One year later:
Yes, tandem is my alt account, I made the original. Really pleased this resonated with people. I just went to the Bay Secular Solstice and was thinking about these two again, and the work of making the world and ourselves the best we can be. Have one more bonus:
(Jet Lag: The Game is really good, if you like competitive game shows about train logistics. I recommend starting with the first season of Tag Across Europe.)
The premise intrigued me. That was lovely to read. I'm glad I did.
It feels like this exposed something important, a crux that always lived in my head and relationships, but in such a way that stays deeply integrated. If that makes any sense. No part of it stood out as a quotable or author tract; I stayed in emotional connection rather than jumping out and up a meta level to intellectualize. I want to share this.
It's quite a conversation. Deep topics, but touched with a lightness as two similar but different people feel each other out.
The art too. /chefs kiss🤌/. There's something beautiful about the subtle lineart of interaction behind the text, the cup passing hands and their true-to-character sitting postures. I didn't notice it consciously on the first read through, just felt its seamless effect. Brilliant how it all slowly goes dark, til the sun rises in the end—mirroring the solstice I imagine they met to celebrate.
This was a nice read but I don't have the slightest clue what "Goal-factored the idea of "guilty pleasures". Now loves speedrunning unabashedly" means
They used to consider speedrunning games a guilty pleasure, but after goal-factoring their supposed guilty pleasure concludes that the guilt doesn't align with their actual goals and values and feeling bad about enjoying speedrunning doesn't really serve any productive purpose, so now they enjoy speedrunning unabashedly.
And "goal factoring" is a technique for figuring out what you actually want and different ways to get there.
Not me assuming kratom was a made-up word haha.
Awesome comic! You captured the recurring traits really really well.
(Both characters are fictional, loosely inspired by various traits from various real people. Be careful about combining kratom and alcohol.)