Bittersweet Candy Bowl

130. Victim Complex, page posted 8/10/26

Page 23 of 26 (3 pages still to come!)

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Author commentary

Veronica: You wanted his attention, right???? Well there it is lol!!!!!!

Comments from Patreon

Comment ID #207603

genuinely none of his business

i am a bug

Comment ID #207604

idk dude, it KINDA IS at this point, especially after Line in the sand…well, Eternal Flame in general.

SprinKah

Comment ID #207605

i just feel like other than stopping lucy from taking her own life, whenever he sticks his nose in shit he either escalates or makes everything worse. i just dont see him stepping in here doing any good for lucy.

i am a bug

Comment ID #207606

BUSTED

OneTrickDanny

Comment ID #207607

Candice: Mom! Phineas and Ferb were hanging out with Mike!

SCD

Comment ID #207608

Oh no, the consequences of your actions. You might as well tell the truth Lucy….about everything.

Brittany

Comment ID #207609

LMFAOOO OH NOOOOOO HAHAAH

esinololly

Comment ID #207610

Uh oh!

Joselyn Rivera

Comment ID #207611

Shake it off for class, immediately recatch it with Augy

Fiver

Comment ID #207612

Am I being stupid. How are we supposed to interpret that little laugh? The expression she makes after looks more “satisfied” than “relieved”, am I just reading too much into her smile-scowl here

Pel

Comment ID #207613

I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt and say that was a “put my everything-is-fine mask back on” smile but i agree it does look a bit odd

Kiall Vun Myeret

Comment ID #207614

This is one hell of an interpretation ngl

Jerma

Comment ID #207615

To me, it feels more like once the school bell snapped her back to reality, she was able to take a mental step back and find a bit of humor in her own actions. Like a “I can’t believe I just did that.” Kind of chuckle.

Alec

Comment ID #207616

as much of a mess as what just happened was, it was stabilising. the panic attack’s gone, and with lunch over she can probably spend the rest of the day minimally interacting with others.

it’s not good, this is frankly a pretty awful way to cope, but it’s not malicious or anything

SomeColourMage

Comment ID #207617

Just be honest Lucy. That is all you can really do right now. Cause lying is only gonna make things a hell of a lot worse for everyone.

Relathain

Comment ID #207618

Ooffff

ABCDBUTLUR

Comment ID #207619

Was expecting this, but it doesn’t make it feel any less bad.

Sometimes a Badger

Comment ID #207620

Lucy’s ankle monitor went off, Augustus was compelled by court order to investigate… damn Lucy the judge ain’t gonna like this…

Metal Raven

Comment ID #207621

VEBSHVSENSHE SKSIEB WKSVE SHSVRMDE AUGS…..

Zambies

Comment ID #207622

Lol. Lmao, even

Washington BC

Comment ID #207623

I wonder if, under pressure, she’ll try to make Mike out to be the bad guy again?

“Augustus! I’m so glad you’re here! Mike used his wall-penetrating mind powers to force me outside to see him while I was at my most vulnerable!”

“…that son of a bastard”

M0use

Comment ID #207624

Oops 😬

Becca

Comment ID #207625

Uh oh, its the other consequences

tooie

Comment ID #207626

Oh wow….girl that’s crazy

ANYWAYS guys I’m having a GIRL. *Confetti*

justin ODell

Comment ID #207627

Congratulations!!

Krymz0nstreams

Comment ID #207628

Think I’m actually very excited I’m totally not thinking about the possible impending doom of my child going to high school and having this happen

justin ODell

Comment ID #207629

Oh great is Final Fantasy Cat going to go after Mike again?

Steven Pope

Comment ID #207630

Lucy done f’d up man

Lykky

Comment ID #207631

For one, shame on Lucy for whatever that was, for two, you ain’t got no reason to be askin them questions Augustus…

Dregobob

Comment ID #207632

well clearly she just came back from the outside. because despite everything she’s capable of walking

SomeColourMage

Comment ID #207633

People should give Lucy and Augustus more credit. Lucy has been accountable when she realizes she’s in the wrong. She literally said “this is because of me.” If she is forced to confront things with Augustus, she’ll probably own up to her actions.

Augustus has literally been on the receiving end of Lucy throwing herself at someone in exchange for comfort. He’s consistently been someone that understands situations are nuanced. He’s not going to immediately demonize Mike. He seems like he’s getting frustrated at Lucy for backsliding.

Cynnat

Comment ID #207634

Mike literally was minding his own when Augustus came in and wrecked everything.

I don’t have faith in Augustus not demonizing Mike but it’d be nice if he surprised me.

Lucy however will try not to involve Mike for sure.

Crossbreeze

Comment ID #207635

I feel people would be more willing to give Lucy credit if her accountability lasted a bit longer

She realised she was wrong in how she treated Mike before and still was quick to guildtrip him over what was essentially standing up to her abuse

She realised she was wrong in using Paulo too before that turned to “i did it cause i felt sorry for you” the moment there was any friction

She is learning though (slowly but surely) so we’ll see what happens next

Kiall Vun Myeret

Comment ID #207636

Oh SHIT

Paprika

Comment ID #207637

uh oh

Yummy

Comment ID #207638

Augustus gonna crash out on Mike isn’t he?

PAM

Comment ID #207639

Augustus is gonna take this opportunity to have the…. paws, to throw… paws at Mike in his weakened state isn’t he?

I can see Lucy trying to stop Augustus, but at the same time she doesn’t want to hurt him either.

The thing is, it wouldn’t just be Mike’s current physical state that makes him lose…

It’s the fact that he hates himself so much, that he’d actually welcome being beaten to death by Augustus.

Crossbreeze

Comment ID #207640

My god I hope this doesn’t back fire on Mike. Like give my boy a break!

Nanrite

Comment ID #207641

Lucy: I was getting fresh air.

Augustus: Oh okay.

Lucy: (Sucker!)

SCD

Comment ID #207642

If anything, I wonder if Augustus is going to wonder why Lucy can’t stay away from Mike lol

Boss

Comment ID #207643

I wonder if this is the point where Augustus is gonna drop ‘I’ve stayed away from Daisy, why can’t you stay away from Mike.’

mobsterseeker

Comment ID #207644

I’ve been seeing how people are saying ‘none of his business’, when the sad fact is… Lucy -made it- his business. And now that’s been invested in helping her and trying to ease her to be better, he sees that she fell back into an old habit and is ready to confront her about it.

Not cruelly, mind you (or that’s the hope) but enough to point out that THIS is what SHE WANTED and shouldn’t be back peddling about it.

SeebeeNangins

Comment ID #207645

Not to mention isnt he essentially acting as an informant for her mother? Obviously not in the sense that he give her a play by play of lucys day but more so if she is doing something she isnt supposed too. Both him and her brother if im not mistaken. Her mom has already said she doesnt want lucy around mike and in tickets please she said “no michael?” To which lucy replies “hes staying away like he said he would” and her mother was skeptical and said “i really should check in with ellen again” which sets lucy off