Day Two

Proof

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#307. Proof

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 22

Look, at least she's angry instead of crying, this is progress.

Chloe holds up the wallet, her tears starting to dry. Chloe: "I can't just — go up to him with this."
Zia: "Then mail it back." Chloe: "I can't just mail it back!"
Zia: "Then I'll return it." Chloe: "It shouldn't be you!"
Zia (holds up a finger sagely): "Then it MUST stay here. Q.E.D." Chloe (shouting): "It CAN'T stay here!"
Zia (sips coffee): "Nope, sorry, Law of Noncontradiction. Invalid proof." Chloe (angry): "Zia!"
Zia (snidely): "Listen, you can do anything you want with love, horsegirl, but math and logic are mine." Chloe (fuming angry).

Army of One

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#308. Army of One

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 23

Chloe, can you please not go full stereotype? Maybe dial that eleven back to like an eight? Also, why do I get the feeling this isn't the first time Zia's talked to her tail?

Chloe sits in her bed, wrapped up in blankets, eating cookie-dough ice cream from the carton while emo music blasts in the background.
Zia (fully dressed now, arms crossed): "You really ought to do something." "You can't just stay in here all day eating ice cream and playing Evanescence."
Chloe (irritably takes another scoop of ice cream): "Like fudge I can't."
Zia: "Okay, in your best interest, I'm not going to let you stay here all day eating ice cream and playing Evanescence."
Chloe (grouchy): "Yeah, you and what army?"
Zia looks at Chloe.
Zia's tail points back at her as if holding a conversation with her. Zia: "Hmm —"
Zia's tail points back at Chloe. Zia: "Just measuring troop strength, I get that there's two of us and only one of her, but she's in the cavalry..."

Hate Bargain

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#309. Hate Bargain

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 24

Forever seems to be shorter than I remember.

Chloe, still in bed eating ice cream with music blasting. Zia: "Listen, somebody's gotta return his wallet, and if it's not you, then I'm gonna do it."
Chloe: "No way." Zia: "He's gonna come back for it if one of us doesn't."
Chloe: "Argh!" "Fine, I'll do it, but I'm gonna hate you forever!"
Zia (shrugging, walking away): "Okay, but we half-changed Sophia back yesterday..."
Chloe glares at her, bending the spoon in half.
Chloe: "Okay, fine, but I'm gonna hate you for at least an hour!" Zia (holds out hand, grinning): "Deal."

The Walk of Shame

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#310. The Walk of Shame

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 25

😬 ... <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAEhWEOrlnc">musical accompaniment</a>

Chloe walks through town. Camera far away. Skyline in the distance, and car traffic on the street. Chloe looks very small.
Chloe walks in front of buildings, with pedestrians and cars around her. Camera closer.
Chloe walks across the street at a crosswalk. Camera closer.
Chloe walks in front of a building, head hanging. Camera closer. A pedestrian walks by, looking at her phone. Blue news box with the "Los Angeles Guardian" newspaper inside with headline "Airstrikes in Baku". Red news box with "The Star" newspaper inside with headline "Princess Outrage".
Chloe stops, holding Mark's wallet. Camera close up.
Camera behind Chloe. Mark leans on the railing of the balcony of his second-floor apartment. Potted plants in the windowsill. Mark (dully looking down at Chloe): "Oh. It's you."

The Actual Problem

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Sun, 09 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#311. The Actual Problem

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 26

...she — actually said it?

Chloe (holds wallet up): "You, uh, forgot your wallet." Mark (dully, still on the balcony): "Thanks."
Chloe: "Listen, I — "
Mark: "It's not the first time I've been dumped." "I'm a big boy." "I can handle it."
Chloe (looking up, slightly panicked): "That wasn't — " "I mean — "
Mark (stands up, arms crossed, looking down): "What do you want, Chloe?"
Chloe (looking away and looking miserable): "Honestly —" "— that's the problem. I don't really know."

About Last Night

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#312. About Last Night

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 27

I think he would, Chloe.

Mark frowns, standing on the building steps now. Chloe is at the base of the steps, holding his wallet. Chloe (looking up): "I didn't mean to hurt you." "I'm sorry." "I didn't do anything right today."
Mark: "So — " " — last night, I meet this pretty girl, and she's smart and clever and snarky and super hot." "And she whips my horse ass in bar trivia, and get this, she's even my species too!" "What are the chances on that?" "And I would've been happy just to go on a date with her."
Mark (voiceover): "But instead, she hangs around, and we talk for hours, first in the bar, then in the park where it's quieter." "And at midnight we go get burgers and fries." "And she takes me back to her place and we start a movie." "And I'm having the best time in years with her." (Flashback shows Mark and Chloe in the park, talking and laughing.)
Mark (voiceover): "And then ten minutes into the movie, this girl takes her shirt off and completely blows my mind." "It's literally the best night of my damn life." (Flashback shows Mark on the couch, and Chloe starting to lift up her shirt.)
Mark (voiceover): "And this morning I still can't believe it." "And I'm like, I have to take her to Disneyland, or the mountains, or France or something." "Forget work this week, I have to impress the hell out of this girl before she meets another centaur guy and I'm last week's news." "I'm thinking hard about it, and I hear her talking out in the other room, so I get up to at least insist on buying breakfast." (Flashback shows Mark laying shirtless in bed, looking a bit stunned.)
Mark (glaring down from the steps): "And then the first words out of your mouth were that it was a mistake." "A mistake." "That I was a mistake." "And just in case there was any doubt in my mind, just in case I didn't believe it, you said it over and goddamn over again."
Chloe (head hanging): "I swear it's not what it sounded like." Mark: "Then what was it?"
Chloe (looks down, deflated): "Would you accept that I'm a mess?"

Radioactive

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#313. Radioactive

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 28

Maybe before. ...also, not a Green Day reference, and also, not an Imagine Dragons reference, but this is 😈

Chloe: "Last night was amazing, all of it, but I —" "— shouldn't have done — it." "I got one drink in me and it was just enough to — to — loosen me up a — little." "And I haven't felt that good in a long time, but — "
Chloe: "I just don't know who I am or what I want anymore." "Ever since I turned into this." "— maybe before." "Everybody else seems to have life figured out, but me, I'm half human — and half nervous wreck." "I don't know — anything for certain anymore." "All I know is that until I have me figured out at least a little, I should act like I'm radioactive."
Mark: "You don't have to have all the answers, Chloe." "You don't have to have any answers." "Nobody really does." "I got my issues too." "You just have to not be an ass about it."
Chloe: "But — this morning was me too." "Last night wasn't really me — I mean, it was — but I don't let — that Chloe out because being that — that open — doesn't feel like me." "The real me — " " — is an introvert and a basket case and paranoid and an anxious mess and — "
Chloe: " — and I have to like me before anyone else can like me, but — I don't think I like me yet."
Mark: "I was willing to like you enough for both of us." Chloe (blushes nervously).

Head Case

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#314. Head Case

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 29

shakes head at third panel In a former life, I swear she was a puppy dog who peed on the rug.

Mark: "I honestly thought you were great, Chloe. The real you." "Paranoias and anxieties included." Chloe: "You barely know me."
Mark: "You told me a lot last night." "About your family, your sister, growing up in Ohio." "Moving out here. Your crazy roommate. Working at the museum." "I think I met the real Chloe." "And I liked her."
Chloe: "I know, but — ." "I maybe screwed up last night, but I screwed up worse this morning." "You're a really nice guy." "You deserve better than a head case who can hurt you this bad."
Mark (shrugging, grinning): "No pain, no gain?"

Taaallll

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#315. Taaallll

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 30

Well, at least she's consistent? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Mark looks down at Chloe, frowning. Chloe looks up sheepishly.
Mark sighs, softening. "Maybe —" "I might regret this, but —" "Let's start over."
Mark: "Do you — want to just try a normal date?" "— no sex. Just a date."
Chloe (nervously, blushing a little): "I'd — I'd be willing to try a normal date." "If you still want to."
Chloe stares up at Mark, her face pink.
Chloe (melting): "Taaallll..." Mark (grinning): "Now don't you start that again."

Date Night

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#316. Date Night

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 31

Well, who knew, we actually somehow arrived at the title. tosses away the script

Chloe (walking beside Mark, still blushing): "I'm not good at relationships, you know."
Mark: "Is anyone?" "Come on, let's try one real date." "You can pretend to be good at it for a couple hours, and only I'll know your secret."
Chloe (still blushing): "Could we — maybe — just do dinner and a movie? Isn't that what normal people do?"
Mark (grinning): "I wouldn't know what normal people do. I'm a horse."
Mark (turns to her): "But — that sounds nice. Friday?" Chloe bites her lip.
Chloe (nervously fiddling with her hair): "Seven o'clock?" Mark: "Meet here, or your place?"
Chloe (gulps, shaking): "I'll — see you then." "And here."
The door slams shut inside the apartment (*WHAM*). Chloe stands in front of the door, her arms wide as she braces against it. Zia looks up from the couch. Chloe looks panicked and wide-eyed and terrified. Chloe (weakly): "Zia —" "I have a date."

Confessions

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#317. Confessions

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 32

I think I speak for everyone when I say ಠ_ಠ ... and I don't know quite how we got here, but I suppose we did arrive. (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ Oh, well. It's been an even weirder chapter than usual. Chloe, enjoy that new relationship, and good luck with it and everything, and try not to — well, just try not to be too Chloe, okay? He seems like a keeper. Zia, as usual, we need to talk about your morals again — as if it'd make a difference to have that conversation for the 97th time. And Sophia — please never, ever describe your personal life to anyone ever again; I really really don't want to know. Guess she's blue for good now. #YOLO? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ glances at the script Wait a minute, there's one more page...

Chloe, Zia, Amy, and Sophia sitting around a café table at lunch. Amy (frowning, arms crossed): "All right." "Who's gonna start?" Zia grins up at her. Chloe fiddles with the straw on her water glass. Sophia sits comfortably in her chair.
Zia (cheerfully, giving a big thumbs up): "One night stand, baby!"
Chloe (sheepish, hiding under her hands, looking away): "I — I met this guy..."
Sophia (grinning darkly, holding up her glass like a toast): "Eighteen straight hours —" "of depraved —" "nasty —" "kink."
Amy glares at them, frowning. Amy: "..."
Sophia leans back in her chair, sipping her glass. Chloe collapses on the table. Amy: "You people are the worst chaperones ever." Zia (shouting, holding up a finger): "We're number one!"

Meanwhile

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#318. Meanwhile

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 33

And that ends chapter 9 for real. Or does it? Whatever's going on here doesn't really seem to be the end of anything. But either way around, that's finally it for chapter 9, "Date Night." As usual, it went lots of unexpected places, but somehow we arrived at a nice new status quo. Welcome to the cast, Mark, and good luck with the cute blonde: She's a handful. Chapter 10, "The Rival," isn't quite ready yet. The script is written, and the cover is drawn, and we have a half-dozen drawn pages, but that's nowhere near enough of a buffer to start posting it. So while I work on drawing it, there will be a few fillers in September and October, and hopefully we'll kick off chapter 10 around November or December. Thanks all for reading, as always, and I hope you enjoyed chapter 9!

Hooded figure sitting in Momma's safe house eating soup. Momma: "Do you really have to leave? It's safer here." (Khazovian: "Доғрудaн гетмəлисəн? Бурда даһа тəһлүкəсиздир.")
Hooded figure stands up. Hooded figure: "One month is too long already." (Khazovian: "Бир ай артыг узундур.")
Hooded figure gives Momma a hug. Hooded figure: "I won't forget your help." (Khazovian: "Сənin көмəyини унутмарaм.") Momma (startled): "I help everyone who comes to my door." (Khazovian: "Гапыма ҝәлән һәр кәсә көмәк едирәм.") Hooded figure: "But you did it for me." (Khazovian: "Амма сиз буни мəнə етдиниз.")
Hooded figure peers out the door, looking left and right.
Hooded figure leaves. Momma (leaning out of the doorway): "Protect yourself out there. Don't come back dying again." (Khazovian: "Чөлдə özünü гору. Бир дə бура өлмəyə гəлмə.")
Hooded figure (glancing back): "I won't, Momma. Thank you." (Khazovian: "Етмəйəcəйəm, Мамма. Сaғ олун.")

Talking Two: Chapter 9

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#0. Talking Two: Chapter 9

Ch.9 - Date Night - page 34

What the — ? I swear again, who authorized an aftershow? This was not in the publishing contract! ...😣 Whatever. I guess this is a thing now. But can we at least get better guests than Ms. Breen?

Zia, Julie Breen, and Chris Hardly sit around the TV. Julie looks a little stunned. Zia: "Welcome to Talking Two, the Day Two aftersh — "
Julie (explodes): "EEEEEEE!" "CHLOE HAS A BOYFRIEND!" "CHLOE HAS A BOYFRIEND!" "EEEEEEE!" *Subtitle: "Julie Breen: 'Thursday Night Murders'"
Chris: "Now, now, they're just dating." Zia (irritably): "Anyway, as I was saying — " Subtitles: "Chris Hardly: 'Pod Nerds with Chris Hardly'" and "Zia Mendez: 'Day Two' and 'Sharknado vs. Polar Bear Vortex'"
Julie (excited): "Did you see him?" "No way they're just dating!" "Tall dark and handsome, and no way that literal stallion isn't great in bed!" "Million percent jealous!" "You go girl!"
Zia (frowning): "Seriously, I don't want to think about what either of them were doing that night." Julie (leans forward excitedly): "My girl rocked his world is what they were doing!"
Chris: "Let's talk about Sophia's new form." "I wonder what she — " Julie (jumps up): "She's literally a side character!" "The important part is Chloe's hot new dreamboat!"
Chris: "But their relationship is still pretty rough. They're not — " Julie (grins darkly at him): "Oh, you know she totally humped him right after the movie."
Zia (facepalming): "Ugh, cut to commercial already." Julie (dancing in the middle of the set): "Go Chloe!" "Go Chloe!" "It's your birthday!" "Go Chloe!"

Chlork

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#320. Chlork

Miscellaneous Specials - page

Don't look at me. You guys picked the name.

Zia (pops in excitedly): "Hey, you two! Guess what?" Chloe (holding Mark's hand): "Good God, do I want to know?"
Zia (brightly, sticking her finger at her mouth): "The Internet has a couple name for you!" "They're calling you Chlork!" "It's like 'Clark,' only with more 'hoark' or 'urk' in it, like you're trying to vomit!"
Chloe and Mark look down at Zia, slightly aghast. Zia make an exaggerated green gagging face like she's going to vomit. Zia: *hoark* *urk*
Mark (frowning down at Zia): "Your roommate is really unsettling." Chloe (looking away): "I mean, I guess it's better than 'Moe...'"

Mark

phantom-inker@dontmailme.nomail (Phantom Inker) — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMT

#321. Mark

Character Sheets - page

Introducing Mark! The character sheet covers a lot — but yes, Mark's a MechE grad from UNLV, working as a junior engineer at a small design firm, and he grew up in the smallest of small towns, Dirt, Nevada (pop. 237), in the dusty, dry desert northeast of Reno. He had a pretty rough childhood, but he became a stable adult from it — and that's a pretty good thing given who he's dating now, because she needs all the stability she can get. To answer the obvious question: Mark is almost main cast, just the same way that Lynne and Angel are: We'll see him a lot (including in the next chapter!); but as he and Chloe are still working out exactly what "we" means, there'll still be times when he's off doing his own thing. So say hello to Mark! — but sorry, ladies, I do think he's taken 😉

Mark. Full name *Mark Thomas Reed*. Species *Centaur*. Gender *Male*. Age *27*. Height *7'2"**_. Weight _*1210 lbs.
*Dark brown* hair, *black* borders, *brown* hilight. Perpetually a little messy. Soft-spoken baritone voice. "Standard" American accent. Broad shoulders. Wears neutral colors. Lots of black and gray and brown in his wardrobe. Dark brown horse body, same color as his hair. Black borders and hooves. Slight S-curve. Good conformation.
Sticks up just like Chloe's bangs. Slightly thicker eyebrows. *Black* eyes. Rectangular shape. Pointy nose. Angular jawline. Expression is almost always reserved; doesn't open his mouth far. Ectomorph body type. Tall and gangly, even when he was human, more so now. A little midriff at his blend, but not as much as Chloe. Tall even at his withers, Mark is usually two full heads taller than other characters.
Portraits of talking, cheerful, irritated, modest, nervous, alarmed.
*Bio*: Mark grew up poor in the little town of Dirt, Nevada. His single mother often struggled to pay bills, and Mark grew up faster than he wanted after she suffered a debilitating work injury. Smart, capable, and no-nonsense, Mark earned a college scholarship, and he said goodbye to his hometown. He now works as a mechanical engineer in Los Angeles, but he still sends home a check every month to support his mother.
*Appearance*: Mark has short messy hair, and is tall and gangly. He has black eyes, and a dark brown barrel. Wears a gray T-shirt, except at work.
*Expressions*: Unflappable but friendly, Mark is calm, collected, and doesn't panic under pressure.
*Loves*: Working with his hands, Quiet, Gardening, Family, Honesty, Reading, Solving problems, Fresh air, Bacon & eggs, Morning coffee, Current events, "Dorky cute" girls.
*Hates*: Panic, Arguments, Fighting, Shirking responsibility, Aggressive behavior, Rudeness, Lying, Horse jokes, Not wearing pants.