Writing Rulette is interesting because she is extremely smart, but she doesn’t have the same foundation in language that Thomas does. So she might say something that means the same thing as something he would say, but use different words. That’s true for all of the characters to one degree or another but Rulette, and Thomas have a very similar foundation as far as their inner workings go. They are creative in the moment in ways that most of the rest of the cast aren’t. For example, they are both extremely good liars in unexpected situations. They come to that skill from having a parent whose love and acceptance were conditional, among other things. That similarity hasn’t really come up very often because they are both adults now and not subject to the whims of authority figures as much, but knowing this about them informs how I write them. In this scene she is pushing her sincere feelings pretty hard and Thomas tends to be very one sided when it comes to sincerity. He can be that way to others while not accepting it from them. Rulette calls it out very plainly, and in a way that passively tells him “I know what you’re doing.” Perhaps instinctually she knows that persistence is something Thomas needs in order for words to reach him. Especially words of praise. Nina has shown some understanding of this, and Carol is beginning to understand how much effort it takes to make him believe positive things about himself. Patty has an internal understanding because she has largely gotten past that kind of thinking, but still recognizes it. It’s not like these thoughts are going through her head as she converses either. I’ve tried to show that she’s actually pretty good at getting a read on people in the moment and adjusting to communicate with them efficiently. She is playful with Mike more than Edward. She’s calm around Evrina. With Brooksie she’s supportive. She can read people very well. At the same time she’s not perfect and even now hasn’t picked up on certain aspects of Thomas that might seem obvious to someone else. In any case it’s sort of like writing a version of Thomas that evolved in a different way opposite of the one that is the foundational character of the comic. Getting to do stuff like that is one of the things that keeps me coming back year upon year without losing interest in things.

Anyway, I had better get to other tasks rather than writing a huge essay. Things look like they won’t be calming down and time will remain at a premium. I took an unexpected trip yesterday and it would probably be wise to expect the unexpected for the foreseeable future. If you find value in my work I politely but urgently suggest possibly supporting it via the various links I have provided. On Monday I will return with more of whatever it is I’m doing here. Until then, have a nice weekend and taste the difference.

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Time for Thomas to propose a throuple!

(Carol would murder them both before he finished his sentence)

No she wouldn’t.

Lemme find the link…

/comics1/2325-influencer

She’s stated on multiple occasions and in no uncertain terms that Thomas is HERS. A one-off, no-strings playdate like what Jess invited him to is one thing, but Patty would mean feelings, and I suspect she’d perceive a threat.
Besides, those two are friends now. Pat may have a rocky history with breaking friendships, but I don’t think she’d flirt quite so willfully with Tommy-boy if she’d cottoned on yet that he and Red are an item. Their window of opportunity seems to have come and gone in the decade we didn’t see – but Patricia has other prospects now. She reconnected with Thomas after coming into the store to find Mike, after all, and despite his recent flirting with Vicky I see that going places, with Thomas’ encouragement, while John and perhaps Bridgette take Victoria up on her invitation to dance.

As much as I like the idea of Jo and Nina getting their fantasy of a magical castwide lovefest, a lot of the people involved have too many hangups to be remotely comfortable with it.

That link has nothing to do with the topic at hand. And as said, Carol is still, to a degree, conservative and Christian. She would have no interest in such a thing. And frankly, those are rarely successful, if what people want is a deep, intimate, lifelong sort of arrangement–it’s hard enough to adjust and fit with one person like that, to say nothing of several!

Reading your little essays below the comic is usually incredibly enlightening. It makes me realize that part of what makes me love this world so much is that you put so much thought into it and have a brilliant understanding of people and psychology. In another world I think you would have made a wonderful therapist. (I say this as someone in training to be a therapist.)

I feel so lucky that you took the path which led to you creating this comic, week after week creating a world for us to enjoy.

Thank you

It makes me think of Tolkien (which is about the highest compliment I can pay to a fiction writer). It’s sort of like if you had a version of Lord of the Rings where, after each chapter, someone inserted relevant backstory and lore from the appendices and the Silmarillion, to really emphasize how rich the world is, how much more Tolkien had thought up and written down that wasn’t expressly stated in the text of the actual story.

“…one of the things that keeps me coming back year upon year without losing interest in things.”
This. Us too. Thank you.

The comment about a parent who’s love was conditional makes me suddenly aware I don’t think we’ve ever heard anything about Thomas’s father. We’ve seen his mother a handful of times, though we haven’t seen much of her besides the initial impressions – which seems kind (she remembered Carol’s green eyes and mentioned her coming to Thanksgiving and then Thomas didn’t have a negative reaction or anything when Carol said it was his mother that called and that she spoke to her on the phone) So I’m guessing the parent this references is him, rather than her? Though it could easily go either way.

A great shot of Rulette in the bottom panel.

I always like reading the blurbs you write at teh bottom of each comic whether it’s what you’re up to, the comic strip/thoughts on the characters, or the Teen (i don’t think they are still a teen at this point right?) just nice to see that you’re doing well and the insights you bring to this world keeps things going and sticking. Plus w get more story within the story so that’s always good. Hope you’re doing well.

Thomas here is reminding me of myself–he was hurt, felt betrayed, and yet, at the back of his mind, there was always the question of whether HE should have done more anyway. It’s one of those things where, on the one hand, you want to immediately say it’s a good thing to be so kind, yet you have to realize how easy it is to be taken advantage of if that’s always how you operate. You need to consciously set boundaries, even if it makes you feel “mean” to do so. She probably could have used a friend, and maybe he could have been that, or maybe it would have just been an unfair burden on him, who was already hurting, and a lost growth opportunity for her. No one can ever know, but guys like myself, Thomas, and presumably Jackie, we always wonder about it.

TL;DR Very relateable, good read.

Sometimes somethings people say just totally fly by me.
When he said, ” I dunno, I can think of a couple of reasons.”, what did he mean? Does he mean that-

back then…he had her back, because- she was an older, platonic, teen friend…or [that he thought she was cute + friendly + he was thinking about dating her], or something else?
I’m not trying to “besmirch” what he said, I just don’t understand what he said.

He has pretty much admitted to looking at her boobs at least once before (comic 3024, third panel), so I’m pretty sure he’s referring to them here, too. They are quite impressive it appears. Roulette keeps saying that everyone would stare at them.

I see.
Thanks! :D

“In any case it’s sort of like writing a version of Thomas that evolved in a different way opposite of the one that is the foundational character of the comic.”

I think this hits at something that pulls me into a story; when characters thought processes or inner monologues can look more like a Venn diagram instead of independent silos of thought; feels more natural, and better sets up the chance of conflict or confusion since characters can see the same thing, feel the same way, but come to different conclusions based on where they place priorities in what they’ve picked up. Seems like in this case they’ve worked around that so far which is nice to see as well.

3035 He Could’ve Had Her Front As Well.

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