Strategic retreat

She is a coward! But maybe that’s for the best…? We don’t know the full story after all. Maybe the memory they share is not a pleasant one? You will find out soon enough, let the flashback begin!

And I managed to finish one illustration today, which I’ve started long time ago. It was originally a background sketch-practice but I added Sofia to make it more interesting. I have to say I kind of like it. Even enough to have made a wallpaper out of it. If you feel like changing yours feel free to download one of those available or let me know what resolution you need and I’ll cut it out for you! 1920×1080 – 1366×768 – 1280×800

japT3

Other than this – Replay is now available on the Artist’s Alley made by TopWebcomics – Replay’s gallery. I don’t plan to remove the current shop, I’ve been invited so I joined in, feel free to use whichever you like if you want a print. And before anyone asks – no, illustration with Sofia won’t be available for print as I used a background from studio Ghibli as a reference and I wouldn’t want to upset them. Feel free to print the wallpaper version though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And huge THANK YOU to all those who already voted, Replay stayed on the top of the TopWebcomics list! (°◡°♡) You are amazing… I have updated the vote incentive yesterday if you haven’t checked since then!

57 comments on “Strategic retreat”

  1. Lukkai Reply

    Thaat’s…

    A rather stupid way to end this conversation. Oh, Sofia… *facepalm*

    • JW Reply

      Yeah.

      On the bright side, I can think of at least a dozen more retarded things she could have done, so at least she’s wrong about that.

  3. Refugnic Reply

    Sure seems like I’m owing you three votes this week.
    1 for the page,
    1 for the vote incentive (poor little Sophie, don’t worry, it’s going to be alright. After all, it’s not like it’s the end of the world…wait…)
    1 for the new wallpaper/banner segment. (Yup, I’m generous when counting your updates :P)

    Regarding that wallpaper, I agree. It is positively beautiful, though, at the same time, it wakes some sad memories and thoughts.

    Why is it that poor little Sophie keeps telling me of impending tragedy I wonder…what has she done to deserve a fate so cruel?

    • NotImportant Reply

      Haha thanks for the votes, staying on the top helps in getting new readers so I am grateful. Always fun when someone new pops up in the comments.
      And Sofia is… just easy to pick on, I suppose. But her fate is far from being cruel (at least to the current moment), so far I have been a very merciful god to those fellows!

      • Refugnic Reply

        Yes, quite so. After all, they are still alive, well-fed, have clothes to wear and are armed.

        I can imagine quite a few ways to make their situation a lot worse, but it’s no fun watching people struggle, who never had any chance at all, because you know from the start that they can only fail.
        But with a solid base like this they just might succeed if they play their cards right. Just maybe.
        Hope is the beginning of everything. 😉

        There, that’s the third vote today cast. 😉

        And yeah, she kinda gives of that DID vibe, doesn’t she? 😀

        • Zenanii Reply

          Agreed, there can’t be true despair without some hope (hm, I wonder if NI and Bane are related…)

      • Refugnic Reply

        I noticed (following NI on Twitter helps catching such things) and paid my due a few days back, but thanks for reminding me nonetheless. ;P

        • JW Reply

          A few days back?
          It can’t have update before the the last time I voted on the 8th (the 9th was the first time I saw the new vote incentive). Or do you mean she posted in on twitter before?

          • NotImportant

            You can see when I posted it on that small Twitter box under the comic – 8th April. And thanks for the votes JW~! (°◡°♡)

          • JW

            I suspect my no-script plugin is blocking that twitter box.
            Yup, that’s it.
            Hmm, reply-form looks a bit nicer, and I’m missing the banners on top with script turned off. But, overall pretty good that the webpage looks almost as good with as without javascript. 🙂

          • NotImportant

            There is not much on it haha, and I plan to leave it like that. Not a fan of 9283729837 ads distracting me from the comic, bleh.

  5. Howard Reply

    Robert should have tried to help it was obvious she knew him I mean she knew his name! Besides you never leave a pretty girl hanging like that man whats wrong with you!

    • NotImportant Reply

      She is very quick to run away! And Ada is standing on his shoe~ 😉

      • Howard Reply

        It does look like he may have just got a foot stomp in that second panel now that you mention it lol.

        • Refugnic Reply

          Knowing Ada, Rob’s lucky to not have gotten a blade to his throat instead. 😀

          • JW

            I’m really curious where you got that impression of Ada. I’d sooner expect her to turn inwards and get depressed if that flashback was anything to go by. In any case she’s never struck me as the random acts of violence type of girl.

          • Refugnic

            First: I’m a terrible judge of character.
            Second: I was cracking a joke.
            Third: It’s not that far from stomping on someone’s foot to threaten him with some sort of object.
            The important point here is, that she doesn’t actually want to hurt him, making her threat empty (but still impressive).

            Fourth: Why should she care whom he talks to anyway? Are they officially an item now and nobody bothered to tell me? 😛
            Fifth: See Second. 🙂

          • NotImportant

            But actually many people suggest that she can get violent while she in fact… never did. I suppose that’s just a given for a tsundere character heh.

          • Refugnic

            I beg your pardon, NI, but what do you call what she’s doing to those demons, if not ‘violent’? Agreed, it’s perfect self-defense, however it doesn’t change the fact that she’s killing them without hesitation or any sort of remorse.

            She’s a hunter and hunters are, by definition, violent people.
            I believe what you meant to say was ‘while she never got violent against other people’, didn’t you? 😉

          • JW

            Third: It’s not that far from stomping on someone’s foot to threaten him with some sort of object.

            It kind of is.

            Fourth: Why should she care whom he talks to anyway? Are they officially an item now and nobody bothered to tell me?

            When has being an item ever been a precondition for someone getting upset about someone else talking to yet another person? People don’t need justification for acting like fools.

            And in any case, the paperwork just went through last Friday. Here’s the official certificate: http://www.freeuploadsite.com/do.php?id=89581
            (I have no idea how long that link will be valid.)

            I beg your pardon, NI, but what do you call what she’s doing to those demons, if not ‘violent’?

            A tranquil application of measured force?
            I disagree with what seems to be the suggestion that killing is necessarily violent. And I need look no further for support than the first definition dictionary.com gives

            adjective
            1. acting with or characterized by uncontrolled, strong, rough force: a violent earthquake.
            2. caused by injurious or destructive force: a violent death.
            3. intense in force, effect, etc.; severe; extreme: violent pain; violent cold.
            4. roughly or immoderately vehement or ardent: violent passions.
            5. furious in impetuosity, energy, etc.: violent haste.
            6. of, relating to, or constituting a distortion of meaning or fact

            I suppose definition 2 might apply in as far as that it would make the demon’s death violent, but all the ones that might apply to Ada, don’t.
            Of course, I haven’t looked beyond the first definition on dictionary.com, because there might be other definitions that disagree with the proposition I’m putting forth and I’d rather leave that onerous task to someone else 😛

          • Refugnic

            You don’t even need to look further than the third definition:

            intense in force, effect, etc.; severe
            Ramming a blade into a towering heap of flesh requires an intense, almost brutish force. As such, she is applying ‘violence’, even if only to those who threaten her or those who are important to her, making her a ‘violent person’.

            A non-violent way of killing by those definitions btw, would be by poison.
            Now one could argue that the demons are dying of heavy metal poisoning, but it’s how that heavy metal gets into their bodies… 😉

            Regarding the excuse for acting like fools, no, people never needed one of those.
            Though I believe the world would be a better place, if people in general made it a habit to think before they act.
            But then again, who ever has the time for that, am I right? 😉

            And finally: Is it now? How is inflicting pain with an object (in this case: The stomp on the foot) that far away from threatening with an object?
            It doesn’t have to be an actual weapon, it could just be a demonstrative lifting of the boot once more. 😀

          • NotImportant

            It might be crucial to point out that she didn’t actually stomp on his foot, that was just a joke I made ;D

          • JW

            You don’t even need to look further than the third definition:
            intense in force, effect, etc.; severe

            Ramming a blade into a towering heap of flesh requires an intense, almost brutish force. As such, she is applying ‘violence’, even if only to those who threaten her or those who are important to her, making her a ‘violent person’.

            It’
            s a magic blade, it slices through demons like a knife through butter. Buttering your toast is not typically thought of as violent (but I don’t know how you apply butter). So basically, I disagree.

            And finally: Is it now? How is inflicting pain with an object (in this case: The stomp on the foot) that far away from threatening with an object?

            That’s a rather indigenous way to put it, since what you actually compared was a stomp on the foot and putting a blade to someone’s throat.
            If we were comparing hacking someone foot off with a blade, or putting a blade to someone’s throat; or stomping on someone’s foot with a boot and throwing a boot at their head, then I might agree they’re similar things. But comparing a stomp on the foot with putting a blade to someone’s throat is the difference between roughhousing with a friend and threatening to kill him.
            I consider those two very different things.

          • JW

            Also, violently buttering your toast wouldn’t by itself make you a violent person. One or a few instances of violence do not by themselves make someone a “violent person”, that would require a persistent tendency to violence, not merely occasional and judicially applied usage. So the third definition just doesn’t apply, it only applies to an instance, not the agent behind it.

            It might be crucial to point out that she didn’t actually stomp on his foot, that was just a joke I made ;D

            Nah. Doesn’t make a difference. We just need an excuse to increase the postcount and keep this forum lively and poke at each other.

          • NotImportant

            Much appreciated hahaha, I love listening to your little ‘disputes’~
            To me it’s kind of funny because from those two (meaning Ada and Rob), Rob is definitely the violent one. I am curious what you’ll say after the flashback!

          • JW

            Huh, to be honest it wouldn’t cross my mind to qualify (current) Robert as violent either. He just seems so relaxed, taking everything in stride. I mean, pizza-guy shot him, and Robert didn’t even do so much as slap him; just yelled a bit (and without grabbing him by the shirt and shaking him).
            On the other hand, I can image he might have been a bit a delinquent in the good ol’ days, and has just mellowed a bit over time.

          • NotImportant

            I imagine him being in control of his emotions and not easily swayed but when he finally snaps… ლ(o◡oლ) And at some point in his life he realized he has problems with that, so he learnt to control himself better. And better. And even better. To the point of being all mellow and nice all the time (until he snaps at something again).
            And believe me – he didn’t punch that pizza guy only because it hurt too much hahaha~!
            I am telling you guys this only because we’ve already seen him angry and there will be a similar scene in the flashback (no surprise here either, Sofia remembered his angry face).

          • Zenanii

            I’m no definition expert, but in my world you simply do not “peacefully” eviscerate and decapitate another creater (unless the blade is soo sharp you can simply press it softly against them and it will effortlessly sever limbs and bones alike. I know Ada mentioned there was suprisingly little resistance, but she and Rob were still using slashing and theusting atacks, clearly applying force behind each strike).

            So ya, I agree with Refugnic that Ada can definitely be a violent person (but Ref, if a friend stomps your foot, for the love of god do not put a knife to his throat >_> That’s just . . . no).

    • NotImportant Reply

      My pleasure, Luke! And with big enough heart there is room for both (‘∀’●)♡

        • NotImportant Reply

          Poor nameless assistant…! And your comment had so many links you managed to raise a spam flag ლ(o◡oლ)

          • JW

            Ah, of course, I was thinking about what to call her, but it’s been staring me in the face all along. I will call her Anna = NA = Nameless Assistant.

            And I didn’t think two links was that many; though I suppose in a comment of two sentences, it’s a lot.

          • Refugnic

            Anna, huh? Do I really need to rewrite that fanfiction where I named her Emily (Lewandowki) to reflect this little consensus in the comment section?

            Cause for me, she still looks like an Emily, but that’s personal taste.

          • NotImportant

            Emily is softer, but suits her as well so there is no need. Her name won’t appear in the comic anyway (at least that’s the plan for now). And thanks for the vote! 😉

          • JW

            “Emily” does fit with the image I have of her. It’s a nice name. Reminds me of Hermione 😛
            I must admit I haven’t really read any of the fanfiction. Any other unnamed characters that have been given names? Pizza-guy perhaps?
            To be honest that’s about all the notable unnamed characters I can remember, other than the demon I’ve been calling Fluffy in the privacy of my own mind.

          • JW

            Yeah, the story behind that ends with the last panel on https://replaycomic.com/comic/hectic-morning-continued/ and the alternate text “NOOOO!! FLUFFY!!” (It start on the previous page with the premise Fluffy was their pet and they took it for a jog.)
            I kind of always wanted to take those pages and write out an alternate text for them, but never got around to it, because procrastination takes up all my time 😉

          • NotImportant

            I love the idea, that demon is my personal favorite as well (even though I didn’t go as far as to name it).

          • Refugnic

            Regarding the fanfics, not any of the officially present unnamed characters, however I did introduce a few off-screen characters NI is free to use as cannon fodder in the future if she wants to.

            Oh and I slapped a few surnames on the existing characters, since NI never stated any as far as I’m aware, but that’s besides the point.
            I have found myself to be struggling with portraying the characters right though, but that is to be expected, seeing how I’m
            a) A terrible judge of character to begin with
            b) These characters have not sprung from my mind, but from the mind of someone else, so ‘getting them right’ is exceedingly more difficult.

            Fortunately they are just fanfictions, so, while I have been trying my best to get them right, I don’t have to be 100 % accurate and consistent.

            For example, if I wrote Sofia’s story again today, I’d know more about her and thus portray her differently. (When I wrote her’s, I had exactly one appearance to go with :P)

            So yeah, I’d appreciate any feedback you’d like to throw my way. 🙂

            Other than that tiny little detail of sometimes atypical behavior, the fanfics are said to be pretty decent though from what I heard.

    • Refugnic Reply

      Haha, yeah, the almost 90 pages fly by really quickly, don’t they? But then again, the comic really hasn’t been running for all that long yet. There’s a lot more to come.
      At least I sure hope so. 😀

      Either way, if you haven’t got enough yet, maybe you’ll want to check out the gallery for a few more goodies and if you want some more, at least related, artworks, feel free to check out the fanart section. 🙂

  9. mjkj Reply

    Awwww….

    Why, Sofia? *hugs and comforts her…*

    Wow, that picture is really nice 😀 I hope she will be fine, though.

  10. Kent Reply

    I have a mentally handicapped daughter, so this is offensive on a personal level and has nothing to do with political correctness. “Retarded” is not a synonym for “stupid”.
    Good luck on your future efforts, but I won’t be reading any more.

    • NotImportant Reply

      Sofia is a fictional character and she is not always right, neither she is perfect, she also doesn’t represent mine (or anyone’s involved with Replay) opinion or view about the world.
      I also have mentally handicapped person in the family, this was not meant to offend anyone, sorry if you felt that way.

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