December 30, 2015
Note: this is page 2~ Just as an experiment I decided to do these pages in a batch vs one at a time. I think… I prefer one at a time…
Next 3 pages will be up late tomorrow to close out the year, see you then.
*edit* Just to clarify, “Linear” means Linear Algebra
27 Comments
I’m not entirely sure if I’m supposed to know what the terms he’s using mean? Though I can certainly glean from context. Just checking.
“Moving the goalposts” is a phrase (American, I guess) that means unfairly changing the goals in the middle of the “game,” or whatever. For example, your boss telling you you have to sell 10 apples to make your quota for the day, then once you’ve sold 10 he tells you the goal is actually to sell 20. The rest should be understandable in context tomorrow~
Oh, thank you
It’s not specifically American. We Brits use it too – the context is football, i.e. soccer, especially informal versions where the goals are marked with objects that tend to move around, such as jumpers. Obviously, moving the jumpers to make your own goal narrower is unfair.
“I thought I was washing dishes, turns out I was cutting onions”
More seriously, tho.
I suppose being “moved out of linear” will be explained tommorow, but hmm. “you people”, there’s his mom, but there is someone else too. Several other people ? I wonder if there’s something particular there.
(I meant a group of scientists or something. Get your head out the gutter)
Haha, sorry I didn’t realize it’d be that confusing, “linear” is short for linear algebra. It’s like the first thing on the next page but maybe I’ll put a note in the comments for today.
Aaah ok.
Thanks ! English’s my 3rd language so I have bits of missing vocabulary/reflexes sometimes ^^;
I’m guessing it has something to do with his mental health, since he’s taking medication on the first page.
I’d make a joke about Mike being a typical monosyllabic teenager… but geez this is too depressing… Both Mike’s life and his general dickishness to the people who care for him.
Without trying to imply anything at all in the specific context of this comic, I’d just like to note that it’s perfectly possible to care for someone flawlessly in a strict technical sense and behave in utterly despicable, disgraceful ways towards him/her at the same time (even while being perfectly convinced you are doing nothing wrong at all, apparently!) – so being a total dick towards such a person might just mean you’re a dick in general or it might be the perfectly appropriate and justified response. And I’m not talking in theoretical terms here, believe me.
“You people” + “Mrs. Sorenson” = foster parents? Or Mom has remarried and Mike feels betrayed (pretty common).
Not foster parents for sure, this is still Jes. Still divorced with Mike’s father. Toby, who just came in, said “Mrs. Sorenson”, not Mike.
Teenaged Mike! I wasn’t sure on the first page. I feel like something happened with Mike for his mom to not want him to “Get worked up”. I’m excited to read more. I wonder too why Mike is wearing his hood inside.
Teenage angst Mike is going to go to his room now and listen to Suicidal Tendencies “Institutionalized”.
Mrs. Sorenson, even though Mike’s last name is Fisher. I’m guessing their parents are divorced at this point, then?
Hmmm, still “Missus” rather than “Miss” though. remarried?
She looks very different from his Mum’s first appearance though: http://www.marecomic.com/comic/int1-page-2/
Certainly some years have passed and she may be more worn, stopped bleaching her hair, etc. Also, he hasn’t called her “mum” or any such thing yet… just “you people” so it could event be a foster home or an aunt he’s been given custody to.
Toby… Just a friend or something more like a half brother to his father which would make his mom upset with his presence.
I don’t agree that she looks different. She looks exactly the same plus age. Look at the silhouette closely — here and on the third frame of the old page. That’s definitely her.
Aw… :-(
Wow, Shing, this is one heck of a story you’re telling, and a heck of a way to tell it. First we had the flashback showing that Mike was abused as a child, and now we’re seeing more family strife? This is turning out to be pretty heart-wrenching.
Haha, thanks, I guess… it’s not just for the sake of drama; I have a point to make (though in a very roundabout way).
Ouch, ‘you people’ speaks volumes… He may have some justifications for his behavior (past trauma, mental health etc), but he also knows how to hit his mom where it hurts.
Mike is wearing his hood inside because he is a teenager…
I assume this is more “Mike’s broken home” drama, I don’t follow the reference to algebra
I’d guess he’s being put in a more advanced class instead.
I didn’t understand the pulling out of a class stuff, so I’m waiting for next pages, hoping they will clear things up.
now i want to hug her even more :C
I see from the comments that it confused people, but I appreciate him using “linear” to refer to his linear algebra class because that’s exactly how a geek would say it.