November 7th, 2017
7 Nov 2017 · page 745 of 1306
Oh.
Cast: Benjamin Thackerey, Verity Cunningham
Comments (56)
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31 Jul 2027 – 1 Aug 2027
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Hey, I recognise the pattern of this dress! Ms Fairbairn, dear, long time no see! What a joyful surprise's waiting for Ben, really...
...we never DID see her die.
I'm not whole convinced she's still alive... not in the conventional sense at least. Sloth at the very least tried to steal all her sleep. If he did, that would explain the ragged appearance, and why she's only now reappearing.
Her clothes do appear a bit tattered. Too lazy to wash 'em I suppose....
Perhaps she was unconsensually zombified.
That does sound like a sloth thing.
(It's also a Darken reference)
Fairbairn: ... turns Thackerey...? Ben Thackerey? ...YOU'RE FIRED!!
>:=)> ...and this could mess things up for Sloth:
Vee: You can't fire him - he resigned. Just before your enterprise collapsed.
Fairbairn: approaches I've heard about you, Verity Cunningham.
Vee: struts toward Fairbairn And I've heard all about you, Fairbairn. On the losing side again, I see.
Fairbairn: bristles How dare you?!
Vee: mirthful snort
Vee & Fairbairn: move to circle each other with bristling hauteur
Sloth: manifests Enough. All this combative tension is giving me a headache. Ms. Fairbairn, I'm afraid it didn't work out, and your services are no longer required. I'm off somewhere quieter. demanifests
Fairbairn: W-wait! What about references? Will you keep my CV on file? How-?
Vee: Come along, Ben - I prefer not to hang around the unemployed.
Fairbairn: ;_;
>:=)>
Oh no, dear Heylir, I fear there won't be a pleasant meeting here.
So, is she working for Sloth now? Or has she been trapped there for so long, and so desperate to get out that she will help them, or want their help, in the same way as the Hotel Gula guy?
I'd choose the option "trapped and want their help", but it's rather a matter of personal preference than something else.
It sure does look like her dress. But if Sloth took all of her sleep almost a year ago I am not sure how much she can benefit from their help. She might be willing to help them to spite Sloth, but if she is still solely interested in her own well being (and who cares who else gets hurt) they may not have much to offer her.
I'm trying to remember how badly her dress was damaged in the fight at Lamplight. I sort of have the impression that she's been wandering through these mists for all the months since she disappeared.
Possibly even longer than months, since time can be a tricky thing when spirits are involved.
Yeah, her dress doesn't seem to have all those nicks and such on it in her last appearance: [http://www.widdershinscomic...](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/september-26th-2012/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/september-26th-2012/")
I thought she might be the personification of sloth now, but Acedia is still kicking, so no. I do hope they help each other; it would be to Fairbairn's advantage to do so.
Someone mentioned the light being like that of an anglerfish a while back, which makes me wonder if at this point Sloth isn't merely using her form to draw in prey, who follow the light until they either fall asleep or get close enough for Sloth to get at them directly.
It's...blue.
Makes sense - blue is Sloth's color as well as Mal's.
For budgetary reasons, the Light at the end of the Tunnel will be turned off every night between 22:00 and 05:00.
If only Ms Fairbairn had been elected mayor and allowed to bring in proper controls and restrictions on the use of magic, then all this disaster from summoning the Deadlies could have been prevented. I hope she gets the opportunity to say 'I told you so!' :-)
It seems Ben's already recognized her, juging by his look in the panel 3 and his posture in the last panel.
I'm trying to decide if Ben is going "Oh, great, her again" in the last panel, or just sagging with exhaustion. I guess we'll see...
I dunno...panel 4 seems to show he hasn't...he's still trying to figure it out....
Ruh roh
Well, well! I guessed Ms. Fairbairn would make a reappearance during this section, but I hadn't connected her with the light.
I KNEW SHE'D BE BACK!
Unless that's not actually her, but that Sloth can manifest a vision of her since it took all of her sleep. Speaking of which, the last time Sloth appeared it had been awarded Ben, Wolfe, and Mal's sleep by contract. I wonder if that still holds.
Sloth took then her as a donum, I think. So the contract has to be closed by now?
Maybe, although that gives me the horrible image of her sleep paying for only one person and Ben trying to bargain himself and her in exchange for Wolfe and Mal. And I am suddenly very glad Verity is there to make sure he doesn't.
I am afraid even to think how her face must look now.
As far as the last deal Fairbairn made goes, Ben and the rest are safe. She never finished making the initial deal with Sloth, merely discussed it, and it had to initiate the second deal where it took what was offered. The second deal was closed, and was interpreted as the fulfillment of the first. Furthermore, the circle was broken afterwards, so the binding of the summons no longer holds, same with the contracts. By the same token though, there is no circle, no contracts, nothing to constrain Sloth from taking what it wants now from whomever it wants. So in a way, they are still in danger...
Undead councilwomen? In the words of Han Solo, "I have a bad feeling about this..."
Suddenly I had a silly thought: what if she, totally exhausted and haggard by a year without sleep and with it unable to die - what if she will spot them and... rush desperately towards them in hope for help?
Maybe, but, I doubt it. ; )
Fairbairn might be my favorite Widdershins villain on the strength of "That's Mayor mad old witch to you!" Classic.
They're catching up! :D
Now Ben and Verity look equally exhausted, with black circles under their eyes and their shaking legs.
And supporting each other, not allowing to fall.
I think they're both paler than usual, too, and Vee's hair is starting to look almost as straggly as Ben's.
Time for Wolfe and Sid to save the day.
Right after their nap....
Given that V is now looking pretty ragged (not to mention our new arrival's dress), I'm guessing that leaving this area was the right decision.
Ok, someone, pls remind me... who's Fairbairn?
She's the villain from Chapter 2, No Rest for the Wicked. She was running for mayor on an anti-magic platform, while secretly distributing Sloth-infused lamp oil to put casting wizards to sleep and cause a plague of buggerups.
She's from the first story with Ben, Mal, and Wolfe. She was their boss, who wanted to put restrictions on magic for her own profit. Nearly got them all killed when they discovered her secret, but Mal rescued Ben and Sloth took her instead.
OH NO IT'S -HER-!???!?!
In case anyone wants to check it out, I did a drawing of Ben and Vee as kids on one of their long hikes with their grandparents: [https://enchantressemily.de...](https://enchantressemily.deviantart.com/art/Vee-and-Benji-712018361 "https://enchantressemily.deviantart.com/art/Vee-and-Benji-712018361")
A beautiful picture!
You've certainly captured Vee's sassy pontificating and Ben's calm demeanor!
Great picture.
Aw, this is so cute, thank you!
What a lovely drawing!
Ben shone pretty well dealing with Pride, and by being self-deprecating.
It was Silver Chariot Requiem all along!
I can see the outline of the figure carrying the lamp in panel 2. I went back to the last comic with Ben and Vee in it and I don't think you can see the outline yet in the last panel, but I'm not sure if that's because it wasn't there yet or if it's because I can't get the resolution high enough to resolve the figure from the swirls of Sloth mist.
I didn't know the curtain call would be THAT thorough, but really! I should have known.