no way fag edition
>>154735589So he's about to pass out, right? Either way, this is exactly where i was thinking/hoping the story was going. She finally gets exactly what she wants, and it's not what she wanted at all.
>>154735622>she's chasing after him>she can't reach him because despite Mike being malnourished and weak she has a hip problem that keeps her from actually running
>>154735768Why the fuck don't they kick James off the track team?He's annoying, he scared off Mike and he can't even beat the girl with a busted hip in a sprint.(My god, think about what a slowpoke Paulo is that he can't even beat James)
>>154735768>>154735860Lucy's injury only manifests as convenient.
>>154735589>>154735622Run faster Mike! She's gonna get you!
>>154735823>Actively fucking following him.Mike needs to get serious & move or is he too starved and out of it for that?>>154735855So what powers does he have beside future sight and some gravity manipulation?
>>154735589
>>154735644I know expecting much from Taeshi is a foolish endeavor, but this being "victim complex" makes me believe Lucy will have to face that she can't push someone away for perceived faults and then just hope they come back when you need themThis chapter has shown how her getting rid of all her teddy bear is making her spiral into a panic attack: she got rid of Paulo herself and let Paisy happen, she got rid of Augustus herself by letting him free and might even distrust him now that the phone is back in full focus, and she got rid of Mike by socially exiling him and giving him such a guilt complex that even if she were to scream about how wrong she was he would still run away for her own sake. Sometimes you can have your cake and eat it too, and sometimes you choke on it
>>154735644I really wish this ended with Mike suffering a partial nervous breakdown.>but this is what you wanted!>you said i used and hurt you!>all your friends are inside and i'm supposed to stay away!>you don't need me anymore!>what am i supposed to do here?!
11 pages to go. Will Lucy beg?
>>154735589KEEP RUNNING AND DON'T LOOK BACK, MIKE! BE FREE!
>>154735996I don't trust the title "Victim Complex" because Taeshi loves her double meanings. It so clearly fits Lucy right now, and is so roundly critical, that I kind of dread the inevitable twist that will probably try and fail to absolve worst cat.
I wonder which thread the mods will delete.
>>154736019I want to hear her plea>Mike please they're too kind to me! Please!
>>154736106I'm thinking it'd be more along the lines of "YOU OWE ME!" since introspection is hard for Princess Lucy-chan. Well, maybe she might try pleading at first but I don't expect that to last long. Lucy defaults to indignity right quick.
>>154736094shhh, don't give them ideas
>>154736144>L: "YOU OWE ME!">M: "...You know what you're right.">Mike gut punts her.
I guess Mike isn't totally devoid of emotion, yet. There is still a bit more blood left to stomp out of his balls.
>>154735860But James did beat Lucy in that little intermission that introduced Lucy's phantom injury. Anyway, the track team has known him longer and I assume the same inexplicable glue that keeps the main table together manifests elsewhere.
>>154735589>"MIKE! GET BACK HERE, MIKE! YOU CAN'T ESCAPE ME! I'LL CHASE YOU TO THE ENDS OF THE EAAARRRRRTTTTHHH!"
And now we need a version of this where it's Lucy sad and alone on her bed and on the window a still dying Mike running track
Don't worry, Mike will run into Amy and everything will be ok.
>>154736267For real, though, I think this could be what finally tips Mike from hopeless depression into suicidal territory.>oh fuck she's never going to stop huh?>no matter what happens Lucy will always keep coming back to me in particular>she will never truly move on>and i'll keep hurting her>she's my complex little victim that i've crippled through negligence>me the terrible evil Michael Scarfcat!>but what if...i were to take myself out of the equation?But then I remember that Taeshi will only give Mike parity in sin levels, not guilting privileges. So at worst he'd just plan to move away with his dad during the divorce or some such.
I'm glad for the simple "nothing's different" reaction, no angst or anger or panic or resentment, he just sees bullshit coming and resigns himself, he might have to leave the school after this but at least he can run now
>>154735589Man what the hell is her problem?>makes a huge deal out of Mike chilling outside without even interacting with her>her lapdog came barging in Mike's business and publicly humiliates him>she kicks Mike in the 'nads for defending himself against said lapdog>basks in her glory for defeating Mike and having everyone at her side>suddenly and for no reason gets tired of everyone>decides to aim and torment Mike againIf Mike had any self respect he'd steer the fuck away from this. It's infuriating to watch from an outsider's perspective.
>>154736421Unironically BPD
And we still have no idea what the dream's supposed to be about aside from "hate friends, rape", nothing since she left the table has to do with it
Never stop running mike
>>154736408Unfortunately, it looks to me that Mike is pained to see Lucy in such a state, or feels guilty over his alleged past sins. Which on one hand is not the worst. Mike getting stripped down to his barest core essentials and turning out to still be his old empathetic self despite his worries is nice to see.
>>154736421>makes a huge deal out of Mike chilling outside without even interacting with herI dunno, that was more of an Augustus thing. He saw Lucy having a random eternal victim fit and made some assumptions. He could have been totally correct, given it's Lucy we're talking about, but this was mostly his dog and pony show.
>>154736449I half wonder if Taeshi even has an answer to that, BPD-informed or not. It could just be some empty feel-sorry-for-worst-cat fodder, but it also feels more willfully significant.
>>154736535In fairness she did absolutely nothing to stop it while standing right there latching onto her latest teddy bear. Augustus may as well have assumed correctly in the moment because Mike is the core component of Lucy's perpetual sperging and seething. She will ONLY be satisfied if things return to how they were and Sandy is out of the picture.
>>154736535I'd agree but since she didn't try to really stop Augustus (she can always hit and force her teddy bears but this one? Please) when when he was airing her dirty laundry to a pair of retards I have to assume she was ok with his version of events even if it was always the fucking rape phone
>>154736561Oh, don't get me wrong. I agreed with the post in general, if not in specifics. Lucy is 100% complicit no matter how that whole mess got kicked off. Though it is kind of funny that Lucy is so naturally passive that someone else had to step in on her behalf to get the plot rolling. As an aside, it also occurs to me that Lucy could have kicked Mike in the gut out of reflexive revenge for her soon-to-be-introduced phantom injury.
>>154736421The author is insane, therefore her self-insert is also insane.
>>154736348I really wish that fanfic started when the topic of Amy was hot, but it seems that time has passed on that.
>>154735589Lucy, he's weak! RAPE HIM! DO IT NOW! Restore your Lucyspace reactors to full power! McCain is breaking containment!
Mike...>caves and gives Lucy her asspats before she departs having learned nothing>pushes bow cat away so she gets pissy and doubles down>decides he needs to kill himself so Lucy will stop suffering>sits down to have an honest talk with herWhich is the most likely scenario?
>>154737342Probably give her asspats so she fucks off. But this will be a very shortsighted solution.
>>154736348Hmm
>>154737342My guess based on the prior stuff alluding to this situation.>Lucy goes after him>Mike either falls or slows down due to overexertion and starvation.>Lucy hugs him from behind while he just looks dead inside>Once she gets her hug over with expecting a response he just walks away "for her own good".
>>154737371Lucy suffers for her own mistakes and we get some wholesome content? Not a bad thread so far.
>>154737389>Lucy hugs him from behind while he just looks dead insideI wonder what would cause that change. He looks pretty sad and regretful on today's page.
>>154737371>Slight bra showing from falling over
>>154737371Beautiful work.
You know Lucy fucked up when the entire patron chat responds, as one, "Yeah, fair."
friendly reminder that the last time they spoke to each other Lucy did this
So there's zero chance Lucy's going to have an epiphany about how she's the one who's been hurting Mike, right? I'm a little worried that's where this is going.
>>154737625No. She might pay lip service like she did in Eternal Flame but it will ultimately be hollow like it always is with her.
>>154736283https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_HoMkkRHv8
>>154735589Love that Taeshi's idea of making Lucy suffer is having her witness Mike sufferring. At this point Mike should just go to a boys only military school. Lucy will just never stop harrassing him and he could use the routine.
>>154737679>Mike enrolls in an all boys school>soon a mystery white cat transfer student with a mustache and a baseball cap named Luke enrolls
>>154737590>i was the one who wanted to be with--This line puzzles me. Mike knew that Lucy did want to be with him in some capacity, back in the earlier volumes. He might not have trusted her reasons or the source of those feelings, but I don't recall him ever claiming Lucy didn't want him, period, and it was entirely one-sided.
>>154737713the consensus at the time was that it was probably not the original line, and Taeshi changed it to make it look slightly less like Lucy was just kicking him to keep him from defending himself from the accusations. it still looks like that's what Lucy is doing, but Taeshi is still the one writing Mike's dialogue at the end of the day.if her mood wants something to be true, it will be, continuity be damned.
>>154737713If he was going to finish the line with "-somebody", then it makes more sense. Mike DID want to commit to a single girlfriend, while Lucy was keeping things in an ambiguous back-and-forth where they were more than friends but not quite a couple.
>>154735589>no Mike you have to stay inside away from Lucy!>no Mike you have to stay outside away from Lucy!>no Mike, she's gonna fucking follow you you can't win
>>154737647Amazing, this thread keeps getting better
>>154737713He did try to hook up with her in the first place before Sandy and she rejected him. So he moved on. Lucy could have had Mike multiple times over but continues to fuck herself out of it by being an antagonistic retard
>>154737635My concern is that Taeshi will pick the absolute lamest, most absurd moment for Lucy to start worrying about Mike. And right now is it.
>>154737713I understood it as Mike being the one that actually wanted her, as a person, while Lucy only wanted him as a possession, he confessed because he thought Lucy needed to see his commitment before opening up, she confessed because she was losing her "thing" to someone else and was validated by everyone getting on Mike's case about it until he convinced them he was already dating someone, it wasn't even about what he felt
>>154737873Yeah, Lucy's big claim about the letters doesn't make sense once you separate it from Taeshi's Goldiemald paranoia. Mike just being a penpal with Sandy did not pose any real threat to Lucy's prospects. Not when scarf cat himself blanked on the romance angle.What gets me is that this whole letters nonsense could be salvaged from the narrrative trashfire, were it portrayed as a wrongheaded Lucy hangup lent too much weight by an overly empathetic moron who just feels bad that Lucy suffered from it.
>>154737934I thought he did come to accept that Lucy actually fell for him, just too little too late.
>>154737647Put Sue in there with a maid outfit. She's doing humiliation rituals to try and win Lucy's favor.
>>154737371She chases squirrels. That's so cute
>>154737767That makes the most sense to me, for want of better options.
>>154737679Somehow I doubt that Lucy's "suffering" will last longer than maybe one more chapter. Unless it's used as pity bait. Then it might go on for years. But since Mike is sleighed to get better in like three chapters, I'm not holding my breath. Mike can't win while Lucy loses. It's not in this comic's DNA.
>>154737934It's a frustrating scene. Mike feeling like he was just a replaceable tool that Lucy used to meet a need is a major part of their conflict that never really got addressed. But him bringing it up here felt pretty out of left field and it's still pretty much unresolved, he just got dunked on for it like any time he gives his side of things.
>>154738324>a major part of their conflict that never really got addressedYeah, the way it played out is that Lucy felt real bad, attempted suicide, then came back after absolving herself. She did bring the matter up during Eternal Flame, but that read like an attempt to shake Mike off rather than any sincere remorse. She's shown zero guilt over the matter since and has proven quite willing to hurt Mike all over again. I'd say it looks as if Lucy either thinks she's already paid her dues or that it was theoretically wrong but Mike retroactively deserved it...except the letters shit made it clear she's decided none of that was really her fault in the first place. You are right, it's incredibly frustrating.
>>154737590Wild how James saw this go down, instantly decided to believe Augustus and Lucy, and Taeshi can only defend it by "Well, Mike didn't explain himself properly!"
>>154738784faggots be like that
>>154738784James really is a shithead.
>>154737415My guess is he remembers the last time they hugged it out and everything after leading up to the present.He realizes nothing good can come of it and it's better to just walk on.
>>154738810>>154738827Don't worry, Taeshi will totally give him a good reason with his backstory.Trust.
>>154738784My preferred explanation is that James already felt annoyed at Mike in secret for tagging along and "cockblocking" him. Hence his offhanded mean comment during track team practice. Guy was already primed to assume the worst about scarf cat because he kind of wanted to. Still, he did express concern that Augustus was bugging Mike, which is not a point in my favor.
>>154738875It would be great if Mike brought up The Cycle so that Lucy had to confront it as well.
>>154738890Bonus points if said explanation makes no sense based on his behavior so far, which outright contradicts it.
>>154738891>My preferred explanation is that James already felt annoyed at Mike in secret for tagging along and "cockblocking" him.Can't that be easily solved by hanging out with David after school, as he did with Mike, or by talking to Mike?
>>154738891it is genuinely written like he was only lovebombing Mike, and he flipped on Mike because he started crushing on David instead.
Already this chapter exemplifies one of my biggest problems with BCB, the caste system of relative importance, where only certain characters thoughts & feelings matter.Lucy is a mean and salty bitch to Sue and Daisy, but they're supporting cast peons, they don't matter as characters. So that's just setup - They don't even notice it and it will never be addressed. The point is just to establish that Lucy is in a bad mood.Lucy is a mean and salty bitch to Paulo, and he DOES matter, so he actually notices that she's doing it. Paulo's thoughts and feelings about Lucy are part of arcs past, present, and presumably future. I feel confident that Paulo's feelings on the matter will be brought up later, even if only to brush off Lucy's behavior as a nonissue.But the POINT of the chapter, the thing that REALLY matters, is how Lucy and Mike, two characters who are totally estranged and aren't even friends, feel about each other. Because they are the main characters, so they're the only ones with the power to forgive or damn one another.In BCB, it doesn't matter whether characters are salty bitches to every one of their friends who've done nothing to deserve it. The only thing that matters is how Mike and Lucy, the supreme arbiters, feel about it. Paulo can fuck over everyone he's ever expressed any loyalty to, but he's Mike and Lucy's best friend and therefor ontologically good. Lucy and Mike can be complete monsters who tear into those who support them at no provocation, but they still ~care~ about each other, so they're still sympathetic.
>>154738944David being the one to suggest they hang out after school proves that James is too stupid to live. He might have experienced the negative emotions toward Mike, but a solution was clearly beyond his mental capacity. Hence James lashing out like a child.
>>154738875Yeah he probably felt like running a rethread of eternal flame and remembered that no matter how much they promise to change for each other they are one step from everything falling apart, you can't hurt white cat if you use the loading invincibility frames to run through her
>>154738944It could, but keep in mind that James is dumb, flakey, and shallow. Taking Mike aside and going "Hey, can you stop cockblocking me? I'm trying to get David over here" isn't in his nature; being all backbiting and then bailing when given an excuse to, is.
>>154738890>James was hiding in a non metaphorical closet when he heard his boyfriend talking shit about him like "he doesn't take me seriously" and "he can be a dummy", prompting him to run shitting and crying and looking for a friend with benefits to make himself feel better
>>154739061Actually, he's grieving the death of his one true love.
>>154738891>My preferred explanation is that James already felt annoyed at Mike in secret for tagging along and "cockblocking" him. Hence his offhanded mean comment during track team practice. Guy was already primed to assume the worst about scarf cat because he kind of wanted to.That itself is fine. My problem is that Taeshi acts like people weren't supposed to be mad James did all of that. If he's gonna be a flaky tard then fine, but don't act surprised when people hate him for making bad moves like that.
>>154739102It's kind of funny how Taeshi killed one legitimately retarded horny gay stereotype only to create a legitimately retarded horny gay snake years later. I guess that's an improvement of sorts.
>>154739150She's so unintentionally homophobic it's almost based. Almost.
>>154739150Taking a comic gag, like leaving a character in a hole, as face value and part of canon trying to explain that they killed a gay character is deranged behavior.
>>154739198She did that with the tsundere stuff and other things, it's all canon.
>>154739198Anon, you need to accept that he's dead. Lcy came back after everyone left and gut him like a fish. She doesn't like sharing.
>>154739198It sure would be.
>>154738944It could- if David gave a shit about James (which he doesn't), so James just comes across like he'd rather blame Mike than admit that David isn't into him.
>>154738890How do you justify the hot potaoing?
>>154735589Look at you, Mike: a pathetic creature of meat and bone, panting and sweating as you run around the track. How can you challenge a perfect, immortal cat?
>>154739239>picIf Mike resists Lucy hard enough, she's going to run him down until he collapses and force herself on his starving body.
>>154739198Sorry anon, Carson was canonically a victim of negligent manslaughter. We gotta live with that reality.
What are the bubbles around Mike's head supposed to represent, anyway? It can't be that he's just "zoned out of it," because they don't disappear while Mike sees and is very clearly thinking about Lucy.
>>154739703Could he be sick? No eating and stress can make you fairly vulnerable. That, or he is just tired as hell.
>>154739703He's been hitting the chocolate liquors again. He's been skipping meals so that the candy will land on an empty stomach
>>154739703It's bleariness from lack of sleep and nutrition that somehow no one but the ever-loving and wise Lucy has noticed or cared about.
>>154739562They killed him and he was gay AND black.
>>154739703Something like doziness I imagine. It's an effect you see when characters are drunk.
>>154739817David knew Mike was anorexic, mocked him for it, and everyone within range didn't give a shit about Mike's declining health because he apparently deserves it.
>>154739848I'd never even thought about the fact that Taeshi also despises (actually) black cats. Though Carson was brown, like David is.
>>154739817I'm not sure she has even noticed. Yeah there's pic related, but I'd sooner pin that as Lucy feeling over-socialized and missing her comfortable old teddy bear. Or feeling upset that he's not visibly suffering from guilt.
>>154739881You know, if Taeshi does have something happen to Mike, I do wonder how she'll try to justify the table not giving a damn up until that point. Has something like this ever happened before? There was Daisy back in volume 1, but she wasn't openly skipping meals.
>>154739964Probably justify it as him getting what he deserves for not openly accepting his beatings.
>>154739916Wait like in real life? Or like drawing them?
>>154739979Not a moral comic, btw. Also remember to show empathy to the table members.
>>154739989It's probably drawing them (she doesn't even seem to like drawing tuxedos) but with her you never really know.
>>154740004Well I can understandhaving issues with drawing them. Big ol blobs, them.
>>154739989Her pet cat was literally a black cat anon
>>154735589FUCKING 10/10Would be an 11/10 if he did it while looking at her as if she was walking garbage.
>>154740083Look man I just read the comic. I don't know shit about the author.
>>154740088I think Mike just cares about Lucy too damn much for that to happen.
>>154740083Yeah, her cat was black and she drew it all the time in her diary comics so I'm really curious where that anon pulled this information from
>>154740004
>>154740113
>>154735589So what happens if everyone goes looking for Lucy and finds her desperately running after Mike like she's the Grim Reaper needing to meet her quota?
>>154740122Awww kittty. But oh, this is one of those stories the author's had their whole life things. That explains a lot.
>>154740122>i can't put a black cat into the comic because it would be mistaken for a fan characterMake it female. Give it a different personality. Are these actual reasons that somehow stumped her or is she just bullshitting off the cuff again?
>>154740059All she'd have to do is use the slate grey "black" she uses for stuff like Rachel's ears.Anon, she'd literally rather make a fucking purple cat than a solid black one.>>154740122>actually it's because of my pathological hatred for fan stuff that gets to *my* ideas before *I* do>>154740178She's just upset that whoever made "Larken" - a character who nobody remembers or talks about at all - did the basic concept of a black cat character before she did.If Amy existed before Katie, Katie wouldn't be yellow. Taeshi is very petty about this sort of thing.
>>154740169I'm almost certain that someone/the whole group will run up to Lucy during the last few pages, horribly concerned for her wellbeing, having totally looked for her everywhere. Whether they catch Mike in a compromising position or are just there to apply emergency asspats to sad Lucy, that I cannot guess.
>>154739931It actually doesn't surprise me that Lucy could be upset over the fact she offered Augustus freedom and he took the chance after asking her only once, instead of refusing because her wellbeing was more important. Everyone gets part of her unspoken rules, even goth cat
>>154739964She already said Mike "pushed" Paulo and Daisy off when he could have gone for them for help, but you know that was a loaded desicion anyway >Mike doesn't bother them for help See? Mike pushes people away >Mike goes to them for help See? Mike only wants to make it about himself and ruin their relationship
>>154740236I suppose Gus has set himself up for a fall, having so foolishly taken Lucy's permission at face value. Just look at what happened after Mike did the same when it came to dating Sandy. Lucy secretly held that against him for years.
Clearly everyone should make their own black cat oc
>>154740280I can see it with Paulo since he did try to check on Mike and get brushed off, but unless I'm forgetting something, Daisy never did anything related to Mike except defend Sandy while knowing nothing about what was going on between her and Mike.
>>154740122That little highlighted segment really hammers home how incurious Taeshi is about her world and her characters. Also hammers home how little she gives a shit about Daisy considering we got almost no internally driven narrative for her after freshman year. All of this to repeat the same narrative beats is so sad.
>>154740280It doesn't really matter, anyways. Paulo and Daisy have tried to help Mike before, and found it's impossible. Can't help someone who doesn't want to be.
>>154735589At last - the veil begins to lift as the Flame sears the skulking shadows from the darkened corners of the earth.
>>154740280>pushedHold on a minute. Mike never "pushed" Daisy after things got platonic between them. At worst he just hasn't bugged her with his problems. Paulo? He's the one who's made Mike's business his own, over and over again. He's the one who did get actively pushed away or turned gently aside. And Paulo is also the only one who's STILL trying to help Mike. This makes no sense.
>>154740319Yeah don't try to make sense of it, it was a blog post about how Mike could have relied on his friends for help but he didn't so it's on him, but it's the same tone as her constantly saying Mike should have let James and David go on their own and make a move on one of the track team guys for like 3 or 4 pages
>>154740388>but it's the same tone as her constantly saying Mike should have let James and David go on their own and make a move on one of the track team guys for like 3 or 4 pagesAh yes, her clumsy attempt to copy/paste Lucy's obsession hangup onto Mike, after she sabotaged her own intent with the lovebombing. I remember that.
>>154740378>This makes no sense.Don't worry about it anon. You can headcanon up all sorts of offscreen narratives and context to try and get the main plot of BCB to make sense, but sooner or later you'll run into a "Who knows about Lucy's suicide" tier paradox and it'll all shatter like sugar glass.The only solution is to focus on side narratives and headcanons that're bizarre enough that it's unlikely Taeshi will ever bother to properly dismiss 'em. It's what I do.
>>154740486>The only solution is to focus on side narratives and headcanons that're bizarre enough that it's unlikely Taeshi will ever bother to properly dismiss 'emWhat, like Matt existing in some splinter reality where being gay is still kind of controversial in 2009, as opposed to the rest of Roseville?
>>154740319Paulo kinda did preface the checking in with "hey Lucy's back on the table so you're out. You good buddy?" I really don't know what answer he expected.
>>154735589He fucking did it.MY MAN!Just run away, it's not worth getting dragged even further down.
>>154740564Nah, he asks how Mike is first and gets a "Fine." He also didn't know she'd confronted Mike outside, and still doesn't. The way he's asking here is basically "I know she's back and that might affect you, are you sure you're okay?"
>>154735876>Lucy manifests her injury to get pity>Mike manifests "fell off a bridge and wasn't found for hours"
>>154740622Mike had David confirm the deal was Lucy in, Mike out, and Paulo just got done signing up to the same at the table. It isn't spoken between the two but they're both aware he's not welcome at the table any more.
>>154740622>Asks what happened that say>Gets meme answer that's not that far off>Doesn't press furtherNot going to start the whole "is Paulo a good friend" argument right now because it'll trigger someone but that doesn't buy him any favors when he was so dead set on finding out what happened to Lucy to the point of proposing a sacrifice
>>154740727I meant the time they went walking with Lucy, btw
>>154740622>Since Lucy's back at the table...>I'm not going to be your friend anymore.Nah man, Polo doesn't deserve anything better than a "fine."
>>154740776The level of victim complex you need to misinterpret the page this badly is astonishing
>>154740832Whatever you say man.
>>154740832Don't interrupt Polo Hating Hour, it upsets the schizos.
>>154740727Whether Paulo's a good friend to Mike is mostly irrelevant to my opinion of him. Paulo's still a shitty boyfriend, a shitty "friend", and a dumb asshole in general.Like I said above, I'm sick to death of Mike and Lucy being the only characters who matter.
>>154740897isn't this pretty much what he can afford
>>154740909What, he's poor so he can't clean the pile of garbage out of his car before picking up Daisy for a date? Give me a break.
>>154740832the victim complex is really strong with these people, they tend to ignore that Mike is the one who tells him to go check on Lucy instead two pages later>>154740954he's probably routinely eating in his car because he doesn't have much time to eat somewhere else between school and worki've had to eat while commuting before
>>154740897Hard to believe that last panel isn't edited lmao
>>154740832Not going to argue about what he said, but honoring the ridiculous "stay away from Mike" not-promise does imply he stopped hanging out with him, you can say he's suffering from having to do it but there's no real reason Paulo should be so loyal to Lucy to that point. You can say he doesn't support or agree with the exile but he is enjoying being on the correct side
Nothing like wamen defending Paulo lol
>>154740122These people obsessed about black characters are worse than Taeshi
>>154740824>Implying FTFY
>>154740311Yes. Though, I just ended up drawing a Mia angel. :)
>>154740981How the pile of trash got there is irrelevant. The point is that Paulo is such a fuckup loser that he doesn't do anything about the literal pile of trash on the passenger's seat until he's already in front of Daisy's house, and his "solution" is just to shove it aside so she can sit down.I don't care about whether Paulo backstabbed Mike, because Mike sucks. But Paulo is undeniably an inconsiderate idiot to Daisy, Tess, Jasmine, Rachel, and Daisy, as well as to Sue and Abbey, and all those characters are actually likable. So I hate the bastard.
>>154741051damn your taste for "likeable" characters sucks ass
>>154740897>I'm sick to death of Mike and Lucy being the only characters who matter.I'm not & I ain't happy still; I'd prefer it if Mike could interact and hang out or have a character arc not tied to the white cats. The alternatives to Mike and Lucy are apparently.>A play where you act like an asshole to your friends for literally no reason>Paulo Show>Sue chapt- jk, Paulo ShowI'd take the non-Lucy cast doing something not shitty and without David.
>>154741027Cute!
>>154740888>Paulo saw Mike looking unwell and went out of his way to ask him if he's okay>Just to tell him he wasn't his friend anymore That's you, that's how retarded you sound right now, that's not to mention the very next page Paulo offers himself up if he ever needs someone to talk to, which Mike ignores.It's almost unbelievable how much of a dumb piece of shit you need to be to read a comic and come away with the exact opposite of what happened.
>>154741051>and his "solution" is just to shove it aside so she can sit down.Plus, an easy solution would be to just have a trash bag in one of the seats so he doesn't make a mess in the car.>>154741087>It's almost unbelievable how much of a dumb piece of shit you need to be to read a comic and come away with the exact opposite of what happened.You genuinely seem to struggle with the fact that Paulo accepted the promise to stay away from Mike and later agonizes over it as if it's some struggle to listen to Lucy vs giving a shit about Mike or the his compelte unwillingess too push Mike to get answers. Something he has repeatedly done before against Mike's will and with Lucy. Can't even argue it's character development to respect Mike's wishes since he directly follows and stalks Mike while he is hanging out with James out of some sense of Jealousy. He doesnt even give a shit to check after finding out from the dog's mouth that David decided to socially kill Mike.
>>154740991i'm not sure how much time has passed, but i'm pretty sure Paulo isn't actually honoring said promise. Mike's the one avoiding the friend group at school, and Paulo has been preoccupied in his free time with Daisy.the idea that Paulo is actually "honoring" it is a manufactured delusion a certain schizo in these threads has. if he was honoring it, >>154740622 never would have happened in the first place.>>154741087we're talking about the kind of retard who looked at >>154740981 and thought once upon a thread that Mike was "telling Paulo off" in a backhanded way, instead of what Mike is actually doing, which is deflecting Paulo's genuine concern because Mike can be rather self-flagellating. the kind of retard who doesn't even realize that Paulo hid the garbage in the glovebox so Daisy never even had to see it (he didn't just shove it off the seat so she could sit down).also the anon who samefag replies in quick succession and pretends (badly) to "totally hate Mike and not care about Paulo BACKSTABBING AND BETRAYING MIKE MY BELOVED" to smokescreen it.
>>154741087>saw Mike looking unwell (after agreeing to stop being his friend)>brings up the fact that Lucy is back on the table in a roundabout way of confirming he won't be welcome anymoreLet's say Mike says right here "I am not fine, you need to stop Lucy", what do you think Paulo would do?
>>154741087Paulofags sure get mad when you point out that he promised and Lucy called itin. How bizarre, I remember you guys seething when I pointed out how he clearly wasn't being blackmailed.>Paulo sees the guy he picked Lucy over>Feels guilty>comes over to assuage guilt>not enough to change his mind about what he feels guilty forPaulo is a woman, he does womanly things.
>>154741245Paulo is a man acting like a man.
>>154741027You're still doing art? Nicely done by the way!And not to be a prick, but is there any Amy art incoming?
Everyone involved in this argument is retarded. If you think the other guy is samefagging or arguing in bad faith or is just too fucking stupid or stubborn to admit they're wrong, then you are a fucking idiot for giving them the time of day. And if you just NEED to win your little argument against inbred 4chan troglodyte #5938 to feel like a big boy, congratulations champ. Here's your golden micropenis award.Holy shit, stop fucking up the threads, you absolute morons.
>>154741185>but i'm pretty sure Paulo isn't actually honoring said promiseThen I guess the discussion is fucked, the comic doesn't give enough information to know what level of actual care is happening, so judging Paulo on what happens off screen is a waste of time. But you gotta admit that for someone with his story of recklessness he's being very quiet about the whole thing, which makes his characterization confusing
So, if you were to give Mike, Daisy & Sue character development stories not directly connected to Lucy. What would they be?
>>154741412Iunno, threesome?
>>154741190>Paulo... You need to.. stop Lucy What is she, Thanos? This is a super autistic thing to sayTo answer the non retarded half of this question, if Mike had told Paulo the truth about how he felt and what happened Paulo would be there for him just like the last billion times Paulo cared for Mike despite constant attempts to push him away >>154741245No one's mad about that lmao, you realize you're the only one stupid enough to read a comic entirely by it's highlights right?Paulo made a stupid promise in the heat of the moment, immediately felt bad about it and even laments having made the promise right after he tries to get Mike to open up and let him help (the rest of the pages that you couldn't be bothered to read in Made Fresh)
>>154735589Every time I see these stupid cats they're crying.
>>154741409It's not happening off screen, it's literally on screen, Paulo made the promise and has continually tried to be there for Mike every moment after, including after the promise was called in
>>154741412Mike>have Sandy come to Roseville so she can become a real character and then develop their relationship in literally any direction>regrow his spine>have him start to question what he really wants out of life>keep portraying him as a nice dude but have him grow upDaisy>actually address her grass-is-greener syndrome instead of sweeping it under the rug>force her and Paulo to deal with their obvious incompatibilities while they try to make things work>give her a cheating arc so she gets it out of her systemSue>give her a humbling that actually sticks for once>make her interact with Paulo and others "beneath" her more so she learns how to chill>explore her hobbies more and how those bring her into contact with other characters
>>154741458Oh, I see, another drunk gather but of 3. This would allow characters to speak their Minds and open up. Plus, a threesome would lead to nuclear-tier fallout or drama for Paisy, Sue, and Mike could even explore that shit, even new feelings.>>154741525I agree with all those, mostly>give her a cheating arc so she gets it out of her systemI think it could work, but unsure how far to actually go. Have her kiss Augustus of her own free will?
>>154741311Thank you, friend!Sorry for the lack of Amy art, I only really have bad doodles of her these days. Been out of the art game in general for the last few months due to to being in and out of the hospital. But, I'll try and churn something out here and there when I can. :)
>>154741507Obviously after it was called anon, Paulo felt like shit for making it after Mike caught him crying and tried to help. I think there's a confusion there
>>154741551>I think it could work, but unsure how far to actually go. Have her kiss Augustus of her own free will?Sure, involve alcohol if you're not sure she'd go for that sober. Loosen up Daisy's inhibitions and see where that takes her this time. Lucy's not around to tut tut Daisy so her Mike thirst may not have evaporated either. Realizing that Paulo isn't all she's hyped him up to be should send her eyes a'wandering.
>>154741597Hope you are doing better, anon.
>>154741649I appreciate that, brother.
>>154741409>Then I guess the discussion is fuckedyes, but not because of the comic, ironically.>the comic doesn't give enough informationno, it does. it shows you the current dynamic between Mike and Paulo - after the "promise," after Lucy yanking the leash in LitS - at the beginning of Made Fresh. anyone with half a brain can see that the "promise" did not stop Paulo from checking on Mike, who he is still friends with and still cares about.you really shouldn't take anything the resident retard says seriously. he takes any attempt to discuss anything about Paulo, even if you also hate him, as an invitation to be retarded at people.
>>154741076That is, in my eyes, a natural consequence of the fact that no characters other than Mike or Lucy matter. The reason the Paulo show sucks is because none of Paulo's actions matter unless it involves Mike or Lucy. He can be an unrepentant dick chapter after chapter, but he's still "good", "likable", and "charming", because he's Mike/Lucy's best friend. The reason Jess's play chapter sucked so much was because it actually set up some interesting drama NOT related to Mike and/or Lucy, but then Taeshi went "no no, don't worry, they all forgive each other and it doesn't matter!" and used David's bullshit-no-jutsu to make it so.If stuff not related to Mike/Lucy's insufferable asses was allowed to matter, then the Paulo show might actually be interesting. Jess getting her cover blown as her friends realize she's a psycho could lead somewhere. Sue chapters could be fun. But because Mike/Lucy are the only ones who's perspective Taeshi cares about, anything that doesn't involve them just gets reset-buttoned so it doesn't interfere with what REALLY matters, the precious Mike/Lucy plot. No one is allowed to have any character development unless Mike or Lucy are there to witness and acknowledge it.
>>154741185Stop schizoing out, you're arguing with multiple people who hate Paulo for different reasons. Some anons hate Paulo because he backstabbed Mike like a little bitch. Other anons hate Paulo because he's just smart enough to notice Mike's having a hard time and feel bad, but not enough to do anything about it. _I_ hate Paulo because he's a ridiculously shitty friend and boyfriend to Daisy, who has never done anything to deserve the shit she gets. There might even be someone here who hates Paulo because despite all his simping he's still a dick to Lucy, I don't know.Fact is that no matter which way you slice it, if you sympathize with ANY character other than Paulo, Paulo's been an asshole to them.
>>154742300spot on, but i'd say it's even more specific than this. it's the primacy of Mucy drama, specifically (hence the plot irrelevance of Mike's MMO gaming, for example). Mucy drama is directly related to people getting reset and stagnating - they're status quos around Mucy that can't be escaped until Mucy drama has moved past it or incorporated it somehow.anyone or anything else gets the spotlight, and everyone is trapped in a character development sitcom time loop until Mucy primacy reasserts itself, because ONLY Mucy-related drama is allowed to push the plot forward.
>>154741412I agree with almost everything >>154741525 said, so to avoid repeating their points I'll just list differences & minor additions:Mike>Have him help Sandy realize she was being abused/taken advantage of, like she did for him (for the sake of pottery)>He gets over his weird guilty martyr complex and accepts that people (including him) can fuck up and regret things without being forever penitent>Let him play a game for the PS2 or Wii and go "HOLY SHIT, why was I only ever playing SNES?!"Daisy>Give her opportunities to show off that she's the smartest character in the comic, let her be a little sardonic about how all her friends are dumbasses>Show her studying, doing stuff, and reveal what her mystery extracurriculars are>Towards the end of the comic, have her get accepted to a top school and go "fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, you're cool, and fuck you I'm out!" to the rest of the cast on her way outSue>Give her a W or two, where she accomplishes something without it blowing up in her face>Let her resent Paulo (and maybe Stacy?) for bullying her, and let her take solace in the fact that she's smarter than them, without any humiliation ritual "comeuppance">She starts gravitating towards and hanging out more with the friends who DON'T treat her like a perpetual third wheel (Amaya, Mike, Abbey)>Bring back McCain
>>154742645You know what, I hadn't thought about it that way, but that's true. That must be why none of what happened while Lucy was "gone" amounted to anything, and it all had to happen over again once she was back:>Mike feels guilty and lashes out at his friends>Abbey breaks up with Daisy>Paulo gets his heart broken and finds solace in his friendship with Mike>Mike and Sandy go through a rough patch before she comes to visit>Mike finds a new hobby via a new friend>Paulo is forced to learn to value people close to him rather than pining after the unattainable whitecat>Paulo comes to appreciate Daisy again after a period of ignoring herWithout Lucy and Mike both present, Mucy drama could not occur, so that whole stretch may as well have fallen into a time vortex.
>>154741412Mike>Makes some friends not tied to the table >Sandy visits. They pretend everything is ok but it's clear it's not>Sandy asks Mike what his plans for the future are since he's starting his career "late">She mentions he makes good grades and could get a scholarship into any school even one close to her>He starts thinking about what he truly wants in life and his relationship>Maybe help Sandy realize and come to terms with what's been going on with her modeling>Or he uncovers that she secretly hates it and starts helping her think of ways out of it which complicates his plans for the futureDaisy>Discovers she could be the valedictorian if she does well her Senior year>She studies harder, signs up for more AP classes, and starts looking seriously into colleges>Gets frustrated with Paulo's lack of interest in school and settling with "just working">Cracks really start showing in the relationship but are ignored>She gets put into an honors class for the second semester with Augustus and no one else from the table>For some spiciness, let them flirt and have a secret fling before Daisy finally breaks it off at out guilt>And have her realize during all of this she doesn't actually love Paulo so she breaks up with him tooSue>Hearing Daisy could be the valedictorian sparks a friendly rivalry between them, but Sues not as smart as she thinks she is>While trying to study, have Paulo approach her asking for her to tutor him>Cue their normal snarkiness before Sue finally catches on that Paulo is being sincere because he confesses that he's trying to be better for Daisy>Sue humbles herself and helps him as they slowly start realizing that they actually have a lot in common>She ends up being supportive of his decision to enter the workforce while starting to realize the ivory league maybe not for her>They end up becoming good friends with Sue helping Paulo through the breakup with Daisy>Maybe they even start dating in the end?
>>154743842I rather like this take in particular. Sucks that Paisy dies instead of improving but frankly that's the more likely scenario. Sue x Paulo is the superior ship anyway.
>>154743842Not bad anon. I'm still not a fan of Sualo, but I suppose it could work if Paulo's rampant dickishness was toned down, and he got some character development that actually stuck.
>>154743194The rest of the cast is trapped in a loop, as the demiurge has transformed Mucy into the Central Fiction of the universe, and nothing can happen without them. So, to free and save everyone, Mike and Lucy have to erase themselves from this universe.
>>154735589HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
>>154744230So is Rachel the Amy in this scenario?
>>154735589He... He did it...He overcame the BPDemon...
>>154744295>loses>diesYeah that's fitting.
>>154735589I keep looking at him just running past her, and it keeps being incredibly fucking based. Many might fall in the face of Chaos, but certainly not this one, and certainly not fucking today. I'm almost tempted to subscribe to the patreon again.
>>154744295watch him collapse next page and Lucy valiantly carries him back into the building since adults do not exist in BCB
>>154735589>>154744295https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghxzLw2wRis
>>154735589THANK FUCK
>>154744383Back home to her rape den, more like.
>>154744655>Alejandro tied to a chair in the corner>she forces him to "rape" her>he's been trying to call Augustus for help for weeks
>>154744245It's kind of hard to say, aside from the demiurge and the master unit, who are one-on-one, both coordinating a world in a loop since their plot got out of control and nothing matters besides the hero and heroine; we don't have many characters in BCB and BB that mirror each other.
>>154737713He attempted to start something before the play, she bpd'd out and fucked Paulo, and Mike found out about it
>>154735589Mr. Sad Crying Cat is probly the gayest comic I've ever seen
>>154744316Don't do it anon, you know the drill, you know how things happen in cycles in this comic.Search your feelings. You know that, in the end, nothing ever happens.
>>154744959HEy, remember during LitS when Mike shoved Augustus down, and anons were popping off going "Based Mike!"? It's happening again, and it's gonna end the same way.
>>154735589Ok
>>154745066That was fun while it lasted and so is this. You can still enjoy the good times even if you know they won't last.
>>154741649I felt bad, so here's a slightly more effort Amy doodles, friend.
>>154746735AmyGOD delivering from the ICU
>>154746735Wonderful job! And please take care of yourself, friend!
>>154746735Great work as always anon, hope you get well soon
>>154746735
>>154746735Great Amy, anon. Good to see you back
>>154746735Thanks anon, good work!
If Taeshi was born a man, how would their life experiences have changed her writing given the period she grew up in? Would their life's work be a decades-long 2000s shonen instead of 2000s moe SoL? >Bladeswing Crescendo Black, the story of how a boy from the Village of Roses named Mike discovered he could see spirits and went to space to master his grandfather's spirit blade so he could defeat the king of the dead and save his girlfriend
>>154748423It would be a weird mix of Cerebus and Sonichu.
>>154748423Dunno, the author of the webtoon Unordinary is also a woman.And is basically the super hero story of a really Cool autistic girl making a savage violent sociopath powerful boy into a boyfriend with actual feelings.https://www.webtoons.com/en/super-hero/unordinary/list?title_no=679
>>154746735Super cute! Dont force yourself tho, and dont feel bad for doodling! Doodles are cool and therapeutic
>>154748423Instead of Bittersweet Candy Bowl we'd get Luke the Incel. The tragic tale of a stupid asshole suffering because the girl who owed him sex unjustly found his personality repulsive. Taeshi would still be a crybully, but a failed one who let his testosterone push him into fucking around and finding out. He would lash out at his readers more, one of many reasons for a much reduced audience. A slave to his impulses and putting himself out there, he'd become an internet lolcow.
>>154748423>Would their life's work be a decades-long 2000s shonen instead of 2000s moe SoL?No, in that universe, the magical girl Lucy-chan prequel would be a shonen manga where Mike and his friends use supernatural powers to fight, and BCB would still be a SoL manga, but initially it would have several shonen clichés, such as Mike, Lucy, and Paulo being the classic shonen trio, Mike and Paulo having a more defined rivalry, a tournament arc, etc.
>>154746735That's the content that makes checking this thread worthwhile.
>>154746735Good shit anon, this is what makes these threads worth it.
>>154748713Taeshi came up with the characters before she hit puberty, and Mike predates Lucy. So I think in Mike and Lucy wouldn't be genderswapped, but they would be somewhat personality/role swapped. Mike would be the impulsive, obsessive, unstable self-insert, while Lucy would be an idealized waifu figure for him: infinitely patient, highly empathetic, and selfless, with the tsun still there but turned WAY down.>>154749425>such as Mike, Lucy, and Paulo being the classic shonen trioThey kind of already are, but I get what you mean. I imagine "Field Day" would have been longer and more involved, and Confrontation would proceed differently (focus would remain on Mike's POV throughout while he powered up to save his friends).
