Original Commentary

Yes, this comic took place right after Sunday's comic. Why is Brisbane so happy? You're guess is as good as Robert's. This comic is also a one-shot that will most likely turn into a story arc in my writing today- except I actually know what this story arc will be about. -Isabel

Modern Commentary
I mean, Brisbane is pretty cheerful on a normal day. He's just extra cheerful right now. I don't think we properly explained this. - Terrence

He got to connect with Kimberly. There was progress in their friendship and relationship. Of course he's happy. - Isabel

Yeah, that makes sense. The storylines are linked. One runs into the other - Terrence

Original Commentary

Builds tension, doesn't it? First time we've seen Brisbane this happy in a while. Especially at work. Thing about being tech support (like Robert here) is that people only come to you with problems...-Terrence

Modern Commentary
Robert seems unusually observant and caring here. I'm going to say that Brisbane brings it out in him. He wouldn't notice that change in his other coworkers. - Terrence

Original Commentary

Terrence and myself talked about this today...If Kimberly had the choice to be wrong but happy or right but miserable, she'd pick the latter. That's just the kind of girl she is. Kimberly is having a real "9 to 5" moment in that second panel. -Isabel

Modern Commentary
Kimberly is happy she had a good day at work. The fact that she had a heart-to-heart with Brisbane the night before is nice but you can't underestimate the power of everything going right at work.

Then, suddenly Emily!
To recap, Emily used to be Kimberly's best friend back in high school. Then they drifted apart. Emily refuses to acknowledge that she's not still Kimberly's best friend.

That note in the first panel is clipart, I think. Or part of a font that we've long forgotten. - Terrence

Original Commentary

Kimberly and Emily haven't gotten along at all since You Say it First began. And they weren't doing too well back when Unlike Minerva ended. Emily kept picking fights with Brisbane. We had been considering bringing Emily back for a while now. I had thought of bringing her back as Brisbane's friend (but still Kimberly's enemy), but I think this works better - Terrence

Modern Commentary
Y'know, there are a lot of people who haven't spoken to me in a long time. But then, I haven't reached out to them either. There are folk I probably ought to reach out to but I don't have much to say. I want good things for them, in abstract, but I don't want to just reach out to be, like "Hey, it's been four months. Nothing going on over here. Things still ok over where you are?"

We're not very consistent about how much time has passed between various comics. Has four months worth of stuff happened? I think that's about right. There are a lot of "it's been a few weeks" and the Valentine's Day storyline has to be a month and a half after the Christmas storyline, no matter how much stuff we do in January.- Terrence

Original Commentary

Emily is remarkably clue-resistant. As far as she's concerned, she and Kimberly were friends in high school and things haven't changed from there... - Terrence

Modern Commentary
Like Syd Barrett said, "Emily tries but misunderstands".
There is no other way.

Why did it take Emily four months to hunt Kimberly down? She's got her phone number and address.
Emily probably made a new friend at work in the meantime, then they had a falling out. And now she's back to hanging out with Kimberly, her emergency backup friend. - Terrence

Original Commentary

Yes, Emily knows Brisbane's name. She just really doesn't like him - Terrence

Modern Commentary
How did Emily even find Kimberly? She's not on speaking terms with Brisbane. The rest of the cast - Robert, Richard, Sinclair, and Ms Taylor - don't even know that Emily exists.
A real friend just knows. Emily has Kimberly-senses.

So, where is Emily off to? Back to work? Inviting more people to the picnic? Is she getting her own lunch?

Leaving because Kimberly obviously isn't in the mood to hang out?
Definitely not. That would require a level of awareness that Emily lacks. - Terrence