A Question of Promise
a
comic by thuyen nguyen
Ring, Ring, Ring.
Beep!
Hi, I can't answer the phone. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you.
Hey Eden. It's me. Just want to talk to you.
If you could call me back that would be great.
Any time.
Sorry for leaving so many voice mails.
Call any time.
Beep!
Hope to hear from you soon. Bye.
01
Quest’Dein School of beauty
The Board of Directors seem to have a sense of humour.
they’ve been in talks with Savantigo about a possible merger.
This is all commercial in confidence, Eric.
I'll keep my mouth shut.
This naming rights stunt of yours will let them test the branding waters.
So... they're not angry?
I should hope so.
They’re not.
I am though.
The Board will sort out the legal mess you've made.
It's my job to sort out the rest.
Oh.
The dinner you had with Savantigo's captain. What was her name?
Edwarda. Eddie for short.
02
How much did you drink that night?
Too much.
That's right.
People make silly decisions when they're drunk.
After assuring us we would have nothing to worry about as long as we win...
...You use the next week to train for the sports tournament.
I thought that if I had enough practice-
On the big day, your captaincy leads Quest'dein to a defeat.
Yes, it was. We were tied until the final event: the relay.
We had a full team yet somehow didn't finish.
At the school's expense.
It was pretty close though.
There were circumstances.
That's the drama of the relay.
The baton went missing.
You lost it during the race!
03
And then gone three laps later.
It was there at the start.
WHERE DID IT GO?
Disciplinary action is warranted.
Two unit credits will be deducted from your school record.
That sounds fair.
They say bad things come in threes.
Yes, Miss.
You will be required to make up those if you wish to graduate.
I will leave the schedule of that to you.
Good.
That’s all for now.
With the school name and the sports tournament, you're due for one more.
04
It's already happened, Miss.
Eric! I'm glad you enjoyed it, sirWhat a film!
I didn't think they'd stay true to the book.
Oh, hey Eve. What're you doing here?
We...? We went to the cinema.
Who said that?
It’s me, dude.
Top of the morning to you!
Glasses? You're pretending to be lenses?
05
Yes! Brilliant idea of Eve's. Practical and stylish.
Aren't you water? How can you stay so solid?
Just have to stay still until the lights dim.
It wasn't the disaster it could have been.
How did it go at school?
Then pop out of the frames & enjoy like a civilised being.
That's good to hear.
Heard from Eden?
No.
I’ll see you at home. Bye.
You should have told him.
Besides, I'm still not sure. He's got bigger things to worry about.
06
hello. eliza speaking.
The next day
it’s me, eric.
A... professional type of chat.
Happy to listen. That's my job.
I'm free this afternoon.
p! bee
Long time, no see. To what do I owe the pleasure?
Not policerelated, I hope.
Thought we could have a chat.
No. I Just need to talk to somebody about stuff.
I'm family too. So whatever you need.
We'll start with a 1-hour session and see how we go.
07
Thanks.
I’ll be there.
I’m home. How was our cousin? k.
Tic
She asked about you again.
You use two toothbrushes as chopsticks.
Adorable!
What did you say? k.
Tic
Delicious! So, How do you feel?
A little better.
No, sorry.
Did Eden-
Your metronome could double as a clock.
I think I'll have an early night.
You got that ticking every second?
k.
Tic
Goodnight.
Smashing! Sleep tight.
Sixty B.P.M.
08
Two.
One. k.
Tic
k.
Tic
Three. k.
k.
k.
Tic
Tic
Tic
Four. k.
k.
k.
Tic
Tic
Tic
Five. ck.
Ti
Morning.
k.
k.
Tic
Tic
Were you up all night? ...Yes.
09
My friend's boyfriend cheated on her recently.
She came home and found him naked.
Which wasn't unusual seeing as he's a nudist.
hh!
Ooo
! AHAHA!
HAH
Some people you can be naked with, easy.
know when you're comfortable naked?
They see this every day. They don't care.
Like doctors.
When you can fart in front of someone.
They can see your butt cheeks flutter!
No blaming it on the dog then, eh?
!
AHA
HAH
!
AHA
HAH
!
AHA
HAH
So my friend comes in & sees another girl in the room.
She's naked too.
well, Unless she just gave birth to you...
...we all know what's going on. Am I right?
Boyfriend tries to explain things.
Though that might better explain all the blood!
!
AHA HAH HA! AHA
h!
h Ooo
H
10
Clockwork Erin, you have a visitor.
Send 'em in.
Hey.
You! You have some nerve!
I swear I didn't mean to.
I know, I'm sorry.
Why did you do it? Why?
I already know you have. I watched your routine.
Not telling.
Have you seen Eden?
She doesn't want to talk to you.
Can you pass on a message then?
Do I look like a pigeon to you?
Seriously, Eric. Why did you have to go and do that?
Please Erin. I want to apologise and explain.
11
Everything was going so well & then you screw up.
Both of you are my friends, but she's hurting.
It was a stupid mistake.
A once-off thing that I never intended to happen-
But right now, Eden needs time and space.
Look. There's nothing you can say that'll make this up.
I gotta choose her side.
Drank too much. Got carried away.
Believe me, I want this sorted out as soon as you do.
There's no way around it.
You can only wait for now.
You have no reason to be nice to me.
Thanks.
12
Well, I'm not the one you cheated on.
Same. No doubt about it.
Results are in.
And...?
We're pretty sure about the first.
And since the next three are the same...
So we know it's happened four times.
Nah.
Still could be a coincidence though.
Do you think there's four of them?
Nah.
Could be the start of an invasion.
Yeah. a spiteful sarcastic invasion.
No guarantee they're all the same.
No. That's why we have to find out.
13
I suppose we had to come back sooner or later.
I've never tested myself. How strong are you?
I'm a Guardian, so I do have certain talents.
Sometimes I think back to that night.
I know it's basically a mask.
And please don't call it a "suit."
When your head... Umm... was freed of your scarf...
Are you naturally strong or is it the suit?
Sorry. You know what I mean.
I just wonder how... you... work.
Your hair. Your skin. But it looks so real.
A costume.
Do you want a closer look?
Your body.
14
I mean, Dice is Dice. He's a pool of water.
You're like Dice, but not.
He's this big. Kinda like a pug.
You’d pass for any other girl out on the street.
Eden once described you as the loader from "Aliens."
I can take off my clothes.
You can touch me. Feel me.
I want you to feel me.
A vehicular female body, with a pilot.
Sorry, what did you say?
I didn’t say anything.
I must be going mad...
15
Turns out she wasn't sick at all.
She pretended to have cancer to get donations.
If you knew you were sick, would you tell anyone?
Yeah, a doctor. They've got shots for everything nowadays.
Like cancer sick? Sure, you have to.
Get all of your affairs in order.
I'd go nuts on my bucket list. Start by telling my boss to go to hell.
Can't do that now. I need the money.
I'd go postal.
For real? You a terrorist?
If any government agencies are watching, I don’t know that guy.
Hope she gets cancer for real. Karma.
No, I mean if you were really sick.
God. What's stopping you from killing people now?
16
You sick dude? Maybe we can help.
We're all dying, my friend. We just don't think about it.
I think I'm dying.
Every second that goes by. Delaying the inevitable.
We’re ticking time bombs.
Sorry to hear that. Is it cancer?
My pop got cancer. He ended up in bed, frozen.
He stayed still. Just still until it all ended.
I think my bomb is going off.
Moving made his bones crack. Real painful.
You there?
Maybe he got disconnected...? No, I'm here.
17
Still... here.
Not going to school again?
Hard to motivate myself. I've failed the class already.
Two weeks later
Would be two years wasted otherwise.
Ain't going to leave without a certificate.
Going to repeat next semester?
Are you avoiding running into Eden at school? No.
Besides, she hasn't been there either. Eve told me.
Sure. See you there.
Hello? g! g! rin rin
She wants to see me.
Who? Eden?
No... Eddie.
18
Hey. Sorry for calling you out of the blue.
Didn't know if you'd show up, after what happened.
Yeah. Sorry about the mess.
It takes two to tango. I'm not blaming it on you.
I appreciate that. It’s unnecessary though.
You're not angry?
Can't do much about the past now.
You can if it makes things easier.
At you? No.
The situation, yes.
Did you ever find the baton?
We would have won if that hadn't happened.
Ha. No.
19
We were a good 20 metres ahead on that last lap.
Yeah, about that-
I need to tell you something-
I'm not much of a runner. No stamina.
wouldn’t have been so bad if it wasn't for... That night.
my school let me off pretty lightly for the name-change.
Thought they were going to kick me out.
Could be much worse, I suppose.
Eric, let's sit down. It's important.
About that night.
Umm... Well, you see...
I guess I'll just come out and say it.
Oh. My. God.
20
Please don't tell me that you're pregnant.
Eden?!
Pregnant?!
What are you doing here?
I wasn't ready to see you yet, but fate is fate.
My God, Eric. It just goes from bad to worse with you!
Eden, I didn't know, I swear-
I don't usually come to this park, but now I know why! Whoa, whoa. Calm down-
Well, you need to listen to me. Stay out of this. I'm talking to him.
What did you say to me?!
I'm not pregnant.
Eddie, let me talk to her-
21
Oh thank the heavens!
Ah-hem.
Sorry.
You're not pregnant?
No. I'm not sure why Eric thought I was.
What is that? A note recorder?
You told me sit. You had something important to say?
Listen.
You recorded our conversation that night...?
So in exchange for using your school hall... ... We'll give you naming rights to the school! I did. Everything. Including what happened after.
Eric, take me! I'm yours!
Zzzzzzz..... 22
I was told to record our agreement, in case your school tried to renege.
I...
I couldn't tell you until the name-change was finalized.
feel asleep?!
I forgot to turn it off, so I recorded the whole night. We didn't have sex?
Sorry.
We were going to. but no, we didn't.
Which included sleeping with my boyfriend?
To both of you.
I had a mission to do.
That was the alcohol. I really was only after the recording.
Which exposes me in deceit, but not adultery.
23
No hard feelings, eh? Maybe we can hang out sometime.
She set you up? Like a police sting?
Savantigo wanted evidence in case Quest'dein tried to sue. Rich people's games, eh?
She's willing to talk to me now.
What about Eden?
Good. Good.
Want to go to a movie? We can do the glasses trick.
You don't sleep though.
No. Think I might retire early.
Anything wrong? True, but I think I need a rest.
Nothing.
We're going to catch up soon.
Just don't feel like moving much.
24
Eric comes face to face with the consequences of the sports tournament. He knows he did wrong, but Eden won’t give him the chance to explain or apologise. Meanwhile, Dice’s fear of something inevitable seems to be complete. Is Dice really nearing his end?
Story, Art and Created by Thuyen Nguyen Copyright ©2014 Thuyen Nguyen www.devinquest.com | www.aquestionofpromise.com