I doubt this would turn out the way it is intended. At least this early in the relationship. Lucas has seen her just once, so Ethan might blame Lucas he’s trying to put him off of her leading to a fight between them.
I think, Lucas knows this.
Andhaka
25 days ago
No, Lucas, no!
Bad Lucas!! Do not get distracted and help your moron friend!!
When Reality slams into Comedy. Moron friend has no natural defenses against the real world
JozMk.II
25 days ago
But what happens when Ethan is the one who tries to get Nicole to try something different? I think Ethan is in denial, and subconsciously rationalizing Nicole’s behavior as something positive. I wish Lucas would say something, but then again, maybe he’s hoping Ethan will end up figuring it out for himself..
But what happens when Ethan is the one who tries to get Nicole to try something different?
I think we will have the chance to find out at some point. Because, despite all the people crying who would rather sweep the story under the carpet, I think Tim intends to tackle this subject in some depth. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nicole is here to stay for longer than this arc.
Because, despite all the people crying who would rather sweep the story under the carpet
Nobody’s telling Tim not to tell the story. Just telling Ethan (who can’t hear anyone, obviously) to get out of there. It’s like watching a horror movie, of course people shout at the screen “don’t do that” or “don’t go in there.” Nobody actually expects the characters to leave and the movie to end with everyone fine. Your “crying” comment is rude and uncalled for.
No, there definitely have been many people saying such as “I don’t like this story, it’s uncomfortable and predictable” and “let’s just have Nicole get hit by a bus and move on” and at least one outright asking Tim to just end this storyline.
I agree, let Tim tell the story he wants to tell. I’m still enjoying it. But it’s disingenuous to claim that no one dislikes it.
I said i wished she got hit by a bus which would spare us the storyline.
But that isn’t because i don’t think the storyline will be good, but because i absolutely hate to see characters go through emotional trauma in general.
These days, no matter what a creative does, some people are going to be uncomfortable or not interesting (at least!). We all feel we need to get in there and swing our bully pulpit (small as it is). Me too, but I don’t expect a creative to lean to any direction; I expect there will always be storylines I don’t love and others I do and for other people, they’ll differ on which one which ones are witch. Trying to make art and create needs to come from the inside and the motivations of the creator, not the comments of… Read more »
For the record i am not “crying” so much as cringing as I was in a relationship basically exactly beat for beat like this and it is bringing back some rather… bad memories. I might just leave for the duration of this arc and come back when nicole is gone. It’s bringing back alot of rather horrible memories i thought I had worked through in therapy.
Lucas has been a good friend overall so far and this is a topic he should know a lot about.
But I think drama demands he gets brushed off and doesn’t push the topic even though he should. We’ll see!
Kasaix
25 days ago
Maybe this is how we find out if Ethan still has his powers.
Roy
25 days ago
We all know where this is going, right? At some point Ethan will ask Nicole to try playing games, she will dismiss his suggestion saying that they are childish and this will cause Ethan to end things (not immediately, but after some time). Or maybe Ethan will become severely depressed and Lucas will organize an intervention?
I would love a subversion of expectations here. Like imagine he asks her to play games, and she’s like, sure. I’ll try it. After all, they met on a dating app where he had to put up a profile, so she can’t be totally clueless as to what he’s into. I see one of two directions for this storyline. 1) She knows what he’s into and is trying to “fix” him, which is blegh! or 2) Something that could be really fun, would be she recognizes that she can be pushy because she likes to explore and push boundaries, including… Read more »
What is this ‘try’..? We already know she does on her own. She ‘dominates’ online, but would go easy on him, as she said just 3 pages ago, on their little speed date.
Daniel
25 days ago
Poor Lucas. Damned if he pushes thr subject, damned if he does not
I was hoping Lucas would push more to highlight how toxic Nicole is behaving… but to be fair, he’s only seen her for like 5 minutes. We the reader have seen more than he has.
Maybe that’s why he’s not pushing too hard yet.
On a tangent, the way Ethan kept jumping ahead of what Lucas was trying to say. Subconsciously knowing what Lucas was thinking, and thus deflecting, or just obliviously smitten and thinking more about Nicole than the conversation? I can read it either way 🤔
*blinks* okay. that sentence is wrong on so many levels, it is also disgusting, and frankly the fact that stuff happens irl and is usually dismissed as being funny or dramatic, is problematic. red flags or not with nicole, that kind of mental and emotional heartbreak can end lives in more ways than one, and i cant specify without risking someone being upset by the subject matter even if i did put a trigger warning..
I don’t think he is smitten but he convinced himself that a relationship is good for him. And who knows? When this is over, because it will be, perhaps he discovers some of the experiences were not bad. I mean, perhaps he likes Korean food and dressing well once in a while.
CADreader
25 days ago
Maybe psycho girl will end up killing Ethan and that’s how he finds out he can still respawn.
How about this? She’s a serial killer and her MO is killing guys with poison so there’s a delayed effect. He doesn’t even realize she’s caused his death. She doesn’t see him respawn when he dies, and he has to pretend it didn’t happen to protect his secret identity. She keeps killing him on subsequent dates, getting more and more frustrated with her failures. After a comical number of deaths, he finally realizes that she’s killing him, but he has to keep dating her to get evidence that she’s a killer.
naustghoul
25 days ago
All he can do is support him now if it goes either way. That is the friend Lucas is going to (always) be.
kyle waite
25 days ago
too early for intervention
Nik
25 days ago
TMI, Lucas.
TMI.
Last edited 25 days ago by Nik
Alice
25 days ago
It’s important to remember how delicate these situations are. Jumping in too soon will net you with a “oh you barely know her.” And if he mentions it to Nichole she’ll try and manipulate Ethan against him.
It’s important you help your friends see the issue, but from real life experience, it’s rarely as easy as telling your friend that the person they’re dating sucks, especially without concrete fire power behind it.
For these you need to build a strong case before hand, and come at the right time.
Richard Weatherfield
25 days ago
Ah, I think I get it. This is the story that allows Ethan to learn the other side of the equation he was learning when he was dating Emily. That it’s okay to set boundaries and that HIS feelings are just as important as hers. I”m looking forward to Ethan giving Nicole a massive “Reason you Suck” speech when he finally figures it out.
some guy
25 days ago
I think Lucas shouldn’t try to intervene too hard. Ethan needs this lesson.
Greglous
25 days ago
Its unlikely but Im really hoping that Ethan is aware of the red flags and decided to see what her deal is. Ethan is silly but he’s also a superhero with instincts for danger. Either way, excited to see where it goes
Bionix
25 days ago
To some guys, a taller, more confident woman who is the dominant one in the relationship could be exactly what they want. Even appreciate them being able to push them to try new things.
But yeah, the way Nicole’s doing it where she has quickly come off as not wanting him to even hang out with someone else, that’s the bad stuff.
Phaet
25 days ago
Trying new things. Maybe it will work maybe it won’t.
Paula
25 days ago
Ethan is so sweet. I mean, of course he is blinded and deranged and Nicole is…um…as Lucas said. However, think Ethan enjoys having someone telling him what to do. And he is right about trying new things. Yes, ideally they should agree in new experiences together, but sometimes one person needs a push. Of course, problem is that Nicole pushes all the time.
For someone with ADHD (like Ethan), people with these types of personalities can be a huge draw. There’s a lot of executive functioning that goes into planning activities and prioritizing what to do. When you’re struggling with managing what other people take for granted as the “basics” of life, that can be really hard. Spending time with someone (in the context of a relationship or otherwise) who always has an idea what should be done next removes a lot of that burden. Rather than feeling demanding, it can actually be incredibly relaxing. The trick is finding someone whose plans you… Read more »
ZFTX
25 days ago
Larry has no say in these things! Let things between Ethan and Nicole play out as they will! However, weird it may be in the process…
I’m guessing that at some point he’s going to bring up his love of gaming and she’s going to try to get him to stop or talk down to him about it, and only then will he realize.
24
Just say it already, Lucas. Ethan is clearly wearing blinders.
Who is Lucas? Only Ethan and Larry are shown in this!
I doubt this would turn out the way it is intended. At least this early in the relationship. Lucas has seen her just once, so Ethan might blame Lucas he’s trying to put him off of her leading to a fight between them.
I think, Lucas knows this.
No, Lucas, no!
Bad Lucas!! Do not get distracted and help your moron friend!!
Cheers
When Reality slams into Comedy. Moron friend has no natural defenses against the real world
But what happens when Ethan is the one who tries to get Nicole to try something different? I think Ethan is in denial, and subconsciously rationalizing Nicole’s behavior as something positive. I wish Lucas would say something, but then again, maybe he’s hoping Ethan will end up figuring it out for himself..
I think we will have the chance to find out at some point. Because, despite all the people crying who would rather sweep the story under the carpet, I think Tim intends to tackle this subject in some depth. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nicole is here to stay for longer than this arc.
Nobody’s telling Tim not to tell the story. Just telling Ethan (who can’t hear anyone, obviously) to get out of there. It’s like watching a horror movie, of course people shout at the screen “don’t do that” or “don’t go in there.” Nobody actually expects the characters to leave and the movie to end with everyone fine. Your “crying” comment is rude and uncalled for.
No, there definitely have been many people saying such as “I don’t like this story, it’s uncomfortable and predictable” and “let’s just have Nicole get hit by a bus and move on” and at least one outright asking Tim to just end this storyline.
I agree, let Tim tell the story he wants to tell. I’m still enjoying it. But it’s disingenuous to claim that no one dislikes it.
I said i wished she got hit by a bus which would spare us the storyline.
But that isn’t because i don’t think the storyline will be good, but because i absolutely hate to see characters go through emotional trauma in general.
Fair enough. Just used your wording as an example because I remembered it, but there are other people saying the same thing.
These days, no matter what a creative does, some people are going to be uncomfortable or not interesting (at least!). We all feel we need to get in there and swing our bully pulpit (small as it is). Me too, but I don’t expect a creative to lean to any direction; I expect there will always be storylines I don’t love and others I do and for other people, they’ll differ on which one which ones are witch. Trying to make art and create needs to come from the inside and the motivations of the creator, not the comments of… Read more »
For the record i am not “crying” so much as cringing as I was in a relationship basically exactly beat for beat like this and it is bringing back some rather… bad memories. I might just leave for the duration of this arc and come back when nicole is gone. It’s bringing back alot of rather horrible memories i thought I had worked through in therapy.
The Gaslighting is already in high effect. He knows it’s wrong but he tries to convince himself it isn’t because she knows how to manipulate him.
Lucas has been a good friend overall so far and this is a topic he should know a lot about.
But I think drama demands he gets brushed off and doesn’t push the topic even though he should. We’ll see!
Maybe this is how we find out if Ethan still has his powers.
We all know where this is going, right? At some point Ethan will ask Nicole to try playing games, she will dismiss his suggestion saying that they are childish and this will cause Ethan to end things (not immediately, but after some time). Or maybe Ethan will become severely depressed and Lucas will organize an intervention?
I would love a subversion of expectations here. Like imagine he asks her to play games, and she’s like, sure. I’ll try it. After all, they met on a dating app where he had to put up a profile, so she can’t be totally clueless as to what he’s into. I see one of two directions for this storyline. 1) She knows what he’s into and is trying to “fix” him, which is blegh! or 2) Something that could be really fun, would be she recognizes that she can be pushy because she likes to explore and push boundaries, including… Read more »
She’s already said she plays games and dominates in online play
The topic of videogames already came up in their first date. She even promised to “go easy on him” when they play together.
https://cad-comic.com/comic/matched-p12/
What is this ‘try’..? We already know she does on her own. She ‘dominates’ online, but would go easy on him, as she said just 3 pages ago, on their little speed date.
Poor Lucas. Damned if he pushes thr subject, damned if he does not
yarp. Ethan’s only gonna learn the hard way
I was hoping Lucas would push more to highlight how toxic Nicole is behaving… but to be fair, he’s only seen her for like 5 minutes. We the reader have seen more than he has.
Maybe that’s why he’s not pushing too hard yet.
On a tangent, the way Ethan kept jumping ahead of what Lucas was trying to say. Subconsciously knowing what Lucas was thinking, and thus deflecting, or just obliviously smitten and thinking more about Nicole than the conversation? I can read it either way 🤔
Like I said before, it would be problematic but hilarious if Ethan just wanted to get laid and then dump her. She *is* hot.
*blinks* okay. that sentence is wrong on so many levels, it is also disgusting, and frankly the fact that stuff happens irl and is usually dismissed as being funny or dramatic, is problematic. red flags or not with nicole, that kind of mental and emotional heartbreak can end lives in more ways than one, and i cant specify without risking someone being upset by the subject matter even if i did put a trigger warning..
please
I don’t think he is smitten but he convinced himself that a relationship is good for him. And who knows? When this is over, because it will be, perhaps he discovers some of the experiences were not bad. I mean, perhaps he likes Korean food and dressing well once in a while.
Maybe psycho girl will end up killing Ethan and that’s how he finds out he can still respawn.
That would be both terrifying and hilarious.
The best way for Ethan to discover he still has powers is by sacrificing himself to save someone.
How about this? She’s a serial killer and her MO is killing guys with poison so there’s a delayed effect. He doesn’t even realize she’s caused his death. She doesn’t see him respawn when he dies, and he has to pretend it didn’t happen to protect his secret identity. She keeps killing him on subsequent dates, getting more and more frustrated with her failures. After a comical number of deaths, he finally realizes that she’s killing him, but he has to keep dating her to get evidence that she’s a killer.
All he can do is support him now if it goes either way. That is the friend Lucas is going to (always) be.
too early for intervention
TMI, Lucas.
TMI.
It’s important to remember how delicate these situations are. Jumping in too soon will net you with a “oh you barely know her.” And if he mentions it to Nichole she’ll try and manipulate Ethan against him.
It’s important you help your friends see the issue, but from real life experience, it’s rarely as easy as telling your friend that the person they’re dating sucks, especially without concrete fire power behind it.
For these you need to build a strong case before hand, and come at the right time.
Ah, I think I get it. This is the story that allows Ethan to learn the other side of the equation he was learning when he was dating Emily. That it’s okay to set boundaries and that HIS feelings are just as important as hers. I”m looking forward to Ethan giving Nicole a massive “Reason you Suck” speech when he finally figures it out.
I think Lucas shouldn’t try to intervene too hard. Ethan needs this lesson.
Its unlikely but Im really hoping that Ethan is aware of the red flags and decided to see what her deal is. Ethan is silly but he’s also a superhero with instincts for danger. Either way, excited to see where it goes
To some guys, a taller, more confident woman who is the dominant one in the relationship could be exactly what they want. Even appreciate them being able to push them to try new things.
But yeah, the way Nicole’s doing it where she has quickly come off as not wanting him to even hang out with someone else, that’s the bad stuff.
Trying new things. Maybe it will work maybe it won’t.
Ethan is so sweet. I mean, of course he is blinded and deranged and Nicole is…um…as Lucas said. However, think Ethan enjoys having someone telling him what to do. And he is right about trying new things. Yes, ideally they should agree in new experiences together, but sometimes one person needs a push. Of course, problem is that Nicole pushes all the time.
For someone with ADHD (like Ethan), people with these types of personalities can be a huge draw. There’s a lot of executive functioning that goes into planning activities and prioritizing what to do. When you’re struggling with managing what other people take for granted as the “basics” of life, that can be really hard. Spending time with someone (in the context of a relationship or otherwise) who always has an idea what should be done next removes a lot of that burden. Rather than feeling demanding, it can actually be incredibly relaxing. The trick is finding someone whose plans you… Read more »
Larry has no say in these things! Let things between Ethan and Nicole play out as they will! However, weird it may be in the process…
Larry? What about Moe, or Curly??
I’m guessing that at some point he’s going to bring up his love of gaming and she’s going to try to get him to stop or talk down to him about it, and only then will he realize.
“at some point”: like back on page 12 when they talked about video games during the first date?
She also plays… So, I doubt that xD
Place your bets on Ethan’s breaking point. Her finding and throwing out his older games, or armour is my guess.
I’ve been getting vibes of Debbie from Addam’s Family Values who marries Fester only to try and kill him for his money.
Debra!