you head out.”

“Yeah.” Rey stared at her hands resting in her lap before finally making eye contact again with Poe. “Do you want me to take her back, or aren’t you ready to give up control yet?”

“I don’t think I’m ready to turn her over just yet.”

“Well-” Rey said playfully- “I guess we know the hyperdrive works. If you want, we can take the slow way back, maybe orbit the planet a few times?”

“Yes!” Poe grinned as he took hold of the controls, maneuvering the Falcon til they were orbiting D’Qar. They stared at the lush green planet in comfortable silence. Without a word, Poe eventually brought the Falcon into the atmosphere and looked to the navicomputer for direction.

As they landed, Poe said, “Well I guess when you get back, I’ll have to take you up to return the favor.”

“Return the favor?” Rey stood up and stretched in the tiny cockpit.

“Well, you taught me how to fly the infamous Millenium Falcon, the least I can do is teach you how to fly an X-Wing.”

“Speaking of flying an X-Wing,” Rey shuffled back and forth on her feet, looking anywhere but at Poe, and finally blurted, “I was wondering … do you think General Organa would let me be a pilot?” She said the question in a rush, so much that Poe almost didn’t catch what she said.

Then she slowed down a bit, still not looking at him. “I mean, I’d get it if she didn’t, but I thought maybe I could split my time between Jedi training and piloting. From what I could tell with everyone stopping conversation the moment I enter a room, the Resistance is in need of both.”

Poe grinned, slouching against the doorframe. “That’s definitely something to bring up with the General, but yeah, I think it’s doable. We’ll have to see what happens with Luke, and it might be a few days of adjustment with Jedi training before you can start flying, but I can talk to the General for you if you want.”

“I’ll talk to her myself, but could you be there to back me up?” Rey bit her lip, still looking nervous despite Poe’s assurances.

“Of course.” Poe pulled up from the doorframe and started walking to the ramp. He stopped at what passed for the Falcon’s med-bay. “Do you want to stock up before or after we talk to the General?”

“We might as well talk to her now, get it over with. I’d rather not get my hopes up only to have them dashed later.”

“Hey.” Poe turned and sat down on the cot, gently tugging Rey’s sleeve until she sat beside him, their knees brushing. “I told you, she’s probably going to give you permission. And if she doesn’t, I guess I’ll just have to train you on my own.”

Rey’s mouth dropped. “You would disobey General Organa just to train me?” She seemed amazed that anyone cared about her enough to do something like that.

“Well technically I wouldn’t be disobeying her,” he clarified, grin back in place, “If she says you can’t be part of the squadron, that doesn’t mean that I can’t teach a friend a few things. And besides, you never know what you might have to fly on a mission. It wouldn’t do to have our new Jedi prodigy stranded on some Force-forsaken planet like Tattoine. Although you’re probably used to the heat and the sand, aren’t you?”

Rey rolled her eyes, grabbing Poe’s arm and standing up. “C’mon, flyboy. Let’s go see the General.”

***

When they reached the command center, General Organa was talking with Admiral Statura. “I understand your concerns, Admiral, but I have faith in the girl.” She glanced over Statura’s shoulder and saw Poe and Rey awkwardly standing a few paces away. “Excuse me for a moment.”

She walked past him, letting out a sigh once she was out of earshot. “Thank you both for coming now. Statura is the third officer whom I’ve had to try and convince that sending the entire fleet is a terrible idea.”

Poe laughed, “Another reason I’m glad I’m not in your shoes. I couldn’t deal with that all the time.”

“What do you need, Rey?” The small smile was still on Leia’s face, but she had regained her normal serious air.

Poe saw Rey’s jaw work for a second before she said, “I was wondering if I could start pilot training once I bring Master Skywalker back. I still want to be a Jedi, of course, but I don’t want that to be the only thing I am.”

Poe nodded when Leia sought his approval.

“It’s decided then,” the older woman said decisively. “You’ll have to talk to Luke, of course, but I doubt he’ll say no. He always was the mellow one.” She reached out to Rey and rested her hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “Bring him home, and you’ll have full run of the base. You’re already a hero, but you could be on the fast track to being an officer. I just want my brother home.”

Rey didn’t know what it was in that moment, but she leaned forwards, not thinking about the words that spilled from her mouth, “You have the Force, don’t you? I thought I felt it earlier, but I’m not very good at this yet. You’ve felt him. Anyone else would have given up after almost 15 years, but you know he’s still alive.”

Poe looked taken aback, but Leia was calm, unsurprised. “I do. I chose not to pursue it so that I could fight for peace and help rebuild after the last war, but I’m good at sensing emotions, which was actually pretty useful for a senator. And I can feel major shifts: entire systems being destroyed, the slaughter of Luke’s padawans, the moment Han died. It’s more of a curse than a blessing, but at least I know Luke is still alive.”

“I’m sorry.” There were no words to truly say what Rey felt at that moment, her sorrow that Leia had only seen the darker parts of the Force mingled with her elation that there was another Force-sensitive person right by her. “I’ll do whatever it takes to bring your brother back.”

“I appreciate it, Rey. Is there anything else you need from me? If the Falcon still needs repairs, I can have a team look at it.”

“Poe, Chewie, and I have got her in tip-top shape already. I think we just need to refuel and resupply, and we should be ready to go by noon tomorrow.”

“Alright. Just grab one of the ground crew members to refuel her and Poe can show you where to get supplies.”

***

Resupply was more difficult than Rey had anticipated.

“I don’t know, Poe!” she exclaimed when presented with four different varieties of food rations. “I’ve eaten the exact same thing every day for the past fifteen years of my life. I have absolutely no opinion on the type of food I get to eat.”

“What?” she asked when she saw his astonished look.

“The exact same thing?” He leaned against the shelf they were standing next to in the supply room. “No variety whatsoever?”

“Well Jakku wasn’t exactly overflowing with places I could forage, nor were there any animals worth hunting. My only way of getting food was selling what parts I could scavenge from old cruisers that had crashed during the war against the Empire.”

Poe said no more about the conditions she had lived in, instead pulling himself away from the shelf so that he could grab ration packets off it. “Well you don’t want that one-” he pointed to one row in particular- “that type is better suited for long missions because it keeps better, but it tastes like bantha kark. You’ll only be gone a week at the most, so you should only need about twenty-five for you, twenty-five for Chewie, and maybe ten for Skywalker if you have to take a while getting back.”

He grabbed four boxes of rations for Rey and Luke and three boxes for Chewie, setting them by the entrance to the stock room. They walked down the next row of shelves looking for the medical kits for humanoid lifeforms. Of course when they found them, they were on the very top shelf, just barely out of Poe’s reach. After about thirty seconds of embarrassing tip-toes trying to grab a kit, Poe sighed and looked to Rey for help. “Got any Jedi tricks up your sleeve?”

Rey grinned and lifted her hands, closing her eyes. As her hands moved, so did two kits. She moved them up and off the shelf, but when Poe coughed, she lost her concentration and the heavy kits dropped like a sack of rocks … right overtop of Poe’s head. She didn’t have time to use the Force to move the kits, so Rey tackled Poe to get him out of the way.

Poe looked slightly green when he heard the heavy, dull thud of the ration kits hitting the floor. “Thanks,” he breathed, his face rather close to Rey’s.

“You’re welcome.” She pushed off his shoulders to put more than a few inches between their faces. That was when she noticed that she was essentially straddling him: chests pressed together, legs tangled.

“Oh, kriff,” she scrambled off him, distancing herself and tucking a strand of hair that had come loose behind her ear. “Sorry. I didn’t—I didn’t mean to get that close.”

“I think I’ll forgive you,” Poe teased, “You were saving my life, or at least saving me from a very nasty trip to the medbay.”

His disarming nature made Rey stop shuffling her feet, turning to pick up the heavy medkits. “Well, now that that adventure is done with, what else do we need?”

***

Soon, the Falcon was fully stocked, and there was nothing left to do for the day except eat. And Rey was putting that off, not ready to face what was sure to be an unusual experience. She was beneath the floorboards of the Falcon when Poe came to look for her.

“Rey, what are you doing? Did we miss something that needs fixing?”

“I’m just tinkering,” Rey replied, popping her head up from the belly of the ship. “I’ll be there in a minute. You don’t have to wait for me.”

Poe heard her stomach growl. “I know you haven’t eaten anything since we grabbed the last two ration packs on the ship while we were working, and that was almost eight hours ago.” He saw the nervous look in her eye and said, “If you come now you won’t have to face the mess hall alone. We can even stop and see Finn after dinner, I know you haven’t been to see him all day.”

Rey reluctantly climbed out of the floor, setting the covering back into place. “Let’s get this over with.” She strode off the Falcon, putting on a confident air that Poe knew was a lie.

***

The mess hall was even more hectic than Rey had expected. Even though it was almost nine o’clock D’Qar time, at least a quarter of the Resistance was either in line for food or already sitting at the tables lined up in the enormous room.

Poe led her to the food line, quietly explaining everything to her as the moved closer to the front of the line. “Dinner runs from five until ten local time, so that the shifts change in the middle and everyone has a chance to eat. You can choose one type of meat, one grain, two fruits, a vegetable, and a dessert. Not all of it is that great, but most of it is palpable at least. Our cooks do the best they can with what we can get. You want to steer clear of anything that has a layer of breading on the top, though. Some of the non-humanoids like whatever’s in it, but it makes me gag.”

They finally started down the line, Poe still speaking softly in her ear, offering his suggestions. Rey wound up with a slice of some sort of meat she had never heard of, a roll that looked fluffier than any of her portions on Jakku, two shurra fruits, some strange vegetable, and a slice of blue cake.

“The cake is made with Bantha milk,” Poe explained as they found a mostly-empty table to claim. There were a few people in mechanics’ jumpsuits at the other end of the table. Poe nodded to them, and they nodded back at the two of them before turning to whisper to each other.

Rey sighed, absently tossing her roll between her hands. Poe stopped her with a hand on her wrist, using his other hand to gently tilt her head so that she looked at him. “Don’t pay any attention to them,” he insisted. “People are going to talk about you, there’s not a lot you can do to stop it. Besides throw a rage fit, and that seems like more of a Kylo Ren move,” he teased.

After a few more seconds of intense eye contact, Poe seemed to realize that he was still caressing Rey’s chin, long fingers wrapped around her jaw. He coughed, drawing his hands back across the table.

They ate their meals with a comfortable air surrounding them, despite the fact that Rey could feel people’s stares burning into her from all angles. Finally, their trays were empty, and they could think of nothing else to say.

“I should probably get going.” Rey stood up, grabbing her tray and shoving her other hand into her pocket. “I’m going to see Finn and then I’d better check that everything is ready on the Falcon.”

Poe sighed and stood as well. “I have to meet with General Organa, otherwise I’d see Finn with you. I’ll see him as soon as I’m able.”

“Well, you’d better not sleep in that sithspit chair next to him again.”

Poe raised an eyebrow in question.

“BB-8 told me after the meeting this morning. You know that the healers will come get us the moment he wakes up, you need your rest. I suspect you’ll all be having an interesting few days while I’m retrieving Skywalker.”

“I’ll be sure to leave some of the excitement for when you get back,” Poe teased.

“I’m sure I’ll have enough excitement between Jedi training and flying lessons, don’t go out of your way to make my life even more difficult.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Poe gave a mock-salute and a smirk as Rey turned on her heel to put her tray on the conveyer belt.

***

True to his word, Poe only visited with Finn for a bit before going to sleep in his own quarters. But when he woke in the morning to his faithful droid banging against his bedframe, Poe felt even worse than he had after sleeping in that awful chair. It wasn’t any sort of physical pain, but an … emotional one.

As he probed why he felt this worry and pain, his dreams came back to him in a rush, just as they did every morning since his escape from Starkiller Base. But they weren’t the normal dreams of his home planet being destroyed, or of his squad being massacred. No, this set of dreams starred Rey.

The first started with Rey running through the woods with Finn. It was the exact scene she had told him about, the confrontation with Kylo Ren. But this time, it wasn’t Ren’s face that got sliced open. It was Rey. From the start of this dream-fight, it was obvious who was going to win. Just as Ren raised his lightsaber above Rey’s head, the dream switched.

This time, it was Rey standing on the bridge above the chasm with Ren. It was Rey who pleaded with him, not to return, but to spare her life. It was Rey who grabbed the lightsaber hilt only to die a swift, merciless death, red blade emerging through white garments. Just as dream-Poe tried to scream, the dream changed again.

Now his incorporeal form was behind a small child, who ran after a cloaked form as they strode to a speeder, begging the shrouded visage not to leave her. Something told him that this was Rey, just as she had been left. This image repeated again and again, and somehow seemed more awful than the two death-visions he’d seen.

Just recounting his dreams left a sheen of sweat on Poe’s brow, one that he wiped away quickly. He stood on shaky legs and went to the sink to wash his face. Once he had composed himself, he went to the mess hall. When he was through the line and looking for a place to sit, he noticed that the hall was almost full.

Odd, normally everyone eats later than this, he thought. Then he remembered that today wasn’t normal. Everyone would want to see Rey and Chewie off on their mission to reclaim the last Jedi. Speaking of Rey. Poe spotted the scavenger sitting off on her own again with a buffer of at least two seats in every direction.

There weren’t a lot of options for seats anyways, but even if the entire hall had been empty, Poe still would have sat next to Rey. He was sure to let his footfalls be heard, he’d been warned by BB-8 that she could hold her own when it came to fight, and he certainly didn’t want to startle her. Speaking of BB-8 though….

“I never did thank you for taking care of BB-8, did I?” he said in lieu of a greeting. Rey shook her head, and Poe grimaced. “I’m sorry. BB-8 told me what you did for him. Thank you for taking care of my wingman.”

“Of course, it was no trouble,” Rey replied.

“But it was,” Poe insisted. “BB-8 told me about Unkar Plutt. You would’ve starved just to keep him with you. You didn’t sell him, which I know a lot of people would’ve. I wouldn’t even blame you. Sixty portions could keep you fat and happy for months. So really, thank you.”

Poe sensed her discomfort, and sent her a small grin as he lightened the mood. “BB also told me about how you beat the shit out of the goons that tried to grab him. Not going to lie, I would’ve liked to see that.”

“If you never tick me off, you won’t experience it personally. If I can’t stop hearing people’s thoughts about me, I might kick someone.”

“Wait, you’re hearing thoughts now? When did this happen? Is it everyone’s thoughts or just some of them?” Poe leaned closer, keeping his words quiet but excited.

“It started this morning. It must be proximity-based, but there’s a pretty wide radius. So far, I’m only catching the occasional thought, but a lot of people are thinking about me.” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“The female at one o’clock, she doesn’t think that I can possibly be a Jedi, that I must be tricking everyone. The male four seats to your left, he thinks that whether or not I’m any good to the Resistance, at least I’m giving him ‘something new to look at.’ There’s a person or two who think that I’m going to fail completely and totally when I try to bring Skywalker back. At least two women are worried that they aren’t going to be the most attractive on base anymore, of all the things to think about in the middle of a war.”

Poe stared at her for a minute before any sort of thought came to him. “Wait, have you been reading my mind at all today?”

Rey’s brow furrowed. “For some reason, I’m not really getting anything off of you. I’m not really controlling this though, so it could just be a Force glitch.”

“Wait, a Force glitch? Is that something that actually happens?”

“I have no idea, flyboy. Most of what I know about the Force is scraps of myth overheard on Jakku, the rest was from that whole thirty seconds at Maz Kanata’s before the First Order ruined everything. I have to find Skywalker. If I don’t, things could get very bad for me.”

“What do you mean?” Poe asked.

Rey seemed to zone out for a second, her tray and utensils levitating. When Poe touched her shoulder, the glazed look left her eyes, and the tray clattered to the table, silverware rattling on top of it. “That’s what I mean.”

“How long have you been levitating things without meaning to?”

“It started yesterday while we were working on the Falcon. You and Chewie were in a different compartment, and all of the wrenches floated around me. I couldn’t help it, it only stopped when you stubbed your toe on something and cursed loud enough to break the trance. It’s happened twice this morning too. Between this and the mind-reading, maybe it’s not the worst that I’ll be getting away from the base for a few days. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Poe covered Rey’s hand on the table between them, stopping the slight tremors wracking her. “You wouldn’t do that anyways, Rey. I’ve only known you a couple of days, but I know you wouldn’t hurt someone who didn’t deserve it.”

Rey smiled at him, but after a second she jerked back, ears and cheeks flaming.

“What is it?” Poe asked with a quizzical tilt to his head.

“Nothing,” Rey mumbled, burying her face in her sleeves.

Poe pulled her hands away from her face after a second. “C’mon, what is it?”

“I caught another stray thought.” Poe just waited. Rey sighed. “A lady behind us thought ‘how is it that she’s only been here two days and she’s already got him eating out of the palm of her hand’. There, happy?”

Poe scratched his neck sheepishly. “Yeah, that has to be pretty awkward.”

“You have no idea,” Rey muttered from behind her sleeves.

***

The moment was finally upon him, and Poe was freaking out. “Are you sure you have everything, Rey?” he asked, running his gaze over her as if to assure himself that she was going to be fine.

“For the fifth and last time, I have absolutely everything I could possibly need for this mission, flyboy. I’ll be back before you know it.” Rey gave him a quick hug before she could think better of it, and moved on to Leia. She could think of nothing to say to the woman, and so turned to the Falcon.

But just before she could take the first step, Leia spoke. “Rey.” Rey turned back to her. “May the Force be with you.” With a smile on her face, Rey started her journey to find Luke.

[tessatechaitea]

Dark Days: The Forge #1

Sometimes when I see John Romita Jr. artwork, I think, "What did I ever have against Rob Liefeld?!"

Hawkman's final journal? Hooray! Go to hell, you stupid prick! And I thought these were going to be dark days!

Does anybody else find it weird that Carter Hall records his journal on Swiss cheese? Many years ago (I guess? There's no time stamp on the opening scene!), Carter Hall recorded the crashing of a spaceship on his lunch. But since he didn't know the word "spaceship," he wrote "sign written in metal." That will probably be important later but for now, it's time to move the story into the present. And where better to begin an adventure story than The Bermuda Triangle! Wait. I should rephrase that. "Where better to begin an adventure story in the 1970s than The Bermuda Triangle!" Oh boy! Eight year old me just came in his pants! I mean if that were possible. Nothing but pee would be coming out of there for at least another five years.

You know you can read and reread the data once you get somewhere safe? Or did you not save your data to the cloud? Idiot. You should use both terrestrial and cloud backups!

That scientist sounds like me in high school after first hearing Mr. Crowley: "There's something in the metal!" Batman rescues the scientist whose name is Dr. Madison (MADISOOOOOON!). Batman tells Dr. Madison that the only to safety is back through the volcano. Batman: "The only way out is in!" Dr. Madison: "Does that actually make sense? I don't think that makes sense." Batman: "If we don't go back through the lava, we'll be covered in lava!" Dr. Madison: "Do you ever listen to yourself speak?" Batman: "Outside will also have flying debris! Inside is just, um, you know! Liquid hotness!" Dr. Madison: "You mean lava?" Batman: "If you want to get technical about it! Now get in my Liquid Hotness Proof Bat-mech (trademark and action figure pending!), sit on my lap, and don't ask me if that's a bat-grapple in my pocket or if I'm happy to see you! I'm never happy!"

So they had to go back through the lava to get to the ocean? Batman does know Dr. Madison was standing in front of a window overlooking the water, right? How was just crashing through that not an option? Especially since Batman loves crashing through panes of glass!

Whenever an editor tells Scott Snyder to make something more exciting, he should just say, "Shut. Up!" Aquaman helps with the rescue and then he and Batman get into an argument about who's keeping bigger secrets. Batman probably wins that one because even if Aquaman had some really juicy secrets to tell, I'd never remain interested long enough to hear them. I'm already bored with this paragraph because I had to type "Aquaman" three times. Apparently the Blackhawks have some super secret covert black ops shit going on again. Remember how they returned in All Star Batman? Oh, you got tired of reading that series too? Well, believe me. They returned there. Meanwhile on Mogo, Cornelius the Guardian wants Hal to do something seedy to him.

"Don't tell Guy! I just got him to stop calling me gay!"

Oh sorry. His name is Ganthet. I must be thinking of Roddy McDowall's character from Scavenger Hunt. Speaking of Scavenger Hunt, I caught an episode of Family Ties the other day when some actor walked on and I was all, "Hey! That's short sleeves, checkered shirt, black sneakers!" Plus his son in the episode was Chunk from The Goonies. Should I mark irrelevant passages like these with asterisks?!

Ganthet having once asked Hal to jerk him off is now canon.

Once again, everybody in the universe is gossiping about how Earth is going to destroy the universe. If only the Justice League would stop saving it already! Just let somebody destroy Earth for the greater good, you hypocrites! Ganthet has pinpointed the threat to the universe in the Batcave so Hal Jordan decides to go invade it and not radio Batman saying, "Hey, buddy. I've got a possible issue that maybe you can help out with. Let's meet up in the Batcave." Instead he decides to sneak in and start going through Batman's things. I get it. It's the only way to ensure that a couple of heroes fight so all the fangenders can lose their shit over it. This part was probably Tynion's idea. "Hey! You know what I've read in comic books about five thousand times? That part where two heroes fight over a misunderstanding! Can we add that scene?!" And Scott Snyder snorts and wakes up and is all, "What? Whatever. Just write the script already! If I wanted to write it, I wouldn't have purchased you from your parents!" Anyway, Batman isn't home so Hal has to fight Meadowlark. You know, Not-Robin. Duke!

What is Duke reading to get his Green Lantern information? The Who's Who books from the mid-80s? That's where I get all of my information too!

Is Green Lantern just fucking with Duke or is there something about the yellow flaw that I don't know about? I thought it was completely gone. Is this Snyder and Tynion trying to backdoor the flaw back into the ring but only if the person using the ring is inexperienced and stupid? In the next panel, Hal Jordan says, "It's good to see Batman's still recruiting teenagers." Hey man. You better be careful with statements like that. At least he's not, you know, fucking them. Duke Thomas admits to not having a code name yet. That's adorable. All this fucking time and he still doesn't have one. Why can't Snyder just spit one out already? Waiting to find out his superhero name is like waiting for Sting to come in your mouth. Not that I'd know and not that it was the worst sixteen hours of my life. Meanwhile there's this place called The Campus underneath Philadelphia where The Immortal Men are headquartered. One of them is Immortal Man because of course it is. The other one is a guy in a robe with shaggy eyebrows that might be Carter Hall but I'm hoping is anybody else. Another one of their possible members would have been Elaine Thomas, Duke's mother. But she went crazy from Joker Toxin. They apparently know they need to save the world from something bad that's coming because it's always easier to tell a story about prophecy. It would be too hard to wedge these Immortal Men into the story if they didn't already know some huge Crisis was about to happen. So the guy in the robes isn't Hawkman because Hawkman gets the next scene. He's been having visions during the times between death and reincarnation. Whew! I thought he wouldn't have some secret inside information to get him right into this upcoming Crisis! In his vision, he sees a gigantic Batman statue with lots of people tied to its legs. I guess somebody is going to have to kill Batman before he becomes evil! After that scene, John Romita Jr. takes over on the art. I should probably snort some Ativan before continuing. Mister Terrific is helping Batman with the Mystery of the Dark Days. Hopefully they'll explain it in long, large word balloons that cover up most of the art. Something has been interfering with the harmonic frequencies of Earth-Main-Earth and Earth-2 (which I guess is back to its normal self? Or maybe Mister Terrific just got off before he wound up in that whole World's End mess? For some reason, I can't remember the story well enough to know if Mister Terrific was in any of it. Thank Jesus!) but neither Batman nor Mister Terrific know what's going on yet. To help them figure it out, Batman decides they must let Plastic Man out of his prison cell. They say they agreed to lock him up because he was too powerful but I think they just got sick of his stupid jokes. Back in the Batcave, Duke and Hal are investigating the Mystery of Batman Investigating the Mystery. It all started when somebody said, "That whole electrum in the tooth thing that resurrects the dead Talons is stupid! It's not scientific at all! Who comes up with such dumb shit?! DC Comics sucks!" Then Scott Snyder was all, "Wait! Wait! You haven't heard the whole tale of that! You shouldn't believe everything you see at first sight! You should wait for the second sight! Or maybe the third sight if everybody on Twitter complains about the second sight! But I don't think they will because this is going to be a huge Crisis! You'll love it!" So instead of electrum being in the teeth, Batman found a metal that shared the same energy signature as the helmet of fate, the quintdent of Aquaman, and the bracelets of Diana. To investigate this metallic mystery, Batman created a team that everybody forgot about. Everybody except me, of course!

Halo's costume is terrible. But Geoforce had better stay away from her anyway!

Duke has no idea who the wobbly speech bubble is. But that didn't stop him from saying, "Dick? Is that Dick? You know, Dick Grayson? Nightwing? Is that you?" So the metal is probably Nth Metal which would make it more believable that it was resurrecting the Talons. Because nobody is going to say, "Nth Metal can't do that!" I mean, they might. But they'd be wrong because Nth Metal isn't real and it can do whatever the fuck it needs to do when the writer needs it to do it. Although if it were Dionesium, nobody would say, "Dionesium can't do that!" Because that's exactly what it was made for! It's just that Nth Metal works better, plot-wise. Why would Aquaman's five-pronged trident have Dionesium in it? Deep in Batman's secret Batcave, Duke and Hal come to a door. Apparently the owner of the voice is behind it. I hope it's not The Joker. I hope it's Detective Chimp. I also hope it's revealed before this issue is over! Batman has also been keeping another secret in Superman's fortress. With the help of Mister Miracle, he unlocks the unopenable room it was stored in. It's a big yellow tower that Mister Miracle recognizes but I don't. Maybe it's Qwardian! It could also be something from Final Crisis which I've never read. Or something from an obscure 1967 Batman story. Or maybe it's something that, when it's explicitly named, I'll say, "Oh yeah. Fuck. I totally remember that thing now!" Anyway, I don't think it's important enough to reveal this issue. Because The Joker needs to be revealed in the Hal Jordan scene! Oh look! The Joker was the voice! What a surprise! Surprise! Are you surprised? Oh! You should also keep in mind how there were three Jokers, remember? That was a dumb bit that had to be thrown in so that Batman would say, "Impossible!", when he asked the Moebius Chair what the Joker's name was. Remember how that one guy on Tumblr got all pissy with me when I said they'd never reveal The Joker's name and how could I know that and I don't know what I'm talking about and all that shit? Fucking stupid kid. I didn't even get to say "I told you so!" to that kid when the reveal was that the Chair's answer was that there were three Jokers! Well, I'm doing it now! I fucking told you so, kid! So that's the end of Dark Days: The Forge! Maybe that thing Batman revealed was The Forge. I guess the next stop in this series is the event, Metal. It'll probably be about Dionesium and Nth Metal and how, when combined, everything is destroyed! What will this Crisis be called? Not just Crisis in Dark Days, right? How about Alchemical Crisis on Earths Starring Plastic Man?

[heroes-of-scarif]

Rumors of Our Deaths (Were Greatly Exaggerated) Chapter 3

The Force ghosts of Chirrut and Baze managed to save Cassian, Jyn, and Bodhi. Together, the survivors of Rogue One form the Rebellion’s best espionage team. But first they have to make it back to Yavin IV.

Rated T for canon typical violence (and possibly other stuff later on.)

Rated D for “Deep in Denial”

(Ch 1) (Ch 2)

Chapter 3:

They slept for a while. Jyn wasn’t sure how long and didn’t really care. She wasn’t in a hurry to get back to the rest of the galaxy. She normally wasn’t comfortable sleeping around other people. It made her too vulnerable. But she found she slept easily with her leg propped on Cassian’s lap and Bodhi dozing in the chair next to her. She trusted them, which was a strange, unfamiliar feeling. Jyn decided she liked it.

She woke some time later. It was still dark outside and Cassian was still sound asleep. Bodhi was listening to the radio, which crackled quietly.

“Goodmorning,” Jyn mumbled, although it was still dark out. Or maybe dark out again. She didn’t know the length of Scarif’s rotation.

Bodhi jumped, then realized it was her and flashed a sheepish smile. “Goodmorning,” he said quietly.

Jyn yawned and stretched her arms, but didn’t move her injured leg from Cassian’s lap. She told herself she didn’t want to wake him, but some part of her didn’t want to lose the contact.

“Did you get any sleep?” Jyn asked in a whisper so she wouldn’t wake Cassian.

“A little,” Bodhi said, also in a whisper. He shrugged, not meeting her eyes. He was obviously lying about sleeping but if he didn’t want to talk about it, she wasn’t going to push.

“Are we still on Scarif?” she asked.

“Mhm. The fleet’s still out there.”

“How do you know?”

He waved at the crackling radio next to him. “I’ve been on Imperial channels,” he said. “It’s strange listening in. As a Rebel, I mean.”

“Oh. I guess that’s quite a change. I’m freshly back to being a Rebel, and that’s strange enough. Any news on the radio?”

Bodhi shook his head. “There was one thing. Apparently there was a terrible mining accident on a planet called Scarif. Pretty much the whole place was destroyed, including a major Imperial records facility.”

“Is that so?” Jyn asked, as though this were complete news to her. “Shocking. I didn’t even know they mined anything on Scarif.”

“They don’t,” Bodhi agreed. “But they would have mass defections if they told the truth.”

“Would they?” Jyn asked. She wasn’t necessarily disagreeing. Bodhi had a better idea of the attitude of the average Imperial than she did.

Bodhi frowned, considering. “No,” he admitted. “Defecting isn’t an easy decision. I knew what the Empire was like from their occupation of Jedha, and I knew about the Death Star project, more or less, for a while before I did it. And even then it was only because Galen helped me realize I needed to. There would be a lot of people who would think about it, but there aren’t many people like your father in the Empire, helping people make the right decision.”

They sat in silence for a long moment, staring out into the darkness of Scarif’s night, lost in their own thoughts.

“Okay, I have to ask. How did that conversation even start?” Jyn burst out. She glanced over to make sure she hadn’t woken Cassian. He still slept soundly. He was more injured than the other two and needed his rest. If it weren’t for the fact that they could soon head back to Yavin IV and get him into a proper bacta tank, she would have been quite worried about him. She brushed that thought aside and continued in a quieter voice. “I mean, he can’t have just walked up to a complete stranger and said ‘hey, do you want to defect?’.”

Bodhi smiled. “No. It didn’t start that way. He was nice. Not just to me, to all of us. Most Imperial scientists think they’re too important to give cargo pilots the time of day. We’re pretty much a rung below Stormtrooper in the Imperial hierarchy because not only are we expendable, but we don’t even fight.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Jyn said. She even believed it, although she recalled Saw had been nearly the same about noncombatants. If not for Bodhi’s heroism getting the signal out, she might have been tempted to fall back on that view herself. She didn’t like it, but she knew it was lurking somewhere in the back of her mind if she wasn’t careful.

Bodhi shrugged. “It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. That’s how the rest of the Empire sees us. And scientists, usually, believe they are the most important part of the Empire. But Galen didn’t. He was the only one who knew all of our names, always asked us how we were doing. It happened slowly, but we became friends. More often than not, we would end up playing a game or two of holochess while I was in port after making a delivery for him.”

“Holochess?” Jyn asked. “I used to play with Pappa, before…” she waved a hand around at the ship, as though encompassing everything that had happened since she had been a child.

“Were you any good? He could almost always beat me,” Bodhi said.

“I was six. He played without the queen to give me a fighting chance, but I still lost. I hadn’t thought about that in a long time,” she admitted.

“I think he was actually good at it, instead of me being just that terrible at it,” Bodhi said.

Jyn smiled. “We’ll have to see about that some time.”

“There’s no time like the present,” Bodhi said, jerking his head toward the control panel.

“There isn’t a board,” she pointed out.

Bodhi grinned. “This is a secret of Imperial ships no one outside the Empire knows.” He pulled out small shelf on the control panel with a checkerboard pattern, then flicked on the hologram. “It’s the communications rig really,” Bodhi explained. “But it’s not difficult get it to run games. Everybody who works in the Empire knows it, and command overlooks it because it’s good for morale. Most of the shelves here have been converted into a board.”

“I haven’t played since I was a kid,” Jyn said. “I’ve mostly played sabacc for a while.”

“I play that too,” Bodhi said. He shrugged awkwardly. “There’s a lot of downtime as a freight pilot.”

They sat in silence for a while, each directing their pieces in turn.

“At some point I’m pretty sure he pulled some strings so I was delivering pretty exclusively for him,” Bodhi said after a while. “Last week we sat down for a game and he told me the truth. Not what he was planning on doing about it, not even about the weakness. He just told me what the Empire was building and asked me if I wanted to do something about it. That’s when he told me I could make it right.”

“Was he…? Why you?”

“I’ve been asking myself that a lot this week,” Bodhi admitted. “I’ve been wondering how long he had been planning this, whether he befriended me so I could be the messenger.” He shrugged. “But I don’t think it matters, not really. We were friends and I’m glad I could help him.”

Jyn smiled. “You did good, Bodhi.” She stared down at the game for a while. “My mother said that when people die, they become one with the Force.”

“I heard that too, growing up on Jedha.”

“And the Force is all around us. So I think my father knows we finished the job he started.” She glanced back down at Cassian, still asleep in the chair. “I think he’s proud of both of us.”

[themoneybuff-blog]

What I learned (and taught) at Fincon 2018

Greetings from sunny and sweaty Orlando, Florida! It's been a long, lovely, crazy week behind the scenes at Get Rich Slowly. I've spent the past ten days hanging out with fellow money nerds at Fincon, the annual money and media conference. Fincon started in 2011 with just 225 attendees. Now there are over 2000 attendees including nineteen of us who have been to every iteration. Here's a quick run-down of what I learned (and taught) at Fincon 2018.

Bond with Friends and Colleagues Fincon is first and foremost a chance to meet and bond with friends and colleagues. When you're a money writer (or money podcaster or money YouTuber, etc.), you spend a lot of time holed away by yourself. It's a lonely existence. It's rewarding to see each other, even if it's only once a year. It's been eighteen months since I've seen Mr. Money Mustache, for instance, but we got to be temporary roommates this week, and are now spending a couple more days together (with other friends) at a post-conference retreat in Clearwater. Plus, I got to make new connections with folks like Piggy and Kitty from Bitches Get Riches (my favorite money blog), who are even more awesome (and hilarious) in person than they are on the cyberwebs. Like me, the Bitches are huge fans of Harry Potter. Actually, they are huger fans than I am, considering I haven't yet read the final two books. (Sorry, I didn't like Order of the Phoenix.) Talking with them made me realize that although I've always self-identified as a Ravenclaw, I am actually a Hufflepuff. (You're a Hufflepuff with Ravenclaw rising, Piggy suggested, and I think she's right.) It's strange to think that although I see these people only one week each year, they're almost like family. We're able to pick up where we left off twelve months ago and continue as if we'd never been apart. Teach Everything You Know Fincon is also a chance for us to teach everything we know in order to help others improve their sites, podcasts, and channels. The unrestrained sharing of info and experience is astounding. In a lot of other fields, people would be jealously guarding their secrets. Not here. Here, folks are dropping knowledge bombs all of the time. As always, I've been involved in a couple of presentations (in addition to the bajillion casual conversations in bars and lobbies). On Thursday, I joined my pal Jim Wang (from Wallet Hacks) to give a talk on how blogging has changed during the past decade. We had fun exploring the ways in which this world has (and has not) evolved since we started in 2004 and 2006.On Friday, I moderated a panel discussion about the four flavors of FIRE. Our small group discussed the rising popularity of financial independence and early retirement. Why is the subject suddenly resonating with so many people? Is it an idea that's only applicable to tech workers without children? How does retiring early affect relationships?On Saturday, I participated in a panel about Playing with Fire, the upcoming feature film about financial independence. This project has been in production for more than a year and is finally nearing completion. In fact, Fincon saw the world premiere of the Playing with Fire trailer! (To learn more about the movie, check out the Kickstarter page.) I don't really like public speaking. I turn down a lot of requests. And when I do agree to speak, I'm often very nervous. But I'm always happy to do whatever presentations I'm asked to do at Fincon, and I'm nearly never nervous doing them. Not sure why that is. Maybe because I'm completely comfortable and in my element? [embedded content] Partner with Like-Minded Companies Lastly, Fincon is a chance to meet with potential partners, companies who want to advertise on our channels or who want to pitch their shiny new money apps. Ive never actually done this in the past and probably wont do so again in the future. This year, I over scheduled. (In fact, I nearly collapsed from exhaustion on Friday evening for real! and had to return to my room for a few hours until the empty, hollow feeling and dizziness wore off.) The real problem, however, is that many partner pitches just aren't appropriate for me or for you. Fortunately, some are. I was impressed with three companies in particular, and hope to work with them in the future (whether or not there's financial compensation involved). This year, I came to the startling realization that I, as a man nearing his fiftieth birthday, really ought to be working with AARP, the national non-profit whose mission is to empower people to choose how they live as they age. It was hilarious during my meeting with the AARP rep to watch the light switch on in both of our heads: Oh, our missions are well-aligned, and there's an opportunity here to collaborate and make the world a better place. We don't know what that collaboration would look like yet, but I'd be surprised if we didn't work together extensively in years to come.

The Future of Get Rich Slowly Perhaps the biggest Get Rich Slowly news to come out of Fincon is that I've found somebody to come on board to handle the technical side of the site. As loyal readers know, I'm a writer. All I want to do is write, to share stories and strategies for better managing money. I hate hate hate dealing with the technical and business aspects of this business. (And make no mistake, this is a business.)

Well, my friend Tom Drake from MapleMoney does not hate the technical and business side of things. In fact, he's the sort of nerd who digs this sort of drudgery. (For him, it's not actually drudgery.) We haven't hammered out the details yet, but we've agreed that some sort of partnership is in order. In fact, he's already begun working behind the scenes to clean things up around here. Yay! I still have a couple of days left here in Florida. I'll return home to Portland on Wednesday. (Then, almost immediately, Kim and I will dash off to the Oregon coast to celebrate her birthday.) Next week, things will be completely back to normal at GRS. Meanwhile, I already miss my Fincon family. I know I'll see many of my closest colleagues several times in the months ahead, but I won't see most folks for an entire year. The 2019 edition of the conference will take place in Washington, D.C. (where I've never spent any substantial time), and I can't wait. I also can't wait to resume writing for you money bosses. There won't be anything new tomorrow, but it's my goal to publish a new substantive, real article on Wednesday. See you then!

https://www.getrichslowly.org/fincon-2018/

[comicteaparty]

October 11th, 2018 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on October 11th, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PDT.  The chat focused on Four Corners by Boniae.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

Good evening, everyone~! This week’s Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Four Corners by Boniae~! (http://fourcorners.smackjeeves.com/)

Remember that Thursday discussions are completely freeform! However, every 30 minutes I will drop in OPTIONAL discussion questions in case you’d like a bit of a prompt. If you miss out on one of these prompts, you can find them pinned for the chat’s duration. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is fun and respectfully appreciating the comic. All that said, let’s begin!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

RebelVampire

one of my favorite scenes is actually when hideki and kazuhiro have their little confessions. i really loved the silence, pacing, and paneling in that moment. the time it took to depict it and the fact that the images were allowed to speak for themselves made it a really great moment with fantastic atmosphere.

another scene that i quite enjoyed was when we first see ranmaru. i felt like itd been quite a while since there was a good fight, so it was good to see. but i also like the story effects the scene had. since this was really the moment hideki stopped toeing the line and was ready to admit he was in it for something more. and i think this sort of fighting parallel worked well with having such a pivotal character development

less of a scene, but in general i liked that whole chapter where hideki and kazuhiro spend time together. it was nice to see them bond over not work and learn a ton more about hideki. i think as a whole it was a needed chapter because it helped bring the characters closer together to create a stronger dynamic for what i imagine will be many troubles ahead

mathtans

I made it! ^.^ I only got partly into Chapter 5, busy week... for everyone, apparently.

I'm guessing the bonding was mostly in Chapter 5, that seemed to be where it was heading.

Superjustinbros

Hello!

RebelVampire

yes it was chapter 5

cause i had to look just now XD

mathtans

Was Ranmaru the guy who drugged people?

(I'm bad with names, for the record. Every week.)

Superjustinbros

Can I just say that I'm in love with the art style?

mathtans

I liked seeing how the art evolved over time myself.

Superjustinbros

It's very manga-like and I like how the faces don't go overblown with details

RebelVampire

yes ranmaru was the guy who drugged me.

yeah i also like the art style in regards to the setting. its got a kind of older manga nostalgia feel to it

but the art evolution is also fun. i forgot how diff that first chapter was (cause this is my 2nd time reading the entire comic for the record)

mathtans

Okay, then yeah, I also liked the scene with Ranmaru and the two of them fighting (I'm assuming you meant that, since I think the first time we see Ranmaru he's with the fortune teller).... though part of the reason I liked it was because the guy had call waiting for another fight or something.

Superjustinbros

I actually never thought that it looks like the "vintage manga" style until you mentioned it

mathtans

I noticed a mention that the comic had been reviewed in StArt Faire.

Superjustinbros

That's cool

mathtans

Yeah, and it went from shading to colour - I think the artist said it was to deal better with shading? I might be misremembering. Interesting.

RebelVampire

yeah i meant the fighting scene. sorry. im like on 3 hours of sleep atm and havent quite woken up to full function yet.

but yeah i liked how the fight was ultimately ended by a phone call

like that takes a lot of gall, but i like how it shows off ranmaru's character of not really giving a damn about their little fight that much

mathtans

Not a problem, I understood, and the wee one kept me up last night here too.

Yeah, that's true, it went to characterization.

Then there was the little bonus comic (non-canon) where he was called away to talk about types of shirts. I gravitate towards the humourous bits.

Superjustinbros

That sounds cute, lol

mathtans

It's cool that in a comic like this which has fighting and relationship issues, that there's still fun to be had.

Superjustinbros

Indeed

I mean if it was nothing but those two it'd get boring/repetitive.

mathtans

I dunno, they have pretty good chemistry. But yeah, not totally feasible for world building.

I want to see Hideki at an all you can eat buffet.

RebelVampire

yeah. i really like that the gang focused on also is a gang who is just going around protecting ppl and stuff. i think that gives them a needed high ground for what the comic is doing.

hideki at an all you can eat buffet sounds spooky XD

Superjustinbros

Well it's almost Halloween so X3

mathtans

Yeah, that was an interesting take on gangs! Doesn't seem to net them any additional popularity in the school though (or with the ladies).

I wonder if "four corners" is from, like, if you're doing evil anywhere in the four corners of the room we'll spot you.

Superjustinbros

Well it's always good to see characters doing things outside what the audience expects them to always do

Helps flesh 'em out, if you know what I'm saying

RebelVampire

ya know ive never actually thought about what the name might stand for and now im curious

mathtans

Indeed.

Their founder really liked squares?

RebelVampire

i was just gonna make a square joke XD

Superjustinbros

Quick, what's the square root of 24

RebelVampire

QUESTION 2. Though some things have been revealed over the course of the comic, Hideki still remains quite the mystery. In what way do you think Hideki was involved with Four Corners in the past? Was he some sort of consultant, a member by association, or something else? Do you think Hideki really left gang life just to avoid violence, or do you think there is something more to it? What do you think he did that gave birth to the dark rumors surrounding him? Further, what is Hideki’s relationship with the man he keeps hallucinating on seeing? What exactly happened that seemed to cause Hideki such worry and trauma? Does it have something to do with why Hideki is so knowledgeable about gang activity? Lastly, do you think his current involvement will have negative consequences for his future, especially in regards to taking over for his father?

mathtans

A bit under 5, SJ.

Superjustinbros

Nice

mathtans

Well, Hideki's family is into big business and all, maybe he was just looking for something to analyze in that sense, like as you say a consultant or something... makes sense that he would attempt the same thing later with ... ... damn it, I forget name of protagonist. x.x

RebelVampire

kazuhiro

mathtans

Starts with Y.

Superjustinbros

Thanks Rebel

mathtans

Oh, right.

That's not even a Y. (Is there a character page? I always need one to keep everybody straight, it's the visuals I remember more than the names.)

RebelVampire

http://fourcorners.smackjeeves.com/characters/

mathtans

Sweeeeeet. I didn't remember seeing a link.

Superjustinbros

Nice hairstyles on these characters

mathtans

Anyway, back to what I was saying, maybe Hideki was just looking to apply his skills, and was turned off by the violence; maybe I just don't look that deep.

Superjustinbros

Keiichi especially

But I digress(edited)

RebelVampire

maybe although idk. itd be weird if hideki was involved cause of the business. but then again maybe his father has secret gang connections we dont know about? tbh tho i think he was just assumed to be part of the gang cause he followed keiichi around. that and was into his own sort of trouble.

keiichi does have great hair

Superjustinbros

http://i.imgur.com/qvXivUg.png Dare I say he looks like a total daddy

RebelVampire

so i assume the man hideki was seeing is arakawa (fortune teller guy), though i didnt want to be presumptious in the question. so im wondering how the heck do they know each other. cause im worried hideki tried to join the yakuza or something but then chickened out. and thus sought refuge with the four corners when the yakuza were mad

mathtans

Oh, that'd be interesting, Dad with secret connections. Or maybe the mastermind behind everything is a half brother Hideki doesn't know about. And he keeps getting pulled in by those forces.

Arakawa is half brother. Calling it now.

Superjustinbros

That would be an interestign twist

RebelVampire

i did consider that. or if the mystery man and arakawa are two diff ppl, the mystery man is hideki's secret brother.

mathtans

Hideki maybe got in over his head and figured he might need the gang, perhaps? But then realized he could just run away and that worked better, so gave it up.

I'm impressed, I just came up with random crazy plot off the top of my head.

RebelVampire

that could be maybe. although idk where hideki's quitting resides with keiichi's death

mathtans

Or maybe part of Hideki was thinking he was gay, and gangs are largely guys, and so he figured he'd try it out as a way to meet more guys, but then was turned off by the actual fighting and stuff. Because he hadn't met best fighter Kazuhiro yet.

RebelVampire

it could be keiichi died before hideki quit

and hideki was like peace out

mathtans

Hmm. Maybe but I didn't get the vibe from the timelines.

RebelVampire

i didnt get it either but hard to say for sure.

i do think hideki had a run in with the yakuza in some way. cause itd make sense then why hed know how to watch gangs or something. and itd explain why hideki's cousin was super extra worried at the path hideki was starting down again

or maybe...keiichi was the one in the yakuza all along O_O and hideki found out and was like "how dare"

mathtans

Oooh, there's a twist.

Superjustinbros

That'd be... kinda scary

mathtans

I've been continuing my reading in the background and just got to this page: http://fourcorners.smackjeeves.com/comics/2456598/ch5p18/. Maybe Hideki is rebelling a bit about the fact that his future is laid out for him? Could explain some of the worry about him, as well as his investigative skills.

"I don't want to be a businessman. I want to be a private detective."

RebelVampire

yeah on a more mundane but equally believable level, it couldve just been youthful rebellion. albeit id more believe that keiichi helped hideki with some bullies or something and hideki was like "wow if i learn to fight i can control more own life." and he just happened to be super good at it

i wonder if well get to see hideki's dad ever cause that could be an illuminating conversation

Superjustinbros

I wonder which of those two occupations would be more troublesome to work in

RebelVampire

which two occupations?

mathtans

Could be. (I think we saw his dad in a flashback panel or something, but he doesn't seem to be around. Maybe Hideki was also hoping to get Dad's attention?)

Superjustinbros

The ones Match mentioned

mathtans

Businessman or private detective, I wager.

Hideki just needs to make friends with a gourmet chef. Oh wait, he has Kazuhiro there.

RebelVampire

i dont think hideki's relationship with his dad is bad. but maybe his dad has all the answers. is like "hideki i know you miss your secret brother"

and businessman is probably harder

given the setting

mathtans

Oh whoa, comic has multiple languages. (I guess when we see English they're actually speaking Japanese, and so this is... chinese?)

Yeah, his family relations don't seem bad, just distant.

Superjustinbros

I heard Japanese

mathtans

I'm still reading Chapter 5, they just met Hideki's cousin.

Oh, Taiwanese. Helps to keep reading.

RebelVampire

yeah youre gonna see some info about hideki there

which shows his dad is actually not that bad a dude just busy and socially awkward

mathtans

Maybe Hideki's mixed heritage is also how he ended up so aloof.

Superjustinbros

Perhaps

RebelVampire

yeah. hideki has a lot of demons there i think. or had cause i feel he seems probably more adjusted than he used to be? not that hes fully healed but he seems less troubled than in that one flashback

mathtans

Seeing the banter reminds me of another scene I liked, after Hideki had turned down the girl or whatever, and Kazuhiro is hiding and then he goes... wait, why am I hiding?

RebelVampire

yes i enjoyed that moment too. especially cause i was already laughing wondering why he was hiding.

in terms of comedy i like hideki with his "friends"

and his magical excuses to leave

QUESTION 3. Besides Hideki and Kazuhiro, we also see several scenes with the villainous Arakawa who seems to be immensely involved with what’s happening to the gangs. What do you think Arakawa’s aim is? Is it a solo goal, or does it have something to do with the yakuza? For what reason do you think Arakawa hides under an assumed identity? Is it related to his goals, or is there a different reason for it? Do you think Arakawa is still even part of the yakuza in full? For what reason do you think Arakawa tolerates Ranmaru, and how might Arakawa’s plans change to deal with him? Finally, Arakawa mentions fortune-telling and how knowing what’s going to happen beforehand is a viable strategy. What do you think this might mean for what’s going on in the story, and do you think Hideki and Kazuhiro will be able to handle it?

Superjustinbros

Money, dear boy

RebelVampire

i mean its possible. although if arakawa wanted money i dont think hed be worked a service industry manager cover story.

mathtans

Right. Also interesting how at the festival when he left his friends and encountered Kazuhiro that he played it off as the guy's just another friend from a year down.

The Arakawa fortune telling thing is an interesting angle. I wonder if he can do readings on people without their knowledge. I also wonder if he just tries to make things come true that he sees, like a self-fulfiling prophecy.

Superjustinbros

That would be interesting

mathtans

As far as tolerating Ranmaru goes, sometimes it's fun to have someone around to tease? ^.^

Superjustinbros

yus

RebelVampire

oh thats a good line of thought. id never consider that arakawa meant he didnt actually tell the future. he meant that he just makes the future happen to suit his vision

maybe hideki was arakawa's apprentice and arakawa was trying to teach hideki all about fortune reading but hideki was like "fortune telling isnt profitable" and bailed

im gonna go the simple route with theories and say arakawa's goal is simply to eliminate competition. cause he wants to push the drugs but cant do so easily when gangs are around protecting territories. so hes just making it easy for himself

mathtans

Hideki preferred using a crystal ball, but only amateurs use crystal balls, so they had a falling out.

That makes some sense, except why knock the gangs out rather than simply cutting a deal with them or something?

Pride? Desire for a monopoly?

RebelVampire

desire for a monopoly. and like really why cut them in if theyre so simple to move out of the way. arakawa seems very much a play the long con game sort of guy. so if he has to put more in the overhead to get tons more profit later, hed probably do it

mathtans

(Oh, hey, a trans character, that's neat.)

I suppose, just seems like that would call more attention to you, putting down all the gangs, which is something Arakawa wants to avoid. Maybe that's also why he has Ranmaru, to act as a lightning rod?

Superjustinbros

(Good to have them trans characters, always)

mathtans

(Wow, Hideki's pretty sharp, picking up on things.)

Superjustinbros

So sharp he can easily pierce through steel

RebelVampire

but is anyone gonna care about gangs besides gangs? cause nobody of the general public seems irritated that the gangs are being taken out XD

but yeah i do think this is why ranmaru is around

Superjustinbros

XD

RebelVampire

he can deal with the gangs and is crazy enough to follow arakawa

mathtans

I suppose there's that. I wonder why the Four Corners is being targeted now? Is it just they were next in the region, or if there's some method behind it? Like, maybe Arakawa's behind Keiichi too.

RebelVampire

are they being specific target tho? cause i took the 'they're next' thing as more metaphorical. in the sense that theyre on the chopping block in general and could be next or they could be taken out at any time

mathtans

Not sure, just wondering if there's more to it somehow.

RebelVampire

there could be

QUESTION 4. Compared to the present, Kazuhiro’s time before the Four Corners seems drastically different. Do you think their walk-out father is the only reason Kazuhiro and Keiichi had a strained relationship? Or was there something else going on between them? Why do you think Keiichi started the Four Corners, and why do you think Keiichi kept up with it in the face of his family’s disapproval? Why do you think Kazuhiro was so compelled to take over the Four Corners, especially considering the drastic change in personality and style he underwent? Do you think Kazuhiro will be able to uphold Keiichi’s ideals and save the Four Corners at the end of the day? Also, do you think he’ll repair some of his relationship with his sisters, or will his pursuits continue to cause a rift? Lastly, do you think Keiichi died of natural causes, or was his death caused by sinister means?

RebelVampire

the keiichi segue

mathtans

Well played.

RebelVampire

i dont think keiichi died of natural causes. if nothing more than the fact that nobody has yet said how he died in the comic and that is hella suspicious

Superjustinbros

yes

mathtans

Interesting point about Kazuhiro taking over Four Corners, given how they didn't get along too well, that didn't even fully register with me. Maybe he realized his brother had been trying to do good? Maybe he was even a member before Keiichi passed away? (I mean, you don't get promoted from outside, do you?)

Keiichi, suspiciously walked in front of a bus.

RebelVampire

idk id believe he got promoted from outside. if only because none of the other members ive seen strike me as leader types.

mathtans

There is that. He knows the gang members pretty well though.

RebelVampire

i do think theres some message of respect hidden behind why he took over. and he just didnt realize how much he respected his bro till it was too late

mathtans

Yeah, I can see that. Nice thought there.

(Made it through Chapter 5, OMG, the anniversary/april video at the end... that's amazing. And Arakawa has a magic 8 ball, hilarious!)

Superjustinbros

lol

I used to love those

mathtans

As to why Keiichi started it up, maybe a bunch of them wanted to clean up the four corners of the neighbourhood, and decided a gang would be the best way.

RebelVampire

maybe keiichi just thought if he tidied the neighborhood their dad would come home

although maybe keiichi felt he didnt belong to his own family. so he started the four corners to create that sense of family and fill the gap

mathtans

The sister relationship angle is also interesting, I liked that it was brought up back in chapter 2, to help put the family in perspective. Might be interesting if that one unapproving sister met Lei... um, the cousin character, not on the character page... they have some things in common.

Maybe. Lots of Dad issues on the part of both main characters, for different reasons.

boniae

(whispers) HI everyone!! btw im here just listening into the conversation and screaming on the inside dont mind me

Superjustinbros

Hello!!

I see you're the maker of this lovely little comic~

mathtans

Oh, hi creator! Hope you're screaming for good reasons.

boniae

Hi everyone!!! HAHA yes for good reasons!! Im so blown away by this conversation and just thank you all for reading it this week!!! ahhhh

mathtans

So yeah, as to whether Kazuhiro will save the Four Corners, I think obviously he'll die a tragic death saving Hideki, who goes off to become a monk. It paves the way for the sequel involving sister Kiyomi taking over the Four Corners next.

Superjustinbros

Heehee, glad you're enjoying the show.

RebelVampire

glad you could make it, @boniae ~!

Superjustinbros

Well there's only about 15 minutes left so...

I'm sure you got my comments on the art style when I popped in earlier

also lol Math

RebelVampire

haha i did kind of route for kiyomi taking over. just an endless cycle of respect, the four corners will never die. its why the mom had kids.

Superjustinbros

oh yes

mathtans

Actually, Mom had four kids... and they're the four corners gang... coincidence?

It was the Boxing club in the video parody.

boniae

@Superjustinbros YES AH thank you im so glad you like my art?! @RebelVampire LMFAOO

Superjustinbros

Aay, you're welcome! It some really good art you got going on~

boniae

@mathtans somebody's onto me...... you know too much....

Superjustinbros

lol, that's math for ya

mathtans

Or possibly too little. But maybe Keiichi had wanted a boxing club and was rejected and figured, I'll start a gang instead then.

Then someone dropped a piano on him. Tragic.

Superjustinbros

Math running a gang

I can sense all the incoming math puns

RebelVampire

couldnt get enough members to make a boxing club, but everyone was totally up for a gang

Superjustinbros

and characters with outrageous hair

mathtans

Oh, speaking of gang members, just wanted to add that Azumi's an interesting member. Not just for the female perspective, but how she seemed to know how to push Hideki's buttons.

RebelVampire

yeah i also liked that azumi had been around when keiichi was. cause i think that adds an interesting dimension to the whole kazuhiro takes over thing. since he really did kind of overtake more likely ppl to take over

mathtans

Yes, that too. You can see how the continuity goes through the two leaders, and there's still respect there.

Superjustinbros

Yuh

RebelVampire

i wanna see more of the gang in general tho. especially makoto since hes supposedly a great but unreliable fighter

Superjustinbros

^

mathtans

Started a bit into Chapter 6. Interesting fleshing out of the 'villain' characters. There's a lot of interesting characters overall.

Superjustinbros

I second Rebel's comment

mathtans

Could work as a flashback. "Remember the time Makoto slept in for the big fight?"

Actually, some of the flashback stuff has been interesting in it's own right. And I felt like it was well placed. Like, relevant.

RebelVampire

since makoto liked manga apparently, i hope the context of them seeing him fight was that someone told him his waifu was trash

yeah i really loved getting to actually see past hideki in the house and kazuhiro being grump master of glares

mathtans

Heh. Gotta pick your battles.

Superjustinbros

And pick them well

mathtans

Ranmaru prefers to just let things happen. He's gonna annoy the wrong person the wrong way some time... needs to adopt Hideki's "run away" strategy more often.

RebelVampire

are there any final comments anyone wants to share?

mathtans

One last thought, I wonder if the setting of 1995 is relevant? Or is that just to avoid cell phones?

Superjustinbros

Nothing much, other than that I'd like to quickly wish Boniae success on the comic, it's coming along great so far and I'm sure it'll grow to be even bigger!

mathtans

(My history is pretty bad.)

Or maybe it's to have Makoto be a fan of the anime back then.

boniae

Aww thank you so much!!! I appreciate this so much you guys!!! and LMFAO i legit dont even remember why I picked 1995, I think it was on a whim and then realized i had/have to do so much research to see if things existed and what was happening in 1995

mathtans

I guess we'll see then! Thanks!

Superjustinbros

You're welcome, @boniae!

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

Sadly, this wraps up this week’s Thursday Book Club chat for now. Thank you so much to everyone for reading and joining us! We want to give a special thank you to Boniae, as well, for making Four Corners. If you liked the comic, make sure to support Boniae’s efforts however you’re able to~!

Read and Comment: http://fourcorners.smackjeeves.com/

Boniae’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boniae

Boniae’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/cooljalebis

Comic Tea Party- Thursday Book Club

Next week’s Thursday Book Club will be about The Origin Story by Carolin Reich. For participants, you have the next week to read as much of the comic as you would like~! We hope to see you on Thursday, October 18th, from 5PM to 7PM PDT for the chat in #thursday_bookclub!

Comic’s Main Site: https://tapas.io/series/The-Origin-Story

[trendingnewsb]

The coming of a fully automated society has led some Silicon Valley execs to extreme measures

Image: tristan quinn / bbc

Until a couple of years ago, Antonio Garcia Martinez was living the dream life: a tech-start up guy in Silicon Valley, surrounded by hip young millionaires and open plan offices.

He’d sold his online ad company to Twitter for a small fortune, and was working as a senior exec at Facebook (an experience he wrote up in his best-selling book, Chaos Monkeys). But at some point in 2015, he looked into the not-too-distant future and saw a very bleak world, one that was nothing like the polished utopia of connectivity and total information promised by his colleagues.

SEE ALSO: This is for you, Elon Musk: 5 threats to humanity greater than artificial intelligence

“Ive seen whats coming,” he told me when I visited him recently for BBC Twos Secrets of Silicon Valley. “And its a big self-driving truck thats about to run over this economy.”

Antonio is worried about where modern technology especially the twin forces of automation and artificial intelligence is taking us. He thinks its developing much faster than people outside Silicon Valley realize, and were on the cusp of another industrial revolution that will rip through the economy and destroy millions of jobs.

“Every time I meet someone from outside Silicon Valley a normy I can think of 10 companies that are working madly to put that person out of a job.”

Antonio estimates that within 30 years, half of us will be jobless. “Things could get ugly,” he told me. Its very scary, I think we could have some very dark days ahead of us.”

Think of the miners strike, but in every industry. People could be be driven to the streets, he fears, and in America at least, those people have guns. Law and order could break down, he says, maybe there will be some kind of violent revolution.

So, just passing 40, Antonio decided he needed some form of getaway, a place to escape if things turn sour. He now lives most of his life on a small Island called Orcas off the coast of Washington State, on five Walt Whitman acres that are only accessible by 4×4 via a bumpy dirt path that just about cuts through densely packed trees.

Instead of gleaming glass buildings and tastefully exposed brick, his new arrangements include: a tepee, a building plot, some guns, 5.56mm rounds, a compost toilet, a generator, wires, and soon-to-be-installed solar panels. It feels a million miles from his old stomping ground.

Former Facebook executive Antonio Garcia Martinez at his remote island hideout, ready in case automation causes social breakdown

Image: tristan quinn / bbc

Antonio isnt the only tech entrepreneur wondering if were clicking and swiping our way to dystopia. Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and influential investor, told The New Yorker earlier this year that around half of all Silicon Valley billionaires have some degree of apocalypse insurance. Pay-Pal co-founder and influential venture capitalist Peter Thiel recently bought a 477-acre bolthole in New Zealand, and became a kiwi national to boot.

Others are getting together in secret Facebook groups to discuss survivalism tactics: helicopters, bomb-proofing, gold. Its not all driven by fears about technology terrorism, natural disasters, and pandemics also feature but much is.

According to Antonio, many tech entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley are just as pessimistic as he is about the future theyre building. They dont say it in public of course, because whats the point. Its inevitable, they say; technology cant be stopped. Its a force of nature.

Even just a couple of years ago, this would have sounded like just another exhibit in the long-tradition of American dystopian paranoia. But the robot jobs apocalypse argument is starting to sound more reasonable by the day.

“Ive seen whats coming, and its a big self-driving truck thats about to run over this economy.”

The Economist, MIT Review, and Harvard Business Review have all recently published articles about how the economy is on the brink of transformation. President Obamas team suggested driverless cars would dispense with 3 million jobs pretty soon. According to the Bank of England, as many as 15 million British jobs might disappear within a generation.

I blame Hollywood for our lack of preparedness. Thanks to Blade Runner, Terminator, Ex Machina and the rest, artificial intelligence is now synonymous with sentient robots taking our jobs, our women, or our lives. Forget all that.

The A.I. revolution comes in the less sexy form of machine learning algorithms, which essentially means giving a machine lots of examples from which it can learn how to mimic human behaviour. It relies on data to improve, which creates a powerful feedback loop: more data fed in makes it smarter, which allows it to make more sense of any new data, which makes it smarter, and on and on and on.

Antonio thinks were entering into this sort of feedback loop. Over the last year or so, various forms of machine learning technology, teamed up with robotics, are making inroads into brick-laying, fruit-picking, burger-flipping, banking, trading, and driving. Even, heaven forbid, journalism and photography. Every year will bring more depressing news of things machines are better than us at.

New technology in the past has tended to increase markets and jobs. In the last industrial revolution, machinery freed up humans from physical tasks, allowing us to focus on mental ones. But this time, A.I. might have both covered.

Machine learning can, for example, already outperform the best doctors at diagnosing illness from CT scans, by running through millions of correct and thousands of incorrect examples real life doctors have produced over the years. Potentially no industry will be untouched.

Stefan Seltz-Axmacher, 27 year old founder of Starsky Robotics who are using $5 million of investment to develop self driving trucks.

Image: tristan quinn / bbc

The latest wave of machine learning is even smarter. It involves teaching machines to solve problems for themselves rather than just feeding them examples, by setting out rules and letting them get on with it. This has had particularly promising results when training neural networks (networks of artificial neurons that behave a little like real ones), using an approach called deep learning.

Recently, some neural network chatbots from Facebook were revealed to have gone rogue and invented their own language, before researchers shut them off. These simple chatbots were given a load of examples to spot basic patterns in human communication, and then conversed with themselves millions of times in order to figure out how negotiate with humans. What followed appeared as a stream of nonsense:

Bob: i can i i everything else.

Alice: balls have zero to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to

Bob: you i everything else . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alice: balls have a ball to me to me to me to me to me to me to me

No human, with the possible exception of one Chuckle Brother, talks like this. But the failed experiment proved an important point. It seems these chatbots had calculated, within the parameters of their task, and without human intervention, a more efficient way of negotiating. This is the essence of deep learning: coming up with new ways to tackle problems that are beyond us.

In the same week, Elon Musk (who believes A.I. is a great threat to humanity) and Mark Zuckerberg (who does not) got into a public row about the risks of letting A.I. like this loose. Zuck said Musk was irresponsible. Musk said Zuck’s understanding of the subject was ‘limited.’ But this misses the point.

A.I. is not about to go Skynet on us. These chatbots hadnt developed some sinister secret language. But mega-efficiency or neural network problem solving might be just as disruptive. True, some of the recent fear about the coming age of the robots is probably overdone. Were not all about to be turfed out by bots. And weve always had disruption: people were warning about a jobless economy 50 years ago too. Weve always found new jobs, and new ways to entertain ourselves.

Around half of all Silicon Valley billionaires have some degree of apocalypse insurance.

Let’s not forget the wonders of A.I., such as dramatically improving how doctors diagnose, which will certainly save lives. It will stimulate all sorts of exciting new research areas. Replacing people with machines will have other benefits, too: driverless lorries would almost certainly be safer than exhausted driver-full ones.

The most likely scenario, reckons Antonio, is a gradual dislocation of the economy and an accompanying escalation of unrest. David Autor, an MIT economist, reckons we could be heading toward a bar-belled shaped economy.

There will be a few lucrative tech jobs at the top of the market, but many of the middling jobs trucking, manufacturing will wither away. They will be replaced by jobs that cant be automated, in the low paid service sector. Maybe there will be new jobs who imagined app developer would be a profession but will they be the same sort of jobs? Will they be in the same places, or clustered together in already well-off cities?

Drivers alone taxi or truckers make up around 17 percent of the U.S. adult work force. Taxis are often the first jobs for newly arrived, low-skilled migrants; trucking is one of the reasonably well-paid jobs for Americans that are not highly educated. What are they going to do instead? Are the cashier operators, and burger flippers going to retrain overnight, and become software developers and poets?

At the very least it seems economic and social disruption and turbulence as we muddle through are likely. The whole shape of the economy could change too. Some worry about the possibility of growing inequality between the tech-innovators who own all the tech assets and the rest of us. A world where you either work for the machines or the machines work for you.

What does that mean for peoples sense of fairness or agency or well-being? Or the ability of governments to raise taxes? The Silicon Valley survivalists fear that, if this happens, people will look for scapegoats. And they might decide that techies are it.

Jamie Bartlett outside Apples new $5 billion HQ

Image: Tristan quinn / bbc

One of the questions I asked as part of this programme is whether we are prepared. We dont even know how little we know; and our politicians seem to know even less. I found one mention of artificial intelligence in the 2017 party manifestos.

When asked recently about the future of artificial intelligence and automation, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin replied that its not even on our radar screen and that hes not worried at all. A couple of months back his boss climbed into a huge rig wearing an I love trucks badge, just as nearly everyone in Silicon Valley agreed that the industry was about to be decimated.

Antonio told me in the race between technology and politics the technologists are winning. They will destroy jobs and economies before we even react to them.

Still, guns and solar panels? Survivalism seems like overkill to me. “What do you have?” Antonio asks, fiddling around with a tape measure outside his giant tepee. “Youre just betting that it doesnt happen.”

Before I can answer, he tells precisely me what I have: “You have hope, thats what you have. Hope. And hope is a shitty hedge.”

WATCH: This beautiful 32,000-square-foot mural was just unveiled in Rio

Read more: http://ift.tt/2vEzXqe

from Viral News HQ http://ift.tt/2ufzeHP via Viral News HQ

[themoneybuff-blog]

What I learned (and taught) at Fincon 2018

Greetings from sunny and sweaty Orlando, Florida! It's been a long, lovely, crazy week behind the scenes at Get Rich Slowly. I've spent the past ten days hanging out with fellow money nerds at Fincon, the annual money and media conference. Fincon started in 2011 with just 225 attendees. Now there are over 2000 attendees including nineteen of us who have been to every iteration. Here's a quick run-down of what I learned (and taught) at Fincon 2018.

Bond with Friends and Colleagues Fincon is first and foremost a chance to meet and bond with friends and colleagues. When you're a money writer (or money podcaster or money YouTuber, etc.), you spend a lot of time holed away by yourself. It's a lonely existence. It's rewarding to see each other, even if it's only once a year. It's been eighteen months since I've seen Mr. Money Mustache, for instance, but we got to be temporary roommates this week, and are now spending a couple more days together (with other friends) at a post-conference retreat in Clearwater. Plus, I got to make new connections with folks like Piggy and Kitty from Bitches Get Riches (my favorite money blog), who are even more awesome (and hilarious) in person than they are on the cyberwebs. Like me, the Bitches are huge fans of Harry Potter. Actually, they are huger fans than I am, considering I haven't yet read the final two books. (Sorry, I didn't like Order of the Phoenix.) Talking with them made me realize that although I've always self-identified as a Ravenclaw, I am actually a Hufflepuff. (You're a Hufflepuff with Ravenclaw rising, Piggy suggested, and I think she's right.) It's strange to think that although I see these people only one week each year, they're almost like family. We're able to pick up where we left off twelve months ago and continue as if we'd never been apart. Teach Everything You Know Fincon is also a chance for us to teach everything we know in order to help others improve their sites, podcasts, and channels. The unrestrained sharing of info and experience is astounding. In a lot of other fields, people would be jealously guarding their secrets. Not here. Here, folks are dropping knowledge bombs all of the time. As always, I've been involved in a couple of presentations (in addition to the bajillion casual conversations in bars and lobbies). On Thursday, I joined my pal Jim Wang (from Wallet Hacks) to give a talk on how blogging has changed during the past decade. We had fun exploring the ways in which this world has (and has not) evolved since we started in 2004 and 2006.On Friday, I moderated a panel discussion about the four flavors of FIRE. Our small group discussed the rising popularity of financial independence and early retirement. Why is the subject suddenly resonating with so many people? Is it an idea that's only applicable to tech workers without children? How does retiring early affect relationships?On Saturday, I participated in a panel about Playing with Fire, the upcoming feature film about financial independence. This project has been in production for more than a year and is finally nearing completion. In fact, Fincon saw the world premiere of the Playing with Fire trailer! (To learn more about the movie, check out the Kickstarter page.) I don't really like public speaking. I turn down a lot of requests. And when I do agree to speak, I'm often very nervous. But I'm always happy to do whatever presentations I'm asked to do at Fincon, and I'm nearly never nervous doing them. Not sure why that is. Maybe because I'm completely comfortable and in my element? [embedded content] Partner with Like-Minded Companies Lastly, Fincon is a chance to meet with potential partners, companies who want to advertise on our channels or who want to pitch their shiny new money apps. Ive never actually done this in the past and probably wont do so again in the future. This year, I over scheduled. (In fact, I nearly collapsed from exhaustion on Friday evening for real! and had to return to my room for a few hours until the empty, hollow feeling and dizziness wore off.) The real problem, however, is that many partner pitches just aren't appropriate for me or for you. Fortunately, some are. I was impressed with three companies in particular, and hope to work with them in the future (whether or not there's financial compensation involved). This year, I came to the startling realization that I, as a man nearing his fiftieth birthday, really ought to be working with AARP, the national non-profit whose mission is to empower people to choose how they live as they age. It was hilarious during my meeting with the AARP rep to watch the light switch on in both of our heads: Oh, our missions are well-aligned, and there's an opportunity here to collaborate and make the world a better place. We don't know what that collaboration would look like yet, but I'd be surprised if we didn't work together extensively in years to come.

The Future of Get Rich Slowly Perhaps the biggest Get Rich Slowly news to come out of Fincon is that I've found somebody to come on board to handle the technical side of the site. As loyal readers know, I'm a writer. All I want to do is write, to share stories and strategies for better managing money. I hate hate hate dealing with the technical and business aspects of this business. (And make no mistake, this is a business.)

Well, my friend Tom Drake from MapleMoney does not hate the technical and business side of things. In fact, he's the sort of nerd who digs this sort of drudgery. (For him, it's not actually drudgery.) We haven't hammered out the details yet, but we've agreed that some sort of partnership is in order. In fact, he's already begun working behind the scenes to clean things up around here. Yay! I still have a couple of days left here in Florida. I'll return home to Portland on Wednesday. (Then, almost immediately, Kim and I will dash off to the Oregon coast to celebrate her birthday.) Next week, things will be completely back to normal at GRS. Meanwhile, I already miss my Fincon family. I know I'll see many of my closest colleagues several times in the months ahead, but I won't see most folks for an entire year. The 2019 edition of the conference will take place in Washington, D.C. (where I've never spent any substantial time), and I can't wait. I also can't wait to resume writing for you money bosses. There won't be anything new tomorrow, but it's my goal to publish a new substantive, real article on Wednesday. See you then!

https://www.getrichslowly.org/fincon-2018/

[trendingnewsb]

The coming of a fully automated society has led some Silicon Valley execs to extreme measures

Image: tristan quinn / bbc

Until a couple of years ago, Antonio Garcia Martinez was living the dream life: a tech-start up guy in Silicon Valley, surrounded by hip young millionaires and open plan offices.

He’d sold his online ad company to Twitter for a small fortune, and was working as a senior exec at Facebook (an experience he wrote up in his best-selling book, Chaos Monkeys). But at some point in 2015, he looked into the not-too-distant future and saw a very bleak world, one that was nothing like the polished utopia of connectivity and total information promised by his colleagues.

SEE ALSO: This is for you, Elon Musk: 5 threats to humanity greater than artificial intelligence

“Ive seen whats coming,” he told me when I visited him recently for BBC Twos Secrets of Silicon Valley. “And its a big self-driving truck thats about to run over this economy.”

Antonio is worried about where modern technology especially the twin forces of automation and artificial intelligence is taking us. He thinks its developing much faster than people outside Silicon Valley realize, and were on the cusp of another industrial revolution that will rip through the economy and destroy millions of jobs.

“Every time I meet someone from outside Silicon Valley a normy I can think of 10 companies that are working madly to put that person out of a job.”

Antonio estimates that within 30 years, half of us will be jobless. “Things could get ugly,” he told me. Its very scary, I think we could have some very dark days ahead of us.”

Think of the miners strike, but in every industry. People could be be driven to the streets, he fears, and in America at least, those people have guns. Law and order could break down, he says, maybe there will be some kind of violent revolution.

So, just passing 40, Antonio decided he needed some form of getaway, a place to escape if things turn sour. He now lives most of his life on a small Island called Orcas off the coast of Washington State, on five Walt Whitman acres that are only accessible by 4×4 via a bumpy dirt path that just about cuts through densely packed trees.

Instead of gleaming glass buildings and tastefully exposed brick, his new arrangements include: a tepee, a building plot, some guns, 5.56mm rounds, a compost toilet, a generator, wires, and soon-to-be-installed solar panels. It feels a million miles from his old stomping ground.

Former Facebook executive Antonio Garcia Martinez at his remote island hideout, ready in case automation causes social breakdown

Image: tristan quinn / bbc

Antonio isnt the only tech entrepreneur wondering if were clicking and swiping our way to dystopia. Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and influential investor, told The New Yorker earlier this year that around half of all Silicon Valley billionaires have some degree of apocalypse insurance. Pay-Pal co-founder and influential venture capitalist Peter Thiel recently bought a 477-acre bolthole in New Zealand, and became a kiwi national to boot.

Others are getting together in secret Facebook groups to discuss survivalism tactics: helicopters, bomb-proofing, gold. Its not all driven by fears about technology terrorism, natural disasters, and pandemics also feature but much is.

According to Antonio, many tech entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley are just as pessimistic as he is about the future theyre building. They dont say it in public of course, because whats the point. Its inevitable, they say; technology cant be stopped. Its a force of nature.

Even just a couple of years ago, this would have sounded like just another exhibit in the long-tradition of American dystopian paranoia. But the robot jobs apocalypse argument is starting to sound more reasonable by the day.

“Ive seen whats coming, and its a big self-driving truck thats about to run over this economy.”

The Economist, MIT Review, and Harvard Business Review have all recently published articles about how the economy is on the brink of transformation. President Obamas team suggested driverless cars would dispense with 3 million jobs pretty soon. According to the Bank of England, as many as 15 million British jobs might disappear within a generation.

I blame Hollywood for our lack of preparedness. Thanks to Blade Runner, Terminator, Ex Machina and the rest, artificial intelligence is now synonymous with sentient robots taking our jobs, our women, or our lives. Forget all that.

The A.I. revolution comes in the less sexy form of machine learning algorithms, which essentially means giving a machine lots of examples from which it can learn how to mimic human behaviour. It relies on data to improve, which creates a powerful feedback loop: more data fed in makes it smarter, which allows it to make more sense of any new data, which makes it smarter, and on and on and on.

Antonio thinks were entering into this sort of feedback loop. Over the last year or so, various forms of machine learning technology, teamed up with robotics, are making inroads into brick-laying, fruit-picking, burger-flipping, banking, trading, and driving. Even, heaven forbid, journalism and photography. Every year will bring more depressing news of things machines are better than us at.

New technology in the past has tended to increase markets and jobs. In the last industrial revolution, machinery freed up humans from physical tasks, allowing us to focus on mental ones. But this time, A.I. might have both covered.

Machine learning can, for example, already outperform the best doctors at diagnosing illness from CT scans, by running through millions of correct and thousands of incorrect examples real life doctors have produced over the years. Potentially no industry will be untouched.

Stefan Seltz-Axmacher, 27 year old founder of Starsky Robotics who are using $5 million of investment to develop self driving trucks.

Image: tristan quinn / bbc

The latest wave of machine learning is even smarter. It involves teaching machines to solve problems for themselves rather than just feeding them examples, by setting out rules and letting them get on with it. This has had particularly promising results when training neural networks (networks of artificial neurons that behave a little like real ones), using an approach called deep learning.

Recently, some neural network chatbots from Facebook were revealed to have gone rogue and invented their own language, before researchers shut them off. These simple chatbots were given a load of examples to spot basic patterns in human communication, and then conversed with themselves millions of times in order to figure out how negotiate with humans. What followed appeared as a stream of nonsense:

Bob: i can i i everything else.

Alice: balls have zero to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to

Bob: you i everything else . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alice: balls have a ball to me to me to me to me to me to me to me

No human, with the possible exception of one Chuckle Brother, talks like this. But the failed experiment proved an important point. It seems these chatbots had calculated, within the parameters of their task, and without human intervention, a more efficient way of negotiating. This is the essence of deep learning: coming up with new ways to tackle problems that are beyond us.

In the same week, Elon Musk (who believes A.I. is a great threat to humanity) and Mark Zuckerberg (who does not) got into a public row about the risks of letting A.I. like this loose. Zuck said Musk was irresponsible. Musk said Zuck’s understanding of the subject was ‘limited.’ But this misses the point.

A.I. is not about to go Skynet on us. These chatbots hadnt developed some sinister secret language. But mega-efficiency or neural network problem solving might be just as disruptive. True, some of the recent fear about the coming age of the robots is probably overdone. Were not all about to be turfed out by bots. And weve always had disruption: people were warning about a jobless economy 50 years ago too. Weve always found new jobs, and new ways to entertain ourselves.

Around half of all Silicon Valley billionaires have some degree of apocalypse insurance.

Let’s not forget the wonders of A.I., such as dramatically improving how doctors diagnose, which will certainly save lives. It will stimulate all sorts of exciting new research areas. Replacing people with machines will have other benefits, too: driverless lorries would almost certainly be safer than exhausted driver-full ones.

The most likely scenario, reckons Antonio, is a gradual dislocation of the economy and an accompanying escalation of unrest. David Autor, an MIT economist, reckons we could be heading toward a bar-belled shaped economy.

There will be a few lucrative tech jobs at the top of the market, but many of the middling jobs trucking, manufacturing will wither away. They will be replaced by jobs that cant be automated, in the low paid service sector. Maybe there will be new jobs who imagined app developer would be a profession but will they be the same sort of jobs? Will they be in the same places, or clustered together in already well-off cities?

Drivers alone taxi or truckers make up around 17 percent of the U.S. adult work force. Taxis are often the first jobs for newly arrived, low-skilled migrants; trucking is one of the reasonably well-paid jobs for Americans that are not highly educated. What are they going to do instead? Are the cashier operators, and burger flippers going to retrain overnight, and become software developers and poets?

At the very least it seems economic and social disruption and turbulence as we muddle through are likely. The whole shape of the economy could change too. Some worry about the possibility of growing inequality between the tech-innovators who own all the tech assets and the rest of us. A world where you either work for the machines or the machines work for you.

What does that mean for peoples sense of fairness or agency or well-being? Or the ability of governments to raise taxes? The Silicon Valley survivalists fear that, if this happens, people will look for scapegoats. And they might decide that techies are it.

Jamie Bartlett outside Apples new $5 billion HQ

Image: Tristan quinn / bbc

One of the questions I asked as part of this programme is whether we are prepared. We dont even know how little we know; and our politicians seem to know even less. I found one mention of artificial intelligence in the 2017 party manifestos.

When asked recently about the future of artificial intelligence and automation, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin replied that its not even on our radar screen and that hes not worried at all. A couple of months back his boss climbed into a huge rig wearing an I love trucks badge, just as nearly everyone in Silicon Valley agreed that the industry was about to be decimated.

Antonio told me in the race between technology and politics the technologists are winning. They will destroy jobs and economies before we even react to them.

Still, guns and solar panels? Survivalism seems like overkill to me. “What do you have?” Antonio asks, fiddling around with a tape measure outside his giant tepee. “Youre just betting that it doesnt happen.”

Before I can answer, he tells precisely me what I have: “You have hope, thats what you have. Hope. And hope is a shitty hedge.”

WATCH: This beautiful 32,000-square-foot mural was just unveiled in Rio

Read more: http://ift.tt/2vEzXqe

from Viral News HQ http://ift.tt/2ufzeHP via Viral News HQ