Character Graphs: Addressing the rapidly increasing complexity of RCBG

Hey everyone, Beth here. There's a growing issue with Ranked Competitive Breast Growth as we work on the series: There are a lot of characters. Eight entire PoV characters is more made up people than I have friends in real life! So let's do the only reasonable thing: Statistics.

...Eight is more than the number of friends I have in real life for a reason.

So! Let's proceed chapter by chapter, to avoid making this too complicated. We'll map out characters according to whether they've been shown interacting directly in the text, starting with chapter 1:

The line somewhat undersells the sheer complexity of these two's relationship, whatever the fuck that relationship even is at this point.

For chapter 2, we have a graph of...

So. for obvious reasons, we're going to be skipping ahead a bit. There's a few chapters here where nothing really changes at this level of analysis, and we have to fast-forward to...

Chapter 3.

So. Emmy and Laura show up in the server chat, but if you pay close attention you'll notice that they don't actually interact with Katherine and Nichole in any meaningful way, aside from inflicting psychic damage on Nichole without even trying to. So far, we're doing pretty good on the complexity, and the graph stays pretty similar until...

Chapter 6!

The graphing algorithm is not cooperating with me when it comes to putting these closer to each other, but the point stands: We have a nice triangle of awkwardness in one corner, and the steaming hot tension between Laura and Emmy far off in the other one.

And then there's chapter 7.

Another island has appeared, this time involving chatters discussing the apparent design flaw of the competition that they could just... keep the estrogen.

But look at that: out of Chesticle Connoisseur, Trickster's Tatas, Kyle and Brisket Enjoyer, only one of them has failed to achieve further plot relevance and an offline name. Will CC eventually turn out to be important? No.

Poor Kyle at this point has a stronger connection to an assortment of chatters than his own housemates.

Connections in the chat cluster are greyed out. This is because, let's be honest, participating in the same group chat is a lesser form of connection than intensely homoerotic repression hornstfriendship. We're assigning it an arbitrary Connection Value of about 25%.

Chapter 8 changes things up significantly:

Well, "significantly" may be an overstatement, and also, apologies for this being completely illegible. Two clusters remain unchanged in chapter 8, but the Laura-Emmy dyad now has a horrifying clusterfuck appended to it, as a consequence of two important events happening this chapter: Nichole attending kickoff and saying nothing, scoring her precisely zero connections to the server, and kickoff happening, with the server chat full of activity throughout. Let's have a closer look:

Ah, beloved characters Heir of Breast, Only In This For The Money TBH, BigTittyFemboy, Melvin, AskMeAboutMyMaidDress and Bench Press Meta 2025.

Ok, it's time to address something about the "characters" here. Some of the chatters in RCBG are less like actual people with rich inner lives, and more like... Dorley Hall novelty mugs capable of typing messages in the chat. As such, Mug Characters will be shown in grey.

But the thing about mugs is that they can potentially be filled with something interesting, over time! We'll just have to wait and see, perhaps one day Melvin will be interesting.

Chapter 9!

Something interesting has happened here! While the Lauremmy-server cluster remains insular...

Kyle has finally been shown to interact with two of his three housemates.

I am so sorry for which ones it was, Kyle.

Chapter 10

Trickster's Tatas is now the point of contact that merges the clusters, making zir entrance gloriously by challenging Laura to Discursive Combat. But, on the in-person connection front, Kyle has a bigger win as we introduce Rupali, landing him the only (at this point) connection to a new actual character who matters, which counts so much more when keeping score here, in Ranked Competitive... Graph Edges.

Ok holy shit what i going on with chapter 11??

The buildup to Discursive Combat results in the appearance of a lot of new names: The Paladin of Penetration, the Errant of E-cups, the Knight of Knockers, the Templar of Tatas, Jormungandr in my Pants, Manliest Valkyrie Alive, Eg Har Jævlig Store Puppar Fyfaen and Odinspattar. All of them get Interaction Scores of 25% for hanging out in the chat, but Trickster's Tatas is promoted to a full 75% interaction with Laura for zir achievement of goading her into a video call!

But wow, Nichole finally speaking up has gotten her a lot of parasocial connections! Surely nothing bad could come from that down the line.

Chapter 12 doesn't change much, except...

Oh right, Brisket Enjoyer was promoted to a named viewpoint character, and introduced alongside an entire polycule! With a total Connection Score of 3.5 and PoV status, Tahani is permitted to grant her polycule a special color scheme, reflecting my extreme favoritism towards her.

:3

Additionally, Emmy is now officially Nichole and Katherine's mom despite being roughly the same age as both of them.

How can chapter 13 hope to compete with the incredible return of Brisket Enjoyer? Well...

Woah! Tahani connects with Rupali and Jeff at a 50% Connection Value, because Rupali and Jeff having an entire conversation revolving around her has to count for something. Rupali is also on eating terms with both Katherine and Nichole, making her the connection point between the apartment and the Trickstercule.

Emmy makes contact with Katherine in DMs, putting them at a 50% Connection Value. The PoV characters are starting to coalesce, and the server's clusterfuck sits comfortably like a pile of unwashed mugs in a sink.

Chapter 14 is not about making new connections, it's about fucking. Let's move right on from that.

Chapter 15!

A lot of chatters are sliding into Nichole's DMs. StopTomboyErasureJusticeForBradleigh, whose screen name breaks e-readers. Apprentice of the Sheath. WizardsBigNaturals. All of them make their entrance into the story by just sort of showing up and immediately introducing their insecurities to Nichole, a normal way to socialize.

Yrria exists. Just some guy only known by the name of the elf woman he plays as in a game. A Nickathy shipper, evidently.

You may be concerned that Nichole is closer to the chatter clusterfuck than she is to Katherine.

Dear, sweet, precious Nichole. You stood no chance at defeating poster's madness like this.

The PoP-KoK-ToT trio, whose leader slid into Nichole's DMs, have formed a constellation we'll be referring to as the Knights of the Round Titty.

And finally, chapter 16 is here.

...

How is this different from the previous graph, you ask?

Well, Nichole finally talked to Kyle.

So, what have we learned? Ranked Competitive Breast Growth is a story about... something, featuring characters who... interact with each other. Despite being characterized as a "terminally online" and "extremely brainwormed" cast, most of the PoV characters actually have several strong in-person connections!

Well, except for Laura, whose only in-person connection shown so far is Emmy.

It is a lonely, isolating experience to be the Impenetrable Goddess. Such is the life of a niche internet nanocelebrity.

That will be that! See you next time I come up with some nonsense!