Haunted 1-2
Panel 4 Yuan has been staring at me all week. Halfway through, he was joined by a screenshot of Serj Tankian eating takeout. It’s great.
I tried publishing this once, but it didn’t show up on WordPress Reader. Let’s see if this one works.
OH, THANK HEAVENS IT WORKED.
Aww so relatable. :c
That’s almost exactly what I was going to say!
I’m strangely proud that everyone so far is like “oh, mood” rather than “whoa, what did that guy do?!” But CT readers probably already know what he did.
As someone who is extremely phone reticent (hello, autism) this felt a little too close. But of course, there’s more going on here than just not having the spoons to answer the phone. Also, somehow I forgot I was reading a comic and thought this was really happening… Or happening in the game. Reading a comic based on SimLit sort of amplifies my willing suspension of disbelief… Plus, hat-tip to your skill and talent!
Dang, that’s high praise. It double-happened!
Welp, I’ve invited myself here to indulge in my latest obsession. This was friggen hilarious. I die. (actually, I don’t but if I did you would obviously include me in the count because I was once living and WE’RE NOT ANIMALS).
This entire strip reminded me of when I was in college and my mother called me at like 6am because she had a dream I was pregnant and she was so upset at dream me but IRL me was the one getting yelled at even though I was not at all pregnant.
Oh man, your comic skills are DOPE.
Wow. I’m really fighting the urge right now to have Xiyuan’s mom leave him a similar voicemail. He’s been confused about that in the past, so maybe his parents are too?
Ahh! I’m still learning the ropes with comics but am lucky to be in such a supportive community.
HAHHAHAHA oh man, the joke comes full circle.
it’s been really exciting to watch you branch out and try something! like, selishly, I love reading this, but its also encouraging. just make cool shit you love, that’s what matters
(why is caps not working on ipad? why?!?!?!)
Good!! I’m hoping to encourage people.
(And yesterday, I mumbled “I love you” under my breath and realized I was talking to eyerolling Xiyuan, so that last sentence before the parenthetical statement was too on-the-nose…)
Panel 4 Xiyuan’s face is great.
Gnnn… Poor Xiyuan. But it’s just the phone, amd it can be swtiched off and deleted, unlike whenever he actually leaves the room.
Also, has Xiyuan always been handsome? I never noticed, but damn. Either I never noticed, or your drawing really brings out his features. Either way, win for him.
AHAHAHA! So.
I don’t have the energy to draw Yuan responding to this, so I’ll just type it out.
Xiyuan: I know.
Because flat-out telling is the most effective way to make a point (lol), he is, in fact, supposed to be one of two main characters acknowledged in-universe as absolutely stupid hot. The other is Shu. Not that the others aren’t attractive, we’re just more likely to comment on Aileen’s wisdom, Chantel’s quick thinking, Charlie’s butt, etc., than their looks.
I can’t find a closer faceclaim for either of them, but current Shu would resemble a 22-year-old Simu Liu.
Xi has a landline? He’s not elderly… I’m not saying it’s out of place, it’s just that I don’t actually know anyone that has a landline, or idk maybe I don’t pay attention to those things at others’ homes. So, I’m partially wondering if this is current time.
Okay, so Yuan is the father of Xiyuan. Going out on a limb here, but Bernard is Xi’s “American” name? So uh, when you say (or more appropriately when Yuan says) resurrection. Like is it JUST a name that’s being resurrected or are we heading towards necromancy?
Xi clearly comes from money: He lives on the top floor of a high-rise, with a water view, and an ungodly amount of space. Even with that Last Supper table, you have leg space and then some. Ugh, don’t get me started on all that intricate wood-carving. Xi could be a sugar daddy he’s so loaded. And he’d be an EXCELLENT sugar daddy. Look how CLEAN he keeps his place?! He’s cute too.
Poor Xi doesn’t seem to have the best relationship with his parents (or at least his Dad, but since Dad is namedropping Mom, I’ll say Mom is most likely a dislikable parent). And like TWELVE messages, and by the looks of it all 12 are from Mommy and Daddy Dearest. Yuck. I mean, I’m sure he’s had to hear this shit throughout his life, and how he’s probably a disappointment and not living up to their expectations blah blah blah, but good god he looks like he’s just trying to hold his shit together (or more appropriately hold his head up high). Parents can truly suck.
Ohhhh my dear goodness I am sorry for all the missing context. Haunted is a spinoff of Catastrophe Theory based on events from the first 7 chapters. It’s intended to be readable with or without CT, but apparently I messed that up hard and need a fancy title page with some basic facts or something. This is good feedback. I’ll get on it!
Here’s some extra info that should clear the whole thing up:
– This scene indeed does take place in 1999. There’s a little title card with the date a bit later, on page 10.
– Yuan is Xiyuan’s nickname (since the first character of a given name can be passed down by families, it’s more common for the second character to be the nickname).
– Xiyuan/Yuan is famously hot for this guy.
– So now ‘resurrection’ and the title of the comic should make a lot more sense.
Also he is 100% fucking loaded.
No worries. I figured there would be something to tip off at some point, and you mention (not in the comics, but underneath) about a social elite in the late 1990’s wearing a turtleneck with sweater-holes. 😀
WHOA. Yuan. Hahaha I love that he wants to resurrect Lord Shallot! But wait, you’re copasetic with Lord of the Onion Rings but Summer Holiday is unacceptable? 😮 I need to know more about this hate.
How.
How have I been a Bernard stan for this long and not have come up with Lord of the Onion Rings.
Brilliant.
I’m not sure if this shows up in a CT caption later, but I have a specific hatred of sims named Summer because of this one short story they released with the Seasons expansion pack. It was just so normie and the kid was named Summer and I thought, that is just some stupid bullshit crap, and it is a stupid name for a sim created to promote Seasons and it is a bullshit name and I am angry.
No, Lord Bernard Escargot Shallot IV is not better. Fucking Bear Snail Onion. The fourth. None of this makes any sense with any naming conventions I know of. But I had little choice in the matter: Yuan looks mild-mannered but one day I get up to freshen my tea for a minute and come back to him (married) trying to bang a ghost (also married).
Dolly (should I refer to you as Dolly?), thank you. I was feeling my nerd-element with the LOTOR comment <3 Haha also feel free to use it if you want.
Okay, I totally get your justification of Summer hate. That seems ultra lazy on EA’s part. Esp when you have Caliente sisters and Don Lothario. Like. Lazy.
Whoa, so in your game (free will wild), Yuan married Shallot?!? ON. His. OWN? Like THAT’S a thing they can do???? I’m bewildered b/c I had no idea that sims could do shit like that by themselves.
Go ahead! Dolly, or—I only say this because you don’t seem like the type to throw a tantrum when a woman has advanced degrees—Dr. Llama.
Sadly, he did not marry Nard on his own! He just decided to try and smash. It’s in the first four or so chapters of Catastrophe Theory: he straight-up aggressively hits on the ghost in front of both their wives.
Dr. Llama it is :-p
Oh dang. Bahahaha let the drama ensue! Yuan, mad props!
The only appropriate comment for this is :xiyuan_eyeroll: ❤️
Also “decided”. Yikes.