Damn, it’s hard to say the right thing, when you know it will be seen as a bad thing. But Lucas did it!
Xenneth
16 hours ago
Okay, gonna take a wild stab at the future…
Ethan gets defensive, gets mad and stops talking to Lucas, then finds out Lucas was right, break-up goes bad, and in some sort of plot twist that we don’t expect, Nicole somehow becomes a new supervillain for Ethan.
I don’t think she is a villain (Hero in disguise would be a surprise), but I do think she is part of the Troll’s crew.
I think the Troll knows all about Ethan, but like the Joker and Batman, doesn’t want to ruin his own fun…
I mean, Ethan is a huge gamer who enjoys a very diverse gaming landscape, being told what to play and made to feel like his gaming skills (and he is literally gaming-themed) sucks…
Or, Nicole is setup to seem being a new supervillain…
…but turns out to just be a well meaning, but very socially-clumsy cop/superhero who was just trying to get close to Ethan with the hopes to be on-site as soon the troll shows up.
Or Nicole is just a human skin suit that serves as Zeke’s new identity and she was trying to teach some moon-logic lesson to Ethan 😀
I think things will go as described, but after the break up, Nicole goes full-on Bunny Boiler, stalking and eventually killing (or at least attempting to kill) Ethan, which resolves a couple of plot points at the same time. (Assuming his powers are still there and he survives).
How often have we all theorized that so-and-so was actually a villain? Loads.
How often has it happened? None.
I’m actually happier if she’s just a normal person. Normal people can be toxic and manipulative.
Darkhorse
16 hours ago
At least Lucas is bringing it softly. Maybe the negatives truly don’t weigh up against the positives. Having someone to decide things for you and to be with could truly be good for Ethan.
Thank you Lucas – I hope this doesn’t blow up 🫣
Even controlling what games he plays… Ethan is not in a good place if he didn’t even question *that*.
p. stein
15 hours ago
There’s something slightly odd to me. Ethan is desperate for attention and is aloof, so he doesn’t see all those gigantic red flags. This is normal, standard Ethan. But here’s the thing – it shouldn’t be normal, standard Ethan, right? Isn’t this his first relationship since his ex died? An ex that supposedly he had a meaningful relationship with. So this shouldn’t be the Ethan from back in CAD 1.0 who doesn’t know anything about relationships. This remains an Ethan, so to speak, so he is necessarily aloof, and a bit in his head, but he should have some experience… Read more »
Ex died? In this universe I only know of Emily, which I’m 98% alive.
Also, he might have learnt the wrong lesson from his breakup with Emily: No disagreements, no behaviours that your GF hate, one wrong word and the relationship is over so be cooperative.
It’s nothing short of uncanny how the red flags that are so obvious to people outside the relationship can be missed when you’re too close to them.
I once stayed in an abusive relationship for WAY too long despite the warnings of friends and family, and when I finally got out I was never able to make real sense of why I didn’t see it all sooner.
Also, probably not related, my wife and me are really exhausting looking for screen splits shooters to play together. The next Gears can keep that feature…
JozMk.II
14 hours ago
Glad Lucas is finally saying something. I just hope Ethan listens. Even if he does, though, one can only hope he has the spine to pull the plug on this relationship, despite how much he knows it’ll all but certainly displease Nicole.
Blue Griffin
13 hours ago
Ah. We can’t play the two player game that you are good at. But what happens when Ethan gets better and no longer has to be carried?
ChaosSepher
12 hours ago
Do appreciate that it just reached the point where Lucas basically went “Okay, enough is enough, time to rip that band-aid off.”
Aaron Morano
12 hours ago
Daaaaaaaaaamn… If the Helldivers thing didn’t light up his ‘spidysense’ then the pivot to Valorant should have been a brick to the face for Ethan to finally say “Huh, something does not feel right…”
Evilleet
11 hours ago
I’d wager Nicole has already told Ethan that his friends are gonna use words like that and that he should cut ties with them as soon as they do, since they do not want him to be happy, thus she wants him all for herself.
This has the perfect line up for Nicole to be a serial killer that enjoys luring her prey into a false sense of security. I would name her “Black Widow” because she probably kills after coitus.
Oyee
11 hours ago
The faux leather pants
ZFTX
8 hours ago
Nickie has come on WAY too strongly. And by WAY too strongly, I mean WAY TO MOTHERFXCKING STRONGLY! So much so, that I am made uncomfortable by it. Not just on her gaming suggestions (I am not the best to judge that, as I do not even consider myself a “gamer” more of a GTA’r), but overall is just coming on way to hard! There needs to be a soft persuasion, like “yes, that is good, but how about this instead” and all!
Nibelung
8 hours ago
Yeah, that is really crossing the line. How dare she tell you to play a game with kernel 0 anticheat code? That thing open a lot of holes in your PC security.
Delamain
8 hours ago
Valorant was the last draw for Lucas apparently.
Giggity Goo
8 hours ago
Three thoughts: 1) I’m still leaning towards Nicole being Gameboy’s “behind the computer” mom. I would freaking die if she figures out who he is, and he ends up having this kind of contentious relationship with her after they break up considering his relationship with her son (if Gameboy ends up being her son). 2) I honestly have trouble believing that Ethan would drop any game for almost anyone with the exception of Lucas and Scott. Or at least that he would be this “Meh… happens” over it and not super pouty. 3) Are those pants not only tight, but… Read more »
Last edited 8 hours ago by Giggity Goo
Bach
8 hours ago
For real, Valorant is just Counter-Strike for K-Pop fans.
Who wants to bet that Ethan takes the “not healthy” phrase literally? That he thinks “toxic relationship” means that Nicole is oozing toxic gas or something?
Cypher
6 hours ago
In all fairness, it’s Helldivers. Their drm crashed my computer so many times I fought to force it to be put on steam purchase page as kernel level. Same garbage system nexon games use, and that bricked a laptop nearly a decade ago. That drm is just cancer, and that’s my censored version.
MarthKoopa
6 hours ago
Oh, god, Valorant… Break up IMMEDIATELY
Dom
5 hours ago
@Tim, This storyline has made me question my dating mindsets quite deeply, and I have asked around for feedback to reevaluate my values, problems so I can challenge them more head on.
Thank you for covering this topic, I wouldn’t have gotten the perspective I needed anytime soon.
Now back to our regularly scheduled webcomic.
Pyre
3 hours ago
This seems a bit rushed honestly.
Lucas has met her once and, while the signs are there (moreso for us as the readers), it seems odd that Lucas showed more acceptance towards a killer robot than Nicole.
Yeah, I get that we have seen more of Nicole and we have the 1.0 preconceptions of Nicole/Sara and Zeke to sway us but, as I said, Lucas has met her once. Yes, he has seen some signs of Ethan changing due to Nicole’s influence but this still seems a bit sudden.
24
Damn, it’s hard to say the right thing, when you know it will be seen as a bad thing. But Lucas did it!
Okay, gonna take a wild stab at the future…
Ethan gets defensive, gets mad and stops talking to Lucas, then finds out Lucas was right, break-up goes bad, and in some sort of plot twist that we don’t expect, Nicole somehow becomes a new supervillain for Ethan.
Im going to have one tweak to that. She already is a super villain, and reveals herself. But otherwise yeah I agree.
I don’t think she is a villain (Hero in disguise would be a surprise), but I do think she is part of the Troll’s crew.
I think the Troll knows all about Ethan, but like the Joker and Batman, doesn’t want to ruin his own fun…
I mean, Ethan is a huge gamer who enjoys a very diverse gaming landscape, being told what to play and made to feel like his gaming skills (and he is literally gaming-themed) sucks…
Or, Nicole is setup to seem being a new supervillain…
…but turns out to just be a well meaning, but very socially-clumsy cop/superhero who was just trying to get close to Ethan with the hopes to be on-site as soon the troll shows up.
Or Nicole is just a human skin suit that serves as Zeke’s new identity and she was trying to teach some moon-logic lesson to Ethan 😀
I think things will go as described, but after the break up, Nicole goes full-on Bunny Boiler, stalking and eventually killing (or at least attempting to kill) Ethan, which resolves a couple of plot points at the same time. (Assuming his powers are still there and he survives).
I think nothing “super” happens at all. This is just a story about friends right now.
I’m with you.
How often have we all theorized that so-and-so was actually a villain? Loads.
How often has it happened? None.
I’m actually happier if she’s just a normal person. Normal people can be toxic and manipulative.
At least Lucas is bringing it softly. Maybe the negatives truly don’t weigh up against the positives. Having someone to decide things for you and to be with could truly be good for Ethan.
…for a not too long time.
Ethan, report to your democracy Officer now !
Send him to the re-education center!
Thank you Lucas – I hope this doesn’t blow up 🫣
Even controlling what games he plays… Ethan is not in a good place if he didn’t even question *that*.
There’s something slightly odd to me. Ethan is desperate for attention and is aloof, so he doesn’t see all those gigantic red flags. This is normal, standard Ethan. But here’s the thing – it shouldn’t be normal, standard Ethan, right? Isn’t this his first relationship since his ex died? An ex that supposedly he had a meaningful relationship with. So this shouldn’t be the Ethan from back in CAD 1.0 who doesn’t know anything about relationships. This remains an Ethan, so to speak, so he is necessarily aloof, and a bit in his head, but he should have some experience… Read more »
Ex died? In this universe I only know of Emily, which I’m 98% alive.
Also, he might have learnt the wrong lesson from his breakup with Emily: No disagreements, no behaviours that your GF hate, one wrong word and the relationship is over so be cooperative.
Sister, Ethan lost his sister. Scott’s fiance
Eh, same thing. Ex, sister, is there a difference?
(I welcome the downvotes, because that’s part of the joke).
It’s nothing short of uncanny how the red flags that are so obvious to people outside the relationship can be missed when you’re too close to them.
I once stayed in an abusive relationship for WAY too long despite the warnings of friends and family, and when I finally got out I was never able to make real sense of why I didn’t see it all sooner.
OK, Ethan. Whatever you choose, do NOT tell Nicole what Lucas thinks of her. He probably cannot respawn.
Also, I kinda like it that Nicole is an enthusiastic toxic gamer too. The classic “My GF don’t like it that I play too much” is bit cliché
That’s it, direct, without anesthesia.
Also, probably not related, my wife and me are really exhausting looking for screen splits shooters to play together. The next Gears can keep that feature…
Glad Lucas is finally saying something. I just hope Ethan listens. Even if he does, though, one can only hope he has the spine to pull the plug on this relationship, despite how much he knows it’ll all but certainly displease Nicole.
Ah. We can’t play the two player game that you are good at. But what happens when Ethan gets better and no longer has to be carried?
Do appreciate that it just reached the point where Lucas basically went “Okay, enough is enough, time to rip that band-aid off.”
Daaaaaaaaaamn… If the Helldivers thing didn’t light up his ‘spidysense’ then the pivot to Valorant should have been a brick to the face for Ethan to finally say “Huh, something does not feel right…”
I’d wager Nicole has already told Ethan that his friends are gonna use words like that and that he should cut ties with them as soon as they do, since they do not want him to be happy, thus she wants him all for herself.
This has the perfect line up for Nicole to be a serial killer that enjoys luring her prey into a false sense of security. I would name her “Black Widow” because she probably kills after coitus.
The faux leather pants
Nickie has come on WAY too strongly. And by WAY too strongly, I mean WAY TO MOTHERFXCKING STRONGLY! So much so, that I am made uncomfortable by it. Not just on her gaming suggestions (I am not the best to judge that, as I do not even consider myself a “gamer” more of a GTA’r), but overall is just coming on way to hard! There needs to be a soft persuasion, like “yes, that is good, but how about this instead” and all!
Yeah, that is really crossing the line. How dare she tell you to play a game with kernel 0 anticheat code? That thing open a lot of holes in your PC security.
Valorant was the last draw for Lucas apparently.
Three thoughts: 1) I’m still leaning towards Nicole being Gameboy’s “behind the computer” mom. I would freaking die if she figures out who he is, and he ends up having this kind of contentious relationship with her after they break up considering his relationship with her son (if Gameboy ends up being her son). 2) I honestly have trouble believing that Ethan would drop any game for almost anyone with the exception of Lucas and Scott. Or at least that he would be this “Meh… happens” over it and not super pouty. 3) Are those pants not only tight, but… Read more »
For real, Valorant is just Counter-Strike for K-Pop fans.
No, Valorant is for Chinese and League players.
Who wants to bet that Ethan takes the “not healthy” phrase literally? That he thinks “toxic relationship” means that Nicole is oozing toxic gas or something?
In all fairness, it’s Helldivers. Their drm crashed my computer so many times I fought to force it to be put on steam purchase page as kernel level. Same garbage system nexon games use, and that bricked a laptop nearly a decade ago. That drm is just cancer, and that’s my censored version.
Oh, god, Valorant… Break up IMMEDIATELY
@Tim, This storyline has made me question my dating mindsets quite deeply, and I have asked around for feedback to reevaluate my values, problems so I can challenge them more head on.
Thank you for covering this topic, I wouldn’t have gotten the perspective I needed anytime soon.
Now back to our regularly scheduled webcomic.
This seems a bit rushed honestly.
Lucas has met her once and, while the signs are there (moreso for us as the readers), it seems odd that Lucas showed more acceptance towards a killer robot than Nicole.
Yeah, I get that we have seen more of Nicole and we have the 1.0 preconceptions of Nicole/Sara and Zeke to sway us but, as I said, Lucas has met her once. Yes, he has seen some signs of Ethan changing due to Nicole’s influence but this still seems a bit sudden.