19-11-10 change of plans

[BlairFan]

Layla is going to use Ace to get back at Kade and Melissa. Ironically, Kade wasn't thinking of Melissa, he wanted to go to the dance with Ace.

[MuchachoNL]

Since Momma Vamp is still in the room, why in the world would Ace get to stay?

He was, and still thinks he's supposed to be, a boy. I always thought parents were generally against allowing boys into the girls' all-nighters...

I think Momma don't know nothing about no boy.
She sees a girl, it is a girl.

[BlairFan]

It seemed to me that Mrs. Delacroix wants to make Ace feel comfortable being a girl. That makes sense, as who knows how long she will be so?

[Panchocheesecake]

I can't watch this! Layla, get Ace back to male form!

[Geeno]

If you people really suffer along with Ace, you're going to be suffering a lot. Ace will never have things go well for him - it's the nature of the character. He or she may achieve moments of grim satisfaction, but any kind of lasting happiness? Not in the cards.
And if Dave and Giz decide to rescue him/her from this horrible fate, it just gets transferred to another character. Suffering is pretty much Ace's raison d'etre. She's the "butt-monkey" as many here call her. And if you're worried that Ace will have a nervous breakdown or something, don't. Neither Ace nor any other character in this strip thinks a thought or feels a feeling that wasn't put there by the writers.
Ace is funny, because we've all had things go against us; we've all been humiliated through no fault of our own, and Ace takes that to the Nth degree - so far over the top, you have to laugh at it. I think the fact that we all see it coming, but Ace never does, just makes it funnier.
Relax people. If Ace suddenly commits suicide from the pain of it all, I'll be way more worried about Dave and Giz and what prompted them to write such a thing than I will be about Ace.

It's mildly entertaining to theorize what the characters are thinking/feeling at any particular moment, but to get all sad for poor puppy is a bit much. At the end of the day, Ace is a plot contrivance for our amusement - nothing more,
<infinite loop>It's a web comic</infinite loop>

[dragondeathlord]

I wonder if Layla's Party might get Ace to want to stay a Grace?

[MonCappy]

Fun times, fun times. Layla is my kind of woman.

You like sadists who enjoy making others suffer? The only person she has ever shown any degree of positive or protective feelings for is Nina. The further this arc goes the greater my antipathy for Layla becomes. She may be very well put together physically, but she is a horrible person who cares little for others. I truly hope she reaps what she sows and receives the suffering she has inflicted upon others a trillion-fold.

[crownsy]

yea, but that's most 16 year old girls who are hot and probably even more so for a vampire. look at their ancestor, she brutally murders people out of hand (or at least her cat does on her orders)

you think she was a peach at 16?

I know there are incredibly attractive, popular high school girls who don't flaunt their sexual power over both sexes and act like a bitch to those not in thier "clique" (which is essentially what the "mean girl" stereotype is based on.) but i'd say she's a fair representation of what a extremely attractive popular girl acts like at that age.

not all those girls grow up to be completely nonredeemable people, most of them mellow out and figure out the world doesn't revolve around them post HS.

Of course, in Layla's case, she's most likely going to be a vampire nobel, based on the hints we've seen, so she may never have to reassess her world view

Quote removed. The DAMNed

[Geeno]

You like sadists who enjoy making others suffer? The only person she has ever shown any degree of positive or protective feelings for is Nina. The further this arc goes the greater my antipathy for Layla becomes. She may be very well put together physically, but she is a horrible person who cares little for others. I truly hope she reaps what she sows and receives the suffering she has inflicted upon others a trillion-fold.

She is cartoon character!!! She is designed to represent an archetype - the Mean Popular Girl. Ace is another archetype - the Loser, Nina another still - the Naif. None of the these characters are pure archetype as that wouldn't be interesting, but they are all twists on the archetype. That's how story telling goes. Watch a movie sometime, if you doubt me.

Lordy people - Ace is NOT suffering. He only exists as we grant him existence.

[BobDole]

Can we stop with the "it's not real!" thing? I'm willing to bet no one here has claimed them to be so and that no one thinks they are.

Seriously, it's not an argument, it's not a point of logic that stops the debate, it's something meant to try and invalidate everything someone you don't agree with is saying.

If you disagree, rather than trying to negate what the other side is saying - simply offer up your own opinions and let them have their's. Is it really so hard to let other people disagree with you?

[Geeno]

I'm not arguing "IT'S NOT REAL!" - but honestly, some of the people around here get so butt-hurt about Ace. It's like getting butt-hurt over Charlie Chaplin's little tramp character. He exists to be pathetic.
He is not in any way shape or form a realistic character. S/he exists to be the butt of jokes, especially running gags. Yeah, being that person would be horrifying, possibly suicide inducing - think about some of the horrifying situations depicted in silent comedy (a personal field of amateur study). Ace is their descendant.
We are talking about a literary art form after all, not real life.

[pbfhdude]

BobDole is right. People know that the characters are not real.

But people identify with characters and thats why stories like this are so enjoyable, if people feel bad for Ace or dislike Layla, well thats how they've identified, you pointing out they're not real is unlikely to change that.

[Geeno]

Did you comment before my last comment posted?

I don't mind people identifying with characters, but expecting that they will be more than their narrative function is the stuff of fan-fic not actual fiction.
Stop trying to alter the writers' narrative decisions with whining. Ace serves a narrative function, if not him, someone else has to serve it. You want to put that up for a weekly vote?

Let the writers write.

[theodoric476]

You like sadists who enjoy making others suffer? The only person she has ever shown any degree of positive or protective feelings for is Nina. The further this arc goes the greater my antipathy for Layla becomes. She may be very well put together physically, but she is a horrible person who cares little for others. I truly hope she reaps what she sows and receives the suffering she has inflicted upon others a trillion-fold.

She has some good points. She will go out of her way to protect her little sister. She has shown that trait a number of times. If anything Layla is too over protective. As to Nina the person I would be pissed off at is Nina. Nina has humiliated him numerous times. My train of thought might go like this, "If that little girl stopped embarrassing me and leave me alone I might get some friends and her sister might leave me alone."

[pbfhdude]

Did you comment before my last comment posted?

I don't mind people identifying with characters, but expecting that they will be more than their narrative function is the stuff of fan-fic not actual fiction.
Stop trying to alter the writers' narrative decisions with whining. Ace serves a narrative function, if not him, someone else has to serve it. You want to put that up for a weekly vote?

Let the writers write.

People aren't telling the writers what to do. They're just expressing opinions, which last time i checked was a basic human right.