05-05-18 Other people not her

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Spidrift
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Re: 05-05-18 Other people not her

Post by Spidrift »

I now wonder if the ending we’re heading for is one where Zii and Gary bang once — maybe now, but more likely later — but then decide that, nah, wouldn’t work; in a different lifetime, sure, but in this one they’re both too tangled up in personal over-complicated stories, and a serious pairing would be an unsustainable mess. So the last strip is each of them walking away and giving a rueful little wave to the other, as two new stories wait for them.

Or would that be too like Cool Cat Studio?
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Continuity
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Re: 05-05-18 Other people not her

Post by Continuity »

At the beginning of this comic, Gary the Nebbish had not even shaken hands with a girl. As of right now, I'm finding it difficult to think of any recurring character that he hasn't gotten to AT LEAST first base with (proviso: that he has actually met), with the exception of the two wrestler girls (one of which actually gave him her phone number, so that door is still open?). He's had an oral orgy with a collection of porn stars. He's even a member of the Mile High Club.

Gary, all this you owe to Zii, due to her machinations, regardless of what her personal aim was. Time to make good on that debt. Light her fire.

sukebe senpai
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Re: 05-05-18 Other people not her

Post by sukebe senpai »

Time for Gary to ditch everyone in favor of the only one who was meant for him, the only one who has always made sense: Eulice.
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Spidrift
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Re: 05-05-18 Other people not her

Post by Spidrift »

Continuity wrote:
Sat May 05, 2018 7:03 pm
Gary, all this you owe to Zii, due to her machinations, regardless of what her personal aim was.
Frankly, Zii is a bit crap at machinating. I’m not sure that she gets much credit for that. What she did do was live in the same space as him, show him just by being herself in his presence that he could actually talk to women without exsanguinating, and generally wake him up by effervescing in his general vicinity.

So yes, he owes her for her friendship. Which, to be fair, he seems to understand, which is why he’s talking her through her current funk.
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"Brevior vita est quam pro futumentibus negotium agendo."
-- Motto of Hogshead Publishing of fond memory, and wise words to set your Foes List by.
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Ophelianime
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Re: 05-05-18 Other people not her

Post by Ophelianime »

First off, Yay Gary! I don't agree with everything he's saying, but I'm proud of him for excercising his logic muscle.
As for Zii, I think that this is the last of her bad karma boomeranging on her. Yes, she has already realized how her actions have hurt others recently, but now she's getting fully slammed with the pain of having the person you "love" wanting to have sex with someone else. Which as I recall, is exactly what she put Yuki, Sonya, and Eric through. As for exclusive vs open, it seems to me that she only wants open relationships with those she doesn't love. (Sonya and Yuki) But as I recall, she got jealous about Eric, and we've seen how devestated she was when Didi chose Gary over her. I think that she's actually more monogamous than she knows.
As for Didi's "happiness" I don't think it should come at the cost of her parner's happiness. As a couple others have pointed out, it's only been a few days since she's had an orgasm, that's hardly cause for alarm. I highly doubt that Zii's libido will be gone for long. Besides which, relationships arent' easy and take work. She can't go running off after the first issue they run into. A real couple would work it through. Plus, give her an inch, she'll take a mile. I'm pretty sure if she gets a pass to sleep with other people, she'll abuse it in typical oblivious Didi fashion.

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SailorDh
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Re: 05-05-18 Other people not her

Post by SailorDh »

Gary just bash her head open with a heavy object so the selfish twat gets put out of her misery already.
Continuity wrote:
Sat May 05, 2018 7:03 pm
At the beginning of this comic, Gary the Nebbish had not even shaken hands with a girl. As of right now, I'm finding it difficult to think of any recurring character that he hasn't gotten to AT LEAST first base with (proviso: that he has actually met), with the exception of the two wrestler girls (one of which actually gave him her phone number, so that door is still open?). He's had an oral orgy with a collection of porn stars. He's even a member of the Mile High Club.

Gary, all this you owe to Zii, due to her machinations, regardless of what her personal aim was. Time to make good on that debt. Light her fire.
He owes Zii nothing. "Wing Girl" didn't do shit for him, just herself. She even tried to freeload in the beginning.
Gary got HER a job.

Double post merged. The DAMNed

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brasca
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Re: 05-05-18 Other people not her

Post by brasca »

Spidrift wrote:
Sat May 05, 2018 11:41 am
So Gary's reversion to his old bad habits and worse posture was strictly temporary, at least for now; the writers have apparently decided that he's going to be 100% chill dude from now on, with just occasional normal human levels of occasional unhappiness. Fair enough. Comic in wrap-up phase. And yeah, this strip makes the mutual-pity-sex option look quite a bit less likely somehow, what with Gary being all adult and Zii's loss of libido being emphasised -- but sure, there's still everything to play for.
What's so wrong with Gary feeling sad about his situation? We all get emotional about things. What matters most is how quickly we snap out of it. Gary felt bad that he and Peggy are just friends with benefits and possibly not even that if she prefers Bianca's. Who among us could just shrug the end of good casual sex with an attractive level headed woman?

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Re: 05-05-18 Other people not her

Post by JoybuzzerX »

Spidrift wrote:
Sat May 05, 2018 12:36 pm
I'd strongly agree with that generally, but given Zii's previous fondness for maximum openness in relationships, including cheating on Yuki all over the place back in the day, Gary has a point when he says it's a bit much for her to object to DiDi working the same way now. Especially as she got into DiDi's pants by, frankly, offering her maximum screaming orgasms.

None of which makes DiDi a nice person.
She got into her pants offering the screaming orgasms, but being in a relationship means Didi shouldn't have ran off without finding out what Zii meant, and not just go "Zii wanted it before so she must want it now"

Just can't agree with Gary's logic. I can see someone saying it, it's just wrong. Zii needs to be happy in the relationship too. Loving someone doesn't mean, "Willing to share when they don't get what they want."

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Re: 05-05-18 Other people not her

Post by worldshaking00 »

Fereshte wrote:
Sat May 05, 2018 12:32 pm
If you don’t want your partner sleeping with other people, then you don’t want your partner sleeping with other people. Low libido is something they should work through together. If Didi loves her enough, then they’ll make it through. If she doesn’t (which she obviously doesn’t because she ran out of the room to go have sex in the middle of a heart to heart), then Zii should find out now and let it be done with. <snip> She’s self-centered to the nth degree.
Absolutely, I agree with you. Communication, understanding, and empathy should have been what Didi came to Zii with. Didi started off with a hint of communication, but with none of the other two. Didi's selectively hearing Lynn's conversation, combined with Lynn's manipulation of Didi's 'needs', is what started Didi to even open a dialogue with Zii. In fact, a reader could reasonably assume that the entire reason for Didi's discussion was for her own orgasm benefit. I hope that we get a few more panels of Gary & Zii simply discussing Didi's behavior, similar to how Zii walked Gary through Peggy & Gary's relationship.

Instead we are treated with logic - cold and mathematical and accurate. Gary makes sense, given the context and information that Zii & him know about Didi. What they need is for a third party who understands/has dealt with Didi - Kiley for instance - to speak up and give more context as to Didi's real obsession with getting off. Kiley might be the only one qualified to do so, as Matt will probably be out to Japan soon enough (and never really got her off anyhow).

Placing the shoe on the other foot (and keeping it in the context the characters know), would it hurt Zii to let Didi have her fun with some others? We don't know the exact reason for Zii's funk, other than being depressed/exhausted over losing two friends & her promising band. I'm not saying that those reasons aren't enough, but am just pointing it out. I'm not even talking about the shoe being on the other foot for Zii, in that Didi is being inconsiderate ala Zii/Sonya. I understand that Zii placed so much emphasis on Didi being her one and only ultimate love. Sacrifices being such, could Zii see it in her heart to let Didi find sex elsewhere... at least until Zii's libido returns? Devil's advocate only. I don't think Didi should have treated Zii that way, and I was hoping that Didi wouldn't have been so selfish. But what can ya do? :-??

As readers, we know Didi is a poor choice of a partner. Zii needs to see that in Didi, or Didi to see that in herself (a miniscule chance there... not even sure why I brought it up) before their relationship can be salvaged. Otherwise, we get to conjecture on if/when/how Gary & Zii finally get together.
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Jobe00
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Re: 05-05-18 Other people not her

Post by Jobe00 »

Spidrift wrote:
Sat May 05, 2018 6:31 pm
I now wonder if the ending we’re heading for is one where Zii and Gary bang once — maybe now, but more likely later — but then decide that, nah, wouldn’t work; in a different lifetime, sure, but in this one they’re both too tangled up in personal over-complicated stories, and a serious pairing would be an unsustainable mess. So the last strip is each of them walking away and giving a rueful little wave to the other, as two new stories wait for them.

Or would that be too like Cool Cat Studio?
That would be exactly like Cool Cat Studio.
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bridgetvoid
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Re: 05-05-18 Other people not her

Post by bridgetvoid »

this is such terrible advice, polyamory or open relationships should always be egalitarian not "i need to get laid, peace"

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Re: 05-05-18 Other people not her

Post by bridgetvoid »

JoybuzzerX wrote:
Sat May 05, 2018 11:21 pm
Spidrift wrote:
Sat May 05, 2018 12:36 pm
I'd strongly agree with that generally, but given Zii's previous fondness for maximum openness in relationships, including cheating on Yuki all over the place back in the day, Gary has a point when he says it's a bit much for her to object to DiDi working the same way now. Especially as she got into DiDi's pants by, frankly, offering her maximum screaming orgasms.

None of which makes DiDi a nice person.
She got into her pants offering the screaming orgasms, but being in a relationship means Didi shouldn't have ran off without finding out what Zii meant, and not just go "Zii wanted it before so she must want it now"

Just can't agree with Gary's logic. I can see someone saying it, it's just wrong. Zii needs to be happy in the relationship too. Loving someone doesn't mean, "Willing to share when they don't get what they want."
agreed 100%, especially based on what a mess Zii was over the idea of her girlfriend sleeping with someone else. One of the key foundations of open relationships is communication

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vampire hunter D
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Re: 05-05-18 Other people not her

Post by vampire hunter D »

bridgetvoid wrote:
Sun May 06, 2018 3:35 am
this is such terrible advice, polyamory or open relationships should always be egalitarian not "i need to get laid, peace"
Problem is Gary has no experience with it. Closest he has is his FWB relationship with Peggy. He's trying to help but doesnt know enough to know if his advice is worth anything.
Pointless arguing is one of the three pillars upon which the Internet is built. The other two are of course cat pictures and porn.

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Mordhaus
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Re: 05-05-18 Other people not her

Post by Mordhaus »

Gary, for the most part, has grown up into a functioning adult. Like all adults, he will have doubts, make mistakes, and assume things that he shouldn't. He will be 'normal'.

Zii is taking a surprise Karma gang bang. ALL of her chickens are coming, or are in the process of, home to roost. Since the comic is heading towards the endgame, I could easily see this cosmic backlash finally slapping some adult-ness into her as well. Sometimes the lessons that stick with you the most are the ones that cut the deepest.

So, assuming (and we all know where that gets us) this gives us two mostly normal people finally, it could be that the ship of Gary+Zii is going to set sail. Maybe even to the point of spawning little ships...
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Spidrift
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Re: 05-05-18 Other people not her

Post by Spidrift »

Continuity wrote:
Sat May 05, 2018 7:03 pm
At the beginning of this comic, Gary the Nebbish had not even shaken hands with a girl. As of right now, I'm finding it difficult to think of any recurring character that he hasn't gotten to AT LEAST first base with (proviso: that he has actually met), with the exception of the two wrestler girls (one of which actually gave him her phone number, so that door is still open?).
By the way - you seem to have forgotten that he did actually have a passionate kiss from Maura. It's just that he suffered concussion a fraction of a second later. But she subsequently probably gave up on him when he lost her that bet with Tess.
Ophelianime wrote:
Sat May 05, 2018 9:38 pm
As for Didi's "happiness" I don't think it should come at the cost of her parner's happiness.
Well of course it shouldn't. But she's DiDi, so she doesn't really care if it does. The only useful question is how her partner handles it.
brasca wrote:
Sat May 05, 2018 10:58 pm
What's so wrong with Gary feeling sad about his situation?
Absolutely nothing. You're agreeing with everything I've said.
JoybuzzerX wrote:
Sat May 05, 2018 11:21 pm
Just can't agree with Gary's logic. I can see someone saying it, it's just wrong. Zii needs to be happy in the relationship too. Loving someone doesn't mean, "Willing to share when they don't get what they want."
Sure, that's honestly the correct adult way to look at this. But Gary is legitimately pointing out that that's the exact opposite of pretty much Zii's entire approach to life and love until recently. There's some major ethical whiplash there. Zii is more than welcome to tell Gary he's wrong, but if she does so, she has to admit that she's been getting things wrong for years.

(If this comic did deep back stories, now would be a good time for Zii to tell the tale of the teenage heartbreak that made her what she is. My headcanon is very clear on this. But that's not Ma3's style, and anyhow, no time.)
worldshaking00 wrote:
Sat May 05, 2018 11:48 pm
I hope that we get a few more panels of Gary & Zii simply discussing Didi's behavior, similar to how Zii walked Gary through Peggy & Gary's relationship.
It would be kind of blackly hilarious if Zii and Gary (or pretty much any other two characters) sat down and talked through DiDi's past behaviour, ending up with that reader-level view of DiDi that no one in the comic has.

"My God! We're sharing this apartment with a monster!"

Not gonna happen, though.
worldshaking00 wrote:
Sat May 05, 2018 11:48 pm
What they need is for a third party who understands/has dealt with Didi - Kiley for instance - to speak up and give more context as to Didi's real obsession with getting off. Kiley might be the only one qualified to do so, as Matt will probably be out to Japan soon enough (and never really got her off anyhow).
Kiley could help, because Kiley has shown that she can always help. But Zii would have to get past the fact that, from her point of view, Kiley is a malevolent force of Zii-breaking terror.
worldshaking00 wrote:
Sat May 05, 2018 11:48 pm
We don't know the exact reason for Zii's funk, other than being depressed/exhausted over losing two friends & her promising band. I'm not saying that those reasons aren't enough, but am just pointing it out.
Wuh? That reason is exact and fully accurate enough by any standards. No further explanation is even faintly needed. Zii likes sex, and uses it as a way of keeping score, and DiDi was the pinnacle of accomplishment for her, but she was letting herself down by treating that as the most important challenge in her life. Her other ambition -- creating a good band and achieving success as a musician -- is far more significant, because it's difficult for her.

Zii is sexy and energetic and charismatic, and so can get decent sex quite easily. DiDi made it unusually hard, but is basically a vacuous bubble-brain who was more or less certain to drop her knickers for Zii eventually, if the comic went on long enough. By pursuing the trivial and unsatisfying goal at the expense of the tricky, satisfying one, Zii crashed her life. And now she knows it. That'd be a passion-killer for anyone.
Jobe00 wrote:
Sun May 06, 2018 2:07 am
That would be exactly like Cool Cat Studio.
Sure, but that doesn't mean it won't happen. Some writers sometimes repeat themselves.
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-- Motto of Hogshead Publishing of fond memory, and wise words to set your Foes List by.
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