Might Aimee qualify? I don’t think we’ve seen much romance for her, aside from Baron’s interest in her.
I like all the different flowers in these strips. It’s a nice touch to have different shapes and not just different colours. In the last strip, it looked like there might be miniature fruit trees, too.
When the last eagle flies
Over the last crumbling mountain
And the last lion roars
At the last dusty fountain
In the shadow of the forest
Though she may be old and worn
They will stare unbelieving
At the Last Unicorn
The Baron made a troth? To whom? (To the best of my knowledge, the definition of “troth” is “a pledge of loyalty/ faithfulness”, not necessarily marriage-related).
That would be a hell of a thing. I don’t really see Baron as the chessmaster archvillain type though. More the bumbling wannabe who gets caught in his own trap type.
Last I saw of them, in the sidebar of Vol. 7 or 8 (I forget which), they had developed different colors and personalities and were apparently dating each other. So probably not.
Oooh, the ‘Unicorn Tapestry’! NICE. Seriously, that really is a gorgeous take on the classic. (And yeah, I now have the theme from The Last Unicorn playing in my head.) So I either nailed it when I guessed that this is Baron’s haven where a unicorn can be a unicorn, or he’s trapped here somehow.
Goodness, this seems like an important moment. I’ve been wondering why all the Barons in his private VR were the stubby rude version, instead of this one. This is Baron as he would wish to be, right? And he’s “the unicorn in captivity?” That… sounds worrying.
Is this the first time one of the wallpapers has been echoed later, in the strip? I wonder if there will be others? Surely Aimee does not have Lovelace “in thrall”, and won’t leave her “alone and palely loitering” will she?
I feel like, if I’d been better at picking up the references all along, I’d now have a much better idea of where the story is headed. Since I’m not at all that clever (I even missed the squeegee) I’ll just have to follow along and be delighted when I watch the pieces click into place
Calling it now: to maintain the casino sim, Baron has to stay in one place to keep it running. All the clones experience it for him, and he absorbs their memories / experiences when he leaves.
…This is who he was supposed to be. Except he can’t be, because he’s a stubby little chibi robot. Because his creator, who wanted there to be whimsy and magic in the world, was killed.
How do you be a fanciful sincere little unicorn to that world?
Now that’s some darn good homage right there. And I’m kinda tickled that his “true self” really is the noblecorn form, not how he looks (and acts) on the outside.
A unicorn needing [check notes] a virgin to free him?
That leaves Nick out.
Might Aimee qualify? I don’t think we’ve seen much romance for her, aside from Baron’s interest in her.
I like all the different flowers in these strips. It’s a nice touch to have different shapes and not just different colours. In the last strip, it looked like there might be miniature fruit trees, too.
Agreed. The detail Shaenon includes makes everything so realistic I tend to just accept it and take it for granted. But it’s exquisite work!
Traditionally, unicorns need a virgin to be *captured*, not freed – though I’m sure Baron will welcome any assistance Aimee might be willing to give.
I guess I was wrong about Lovelace. I admit I’m mystified.
Baron does look somewhat distressed in panel 3, though…
And I just love Aimee’s body language in panel 4!
Kudos to whoever predicted the Baron would be doing his “noble unicorn” thing.
For those who haven’t seen it, the picture is a tribute to a famous medieval tapestry:
https://tapestry-art.com/tapestries/the-unicorn-in-captivity/
Thank you, BMunro!
Shaenon is so good at adapting classic paintings! I believe this wallpaper improves on La Belle Dame Sans Merci by Sir Frank Dicksee?
I’ve tried twice now to embed a link to the http://skin-horse.com/comic/2021-02-14/ wallpaper?
Ah yes, the beautiful lady who never says thank you. (joke taken from Flanders and Swann)
Recognized it immediately, but thanks for the link!
Uh …. WOW! This is totally unexpected!
Ummmm, NOPE!
Post must be deep sarcasm.
I’ll be interested to learn just what sort of thing it is. Intruders in paradise perhaps? (Besides Our Heroes, of course!). 🙂
All I can guess at this point is that one of Mr. Green’s avatars will step out from behind a tree and announce “Anasigma welcomes you!”
*Nick’s eyes glowing:* “Override, monkeyfisher!”
When the last eagle flies
Over the last crumbling mountain
And the last lion roars
At the last dusty fountain
In the shadow of the forest
Though she may be old and worn
They will stare unbelieving
At the Last Unicorn
“Where have you been? Where have you been? Damn you! Where have you been?“
I’m aliiiive! I’m aliiiiiiive!
Yes, good, a tiny adorable fence everyone can easily step over. Perfect.
The Baron made a troth? To whom? (To the best of my knowledge, the definition of “troth” is “a pledge of loyalty/ faithfulness”, not necessarily marriage-related).
It can also mean “one’s pledged word”. So what Baron’s saying here is “I swear it isn’t a sex thing”.
“By my troth” is simply an archaic way of saying “on my honor”. Or, more loosely translated, “I swear it to be true”.
This is where the Baron we first met at Whimsey World keeps the Baron we met in the VR Whimsey World imprisoned.
Intriguing! Could this be one of the cloned Barons?
That would be a hell of a thing. I don’t really see Baron as the chessmaster archvillain type though. More the bumbling wannabe who gets caught in his own trap type.
Last I saw of them, in the sidebar of Vol. 7 or 8 (I forget which), they had developed different colors and personalities and were apparently dating each other. So probably not.
So… he writes self-insertion fanfic, and he also does self-insertion art installations.
Unicorn tapestries! Woo! (also gorgeous)
And this actually kinda makes sense.
Oooh, the ‘Unicorn Tapestry’! NICE. Seriously, that really is a gorgeous take on the classic. (And yeah, I now have the theme from The Last Unicorn playing in my head.) So I either nailed it when I guessed that this is Baron’s haven where a unicorn can be a unicorn, or he’s trapped here somehow.
Goodness, this seems like an important moment. I’ve been wondering why all the Barons in his private VR were the stubby rude version, instead of this one. This is Baron as he would wish to be, right? And he’s “the unicorn in captivity?” That… sounds worrying.
Is this the first time one of the wallpapers has been echoed later, in the strip? I wonder if there will be others? Surely Aimee does not have Lovelace “in thrall”, and won’t leave her “alone and palely loitering” will she?
I feel like, if I’d been better at picking up the references all along, I’d now have a much better idea of where the story is headed. Since I’m not at all that clever (I even missed the squeegee) I’ll just have to follow along and be delighted when I watch the pieces click into place
Calling it now: to maintain the casino sim, Baron has to stay in one place to keep it running. All the clones experience it for him, and he absorbs their memories / experiences when he leaves.
…This is who he was supposed to be. Except he can’t be, because he’s a stubby little chibi robot. Because his creator, who wanted there to be whimsy and magic in the world, was killed.
How do you be a fanciful sincere little unicorn to that world?
Also this is a lovely piece of work. ❤️
Could it be his clones locked him up, or maybe someone else is trying to hack into his world and run it to keep him literally under lock and key?
As far as I know, “a virgin to catch a unicorn” is sarcastic and maybe a bit misogynistic. It’s one imaginary being to catch another imaginary being.
Now that’s some darn good homage right there. And I’m kinda tickled that his “true self” really is the noblecorn form, not how he looks (and acts) on the outside.
Sometimes, we are faced with the harsh reality that our real self is a far cry from our idealized self.
I do pity the Baron.