Oh look, they gonna kiss.But seriously, Augustus is a piece of work for trivializing Mike who's been abused since he was like 4. Really nailing it hard that his feelings and pain don't matter or that Lucy did no wrong.
>>150310490Augustus never struck me as a caring individual. He has his preferred favorites and everyone else is irrelevant or a valid target. The worst outcome of that mentality is on display now and it's rapidly transformed him from a disappointing Lucy pet to an insufferable dork. I don't think he would have the balls to try this with anyone else but maybe Abbey, and that's only because Augustus knows Abbey can be goaded out of wrecking him. Paulo, on the other hand, would have already chucked goth cat into the bleachers, head first.
>>150310577It's especially sad when he used to sympathize with Mike and call out Lucy for being a bitch to him, now he's just like Sam, Jordan, and her parents, completely validating of her serious faults and further pushing Mike into depression and cynacism despite him sacrificing his physical and mental health for Lucy, and only getting hit in return. Wonder if Paulo or Daisy (who know more about Lucy's attempt) would stand up for Mike here. David clearly isn't.
>>150310490Literally not a single thing Augustus emo ass is talking about is even close to the relationship Lucy and Mike had and he fucking knows it.
Okay so Augustus' grand master plan was never to wreck Mike's social life, just to re-guilt him into compliance. I suppose that makes more sense than spilling Lucy's suicide beans since she herself can't settle on whether or not other people should know. So if Augustus is trying to resume the old status quo, that would imply matters spiral out of his control for whatever reason.You know, assuming there is not a stupid spiteful part 2 to his dweeby tryhard machinations.
Hey does Lucy keep having nightmares about all her friends hating her again? Does it really all stem from Mike saying their friend group would back him up if he stopped talking to her back in December?
>>150310723*How does Lucy
The funniest part is that taeshi unironically believes that what he's saying about mike is rightLike she truthfully, genuinely believes he did all that to lucy.
>>150310646The only time that Augustus ever sympathized with Mike was during Burnt Bridges. The times when Augustus called Lucy out is because she was being annoying and pathetic in general, and that was long before he became her lobotomized castrated live-in security blanket.
>>150310723No, she was having those before he said it. Lucy's just insane
>>150310723>Does it really all stem from Mike saying their friend group would back him up if he stopped talking to her back in December?Can't cause at this point it has to stem from alej cause Literally every single person has shown they were her friend and would help her or ditch Mike. Lucy might just be insane.
>>150310490Idk what's worse, Mike taking this shit or knowing he's only going to be treated as in the wrong when he knocks Aug the fuck out.
>>150310723A few threads ago, some anon claimed that Taeshi said Lucy recognized Mike was wrong during Witch Hunt but, you know...her own Word of God currency is hopelessly devalued. Lucy sure didn't seem to undergo any massive revelations during that chapter, nor get mad that Mike gaslit her so badly that it contributed to her ketchup slam.
>>150310490Mike should try to kill himself thus nulling everything.
>>150310694Does he, though? The atmosphere in Lucy's house might as well be 50% copium gas.
>>150310899Lucy's family wasn't exactly close before her suicide either. But you are right that they are pretending that they can blame it on Mike instead of dealing with their spiraling daughter.
Huh, for once the dominant Lucystan in the page comments is getting pushback from multiple patrons.
>>150310984Oh really? Why?
>>150310961Lucy's mom seems at least somewhat reluctant to lay it all at Mike's feet. She's even tried to float the idea about Lucy patching things up with him.
Here's the preview and shit cause nobody posted it yet
>>150311000The bouts of sanity are fairly random so I refuse to assign any lasting intelligence to these people. But perhaps there is a limit to how annoying, stupid, and insistent one person can be when the groupthink sways out of its usual alignment.
>>150310705I didn't think about it that way, but I wouldn't put it past Augustus to be so vindicative that he'd defy Lucy's wishes just to hurt Mike. Augustus You Jerk is coming true.>>150310766There was clearly a transition especially since Lucy is treating him kinder now than she ever did with Mike. Augustus is so subservient he might as well have his nuts in an electrocuting chastity cage controlled by Lucy cause he's sucking up to her that much. Lobotomized castration sounds more interesting though.>>150310883Agreed, we need Consequences now. It's a perfect arc.
>>150310490the idea that Augustus can pull intimidation is hilarioussome anon already said this but he can just pull James aside and say "he tried molesting a friend of mine, be careful with him"
>>150310984I'm willing to bed all the Lucystans would marry her if she were real. Followed by a messy divorce and custody battle after she abuses them.>>150311019Forshadowing a very toxic codependant marriage.
>>150311019>James not noticing the obvious bullying going on right thereMike dodged a bullet but I'm still annoyed that James was that bullet in the first place. A very shiny, polished bullet, but a bullet only ever has one purpose.
>>150311019"really? you are already about to tear up dude?"how can he even put a straight face
>>150311064He guilts folks like Mike who already has a low self esteem, is depressed, and self-hating. He should try this with someone more confident like Paulo or Abbey, see how that goes.>Crackfic idea, they roughly gangbang him till he submits and begs for mercy.
We wouldn't be in this situation if Taeshi hadn't chosen to retcon slapstick humor from earlier in the comic as Serious Abuse, as an excuse for Mike to start BPD-splitting his opinion of Lucy from love to extreme hate. The issues in this comic run way deeper than just the more recent chapters. That retcon was like deciding to criminally charge Ash Ketchum because James was paralyzed from the waist down the last time Pikachu sent them “blasting off again” 500 feet into the air. It fundamentally changes the tone and consequences of the actions we originally saw. Now it seems she’s trying to undo or walk back some of that by failing to acknowledge that retcon, I guess? And a lot of the Patreon commenters are just rolling with it.
>>150311064Yeah but Taeshi took away Mike's spine privileges again. He's not going to fight back until something snaps and even then it will be ineffective or backfire.
>>150311100>He should try this with someone more confident like Paulo or Abbey, see how that goes. Good point? Has Augustus tried this on anyone with higher self esteem? I only remember him doing this with Daisy when he was trying to rape her.
>>150311100Augustus did do it to Abbey, knowing full well he would get pissed but restrain himself because he doesn't want to emulate his father.
>>150310490Comic ends with all the characters surrounding Mike, saying that they formed a club."So um, we kind of want to fuck you now."
>>150311134True, I didn't notice. But he also did it with Abbey even after getting punched so he has balls in that aspect.>>150311143Oh yeah. He probably knows that if he pisses off Abbey or Paulo too much, they'd assault him.
>>150311113You're implying the patrons ever truly accepted the retcon. I have seen some announce they unironically don't count Lucy's abuse as canon, mostly because the current comic only pays it lip service. So therefore it could not have been that bad and Mike must have massively exaggerated, leaving him in the wrong.
>>150311100>>150311134he did not try to intimidate Abbey, but he trolled him about his dad until he started crying in front of him, which takes the W desu
>>150310490>>150310577>>150310694>>150310705>>150310766I keep telling you, Augustus is a bit of a sociopath. he is manipulative and doesn't care for anyone except people he thinks he may get something out of, mostly Lucy and Daisy. I've yet to see him show any sign of compassion for anyone.At most he talked to Mike before, but he did so in order to get him away from Lucy, who provides him with free room & board. If he was the physical type, I believe he could've tried to intimidate mike physically, but since he isn't, he utilizes social subterfuges to do what he wants.
>>150311163Paulo, for all his faults, would not be dissuaded by smug insinuations--assuming he registered them in the first place. He may throw the girliest hands on campus, but Augustus is such a wuss they might as well be Falcon Punches.
>>150311219That pic gets so much worse knowing in retrospect that he was mad at Mike for triggering Lucy, and not mad at Lucy for sperging out on him. Simp ass little bitch, even Daisy would just be bored if you tried to rape her now.
>>150311219If Augustus had no true compassion toward Lucy, he'd have shown some basic annoyance or disgust over her antics. Especially after she tried to rape him. He wouldn't have found excuses to blame Mike, who he inexplicably seemed to sympathize with despite having no apparent reason to. Basically what I'm saying is that Augustus is not a sociopath--he's just a plot-device of an asshole who does Taeshi's bidding first and foremost.
I am report Taeshi to ICE, hope others will follw my footsteps and send this leech back to Colombia
>>150310490>Maybe if you just laid down and let her beat you to death and accept her very self centered idea of a relationship with you you'd stop being an abusive piece of shit to poor Lucy who never wanted it
I really do wish there was even the most remote of chances that Line in the Sand referred to Mike finally standing up for himself. This plot-enforced flagellation got real fucking old a long time ago.
>>150311311Mike truely is a lifetime house wife. >Tied to an abusive relationship>Hit and any retaliation is your fault.If Mike was a girl there would be more simping... that or it would go blind girl comic route.
>>150311296>BCB ends with Lucy getting deported.My laugh would be heard around the world.
>>150311273I don't think he feels real compassion towards Lucy, he is simply smart and knows that she provides him free room & board, so he doesn't want to aggravate her.And again, in Mike's case, he just wants him out of the life of the person who gives him shelter. If he truly sympathized with Mike, he woudl be reasonable and would understand that him being outside has nothing to do with wanting to o Lucy harm.>>150311219Adding to this, both Lucy and Daisy would be easy pickings for scum like him, since they are the type to be easily manipulated (Lucy for being a bit of a broken person with a lot of issues, and Daisy for being insecure about herself).
>>150311311Pre-funnyfarm Taeshi would be using Augustus as a stand-in for all the crazed Lucystans, spouting their one dimensional takes and embodying all their spite. Only to turn around and point out why "he" is dead wrong. But these days it's more likely that Taeshi sincerely believes wants to entertain his words.
>>150311367>I don't think he feels real compassion towards Lucy, he is simply smart and knows that she provides him free room & board, so he doesn't want to aggravate her.I keep hearing people say this but if that was true, why is there absolutely no sign that he's even a little upset by her bullshit? Entertaining someone else's dysfunctions isn't going to immunize anyone against what a fucking chore they are to deal with. Mike was sincerely compassionate toward Lucy and even he got sick of her antics when she pulled them. For Augustus to show even more patience requires him to be chugging the Poor Little Lucy-chan kool-aid by the gallon.
>>150311002I know "extra content" but she literally agreed to tell Lucy embarrassing Mike info that her "best friend" with the "out of nowhere" marriage in trouble confided to her just so she could not be bitchy at her and could bond over something
>>150311477Lucy had to get her hypocritical bitchery from somewhere.
>>150311219To play devil's advocate, I don't think Augustus is a sociopath (at least, not now. The old "lol I troll u" version, maybe), just a somewhat realistic portrayal of someone of his circumstances. He's grown up very poor and spent several years basically being the errand boy for a gangster - his access to basic needs and comforts rested on his ability and willingness to take them: petty theft, manipulation, lying, and cold-reading became his default skillset.Given that, it's not unrealistic for him to fall back on them in order to try and "help" Lucy. What IS somewhat unrealistic is that Augustus's so reliably successful at those tactics. In my memory, middle/high school boys don't not take well to being messed with, and Augustus isn't tough or popular enough to reliably dissuade retaliation - I'd think someone other than Alejandro would have given him a black eye for overstepping at some point.
>>150311261He is mad at lucy for sperging out on him, he just has the mindset that lucy acting like that MUST be caused by mike and therefore he has to get rid of mike for lucy to be normal again.>>150311219It's a struggle convincing people in this fandom that augustus's actions during this arc (and most of the comic) are primarily self interested. He definitely cares for lucy and has a genuine interest in her and daisy, but the ways in which he attempts to "help" them are typically things that ultimately benefit him: encouraging daisy to be more confident was shaping her into the girl he wanted her to be and making her easier to victimize, and keeping mike away from lucy is ultimately motivated by a desire to make lucy stop tweaking at him. I empathize with the latter motivation but what spurred him to action was lucy being upset with him, not his desire to protecc his perfect smol lucy.
>>150311450That's because Mike is a 'normal' person, and he has his limits, plus he doesn't really get anything tangible out of it, unlike Augustus. If he didn't submit to Lucy he'd be kicked out of her house and forced to live in the streets, or go back to Alejandro and his goons, so he plays along and tolerates her crap.This mofo is playing the long game. Notice how he stopped being acidic towards Lucy the moment he started to live with her; before that, he used to call out on her bullshit, but now he doesn't.
>>150311227Eh, old Paulo maybe, but if Augustus used his simping for Lucy, his latent homosexuality and his mommy issues and also mentioned how he's (truthfully) Daisy's last option he might get him to weep and throw girl punches, not like his "angry Paulo" punch did anything when even Lucy blocked it with the worst defense known to man
I remember reading this way back when. Has the plot gotten anywhere or is it still just highschool drama
>>150311190Plot twist: Mike is schizophrenic and Lucy never once hit him, it was all in his head. Mike doesn't know this yet though, but that's why everyone hates him.>>150311219If he is it was likely a product of survival instinct from being with Alejandro.>>150311227Falcon punches?>>150311194I guess only an unapologetic remorseless psychopath like Alejandro can't be verbally guilted by Augustus.>>150311311At this point only Lucy beating the shit out of Augustus will make him realize how wrong he is to guilt trip Mike.>>150311354There's a story idea. Lucy barks orders at and treats housemaid Mike like a slave.>>150311359Probably to Thailand lol. In my headcanon the characters are all descendants of Israelis so maybe Mike's and Lucy's ancestors nomadically migrated to Thailand since that's where their breeds originated from.
>>150311019I'm going to be real fucking annoyed if David comes in with a "nuanced" take about how the wife was a piece of work and why he gets why the husband did it. Of all the people who could swoop in to absolve Mike, it had better not be the magically "enlightened" retard who's been nothing but spiteful and petty.
>>150311739The next page is almost definitely either that or david saying "oh that sounds like what mike did to lucy!" And turning james against him. The second option is far more likely, but if its between those, i'd definitely take david absolving mike over shitting on him more.
>>150311628It's still the same drama, nothing changed much, other than Mike (the grey cat) becoming a complete husk of his former self, and a bunch of uninteresting stuff, like Daisy and Paulo becoming a couple.>>150311573>>150311499Granted, maybe calling him a sociopath might be a misdiagnose, but at the vvr least he 100% is acting on his own self-interest all the time.>Talking to MikeHe only did that to dissuade him from being into Lucy's life>LucyProvides him with food and shelter for the time being>Daisycarnal desiresHe doesn't give a fuck to any other characters, or was actively ill-spirited towards them (like Abbey).
>>150311575Augustus becoming Lucy's domesticated babysitter was just poor writing and a transparent case of replacing Lucy's pets. Even if Augustus was a cold-blooded sociopath he would *still* get pissed at Lucy when he very clearly does not.
>>150311849It's made up bullshit but I want to think the rape attempt messed up something in Augustus after reminding him of his old situation and put him in an all or nothing position where he needs to secure not only that his meal ticket is sane but that his ass won't be in danger
>>150311849>>150311573High-functioning sociopaths/psychos can and will hide their feelings and intentions, because, despite not caring for others, they know actions have consequences, so they instead maneuver around to get what they want in a safer way for hem. Augustus has always been shown as being intelligent, so I wouldn't dismiss it as completely impossible.
>>150311622I think both oldPaulo and nuPaulo would hit Augustus. The only difference is if it would be a quick "shut up, dork" kind of bop, or a "Waaah my mommy- I mean Daisy chose meeeee not youuu" flail.>>150311785Oh yeah, Augustus definitely is selfish. He's very good at couching justifications for his dickery in how he's "helping her", but if you pull that thread loose he's clearly a bit of a sadist who just likes picking on people.
This chapter is a wheel-spinner. Enough about Mike's horrific past, let's talk about Mike's horrific future of having one functional family and one bastard that Lucy's keeping secret after getting Mike floppy drunk in senior year.
>>150312152>MikeXStacybest couple.
>>150311964Oh of course it's not completely impossible. Just like it's not completely impossible that Lucy does not in fact see her friends as emotional burdens and sources of trauma. We've been shown the exact opposite, multiple times, but that would never stop Taeshi from claiming otherwise. Then all of our ignoring the obvious would pay off!Seriously, we have /never seen/ Augustus flash any expressions of private annoyance or hostility toward Lucy since her return. In a comic that is not shy about showing those sorts of things. He does the opposite, looking down at her in caring pity when she wishes he still acted like an asshole, then turning all of his pissiness upon Mike. Augustus cares about Lucy, period, and it's just another show of bad plot-driven writing.
>>150312152>>150312190
You get two Mikes>spineless faggot everyone walks all over and treats like shit because he's so weighed down by guilt he freezes up>sperging retard who makes everything worse by reacting in the worst possible way at the worst possible time
>>150311739But David doing something nice for Mike for once would be welcome.>>150311772I imagine some kind of biased out-of-context lie without anything ot rebbutal would convince James that Mike's everything short of an ax murderer and worth avoiding.>>150312190I love this. This is out there in one universe.
>manipulator and molester Augustus telling Mike how much of a piece of shit he is for being emotionally unavailable
>>150312270>Augustus cares about Lucy, periodBut I can't help but wonder why, why does he pity her, out of all the other people he knows, despite him knowing she is a explosive, bossy, chaotic mess? Why doesn't he pity Paulo, or Augustus, or Mike? They have their own problems too, but that didn't stop him from messing with them.It just feels *VERY*, oddly convenient, that the only people he 'cares' about are GIRLS he can get something tangible out of. And again, he only started to accept being Lucy's lapdog once she gave him a home away from the streets.I dunno man, it's just very convenient. I don't trust this dude, people like him are usually scum IRL, but it's hard to say for sure, since people in this comic behave erratically.
>>150312328>Taeshi grows bored of nothing but Sperg Mike after four years and moves onto Spineless MikeIt's been four years and some months since Burnt Bridges, so we're overdue for Mike's next unfortunate evolution. I wonder what that will look like, given Mike must remain vulnerable to punishment and pain.
You know, even if his fangirls lost interest in him because of Paulo's cheater slander, the fact that Mike had been a kind, supportive person for so long and is dating a god damn supermodel should make him pretty popular among the guys of his class and his friendship a sought after commodity.
>>150312378>But I can't help but wonder why, why does he pity herBecause the plot says so. It's really not that complicated. Just like how Augustus did not have to earn his way into Lucy's family: It was done out of narrative convenience. And he will never risk losing his place among them until Taeshi finds it inconvenient. Then he'll be ejected because of yet more thinly veiled bullshit. tl;dr I'm saying you're overestimating the depth and consistency of these characters.
>>150312190>>150312284Stacy is an objectively better tsundere than Lucy is. She's still got the bratty, prideful air of unavailability and a shell to be broken, but that shell is thin and the brattiness extends only to being a dismissive jerk to her friends. Mike has experience with that kind of "pfft, nerds" attitude and doesn't even mind it, Haley is his little sister after all. Plus if he actually confessed to Stacy she'd totally go for it.Meanwhile Lucy's shell is 6 inches of steel, meters of reinforced concrete, dug into a mountain and studded with camouflaged retractable turrets. HER brattiness involves being utterly insane, outright hating all her friends, and she's unwilling to commit even when outright confessed to.
Why the fuck is Mike so scared of someone who's well known to be unable to give or receive? Augustus is a fucking wimp who talks big but crumples in a gentle breeze. Everyone fucking knows this but somehow he manages to intimidate... Anyone?
>>150312378>>150312493>But I can't help but wonder why, why does he pity her>Because the plot says so.Don't forget that it's not just a question of why, but also when. Augustus explicitly did NOT pity Lucy before she jumped, and in fact held her in open contempt for being suicidal, even glaring at her when he saw her finally jump.But at some point while she was gone or after she came back (I'm sure as shit not rereading to find out) he flipped and started feeling terribly bad for her.
>>150312507Why else would Stacy be swept under the carpet? Where did she and Mike even land on Taeshi's relationship chart again?
>>150310984>anon finally realizing his opinion has become the party position
>>150312546Pretending for a moment that this comic or its characters merit serious analysis...Mike wouldn't be scared of Augustus himself. This is purely the result of a message that stabs Mike right in the guilt. Gray cat has been struggling to not see himself as the villain. Daisy and James both assured him otherwise, but Daisy is Daisy and James turned out to be James. He will also become utterly disenchanted with Mike at some point this chapter. Without any dependable outside support, Mike must rely on his own sense of self worth which has clearly been in the toilet for some time now. If Mike did not feel like he was to blame for any of this, it would be very easy to throw Augustus a sarcastic remark and tell him to shove off. We've seen Mike get snarky with James and David over the Paisy privacy matter, so he's still capable of dishing some out. And James is someone who Mike actually likes as opposed to a smug wimpy twerp.
>>150312493This. All analysis of characters and events have to start with:1 - Taeshi is not sane and puts agenda before logic and consistency.2 - Taeshi only continues this comic for a paycheck.
>>150312652Ah, Mikism and Lucyism. Political parties of Roseville. Sperging over VS simping for abusers. The core ideologies.
>>150312652I agree wholeheartedly, anon. That is why I know that houses built with foundations of sand are excellent lifetime investments.
>>150312723Modify point 2 to include "and to jerk herself off" for the sake of accuracy. No one but her wants this hyperfocus on Mike-Lucy-Sandy love triangle bullshit.
>>150312378He was friends with, and cared for, Lucy before she had anything to offer him, you're reaching so hard to justify your pre-established dislike for Augustus.>why does Augustus, whose first girlfriend was nearly beaten to death by Alejandro who went on to ruin his life, feel more empathy toward womenSo many of your questions would be answered if you bothered to read the comic, it's free by the way.
>>150310490Let me see if I can make this logic work>Girl attaches herself to you because you were nice and refuses to see value on anyone elseYour fault for not putting up boundaries >She constantly berates you, makes fun of you and is usually very unpleasant to you, doesn't hesitate to humiliate you ok front of your other friends who btw like her more than youYour fault for not putting up boundaries and not just taking the abuse>Try to be open to her about your own feelings and ask her to be open too so she can drop her tsundere facade, she doubles down and increases the bullying Your fault for trying to push a relationship on her you fucking pervert >Decide to pursue a relationship somewhere else then, this makes her act up and your friends are against taking her side, one of them even calls for a lynch mob on you, she laughs it upYour fault for not saving yourself for when she decided she was ready, you cheater>This time she is the one that confesses her feelings to you, but you're already in a relationship and things have been soured because she never changed her waysHow fucking dare you, she opens herself to you and you turn her down? Don't you see how much she wanted this? You owe her!>After an almost fatal accident where you pulled strength from nowhere to save her sorry ass and we're lucky enough to survive find out she instantly replaced you taking you for dead. Something finally snaps within you and you face her, tell her you're fed up with her, you go over board saying things you don't believe in but at this point anger has taken the best of youMonster! How dare you be insulting, how dare you be feed up and angry and tired! You're unfair, you're hurtful, she couldn't help it, she never wanted it, maybe if you were man enough you would just brush it off with a laughThat's not even getting to everything after the play but you get the idea
>>150312629She wasn't on it.
>>150312924>before she had anything to offer himI mostly do not agree with that anon regarding Augustus' motives, but Lucy did offer Augustus companionship when he was all alone, at the very least. He obviously gave a damn about her wellbeing when he thought she was going to jump (far more so then when she actually did the deed, but that's Taeshi's modern writing for you).
>>150312944Augustus x Rachel my belovedthey are each others types
>>150312944Damnit
>>150312988She could fix him, maybe.
>>150312988I miss old Daisy. I miss old Lucy. I even miss old Augustus because while he might be an asshole, he wouldn't be white knighting for Lucy. Whenever Taeshi tries to hearken back to those days, all she ever manages to do is flanderize.
>there are people who not only enjoy this but send it moneyprofoundly retarded people really shouldn't be allowed to handle their own bank accounts
>>150313023she prob likes him as he is, he's also less to manage then Polo
>>150310577Paulo is just as much of a pussy as anyone else. Remember he tried to swing at Augustus after Mike slammed his head in the table and he got jelly seeing Lucy with Gus.Then was stopped by her and ran away crying, again.All these characters are retarded and NOT serious, ain't fuckin nobody throwing hands or having a spine - ESPECIALLY when Taeshi is trying to twist the melodrama knife.>>150310490MIKE, ARE YOU FEELING BAD ABOUT LUCY SPILLING HER KETCHUP YET, MIKE??? YOU TELLING HER SHE SUCKS ASS AND MAKING HER DO INTROSPECTION IS BASICALLY THE SAME AS KILLING HER. MIKE ARE YOU FEELING FUCKING GUILTY YET - LET'S DO 20 MORE CHAPTERS HAMMERING IT IN???Taeshi is truly a writer of our times.
>>150312507>Meanwhile Lucy's shell is 6 inches of steel, meters of reinforced concrete, dug into a mountain and studded with camouflaged retractable turrets. HER brattiness involves being utterly insane, outright hating all her friends, and she's unwilling to commit even when outright confessed to.yeah I love stacy too, but lucy's bpd is why this general exists in the first place
>>150313136Augustus still cowered away from Paulo and had to hide behind the worst block in Roseville history. Orange cat might be a soggy little bitch, but Augustus is somehow even lower on the totem poll and therefore destroyable.
>>150313122Another bonus is that she'll never have to pass on his terrible genes.
>>150312426Suicide mike is coming upLucy is going to be the one to talk him out of it
>>150312969Wanting to be friends with someone for their companionship is kind of the purest thing to want, so I don't know if it counts as getting something in return in the case of him being a supposed sociopath who treats his friendships as transactional.
>>150312931This is how abusers think, Augustus is well on the way to becoming one if he wants.>>150313122If anybody can call out Augustus' B.S it's her.>>150313250Suicide Mike, a cursed video of Mike walking down the street worried. Don't watch, it makes you kill yourself.
>>150313257Fundamentally, he does get something out of it even if he's not thinking in those terms.
>>150313250That just sounds like more Spineless Mike. He has to be substantially different in behavior, enough to entertain Taeshi for the next near half-decade.
>>150312720If you consider he could have some info on Mike from Lucy's mom sharing embarrassing stuff to bond with her he knows he can strike right now because as far as he knows >he got cheated by the person he swore himself to and defended against all criticism, which is a mayor downer>took her back out of guilt despite it not being his responsibility to give her a second chance, it's important that he knows he can be guilted into things he THINKS could be his fault>feels responsible for Lucy's headspace, again with the guilt >has been doing badly at school>has family drama happening with the suddenly introduced parent fighting and Haley disappearing on themAdd to that what he doesn't know but would be easy to find out>got confirmation that he can't have real friends, they either have a relationship with him or he's not worth it >James in generalAnd it would be really easy to just come to Mike and talk shit to him like this, because he thinks he deserves it, even his action of defiance is bitting him in the ass because he's being ignored over the fucking meme dog
>>150313268>Don't watch, it makes you kill yourselft. Lucy
Would Taeshi ever dare turn Mike into a snarky asshole toward everyone else? She does ever so those, and it may invite yet more suffering upon him.
>>150313424*does ever so love those
>>150313198Paulo's, or Augustus's? Because they both come from a lineage of losers.
>>150311628Nothing's happened.
>>150313549I like to imagine that Sandy, five minutes after getting off the phone with Mike, made the shocking discovery that her male hairdresser was gay and just using her as a beard.
>>150313601Her 5 minute flip after who knows how long of cheating only makes sense on her part if he rejected her either due to that or just that he wanted casual sex and not a relationship.
>>150313152Are you trying to argue in Lucy's defense, or stating her most terrible sin?
>>150313268she would be great at handling him, mostly cause she knows when to pull sarcasm and let it slide and when to be serious about something
>>150313385Ah, the real reason she tried to off herself. Cursed by a Suicide Mike video.
>>150313667>it turns out that Francis was throwing her a pity relationship because she was so needy>finally got sick of her and called the whole thing off>omg it's motherfuckin' potteryyyyyyyyy
>>150313682Rachel defending Mike from Augustus would be great.
>>150313738Sadly we all know it will be Lucy doing that. Her neurosis will evaporate in a puff of girlboss as she swoops in to tell Augustus off. Then she will turn and order Mike to stand up for himself because yes what she did to him was wrong and he should not beat himself up over that forever. Overcome with emotion at yet another show of Lucy's oh so generous nature, Mike will offer up his seat at the table and apologize for standing in her way for so long. If anyone deserves to be with their friends, it's her.
>>150313785That would be an interesting and sad turn of events. Mike disregarding his bad blood with Lucy completely over this one act, and her further expecting Mike to throw himself at her for anything else in the future.
>>150313667I still think it would have made more sense, not to mention been a better starting point for a story arc, if Taeshi had kept Francis as being several years or more older and given Sandy some nuance, instead of malding and making Sandy a dirty filthy cheater who doesn't deserve Mike.
>>150313036the comic had a good amount of weeb shit vibe from the y2k that just misses now since it became more generic American slice of life
>>150313785that stupid lunch seat has more suffering over it then an actual medieval royal throne
>>150313822>Mike disregarding his bad blood with Lucy completely over this one actAs opposed to the fact he already did that in Eternal Flame? Mike has not shown a single hint he still blames Lucy for anything since she apparently changed everything with a small pep talk.
>>150313311>>150312931When you factor in shit like this it's more surprising Mike had self esteem in the first place. Too bad he isn't allowed to have it now.
>>150313920She said she was sorry! Also she never wanted it so evidence discarded
>>150313941I found it more surprising he ended up like this. Taeshi resorted to character assassination to make it happen at all, and even then it took a lot of beating him down.
>>150313959Lucy's fat milkers!
>>150313959The more I think about it, the more absurd it is that Mike has utterly forgiven Lucy and she can do no wrong in his eyes. Taeshi did not just delete Mike's spine, she gave him Alzheimer's.
>>150312988wow, that last panel didn't age well
>>150314047Lucy's body is her only redeeming quality and she knows it.
>>150314073It haunted Taeshi. She could not rest until she disproved her younger, obviously misled and way less talented self.>>150314078If only that was still recognized as a canonical character trait.
>>150313829Sandy getting groomed and her mom somehow finding out would have solved a big gaping plot hole. But let's face it, Mike won't be allowed to truly break up with her until Taeshi can dream up a truly despicable motive that casts Sandy as the devil. Much like we will not find out why Lucy came back until she can be portrayed as some angelic creature of pure wholesome light.
>>150313920Right, which is unfortunate and on that note, any romantic relationship between Mike and Lucy would be toxic, due to this disregarding of her treatment towards him.>>150313959Other than her guilt ridden suicide attempt, I wonder if she'll actually face some kind of social consequence or call out for being abusive. Second Confrontation is overkill but that's one.>>150314047Lol, imagine that dialogue from her. "Hey Mike, I got knocked up and now you can suck my tit milk! Forgive me, I can do no wrong!"
>>150314078> Future subplot. Lucy has to sell her body for submissive sexual favors to pay the pills. Doesn't get hired for anything else.
>>150314411>Lucy>consequencesMaybe some extremely light ones. It's just so hard to imagine Taeshi ever punishing Lucy again when she thought December went way too far.
>>150314236I wouldn't even frame it as her mom finding out. If Mike had helped Sandy out of an abusive relationship, like she did for him once, it would have done a lot to redeem him, and if Lucy had helped him help Sandy, it would have almost totally redeemed her. Suddenly the Mike/Lucy/Sandy love triangle would have finally regained some chemistry and appeal, rather than being a dynamic consisting of miserable sadsack, gaslighting BPD maniac, and ditz who barely shows up. Mike coming back around to liking Lucy under such circumstances would be believable, tense, and be an actual choice. Instead, EF kicked the last leg out from under that love triangle, proving both that Mike will always pick Sandy over Lucy if he has a choice, and that Mike and Lucy will only ever make each other worse and miserable.
>>150313974>beating him down.And suicide. What I meant it's more surprising Mike for a long time just believed his friends gave a shit about Licy and not him and what he was is just a teddy bear for Lucy to abuse grind on. Him being as confident as he was before is shocking but good in those circumstances. The aspiration afterwards just fucking socks and all done cause you can't get around a couple of elephants in the room.
>>150314450Even if there is a punishment it would be circumstantial. Anything is possible in fiction, anything can't happen just as easily as anything can and that would likely be the excuse she makes if Lucy never gets punished. Like "Oh, that's just how the universe is flowing". I think the most that would happen is a brief self-loathing from being rejected romantically or something, if not a violent fight with Alejandro.
>>150314460>Instead, EF kicked the last leg out from under that love triangle, proving both that Mike will always pick Sandy over Lucy if he has a choiceI don't know about that one. Another Flame showed that Mike could have turned her down thanks to a flash of Mike's older, colder, done-with-this-shit self that's been gone since volume 4. The fact he felt terrible about it reinforces the point that Mike only got back with Sandy for her benefit rather than Sandy > Lucy, who claimed she had her shit together and didn't want him like that anymore. The real problem (beyond Mike's lack of spine) is that Lucy CANNOT abide the presence of Sandy on any level. Even friendship is off the table.
>>150313829It's funny because for a moment it looked like Sandy had more depth in "Just beatuiful", she understood Mike needed to draw a line to Lucy's abuse but she also knew Lucy was very important to Mike and encouraged him to talk things out with her. Then "Model Girlfriend" comes on, and Sandy's now a ditzy selfish girl because Taeshi couldn't help herself and make her a villain. Would make the cast look even horrible with that much Sandy shit talking if she was a victim I guess. A lesbian Sandy struggling with her sexuality could have been a good option too, it's also not as heavy as grooming story.
>>150314479I see what you mean. Once upon a time a reader could suppose that Mike enjoyed a healthy family life that contributed to his self-esteem, and perhaps Sandy's unconditional affection helped. But both of those are off the table now.
>>150314731One has to wonder if Taeshi will ever bother to recontextualize Sandy's older positive qualities or just try to ignore them. I don't think the story acknowledges anywhere that Sandy used to be better.
>>150314780The last time Taeshi has anything positive to say about Sandy was in the context of her dropping Mike, so
>>150315134How was Sandy portrayed in any positive way in EF?
>>150315177As jokes at Mike's expense IIRC, so not really
One day Lucy will make a lovely wife for Jordan
>>150315289Ew.
>>150312507>>150313152Agreed... Like me and others said before on other threads, the background characters are often much better the the main ones, but that may be only because they don't get enough time in the spotlight so that Taeshi can focus on them and ruin them. We have to imagine things based on the little information we have on them before they get ruined by a torrent of crap by the author.>>150312944It really is a shame, she and Mike are such a good fit, classical cute tsundere stuff, instead of Lucy's crazyness.
>>150312924>if you bothered to read the comicI do, it's just been many years, and I don't obsess over it. chill, dudebro.
>>150315459It's important to remember that the Stacy/Mike chemistry was born during better times, before the writing went to absolute shit. Imagine how badly Taeshi would bungle them both nowadays. She's ruined Mike and to some extent done the same to Stacy, what with that dumb Sue shit.
>>150313424Nah, Mike's role is 'the good guy'/emotional punching bag. Sometimes he does sperg out and lose control, but that only comes to bite him in the ass moments later, which in turn makes him feel even more sad and spineless.Taeshi loves jerks, which is why every jerk in the comic gets away with anything.
>>150315657>Taeshi loves jerks, which is why every jerk in the comic gets away with anything.Paulo loses when he goes up against Lucy (the queen asshole), but maybe that's because he's also a soggy little bitch.
>>150315794And Lucy loses against Alejandro, who is an even bigger asshole than her. That's how Roseville works.
>>150315794True, Paulo is the only exception, but considering he is just losing Lucy, he is actually winning in the end.Paulo, David, Augustus, Lucy. And they're all Taeshi's favorites.
>>150315887Augustus loses to Lucy more often than Paulo does.
>>150315942Everyone loses to Lucy
>>150315884Huh, he does in fact live in her head rent free, you're right. At least until she inevitably conquers him through the power of girlbossing love to save Mike or some shit.
>>150316016Even Lucy loses to Lucy, who makes herself a miserable cunt for no good reason.
>>150310490Based Kefka kot doing it for the evilulz and to make his spinless self feel better by manipulating and degrading someone more pathedic and weaker an he is.Lucy is gonna have a fucking melty when she finds out what he has been doing to Mike.Maybe this is some 4D chess shit, to show Lucy that Mike wasnt really that bad too her shes also to blame. Mike is also suffering and in pain too perhaps they should make up and be friends again .BUT THEN AGAIN this would require good writing skills and insight/planning. Something we all know Tae is amazing at especially when cuckcase is helping steer the plot from the backseat. Gotta say tho seeing him push Mike to complete soulcrushing depression antagonizing him to be suicidal is pretty based and its making me hard for the past few pages reading this Mike suffering porn. Maybe Tae is doing this to show that our beloved Augustus is jelly towards Mike for having such a great life, Lucy loved him and he has a new cute GF. Yet he is still being a selfish bitch crying about everything being an emo faggot. Even tho he has such an amazing life that others would kill for. He's just so selfish he doesnt realize how good he has it. Instead choses to LARP as some sadboi the world is fucking over for no reason.
>>150316019He's also the only character who no-sold Lucy's special attack: "girlbossing with a side of violence".
>>150315289I can never tell if Taeshi is ragebaiting or serious.
>>150316239>Maybe Tae is doing this to show that our beloved Augustus is jelly towards MikeYou know, that's an interesting idea. Not for the reasons you wrote because frankly Augustus has it too good himself right now to feel jealous. Like, absurdly good. No, I think what makes more sense is their relationships with Lucy. Outside of studies, taking care of her is Augustus' whole world and something he does seem to give an earnest fuck about. But ever since he turned her down for sex and the whole EF fiasco, Lucy's been shutting him out. She won't be honest, rebuffs his advice, gets rude and tells him to pound sand when he tries to help...basically all the shit Mike had to put up with back in the day. And no matter what Mike does and how badly she's burnt, Lucy keeps wanting him. It would be interesting if Augustus worries, on some level, that Lucy would leave him in a heartbeat the moment Mike got back on the menu.
>>150310490When is Augustus going to fuck Mike?
>>150314612I'm sure that's what Taeshi tells herself, but Mike canonically DIDN'T turn Sandy down, and he DID turn Lucy down back when she was way more dependent on him than Sandy's ever been. So regardless of his reasoning or motives (which are inconsistent anyways) it still makes it clear that if Sandy calls, Mike will ALWAYS come.I genuinely think in some alternate Fork-in-the-Road where Mike and Lucy are together in the future, he would cheat on her in a heartbeat if he met Sandy and she showed even an iota of affection.
>>150318036Eh, I think that "oh noes, Sandy needs me!" is just about the only explanation that makes sense. Because otherwise Mike has absolutely zero reason to take Sandy back. It'd have to be pure plot mandate.
>>150317992You can really see just how bastardized these characters have become. Classic Mike would have fucked Augustus, and modern Mike would instead bottom. What a character assassination.
>>150315347Lol, Lucy would actually be a worse wife than Tiff, if she'd hit Jordan. Jordan should have Haley or Roxy instead.>>150317992Very end, when we get the grand finale orgy. Mike roughly fucking Augustus till he cries would be satisfying.
>>150315289Wow, that's fucking reaching hard Taeshi LMAO.What a retarded justification."Don't worry, he gets bullied into submission.">>150316844I 1000 percent think she is being serious here.
>>150315289how is this surprising
Is this webcomic good? I've been seeing threads dedicated to it on this board for years, but all I recall is a vague warning to not get into it.
>>150320715Oh-ho-ho no, patented melodrama! Old 2000s trash.
>>150320460>I 1000 percent think she is being serious here.The :^) makes me severely doubtful. I don't think anyone uses :^) in T.Y.O.O.L. 2025 A.D. except to ragebait. It's possible Taeshi still engages in such an old style - she doesn't seem to have ever fully moved on from that era. But it's a weird anachronism.And at the same time, the overall tone and the phrase "keeping him in line" when he is currently stepping OUT of line seems like the kind of sarcastic side-commentary she does; the whole "haha, look at these stupid pathetic idiots. Gotta love 'em!" thing.
>>150320715Do not read this comic.
>>150321104There is every chance that Taeshi thinks Augustus is perfectly in the right and that disgusts me.
>>150315289Is that first tweet about Daisy? Is that how the Daisy thing went down?
>>150321226Well hey, if the resident almost-rapist is on Lucy's leash, I guess everything is okay. They even eat at the Burgertron together after this. How very wholesome! But remember, Mike said some mean words once and that makes him the devil incarnate for all time.
>>150321291They can bond over BOTH being almost-rapists.
>>150321555That's what Lucy and Augustus are bonding over now, she missed her chance
>>150320715Yes. Binge and savor it like I did.
>>150321831Lucy, Augustus, Daisy, Paulo, David, Rachel, and Jess should have a get-together sometime. They can all swap stories of the people they've sexually assaulted, it'll be fun.>Paulo: "Heya Lucy, did you ever hear about the time I pinned your brother against the wall in a bowling alley restroom?">Daisy: "I can't believe you even went after Jordan before you bothered with ME!">Lucy: "Hah, it's probably because you're so fat and desperate, Daisy.">Augustus: "She forced a kiss on Mike before you ever did though. And she resisted when I did it to her, so who's really desperate?">Lucy: "Shut up Augustus, you only managed to stop me because my family was home. I totally would have gotten you if not for that."And Alejandro crashes the party with a 6-pack of beer
>>150322044Jordan and Paulo is an underrated O.T.P. Wonder how many would like that more than Paisy. Daisy is also flat and cuddly, perfect for Lucy. Also just realized that Clover and Daisy are both lovestruck simps who can wrap their partners in their big fluffy tails.Also, yeah. Alejandro interrupts them with a six pack as a last drink before raping them.
>>150318753>Classic Mike would have fucked Augustus, and modern Mike would instead bottom. What a character assassination.True but I think he is referring to how Augustus breaks down his victims a bit and before trying to fuck them aganist their will.>>150314748True but the bit about family and his reaction means that his parents relationship might have not been good for a while now. So the positivity there got retconned too.
It couldve been nice if Francis was indeed a groomer, if Sandy was not entirely good nor bad and simply fall for it ,like many teenagers who feel too grown up from their peers, seeing attention and comfort where at home there is none or not enough. It couldve been interesting seeing her actually getting desperate when in those five minutes she undertsands the grown man used her and didnt want a relationship, too risky now that she is single. Maybe let her say something that mirrors something Lucy said when she was depressed, suggesting suicide, and Mike in panic decides to not risk it. He doesnt want someone else close to him (altho cheaters) to try suicide. He couldnt live with guilt of a SECOND person doing that because of his choices. I think It couldve been interesting
>>150318036That was before Lucy went ketchup and gave Mike his guilt complex
