Comic for June 7th, 2017: Paying The Price

[Rafe]

As I said before, it looks to me that the more Mike realizes what is happening, the worse he feels. Take a look at his ears - they start out perked up, but in each succeeding panel, his ears drop lower and lower.

[Warrl]

[Joke]It was at that moment Mike gained his lust for money and power causing him to become an industrial tycoon (it also led to him building an underwater city, but that's another story entirely).[/Joke]

Eric seems to be growing up a bit. I think we too easily forget that he's actually pretty young, as 'worldly' as he may be. This whole thing has probably been quite the learning experience for him...

I'm sorry, but I must've missed something. How exactly was Eric, uh, not grown up?

There should (but often doesn't) come a time in each person's life when they step away from either automatically accepting or automatically rejecting their parents' views, and accept full responsibility for their own beliefs and attitudes. Eric had pretty much inherited his beliefs, along with his business and his position in society... on this last voyage some of those beliefs were directly challenged in a way that made him take a real hard look at them. And apparently he found them wanting.

(I mostly give Kat credit for that, but Trace, Flora, Mike, and Evals all get some of the credit too... and maybe Natani and Keith, possibly even Maddie and Lynn. Actually, come to think of it, I could see Eric having long wall-of-text chats with Lynn that simply wouldn't work in a comic format, so maybe Lynn gets nearly as large a chunk of the credit as Kat.)

That would be the growing-up referred to.

I still think Kat is way too good for him though...

I agree, but Kat's opinion is the only one that matters.

[MuonNeutrino]

There should (but often doesn't) come a time in each person's life when they step away from either automatically accepting or automatically rejecting their parents' views, and accept full responsibility for their own beliefs and attitudes. Eric had pretty much inherited his beliefs, along with his business and his position in society... on this last voyage some of those beliefs were directly challenged in a way that made him take a real hard look at them. And apparently he found them wanting.

Thank you for articulating what I was trying to say and doing it better and more concisely. That was pretty much exactly what I was trying to go for in my overly-wordy manner.

[multilis]

Slaves who are suddenly free now have to face getting a job, using that to pay for shelter, food, clothing, etc... can be very scary idea if the slave master was nice. Sort of like in modern world when kids graduate from school (where they didn't get paid but had free room and board from parents, etc), can be scary business being on own for first time in life.

It is possible that these x-slaves will now want to be hired employees with much the same deal as before.

As for Kat... not sure why when both her and Eric don't talk it is all Eric's fault because he can't read her well. Eric may feel he has been bad taking advantage of her and showing a romantic interest would be exploiting her as he was her master, not that different a situation than a male teacher in high school with an attractive 18 year old female student. He may feel she would fake affection as she "always has done", he doesn't want her to have to fake anymore, he doesn't know her love is real, and if she doesn't say so she should be equal to blame.

[NiWo21k]

I like this page for many reasons. Mostly because its very honest in so many ways.

I could think that they Mike and Evals think about going away from Eric, but i somehow could also imagine that they would like to work with him in some way (yes even with everything that happend - because in some way they dont know what to do alone and miss the work they did, even if it was hated).

But lets see what they will decide. I cant imagine that they just vanish, at least they would travel a while with our other heroes if they decide to search for something new.

[BadJoke]

Also, Eric is surprisingly attractive without his glasses on. I think this is the first time we've seen him as his age, before hes always looked older, but he really looks good with his glasses off and his hair down.

True dat.

And in a way it shows than under his look of a mature person (and business man) he's still young and has a lot to learn yet.

EDIT: ...when did Mike started wearring a pink ribbon?

[Balance]

Also, Eric is surprisingly attractive without his glasses on. I think this is the first time we've seen him as his age, before hes always looked older, but he really looks good with his glasses off and his hair down.

Is it really the hair and glasses, or is it the attitude?

The fact that Eric is a slaver is profoundly repugnant, and I have never been able to separate that from the rest of his character. Probably the biggest reason for that is that he has always been...complacent, I suppose. He's been so secure in his position; plenty of things have gone wrong for him, but until recently, none have done so in a way that's challenged what he understood as his place in the world.

Now that security has been pulled out from under him, and he's just gotten past being angry to thinking about what he just fell off of. Maybe he's wondering if he really wants to climb back up there. He's vulnerable in a way we haven't seen from him before. If you want to get symbolic about it, his unbound hair and removed glasses would make a fine start. They're not just cosmetic differences; they're a tentative sign that he may be becoming a different person--and that person would almost have to be more attractive than "Master" Eric.

[Schrodinger]

Also, Eric is surprisingly attractive without his glasses on. I think this is the first time we've seen him as his age, before hes always looked older, but he really looks good with his glasses off and his hair down.

True dat.

And in a way it shows than under his look of a mature person (and business man) he's still young and has a lot to learn yet.

EDIT: ...when did Mike started wearring a pink ribbon?

Eric was as lax as one can get with Trace's draconian slavery laws in place, but it took being called out for monstrous behavior to really see how disturbing the whole practice is. This whole trip began on a lark and he's come out of it with his worldview challenged, his ship destroyed, and could possibly be facing harsh penalties if this transaction he had with Trace ever comes to light. Eric may have taken a financial hit, but he's come out of it a hell of a lot wiser for it.

Mike started wearing pink here.

[BadJoke]

Mike started wearing pink here.[/color]

Thanks. I had forgotten about that.

[GaySailors]

Mike started wearing pink here.[/color]

Thanks. I had forgotten about that.

He managed to make himself look even more girly, I think hes trying to beat how girly Keith looked before he got that suit of armor and stubble.

After the "slave revolt" incident, he got an eye opening. But lets remember: not much changed since then between them. Evals still wants freedom, I don't think hes inclined to go back with Eric. He wanted to head home, and I don't know if he can be convinced otherwise unless he gets mistaken for a wolf. Or gets a lot of money, either or.

[RowanEx]

Where did Mike get that scar under his eye?

The towel says "LT", what could it mean? Legacy, Trace?

And now this is actually surprising. It looks like a lot of things that happened is starting to reflect on everyone the good way; (I hereby predict that the next in line will be Trace and Flora. Or Team B.)

Is the Estate a checkpoint? It looks like we have entered a big calm.

[jacobc62]

The towel says "LT", what could it mean? Legacy, Trace?

It appears to actually say "TL", since it appears to read top-bottom

[Lordadmiral Drake]

Mike started wearing pink here.[/color]

Thanks. I had forgotten about that.

He managed to make himself look even more girly, I think hes trying to beat how girly Keith looked before he got that suit of armor and stubble.

After the "slave revolt" incident, he got an eye opening. But lets remember: not much changed since then between them. Evals still wants freedom, I don't think hes inclined to go back with Eric. He wanted to head home, and I don't know if he can be convinced otherwise unless he gets mistaken for a wolf. Or gets a lot of money, either or.

Mike has always looked quite feminine. If we didn't know better I'd have thought he's a woman

[Him]

Oh, I had forgotten there we other characters. Now that it has shifted from my favorite (best) couple I'll fade into obscurity for now unless I find anything hidden on a page or there is an argument I need to win.

Though I do find Eric's change refreshing.

[Shar]

what.... whats wrong with Eric's face? i look back and i cant even tell what it is but somthing about his face is off.... like, disturbingly so.... is it the eyes? the shape? i cant really see a difference but something is very wrong..... Is it possible that i am just so used to seeing him in a upbeat, angry or contemplative state that the presence of negative emotion comes off as wrong? because looking back... i don't think ive ever seen him with this emotion before....


Also, i have a feeling that mike is going to consider staying on now as a paid laborer. he has that "Gold fervor" look.


PS: I am actually sorta hoping that Kat takes this time to confront Eric about how she really feels. Its blatantly obvious that he didn't understand what she meant and took it as just wanting freedom. It just would be nice to see that issue brought to bare in a way that forces an understanding of what the issue actually is. After all Eric has commented that shes acting oddly ever since but seems to honestly have no idea why.