Day Two

Going First

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Sun, 24 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#289. Going First

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 4

You gotta love how casually she says, "We've tested it."

Chloe (eyes wide, boggling): "You're going to try to cure Sophia?" Zia: "Yep." Chloe: "Like cure cure?" Zia: "Yep."
Chloe: "But — Sophia — why Sophia?" "Like — why not maybe someone fuzzy with a tail?" "And hooves?"
Sophia (resting in the archway between the two glowing panels of the machine): "Because for better or for worse, I can be sliced, diced, chopped, smashed, squished, shot, burned, boiled, melted, fried, exploded, and live to tell the tale." "We've tested it." "But if you still want to go first using this highly experimental machine..."
Chloe (visibly pale, backing away): "Nope, nope, hah, I was definitely talking about somebody else with hooves, you go right ahead."

Thumbs Up

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Wed, 27 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#290. Thumbs Up

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 5

Dangit, Sophia, you're gonna blow our PG rating with that safe word.

Chloe (holding goggles): "This can't — possibly be safe." Zia (wearing goggles on her forehead, punching at a console): "It isn't. But you don't make an Einsteinian omelette without breaking a few quantum eggs." Various figures move in the background.
Chloe: "What are the odds any of us leave here alive?" Zia (shrugs, still working): "I mean, definitely above 70%." "Probably."
Zia (puts goggles on): "All right." "Sophia, please repeat the safe word."
Sophia (cheerfully): "'FRIGGIN STOP, ASSHOLES!'" Chloe (facepalms). Zia gives an air high-five to Sophia. Amy grimaces.
Amy (at another console, with others watching): "Resonators primed. Sensors zeroed out. All cameras recording." Zia: "Everybody, goggles on. Sophia, are you ready?"
Sophia (brightly, holding out several hands): "Let's go! Five thumbs up!"

Reduction

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Sun, 31 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#291. Reduction

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 6

Ekk. That's... not so good. 💀

Zia (at a near console): "Power level at 1.5 gigaelectronvolts per microfleuron." Amy (at another far console, closer to Sophia): "Readings nominal." Sophia gives a thumbs-up inside the archway, which has started to glow.
Sophia (bright light around her): "Something's happening — " Zia: "Abort!?" Sophia: "No, keep going!"
Zia: "3 GeV." Amy: "5% energy reduction!" Sophia (getting jittery and glowing slightly): "Ooo, it tingles."
Zia: "8 GeV!" Amy: "12%!" Sophia (glowing brighter, oddly shaped): "This feels really weird — " " — but I'm okay, keep going!"
Zia: "15 GeV!" Amy: "20%!" Sophia (extremely bright, even more oddly shaped): "Nnngh..." Chloe: "Sophia — ?"
Zia: "30 GeV!" Amy: "28%!" Sophia (just a blobby silhouette): "Mother fu — " "burning — " Chloe: "I don't think this is right!"
The machinery starts to spark. Zia: "Maximum! 60 GeV!" Amy: "35%!" Sophia (visually unrecognizable): "AARGHH!!!" Chloe: "We have to stop!"
*loud bang as the machine's core explodes, and Sophia's silhouette bursts.* *BOOM.*

The Cure

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#292. The Cure

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 7

...huh. It really worked.

Smoke surrounds the machine. Several parts of it are on fire. Sunlight pours in through the damaged roof.
Smoke starts to clear, and everyone rushes over. A dark figure lays in front of the machine. Amy starts putting out the fires with a fire extinguisher.
Sophia (laying on the ground, now blue, human-shaped, and translucent): "Ugh..." "Anybody get the number of that bus?"
Chloe (freaked out): "HOLY HELL!" Zia: "Are you — okay?" Sophia (rolling onto her side, her liquid pooling under her): "I've felt worse."
Amy (measuring with a handheld device): "43.9% reduction in chimeric energy. It really worked." Chloe (softly, eyes wide): "It really did." Sophia starts to sit up, her hand and feet disappearing into liquid dripping off the steps of the machine.
Zia (points at the destroyed roof): "Yep, it only used up enough power to light a city, three months of refined thulium isotopes, and destroyed half the building, but it worked." Camera pulls back to show massive damage to the room; every screen shows errors; much of the machinery is ruined; and figures in the background are putting out fires.

Good Try

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#293. Good Try

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 8

No, Sophia, geez, that's completely the wrong answer 😫 Y'know, I'm just gonna go ahead and tear up the script now. Only took eight pages for everything to go completely off the rails this time, don't even know why I even bother planning for these people.

Sophia is sitting up, now a translucent blue goo-girl. Chloe (completely freaked out): "How — how do you feel?" Sophia (looking at her hands): "— blue."
Zia (looking at data on a tablet): "So the good news is that you're more human. The bad news is you have a long way to go." Sophia: "That's progress, I guess."
Sophia (holds up her hand and looks at it dripping): "Anybody got a mirror? This is really weird."
Amy (reaches into her purse): "I have one."
Sophia stares at herself in shock.
Zia: "So it was a good try, but — " Sophia (brightly staring at her face in the mirror): "Holy hentai I'm SEXY!" Chloe freaks out and drops her goggles.

Shallow

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#294. Shallow

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 9

What did I just say about about you people going completely off the rails? Does nobody listen anymore?

Sophia (standing, looking into the mirror, striking an impossibly flexible pose): "Seriously, I never looked this good in my life!" "Look at that face!" "These curves!" "I can't be a day over twenty!" "And blue is definitely my color!"
Amy: "We should run some tests on — " Sophia (glances back): "Anybody wanna go out for drinks to celebrate?" Chloe grimaces.
Zia: "Any normal time I'd be way ahead of you, but I think Amy's right, we really should run some tests on — "
Sophia sighs, deflated.
Sophia (arms crossed): "Fine, fine, yeah. As the seniormost grown adult in this lab, I have a responsibility to the science. This success needs to be documented, in detail."
Sophia: "So you ladies have exactly three hours to run as many tests as you can and write down everything." "_And then — _"
Sophia (holding up the mirror again, looking at herself posing): " — and then I'm going clubbing," " — see if it's even possible to get this body drunk," " — and squeeze in as many regrets as I can." "I might never look this hot again."
Chloe (anxiously): "Isn't that — kind of — really shallow — for a distinguished professor?" Sophia (wryly): "Call it 'research.'" "After fifty years of ugly and smart, it's time to find out how the other half lives."

Choice

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#295. Choice

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 10

Zia, you're presently $17 million in the hole for today, so maybe just take one for the team?

Amy: "All right, somebody's gotta go with her." Zia (dismissively): "Bah, she's fine." Chloe and Sophia continue to talk in the background, while others work on cleanup.
Amy (irritated, waving at the hole in the roof): "She's not fine." "She's blue." "With two eyes." "And arms and legs." "Also the lab is missing wall." "So do you want to keep an eye on her, or do you want to clean up?"
Zia (looks down, grimacing).
Zia (looks back up at Amy): "You do realize you're forcing me to be responsible, right?" Amy: "I'm sure you can handle it."

Chaperone

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#296. Chaperone

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 11

Well, let's see, it can't possibly be worse than blowing up the lab, can it?

Chloe and Zia, walking behind Sophia outside. Sophia grins cheerfully. Chloe: "This is a really bad idea." Zia: "You have a better one?"
Chloe: "Shouldn't she be at the lab for, I don't know, observation?" "What if something goes wrong?" Zia: "Amy and the team are cleaning up at the lab." "And if something goes wrong, I'm here to keep Sophia out of trouble."
Chloe: "And why am I here?" Zia: "Because someone needs to keep me out of trouble, DUH."
Chloe (facepalming): "This is going to be a disaster." Zia (shrugs): "We could get lucky." "Maybe the police will be called." Chloe: "You're really not helping."

The Bar

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#297. The Bar

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 12

Who had "Chloe gets ditched in 3 seconds flat" in the betting pool? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S_vclBlGZo">[...sound track!]</a> (This page took a ridiculously long time to draw. I spent weeks getting it just right, but 1000% worth it. Easily one of my most favorite pages this chapter.)

Approaching the bar "Cocoa Banana" just past sunset, with a line of people waiting to get in behind a large bouncer with a rhino head who has closed off the door with red velvet ropes. Most in line are human, but a few with tails or horns. A car drives toward parking, and more people are heading to join the line.
*Sophia and Zia pass right by the bouncer, who holds the velvet rope open* Zia (cheering): "Woohoo, ladies night!" Sophia: "Yeah!" Chloe (somewhat behind): "I really don't think this is — "
Inside the bar. Chloe: "Listen, you guys should stay close so we don't get separated —"
They're both instantly gone, leaving Chloe by herself in the crowd.
Chloe spots Sophia, who's already across the room, leaning toward a surprised guy sitting at a table in a booth. Sophia: "Hey, cutie, ever heard of Rule 34?"
Chloe sees Zia off dancing in a huge crowd while Lady Gaga's song "Born This Way" plays. (music: "...the right track baby I was born this...")
Chloe (sighing and shrugging): "Why do I even bother?"
Chloe (to the bartender): "Water, please." (Bartender washes a glass in front of a wall of bottles. Above the bar, bar trivia on one TV showing "Round Over!" and "Winner: Team Red". On another TV, news channel SNN showing a newscaster and an aircraft carrier, with headline "USS Alice Roosevelt" and "Breaking News," and subtitles reading "Reports on scene indicate that..." On the last TV, a soccer game at "23:17" with subtitles reading "He looks good..." and "Liverpool.")

Mark

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#298. Mark

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 13

...uh oh.

Chloe (hovering over her glass of water at the bar): "Can't believe it." "Fine." "Whatever." "They're grown women." Big crowd of people in the background behind her.
Voice: "Can I buy you a drink?" Chloe: "Listen, I'm just here chaperoning my friends —"
Camera pulls back to show a tall centaur guy in a gray T-shirt with slightly messy hair. "Hi, I'm Mark." Chloe starts to look up.
Chloe stands up and stares at him, a little stunned.
Mark: "Are you — okay?" Chloe's face is pink.
Chloe (bright pink): "HI I'M MARK, I'M HI!" *awkwardly jabs hand in the air to shake his*

Tall

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#299. Tall

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 14

...eep.

Mark: "Haven't seen you before." "And I think I'd remember another centaur." "This your first time here?" Chloe nervously fiddles with her hair, a large crowd in the background behind them.
Chloe stares up at him, stunned. Little hearts float over her head.
Mark: "Miss, are you — all right?" Chloe panics.
Chloe (looking up, her face flushed): "I'm sorry I'm fine —" "It's just I thought —" "And you're —" "REALLY —" "TAAALLL..."
Mark (shyly): "Yeah, tall's kind of an occupational hazard when you're a centaur." "So, uh, what's your name?"
Chloe (freezes, nodding cluelessly): "Name?" (Background: "...don't panic don't panic don't panic...")
Chloe (nodding furiously): "I HAVE A NAME!!!" "_HI, UH, I'M — _" (Background: "...panic panic panic panic panic...")
Chloe sits bolt upright in bed the next morning, holding the blankets over her chest — with Mark asleep beside her. Chloe: (whispering, eyes wide): " — in big trouble."

Apologies

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#300. Apologies

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 15

PAGE 300! WOO! 300 PAGES OF DAY TWO! MAJOR MILESTONE! 🎉 ...er, but holy crap, yeah, sorry Chloe, you kinda brought it on yourself, but I'm pretty sure your life isn't going to get any easier from here on out.

Chloe sneaks out of her room. Chloe is wearing a loose white camisole, clearly a quickly-found undergarment. Zia is at the end of the hall, looking at her phone and drinking coffee, wearing a sleeveless T-shirt that says "100% NOT HUNG OVER."
Zia (wryly looks up as Chloe approaches): "Well." Chloe: "I, uh, good morning?" Zia (eyebrow raised): "It should be."
Chloe: "Listen, I, uh — " Zia (brightly): "Oh, you have nothing to apologize to me for."
Chloe: "I — don't?"
Zia: "Nah." Chloe (nervously): "...good — ?"
Zia (grinning): "Now Mrs. Bankelstein downstairs — " Chloe (buries face, bright red): "OH GOD!"

Stick

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#301. Stick

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 16

There needs to be a betting pool on how many times Chloe will attempt to brutally murder Zia before the end of the chapter.

Chloe: "I just — he was hot, and I — ." "I don't know what I was thinking." "I wasn't even drunk." "He bought me one cosmo, and I just — "
Zia: "Chlo, you don't need to apologize for it." "You've needed to get laid for months now." Chloe (angrily): "Zia!"
Zia (snarky): "I'm just saying, while he was all up in there, I hope he finally pulled out the stick you had up your butt."
Chloe glares at her, fuming murderously. Zia (sweet and innocent): "What?"

Owning It

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#302. Owning It

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 17

*flips frantically through the script* What page are we even on? Who the hell is this guy!?

Chloe (through gritted teeth): "I don't need your sarcasm, I need your help! He's still here!"
Zia (heads toward the kitchen, grinning): "Okay, I'll make some breakfast." "You think he likes eggs?" "Bacon?" "Pancakes?" Chloe (angrily): "Zia!"
A curly-haired satyr man slips past behind them, grimacing, holding his underwear and shirt over his waist. Chloe (startled): "!" Zia looks back.
Chloe (disgusted): " — the heck!?"
He slips out to the living room while they watch.
He slips in front of the TV and turns the apartment doorknob.
He darts out the apartment door. Zia (brightly, holding up her hand like a phone): "Call me!"
Chloe (steaming angry): "You goddamn HYPOCRITICAL LITTLE GREEN —" Zia (gestures with coffee cup, with a dark smile): "The difference between you and me, Chloe my dear, is that if I'm gonna make a mistake, I OWN it."

The Mistake

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#303. The Mistake

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 18

Oh, Chloe. 🤦‍♂️

Chloe (whispering fiercely): "Zia! What are we gonna do?" Zia: "I think I'm gonna make some waffles. You think your boytoy likes waffles?"
Chloe (starting to panic): "Zia!" Zia (serious): "Chloe, you're a grown woman. You slept with a guy. It's the most normal thing you've done all year. This is good for you."
Chloe (constrained panic): "No, you don't understand!" "How do I tell him without hurting him that I made a massive mistake?" "That I never should've done — what we did!" "Not now, not ever with this goddamn horse stuck to me!" "And it was my idea — not his! — to come back here, I dragged him into my bedroom, and I — oh God, this is completely my fault, and I wasn't even drunk, and that just makes it worse!" "This is a horrible mistake!" "What was I thinking!?"
Zia: "Chloe, you were thinking with your butt. Welcome to the human race." " — I mean, sort of."
Chloe (full-on panic): "Zia, this is a DISASTER!" "I have to figure out what to SAY to him!" "I let my guard down for just ONE MINUTE, and I friggin' picked up a guy at a bar and SLEPT with him!" "What did we — what did I even DO last night?" "Oh my GOD, I don't even want to THINK about it!" "This was a HUGE MISTAKE — I need to — "
Mark (behind her, softly): "Was it really that bad?" Chloe (frozen like a statue, crumbling as metaphorical lightning strikes).