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A highschool senior thought giving up his soul for a demon was a good idea. It wasn't.
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A fantasy RPG as told through the eyes of the low-level monsters.
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Cog Kleinschmidt is a diligent, quiet worker at the Mercia Fortress, the world power's leading stronghold. His orderly life is thrown into chaos when an enemy kingdom sends a diplomat for peace talks. This diplomat needs something from Cog - whether he agrees to their terms or not!
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He’s stated a few times that while dude/dude isn’t his thing, it’d be interesting enough as a technical exercise. The lack of m/m slipshine updates isn’t reflective of Willis’ Kinsey Scale rating; it’s because there are no dudes in the story who are cannonically banging. Yet.
Perhaps the sheer amount of awkwardness created by their combined sexual insecurities will generate a rift in dimensional space, allowing that to actually happen. And then…SOGGIES MAY RULE DoA.
Utena doesn’t get much love anymore, I wonder if they will ever remake it, I just hope that if they do a remake, it will be a better job then Sailor Moon Crystal.
My question for Utena is why she’s supposedly wearing a “boy’s uniform” but none of the other boys at her school are wearing that uniform. I mean, I’m still going through the series (my friend introduced me recently, and I’m loving it), but that is a question that I don’t think is getting answered any time soon.
My biggest problem with Crystal was that it squandered all opportunities by just being the manga again. An anime based directly on the Utena manga would actually be kinda neat – so long as it actually expanded the manga rather than doing a scene for scene remake as Crystal did. So much potential squandered.
Becky will pull a Plus-Ultra-Drama Tag that she finds at the back of Joyce’s closet and ask “What’s this?”. (plus ultra = Latin for further/more beyond)
So Danny will see:
His ex-girlfriend
His current squeeze, who may or may not acknowledge it depending upon her masked status
Someone he is dreaming about
The girl who tried to tear his clothes off
I’m a bit puzzled by Danny’s words, in fact; “this party is just going to be me, you and your girlfriend?”… did he forget about Becky inviting Dorothy, or did he just fail to connect the dots?
Anyone else notice that Syndrome’s cape was the reason he died? And that his fape almost got him killed near the beginning during that scene with Bomb Voyage? Guess you could say he had his cape and met his doom…. get it? Like had his cake and ate it… whatever, I’m gonna go stand in the corner forever…
He’s sad because now it makes it even more complicated for him to control his attraction towards Ethan, as he’s now available. But Danny isn’t. Hence the inner turmoil, hence the sadness.
Technically, Danny doesn’t know that Ethan is available in that sense. He doesn’t know that Ethan’s gay. (Amber knows for obvious reasons, Mike knows because he went to high school with Ethan, Sarah knows because she can read a “I’m living a lie and I hope no one notices face.”, Joyce knows for obvious reasons, Dorothy pieced it together via Joyce’s cryptic confession, and Walky assumed because of Ethan’s lack of initiative around Joyce. Every other student that Ethan has interacted with believes he’s straight.)
Dorothy figured it out the very first time she saw Joyce with Ethan (and Mike) in the lobby, after which Joyce told her that Ethan was different than other boys in the way he looked at her — or, didn’t look at her — which made her feel safe with him.
Had to recheck a strip that I only knew was vaguely in book 2, but yeah Dorothy makes an offhand comment after Joyce says that “Hanky panky doesn’t even register on his mind!”, which Joyce brushes off. The next time she sees Ethan he’s identified as Joyce’s boyfriend. And from what she says here: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/unpretty/ she didn’t think that Joyce would actually try to change someone’s sexual orientation like that. I’m pretty sure she thought he was straight until http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/beard/
Ethan: “You, me, my ex-girlfriend, your girlfriend-who-is-also-my-ex-girlfirend, your ex-girlfriend, that girl you let down before even establishing interest, that girl who was gonna bang you until you rejected her and your ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend. Oh, and Becky.
Considering Roz was making a play for Jacob and he’ll be at the party at some point, an ill-timed cameo by Roz might produce some sparks too – especially if she manages to wreck a reconciliation between Jacob and Sarah in the process.
Or Roz and Joe could wind up rehearsing for a sequel, leaving Danny socked out of his room when the party breaks up.
Oh, good lord, I’d totally forgotten about Roz and Jacob. I’m tempted to think that was set up specifically so things could get awkward at this party. (I realize that strip was over a year ago, but you never know.)
You’re looking at it wrong. Joe knows he has the room to himself for at least a few hours. Good odds that Danny will come home to a sock on the doorknob.
Maybe Danny can crash in Ethan’s room? Or maybe they’ll both have to go spend the night at Amber’s when Jacob and Sarah sock them out of Ethan’s room. At least Dina can have Sarah’s bed in that scenario.
Honestly he could have just said “stuff” to make his point without the word “caped” in front of it. Danny would take like half a second’s thought of “stuff? What kind of stuff would Amber–oh right” to figure it out, probably, but whatever.
To be fair, “stuff” could include “she’s obsessed with a game/fanfic binge and I couldn’t get her off the computer” in Amber’s case. Adding a qualifier about what kind of stuff it is isn’t unreasonable.
It’s not much of a euphemism. Ethan might as well have said, “Amber’s one amazing girl, isn’t she! Anyway, she’s busy tonight. Did I mention how she’s amazing yet?”
To be really careful he should have put on an Amazi-Mask and then nobody who overheard him could have understood what he meant by “caped stuff”. Or an Amazi-Condom?
They’re young, Amber has serious mental health issues, Danny is struggling with his own sexual identity, and Ethan isn’t entirely comfortable out of the closet yet either. So yes, a poly relationship between the three is likely to be rocky.
OTOH, the fact that they could provide each other with a lot of much-needed mutual support makes them interesting from a story-telling POV, and they’re not at all implausible as a trio. If you want to do a positive depiction of a poly relationship, showing how mutual affection and faithfulness can improve everyone’s lives would be a good start.
The stable long-term poly groupings I’ve known in real life have been more about mutual trust and understanding than some racy swinger lifestyle fantasy. Those folks were all past their teens and looking for different things out of life than a bunch of college freshmen, though.
I think Dumbing of Age in part deals with how young people deal with relationships, feelings, sexuality and stuff like that. I don’t want the three of them to magically work together, but I do think it would be interesting to see. Yes, stable long-term poly relationships would be great, but there’s also something to be said for people experimenting and learning.
If you want a depiction of healthy polyamory with characters that could actually pull it off instead of just the first lust triangle that presents itself clap your hands.
Maybe they won’t be able to pull it off. Maybe it will be messy and leave someone heartbroken. That doesn’t mean the possibility should be off the table.
I kind of feel like Ethan’s lack of sexual or romantic interest in Amber would prevent it from being fully poly, but then again I’ve heard of plenty of poly relationships where two people were both romantically involved with the third but NOT each other.
Danny: “Well just bone me.”
Ethan: “What?”
Danny: “Just shoot me. I said shoot. Because I’m boned. Not your bone. I mean oh god why am I still talking! I’m going to be very uncomfortable at this party”
As has been noted by several people already: this party is a train wreak preparing to happen.
Ruth already knows there’s a party and may just decide to check it out later.
Becky’s parents are coming to the college, you just have to bet on that.
I’m surprised that Joyce’s haven’t arrived, to save her from Mike’s phone answering service.
And Blaine just has to show up eventually.
So many ways to go. And nothing awful has happened in, what 3 days?
Does Ruth even have anything to hold against the party? Nobody’s drinking alcohol or doing drugs, and as long as they keep the noise to a respectable level there isn’t anything they can do that’s ban-worthy. Except, y’know, have a giant rolling orgy.
Becky only has a dad, her mom is long dead. And if he shows up Joyce and Sarah can tell him that he can’t come in, can’t look for Becky and to leave before they report him for being there without a proper pass. And if Joyce’s parents call to object Joyce can just tell them Sarah doesn’t like strange men trying to get into her bedroom. It’s not even a lie!
Or even, y’know Ethan. Who seems a lot cooler with that understanding but I figure SOME discussion would take place. Even Sal going, “Ya’ look familiahr. Do I know you?” (I know people with a southern accent and still can’t write that dialog.)
It also happened like a year ago when Danny and Ethan talked about comics, and like two years before that when Ethan and Mike were talking about the ethical ambiguity of a gay man enjoying Chick-fil-A. Also a couple months ago when Joe and Dan were talking about friendship dynamics, and wow there are a lot of moments now that I think about it.
Cops are overgrown children cosplaying War, with all the rest of us forced into their stupid, childish game without our consent, consuming vast funds from the public treasury and ruining lives by the hundreds of thousands.
unknown@collie.bsky.social ⋅ 19h
I cannot get over these cops wearing night vision to arrest a dude on a Southwest Airlines flight in broad daylight.
a woman posted a pic in a group chat of a baby turkey she bought thinking it was a chicken. She captioned the pic "IS THIS A TURKEY?!?"
Anyway, I haven't been here because I've been yelling IS THIS A TURKEY at everything. You should try it
y'ever figure, hey, i should put joyce in bisexual flag colors for this storyline, but you also figure, hrm, that might telegraph things 8 months in advance, so you... add orange stripes and... it works, somehow it works, nobody points out the pink/purple/blue
Jonathan Joss being shot outside his home while protecting his husband after being sent a threatening and distressing package is WHY we need Pride
It's 2025 and people are still being shot and killed for being queer
This is why we march and why we fight
the thing about white liberal Americans is that they'll argue to accept bigots into their tent before accepting the bigots' targets.
the targets that have been on the same side as white liberals from the jump.
John Redcorn was pretty much the only contemporary Native representation I had in comedy growing up. Probably the funniest Native character in cartoon history and a lot of that was on Jonathan Joss' pitch perfect rezzy uncle performance. RIP to one of the best to ever do it.
today in #9chickweedlane i learned that, yes, lolly is so edda 2.0 that she's even wearing her mother's wedding dress as she gets married to Her Dad (But Taller)
Danny: “Slipshine!”
Ethan: “…what?”
Danny: “ohnothingreallyIdidn’tsayanythingIswear”
Dammit Danny we already have to much force wall breaking in this strip!
fourth wall* unless Danny is a jedi.
Still less of a whiny dork than Anakin.
…my word, you’re right.
That is a very, very low bar to set.
So, you’re saying Anakin could conceivably out-Danny Danny?
Dannykin Skywalker has opinions about sand.
Source Wall if he’s one of the New Gods.
Then his name would have to be Daaniy or something.
Dang I’d read that.
That would actually get me to subscribe.
sliiiiiiiiipshiiiiiiiiiiine…
Willis hasn’t done a slipshine woth two dudes yet has he?
No, not yet.
Danny and Ethan are definitely gonna happen though, so that’s comin
Danny and Ethan Perform Awkwardly.
Danny And Ethan Fail To Perform Due To Anxiety And Self-Doubt
Ooouch.
Cumming right up
Ethan and Danny Complete the Triangle
He said two dudes would definitely happen, he didn’t specify who they were. We just assume Ethan/Danny because they’re the only current option.
Jason/Walky in a hi-larious drunken sibling/blond person mixup… ok, Walky would probably have to get _really_ drunk for that to happen.
No, no, it’s family tradition to sleep with your math tutor.
So, two beers?
Three, if Jason asks him to cosplay as Sal with a wig and some gloves.
Is Willis high enough on the Kinsey Scale to be able to draw up a bunch of gay slipshine comics?
He said that he’s going to.
He’s stated a few times that while dude/dude isn’t his thing, it’d be interesting enough as a technical exercise. The lack of m/m slipshine updates isn’t reflective of Willis’ Kinsey Scale rating; it’s because there are no dudes in the story who are cannonically banging. Yet.
Would’ve been nice to see Ethan x Manny from the Shortpackedverse tho.
Perhaps the sheer amount of awkwardness created by their combined sexual insecurities will generate a rift in dimensional space, allowing that to actually happen. And then…SOGGIES MAY RULE DoA.
Crossover! I would pay just to see DoA Walky and Joyce’s reactions to Joyce and Walky’s relationship in the Walkyverse.
PREMARITAL HANKY-PANKY!
but Joyce and Walky are married now. Its MARITAL HANKY-PANKY!
Eh. Manny is basically a complete non-entity. He has basically no existence outside “gay dude who’s not an asshole for Ethan to hook up with”.
I’d have put my money on the Ethan/Drew Riddler/Batman? sex myself.
I feel like Drew might’ve been Catman, but probably not, since Ethan didn’t notice the similarities until immediately after the breakup.
But one of the Slipshines is Amber and Mike in the Walkyverse. So he has done Walkyverse Slipshine, and there are m/m pairings there.
Including Mike & Ethan, at least once.
Do a slipshine of the entire event! “Mike performs a metaphorical crotch-kick, with a guest appearance by Faz”.
Politely Sad is one of the things Danny does best!
Next to availability, earnestness, and Dannying!
Poor Danny, if only you knew the truth…
Utena avatar! ^^
(Everyone but PM can just ignore me – fangirling over here.)
Utena doesn’t get much love anymore, I wonder if they will ever remake it, I just hope that if they do a remake, it will be a better job then Sailor Moon Crystal.
The series was totally surreal, but I liked Utena, she was a badass chick with a sword. Never did figure out what the deal was with the ’50s Vette.
I choose to believe that someone horribly misunderstood the script when it said “…and then she takes her for a ride!“
My question for Utena is why she’s supposedly wearing a “boy’s uniform” but none of the other boys at her school are wearing that uniform. I mean, I’m still going through the series (my friend introduced me recently, and I’m loving it), but that is a question that I don’t think is getting answered any time soon.
I don’t think they will ever remake it, but at least the remastering was good
Nooo they shouldn’t remake it. Even back then, it looked pretty “antiquated” and it was awesome that way.
NB : zettai unmei mokushiroku.
My biggest problem with Crystal was that it squandered all opportunities by just being the manga again. An anime based directly on the Utena manga would actually be kinda neat – so long as it actually expanded the manga rather than doing a scene for scene remake as Crystal did. So much potential squandered.
Yay me, I got that one. I’m hip or something.
Danny’s ex-girlfriend will be there as well, so that should help the awkwardness.
Ain’t no party like an awkward party.
Still much better than a Lemon Party.
Speak for yourself~
Danny’s awkward enough for an entire party by himself. Doesn’t really need any help.
Oh, there will be help. Plenty of help.
Are any ex-couples… not going to be there? It seems like we’ve got every one.
Do Sal and Jason count as an ex-couple?
Do they count as a couple?
…nooope.
So, they were just coupling, then?
Or just copulating.
Synonyms are fun.
The last we saw them in DoA, I thought that maybe they could become a couple &/or friends: Jason seemed genuinely concerned about Sal.
They’ll have Billie but no Alice. Which is probably for the best, honestly. Billie deserves to enjoy her hard-won drama respite.
You think this party will be the place for a drama respite?
Becky will pull a Plus-Ultra-Drama Tag that she finds at the back of Joyce’s closet and ask “What’s this?”. (plus ultra = Latin for further/more beyond)
So Danny will see:
His ex-girlfriend
His current squeeze, who may or may not acknowledge it depending upon her masked status
Someone he is dreaming about
The girl who tried to tear his clothes off
Nope. No drama possible.
You mean the girl who almost made Joe proud of Danny till he Dannied up that opportunity?
I’m a bit puzzled by Danny’s words, in fact; “this party is just going to be me, you and your girlfriend?”… did he forget about Becky inviting Dorothy, or did he just fail to connect the dots?
Becky did the Jedi mind trick on him during that conversation. Apparently it worked really well.
Magic tricks? I assumed Amber was off practicing her bullfighting skills.
“I shall now make crime disappear!”
Trying to stab criminals with a rapier without getting gored? Interesting crime-fighting tactic.
The tricky part is finding good banderilleros for your entourage. Very rare in the Midwest.
Or maybe Amber’s LARPing it up instead.
This is killing me.
My desperation for a m/m pairing grows more feverish by the day, and Danny continues to dance around it.
Damn guy has to be so damn faithful grumble mutter
I know, fuck honor right
Who is Honor? Does she live in Clark or some other dorm?
Tell me when you find her – my friend Zuko is looking for her. I hear she’s aviator.
Everything is better with a cape.
Imagine an ape in a cape.
An ape in a cape with a grape taped to the nape of his neck?
…Cosplaying Professor Snape out of shape with mouth agape, stuffed with a crepe?
An ape in a cape eating grapes.
Dollar Bill from Watchmen begs to disagree.
NO CAPES!
Do you remember…Thunderhead?
Anyone else notice that Syndrome’s cape was the reason he died? And that his fape almost got him killed near the beginning during that scene with Bomb Voyage? Guess you could say he had his cape and met his doom…. get it? Like had his cake and ate it… whatever, I’m gonna go stand in the corner forever…
I’m fairly certain that Syndromes cape killing him was the entire reason for the setup.
Counterpoint.
Ethan is so happy to be single, haha. It’s kinda nice to see Ethan in a lighter mood for once
Most of Happy Ethan has happened around Danny. Funny, that.
Joe should have a “serious” talk with Ethan.
Let’s see how much Danny and Amber wind up giving away to their friends…
“Yes but is it art?”
Danny is definitely not sad. He must be squeeeeeing from within.
I am, too! Eeeee I sure hope they are super awkward ^.^
That’s like hoping for the sun to rise tomorrow.
He’s sad because now it makes it even more complicated for him to control his attraction towards Ethan, as he’s now available. But Danny isn’t. Hence the inner turmoil, hence the sadness.
In other words, he’s sad, because he’s happy.
…I see what you did there.
Technically, Danny doesn’t know that Ethan is available in that sense. He doesn’t know that Ethan’s gay. (Amber knows for obvious reasons, Mike knows because he went to high school with Ethan, Sarah knows because she can read a “I’m living a lie and I hope no one notices face.”, Joyce knows for obvious reasons, Dorothy pieced it together via Joyce’s cryptic confession, and Walky assumed because of Ethan’s lack of initiative around Joyce. Every other student that Ethan has interacted with believes he’s straight.)
Dorothy figured it out the very first time she saw Joyce with Ethan (and Mike) in the lobby, after which Joyce told her that Ethan was different than other boys in the way he looked at her — or, didn’t look at her — which made her feel safe with him.
Had to recheck a strip that I only knew was vaguely in book 2, but yeah Dorothy makes an offhand comment after Joyce says that “Hanky panky doesn’t even register on his mind!”, which Joyce brushes off. The next time she sees Ethan he’s identified as Joyce’s boyfriend. And from what she says here: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/unpretty/ she didn’t think that Joyce would actually try to change someone’s sexual orientation like that. I’m pretty sure she thought he was straight until http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/beard/
Ethan: “You, me, my ex-girlfriend, your girlfriend-who-is-also-my-ex-girlfirend, your ex-girlfriend, that girl you let down before even establishing interest, that girl who was gonna bang you until you rejected her and your ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend. Oh, and Becky.
If they all show up.”
Danny: “When you put it that way…”
Turns around and goes back to his room.
Joe silently hands them the sock and leave
And that girl behind the door. Can’t forget her.
Darn, I totally forgot Dina!
I also forgot Roz. I wonder if that sex tape drama has run its course…
Considering Roz was making a play for Jacob and he’ll be at the party at some point, an ill-timed cameo by Roz might produce some sparks too – especially if she manages to wreck a reconciliation between Jacob and Sarah in the process.
Or Roz and Joe could wind up rehearsing for a sequel, leaving Danny socked out of his room when the party breaks up.
Oh, good lord, I’d totally forgotten about Roz and Jacob. I’m tempted to think that was set up specifically so things could get awkward at this party. (I realize that strip was over a year ago, but you never know.)
Greenygal, this is Willis we’re talking about. Of course that’s why he set that up.
Joe was explicitly uninvited, though. He’ll be back in his room, furiously tapping an index card.
You’re looking at it wrong. Joe knows he has the room to himself for at least a few hours. Good odds that Danny will come home to a sock on the doorknob.
Maybe Danny can crash in Ethan’s room? Or maybe they’ll both have to go spend the night at Amber’s when Jacob and Sarah sock them out of Ethan’s room. At least Dina can have Sarah’s bed in that scenario.
Wait, which is “that girl you let down before even establishing interest,”?
Sarah.
Listen Ethan, if sitcoms have taught me anything, you DON’T want to go to a party with two exs and a potential new fling. Hilarity is going to happen.
It’s worse than that; see Kraken’s post, above.
But I love hilarity!
Not just hillarity. Shenanigans for certain, plssibly even wacky hijinks.
Wouldn’t Danny totally recognize what “caped” means, and that they both know Amazi Girl’s identity?
Both of them already know the other knows Amazi-Girl’s real identity.
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/03-up-all-night-to-get-vengeance/nightclass/
Oh yeah! Thanks
Ethan intends for Danny to recognize what “caped” means, he’s just using it to dance around the point in case anyone else is listening.
Honestly he could have just said “stuff” to make his point without the word “caped” in front of it. Danny would take like half a second’s thought of “stuff? What kind of stuff would Amber–oh right” to figure it out, probably, but whatever.
To be fair, “stuff” could include “she’s obsessed with a game/fanfic binge and I couldn’t get her off the computer” in Amber’s case. Adding a qualifier about what kind of stuff it is isn’t unreasonable.
It’s not much of a euphemism. Ethan might as well have said, “Amber’s one amazing girl, isn’t she! Anyway, she’s busy tonight. Did I mention how she’s amazing yet?”
To be really careful he should have put on an Amazi-Mask and then nobody who overheard him could have understood what he meant by “caped stuff”. Or an Amazi-Condom?
If you guys haven’t noticed yet that this is going to be one huge disaster than its already to late.
We know and we’re looking forward to it
It’s a train wreck without all the death – fun to watch, and you don’t feel too horrible for enjoying it!
I just noticed that this version of Ethan seems much hunkier than Walkyverse Ethan. Cool.
Well, he is younger.
If you want Amber, Ethan and Danny to be in a polyamorous relationship clap your hands.
*clap clap*
*clap clap*
If you want a depiction of healthy polyamory in your fave webcomics, clap your hands.
*clap clap*
*clap clap*
*clap clap*
Aren’t they a bad trio to pick for healthy polyamory?
There might be some wrinkles to iron out but all relationships have that, don’t they?
They’re young, Amber has serious mental health issues, Danny is struggling with his own sexual identity, and Ethan isn’t entirely comfortable out of the closet yet either. So yes, a poly relationship between the three is likely to be rocky.
OTOH, the fact that they could provide each other with a lot of much-needed mutual support makes them interesting from a story-telling POV, and they’re not at all implausible as a trio. If you want to do a positive depiction of a poly relationship, showing how mutual affection and faithfulness can improve everyone’s lives would be a good start.
The stable long-term poly groupings I’ve known in real life have been more about mutual trust and understanding than some racy swinger lifestyle fantasy. Those folks were all past their teens and looking for different things out of life than a bunch of college freshmen, though.
I think Dumbing of Age in part deals with how young people deal with relationships, feelings, sexuality and stuff like that. I don’t want the three of them to magically work together, but I do think it would be interesting to see. Yes, stable long-term poly relationships would be great, but there’s also something to be said for people experimenting and learning.
If you want a depiction of healthy polyamory with characters that could actually pull it off instead of just the first lust triangle that presents itself clap your hands.
*clap clap*
Any decent webcomics out there containing something along those lines?
I suggest Leftover Soup
Maybe they won’t be able to pull it off. Maybe it will be messy and leave someone heartbroken. That doesn’t mean the possibility should be off the table.
*roar of applause*
Damn this formatting, that’s in reply to Sam, not the timemonkey.
It’s in the right place. But now we are enemies.
Glad to have a nemesis. Especially a temporally-mobile simian. Haven’t had one of those in a while.
*clap clap*
It’s like Danny is a catalyst for unspeakable cuteness
It’s kind of weird… I don’t think any two of them should be in a relationship, but I’m all for all three together.
I kind of feel like Ethan’s lack of sexual or romantic interest in Amber would prevent it from being fully poly, but then again I’ve heard of plenty of poly relationships where two people were both romantically involved with the third but NOT each other.
Illusions. She’s doing magic illusions in the quad.
When Ethan and Danny finally get together they will start by making diagrams sorting out their relationships
You people cry “Slipshine” when it really should be “Party Time”
If Party Time turns into Slipshine, Joyce will not be happy, to say the least.
Danny: “Well just bone me.”
Ethan: “What?”
Danny: “Just shoot me. I said shoot. Because I’m boned. Not your bone. I mean oh god why am I still talking! I’m going to be very uncomfortable at this party”
As a wise woman once said…
“Just fuck already!”
As has been noted by several people already: this party is a train wreak preparing to happen.
Ruth already knows there’s a party and may just decide to check it out later.
Becky’s parents are coming to the college, you just have to bet on that.
I’m surprised that Joyce’s haven’t arrived, to save her from Mike’s phone answering service.
And Blaine just has to show up eventually.
So many ways to go. And nothing awful has happened in, what 3 days?
Does Ruth even have anything to hold against the party? Nobody’s drinking alcohol or doing drugs, and as long as they keep the noise to a respectable level there isn’t anything they can do that’s ban-worthy. Except, y’know, have a giant rolling orgy.
She knows who’s hosting the party, so she already suspects the worst that could happen is somebody says “god dammit”.
*gasp*
*silently judges you and points to the swear jar*
God Dannit!
Oh wait
Becky only has a dad, her mom is long dead. And if he shows up Joyce and Sarah can tell him that he can’t come in, can’t look for Becky and to leave before they report him for being there without a proper pass. And if Joyce’s parents call to object Joyce can just tell them Sarah doesn’t like strange men trying to get into her bedroom. It’s not even a lie!
And nothing awful has happened in, what 3 days?
Something very awful happened about half an hour ago!
Link’s broke. Was it meant to go here?
Yep,
You’re definitely over Joyce
totally
My brain thought the two were holding hands in the first panel before it corrected itself.
Ethan’s in the right position. Danny just had to Danny it up by putting his hands in his pockets.
The party’s going to be fine. No drunks. No drugs. People will stand around making small-talk, listening to the wonderful music.
It’ll be fine.
Trust me.
2nd panel kinda breaks my heart.
“yeah… I’m very close with my lifelong friend, Joe. Of course. I can talk with him about anything…”
Agreed. It sucks to have a “best friend” who you can’t really talk to about anything without him saying you’re boring or ignoring you altogether.
This.
I know I’m finally going to cave in and buy that damned subscription if we get a Danny/Ethan slipshine. Gaah this is going so slow TT.TT
Danny’s face in panel two is just all kinds of heartbreaking.
This whole situation is so perfectly set up for Dan to Dan it up. But waiting to see just HOW he’ll Dan it up is so suspenseful!
For some reason I can’t stop hearing Ethan as the voice of young Brad Garrett. Ca;; me craazy.
So…awkward thought…do you think Sal’s invited?
So she can show up the same time Amber does, right?
If Sal got invited it was off-panel. Maybe Joyce was so intimidated by her coolness that she didn’t dare put Sal on the invite list.
Sal was probably invited, and probably won’t show up.
That DOES sound appropriately Sal.
Or even, y’know Ethan. Who seems a lot cooler with that understanding but I figure SOME discussion would take place. Even Sal going, “Ya’ look familiahr. Do I know you?” (I know people with a southern accent and still can’t write that dialog.)
I think Sal was definitely invited, and was told to bring her motorcycle.
Alas, my previous Muzak play didn’t take overnight.
The comic passed the Reverse Bechdel Test for a whole two panels. WE DID IT!
It did pass it quite a while ago. Way back here: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2011/comic/book-1/03-men-are-from-beck-women-are-from-clark/mcnuggets/
That was still only three panels. Anything 2 or greater is fairly rare.
It also happened like a year ago when Danny and Ethan talked about comics, and like two years before that when Ethan and Mike were talking about the ethical ambiguity of a gay man enjoying Chick-fil-A. Also a couple months ago when Joe and Dan were talking about friendship dynamics, and wow there are a lot of moments now that I think about it.
Plus, you know, yesterday.
And this strip wouldn’t even pass, would it?
Does Danny know that Ethan is gay?
No. Only Amber, Joyce, Mike, Walky and Dorothy know.
Not yet; as far as we know he doesn’t.