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connorandersons-blog · 4 years

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Kinktober day 15: Strength, RK1700

Ok, ngl I’m running out of days. Like I’ve got tomorrow and thats it for pre-written days. Soooo, I’m kinda stressing, I know that like I don’t have to write all the days, but now that I’ve started I feel like I have to. I have written over 90k words for kinktober in all, which is a huge accomplishment for me. Anyway, so this is just a small warning that the days may be late or won’t be written at all, sorry.

Hope you enjoy this day, though!

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It had started as a semi-innocent bet. Connor had tried to avoid Nines, scared the man would be everything Cyberlife claimed he was. Nines even stayed partners with Gavin Reed and managed to get the man to calm somewhat.

So, ok, Connor was a bit jealous of Nines. He was tall, strong, intimidating, handsome, really strong, fast, smarter, ugh! It was infuriating. Not to mention how stoic and quiet he often was. And when he stared at Connor it was like he could see into his soul.

But even with Connor's avoidance, Nines still stayed close to Connor when he could. He would do things that Connor was going to do and it drove him crazy. He didn't need someone else doing his job just because they thought they were better than everyone.

Yet everyone seemed to adore Nines, even Hank quickly warmed up to him. It made no sense! Nines were made for the military, not talking to people, so how was he so good at making friends?

Of course, Reed was the one that had started the bet. It wasn't even too bad of an idea, just who could last longer in a fight. Not brute strength, everyone knew Nines would win that even with how strong Connor was.

They wouldn't be allowed to actually damage each other, but soon the whole office was placing bets. Hank had thankfully bet on Connor but it didn't make him feel too good. One of the good things was that Nines didn't seem too comfortable with it either.

Connor was currently standing in the gym in the basement, facing a punching bag. He spun and kicked it, sending it flying before he reached out and caught it, putting it back in place. He sighed and rested his head against it. He'd been going at this since work ended three hours ago. Hank had long since gone home along with almost everyone except for the night shift. The night shift never used the gym so Connor didn't have to worry about anyone else in the room.

He huffed before moving back and into his stance, staring down the bag. He started with quick jabs, not putting too much force behind them, but staying quick on his feet. If he had an advantage it was his smaller size. Nines would have fewer areas to hit and he'd have to be more careful where each blow landed.

He sped up, now using his right hand for more powerful hits, dancing around the bag, ducking on occasion.

God everyone was going to be bidding on Nines. His replacement if Cyberlife had had its way. The man whose eyes were a beautiful blue, with those lips that sometimes quirked up into a smirk. The way he didn't seem to give a shit when Gavin decided to be a dick. The glances he sent Connor when that happened, playfully rolling his eyes.

The way Connor tried to not meet those eyes. The way his stomach flipped the first time he had heard Nines actually laugh. It had been so short but Connor had unconsciously saved the audio file. The way Connor wanted to know if he really did as good of hugs as he looked.

God, Connor hated his perfect hair. He hated how Nines seemed to be able to stand completely still for hours when Connor could barely sit still for ten minutes without needing to fidget with someone.

The next blows landed harder and he stopped ducking, breath coming out quickly.

Who did Nines think he was? Being too damn perfect. Why did if always have to butt in on Connor's things. He didn't need Nines being all high and mighty, solving Connor's cases when he had his own.

"Fuck!" Connor cursed, punching so hard his fist went through the bag. He stumbled and his eyes went wide. He always made sure to keep his strength in check, yet his emotions got the best of him. Nines probably never had that problem.

"I do hope you aren't planning to do that to me on our little contest." Nines' voice rang out across the gym and Connor yelped, pulling his hand out. It was covered by a thin layer of his own blue blood. He shook it out with a hiss before trying to hide it behind his back from Nines. He didn't need him to see how weak he was.

"Don't worry, I won't." He grumbled, using his ok hand to push the hair back out of his face.

Nines gave a low hum and walked over, looking at the now useless bag. "I wish we could call this nonsense off."

"What, think you're too good to fight me?" Connor snapped, crossing his arms with a slight grimace from the pain. He'd need to grab a bottle of thirium so his self-repair would kick in again. He hadn't even meant to turn that off.

"No, I'd simply prefer to not hurt you." Nine's words had him scoffing and shaking his head.

"Oh, that's rich."

"Rich?"

"Ugh, nothing." He waved him off and reached up to unhook the bag but was just a tad too short. He squinted up at it before looking around for something small to step up one.

"Here, allow me." Nines said and easily reached the distance, getting it down onto the ground and against the wall to take out later. "Would you like me to get you another one? Perhaps one that's heavier if you plan on using extra strength."

Connor pulled at his hair, glaring at Nines. "I don't need your help! You know, you're not so perfect." Connor pointed at Nines. "I was here first, you can't just fucking replace me!" God, he hated how similar he sounded to Gavin. But it did open his eyes to what Gavin had gone through, how frustrating and scary it could hem

"I do not plan on replacing you, and I know I'm far from perfect. That is why I've been trying to learn from you." It almost sounded like a question and Connor thought he saw the embarrassment and even insecurity.

"Learning from me?! All you've done is try to butt in and solve cases, picking up things I've doubted or just doing fucking everything! I don't need help, Nines." It felt so good to finally say it, better than punching the bag had been.

Nines took a step back, hurt flashing across his face before it became neutral again. "I apologize for what I had come across as. I simply… I wanted to learn from you and even impress you." The last part was mumbled and Nines couldn't meet his eyes.

Connor couldn't even process what he had said for a few seconds. Why would Nines want to impress him? Connor wasn't anything special, especially not in comparison to Nines. The only one who truly tried to impress him was Sumo and on incredibly rare occasions, Hank. "Wait, why?"

Nines seemed to stall for a second before reaching out and pulling Connor's wrist from behind his back. Connor winced at the sight more than the pain as Nines looked his hand over. The skin on his knuckles had receded and small little cuts drew the blood out of him.

Nines gently brushed his thumb over Connor's knuckles, holding his hand so gently. It sent a shiver up his spine as he stared at his hand. Why was Nines doing this? Why was he being so gentle and careful? Why was he even holding Connor's hand in the first place?!

"Nines?" Connor whispered, looking up at him. He worried that if he talked too loud whatever this was would stop. And for some reason, Connor didn't want Nines to stop holding his hand.

"You need thirium." Nines mumbled, still focused on Connor's knuckles. His hands were bigger than Connor's and easily held his like they were meant to hold him.

"I know." He wiggled his fingers just slightly and Nines ran his own fingers over Connor's. He was so tender with him like he would break if he put too much pressure. "Nines, why do you want to impress me?"

Nines finally looked up from their hands to meet Connor's eyes. Connor noticed a very slight blue tint to his face and he wanted to reach up and touch, see how warm his skin would be.

Nines used one of his hands to reach up and carefully brush a hair back away from Connor's face. "Because you're you. I wanted your attention but you seemed to hate me, so I thought I could help. I wanted you to talk to me."

Connor's breath caught, eyes wide. Nines had wanted Connor's attention? But why? That still didn't make sense. Why would Nines even want to be near him, let alone talk to him?

"Spar with me." He blurted out before cringing at himself. "If you want. I'm just, I'm not always good with words." Plus he had far too much energy and needed to get it out before he could properly think with Nines so close.

Nines nodded before frowning. "I'll have to wrap your hand first, wait right here."

Nines moved confidently across the room to the first aid kits. Connor stood there shocked, his hands shaking gently. This was happening? Nines cared about him. He hadn't meant to be a dick.

He jolted when he felt Nines take his hand again, spraying a cleaner onto his knuckles and carefully rubbed his knuckles before starting to wrap his hand.

He did it quickly and efficiently before stepping back and letting the hand go. "How does that feel?" Nines asked.

Connor flexed his hand before nodding. "It feels good, thank you Nines."

Nines nodded and led them over to the extra padded area where anyone could spar. Nines hadn't taken off his jacket or shoes, so Connor kept his own on as he stepped up.

They watched each other before Nines came at Connor. He quickly moved out of the way, trying to grab at Nines's outstretched arm to no avail.

Suddenly his fist was slamming into Nines's face while he one sunk into Connor's stomach. They stumbled apart for a brief second to catch their breaths before diving back at each other, eyes narrowed in determination.

Connor dodged his fist and came up with his own; for a brief instant, Nines's blue eyes widened before he managed to tilt his head back and slam it into mine. Stars burst into Connor's vision but he shook it off, blinding throwing a kick.

Nines stepped back, easily evading the kick. "Is that all you got?" Nines taunted, smirking. Connor growled and threw himself at Nines, changing direction at the last minute. He dropped and swept his leg, huffing when Nines jumped over.

He expected it, anticipated it, and in the moments after landing, he let his body relax but let out an oof as Nines managed to cause Connor to fall.

Nines went to grab Connor's legs but he twisted in the hold and kneed him in the stomach. The large android fell forward onto Connor but caught himself before he could squish him.

Connor squinted up at him, moving them to try and throw Nines off but with little success. The mats edges dug into him and he gave a devilish smile. He found the edge and pushed hard enough to get the mat to slide. It was enough of a distraction to allow him to flip them and straddle Nines.

"Hah!" Connor grinned, grabbing Nines's wrist and pinning his hands above his head. Nines squinted at him and shifted just enough to get the right angle and rolled them.

Connor's breath left him again as Nines pushed him down onto the mat, using his extra body weight to keep him down. Connor tried to wiggle out of the hold, but it only caused him to whine sharply.

His eyes widened at his own reaction, but Nines kept him pinned. "Do you yield?" He asked, staring him down. Connor wrapped his legs around Nines in a last attempt to push him forward to make him lose balance but it didn't work. Instead, it only caused their bodies to slide against each other.

They both froze at that but neither said anything, just staring at each other. Connor was sure his entire face was flushed blue.

"Do you yield?" Nines asked again, their faces only an inch apart. Connor watched as Nines's eyes flicked down to his lips then back up to his eyes. Connor licked his lips and his back arched just slightly, trying to get closer.

"Make me." He whispered. Nines growled and leaned forward, crushing their lips together. Connor moaned and pushed up against Nines, trying to pull him down with his legs still wrapped around him.

God his lips really were perfect and felt so good against his own. Nines's lips were hot against Connor's, his tongue burning a warm, wet path into his mouth. Eager hands fumbled at Nines's clothing, undoing his fly, waiting for the ok. He gets it by a low groan and Connor slips his hand in.

He runs his hands up and down, teasing Nines through his underwear, probably the same Cyberlife issued boxers. Nines groans and rolls his hips down.

His hands travel down Connor's body before pushing his shirt up and sliding his hands under, finding every sensitive spot.

"Ah, Nines!" Connor gasped, back arching off the mat. Nines hums and trails hot kisses down Connor's throat, hands moving away to drag the jacket off Connor then quickly unbutton Connor's shirt.

Shit, why hadn't they done this before? Nines and Connor slid perfectly together, and Connor would barely stand it. "More. Nines, fuck, more."

Connor yelped when Nines stood up, easily picking him up before pushing him against the wall. He used only one arm to keep him up while the other unzipped Connor.

Connor wiggled and let his pants fall to the floor before wrapping his legs around Nines again. It was completely unfair how easily Nines held him up like he weighed nothing. Yet it was one of the hottest things he'd seen.

Nines went back to attack Connor's neck, grinding against him. Connor could feel the cold press of the zipper but he focused on the large cock underneath it. God damn, even his dick was bigger than Connor's.

"Ah! Yes!" Connor's eyes squeezed shut, his hips rolling in time, trying to get as much friction as possible. "Yes!"

"Connor, what do you want? How far do you want this to go?" Nines asked, pulling back so they could look at each other.

"I want you to fuck me. Don't even dare think about holding back, I can take it all." He could and gladly would.

Nines nodded and all but tossed Connor back onto the mat, pulling his clothes off and folding them. Connor groaned at the wait but it was oddly adorable and charming. Not to mention how turned on he was at the roughness.

He reached down and pulled himself out of his boxers, slowly pumping his hand. "Mmh! Fuck!" He moaned, not having done anything like this in a while. He'd been too focused on Nines and the stupid fucking bet.

He squeezed his eyes closed, knees bent and his toes digging into the mat. Then he felt a strong warm hand wrap around the base and squeeze just enough to leave him gasping from a mixture of pain and pleasure.

His eyes snapped open and saw Nines glowering down at him. He was just so big and Connor could see his muscles rippling as he positioned himself over Connor. "Did I tell you you could touch yourself?"

"You were taking too damn long!" Connor pouted, trying to buck into the hands. Nines squeezed slightly tighter and Connor yelped.

"The answer to the question was no, no I did not. If you want me to fuck your tight little ass then you'll follow my directions or get punished. Do you understand?" Nines reached up and grabbed a fistful of hair, tugging sharply.

Connor whimpered and nodded. "Yes! Yes, please, I understand. I'll be good." He'd be so good for him.

Nines roughly let go of Connor's hair, letting his head fall back into the mat before loosening the pressure and slowly dragging his hand up. "There's a good boy." Connor squeezed his eyes closed and tried to keep still, but it was so much. "Oh, you like that? I thought you would."

Connor nodded his head again and let out a surprised squeak when two fingers were roughly pushed into him. Even now he could feel Nines holding back, not using his full strength.

"I've thought about how I'd fuck you. I was worried I'd be too rough, too strong, but you like it. You want to be thrown around and shown your place, hmm? Fuck you so hard you can't stand. No one else can do that, only me." It was so true, he knew that Nines could fuck him harder and faster than anyone else. He'd be able to feel this for weeks.

"Only you. Please Nines, please." He begged and would get on his knee to beg too if he had to. He practically drilled when Nines freed himself from his boxers, adding in another finger.

Connor had a flash of panic, not sure he could even take that much, but he sure as hell would try. Later he could also try sucking on him, letting Nines fuck his throat too. "Oh shit."

Nines smirked and without warning added a fourth finger, stretching quickly before pulling all his fingers out. "You still want this?"

Connor nodded and thankfully held back the yelp when Nines flipped him over and slid himself all the way in with one fluid movement. Connor silently screamed before his head dropped to his chest.

Nines held him by the hips, fingers digging in enough that the skin had to pull away there to reveal his chassis. Connor could barely even think so he was immensely glad when Nines did all the work. Pulling out before snapping his hips forward and using his hold in Connor's hips to drag him back.

Each thrust had Connor gasping and his hands and legs trembling. He rambled words he didn't even understand but Nines just kept going, fucking him deeper and harder just like he promised.

"I'm gonna fuck you like this until you come, then I'm going to keep fucking you again and again. You'll never be able to imagine anyone but me in you." Nines snapped his hips forward and Connor moaned, his toes curling.

Nines reached down and took Connor in hand, pumping in time with his quick harsh thrusts. "Just like that, baby. Feel so damn good."

Connor bit his lip, hands trying to find something to grab onto. But his head was yanked back as Nines held his hair, and Connor couldn't hold back anymore.

He tried to warn Nines but he was already spilling over the mat with a silent scream. The gym may be in the basement but it wasn't completely soundproof, and Connor was not going to be caught.

Nines pulled him up and spun him around before pulling Connor back down, only now he was sitting in his lap facing Nines.

"Damn, maybe I can win at the fight if you come this fast." Nines captured Connor's lips in his before Connor could make a snarky comeback.

He felt tears start streaming down his face at the overstimulation, but Nines didn't stop until he'd come two more times, and only then did Nines let himself come, holding Connor by his hips.

Connor knew he'd be sore not just from the sex but also all the times Nines had thrown him around into a new position. Nines had to carry him to a seat and then handed him a bottle of thirium as he looked him over.

"You ok, Connor? Was I too rough?" He asked, making sure he drank the whole bottle first, hands massaging his thighs.

Connor nodded and leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. He felt so content and exhausted in the best way. "You were amazing, but do you know what this means?"

Nines tilted his head then softly shook it, reaching up to gently soothe his hair. "No?"

"I know how to beat you in our fight." Connor grinned so widely and broke out into giggles as Nines all but pounced on him, tickling his sides.

Neither left the gym until the very early morning but they held hands and Connor promised to see him soon with a kiss.

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reactingtosomething · 7 years

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Reacting to The Old Guard

She Is Not In Any Way Playing

The Setup: It’s our first Reaction to a comic book! And it’s not from the Big Two! Written by Greg Rucka (Wonder Woman, Gotham Central, Black Magick) and drawn by Leandro Fernandez (Punisher MAX, The Incredible Hulk, Deadpool & Cable) -- a duo who previously collaborated on Wolverine and Queen & Country -- The Old Guard is about (mostly) immortal warriors who can trace their lives back through Napoleon’s attempted invasion of Russia, the Crusades, and the conquests of Alexander the Great. They’re led by Andromache of Scythia, but you can call her Andy.

Andy’s fought and fucked, loved and loathed her way across thousands of years and at least six continents, and she is tired. So when a seemingly routine rescue mission goes way off the rails, and just a few hours later her team learns that -- contrary to what they’ve believed for a century or two -- they’re not the last immortals left after all, Andy has to find out if she can still surprise a world that she didn’t realize could still surprise her.

Kris, who briefly studied ancient military history in college, really liked Rucka’s Batwoman: Elegy and his webcomic Lady Sabre & The Pirates of the Ineffable Aether, so when he learned about The Old Guard he asked Marchae -- a BIG fan of Rucka’s Lazarus -- if she’d want to react to it.

Two spoiler notices below, but until the jump it’s just first-issue stuff.

KRIS: So we’ve both read some Greg Rucka before

I don’t think I’m an expert, but I’m fairly aware of at least the range of his work

MARCHAE: I am a HUGE fan of at least one of his comics!!!

KRIS: And he seems to be One of the Good Ones re: male feminist writers

MARCHAE: YES I absolutely agree and spent even more time thinking about that as I read The Old Guard

and this notion that I have about “super heros”

but also I like some of the things he examines in his works, at least what I’ve read

KRIS: Oh good I think we’ve all wanted to hear more from you about your theory of superheroes, so definitely feel free to get into that when it’s relevant

MARCHAE: LOL

I definitely will talk more that’s for sure - and especially since I’m reading Jessica Jones at the moment

KRIS: Also I really like how distinctive most of the faces in this are, just wanted to say that upfront although I am not super qualified to discuss the art

MARCHAE: So I’ve spent some time making connections between what I’m currently reading , a traditional comic, versus the indie books

Neither am I - but the art is gorgeous

KRIS: OH and for our readers who may not be super into comics (yet), maybe we should say how we’re reading

I’m using the Comixology reader on their website, in Guided View mode

MARCHAE: And I use an app from my public library called Hoopla

I also use a guided view mode - however I definitely prefer hardcopies

KRIS: I like Guided View a lot, although occasionally you lose some of the impact of splash pages, and there are very rarely (but especially with older comics) sequencing errors

ANYWAY sorry tangent

MARCHAE: I am reading newer ones mostly, it definitely feels more cinematic to me reading it electronically.

I like it a lot especially for fast paced ones like The Old Guard

like an action film

KRIS: But I wanted to just get it out there that there are good accessible digital ways to read comics, which is often more affordable, and also for some reason Amazon is selling a bunch of Marvel comics at massive discounts

Yes! Thank you for getting us back on track -- the action layouts here are great

MARCHAE: Affordable and FREE!

and you’re welcome!

I am a newbie to comics- I’ve only been reading them for a year maybe less - and I am obsessed with how much I can relate to them from a screenwriting perspective in terms of sequencing and layout. In this weird abstract way. This was one of the best one’s I’ve read in a while in terms of the pacing with layout - and I love it. I actually started re-reading the book just to gawk at the art etc

KRIS: Oh you should check out Rucka’s web comic Lady Sabre and the Pirates of the Ineffable Aether [see above] -- it was like the equivalent of a page or so twice a week, and Rucka’s script for each entry was included

MARCHAE: **GASPS**

KRIS: I always mean to really break down and study a comic book or two but just like with studying TV, I end up being too lazy, and just hoping I’ll absorb lessons through sheer osmosis

MARCHAE: LOL -

I have studied the dialogue

I think more closely than anything

although I really need to study their structure

KRIS: That’s interesting

I would not guess that most comics writers do dialogue as well as Rucka

MARCHAE: It’s something about these short bursts of dialogue that kind of flow with the quick images we get that makes sense to me… I’ve read a couple that I really prefer

KRIS: I’m interested in how comics people obviously think in “shots”

MARCHAE: Revival is good and so is Alex and Ada … it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they are super character driven

KRIS: and I think a lot of screenwriters don’t

MARCHAE: YEAH

KRIS: or aren’t necessarily really well trained to

MARCHAE: It is fascinating when you think about because there are SO MANY correlations between the two

because as screenwriters and movie makers we end up having to think like comic writers when we get to the storyboarding portion of the work

which i guess is more of a production function

but

KRIS: Right, it should be super obvious, and we do get TOLD to think in shots but there’s still such a division (at least in our film school experience) between learning to write and learning to tell stories visually

MARCHAE: I feel like with comics the action - even in some of the not as good ones I’ve read is all about taking you to that next shot

EXACTLY!!!

KRIS: Honestly this is one of my very favorite parts in the whole book, just as a visual storytelling beat:

MARCHAE: I was grateful that I had the experience of reading comics at least near the end of my time in school… i did take a lot of lessons from the comics

OHHH

tell me why

KRIS: I think a lot of the impact for me was in the guided view

The panel before this is Booker trying to talk Andy into the mission: “He says there are kids involved, Andy. Kids.”

Then in GV you get everyone looking at Booker, and you can linger on that panel

MARCHAE: The guided view makes a tremendous difference!

it feels like a moving image

KRIS: Then the next panel makes you sort of realize that it’s not really “everyone” looking at one person, but Joe and Nico looking back and forth between the new guy and the boss

although I guess you don’t get the “new guy” information until later

MARCHAE: Exactly

KRIS: Yes! The movement is there, and can have this weird interaction with how long you can linger in a single shot

But I guess what I like about this page is how the visuals help establish the relationships even without Andy’s exposition

MARCHAE: And i feel like you should be able to tell the story without the words

some of my favorites were the panels without words period

I especially love the first few pages

KRIS: Yeah, and in a nutshell that’s what comics writers are trained to do and what a lot of screenwriters (including me!) are often too precious about their own dialogue to internalize

MARCHAE: its just a few bits of inner dialogue

(side note your dialogue is beautiful!!!)

KRIS: Yeah but I didn’t become a playwright

MARCHAE: YESSSSSS

KRIS: ^That spread is so amazing and efficient

MARCHAE: YESSS and YESSS

those were my favorites

oh my word and its just pretty

KRIS: It’s not even a really dense two-page spread by any means and there are only like 30 words on it

But it tells us so much about Andy

MARCHAE: I’m looking at it now on my device and its in guided view - so it shows up as each individual panel

YES!

KRIS: Right

MARCHAE: and I’m hooked from the beginning and that’s what I think makes this story effective and invests you in it

Rucka does this with my favorite comic - Lazarus

also

KRIS: She’s a warrior, she’s been around forever, she’s bi, she’s tired, she doesn’t have a lot of meaningful human connection in her life

MARCHAE: And we get that quickly

and efficiently

KRIS: and obviously the sense of repetition

in her day-to-day (century-to-century)

MARCHAE: thats been going on for centuries

[SPOILERS throughout below]

KRIS: Oh sorry did you want to say more about Lazarus

MARCHAE: It’s okay -

I was just going to say that there are some definite similarties between the two books

Specifically just the idea of strong female protagonists who are capable and leaders

and also the notion of these women dodging death

All. the. time!

I thought it was interesting to have read and to be a HUGE fan of both books now

and think critically about what he means to demonstrate and also why i consider the woman he portrays more heroic than other “heroes”

that was a long rant LOL

sorry

KRIS: And there’s a quietly great line in chapter 2 about how everyone just defaulted to Andy being the leader because she was the oldest, so it was obvious

MARCHAE: Yes I remember that

KRIS: And I haven’t really thought about this, but it’s interesting and I’m assuming very deliberate that the oldest and the youngest leads are the women

But so matter-of-factly

MARCHAE: Yes - I did note that and remember being worried for Andy and what it meant later on in the series

and also the conflicts that we could expect to see in the future books

I think it’s smart honestly and kind of this mentorship that also gets to happen between the two women

we know that historically women have a difficult time finding mentors so I guess it is great to see it demonstrated in this medium

I think we’ll eventually see some bickering between the two , but ultimately a respect which is also not often depicted in other medium as much as I feel like it should be

KRIS: I’ll save it for a little later but I did screenshot that great (affectionate) bickering toward the end

MARCHAE: YES!

KRIS: We often write these in a way that sort of assumes the reader knows at least generally what we’re talking about but maybe we should try explaining a little about at least the main character relationships here

MARCHAE: That’s true - especially considering this is our first time reacting to a comic book

KRIS: Oh my god wait I just want to show this page transition I didn’t pick up on in Guided View

MARCHAE: I was trying to find a good article that listed the main concept with characters (mostly because I need to know how to spell andy’s real name)

KRIS: The color palette!

MARCHAE: It’s beautiful I liked these panels

KRIS: They only say Andy’s whole name twice but it’s not the same both times!

MARCHAE: I have this weird way that I read them… 1. for story. 2. art with story 3. only with art

KRIS: Oh interesting

MARCHAE: even the layout is nice

KRIS: I’m not much of a re-reader (or re-watcher) but I should be

MARCHAE: I don’t generally - but because I am so used to reading “regular books” I have to almost get the story then go back so I can appreciate the art with the story

then just the art cause #pretty

KRIS: Oh man I sidetracked us again

OK so

Andy!

MARCHAE: its okay really theres is a lot here to talk about actually!!!

Yes, Andy short for Andromeda?

I think

KRIS: I THINK Andromache is what her name is supposed to be, since that’s what the Comixology store “logline” uses

MARCHAE: YES

KRIS: and that’s what Booker calls her

MARCHAE: I was all off LOL

KRIS: but when she tells Nile an issue or two earlier, she says Andronika

which I’m assuming is just a continuity mistake on someone’s part

MARCHAE: I am now curious if it changes with the time

KRIS: and maybe a reprint will correct it

MARCHAE: like each century she modifies it?

yes but she’s centuries old

and most important

KRIS: But I got the sense that we were given everyone’s “true” name at least once

MARCHAE: Immortal - she can’t die - at least she’s not able to right now

KRIS: So “Andy” is her modern day shorthand and maybe in the 1800s it was something else, but Andromache is her birth name

MARCHAE: yeah! that’s my deduction at least

KRIS: So Andromache means “battle of a man”

(I think Andronika would mean something like victory of a man?)

MARCHAE: I love your to the minute, on the spot research!

KRIS: Well Andromache I knew because I briefly studied Greek in undergrad and have always been a little bit of an Ancient Greek Stuff nerd

What I’m not sure of is in what sense “battle” is being used

MARCHAE: are the names from the same era?

I guess it could be two fold

KRIS: Like, is it a battle as in an event, or is it in the sense of “she’s got fight like a man”

MARCHAE: Oh i was going in a different direction!!!

wow

yours is probably more appropriate LOL

KRIS: Andromache is at least as old as the Odyssey

MARCHAE: I was thinking more of “battle of a man” - as in battle against one’s self

KRIS: Oh interesting

MARCHAE: like man against man conflict which i suppose is fitting considering that she’s somewhat immortal

KRIS: oh I meant the Iliad -- Andromache is the wife of Hektor

MARCHAE: OH YEAH

Also thinking of “battle of a man” to mean battle of time and life

we always want to live longer, better, never die

KRIS: I don’t know much at all about Arabic so I don’t know how old Joe’s real name is, etymologically speaking

MARCHAE: and here Andy is wanting to be done

I loved that scene where introducing himself

KRIS: Yeah, that’s pretty classic

MARCHAE: and we get to Joe!

So I am checking an article and [the Newsarama interviewer] says Andy’s real name is Andronika

https://www.newsarama.com/33272-rucka-joins-the-old-guard-with-queen-country-artist-fernandez.html

(also side note I feel redeemed and a bit smart that he mentions some of the themes I pointed out and made similar comparisons! )

KRIS: OK skimming now

“John Wick meets Highlander”

That’s pretty great

MARCHAE: Truth!!

KRIS: Oh Black Magick I should link to that [see above]

MARCHAE: I haven’t read that one

KRIS: Anyway where were we?

MARCHAE: Ok we have digressed again! I guess a brief synopsis of the main characters

KRIS: Right right

So we have this 4-person mercenary team

MARCHAE: Right and they’ve been connected FOREVER it seems like

KRIS: Led by [Andronika/Andromache?] Andy, who is literally biblically old

MARCHAE: Well it doesn’t seem like - they have been together for ever

KRIS: Then Nico and Joe (Nicolo and Yusuf) who met during the First Crusade, so 1090s

And presumably they linked up with Andy sometime between the Crusades and the Napoleonic Wars, when we get Booker

MARCHAE: There is a lot of history here

KRIS: And there’s this stuff about how when a new immortal dies for the first time, other immortals (maybe within a certain range?) start having dreams about them

MARCHAE: and that’s how they are introduced or at least made aware that they will be meeting someone new? did I read that correctly

KRIS: Yeah

MARCHAE: HA - I misread your text LOL

I literally rephrased what you said LOL

KRIS: Andy had to figure it out the first time it happened, like the dream doesn’t spell anything out for them

MARCHAE: They are often killed or incredibly injured during their battles and they heal themselves which is how they discover ultimately that they are immortal

for a spell at least

KRIS: Oh there are some GREAT “match cuts” in this

There’s a really good one in the Nico/Joe origin story

MARCHAE: OH YEAHHHHHH

KRIS:

But that whole sequence is great

MARCHAE: I loved the twist there

KRIS: So yeah sorry for our readers my mental leap isn’t obvious, but this is preceded by a couple pages of Joe and Nico during the Crusades repeatedly killing each other

MARCHAE: I sent over a few screen shots hopefully they will come through…

The book definitely has a distinct aesthetic that’s for sure

KRIS: It’s mostly serious but lightly comic, like they just don’t question it, like okay yeah I guess I’ll just kill you again

Oh getting your screenshots now

Yes the faces (again)! You can see the modern Nico and Joe even under all the facial hair

MARCHAE: you mentioned my idea of hero

KRIS: Yes

MARCHAE: and your point “it’s mostly serious but lightly comic”

that’s the thing… saving lives/the world is a serious thing

these people have real problems that are connected usually to slightly dystopia ideas of our current world

I feel like with more mainstream comics we are in some alternate reality all together and the people are trying to be funny and trying to save the world and trying to be cool…

I feel like in Rucka’s books (and also a few other’s I read) it’s rooted in something that i can grasp and their problems are real

so in this text it’s when does my suffering end

in a book like lazarus it’s why won’t my family love me

and it’s not in this over the top let me fly all over the place and shoot missiles out of my hands kind of way

it’s serious

it’s business

KRIS: But I think tonal variation is a good thing

for the genre and the industry

Like a lot of the recent DC movies are SUPER SERIOUS on a surface level, but they’re not necessarily handling ideas in an intellectually rigorous way

MARCHAE: I absolutely agree I guess in a world I could see myself being saved by someone who is more similar to Andy than say Captain America

I think that’s the thing I like is that it is this exploration of more complex ideas in these types of comics and I feel more connected to the work

it’s more accessible

KRIS: And even though the Marvel movies are lighter, and not SUPER thematically driven, they’re relatively smart about the thematics they do include

See I think most people would say Marvel’s tone is more accessible

But I think you might mean accessible in a different way

MARCHAE: LOL hence the mega fafillion dollar industry

KRIS: Like you’re looking for something concrete to latch onto

MARCHAE: I think I agree with you there - I want a take-away

KRIS: And I think the Iron Man tone is more “here is a world that speaks the language you speak with your friends” in a generalized sense

MARCHAE: I can give you that…

the more mainstream comics make the business of saving the world seem less serious

I also am a lover of drama and heavy topics so I think there is also the attraction - these people don’t always feel like they have be “on” to me

they are trying to make it

and that I can relate to!

KRIS: I think that’s because “saving the world” isn’t REALLY what they’re about, though, to the extent that they’re about something

I think at some point, maybe with all four of us, I do want to talk more about the difficulty you have with comedy

MARCHAE: It’s like an intervention LOL

KRIS: No! Well maybe a little. But it’s so ingrained for you that I think I also just want to understand

Maybe when we eventually return to Sweet/Vicious, which I still really want to do

MARCHAE: comedy is truly a challenge for me with the exception of a few - but even those make a larger statement in my opinion!

we do need to finish S/V

KRIS: I’d also like to see you and Keely talk about comedy

ANYWAY

We should talk about Nile

MARCHAE: that might be fun - Keely and I have talked about why I like her brand of comedy best…

OK NILE

KRIS: So Nile is an American Marine

in a Female Engagement Team in Afghanistan

MARCHAE: I absolutely adore her

she’s the “youngest” immortal

KRIS: So at first I didn’t realize she didn’t know she was immortal

For some reason I assumed she had abandoned the team at some point

MARCHAE: OHHHH

KRIS: But then she becomes our (great) audience surrogate

MARCHAE: Which is why I like her - she’s new- but it’s clear she’s competent

and is legit just trying to understand “what the heck is going on here”

KRIS: Yeah, and she gets to push back a lot when Andy is like “don’t worry about it”

But never in a way that sells out either of their characters

I feel like so often the “new one” is obnoxious

or the “old one” is a tired “Asshole with a Heart of Gold” trope

MARCHAE: Agreed! it is very organic and you can believe in them… but also it establishes what the relationship can be

I also think that because we know that eventually these people run out of “changes” to live - I almost felt like we are operating on a clock

ticking clock*

it ramped up the tension for me when reading - my mind was legit going a mile a min.

KRIS: And it’s this female friendship that never really leans on “the women! they are alike and get along because they are women!” but also doesn’t completely pretend gender doesn’t matter

Oh man that freaked me out when Andy shot herself to convince Nile

I was like “WHAT IF THIS IS THE ONE, ANDY WHAT ARE YOU DOING”

MARCHAE: YESSS

Because she doesn’t know when the one will be

that’s what makes me nervous about this entire series …

KRIS: The moment when they find Booker [temporarily] dead was amazing to me

MARCHAE: like antsy and I like the characters so it’s worse LOL

KRIS: Andy’s narration is like “he’s the youngest, if he’s really dead it would be so unfair”

And we’re trained to THINK that means “unfair because he was so young”

But then there’s the reversal of “unfair to ME (Andy)”

MARCHAE: Right! But he isn’t young at all - none of them are except for Nile

it kind of plays with your mind when you put into context that one of them is 5000 years old? did I read that or am I making that up - either way it’s insane

But there is also this entertainment of how in real life we all want to live forever, Andy is ready to kick the can

KRIS: Yeah in the last issue Andy says she’s over 6000

so the others are ALL babies compared to her

MARCHAE: yet they don’t ACTUALLY live forever at all

geesh i was off by 1000 years

good googley-moogley

KRIS: haha

So we get what becomes, by a little bit, our central relationship between the oldest woman in the world and the youngest woman on the team

MARCHAE: I love that! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!

KRIS: although the book really does manage to make all the relationships pretty robust

Nico and Joe are our romance, and where a lot of our humor comes from

MARCHAE: The majority of it actually… and they are some deep relationships

KRIS: Andy and Booker obviously have a lot going on because of her dependence on his tech savvy and then The Twist

MARCHAE: (but this isn’t unusual for Rucka which is why I’m #obsessed and why he was my entrance into comics)

KRIS: I loved how the running joke of Andy’s inability to learn new tech ends up becoming a totally serious, really important story detail

MARCHAE: It actually does and it runs through the entire story

it’s smart and well thought out and incredibly problematic in our current world

KRIS: Only tangentially related but I really like how well the body language is rendered in this panel:

MARCHAE: and intentional on the writers part and what I’d imagine- if I were a 6000 years old hero - a real real problem

KRIS: Here’s a better one for the “joke” aspect

MARCHAE: LOL

KRIS: If you had that panel out of context it would be totally relatable for a lot of people

MARCHAE: she is so clueless - and it’s funny

KRIS: Although maybe with relatives who don’t look as young as Andy does

MARCHAE: Oh god I know all too well!!!

It’s also funny because she’s so on top of it in every other area of the job

I want more of her backstory too - I am so curious - I’ve already downloaded the other book

KRIS: which other book?

I love her

MARCHAE: I misread - I just looked and it doesn’t exist LOL

😟 sad face

I was curious about what your thought were about the exploration of being immortal

or mostly immortal

KRIS: I mean personally I still find the idea of death terrifying, maybe because I’ve never really dealt with it yet

So I’m kind of in the “yes we should try to become immortal” camp most days

And I tend to feel that the idea that immortality would ultimately be boring or soul-crushing is kind of a self-serving one, to make us feel better about mortality

BUT

I think this is a really good exploration of it

MARCHAE: interesting!

KRIS: The speech Booker gives to Nile about why she shouldn’t contact her family is really really good

MARCHAE: and kind of sad I loved it (not because it was sad, but because it was good)

KRIS: And Andy’s ultimate epiphany -- she doesn’t want to die, she wants something to live for again -- is really simple in the best way

And it’s also really sad, and I think mostly unremarked upon, that it takes Booker betraying the team for Andy to realize that the team is what she has to live for

MARCHAE: yeah…. she’s incredibly melancholy to me and I like that she’s wanting to push again

they are her family

KRIS: And it’s great that part of how Nile pushes the change in Andy’s mindset is very specifically “millennial” -- she’s always hustled, she’s worked a bunch of jobs briefly and picked up a bunch of random skills

in a way that’s convenient to the plot but doesn’t feel TOO Convenient

MARCHAE: Exactly - I could believe and buy into each and every single character

KRIS: Everything about Nile is like, That’s So Real

MARCHAE: I wanted to be on the team by the end of it

even the emotions that Andy experiences

there is a lot of hurt …maybe that imitates from the page

A lot of it is in her inner dialogue, the panel placement and the colors

but you feel for her

and you want her to win and win hard

KRIS: So hard

It was amazing to me that they actually fit a Booker redemption arc into this

and it works because of Andy’s feelings

MARCHAE: they do! A lot rides on the protagonist here - And what I think is amazing is that she carries so much of the tone for what we experience over the story - because of her we are able to buy the rest of them

I think if we had been led by anyone else it might not have been as effective

KRIS: It’s very successful at being clearly led by one character but still having a really strong “ensemble” feel

And that first issue and a half have to do so much heavy lifting to establish the team relationships so we buy the motivations when they spend most of the rest of the story separated

MARCHAE: It really is amazing from a storytelling standpoint

I could see the movie adaptation as I was reading it

Its so well crafted

KRIS: I think this arc could actually work as a feature

MARCHAE: (have you read lazarus?)

KRIS: and not lose much detail

Not yet

MARCHAE: (KRIS!!!!!! THAT IS A FEATURE WAITING TO BE MADE)

(BUT KRIS READ IT STAT!!!)

And it would be beautiful to shoot those period scenes

KRIS: It would

(I just love the face drawing so much in this book)

MARCHAE: they are much more expressive than others - I feel like other books Ive read are more sketch like

KRIS: This sequence was VERY cinematic too

Not in a spectacle way but just in a general visual storytelling way

with the elevator door

I feel like a lot of superhero books don’t bother making faces distinctive

MARCHAE: That bugs me too - I think it’s why i started reading them three times

KRIS: It can get especially ridiculous when people don’t bother drawing Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne differently from each other

The one issue I can think of in The Old Guard is that in the first issue, it wasn’t super clear to me that Joe was a man of color

And I feel like Andy’s skin tone was also a little variable, but it’s more or less obvious that she’s supposed to be from Somewhere In the Mediterranean

MARCHAE: I didn’t entirely register that either until he said his name

I can agree with that too

I also get the impression that Nile is also likely a POC as well

KRIS: Nile for sure read to me as a black (or possibly multiracial) woman, I guess the color was just off in the first chapter

MARCHAE: it was refreshing to see a more diverse group of characters that’s for sure

KRIS: Oh shit my mistake I guess the Scythians (Andy) are of Iranian/Central Asian descent

Yes! Which was why I was so glad Joe turned out not to be white -- at first I was like “hmmm this is an oddly white book for someone as woke as Greg Rucka”

MARCHAE: OH NO WAY!! (Re Andy)

KRIS: I really should have known that from like freshman year classics courses

MARCHAE: You are much more well versed than I am in historical references and I definitely don’t have a tremendous breath of the classics

KRIS: I guess we should talk about the action

It’s almost funny that we haven’t, much

This is very much an action story

MARCHAE: There is so much action that’s for certain and I LOVE IT

KRIS: And all of the set pieces are distinct

MARCHAE: I love seeing it on the page, the pacing of it, how the panels are set up and YES the set pieces!!!!

KRIS: Which is definitely something superhero comics struggle with

Guided View is GREAT for these layouts

MARCHAE: It works beautifully and makes the work fly

KRIS: There have to be some good interviews out there with comic artists about how that’s influenced their approach in the last several years

MARCHAE: like the action legitimately in this comic soared off the page in my opinion I wanted to be in it

that’s really interesting I’ll have to take a gander

KRIS: I do have to say, I wished Andy’s axe had come back

MARCHAE: YES! She’s fierce!

theres a cover where she’s flailing that axe

She’s powerful

the look on her face

even and her posture

I LOVE THIS IMAGE

KRIS: For our readers, that variant cover is by Nicola Scott, Greg Rucka’s collaborator on Wonder Woman: Year One

Yeah even though I’ll tag this as a spoiler post I won’t include the axe sequence, everyone should have to go read the book to see it

It’s short but awesome

MARCHAE: Its so unapologetic and that makes me happy as a woman!

(re the axe photo)

but to talk about action

I really liked this and how it looked!

KRIS: so good

The other standout for me was the Crusade battle -- the use of silhouettes in the night scene

MARCHAE: it reminded me of the old school batman TV show but also has this frantic feel to it like if you are in the room - the images move almost

KRIS: And the use of the BANGs in the background instead of within most of the panels is really interesting

MARCHAE: OHHHHH that’s a great one too

KRIS: literal background noise

MARCHAE: it reminds me of sound

AHHHH YESSSS!!!!

visual cacaphony

which i suppose is a bizarre pairing of words but the best i could come up with

KRIS: It conveys the chaos but also leaves the actual action layouts clear

MARCHAE: nothing is left to confuse the reader - which when I was a newer reader of comics was always confusing

KRIS: Oh here’s that great banter scene:

MARCHAE: these comics are new user friendly

KRIS: Definitely an advantage of indie books

MARCHAE: I like that one - laughed a few time reading this book like legit noise came out which doesn’t happen terribly often

KRIS: I mean I get it, if you’re writing Big Two characters, you want to reference the stuff you grew up with, it can’t be an easy balance to make it accessible to new readers and rich for longtime readers, but still, you can’t blame people for having trouble getting into most recent Marvel or DC stuff

Yeah I guess a way to describe how humor works best for you is that in a scene like this it’s like, cathartic?

Or it’s a release valve

You like it as punctuation, not as the baseline

MARCHAE: I can read it now but I tried starting with Hellboy and was like ABSOLUTELY NOT!

KRIS: Oh that’s interesting because isn’t Hellboy indie? Was it that you jumped into a late story arc?

MARCHAE: I am not sure… if it is… All i know is that it was a challenged to follow on the page

I think I started at the beginning?

Also YES! in regards to humor!!! It’s kind of like a sigh 😊

KRIS: I only know the movies but I’d believe it’s just a weird-ass book as a first comic

MARCHAE: I do not love humor as a baseline - ever generally

LOLOl

it was not a good first jaunt I didn’t finish it and sold it back and the comic book store owner was like what do you like - we chatted and he handled me Lazarus

and I’ve been hooked on the comics since and they all have the same tone save one that I like called Alex and Ada

We’ve digressed again

KRIS: yep

I’m just grabbing a link for Alex and Ada to put into the post [see above]

MARCHAE: yeah its drastically different in tone from what I generally read - but the characters and story were pretty good!

Also an Image comic if I’m not mistaking

KRIS: Yes

MARCHAE: Yup!

KRIS: (For readers: Image is a publishing house like DC and Marvel, but all of its books are creator-owned and independent of each other, rather than company-owned characters in a shared universe)

MARCHAE: Correct! The ones I’ve read seem incredibly character driven to me and tend to be more focused on themes and ideas

What else are we missing - I feel like we’ve covered so much with this one trade!

KRIS: I was just gonna ask you that

We haven’t really talked about the villain but I think that’s okay

Don’t want to spoil everything

We really want you to read it yourselves, everyone!

MARCHAE: I really hope people read this one!

Along with the others we’ve recommended!

KRIS: It’s very accessible if you’re new to comics, the art is clean and you won’t have trouble following it, and Greg Rucka is arguably one of the most acclaimed writers in comics right now so I promise it’s not a risky buy

although MM did you get it from the library, you said?

MARCHAE: I did using the Hoopla App but I will probably eventually buy it for my collection (I do have a comic collection and I keep them in plastic!)

KRIS: Should we talk about the ending? I can add another FOR REAL MAJOR SPOILERS warning around here

[the VERY END is briefly discussed below]

MARCHAE: Can i just say I was absolutely sad when it ended

I was mad indeed

but yes let’s

KRIS: I really liked it

MARCHAE: I think I just wanted the book to keep going LOL

KRIS: Oh for sure

But there’s just a lot of great storytelling in those few pages

Even just that first page in Malta

MARCHAE: And it really is a hero saves the day type deal and shows Nile and Andy working collaboratively

again the art is beautiful (I just sent another image let me know if you get it)

KRIS: Just got it

Yeah it’s such a hero shot

MARCHAE: The entire team really comes together!

KRIS: And the use of light is great

MARCHAE: (sent over another one)

KRIS: Yeah I don’t think I’ll include that in the post for spoilers’ sake but it’s a great page

I think the “zoom out” makes it

MARCHAE: but even the quote at the end is amazing: “ Soldiers live and wonder why”

and it perfectly encapsulates what this story is about thematically

why do they - survivors guilt

the desire to move forward and be better

the desire to end something peacefully and in your own time

KRIS: Glen Cook is a fantasy author you might like -- maybe check out The Black Company

MARCHAE: but you do want this story to keep going and be with these characters for much longer than the trade allows

I WILL!!!

KRIS: Someone’s adapting that series for TV, I forget who but I think for one of the premium cable channels

More great body language:

MARCHAE: http://deadline.com/2017/04/eliza-dushku-star-the-black-company-series-adaptation-david-goyer-im-global-1202076367/

There are so many interpersonal nuances in this book it was fun to look at

KRIS: I like that Nico is very clearly ignoring Joe here -- no word balloons, but it’s obvious that this is heated

and classic Andy not wanting to deal

MARCHAE: he’s turned away from him entirely

KRIS: (I love that I can say “classic Andy” after just five issues)

MARCHAE: LOLOLOL

she’s so unimpressed by the entire situation

probably mentally sighing

KRIS: So what do you think of the punishment?

MARCHAE: its kind of devastating I think for Booker - It also makes me curious about what time feels like for these people

KRIS: Yeah

MARCHAE: What does 100 years feel like when you’ve lived a fafillion years already

KRIS: They have no friends besides each other

You don’t even really get the sense that Booker sleeps around the way Andy does because the team is a liiiiittle bit judgey about it in #1

MARCHAE: LOL they kind of are!

and it would just be complicated - we see that with Andy and her relationship

it reminds me of the first book of a series i like called the discovery of witches

just that idea of engaging in a relationship with someone who is mortal you’re constantly reminded that you are too much - and that the person you are with will never be enough for you because they will perish

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8667848-a-discovery-of-witches

(the text is now being turned into a major television show)

KRIS: I really love that the last two pages have no dialogue

It’s not a long epilogue at all but it also doesn’t feel too abrupt because those last two pages are a really well done kind of fade-out

MARCHAE: it’s incredibly effective - just as much as the opening which had very little dialogue

KRIS: I mean, just to really drive this home for everyone, not that I think anyone missed this, but THE LAST LINE OF THE BOOK IS “you’re alone”

And it’s so simple, it’s not a Dramatic! scene at all, it’s so understated, and that’s why it lands so hard

Andy’s not a Dramatic! person

MARCHAE: and you absolutely know she means it and is not in any way playing with this man

KRIS: ANDY DOES NOT PLAY

MARCHAE: Almost like I’ve worked to hard to get us here - I’m disappointed and i hate to do this but it has to be done

KRIS: It’s so good

This will probably not be our last comic Reaction. Marchae really hopes you read not just this but other Rucka work. In the meantime, follow us on Twitter!

#The Old Guard #Greg Rucka #Leandro Fernandez #Opening Fire #Andromache of Scythia #reaction #comics #Image Comics #Kris #Marchae #Literally Strong Female Characters

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