*snicker*

I vote Krazy Glue.


Same here, actually, given the circumstances and what we know (and also, that it's happened once before in the comic).


They could still have a baby without doing "the deed" via time travel and paradox, and theri future selves asking their past selves to babysit while they fought a final battle for Kethnecia.

you know, the more i think about this, the less likely romance seems to be. at least not immediately. i mean, consider benny´s come-on: she´s essentially talking about giving cale a nice time-out from all the pain and misery and saving people. yes, she wouldn´t probably consider it if she hadn´t come to like/respect/whatever him. but it doesn´t exactly hark of love, if you get my drift.
so i imagine we´ll get a morning after scene, with benny calmly putting her clothes back on, asking if he feels better now and leaving. cale stays behind, either utterly confused, wide-eyed and miserable or understanding (to give him some credit! he has changed a lot over time, so a school-girl reaction is amybe not to be expected, as funny as it would be)...

anyway, that´s what i think will happen, but i have been wrong before.

having said that, getting one page before the morning after would get no complaints from me ...

Tiny roots attached to the fabric and to the boobs?

She is a crature of unknown pedegree you know, as far as we know she could have 7 nipples, 3 Teeth-lined Vagina's... and well, you get my point. Cale might be very dissapointed.

I had to register and point out that all may not be 'peachy' for Cale in the coming minutes.

Both Lars and Somher knows S*P. The first thing that came to mind when the tree 'animated' was both:


Delivrance, webcomic like

And the

Redneck Tree

These links are not for kids, I mean it.


now I get this pic of Richard and a banjo in my mind...

... Wow.
I didn't see that comming.


She's into bondage.

No, she just doesn't want Cale running away and/or squirming.

Benny is damn hot, it was about time for some green action.

Also... am I (the only) weird (one) for picturing a threesome with Pella now?

Well its not as wierd as BoLE who probably pictured a threesome between Richard, Richard, and Richard

Too true.

I honestly can say that after following the comic for as long as I have...I saw something like this coming. And to be truthful, I welcome it. Cale and Benny ...even if this is but a fleeting encounter...would be an interesting encounter to say the least. We have soooo much to draw from. The possibility of Pella showing jealosy perhaps, Richard's inevitable ribbing to come afterwards, and lest we forget, Crunch's reaction to the situation as he is Benny's surrogate father.

Let the chaos come...but a little naughtiness on Monday won't be out of line either, Lar.

WARNING!
This post may contain an opinion and view different than yourself when it comes to page 290 LFGcomic. If you can’t handle it, be kind to yourself and don’t read.

(Just to be sure for your own well being, I made spoiler tag)


Am I one of the few (or only one) who didn’t like the pairing? *knows she’ll get killed now* I mean I saw the romance part coming, after almost 300 pages it had to come it was inevitable, so very good job from the LFGcomiccrew to keep up the action and humor without dragging in romance for such a long time. Two thumbs up for you guys.


Still I fear now that the comic will go down the mainstream loop when love arrives, with affection hidden from the other group members(or one of them spying this kiss and starts “blackmailing”), high drama when it comes to misunderstandings and the difference between feelings and orders , and jealousy (just to top it all). By experience I know that it’s hard to pair up the main character in a action/adventure story in the middle of the tale (instead of in the end) without getting tempted with the “damsel in distress” cliché, and by changing the parts in that cliché, like Cale being rescued by Benny… still counts as it. A better idea of bringing romance in the a story, at least I think so, is to secretly pair up one of the sidekicks… then again some feel that has already been done with Richard and Pella (o.O) which leaves or adorable scholar behind in the whole love arena (unless some mysterious new character from his past are to arrive soon). Back to Benny and Cale, sigh, we don’t know much of Cale’s story before we saw him singing in the forest to all the birdies and fluffy cute animals so it can well be that another female character are to show up. A girl from the past, childhood love or something like that just to spice it up and turn the whole thing into a silly girl novel look alike (sorry) with Cale struggling about who he are to choose. And if that happens I’d be really disappointed. When it comes to Benny we know she has a rather shady past, so if she still has one of those secrets and it’ll come up while this romance are I’ll bet it’ll turn out into something like Cale feeling tricked and used leaving Benny behind crying and angry, a pair of pages with sadness wich ends up with that one of the other group members sweet talks to one of them and makes them say sorry. If this Romance doesn’t last the possibility of the whole “man this is awkward “for everyone in the party is there. And that kind of setting often leads a story downhill in quality (again all this is my own opinions I’m just sharing them, we are all individuals so we are all different). A “funny” thing that can happen now that we are to fight, is to make Cale and Benny fight next to each other and make them end up in a positions that looks like they’re up to something else, then again it may lead to one of the other group member sees it and adds 2 and 2 together and makes it 4, and by that feels betrayed or fears they’ll give special treatments (as in orders, not going to bed vise) to each other. About a coming heir… I don’t see it likely, as they are different races it can be that their offspring will turn into some kind of mule, and that would be wrong, wouldn’t it?

As said I hope the LFGcomiccrew has already been thinking out a way to make this none awkward and therefore felt ready to present the whole romance part of the story, and that’s why they waited so long before it started.


The last thing I am to say I know is not really relevant but I say it anyway (since I know I’m going to get flamed anyhow). I am personal sick of the whole troll loves elf setting; it’s one of the most popular racial parings in WoW. Heck even Blizzard made a NPC troll flirting with elf in Northerend somewhere (I can’t remember exactly where). The reason why I am so against that pairing is the total difference in culture and history(!), now I don’t know how close up to the Warcraft lore LFGcomic are, (not much I feel, but then again here it is what makes the comic good. Gives freedom if you get what I mean). For those who doesn’t know, elf: lives long, magical society with high standards, kind a familiar to royalty life some years ago (to make it simple). Troll: old culture based on voodoo, blood and sacrifice, familiar to the old Maya and Aztec ways. So cheese and wine up to cannibalism and blood offering.. . hmmm yeah, no I don’t think they’ll get along. Just try to remember that if you are to write/draw a pairing like that.

Anyway, that was my critique and hopefully you all won’t be all that mad.

I wasn't really expecting it. I wasn't really not expecting it.

Either way, I don't expect LFG to get mushy... at least not for more than a panel or two before Richard comes in to correct things in his normal way (a fireball and a quip). I also don't see us getting much romance between Cale and Benny. Any love between these two will have a good dose of desire and lust built into it. Cale isn't the wimp he was a hundred or so pages ago, nor is he a eunuch.

I don't want to sound a perv, but I think this (sans the bark chafing) will be good for him in the long run.

Besides, every king needs an heir.

What?? WHAT?? Benny - what are you doing? since when was she attracted to Kale? WHOAAAAA! but I will say this - that was totally adorable! I approve! Though it did catch me off guard...

ROFL! And yes, please, Richard with a banjo, and a straw hat worn at a jaunty angle over his cowl.

Ok as many others on this topic I joined to toss my 2 copper in on this so first post long time fan of the comic.

Now a lot of ppl have been saying the same things in different ways so rather then quote ppl I'm going to make summery lines then respond to them.
Oh and gratz to Cale lol
1) OMFG WTF I NEVER SAW THIS COMING HOW DID THIS HAPPEN THERE WAS NO WARNING IT CAME OUT OF THE CLEAR BLUE SKY I CAN'T *SPLAT! SQUISH SQUISH SQUISH* that's quite enough......
R) I'm sorry but this was the most perfectly natural, and reasonable next step for there relationship to take. If you look at how things have progressed from first impressions http://www.lfgcomic.com/page/7 to a scene of respect http://www.lfgcomic.com/page/96 to a genuine friendship http://www.lfgcomic.com/page/152 to a scene of caring and affection for him http://www.lfgcomic.com/page/230 and http://www.lfgcomic.com/page/270 romance was a perfectly logical next step. I hate to say it but I think the reason a lot of ppl didn't see this coming was because it was SO natural and and reasonable it just slipped under the radar so to speak. I might also add that this is the progression that any long lasting romantic relationship SHOULD take. What we don't see here is the normal ham fisted 'crowbar this sh*t in somewhere' approach that so many bad writers take and props should be given for the skilled writing and not just forcing this in.
2) That can't be benny she's a priest she can't cast "entangling roots" it must be a dream/clone/fake/(insert other here)
R)Then why can Richard use ice spells? He's a warlock. Look I know the main thing of this comic has always been a WoW spoof but its also branched out into D&D and all fantasy really. But if you REALLY feel the need for a rules explanation I would say she she cast a variant of the 'animate object' spell out of D&D 3.5. As to the lighting as someone who has done zero light field exercises under a full moon trust me that's a vary good rendition of what things look like; again props on the good job.
Anyway that's all I'm tossing in for now, more to say later; and keep up the good work guys.

I'll see your Redneck Undead and raise you one Overly protecive Tauren Like Father Figure catching the two in mid smooch.

..
I'm a girl, and my draw literally dropped.
Not because UGHUGHUGHUHG *DROOL*
But I was just kinda shocked. I thought Sohmer wasn't going to involve any romance any time soon.

I'm one of the people who enjoy a more mature sided comic with plot, and less of the jokes, but..
Though it's nice to finally see it, I agree with some of the other posts about the dramas of the romance. :/

Why wont any body listen, it's his shirt!

He's not a huge reptllianoid creature, therefore he has no right to be wandering around the forest alone with no freaking shirt on!

Seriously!

It's the shirt!

Honestly anyone who paid attention at all to the comic would see that they were slowly developing a relationship between Cale and Benny. Now it wasn't necessarily clear from the get-go and until now I was never 100% certain that it would blossom into a romantic relationship but I knew they'd be close. Perhaps its just a one time deal but that would be too cruel a tease on Sohmer's part and Cale's not the type to do anything once, he'll follow through with this till the end, whatever that end may be.
Perhaps the relationship will fail as Cale becomes increasingly protective of Benny to the point that it becomes clear that for the sake of his mission he can't be with her or perhaps it will work out and be a stable, loving relationship that lasts for the rest of the comic but never takes too much of the spotlight.

Perhaps Benny was paid to do that?...

Paid by whom?

The bunny

Alright pretending for a second that makes sense is the Archmage really that creepy that he pays people to practice bondage on each other so he can watch?

Like so many other long-time LFG readers, I must say this page was epic enough to make me go ahead and register on the forums. Just a couple of points to make.

1) Yeah, Benny's a priest, so at first I was thinking "wtf? entangling roots?" But if you think about it, she was raised by the Bloodrage tribe, whose top spellcaster (at least that we've seen so far) happens to be a druid. "Talk to your leaves," anyone? She probably picked up a few naturish spells from him to supplement her divine casting.

2) This romance (if it's even reached that level), I think, was expected. What's out-of-the-blue is the timing. I mean, we were all wrapped up in the Cale-Pella argument then wham! Still, as others have pointed out, Cale/Benny's been in-development for a while.

3) I can understand people's concerns about introducing romance into a fantasy-gamer comic. Lord knows I've seen enough crappy romances occur in-character in WoW to turn anyone's stomach. But let's be fair, Sohmer and Lars waited a long damn time to introduce this, and romances can be done well in a comic strip. I think we should give them the benefit of the doubt before going "NOO! Romance will ruin things!"

4) Just a thought: If Richard already enacted the whole scene for everyone ala fork of truth, does that mean Benny caught the "Of anyone, I thought you could be trusted" part? If Benny's been harboring feelings for Cale like we've all been speculating, I'd think that would sting a little.

5) And finally...yeah, go Cale.

Alright so lets pretend for a few moments that this wont totaly eat the comic for the next 6 weeks

This could infact give the comic some extra depth, oh wait we're not after extra depth we want some damn previous questions answered : /

POOF mechanical arm is one thing but comon.
By the time this comic " ends " they're going to need to write 40 pages about what happened inbetween strips!!

Personally I'm fairly excited about this new development. For anyone worrying about romance "ruining" or changing the balance of the comic, remember that Sohmer and Lar also do LICD. I think they have a pretty good idea of how to handle the context of this kind of thing.

I'd rather have a serious, engrossing linear storyline than a string of filler strips and lame puns by Richard. But I guess that's just me.

have you READ the first 100 pages of this comic or did you just skip to the half way point? : /

All i'm saying is that it's frustrateing when you dont get the whole story, just snippits of it, because of the now current writeing style that jumps from place to place

And anyway, i never said anything about filler joke strips
I was refering to EVENTS that just magicaly happen in a nano second

Don't make assumptions without reading wtf i said

++

This is the next level of depth. We've never been let down by the writing in this strip before; I don't expect it to start now.

Though frankly I was thinking more Cale x Pella than Cale x Benny, but either of these has things to recommend it, I think.

He could be trying to get Cale to have kids so the kids will be up for the throne next. Cale IS a king you know

I have read every single strip thank you very much. And certain events never get explained by the creators mostly because they might not have a real explanation for them.
If the writer does his job then the reader should understand the story regardless of a few hanging plot points that never get explained.
And if you think that the last page is an example of something that just "magically happened" then you weren't really paying attention to the story.

I was filled with unholy glee. My bets were on Cale and Pella, so this really surprised me.
For those of you worried over relationship issues, don't be so glum. This will most definitely be a "friends with benefits" situation. After what she's been through, Benny's not likely to let it effect her.
Remember who writes this...sex does not equal romance.

I also expect to see Pella working hard to regain Cale's trust.
(And I'm still holding out for something between them!)

I never said the last page was an example of that, stop making assumptions about my opinions, beacuse you're consistantly wrong and rude.

The facts are that this was a long time comming and it's frankly disapointing because it just leads to more unanswered questions, the frustrateing kind.
Sure you can have a coherent story line without the explenations, but it's not hard to incoperate them either

Or that Cale will have to submit to a political wedding with Pirate Dark elf girl, whose name I forgot that we keep on seeing lately, as part of a bargain to cement them coming across the sea too.

Of course Richard would have to be the best undead .

I lol'd in real life at Richards last line.

i'm not going to try to even guess what's going to happen next (cause i'm really really bad at it apparently hehe)...though i will say this...if cale was the same as he was at the start, he'd cry after...and during most likely...

Rape....

THIS IS LFG!

Okay, bad joke out of the way.

I think this page has caused a signifigant jump in the forum membership, myself included. I registered just to be able to comment on the inevitble shipping wars. That, and to be the 20th newbie to reply by saying "Whoa."

Next comic, hardcore pornography.

Hahahaha. I registered to the forum like so many others just to comment on this thread.

Started to follow LFG since page 2. Strolled by the LFG panel at two NYC Comic Cons. Have the Richard statue right next to my monitor. So yes, I'm a fan!

This latest page was shocking to me. But a good shock! It's fun to read the reactions! Can't wait for Monday!

Long time reader of the comic, first time poster to the forums. So, hello.

I just wanted to say that this was probably the best first kiss scene I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. I am a hopeless romantic, but what sets this apart from 98% of all these other romantic side stories one sees around is that the authors had a lot of patience. It wasn't love at first sight, or even a damsel in distress turned into a lover situation. This slowly, and naturally built up over a long period of time.

It felt right.

So in conclusion, way to go Benny! Let's hear it for the forward girls!

That and I just love Cale, so he deserves some happiness to ease his tiring burden. It's tough being a righteous hero.

You're the rude one here.
What are some of the questions this brings up that can't be easily answered in the next page?

Something that Benny said just before the smoocheroo bares contemplation

"Lets see what I can do about easing it a little, even temporarily."

What if Benny is just trying to distract him from his woes....yeah..granted...she chose a hell of a way..but what if that is all this is, a distraction.

Kudos for Sohmer and Lar for throwing one HELL of a monkeywrench...but honestly....NOW I HAVE TO WAIT TILL MONDAY FOR MORE YOU MAGNIFICENT BASTARDS!!!!!!

That theory's already been brought up and while its possible on Benny's end I doubt Cale would be satisfied with a one-night stand, he's a long-term relationship sort of guy.

Okay, I don't have time right now to read 23 pages, but here's my two cents.

It's not romance, it's sex as a distraction to get cale out of his head for at least a few minutes.

This is also, I think, why she'd have to tie him up. If he thinks about it, he'll go all noble and right now it's about feeling, not thinking...

Just my take on the scene.

And yes, I want to see the fork of truth reenactment, too!

Well if it has been brought up I do apologize...figure it gets annoying when that happens...I'm just throwing my two cents in on this.

Damn if that is one hell of a distraction (Yes I know I said it before but Benny is Flargin HOT!)

..I think this thread will reach 30 pages before monday.

To add to the topic i mostly agree with jonath's view here. Which is good, i don't need to type alot since he's doing it for me. XD

High-five!

Yep, Cale definitely is a long term relationship sort of guy. Thus the vines and the surprise attack...gotta move fast so he doesn't have time to think. He might have regrets later, because that's how he is. I think that Benny is doing the best she can for him, but I also think that it would never occur to her that this might actually hurt him more than help him in the long run. She's shown time and again that she genuinely likes and is growing to respect him, but she still, I think, doesn't "get" him.

Which might also prove to be some juicy conflict bait for a growing affection for Cale from Pella. Which in turn could lead to the mother of all hotness cat fights between Benny and Pella...

My Spider Pervert Senses are tingling...

Hello again
Same format as before
3) Why did Benny tie Cale up like that?
R) Personally (and I admit this part is VARY open to point of view) I think Benny did it just because. Sure she could have come up to him and whispered something in his ear or done something else like that but that just wouldn't have been her style. I think think its just kinda her way of saying 'yes I'm giving myself to you but I'm going to do it my way' and also just to have a bit of fun at Cale's expense. The best friends and lovers often give each other a hard time; it just makes things more fun Just her way of promoting Cale from the former to the latter.