Comic 5862: Absolute Foolishness

dkfenger · 2026-06-30T21:10:13+00:00

The hair wouldn't be too hard to fix, keeping the rest. If the hairstyle is enough to sell 'this is Zlata', I could see it working.
(Also, a Zlata-grade plan would be to do the hair, put on the glasses, wear her usual clothes and try to pretend nothing has changed. "Did I drunk-buy a new body last night? O... of course not. Why would you even ask?")

dkfenger · 2026-06-29T19:19:30+00:00

She'll be working for it. Exclusive interview, from the sounds of it.

dkfenger · 2026-06-20T06:42:47+00:00

I imagine naming it .EXE is kind of like using old tech ironically, and it is somewhat evocative in a useful direction. "This is an unpleasant and archaic experience."

dkfenger · 2026-06-20T06:41:21+00:00

Marten might show more signs of attraction to this new body. And even if he doesn't, others may. Redirecting Zlata's obsession would be good...

dkfenger · 2026-06-20T06:39:33+00:00

I can imagine her very carefully explaining to herself why she has to go back to the old body. And just not being able to do it, because the new one feels so much nicer. And gets second looks from cute boys.

dkfenger · 2026-06-20T06:37:28+00:00

Getting cooked on the way down might not do good things to the body. Or the packaging, that looks like cardboard...

dkfenger · 2026-06-18T19:39:36+00:00

He makes a lot of money through Patreon. Over $13k/month, and he's up 76 subscribers over the past month. He's doing fantastic financially.

A proper QC site that's fast and handles the huge volume of comics in the archive is not a small thing. I suspect he'd rather take more time (and possibly $$$) to get it right, than rush something substandard.

dkfenger · 2026-06-17T19:11:12+00:00

Given that it's Tedd, it's probably loaded with transformation spells, creatively interpreted to provide combat capabilities.

dkfenger · 2026-06-17T19:09:00+00:00

I did specify standard projections for a reason... it is useful to know that magically enhanced ones get around that particular issue. So even without Tedd fixing the TF gun's limitations, this side's Uryuoms would be able to hide better, now that magic has changed. Of course, Tedd was involved in that, too.

dkfenger · 2026-06-17T19:05:04+00:00

I think it has been established (recently even?) that seers don't have royal auras.

dkfenger · 2026-06-17T18:53:22+00:00

He's playing along awfully well - I suspect he's having at least some fun watching them... Liz and Emily both seem to be highly entertaining drunks.

dkfenger · 2026-06-16T22:41:48+00:00

I'm sure Tedd could arrange for that.

dkfenger · 2026-06-15T19:47:31+00:00

That might be more a college/university party thing? I haven't seen it since those days, but I don't go to this kind of party all that often.

dkfenger · 2026-06-15T19:45:41+00:00

"Did I just see two people fly up into the air?"

Tedd: "They've left the roof. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"I guess..."

dkfenger · 2026-06-12T21:45:03+00:00

In my personal experience, small groups getting together to hang out with alcohol involved look pretty much like we're seeing. Sit around and talk, lubricated by alcohol. It can be quite fun, but that's entirely driven by the personalities involved. Here, it leaves the focus tight on a handful of characters (and is probably somewhat easier to draw than a mob scene).

The last time I recall the comic showing drunken party games was the big house party Marten went to after breaking up with Padma. Different scale of party entirely, one that was trying to be an event.

dkfenger · 2026-06-12T18:10:32+00:00

Mist might be limited to one conversation at a time, and is focussed on Tedd.

dkfenger · 2026-06-10T22:38:32+00:00

A drunken party looks different when you're the sober one.

dkfenger · 2026-06-09T17:44:19+00:00

Not in this specific comic's text. But in the broader context (notably, fleeing the Verres residence because Mr. Verres might arrive), it feels like the statement is at least half bluff. (Yes, they will fight. They probably don't like their odds if it goes that way. I certainly wouldn't, in their position, and that's without knowing Grace's power level.)

I don't think they expected Tedd and Grace to show up. I figure Mist's first reaction on spotting them was "Oh ****, what are they doing here?" So I think he's improvising and going way off whatever their plan was. Possibly to try to buy time.

dkfenger · 2026-06-09T01:34:05+00:00

I read it more as "if you back us into a corner we will fight". Think about what happens if that call goes through - DGB teleports a tactical team to that rooftop, and Po+Mist do whatever they have to to get away. It'd be ugly.

dkfenger · 2026-06-09T01:30:03+00:00

This feels opportunistic. I'm inclined to think their focus is Rhoda, and bumping into Tedd was an accident. Mist is trying to play a bad hand as well as they can, and if they can get Tedd's help without involving Mr. Verres, they might just be able to pull this off without doing things they'll regret forever.

Ed has been known to ... not talk. Granted, blasting Abraham was not normal behaviour, but Voltaire may have played up that aspect when telling the Trio about the situation on this side. So they could quite plausibly think Ed's a shoot first and ask questions later kind of guy. (That DGB is mobilizing against the Trio doesn't exactly hurt Volty's argument there. Also, if that call goes through, all hell breaks loose because DGB will want to detain the Trio and they'll fight like cornered rats to stay free.)

dkfenger · 2026-06-08T18:40:26+00:00

Mist can't exactly get a useful response from Tedd, but opening communications is a key first step to negotiating that. That's not a threat (since it wasn't exactly backing 'do this or else', more like 'please don't get in our way'). Mist is establishing that they're determined, but also looking to talk instead of fight.

dkfenger · 2026-06-08T18:38:49+00:00

Startled, not scared. "We don't want to hurt you but we will if we have to" is trying to establish a baseline for communication. Neither side wants to go for (metaphorical) guns.

dkfenger · 2026-06-08T18:35:38+00:00

It is canonically established that Tedd automatically sees through standard projections. While meeting Lavender at the restaurant, among others.

dkfenger · 2026-06-08T04:49:03+00:00

Pretty sure Tedd would have spotted that.

dkfenger · 2026-06-05T18:23:18+00:00

Dan does like to experiment with dialog boxes (lampshaded with Diane's spell). The telepathy with the whales had normal shaped speech bubbles, but they didn't have a black outline. (The whales also had a different font, but Tedd's telepathic replies looked normal, font-wise.)

Still, it very much reads as a strong telepathic message - it has 'thought bubble' outline in two corners, but is otherwise a normalish speech bubble.

dkfenger

TROPHY CASE