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[1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 5:41 am
by paarfi
Fred posted the new comic to his Patreon. He'll post it to the main site and elsewhere later today or tomorrow.

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 6:41 am
by Invisigoth
Ping has a plan....

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 6:51 am
by mistersaxon
... a certain kitsune-owned love hotel would fit the bill, on every meaning of the strip title.

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 6:57 am
by paarfi
Oh Ping.

For reference, the flashback panel is from comic [574].

Junko doesn't seem to like the older men she dates. And she doesn't seem to like herself for dating them. She calls them stupid lovers, doesn't act like she likes them [760], and admits she is taking advantage of them for their money. She denies that when Ping challenges her, but maybe she tells herself that same lie. The fact that this kind of thing is what she thinks of when Largo asks her "what are the m4d skillz that make you who you are?", is really sad. Maybe she's looking for love from a responsible older man because she never got any from her worthless father? Maybe she doesn't know how to connect with a "real" guy for a relationship because she's never seen her parents do that?

I'm not sure what Ping is doing is going to help any of that. But, if nothing else, I suspect this will break the pattern, much like Miho's pacemaker, and create an opportunity for something different. I hope it turns out well.

From Ping's standpoint, I'm guessing this is partly her trying to protect her friend, I guess. I think it's also Ping deciding she needs to play another character, since just being herself is turning out so badly. If that's right, that's also really sad.

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 7:25 am
by cidjen
I shouldn't post before I read the comic lol ;)

but: there are real life situations, not saying it's commendable or something - certainly wouldn't want my kids to do that! - that kids Junko's age do exactly that, because they can't/don't want to/won't ask parents for money (unrelated maybe, but Ibara senior also does not like to ask his wife for money...) and they want to keep or keep exceeding their spending for their lifestyle choice(s) (e.g. as Junko is a class president, that means class looks up to her as a certain 'standard', that may require more spending than parents ever realize... ), so they turn to 'work' with some gullible (usually older and lonely) citizens that way... and Junko is just so experienced in that racket, she just doesn't give a flying damn about her subject's feelings or what 'kicks' they get from her dating them, or anything. OFC assuming this would be all non-h game (geisha-like, female escort - only not in ceremonial clothing, we're in Japan after all).

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:14 am
by DracMonster
I just had a thought. Could it be Junko's dad?

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:25 am
by paarfi
DracMonster wrote:
Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:14 am
I just had a thought. Could it be Junko's dad?
No, Junko wouldn't have called her dad "a gentleman", "intelligent", or "mature". Same thing disqualifies Largo.

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 11:30 am
by Ningen
Rather a dangerous user name, methinks.

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 12:06 pm
by Sackett
Oh Ping... you don't do things like this without shenanigans happening...

Although it is interesting that Junko seems to like this man. I guess one of those gullible older men managed to catch her heart...

That just makes me worry even more for her, as the most likely scenario is him taking advantage of her.

Does Ping understand this? Or is Ping thinking she'll play Cupid and try and "help" Junko in her romance life?

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 12:13 pm
by Invisigoth
Consider Junko as a small business owner. She provides a service in exchange for various considerations. Now some of her lovers (clients) may be much better to work with that others. Some of them are regulars with whom she can be entirely comfortable and she can let her hair down so to speak. Might be very generous and engaging and always have a nice surprise when she sees them

However, Junko was just interrupted by this message while attempting to deal with Ping's unruly hair and that's not the first unpleasant thing that the day has brought her. So she responds with a duck face and a throwaway insult followed by embarrassment and the urgent need to GET READY!

I think that for the most part Junko enjoys her work....

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 12:16 pm
by cidjen
Ping's hair in the last panel... is Junko's or Miho's hair style coming up ? ...

@Invisigoth under age escort... hmm. some 'business'...

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 12:23 pm
by Invisigoth
cidjen wrote:
Wed Jan 24, 2018 12:16 pm
Ping's hair in the last panel... is Junko's or Miho's hair style coming up ? ...

@Invisigoth under age escort... hmm. some 'business'...
Not sex, companionship!

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 12:55 pm
by cidjen
I know. Non-h relationships are real... Until one of them is not...

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 12:58 pm
by cidjen
Stupid thought but going to comb over every panel where Junko and Ping were outdoors lately... For signs of possible Ed-dage...

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 1:01 pm
by paarfi
This makes 4 comics so far this month. Yay.
Fred says he's going to try for 5. You can watch him draw the next comic on Twitch, and you can help him keep this faster pace up by supporting his Patreon.

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 2:21 pm
by Minnesaenger
Ningen wrote:
Wed Jan 24, 2018 11:30 am
Rather a dangerous user name, methinks.
Would you have preferred Monokuma?

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 2:49 pm
by Roborat
Hmm, Ping's hair is settling down in the last panel. Does that mean she has found a game role to play? I am guessing dating sim?

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 3:22 pm
by Teddy-Werebear
Did Ping just become Junko? Er, take on the persona of Junko as Ping has judged her to be with limited data?
So... do we call her Pinko now?

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 3:26 pm
by paarfi
Teddy-Werebear wrote:
Wed Jan 24, 2018 3:22 pm
So... do we call her Pinko now?
*hands Teddy a cookie*

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 4:06 pm
by iffy
Ah, so indeed that was correct, just another stupid client was not her reaction in panel 9 of 1507.

While it's likely true to at least some extent that there's self-justification and pretend and like-dislike mixed with real all going on, and Junko mentioned iirc to Largo a while back she had to dissuade some aggressive types much to her disliking, and her trying to hide this and that. Yet whoever this is, she appears to actually like them. So then, to go somewhere else, Ping might have an idea where it was supposed to be (like oh I don't know one that would take Junko and the other to a certain hotel) but maybe this new location Ping is making up isn't like what the actual plans usually are. Would Ping know if it was park, movie, restaurant, café, or a place more like where Megumi etc are at (or exactly where they are at). Where kind of depends on what "not stupid, intelligent, older, mature" means and etc.

Is Ping making them another place like the actual plans, or the opposite, or something else? Are they supposed to be going to the zoo but now to the underground furry party?

However, it seems what Ping is thinking (based upon the flashback) is that Junko is doing bad things, tricking people.... Yet also Ping seems to be thinking it's otherwise about Junko not liking any of them from her comment. So, is this an intervention to stop something, or to help out, or another thing. Right place or wrong for the someplace else. Not so much Ping rearranging the situation for Junko as planning on substituting for Junko. Seems against the, perhaps now defunct, not interfering with real users, although otoh she's not in game mode and she's not exactly taking care of Junko either, or at least she wasn't. That probably depends on what Ping is doing and why, if it fits or not what might still be there directive-wise.

Whatever it is whyever, quick changes with active actions to this and that directly, seems rather even Mihoish.

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 4:13 pm
by GreyWolfe
Oh Ping, what are you doing?

It seems Kimi's 'simulacrum' tactic is rubbing off on her. Her hair is changing to Junko's and her boobs are perking up (not that Junko has any...)

What is her plan? To knock Junko out and take her place? I'm not sure if Ping has the right amount of arrogant spunk to pass as Junko.

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 5:16 pm
by darrin
GreyWolfe wrote:
Wed Jan 24, 2018 4:13 pm
What is her plan? To knock Junko out and take her place?
She shouldn't need to do that (EDIT knock her out I mean). Junko will be heading to the originally agreed-upon location, while Ping and the "gentleman" will be at the new location Ping is in the process of suggesting. (Hmm, will she need to somehow sabotage Junko's phone so Junko doesn't make further attempts to contact the gentleman and discover Ping's shenanigans? Or has Junko forgotten the phone, not just set it aside during her ablutions? A teenage girl "forgetting" her phone would seem pretty unlikely to me. :P)

As to her plan, I am guessing Ping wants to assess just what some of these "intelligent, mature, older" fellows have been up to with Junko. Depending on the guy's behavior, Ping's response may range anywhere from "Fine, that seems tolerable enough" to sterner measures.

I completely agree though that Ping playing Junko will pose quite a challenge for her various appearance "drivers" and "parameters"; has she even gotten those under control yet? (Although a Teselecta-style transformation would be pretty cool at this point. 8-))

EDIT:
@maldrul, below: woot, that is exactly the strip I was thinking of when I reffed the other two pole-mentioning strips. :D Let's hope Ping's jerk/non-jerk classification schema are at least roughly compatible with Junko's, or this "gentleman" is likely to find his afternoon going very differently from how he envisioned. :shock:

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 5:38 pm
by GreyWolfe
darrin wrote:
Wed Jan 24, 2018 5:16 pm
As to her plan, I am guessing Ping wants to assess just what some of these "intelligent, mature, older" fellows have been up to with Junko. Depending on the guy's behavior, Ping's response may range anywhere from "Fine, that seems tolerable enough" to sterner measures.

I completely agree though that Ping playing Junko will pose quite a challenge for her various appearance "drivers" and "parameters"; has she even gotten those under control yet?. (Although a Teselecta-style transformation would be pretty cool at this point. 8-))

I'm waiting on Ping to do an X-Men/Mystique-style "Who do you want me to me?" montage...

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 5:57 pm
by maldrul
Perhaps Ping is going to give Junko her wish.

Re: [1508] Somewhere we haven't gone before

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 6:37 pm
by Teddy-Werebear
(Idly munches on his cookie.)
So, Pinko is sending "gentleman caller" alternate plan tonight for what purpose?
  • To shake him down for more scratch.
  • To join for the more expensive harem date.
  • To take him off Junko's hands and start her own rivalry.
  • To misdirect him leaving both to feel stood up on an arranged date.
  • Pinko tries to help with machine logic and sows great confusion.