Comment by PK

....Aaack! Xira, what... did you just knock that lady out?

On purpose?

I am greatly confused. I'm sure there's an explanation, of course, but for now I'm just going all flaily.

(*flail*)

Comment by Kiri

.....I JUST noticed that Xira's eyebrows have been blonde this whole time HOW DID I MISS THIS...........

Comment by CanvasWolfDoll

what? no, xira, don't open with mental intrusion! that's impolite.

also: holy artist, tareth's older than xira? and xira is only 15? i thought he was somewhere between sev and jonan!

Reply by Threnodi

Me too!! Woah, 15? I mean I realize being taller than Tareth isn't a good way to gauge full growth, but shoot! I was figuring somewhere in the 18-22 range. I guess his sharp features and self assurance had me fooled!

I guess whatever he saw in the other healer's mind prompted this? But at least he was being belligerent when he read his mind..wonder what he's thinking. o.o

Reply by Glew

I am perpetually and recurringly shocked about Quentin's and Esra's age. Quentin is way too young and Esra should be younger than him, but actually he is almost a decade older! (and the same age as Jonan).
Also for some anomalic reason I find it hard to associate 30 as an age for Jonan. He is either 40+ or somewhere early 20s. But not 30... He is both too grumpy and too immature (irresponsible and selfish and too proud to acknowledge either).

Reply by Shazzbaa

I was on the phone when I read this comment and exclaimed aloud "SOMEONE USED 'HOLY ARTIST' AS AN EXPLETIVE OMG"

I kiiiinda thought Xira's age might be surprising to a few people, haha! While working on the story I would have to remind myself how young he is sometimes -- I think it just adds to it that he's on top of things here and Tareth already looks really young for her age. xD

Reply by Threnodi

This conversation was reminding me of something and I just remembered what: http://oj.us.to/15 XD Guess Xira is in good company.

Comment by keith_m043

looks like Johan might not be the only one with multiple aspects of his rune discipline.

BTW what is flatting?

Reply by Why?!?!

I think this is just more mind-reading kind of magic. Xira's cast blurb only lists him as having one of the witch magics.

But I suppose Shazz could be withholding information so as to avoid spoilers.

Reply by Tehbeefer

Flat coloring, without highlights and such effects, I think.

Reply by Shazzbaa

Tehbeefer has it! A lot of times digital colouring has this sorta boring step where you're just filling in everything with flat colours before you can start really shading and doing all the "cool stuff" -- so flatting the page is just getting all those flat colours down. c: (I included this step in some of my older vote incentives sometimes)

Comment by Dire

It looks like she has scarring around the corners of her mouth. Perhaps cut open to save her from Jonan's curse? What a terrible thought.

Reply by keith_m043

now *that's* a though. cutting the lips may not work because the magic would keep rehealing it, but if you cut holes in the cheeks as a bypass til the spell wore off...

Reply by Glew

...then that is even more horrifying.
But did not Jonan tell his manservant that the cutting should have worked?

Reply by Threnodi

I think maybe it has to do with the 'spell that lingers on you' Esra mentioned to Iavin... seems like it's happening to a lot of Runewriters lately that a spell will get locked active on them, the so-called 'corrupted' ones I'm guessing? In Jonan's case it does look like this lady's scars are another indication that cutting the mouth open should have worked, looks like it did for her?

Reply by Glew

I think you are right.

Comment by Wabbajack

...

Well that's one way to get about, I suppose.

If it helps, the patterns everywhere are beautiful. Like a gypsy's tent. /also I am way too pleased with the shawls and turbans, I feel right at home looking at the Traders

Reply by Shazzbaa

Aw, thank you very much! *u*

Comment by Why?!?!

Oh my goodness, is that the woman from the flashback on page 3.33? It definitely looks like her.

But this only strengthens my suspicion Xira is brainwashing her. Which is not cool Xira, not cool.

Reply by Wabbajack

GASP I KNEW SHE LOOKED FAMILIAR.

Comment by Obligatonym

Xira, you can't keep using mind over manners, this is why people think y'all are so creepy. I mean it's not like runewriters like Sev and Jonan have use their runewriting to get out of awkward conversations, is it?

Err... wait, no... actually Sev did just that in the first few pages. And Jonan's built an entire reputation around it. Huh?! Well, fair enough, I guess. Continue mindbending away, Xira.

(Also, as others mentioned, I'm kind of surprised by Xira's relative youth. His reckless use of mind majycks aside, he seems relatively mature.)

Reply by Wabbajack

I thought 15 was a mature age. OuO I'm younger than that and I behave pretty much the same way...

... Er. Minus the mind powers.

Reply by Asterai

Maturity is all a matter of perspective.

It's like your mind is still growing even after your body stops, but unlike your body, you can't just look at it to see how big it's gotten or whether it grew the way it was supposed to or how it compares to other peoples' minds.

For me, I know I matured absurdly fast in some ways and painfully slow in others. It's as if my arms grew all the way to full size before my legs did; the bits of me that were still underdeveloped held me back for a really long time. This seems to be very common; I've met people who are very good at taking care of themselves but don't know how to deal with things they can't change, or people who are brilliant at helping others get along but can't keep their personal relationships healthy. I figure I'm getting close to being a whole, balanced person, but maybe someday I'll look back and realize that some other piece of me still hadn't grown up at this point.

And beyond that, there's always room to get more mature, to get stronger and smarter, more agile and wise. At the age of fifteen, you look back at the kid you used to be and think you've matured a lot, and it's true. But I'm sitting about a decade on from there, looking back at the teenager I was and thinking hey, I sure have learned a lot and grown as a person since then, and it's true. And I'm pretty sure a lot of the older adults I know look at me and think they've matured a lot since they were my age, and for at least some of them, it is still very true. Some people stop growing, sure, and even seem to shrink in on themselves with age and bitterness. But others... some of the most badass people I know are computer-literate seventy-year-olds. People who never stopped learning, or thinking, or asking why they did the things they did.

So yeah. Fifteen can be mature. But if you're done maturing at that point, you'll probably miss out on a lot of good stuff.

Reply by Wabbajack

I wasn't talking about in terms of growth, I meant behaviour. But, you know, sometimes I think like a grownup and act like a 5-year-old. Depends on who you are, I suppose.

But this conversation is going off-topic. OTL i'll end it here, if that's all right.

Reply by Shazzbaa

( psssst, I'm pretty sure Asterai was talking about behaviour too, just comparing it to physical growth, since you can behave in a mature way in one aspect of life, but not in others! c: )

15 is.... a more mature age than the years that come before it? xD And I think it partially depends on culture, too -- if you're in a culture where you're kicked out of the house at 15 and expected to have your own life and get married at that point, then you're forced to psychologically mature a little faster. The fact that Tareth is 17 and still so dependent on her family is definitely not the norm.

That sort of thing affects the ages that all the characters come across as, I think. People have mentioned how much older Quentin looks, but being the leader of a weird and pretty far-reaching organisation/cult is probably going to wear on you a bit. He has a lot more responsibility than Severian, despite not being that much older. Meanwhile, Tareth could probably pass for 14 or 15 and acts like a kid who's never left her house without supervision, probably because she's never left her house without supervision.
So then you have Xira: he's in an element he's comfortable with, and claims to know the city well -- whether that's because he lives here or because he comes here often as a trader -- it's really easy for him to come across as a little more world-wise than you'd expect.

..........Also he reads minds.
That.... actually might make you a little more world-wise as well.

#talking too much about own characters

Reply by Wabbajack

The Tareth explanation sounds disturbingly like me. My mum even has to tell me what to wear, or when to take a shower. CX

Reply by Threnodi

This is awesome, I laughed XD

Reply by Shazzbaa

(omg I really like the phrase mind over manners)

Reply by Obligatonym

As much as I wish I could take credit for "mind over manners", I'm fairly sure I stole the phrase from TV Tropes.

Comment by NoRAd

Now I'm really curious as to Xira's motivations. Is he like... trying really hard to get into Tareth's pants? Why is he doing so much to help, and what would he be doing if he hadn't run into Tareth? Why help Jonan, but apparently hurt this person? WHAT'S GOING ON!?

Now that I've thought about it a bit... I get the impression this is going to be about Tareth collecting bad guys and turning them into good guys.

Reply by Glew

Can't he be just a boy who doesn't want to idly go by when he realizes that someone is in dire need (even life-threatening) and he may be able to help? Why is it strange that he did not just say:
"Oh, well, this sucks, but I'm sure you can figure out something with your unconscious friend here who is also a well-loathed person whom many want to see dead and his not at all suspicious zombi-pony (aka ABOMIATION - translated to Common). Even though you are a frail, deaf young girl on your own in an alien huge city possibly full of underdogs and also trigger-happy "demon hunters". Oh and I guess you don't have any money either, do you? Well, good luck! 8D"

Yeah.... <_<
ps. No offense

Reply by Asterai

You have to keep in mind that Xira was able to "hear" Tareth's desperation. A highly empathic person would have a lot of trouble just walking past that.

Also, I've got a sneaking suspicion Xira had... almost nothing to do today, aside from find food and a place to sleep. He "kinda lost" his trading group (*ahem* WAS EXILED FOR BEING A WITCH *cough cough cough*), perhaps very recently, and I'd bet he is pretty much in survival mode, and actually relieved to have someone else's problems to deal with.

Reply by Threnodi

Woah, I do wonder if he got in trouble or maybe got seperated because some other group picked a fight over his mind reading, but why would you assume they exiled him just for being a witch? If babies show runes since birth and all, and blonde-black hair would be pretty obvioohwaitbuttheturban do you think his parents hid his abilities from the rest of the group?? O_O

Reply by Glew

Also the very fact that he is blone, that he is half-vaerenski might have added to some folks... displeasure. Though we don't know how racist they are or are not.

Reply by NoRAd

That could be too. I guess we'll have to wait and see, but I think his methods are a bit extreme for straight up good samaritaning. On the other hand, him being a mind reader and stuff, he might not realize how shocking and arguably downright evil his methods seem to be. On yet another hand, he did tell Tareth to wait outside... I just don't know him well enough yet to figure out what he's up to and why, so I'm throwing wild guesses out there.

tl;dr his intentions may be good and earnest and true, but look at what he just did.

Comment by Meggyc

No, Xira! Noooo! I'm glad that Xira has been added to the cast page. And the fact that "he's clearly totally mundane" is such a relief. ;D (I laughed so much.)

Yjay last panel is gorgeous. The texture, lighting, and shading make for a really etherial quality.

Reply by Shazzbaa

(ehehehe I'm so glad xD)

And yay! thank you very much! *u*

Comment by Tehbeefer

Regarding Xira's cast song, (Creep by Radiohead), which is a pretty memorable song, reportedly has that that rough "jugga....jugga" bit because the guitarist hated the song and was trying to mess the practice up. Unfortunately for him, they liked it, and now it's one of their most popular songs.

Reply by Wabbajack

Conspiracy within a band. I've now heard of everything.

Comment by Riverfox237

Doggonit, Xira, this is not going to help your case at all.

Comment by Riverfox237

Actually, now that I've read other peoples' comments and it's been revealed that he's 15, this kind of behavior kind of makes sense, since he's probably still trying to figure out the best way to operate in the world (like every teenager). I did totally think he was older than that, though. I bet it's because Tari's so short (and, well, she HAS been the youngest person here yet, so I think I just naturally assumed that everyone who showed up after her was older XD).

Comment by Glew

Xira, what the heck?! Knocking people out is not the Vaerenski equivalent of saying "I need your unpaid favor that is possibly anger a lot of people."
Or is it?
"I'll go talk to her" huh? And what was the point anyway? Now you are just sitting there, admiring her tapestry.

Reply by Shazzbaa

Xira do you know what "talk" means because you keep not using it properly

Reply by NoRAd

I don't think that word means what you think it means.

Comment by Mecha

Xira is really putting a lot of effort into helping her heal Jonan. Makes me wonder if he's just feels a kinship with the group, and wants to hang with them or something.

...or maybe this is normal for Xira. Either way this is still awesome. And here I was thinking mind reading magic wouldn't allow you to defend yourself.

Comment by Kwaj

You're perpetuating a negative stereotype, Xira! I mean, you could be a pizza man, organ grinder, a leaning tower maker, and uh.. did I say pizza man?

Also, looks like her Hall of Memories is a YURT - WHAT NOW, SUCKA?!

Comment by Random Passerby

I keep forgetting that, actually, in the comic, we've not been with Xira for long. We still don't really know all that much about his motivations.

Comment by Tama-chan

I do feel batter if there's some explanation for lateness, even if it's just a fat animal saying "I'm working on it!" beacuse...y'know. Fat animals. =^-^=

Comment by keith_m043

there's a link to her twitter on the faq page, if you read that you'll find she said that she didn't think she'd make it a couple of hours ago. presumably she's still cranking right now and will bang it out when it's done (assuming she doesn't run out of fatigue points first).

Comment by Karma Squirrel

Aaaaugh I can see the runes in her rings and this is unreasonably exciting for me!!!
Right. Yes. I'm... yeah no I like being excited. *glee*

Also - loving Shazz's reaction to someone using "holy artist" as an expletive. I'm adopting this. Right now. Best expletive ever.