I think putting me on the block list is a good idea - that's what things are for if you don't want to hear from me you don't need to.
Now that that drama is dealt with - back to game drama.
Why is Isaac the only character who has shown growth in the game? I think a critically important dialogue in the game is the whale shark and remora dialogue. The MC comes to a life changing insight in that dialogue only to have it taken from him.
Here the MC makes remarkable growth - which all the more remarkable because Anna has set him up badly. If she had played the audio of the Isaac-Lacey taslk he would hear the sincerity in Lacey's words as she grilled Isaac asking for the most trivial personal detail about her as a human being. Unfortunately Anna deletes the audio and Lacey has to explain it all while putting her worst foot forward. But our anger addict almost keeps a lid on it and tries to avoid conflict until Lacey forces the anger out.
But in his fit of jealousy he actually gets it and Lacey drops the scapegoat "she is always at fault" thinking
"I think I might actually be a monster" - Gristle
But, tragically, Lacey saves madness from jaws of sanity and repeats the co dependent cycle. No! Blame me instead!
We were together! I did betray you! I'm a slut! . . .
So every time one the MC steps towards the mental health cliff she pulls him back from the edge because she is terrified of abandonment, because she addicted to the drama of this codependent relationship and because she needs to be punished for something and having sex in college will do nicely.
She needs red bra night because that is better that stabbing herself with pencils or cutting herself with razor blades. Also, she knows, on some intuitive level at least, that the MC needs to berate, slap and choke her to feel well.
So the MC does make progress and the two of them conspire to destroy that progress.
Her creation of the harem - which makes the MC even worse - is a product of this same co dependent dynamic. If he understands that he is the whale shark he will get better, right? That's what an abuser needs - more reasons to believe his anger is justified, um right?
I'd forgotten about the MC's "word vomit" (I loathe that term, but it is what it is) This is the clearest realisation he's ever had - He get's it - Lacey didn't owe him anything whilst she was in college, I strongly feel she
should have reached out to the MC, she
should have realised the damage ignoring him was doing.
Her saying she thought he was doing fine, clearly anyone getting multiple messages a day would realise that person is
not doing fine. Though we never see the content of those messages we are told that he was desperate for her to reach out to him - it's clear Lacey chose to ignore him, perhaps she really believed he was better off without her, but given she herself has stated that she wanted to be able to love him like he deserved - she was aware of her actions, at least until "phase 3".
Does that make her a bad person? Arguably - I'm going to err on the side that she really believed leaving him alone was the best option, she herself states it wasn't until "phase 2" when she all but forgot about the MC (except the constant messages, and listening to happy birthday on repeat) ... so... I feel I'm deluding myself here.
Should the MC hold her actions (the sleeping around specifically) during college against her ...who boy now that's a can of worms I just don't have time to open yet.
Let's put aside the college years for one moment, Lacey has cheated on the MC - she slept with Damien and she wanted to. That much is born out through her words and from the fact the MC withdrew his consent *whilst she was sober* he specifically said before she left "Do not do this" and she ignored that and did it anyway.
There are also the messages where the MC again reiterates that he does not want her to do it, she reads them and ignores them. Now this could be when she is drunk and off her nut on K which may excuse that. She forces Anna to sleep with the MC - this is to aswage her guilt, it's a very selfish move by her (and the MC is a stupid dick for going through with it) Lacey knew Anna loves the MC, she used her to make herself feel less guilty, and Anna just doesn't have the will power to say no.
This probably has done more damage to the relationship and the MC's mental faculties than any of them realise. But of course, good 'ole Gristle, he can forgive and forget Anna, but not Lacey, oh no, not her - She must be punished, she must hurt.
Yes, Lacey has cheated on the MC, but the MC has cheated on Lacey. The difference (at least in the first 3 acts) is that the MC did it whilst sober. Does that make a difference? The MC and Jeanette believed it does when it comes to Lacey and Damien.
As an aside, whilst I'm "vomiting words" Lacey had some catharsis with at least 3 of the men from college. It was a touching scene and was good, positive progress. But after the end, I wanted to know when Lacey was going to have her cathartic moment with Mia. What Mia did to her in college is near on unforgivable (unless you're the MC, then it's just tits O'clock I'll forgive you Mia) Lacey needs to get angry at her. Both her and Mia will not heal without it. (maybe this has happened off screen) but I will point out, Mia is activly trying to break them up - hell she's even shipped in a replacement!
I think you are 90 percent correct
