Comic for October 20, 2018: Artificial Paradise

[Panther]

I was sure about such sort of room ; so i've won

Fourth panel : you know what to say , Flora "Curiosity killed the cat" ^_^"

[CrRAR]

Ooo, Mike's kinda sympathizing with Evil Trace here. He'll be among the dark side before longgg.

Seriously though his observation is quite poignant. For both Trace's situation, considering the setting, an empty forgotten paradise ripe for enjoyment, yet squandered; and Mike's. Between this page and a couple ago Mike seems to have something he wants to get off his chest. It's obvious he's got some feelings stewing involving potential separation... and now feeling forlorn about being alone. Can we start a countdown before he professes that he and Evals should never be apart? Best buds 4 evr? Maybe a ill-planned personal-space shattering glomp? They found the spa, now they just have to manufacture the awkward.

Flora after all a magnet for bearing witness to "intimate" spa moments. The stage is set. xD

[Schrodinger]

phpBB [video]

Nice background storytelling there, very good.

[Panther]

phpBB [video]

Nice background storytelling there, very good.

Funny video ........ According the marks in the sand and the "wall" , seems that is exactly what happened to Flora XD

[tony1695]

Reminds me of the Truman Show, when he finally hits the edge of the dome with his boat.

[CrRAR]

Reminds me of the Truman Show, when he finally hits the edge of the dome with his boat.

"...in case I don't see ya; good afternoon, good evening, and good night."

[steelabjur]

Ooo, Mike's kinda sympathizing with Evil Trace here. He'll be among the dark side before longgg.

Seriously though his observation is quite poignant. For both Trace's situation, considering the setting, an empty forgotten paradise ripe for enjoyment, yet squandered; and Mike's. Between this page and a couple ago Mike seems to have something he wants to get off his chest. It's obvious he's got some feelings stewing involving potential separation... and now feeling forlorn about being alone. Can we start a countdown before he professes that he and Evals should never be apart? Best buds 4 evr? Maybe a ill-planned personal-space shattering glomp? They found the spa, now they just have to manufacture the awkward.

Flora after all a magnet for bearing witness to "intimate" spa moments. The stage is set. xD

I think you're misreading Mike. He was born a slave, even Maeve has more experience as a free person than he does. He was given money by Eric, but while he might know the number of coins, he doesn't know their value. He doesn't know where his next meal will come from after he leaves the estate, and it's not like he can go back to his people, he doesn't know them and doesn't know how to live in a tribe. He's probably melancholic, he needs more than simply given his freedom, he needs rehabilitation.

[Mionikoi]

Well then....

[Shockwave07]

Well at least they are all comfortable in the fur!

Trace probably wouldn't be that comfortable...

...I'm doing that a lot...

[BadFoMo]

Wait, I must've missed something. How does Mike know anything about Trace losing Saria?

Also, am I the only one that's reminded of that scene from Indiana Jones and the last Crusade where Junior Indy takes the blind leap of faith from the lion's mouth?

[IHeartMaeve]

Wait, I must've missed something. How does Mike know anything about Trace losing Saria?

Also, am I the only one that's reminded of that scene from Indiana Jones and the last Crusade where Junior Indy takes the blind leap of faith from the lion's mouth?

My guess is that he either heard the stories regarding Trace’s rise to power, or Trace wound up telling the gang a while after hearing his own story from Nora. (Personally, my money’s on hearing the story secondhand.)

[Rafe]

The whole story of Trace turning tyrant is referred to here, so he must have known at least some of the story. Plus, being in Trace's estate and seeing the pictures of Saria, I assume he either heard of more details or asked himself.

Mike's obviously done a lot of serious thinking about his situation, and it probably is something he's been doing for a long time. Having a master controlling his life meant he didn't have to make a lot of the decisions he would have to if he was free. An enslaved person dreams of what they would do if they were free, and one like Mike, who's obviously a realist about things, can see the downside. The one thing that seems to be hitting him the hardest right now is facing the fact that he's alone, or he will be very soon. He can instantly identify with Trace losing Saria. But he's saying nothing about his own feelings.

[Eclipse]

Methinks Mike might not be too happy about leaving Evals. I do wonder if he might have a thing for Evals after being turned female.

Also, I'm pretty sure we can guess how you know that Flora. I can see the paw prints leading up to a magical barrier.

[Hulk10]

That was a very astute observation Mike made and perhaps he is feeling lonely.

[CrRAR]

Ooo, Mike's kinda sympathizing with Evil Trace here. He'll be among the dark side before longgg.

Seriously though his observation is quite poignant. For both Trace's situation, considering the setting, an empty forgotten paradise ripe for enjoyment, yet squandered; and Mike's. Between this page and a couple ago Mike seems to have something he wants to get off his chest. It's obvious he's got some feelings stewing involving potential separation... and now feeling forlorn about being alone. Can we start a countdown before he professes that he and Evals should never be apart? Best buds 4 evr? Maybe a ill-planned personal-space shattering glomp? They found the spa, now they just have to manufacture the awkward.

Flora after all a magnet for bearing witness to "intimate" spa moments. The stage is set. xD

I think you're misreading Mike. He was born a slave, even Maeve has more experience as a free person than he does. He was given money by Eric, but while he might know the number of coins, he doesn't know their value. He doesn't know where his next meal will come from after he leaves the estate, and it's not like he can go back to his people, he doesn't know them and doesn't know how to live in a tribe. He's probably melancholic, he needs more than simply given his freedom, he needs rehabilitation.

Indeed. He needs confidence building at the very least. I suppose if I take a deeper read of what Mike's going through it's that he's overwhelmed with the bigness of being free... a refractory angst of not being ever prepared to NOT be a slave. A paradoxical buyers' remorse, despite such a giant world of choices now out there before him. He's entering a phase of his life farrr out of his comfort zone and it's scaring him that things can change from what he knew and where that is going to put him.

Now, what did he know? Life on a boat under a master - with Evals (both longtime friends). I'd say he has accumulated friends... but many of his run-ins with the regular group have been kinda negative. He and Evals have really just been bystanders to everything that's gone on. Now I wouldn't say he hates anyone because of all this, but on examining what he's uneasy about that the world being "too harsh a place", like Evals says... will only get you so far. being a slave under Eric ain't great and is no longer their arrangement. So he's just lost as to what to do. Scared to begin writing the story that is his life. He's concerned about labels, and what he is culturally... those concerns can be solved once he hears of Lyn'knoll being a possibility. His hopes of life in human towns and cities is kinda a bad choice considering the war being waged. Stuff's bad, not everywhere, but the relations are probably as crappy as they're gonna get attempting to live among humans. He'd probably have to go far away to some isolated place.

So why the reluctance? Why not just go live as peaceably as possible in some civil human town he would be sooo comfortable in? Answer: Evals. Evals wouldn't go. Evals has other ideas. To Mike, human town is best town, human town has best food, human town has best life. Evals will not be caught dead in a human town... so right there. This comic, "nobody to share it with". For as happy as Mike would be to live his dream of life in a human town, he could not picture it alone... without his friend. Mike would be willing perhaps if a compromise solution was presented... a free, less competitive society than Keidran life would provide where freedom to live and eat and consort would be great! (with Evals). Plus, adventures are always a fun thing. Good for building self-esteem he so sorely lacks. He will probably find he could do some things.

Who knows... he might even be a better fisherman than Sythe!!!

*cue attempted Mike nature-dwelling montage*

TL;DR
Mike's life 6/10
Mike's life with Evals 11/10


~A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are for.~

...Ironic, ain't it? Their ship just burned mercilessly... in a harbor, muhahaha