12-01-17 You playing girlfriend

[Giz]

New strip! http://www.ma3comic.com/strips-ma3/you_ ... girlfriend

Sorry for the delays. Had to finish up a job and it took a little longer than expected. In order not to miss too many updates, will try to update on Saturday and then possibly Sunday or Monday.

[Cortez]

I wonder what the fallout from this will be, especially if they tell this to Lynn.

['J']

ok, forget head on a pike, the APA is going to grind kiley into a fine powder and scatter her body to the four winds

[brasca]

Unless this strip goes in a dark direction I find that highly unlikely.

Fortunately, for Kiley these 2 are interested in getting information about DiDi and could care less about any ethical problems. Moreover, Kiley wants Didi to find someone else and Maura and Tess would probably be rewarded handsomely if they hook DiDi up with Lynn.

[Cortez]

By dark place, do you mean Kiley getting into legal trouble?

[Spidrift]

For one of the most intelligent characters in the comic, Kiley really is very dumb, isn't she?

(This would of course be why tabletop RPGs with disadvantage systems let smart, strong-willed characters take uncontrollable mental disads.)

ok, forget head on a pike, the APA is going to grind kiley into a fine powder and scatter her body to the four winds

However, with any luck, the comic would then get a sequel in which somebody somehow finds the dust and spills blood or more likely some other bodily fluid on it, and Kiley returns at full strength.

[worldshaking00]

If Kiley feels guilty, or feels threatened by her awkward therapy methods being made public (accidentally or on purpose), we have an out for Kiley/Didi now. Which could lead to Didi rebounding to someone else in the strip and bringing more legitimacy to the wrestling arc.

Kiley: doesn't your 'therapy' sound bad when under scrutiny?

[brasca]

By dark place, do you mean Kiley getting into legal trouble?

Yes. Kiley's dream is to become a therapist and if this got out that would never happen. Now if Kiley was a terrible person using therapy to manipulate them into sex that would be different since it would be a villain getting their comeuppance, but she's not. Kiley means well and you cannot deny that she's helped people, but in doing she she's dug herself into an ethical hole and she knows it.

[Spidrift]

However, therapeutic ethics have barely been mentioned in this comic. (In maybe one strip, so far as I can remember offhand.) They're clearly just not a real thing in this context. We've made our share of jokes about the subject, but I think that we really ought to forget it now. It takes discussion of the comic miles away from what can or will actually happen in the comic.

(And remarks about the APA dismembering Kiley or whatever are obviously jokey hyperbole. Of course we're not going to see the comic going "dark" and featuring visible blood and guts. Let's not be silly.)

[brasca]

Yes I know it's hyperbole, but I'm referring again to Kiley being barred from practicing therapy. That would be like Gary or Zii being professionally ostracized from the art and music industry respectively.

Fortunately, this is a situation she really wants to get out of and we have Maura and Tess who will only be to happy to assist if they can figure out they have mutual interests and how to make Didi fall for Lynn... or Roxie because nothing ever goes according to plan.

[Fereshte]

Technically, sex therapy is a real thing. Kiley just doesn't realize she's a sex therapist and keeps presenting herself as a regular, vanilla grade therapist who has sex with her clients. Which is a no go for regular, vanilla grade therapy. All she has to do is cross over to sex therapy and she's in the clear. Go for it, Kiely! You have a knack for it.

[Spidrift]

That would be like Gary or Zii being professionally ostracized from the art and music industry respectively.

In a boringly pointlessly realistic world, Kiley has behaved in an appallingly inappropriate and unethical way for a therapist. Gary and Zii, on the other hand, are seeking places in the world of the arts, and have shagged anything with a pulse, got blind drunk in unwise circumstances, displayed bitter jealousy of their friends, and ignored serious issues that don't impinge directly on their art. In the bohemian arts world, all that is not only notoriously commonplace, it's practically mandatory...

[KittyHat]

I'm just amazed to finally see a character asking probing questions. Normally, no one explains anything, and no one asks anything, so no one knows anything about what's really going on.

What is this madness with actively seeking understanding of the situation??

[RemoWilliams]

"Any male colleagues who offer therapy like this?'

"Gary? You have a phone call. Kiley on line two."

Remo Williams,

The Master of Sinanju.

[lordoffiling]

In a boringly pointlessly realistic world, Kiley has behaved in an appallingly inappropriate and unethical way for a therapist. Gary and Zii, on the other hand, are seeking places in the world of the arts, and have shagged anything with a pulse, got blind drunk in unwise circumstances, displayed bitter jealousy of their friends, and ignored serious issues that don't impinge directly on their art. In the bohemian arts world, all that is not only notoriously commonplace, it's practically mandatory...

Much as it pains me, I gotta back Spidrift on this one. In any realistic world, these characters would never get away with like 99% of the shit they do without serious consequences stepping in and ruining it.

But this story doesn't take place in a realistic world, and for that we should be very, very grateful.