A Question of Promise #5

ah... i should explain why i was naked first!

A Question of Promise #5

a comic by thuyen nguyen

quest’dein cinema

my God, that was awful.

it wasn’t that bad...

yep. happy ending. the boss didn’t kill all of his employees.

it never fails to amaze me how much you get into movies.

you get worked up over every movie!

it wasn’t that bad?!

this remake fails to understand why the original was so good...

well, what’s life without some passion?

coffee?

01

why does hollywood screw up everything I like?

everyone got killed... but it was all just a dream!

Blood! People getting murdered! Violence for the sake of violence!

besides, i only get worked up over the crap movies.

yes. maybe an expresso will calm me down.

I have something to discuss with you.

yes, it does, doesn’t it?

ooh. that sounds ominous.

are you in love with me?

if i was a lesbian, i could do a lot better than you!

i will have an expresso.

Table for two, please.

a latte, and a slice of chocolate cake, please.

no, not yet.

so, what do you want to talk about?

isn’t it a lovely night?

yes...

the moon reflecting on the ocean water.

a cool breeze blowing through.

02

how long have we known each other?

remember when we stole that bottle of whiskey and drunk ourselves stupid?

oh my god.

Since high school... maybe ten, eleven years?

wow... times flies, doesn’t it?

the trip to vietnam... what happens in saigon, stays in saigon!

I’ll never forget when your wedding was called off... i was angry and sad.

you’re dying, aren’t you?!

a!

hah haha

ha

nah, you’re stuck with me for a while yet!

“step forward?” what does that mean...

then what’s all this nostalgia for?

AH! You’ve met someone, haven’t you?

before you take a step forward in life, isn’t it nice to look back?

yes!

but not in the way you think.

03

ladies, i have for you an expresso, a latte and some cake.

“amicillo winter?” that’s his real name?

i thought you gave up on that and decided to go to beauty school instead?

besides, i can’t be a makeup artist.

so, tell me all about this new man of yours!

here.

it’s happening, eden! my dream is finally coming true!

actually, i went to beauty school because i thought that as a makeup artist...

hate perfume? but you always smell great.

i’m going to be a stand-up comedian!

...i’d meet some famous people, who i would then dazzle with my comic wit.

yep.

100% erin, baby.

i hate perfume.

amicillo loves my gimmick.

He thinks I’m “bankable!” eww.

04

I mistime my punchlines!

what’s your gimmick?

that’s funny? of course it is!

amicillo’s booked me for two stage gigs and... a tv talk show!

this guy’s legit, right? i’m not going to soon find you on some porn website?

it’s the real deal, eden.

he calls it an “aggressive debut!”

so, when do you start?

i’m going to quit school tomorrow.

congrats. i’m happy for you, babe.

yeah, it is...

really? that’s so... quick.

next week.

really?

do something for me when you’re rich and famous.

ask richard croft to go out with me. eric won’t mind!

shoot.

05

hahaha! you got it. i promise.

seriously? fifty dollars?

sorry dude. apartment keys are expensive to replace.

well, no. but security through inaffordability?

yeah, i don’t think it works either. but you still owe me fifty smackaroos.

A few days later...

Don’t want five-cent crims copying your keys for two bucks at k-mart, do you?

dewey 503... damn it! i forgot to get dice’s book.

here we are: “human encyclopedia of psychology and biology.”

okay. now i can go home.

hu... human... human en...

06

eric’s place

one, two...

how about i give you old kent road instead?

i own that. pay up.

mayfair.

i don’t really like purple... oh, alright.

not with two players. you usually end up each owning half of the board.

the rent money just gets passed back and forth at every turn.

i hated monopoly as a kid. played uno instead. it’s much faster.

so you like monopoly now, because as an adult, you have more patience?

i find i can relate to it more as an adult.

making sure i have enough money to pay rent...

working my way slowly towards buying a house...

does this game ever end?

07

avoiding jail...

dice, i’m home!

what do you mean, “what am i doing here?”

hey eden! what’re you doing here?

we’re going to erin’s comedy gig tonight.

and here i was thinking i was good by remembering to get dice’s book.

i completely forgot about it.

that’s tonight?!

where’s my tumbler?

oh man, i forgot that too!

p!

sla

a tumbler? why do you need that?

it’s more comfortable to sit in than a coke bottle.

you can still go. we’ll do the “fake fish.”

“fake fish?”

08

but thanks to loser here; without the tumbler, i can’t go to the gig!

“fake fish.”

the club is around the corner.

are you sure it’s okay to take dice like that?

besides, dice doesn’t mind... do you?

absolutely. no-one will notice.

my dignity is just a game to you!

i know this is an awkward question...

i think so. ...but is erin actually funny?

but then again, I am biased.

can i get two adult tickets, please?

that’ll be $30, thanks.

excuse me sir, but what is that?

Oh, this?

09

i just bought him from the pet store.

isn’t he cute!

there’s a chance my goldfish could die?!

jackass and the tokyo shock boys are here.

the club will not take responsibility if your goldfish dies during tonight’s show.

odds are your fish will be swallowed at least once.

there’s lots of people here. that’s good.

i’m so glad you guys could make it!

Eden!

Eric!

nervous, but excited!

i saved you a table at the front.

how are you feeling?

i gotta go backstage now. relax and have fun, okay?

nice fish, by the way.

thanks. break a leg!

10

yes, if you don’t count the school play.

front row... nice.

this is her first time on stage?

a smoke-filled comedy club. the perfect place for a cold-

our first act tonight is making her debut! give it up for clockwork erin!

no beer! remember last time?

p cla clap!

shh! it’s starting.

“clockwork erin?”

hello!

how is everyone tonight? p cla clap!

so the cops came yesterday and arrested me! cough.

oh, this isn’t a good start-

ah, i should explain why i was naked first!

!

aha

hah

a! hah

ha

!

aha

hah

!

aha

hah

11

that ain’t half-bad.

mens toilet

30 minutes later...

erin’s got guts going up on stage.

i hate public speaking! feel sick afterwards.

she didn’t look or sound nervous.

it’s tough talking for half an hour straight.

what are you looking at?

!

f

h lus

that’s not cool, diceshh! someone’s coming.

i’m really proud of you, erin.

she did have some good jokes in there-

nothing.

nice fish. thanks.

thanks for coming, guys. i really appreciate it.

call me tomorrow, okay?

it was great.

12

of course! don’t party too late, okay?

drive safely!

I think this is the start of something big!

yeah, me too.

i had a good time.

really? that’s great news.

did you know erin’s going to be on tv next week?

dice, how was it for you?

very interesting, actually. she brought up many observations of...

...human behaviour that i hadn’t previously considered-

eric? you okay?

m!

sla

hey!!

i never forget a face!

goddamnit! watch where you’re going, you bastard!! that guy just walked right through me!!

you sure you’re okay?

where’s dice?

yeah, yeah.

13

down here.

and by the looks of it, you broke the fake fish. you alright?

touche. yeah, i’m fine. the fake fish broke my fall.

it’s a shame we couldn’t stay longer. damn early-

what the hell?

a parking ticket?!

“failure to display parking permit.”

how was i supposed to know about that? that’s outrageous.

there are no signs here!

$100 fine?!

forget it. let’s just go home. did you see this ticket machine before? no...

yeah, but the third thing doesn’t happen until a week later... a bad ending to an otherwise good night.

bad luck usually happens in “threes.” you humans are a superstitious lot.

14

Eric’s place yawn... i’m going to sleep.

might get started on the book you got for me.

what are you doing?

i have a question... but it’s kinda embarrassing.

why are you looking at me like that?

i mean, i’ve known you for ages, yet i’ve never thought about it until now...

well, don’t keep a brother in suspense. what’s up?

how do i, indeed!

How do you read a book without getting the pages wet?

how do you feel?

come closer...

p!

sla

i feel... pain. blood rushing to my face.

there’s your answer.

feel wet? no...

15

“The human body is a complex combination of automatic mechanical processes and voluntary interruptions to such processes.” zzz...

zzzzz

“Millions of years of evolution have given humans a physiology well adapted to the environment; on both macro and micro levels.”

“The body itself is extremely resilient. The number of threats that the immune system can deal with is a testament to its effectiveness.”

“Arguably, the ‘weakest’ part of the human is its mind. The brain, while more than capable at decisions geared towards self-preservation...”

“...can be conversely influenced by emotion or thought, threatening the very survival of the body it resides in; and thus itself as well.”

“Our ability for rational thought is dangerous, simply because we can voluntarily override the safeguards that evolution has developed.”

“Such is the power of the brain.

While animals and humans both experience emotions like sadness, only humans think about suicide.”

z...

zzz

zzz

16

“The human is the epitome of ‘balance.’ Emotion versus instinct, voluntary versus automatic, the body versus the mind.”

zzz...

zzzzz

morning. yawn...

morning.

ah, sunrise. always worth getting up for.

i was shopping in a store that had everything i ever wanted to buy.

i had a dream last night.

everything was reasonably priced!

do tell.

don’t shopping dreams usually have you running around cramming free items into a shopping cart? that’s it?

by the way, i’m finished with the book. you may return it at your leisure.

wow. you read it all in one night?

17

what can i say? My brain only lets me have realistic fantasies!

it was... interesting.

!

gg!!!!!

nnggg

iinn rrrrii

Quest’Dein School of beauty

it’s still kinda weird not having erin around.

it would be quite poor form to drop her for you.

i’d love to help, but i’ve already got a partner: eve.

conspiracy theories. her idea; not mine.

exactly. aliens are pretty far-fetched, yet a lot of people ran for the hills.

you’re joking, right?

how outrageous can something be before people begin to dismiss it?

they’re not completely farfetched...

i have to find a new partner for wax class’ citizen journalism project.

what are you planning to write about?

like Orson welles’ “war of the worlds” radio play?

you believe in aliens? hahaha!

come with me.

eden...?

18

School Rooftop

why are we up here?

was it something I said?

it’s quiet and lonely. a good place for a... talk.

i’m curious as to why you laughed at me about the alien thing.

technically, i live with a pool of water-

uh-oh.

well, you’ve got to admit that the odds of alien life are rather small-

granted, dice isn’t a little green man, but he ain’t your cousin either!

You live with an alien!

why does it matter? dice is my boi, my dawg! my homie, amigo, buddy!

your complete lack of interest in his existence is... weird!

haven’t you ever wondered where he comes from?

for all you know, he could have acid blood!

19

how a pool of water can even talk in the first place?

he could be laying eggs inside your stomach while you sleep!

really? what do you actually know about him?

that’s just ridiculous-

well...

i know his favourite film genre is comedy.

he hasn’t really got the hang of tetris yet.

he enjoys looking at optical illusions.

he spends a lot of time in the bath. he says it’s “nostalgic.”

he remembered my birthday. didn’t get me a present, though.

we often talk about when we first met. i guess it’s important to him.

that’s it?!

what do you want me to say?

dice isn’t some science project!

he’s my friend!

I’m...

20

where are you going?

eden?

have you seen eden?

no, sorry. what’s going on?

eric? over here!

i see... what did you fight about?

we had a fight... then she just ran off.

umm... the nature of friendship...?

wow. deep.

don’t worry about it. it’s probably her time of the month.

don’t. women need to be alone at times like this.

sorry eve, but i gotta go find her...

you know, that isn’t so offensive coming from a woman.

trust me. i know women. give her a day or two.

are you sure?

21

coffee?

yeah... sure...

g! g! rin rin

The next day...

ring! ing! r

i don’t think it’s the right time to talk to her.

INC

OMIN

g! g! rin rin

GC ALL

EDE

N

your phone’s been ringing off the hook.

well, eden thinks otherwise, obviously.

will you just answer it, please?

every time your phone rings, starship’s “we built this city” ripples through me!

INC

OMIN

g! g! rin rin

alright, alright!

GC AL

EDE

L

N

glad to know you have my best interests at heart.

Just answer the phone and end my pain!

you know it.

hello?

beep...beep...

22

too slow...

dice, i’m going to the supermarket.

get me some bath salts!

okay.

sam’s supermarket g! g! rin rin

sure, come on over.

i’m out at the moment, but i’ll be home in about thirty minutes.

hello? eden?

eric’s basement carpark

that’ll be $51.40, thanks.

yeah, we do need to talk. see you soon.

tap... tap...

what is that noise?

tap... tap...

tap... tap.

what the hell-! you...?

23

eric’s place

he drops everything if he finds a scratch on the car. spends hours covering a tiny speck of metal. he’s probably just down in the basement.

he sure is taking his time getting back.

now if he could only use those powers for good instead of evil...

mind if i go down there and check?

you’re the one with legs.

eric, you down here-

eric?

24

Eden’s best friend Erin has finally scored her big break as a stand-up comedian. Eden, Eric and Dice go and check out her first ever live gig. The night isn’t without drama though, and it seems that a spell of bad luck has fallen on both Eric and Eden...

It’s nothing to be worried about, or is it?

Story, Art and Created by Thuyen Nguyen Copyright ©2008 Thuyen Nguyen www.devinquest.com