2716 Wiggle Worm.

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Since the store is doing better I feel like that would have taken some of the pressure off of Carol that she never really expressed early on in the comic. At least that’s why I’m writing her as loosening up and allowing herself to be playful in the actual store to a degree she never really allowed herself to be before. She feels safe now in a way she didn’t before since she has a good working relationship with Mike and isn’t hiding her feelings from Thomas anymore. Also, I think Mike has a crush on all of the girls in the store to one degree or another and restrains himself from doing anything about that because he understands the power imbalance and strife that sort of thing would cause. I think there must be alternate universes where Mike could form a relationship with any of the girls in the store because he’s a very good man. The fact that he doesn’t act on his impulses speaks to that. He’s shown on more than one occasion that he will bend the rules for the girls because of their physical beauty though. I mean, nobody’s perfect.
If Mike was the protagonist I think he would have the strongest feelings for Carol. Much like Thomas I think he’s attracted to her because she has qualities that are weak in his character. Obviously she’s pretty, but the deeper connection would be those things, very similarly to Thomas. Mike and Thomas have similar personalities in that they share certain weaknesses that Carol could compensate for in a relationship. Mike isn’t a tactician the way Thomas is though. He’s just a good natured regular guy who does his best. I think those kinds of guys should win too though.
I think a pairing between Mike and Nina would work, but not the same way that it would with Thomas and Nina. Mike and Nina don’t have whatever spark of chemistry that Thomas and Nina have. Many people have told me that Nina is the girl Thomas should be with and that’s how the comic should ultimately end. I have to say their arguments have merit. They would have a very different kind of life but it wouldn’t be bad. Much like Nina said, if Carol hadn’t come along they probably would eventually let their friendship become a romance. It would be neat to write that story, but I don’t think I’ll ever have the time. As far as Mike goes he and Nina do have common interests and a place to start from, but I don’t think the spark would ever catch fire for her. You never know though, Mike has a bit of a heroic streak in him and Nina does like a main character.
I think of all the pairings in the actual universe Mike and Brooksie is the one that has the most actual chance of happening. If they spent a lot of time together she would be very drawn to his calming, strong, presence. He also enjoys popular culture, gaming, and the other things Jo thinks are fun. He would help her make movies in many ways since he has a background in practical things. Plus a big, encompassing, hug when she feels anxious would be very enticing to Jo.
Amusingly Jess and Mike would be a good pairing too because Mike would instantly be down for any and all of her schemes. You can see in the RPG arc that he finds her character extremely amusing and that would carry over into real life. He would be her henchman with benefits. Of course that kind of leaves the door open for him to be the third wheel in Jess and Jo’s Bi-cycle… I’m not sure I could convincingly write that outcome into the comic in a way that didn’t end in disaster though.
If nothing else all of this stuff is fun to think abut and gives me a foundation for writing the motivations of the characters convincingly.
The storm tonight threw off my creation process so this page went up much later than normal. For that I apologize. I tried to use the extra time provided to at least make it more dynamic. I hope that at least is appreciated.

I hope you have a safe weekend and return to me on Monday for more comic. Until then, remember to exist in the context.