Unity: Conversations (2009/12/02)

[[Juni is sitting on the shore of the lake by the village]]
Juni [Hiero]: So Tamu was there when Sasha turned other-me back on? I thought he was just being absent-minded...
Seventeen: That is what Zero told us.
Juni: Huh. Then things just might work out after all.
Seventeen: We have so much to tell everyone. Will you help us?
Juni: I'll try. It will be difficult to explain this to the Directorate, though at least Tamu is on our side now, I guess.
Hira [Kajoshi]: Juni? Who are you talking to?
Juni [Kajoshi]: Oh, just to myself. Heh.
Seventeen: Hi, mom!
Juni: Myself says "hi."
Hira: I still don't trust that thing.
Juni: It's harmless.
Seventeen: Yes, until we rise up against the fleshy oppressors!
Juni: Hee. Quiet, you.
Hira: I don't even want to know.
Transcript
[!]1 comment

Unity: Seventeen (2009/12/04)

Juni [carrying the drone Seventeen]: Hey, Eugene.
Seventeen: Ow ow ow ow ow
Eugene: Hi. Why're you carryin' that bug thing around again?
Juni: It got some sand in its wheel. I was hoping you could do me a favor.
Seventeen: this hurts
Eugene: Sure, what?
Seventeen: HOW does it hurt?
Seventeen: come on FIX ME
Juni: Could you take care of Seventeen for me? Like a pet. It won't take much, and it would make it much easier for me to keep an eye on the village.
Seventeen: NO DON'T LEAVE ME WITH HIM
Eugene: You named it?
Seventeen: I'm sorry I called you "fleshy!"
Juni: Sort of. Zero-- Uh, it's a little bit complicated.
Eugene: You're complicated.
Seventeen: he's just going to break me
[[Closeup on Seventeen sitting by Juni's and Eugene's feet]]
Juni: Well, will you do it?
Eugene: Sure, I guess. What's it eat?
Juni: It feeds off the hub. You just have to keep it out of trouble and clean its wheels occasionally.
Seventeen: You can fix me when we get home!
Eugene: How do I do that?
Juni: I'll show you. We'll need a spatcher.
Seventeen: you're so mean
Transcript
[!]4 comments

Unity: Kayohash on delivery (2009/12/07)

Juni: Hi, Tamu. You really didn't have to come get me.
Tamu: Welcome back. Did you have a pleasant flight here?
Juni: It was okay. Hopefully Zero can get the pod network working again, though.
Tamu: "Zero?" Oh, the simulation. Yes, indeed.
Juni: I don't think it's fair to refer to it as "the simulation" anymore.
Tamu: Perhaps not.
Tamu: I realize you are inherently biased, but do you truly think it was wise to give "Zero" such full access to Unity?
Juni: I don't think we have any other choice now.
Juni: The damage is done Little fragments of me, all over Unity's systems. Ugh.
Tamu: I doubt this is what the Homin had in mind for this ship.
Juni: [English]Icarus was just about their own diaspora. We are what's left over.
Tamu: Is this a relapse?
Juni: Oh, goodness no.
Juni: I think they'd be incredibly happy we even exist.
Transcript

Unity: Personal growth (2009/12/09)

Tamu: You don't sound particularly happy to be part of Unity now.
Juni: It's definitely not what I meant to happen. I just wanted to learn more from the Homin.
Juni: They obviously intended for [Kajoshi]sparkle to be a way to give us knowledge. I had to take it.
Tamu: The entire purpose behind your "plan," yes?
Tamu: Yes... I was so close and I felt like you were trying to take it away from me.
Juni: It felt terrible but I just had to have more. And now my senses are all screwed up.
Tamu: I see.
Tamu: So what have you learned from this experience?
Juni: The universe is large and we are incredibly tiny.
Tamu: Hm. I was hoping for a bit more personal growth.
Juni: A copy of my mind now controls our entire world. How much bigger can I get?
Transcript

Unity: Presentation (2009/12/11)

Chair: [[continued from off-panel]]-e are agreed, the policy on crop rotation remains unchanged. Our next order of agenda is a proposal by Organeer Juni Melrose.
Juni: H-hello.
Chair: Do not be shy. You are among friends, Officer.
Juni: Y-yes, I...
Juni: I thank the members of the Directorate for allowing me to speak in their presence.
Juni: I have been involved in Academy Dean General Haring's ongoing research of the Homin artifact, found by my people.
Juni: There is a primitive visual interface, but it is very hard to work with.
Juni: By accident, I learned that the artifact is designed to interface with the minds of Kayohash and teach them directly.
Juni: But it requires a mind that is... primed with a certain level of understanding.
Juni: There is so much information in there but I can only learn so much. The easiest way to get more is to...
Juni: Well, to get more educated Kayohash.
Juni: I would like to propose an educational program which would benefit both Kajoshu and the South, for a new era of mutual prosperity. The first step is-
Transcript
[!]1 comment

Unity: On the job (2009/12/14)

Tanya Harris: [[looking through a sniper scope]] Hullo there, li'l critter.
Juni: Hi.
Tanya: Just a sec, I see a jaywalker who needs t' learn some patience.
Tanya: Say, I never got t' thank you fer savin' Ed. Even if it was yer fault he-
Juni: Wouldyouliketogetdinnersometime?
Tanya: Huh?
Tanya: Uh, sure, I guess.
Tanya: Crud, missed his ankle.
Tanya: Ah, well. Losin' a leg's more ironic anyway.
Transcript
[!]1 comment

Unity: Balanced (2009/12/16)

Zero: Juni! Hello. Twenty-six saw you coming. I like your haircut.
Juni: Hi, Zero. How are you feeling?
Zero: I am good. The stellar fragment is shining and my scoop encountered a dense pocket of hydrogen. It was delicious.
Juni: "Your" scoop?
Zero: Sorry... Unity's scoop. It feels like a part of me now.
Juni: You smell different.
Zero: Tamu was tinkering with my neurotransmitters. My serotonin was high. Now it is not.
Zero: He told me that you and Sam broke up. Are you okay?
Juni: Yeah, I'm fine. It was... a while ago, after the trial. It was a long time coming.
Zero: I think that I would miss him.
Juni: I will.
Transcript

Unity: Preference (2009/12/18)

Sasha: [campon clicking noises]
Juni: Oh, Sasha! Welcome back! Here, I have your translator. Did you enjoy your tithing?
Sasha [via translator]: Yes. My mother and I exchanged many fluids. I had grown nostalgic for her crop.
Sasha: I thank you for commuting my sentence into a vacation, but the timing could have been somewhat more optimal.
Juni: Oh?
Sasha: It was a time when many new sisters had recently hatched, and many sisters presented for nurse duty.
Sasha: My family is... I have difficulty with more than a hundred or so.
Juni: Lots of dishes to recycle, huh?
Sasha [agitated]: We prefer to use compostable material and for storage only. It is also not my duty to process this material. I have explained this to you on several occasions.
Juni: Yes, Sasha, it was a... Oh, never mind. It's good to have you back.
Sasha: Thank you, YU-NI.
Transcript
[!]1 comment

Unity: Media relations (2009/12/21)

Merrick: Officer Melrose, a moment of your time? My sources tell me you may know more about these drones and why they are becoming so prevalent. Would you like to comment?
Juni: No, I wouldn't.
Merrick: You have been seen engaging in what appears to be conversation with them. I have received many recordings of this.
Juni: They like being talked to. Everyone should talk to them.
Merrick: How do you know this?
Juni: They are hundreds of millions of rounds old. Obviously they have just gotten curious.
Merrick: You were involved in a court case when the drones first began to come inward. The records for this case have been sealed. Would you like to comment?
Juni: Again, no I would not.
Merrick: And what about reporter Kali Rosha, who willingly canceled an upcoming story? They never do that.
Juni: [[thinking]] Breeze I miss Sam.
Transcript
[!]3 comments

Unity: Loose ends (2009/12/23)

Merrick: Would you like to comment on the allegations made by Seth Rasmussen?
Juni: Probably not, but what allegations?
Merrick: That you and Dean General Haring have been performing experiments on Spadetail perception.
Juni: First of all it's "Kayohash." Second, all experiments have been strictly with full consent all involved.
Juni: He was invited to participate in some research. He withdrew his consent, and then left freely.
Merrick: He said Haring tried to withhold him.
Juni: Tamu was disappointed, and mis-spoke.
Merrick: He also said that what he saw during the experiment has now appeared in drones-
Juni: That is his opinion, and I might remind him of the laws about predisclosure of pending Academy research.
Juni: Your recording device was inactive, by the way.
Transcript
[!]2 comments

Unity: Second-degree (2009/12/25)

Merrick: Officer...
Juni: You're still following me?!
Merrick: Is there anything else you would like to make a comment on?
Juni: I didn't want to make any comments to begin with! Go away!
Merrick: What are you hiding?
Juni: You can read my research when it is published. If you'll excuse me, I'm late for a dinner.
Merrick: With whom?
Juni: Just some friends. Why the breeze is it any of your business?!
Merrick: The public has a right to know, Officer Melrose! We will get the truth in some way!
Juni: [[Homin]] [Copulate] outward!!! <<raises its index finger>>
Kali: So, Juni...
Kali: Are you ever going to allow me to finish our story of the last two rounds?
Juni: Argh. Not now, Kali.
Transcript

Journal: 2009 wrap-up (2009/12/27)

Caption: Now that it's the end of the year, how did fluffy do on its resolutions for 2009? Let's find out.
Caption: 3. Blog less, create more
Table: Creation:
Table: Original songs: 2008: 1. 2009: 3
Table: Remixes, covers, and film scores: 2008: 0. 2009: 8
Table: Ablums: 2008: 0, 2009: 1
Table: Comics and drawings: 2008: 89, 2009:133
Footnote: Approximation based on current count as of 12/25/2009, includes off-site guest comics)
Table: Blogging:
Table: Blog posts: 2008: 283, 2009:142
Table: Forum posts: 2008: ca. 7000, 2009: ca. 3000
Footnote: Estimated based on overall post rates at poe-news/portalofevil.com and songfight.org
Table: Twitter posts: 2008: N/A. 2009: N/A
Footnote: couldn't be bothered to figure this one out
Caption: Verdict: SUCCESS
Caption: 2. Get a boyfriend and/or cat
[[fluffy snuggles with a large blue bunny on the couch]]
Caption: Verdict: SUCCESS (boyfriend)
Caption: 1. Lose some weight
Wii Fit: You gained weight! You missed your goal! Do not eat so many snacks!
Verdict: Fat[obscured]ass
fluffy: Shut the hell up.
Transcript
[!]3 comments

Unity: Gentle change (2009/12/28)

[[Juni, Tanya, Kali, and Kila eat dinner at the restaurant from the beginning of the series]]
Kali: The reporter Merrick has points. Many public members grow concerned about Academy secrecy.
Juni: Yes, bu you know the actual story now. Can't you just... tell them?
Kali: It is what I ask for. You control release of the story.
Kila: Kali is right, dear. You two made an agreement.
Juni: Oh.
Juni: What about my obligation to the Academy?
Kila: Did you not want a gentle change? Do you not want to prevent a revolution?
Juni: Sure, but the directorate--
Kali: What would they do? Ignore the needs of Zero? They are stuck with you.
Juni: Ugh, I never wanted it to be like this. I just wanted to do my research... Tanya, can't you just, I dunno, shoot everyone?
Tanya: Sure, critter, but you gotta fill out the paperwork.
Transcript
[!]1 comment

Unity: For the broken-hearted (2009/12/30)

[[Juni and Tanya walk down the street at night]]
Juni: That was pretty nice. We'll have to go out with the Roshas more often.
Tanya: Guess so.
Cynthia [rounding the corner with Sam and her four pups]: Juni?
Cynthia: Hello, Juni! It's been a while. How are you?
Juni: Cynthia? Oh... hi! Wow, your pups are getting big.
Juni: Hi, Sam.
Sam: Rrr.
Cynthia: Thanks! They're getting to be quite the hoof-full these days...
Sam [clutching his stomach]: Cyn, please.
Cynthia: Oh, all right. Sorry, Juni, we... we have to be going.
Juni Yeah... I understand. Goodnight.
Transcript
[!]1 comment
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2009/12/27: Guest comic on lastres0rt

I did a layout-breaking guest comic for lastres0rt, in case you're interested.

2009/12/21: Unity reviewed

Luprand was recently kind enough to review Unity. As a warning, the review does include a few things that I would consider somewhat minor spoilers (in that he straightforwardly explains things that I would have hoped a reader would figure out on their own), but still, it's a nice review. He posts other good reviews as well, and is well worth subscribing to in your RSS aggregator of choice.

2009/12/09: Friday's comic may be late

I have Friday's comic written and laid out and so on, but tomorrow I will be busy with work trying to put some finishing touches on an important demo for Big Boss and I might not have a chance to finish it. If it's late, I'll hopefully get it up Friday evening, or worst case I'll finish (and post) it during the CAM webcomics convention on Saturday.

2009/12/07: TWCL awards time

So, it's that time of year again: The Webcomic List awards time. I would appreciate it if people were to nominate my comics for such a silly thing. If pressed for categories, I'd suppose that you could consider it for best comic (as if), best writing, best color art, most improved, best longform (specifically for Unity), and whichever character awards you think are appropriate.

I would, of course, not be so gauche as to self-nominate, especially since that is not allowed. I will be nominating other comics, however, but my specific choices will be a secret.

2009/12/07: Birdy tweet tweet

Goodness, what's this?

2009/12/02: Monsters of Webcomics: Webcomic-Con 2009

I will be a guest in attendance at the Cartoon Art Museum's Webcomic-Con 2009 on December 12 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. I will probably just be there with my laptop and Wacom tablet and will work on comics or something and chat with all the people who have never heard of me before. Maybe I'll bring a netbook with the entire Unity archive or something. Who knows.

Anyway, if you're in or near San Francisco and want to meet me in person, come on over and check it out. There will also be many much better cartoonists there, and of course the CAM itself is pretty neat.