page 856 – friendly support
Hey, you wanna play a fun game? Go look through some of the older Christmas comics and see just how many times this “new” character has already appeared in the background without explanation!
Speaking of whom, I’m still working out exactly how much exposition I can wedge into the next few page’s dialog, so I’m honestly not sure exactly how much backstory is going to be revealed in the near future. But there IS one thing that I wanna say, because I don’t think it came across as clearly as I intended: Mariska here is NOT Ichabod’s elusive girlfriend (hence the Cap’n making that “SECOND least” remark) But as for what their relationship IS… well, you’ll just have to keep speculating until Friday, kiddies!
…though here’s a new Voting Incentive that should give you something else to chew on.
(Historical Notes: I’m more or less sure that the Voting Incentive in question is that first drawing of Lil’ Ichabod and Mariska, just waiting to star in that “kids going on adventures and solving mysteries” spin-off I still totally want to do some day.)
@ Last page of the comic: The last one technically actually happened since Stilez entered the ship, even if Ichabod himself wasn’t involved with it. Good work figuring out what the most aggressive person who isn’t Stilez on the ship wanted as soon as Stilez was on the ship, Mariska!
Ichabod better hope and pray that NOBODY at the Nitpicker’s Guild ever find out that the first thing Stilez did after moving in was be given a bath, or he’ll NEVER hear the end of it.
You DO realise that the moment Layla’s asked what it was like living with Stilez, once Stilez is removed, the first thing she’ll probably talk about is how she had to force the stinky cat to take a bath, right?
I’m sure her version of the story will make it sound like she held Stilez down and scrubbed her single-handedly. While everybody else cheered for her. And gave her things.
You’re talking about scorn from a group who’s job is literally to nit-pick at every little detail. You think that an obviously biased version of the story would STOP them from teasing one of their own members as if they were in the room doing the clean himself, if they were so inclined to tease him about it? At BEST those “so-inclined co-workers” might give him benefit of the doubt for being in the room, and even then I feel like that might be an “optimistic” option in their rumour mill which instead suggest that he’s probably watching and recording said bath from a safe distance in case things go wrong.