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Who should be the default doodle for Book 14?
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ETPC @etpc.bsky.social ⋅ 6h
Kendra, regular version @kendrawcandraw.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
Kevin Buist @kevinbuist.com ⋅ 2d
Ferric Fang @fangferric.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
⚧️
Meanwhile, back at the ranch…
Carla’s kink is equal parts troubling and sorta cute?
Those two adjectives can be combined in different proportions to describe basically the entire cast.
So… is Carla basically a masochist, or what?
Carla is coming across as a submissive (NB I didn’t say “as submissive”) with masochistic tendencies. Carla may enjoy being degraded, or she just knows Malaya is at her most attentive when verbally degrading and wants her to give her that full attention while doing what makes Malaya happy.
Going to be interesting finding out.
Its seeming a bit more likely that when Carla was talking to Sal about “She’s not sneering at anyone from a wall? I mean I’m into that but…” that maybe she meant that she’s into being sneered at from a wall?
Well, she also really enjoys making people sing her praises and doesn’t seem to like people who actively hate her very existence and the whole “Shoves is Not Loves” thing as well…
So it seems like Carla is…complicated. That said its possible that certain sorts of being talked down to might be her “thing”, though it also is seeming like she’s partially just wants to be the focus of Malaya’s attention as well.
We’ll probably get more insight as we go along though…and yeah I can’t really dispute either of your suggestions either, but it seemed worth noting previous potential clues, or things that definitely were at least beyond the range of degradation that she enjoys for historical purposes.
Yeah, this is all kind of weird. A previously unseen side of Carla, I guess?
I don’t really think either the kink (if that’s what it is) or the attraction to Malaya (if that’s what it is) were really set up before this sequence.
You kidding? Her being into Malaya has been set up ever since Carla found out Malaya was moving in. Remember how psyched she was? She actually went to Ruth specifically to have someone to squee about it to.
This is also the first time Carla’s had a crush, so it’s logically the first time we’d see how she expresses her crushes (in this case, being needy to the point of accepting any sort of attention—I’m not sure I buy the “masochist” reading yet).
I guess. That seemed more like “Cool one of my other friends” (and “alliance against Mary”), but it could have been. I guess it’s more that she never showed any hint or really any real interest in Malaya beyond the necessary as part of their little gang of four.
Being into degradation and stuff like that is not even close to being somehow contradictory towards not interpreting bullying and harassment as flattering. And it’s a very simple difference. One is solicited and another is not.
In fact, it actually makes quite a BIT of sense for a person who does not like unwanted aggressive behavior to enjoy consensual aggression and degradation. Because you get to do this thing with the trust that the person degrading you doesn’t actually wish you any harm, cares about your well-being, and will stop the second you don’t want it anymore. In one situation, you have no power, and in the latter situation, you do. It’s fun. It’s a fantasy. That is how kink works, lmao.
A little skeevy and weird for Carla to be at it when Malaya has literally no idea what’s going on, but like, jokes?
Yeah, as someone who is actually in the kink scene, I actually have a friend who did something very similar. When she was in college, she was sexually assaulted by a guy she knew. After she recovered, she started getting into BDSM as a way of actually confronting her fears (and finding out she enjoyed it). It was a kind of “I’m here in this situation again, but this time, it’s because I WANT to be, and because I know I have the power to stop it if I really want to. The choice is back in MY hands.”
Brains, let alone sexual preferences, are complicated things.
It’s like immersion therapy but kinkier.
I’d say that Carla may possibly get off on “humiliation/degradation”. While those fall under the “masochist” umbrella in the kink community, it’s entirely possible for someone to be into degradation but NOT actual physical pain (which is what most people think of when you mention masochism).
It’s kinda weird though, this is the same lady who had a big rant directed at Ruth & Billie about how ‘shoves is not love’.
Shoves is not loves unless it’s within the context of an established relationship in which all parties have consented to such behaviour. So what Carla is doing here is still kind of gross.
While it could be counted as flirting in this case, I really don’t think Carla is necessarily expressing a kink here. I’m pretty sure she just wants to be a part of Malaya’s conversations and enjoys Malaya’s generally hostile attitude towards people.
I think she just wants attention from Malaya because she likes her.
Carla is into some interesting stuff
Carla just wants to get into a big, dirty, sex pile with all of them.
Carla’s asexual, so no.
When was that said?
Don’t remember if it’s come up in DoA, but the rule is that sexuality is constant across universes and UC was asexual homoromantic in the Walkyverse.
I remember her being those things in Shortpacked! but didn’t know they carried over as a rule, thanks for the info!
The rule also works in the reverse direction, so (for example) Walkyverse-Danny is canonically bisexual as well, though it never really came up there.
It was (retro-activeley) arranged.
For a moment I thought that would be a link to the strip where Danny sees Walky for the first time and freaks out because he looks like Sal (which, if memory serves, has since been stated to retroactively be an example of Danny’s Walkyverse bisexuality, seeing as he had dated Sal for some time before seeing Walky).
See also: Her calling sex ‘gross things’ and also note the times on tumblr or the slip shine post where Willis has said Carla would not be into anything that goes on on slip shine, be they pin ups or porn.
Well really, who wouldn’t?
Amen!
Cuddle-pile. …. and maybe smoochy-pile.
If Carla is anything like UC, kissing is also ‘gross stuff’.
But she also adopted it pretty quickly.
Site must be busted, comment count was zero.
And Sal needs to take the stick outta her butt, right after Malaya takes out hers.
Then they can have a stick fight!
Using the sticks that were in their butts? That sounds like a…crappy idea.
It would be a real shit show yes.
Funnily enough, this is the first time a sticky shit show has sounded even remotely appealing
Ah, do enjoy reading the comments on here, there’s more funny crap both in the comic & the conversations than you can poke a stick at…
Leads right into the old joke –
“What’s brown and sticky? … … a stick!”
–Dave, please tip yer waitress, it might be Becky
Judging by their dispoosition, I’d say that outcome wood be very likely
Roller Derby Girls: Tall vs Short edition
Nice to see that some things don’t change, regardless of the universe.
Carla’s just an aggressive Tsundere
Starved for attention much ?
I feel like Carla has some very unhealthy fixation with Malaya here. I don’t know if it’s just of the “any attention is good attention” variety or if she’s specifically drawn to the abuse. If it’s the former, I simply cannot fathom why. If it’s the latter, well… at least Malaya’s good at it.
Huh. Think Carla’s up to something?
Is she mocking Marcie?
Carla’s pretty much always up to something
noooo Carla, don’t you know, these are the breakup stairs.
But the Breakup Stairs are powerless if there’s no relationship to break up first.
There’s Marcie and Sal’s…
DON’T YOU EVEN JOKE ABOUT IT
Different kind of relationship and I don’t think they’re going to talk just yet. I think Marcie’s going to talk to Malaya and get shot down first.
yeah but, it’s probably also a bad idea to *start* a relationship there
That’s when she said she was Pretending
Like she knew the plan…
But then I knew she was Pretending
–Pretending to understand!
Pretending…–Eric Clapton in his Phil Collins phase
Malaya, maybe if you weren’t a jerk to her almost every time you see each other, Sal might not react that way to you.
Yeah, Sal’s hardly innocent but when you argue as much as those two, I’m not sure why Malaya expect to be taken in good faith.
Probably for the same reason Sal expected her request for a “truce” to go over well that one night they fought. This is kinda a clever role reversal, actually. Now Malaya is trying to be nice, and Sal’s the one not buying it.
Honestly, that ‘truce’ was about as transparent as saran wrap. Malaya actually seems to think she’d be taken on good faith here.
I give it about an 80% chance that if Sal had given her an answer here, Malaya would have found some way to twist it into a criticism of Sal. She might not have actually intended to do it, but she’d reflexively do it anyway.
That sounds like an unfortunate likelihood.
Damn, Carla might be even more into Malaya than Marcie.
Speaking of her, Marcie’s told Malaya to be nicer twice now. Maybe hearing Sal sing the other night had an impact.
I squeaked.
…….
I don’t think Carla really DOES subtle.
They need to fight or get over themselves.
Or more to the point, I want them to fight or get over themselves.
Hopefully, the next strip will show some progress in that area.
Marcy’s saying “calm down,” right? (I cant tell what direction her palms are facing.)
I think her palms are facing in- last panel looks like her left thumb is out.
Good call! That would be “friendly” then…
Is she reiterating “be nice” from earlier? Maybe she’s not set on completely disowning Sal.
Can’t tell – is Marcie saying “not friendly” or “be more friendly”? It’s a bit tough because she’s not smiling while doing the “friendly” gesture it looks like.
IIRC “Not friendly” is a 2-part sign. 1st you put your right thumb under your chin and then you make the “friendly” sign.
I think it’s just friendly.
Last panel, Malaya and Marcie both have WTF expressions, but Marcie’s seems to have a bit of “uh-oh” realization creeping in. Malaya’s just, “wha–?”
I cannot understand why carla is so fixated on malaya now. it didn’t seem like she cared that much until malaya moved in with sal, and now it’s like carla is OBSESSED with her. i just don’t get it
Why not? Happened that way for Walky and Dorothy.
Someone into people that are ascerbic and cutting is going to be extra smitten by someone they find physically attractive as well.
that’s a good point!! i’m probs just biased cause i love carla and dislike malaya lol.
I don’t get it either, but that’s because I think Malaya is a jerk. But some people probably read her differently.
Ooooh, I’m starting to like this emotional powder keg.
overhead, one by one, the notes of Total Eclipse of the Heart start playing on the hacked Muzak.
–Dave, and there was silence for the space of about half an hour
gee I wonder what Carla’s kink could be
Do ace people even have kinks?
Of course!
“We get our kicks above the waistline, sunshine”
“So you better go back to your bars, your temples… your massage parlours…”
It’s rare, but it IS possible. I’ve known a few ace people who nonetheless like the “thrill” and intimacy that comes with kink. Kink does not always need to incorporate sex, after all.
I know a few kinksters who are ace (and know OF a lot more), but although I’d say they’re pretty represented in kink communities (despite shitty heteronormative etc stuff denying it), but I don’t know how, if at all, significant a portion of the ace community that is
There shouldn’t be a second ‘but,’ but it’s 4:40 am and I forgot what I had already typed
Some will and some won’t.
Carla’s flirting is very fun.
agreed
It’s like watching a mouse try to drive a tractor.
it’s like watching an elephant try to drive a toy car
It’s like watching a toy car trying to drive a mouse who’s trying to drive a tractor who’s trying to drive an elephant.
…… okay, I don’t actually know what that’s like, but I still claim it’s like this.
Carla, you nerd.
Carla’s ego is bigger tha Billie’s, but not bigger than Faz’s.
That moment when Sal and Malaya realize they don’t have the dumbest reactions to this dumb drama.
Sal is like “why am I involved in my best friend’s love triangle even after she stops talking to me”
Because her former best friend’s love triangle is now her roommate’s love triangle and down-the-hall-neighbor’s love triangle.
One more reason to hate this roommate arrangement.
I didn’t think I needed a reason other than it making Malaya a more central character.
I get that, but at the same time it’s also made MARCIE a more central character and I just can’t bring myself to complain about that.
Okay, Carla? That’s finally jumped from ‘cute’ to ‘creepy’. It’s nice that you’re trying to make friends but openly auditioning to be Malaya’s sub really doesn’t seem all that healthy to me. At least it’s a sufficiently weird distraction to stop Malaya and Sal’s argument.
FWIW, I’ve thought that at least a part of Sal’s current issues with Malaya is jealousy over Marcie. I’m glad to see that Marcie seems to have tumbled onto this possibility.
I mean Malaya being a relentlessly unpleasant human being probably has something to do with it too.
Ooooh, this may end up being problematic on two fronts. On the one side, Marcie is now aware that Carla ALSO has an interest in Malaya, and she may not appreciate the competition. On the other side, I’m not sure if Malaya knows that Carla is trans, but if she doesn’t, she may not be into trans people from a sexual/romantic standpoint even if she has no problem hanging out with Carla as a friend.
And meanwhile, Sal is probably all “What the fuck does Malaya got that I don’t?!” XD
Um… “into trans people from a sexual/romantic standpoint”??
I dated a trans woman for several months, pretty seriously. She was… get ready for it… a woman. Well within the bounds of typical womanhood. I really can’t think of anything about her that a random straight guy wouldn’t be “into.”
If someone says, “I’m not romantically/sexually into trans people,” they’re probably either making some assumption about trans people that’s not warranted, or they have some problem with trans-ness.
That’s not to say every straight guy should be attracted to / “into” every trans woman, any more than they’d be attracted to every straight woman. But let it be an individual thing, not a label.
Some people are just flat out turned off by physical aspects, even if they respect their identities. It’s unfortunate but nobody is obligated to be attracted to anyone. That you can judge on an individual basis is great, I’m the same, but not everyone can.
Eh it’s pretty close to saying your flat out turned off by dark skin. Could it be true? Yes. Is that a weird blanket opinion to have that you should really try and dissect and not bandy about? Hell yes.
You should not date someone you don’t find attractive for any reason for the other person’s sake (they deserve to be with someone who likes them). However, if your reason is not a great one then you should really reflect on that.
Trying to dismiss the physical aspects is absurd and does nobody any favours. Trying to cast it as racism is pretty damn distasteful as well. We’re biological robots responding to thousands of physical cues, and unfortunately trans folks are missing some of them. For some potential partners that doesn’t matter, and that’s awesome. For others, it does and that sucks. But it doesn’t make it not true, and it’s not something that can easily be changed by the individual.
I look forward to the day when people can choose the physical cues they want to display more completely. It’s just not today.
Basically what John Smith said, yes. Nobody can really explain why people are attracted, or not attracted, to certain physical traits, any more than people can explain why they like the colour blue, or why they like tomatoes. For some people, physical sexual characteristics, or gender traits, can play a large role in attraction. For others, it’s non-existent. I believe that as long as people treat each other with respect, it’s OK to say that you’re not interested in certain “types”. Otherwise, we’re no better than the bigots who scream at you if you’re, say, a lesbian and you’re not sexually attracted to men. If someone is not interested, just respect their decision and move on. It’s none of our business to dictate who they should or should not be attracted to.
You don’t have to understand why a person doesn’t want to date someone else, but you have to respect it.
Same thing as “no means no”.
That requires that every trans woman have the same ‘physical attributes’ which, considering hormones and surgery, is a pretty big assumption to make.
I think there is more reason to believe Malaya isn’t into people who want sex with her in a sexual way. Or isn’t into trans women because they are not robots.
Is there a non sexual way to want to have sex with someone?
In Short Packed Carla once bragged about how good she was at pleasing Malaya. I got the feeling that despite the fact that Carla found it gross and would most likely not do it if she didn’t really want to make Malaya happy part of her might have liked it in a videogame sort of way.
To be fair the main problem might be that Malaya is just straight. Sal already brought up that possible problem with Marcie and so neither Marcie nor Carla may have any chance with Malaya.
Malaya dated Carla in the other comic and Willis has stated that orientations are constant across universes, so we know that Malaya isn’t strictly straight.
Ah, I didn’t read the previous comics so this is new to me. thanks.
Oh Lord. Make it more obvious, Carla.
Don’t give her ideas. She might put together a laser cannon and write “Step on me Malaya” on the Moon.
… I am not seeing a downside to this cunning plot?
–Dave, we must test it, to see what flaws are exposed
Don’t they seem a bit under-dressed for the weather? It’s still the Fall Semester, so it should be getting colder by now.
Well Sal and Malaya are rebels so I guess they are being stupid about it.
Some people are more resistant to cold than others. You won’t see me in anything heavier than a t-shirt and shorts until it’s at least -10C
Carla pursuing Malaya is like, perfection. Last time around, it was Malaya pursuing Carla, after all.
That out of the way, I do wonder what Marcie’s feeling. I can’t recall seeing a whole lot of her perspective wrt just not talking to Sal for a bit.
I doubt that Marcie is feeling particularly threatened right now. Malaya doesn’t seem to be in the market for a sub; she’s more likely to be worried about the fact her girlfriend and her surrogate sister seem to be permanently on the verge of violence.
Malayas not her girlfriend, she doesn’t even realize Marcie’s into her. We don’t even know if she likes girls
…Not really concerned with her feelings wrt Malaya. She doesn’t really get a vote there. I’m more wondering about what, specifically, is up with her and Sal.
Well, my opinion here is that it sticks deeper than just the fight that Sal and AG had. I mean, obviously, Marcie getting fired for something her friend did would definitely make most people pissed at first, but that’s not all by far.
I think rather that it is about how she felt how Sal’s actions that night was a culmination on how she’d been showing a blatant disregard for Marcie’s sacrifices lately.
Now, just before the fight started, Sal and Marcie was chatting, and Sal was basically giving Marcie a hard time for being a security guard. And sure, we know that Sal has issues with authority, and we also know that in her situation, she’s got reason to do this.
But she’s disregarding the fact that Marcie took this job because of Sal. She’s disregarding that Marcie felt that her bond to Sal was so strong, that while she was not interested in doing college herself, she’d still move to the same city as Sal. She’d move into a commune space kind of thing with (I assume) a room just barely big enough for a bed, because that’s the only thing she could possibly afford.
And she’s never made a big deal out of this. “When Sal moved here, so did I. We’re friends.” That’s what she told Malaya once.
What she was already getting upset about is how Sal’s appearing to just have taken this for granted. That Sal doesn’t appreciate the enormity, the significance of what Marcie did. I don’t think I’ve ever had a platonic friendship so strong I’d move to the same place they did to keep up with them like Marcie did.
And also, Sal doesn’t understand the privilege she’s having compared to Marcie. For all her hardships —and hardships they have been, have no doubt— she’s still better off in society than Marcie is. To not really understand that Marcie too had aspiration beyond cashier girls, to not really understand that her options are more limited than Sal’s, to not apparently care that Marcie might very well not be entirely happy about this; but that it’s her best and most realistic option right now because she doesn’t have any….
…Marcie was already fuming silently about all of these things when AG and Gashface crashed the scene, and Sal’s subsquent actions must have brought some realisations to her that she doesn’t want to be taken for granted like that ever again. Not even by Sal.
Heck, she may have realised that while Sal was the only, the -only- person that would properly stand up for her in the past, that doesn’t mean she’s going to be the only person standing by her in the future. And if Sal still wants to be that person, then she’d better be prepared to show it in words and actions.
I think you’re presuming a bit.
It’s very possible that Marcie feels as you suggest, as Sal did give her some lip about being security, but you’re also ignoring a couple things.
One being that Sal acknowledged a good aspect of the job, that being she could actually hang out with Marcie and talk while Marcie was working, which she apparently couldn’t do before.
Two, that she spent more time talking about how Marcie liked Malaya, but how she had no clue if Malaya liked her back or even liked girls, pointing out that Marcie was too scared to find out. And that this was said AFTER complaining about Marcie being security.
And three, that Marcie called security on Amazi-girl for stalking Sal, which caused the crowd to get a bit rowdy, confused some of the other security as they didn’t want view Amazi-girl negatively, and then Sal went off and joined forces with the very person Marcie called security on and started a fight that neither of them explained to anyone, thereby giving the people in the wrong the only voice about what happened. And Marcie still doesn’t know what happened (though she may have some idea if she heard what Amber did to Ryan and knows that’s the guy they were fighting).
Again, you may be entirely correct, but there’s plenty for Marcie to be upset about that has nothing to do with all that.
uh, marcie called in more security because sal and AG were about to fight each other, and sal was refusing to listen to her.
That’s not quite correct – Marcie pushed the ‘call for backup’ button right after Sal yanked AG out of her hiding spot and threw her to the floor. They weren’t quite at the ‘about to fight’ point. And again – AG is the stalker in this scenario.
Stop being weird Carla.
Never stop being weird, Carla.
Faz is going to need a much bigger piece of paper.
I sense origami and/or hexaflexagon skills may be needed in his immediate future.
–Dave, happy little paper epileptic trees
what is Marcie signing?
Apparently, “friendly”?
I would still love to throw my money at David if he ever decides to put out a huuuuuuuge poster of Sal sitting and smoking alone like that.
Please. David. You know you want it too.
Which of the panels?
I predict Carla and Malaya will get together with Marcie never having worked the courage to even ask if she’s ace, bi, gay, pan, or straight.
how much am i supposed to love carla? a lot? i think its a lot
Gee, Malaya, you spend pretty much all of your existence making sure everyone knows you don’t care about anyone else in the world, and now you’re upset that they treat you as if you don’t care about anyone else in the world?
There’s just no pleasing some people, right?
C’mon Carla have a little bit of respect for yourself
Carla, flirting like an engineer
What WOULD Malaya’s sexuality be in the other universe? Demisexual?
I’m not sure.
I’m pretty sure she dated Leslie before Carla but it didn’t work out. Malaya didn’t seem to into Ultra Car before she got a new body.
She once commented something along the lines of she didn’t like when people wanted sex stuff from her during sex.
She once commented during a robot fight that she felt like she was missing something super hot.
I’m leaning towards into asexual lady robots, but might be flexable about all three.
I do know that Ultra-Car was capable of satistfying her sexually, often just in a matter of seconds, so I’d lean towards demi-sexual rather than asexual.
Or possibly she was robosexual all along, and didn’t appear to enjoy sex before that because no robots were around.
I love Carla so much.
I would not be so remiss as to see Sal just punch Malaya, she’s the one who started shit with Sal just to be an irritating arsehead.
This is going to be a minority opinion, but I think it is at least possible that Carla is just playing with Malaya’s mind.
Omg Carla is giving me life in this storyline