i get that dorothy knows carla technically (altho idk if carla would rly consider her a friend or anything/care much for her) but i wouldn’t be surprised if carla ended up being hounded by multipple ppl who knew who her parents are (if anything i’m surprised we haven’t seen radaih trying to suck up to her)
i mean, not that carla would play along either way but i’d think she’d consider carla more ‘useful’ than walky
Morleuca
Likely happened already. I think they are both a year ahead of the others
achallenger
raidah would have tried ages ago and got shot down so hard and fast the crater is still smoking two years later
morleuca
there’s the other, more awful possibility. that Raidah weighed Carla’s “transness” against her use as a future ally and decided that she wasn’t worth courting.
I dunno, Carla wants revenge on the police who invaded her room and vandalized her stuff because they stormed the residence hall because of this protest (in the end). I could see her using this an an opportunity to get back at them.
Leadsynth
Will the machinations of her revenge be cold, swift, and absolutely ridiculous? I’d like to see Carla pranking the cops.
But more so, I’d like to see Carla taking all this Ruttech-supporting-war-stuff seriously, which I THINK she will, considering Charlie took issue with it. I’m not sure if Carla cares tons about the opinions of others, but I think she cares a lot about Charlie’s opinions.
Furie
Thing is, revenge can leave you in two very different states. And if they try to use Carla for their agenda, the mood she’s in now? It could leave her broken.
someone
I think Joseph Edgar Foreman aka Afroman got the best revenge on cops. He used video footage from his own security cameras to make fun of them (Lemon Pound Cake).
Then the cops tried to sue, and that made them only more ridiculous, and Afroman won the lawsuit. That made the cops even more ridiculous and relaunched Afroman’s career.
You never know. Though “exploitable humanity” isn’t a phrase I’m overly fond of.
Given that Carla wasn’t persuaded to approach her parents about it by the love of her life, I’m not sure how persuasive Dorothy would be. But tipping points and all that.
That’s because very few things are resistant to psychic damage. It turns out most people are actually resistant to piercing damage, and thus take half damage to bullets, we just tend to have so few hit points and guns have such a high damage die that even half damage is usually more than enough, short of a really low roll.
Still at 1200 m/s muzzle velocity, so the flag unfurls out the backside of the target – but now the lethal force is also comedy. It’s for ha-ha-homicide.
I’m almost certain I’ve seen someone (in animation) do the ‘”Bang”-flag pops out” gag, but the weapon specifically had a two-stage trigger. half-pull unfurls the flag, and a full pull launches the flag with lethal velocity.
Needfuldoer
That sounds like something that happens in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
I appreciate the literary concept of the Check-Offs List, where you make a list of every single background detail and then as the demonstrate plot importance later on, you check them off the list. Obviously you must check off the entire list or the work cannot end.
Love that episode.
Or any episode where Gates McFadden gets to stretch her acting chops.
StClair
Seconded. For example (and I’ve said this before), she has an excellent, very human and entirely non-verbal reaction to the above line: she almost swoons for a moment (oh fuck me) and then locks it firmly back down (no, no, we are not doing this now – work the problem, save the patient, come apart later).
I’m suddenly getting vibes Jocelyne is actually in charge of this. Don’t trust Jocelyne on the principle of it, but also if she’s actually organizing these protests good for her.
These just don’t sound like the questions of someone just doing what she’s told and leaving the thinking to the smarter people. But that’s a lot to assume from a few words.
Folus
I think it might also be a little bit giving an impression of being open/willing to manipulate/exploit others for their gain. Like. For the cause, sure thing.. and for sure it’s a good cause. But the “using someone” angle to get there never gives great vibes.
Skorpeyon
It could simply be that she’s asking questions and reporting back to the folks she referenced in the previous comic. Getting intel is good. The musing on angles, though, does seem to contradict the statement about leaving the thinking to other people.
I also think it’s a bit unnerving the way she’s talking so easily about exploiting people, personally. I get seeking allies, but talking about it the way she is, it sounds like she considers them expendable if they get caught.
The “leave it up to smarter people” line from yesterday felt pretty standard as far as ways white progressives activists might try to be intentional about avoiding moving into a new movement they’ve just ‘discovered’ and clumsily taking over aka ignoring the already existing organization of movements created by marginalized groups who have been impacted by “the cause” that the white person is new to for a long time already.
IMO Jocelyn just phrased it in a self depreciating and maybe awkward way. But to me it sounds like Willis took note of discourse other real political movements had irl and online in the last few years as opposed to Jocelyn being Sinister.
isn’t carla ace? She’s also dating charlie as well, tho idk if it’d work if charlie and booster were to try to convince her to have a proper talk with her parents
Trying to convince Carla to influence her parents seems reasonable.
Trying to convince Tony, in the hopes he can convince his dad the dean, in the hopes the dean can convince the board (who actually controls the budget) to divest from a company, in the hopes that losing one university would change the companies actions regarding Bulmeria. Seems like too many degrees of separation from actual decision makers
Though this comic does seem to talk like the dean would be the one to make that call? And like losing the university connection would be majorly impact full to Ruttech? So maybe thats how it works in universe?
Leaving aside the social dynamics of the relationships, I think Tony has more actual tangible power in the situation. For him it’s not just child to parent, it’s also Star Player, and the various people in power including pops likely really don’t want him sitting out in protest (though I’m sure there are political situations where they would see that as a gain, such as to appease warhawks).
Though Mr. Dean definitely gives the impression of an authoritarian hardass and Tony might not have much practice at standing up to him. Carla’s parents seem nicer but it’s unclear if that’s a niceness that involves listening to her input
idk how strict the dean was with tony before but i can imagine at the beginning of the year or so him telling tony to not make any public statements about anything in interviews/social media or so or overall telling ppl after roz’s sex tape leaked
Okay but …. so? Like let’s play this out. Let’s say that Tony does have enough pull to get the university to divedt from Ruttech.
Divesting means selling the stock they hold, which they would sell to some other party. Which unless the university has somehow accumulated a significant percentage of the company, Ruttech wouldnt even notice.
Like sure its good for the university not to invest in companies connected to the conflict. But them divesting doesnt really change anything practically in Bulmeria.
Carla’s parents are in a much more significant place to actually change what the company is doing. But even then that would likely involve breaking a bunch of contracts which in a publicly traded they might not even be able to do.
Dwampre Scorrigank
The market can sometimes be hypersensitive to trends, and a small sell-off can trigger a big one. And a depressed stock price puts a company at risk of hostile takeover, so they might have to defend against it with something like buybacks, which tie up their cash.
It’s also about the fact that the organization inherently speaks for its members when it comes to using it’s power to support companies. Employees efforts built the organization, students’ tuition payments are part of what funds it, and the head honchos then think they get to do whatever they want with the money without any say from the students and staff. Especially at a public university, students and staff should have a right to get an education and pass on knowledge without participating (however indirectly) in a genocide. Divestment would reduce their participation and that’s a goal of the protest.
And yeah Carla could have a more direct effect, but if Tony’s dad doesn’t listen to him, Tony can take a knee, start sitting out games, start teamwide walkouts, spread the protest message to the wider student body and potentially on national TV. That being said, Carla probably has a sizable fanbase because of the court case. If she wanted to go against her parents, maybe she could start a boycott or somethinf… but obviously she’s going to need to work up to that (as might Tony, yet to be seen).
But talking to Tony is a little trickier than Carla. Carla will probably mock and prank her but eventually hear the message (which she’s already heard once from Charlie). Tony seems to be sensitive to people using him as a connection and that was just amplified by dealing with Raidah the other day. Maybe if Sarah speaks up for her like “I am pissed at her right now but I do trust her on this” …assuming that’s true. Without that it will be difficult to open a dialog unless Tony initiates because of recognizing her from the paper.
i wonder if we’ll get to know her parents thoughts on it versus the company having independent individuals/higher ups that are more directly involved while they do whatever they do at the company
Welp, looks like Jocelyne is just using Dorothy, manipulating her toward recruiting Carla to her PMC. Next thing you know, she’s gonna go to the bathroom and come back dressed in body armor and a helmet that looks like a skull, armed with various guns and explosives.
Sure. On the one hand we’ve got treating people as things with the end justifying the means, and on the other we’ve got sexy body armor with guns and explosives. You can appreciate why it’s a real moral quandary.
eh, whatever
Sexy… body armor?
What would that be? A chainmail bikini?
Rosicrucian
Any body armor can be sexy.
If you’re not a coward.
SillyGoose
Chainmail bikini was pretty standard body armor in videogames. I hear it’s been changing, but hey.
Also modest can be sexy, since it is very much in the eye of the beholder. The sexiness I mean, and also literally the spikes, at times.
Big Z
“What are you doing with that drill?”
“Cutting a boob window in my ballistic plate.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s sexy and I’m not a coward.”
Li
Sigh. Not the literal joke take, the GENERAL take of “Jocelyne is manipulating Dorothy (and therefore evil)”.
I do NOT like the wording on Jocelyne’s rhetoric at all… The term “exploitable humanity” just comes off as the kind thing a person of… less than high moral character… would say. Is that the intent? Probably not… But it still just comes off as more of a “use others to force my ideas through” kind of talk.
I think that Jocelyn is saying “Exploitable humanity” sort of facetiously. Like hey, maybe somebody with some kind of power to enact change actually has a shred of humanity that might care for our cause?
Kind of like if you were to joke that you’re exploiting your partner’s love for you in order to get kisses. Like obviously if they love you, they’ll give you kisses. Obviously if somebody has a shred of humanity, they’ll help the cause if they can.
146 thoughts on “Dean’s son”
Thag Simmons
This can only go well.
anon
i get that dorothy knows carla technically (altho idk if carla would rly consider her a friend or anything/care much for her) but i wouldn’t be surprised if carla ended up being hounded by multipple ppl who knew who her parents are (if anything i’m surprised we haven’t seen radaih trying to suck up to her)
Bryy
Raidah most likely sees her as a liability.
anon
i mean, not that carla would play along either way but i’d think she’d consider carla more ‘useful’ than walky
Morleuca
Likely happened already. I think they are both a year ahead of the others
achallenger
raidah would have tried ages ago and got shot down so hard and fast the crater is still smoking two years later
morleuca
there’s the other, more awful possibility. that Raidah weighed Carla’s “transness” against her use as a future ally and decided that she wasn’t worth courting.
shanunu
I dunno, Carla wants revenge on the police who invaded her room and vandalized her stuff because they stormed the residence hall because of this protest (in the end). I could see her using this an an opportunity to get back at them.
Leadsynth
Will the machinations of her revenge be cold, swift, and absolutely ridiculous? I’d like to see Carla pranking the cops.
But more so, I’d like to see Carla taking all this Ruttech-supporting-war-stuff seriously, which I THINK she will, considering Charlie took issue with it. I’m not sure if Carla cares tons about the opinions of others, but I think she cares a lot about Charlie’s opinions.
Furie
Thing is, revenge can leave you in two very different states. And if they try to use Carla for their agenda, the mood she’s in now? It could leave her broken.
someone
I think Joseph Edgar Foreman aka Afroman got the best revenge on cops. He used video footage from his own security cameras to make fun of them (Lemon Pound Cake).
Then the cops tried to sue, and that made them only more ridiculous, and Afroman won the lawsuit. That made the cops even more ridiculous and relaunched Afroman’s career.
clif
You never know. Though “exploitable humanity” isn’t a phrase I’m overly fond of.
Given that Carla wasn’t persuaded to approach her parents about it by the love of her life, I’m not sure how persuasive Dorothy would be. But tipping points and all that.
Needfuldoer
That “exploitable humanity” line sounds like something Raidah would say.
IntangibleMatter
Carla’s Gun. She stole it from Chekhov.
She made it so it shoots a little flag that says “bang” now, instead of bullets.
Yumi
It somehow does double damage that way.
Psychie
That’s because very few things are resistant to psychic damage. It turns out most people are actually resistant to piercing damage, and thus take half damage to bullets, we just tend to have so few hit points and guns have such a high damage die that even half damage is usually more than enough, short of a really low roll.
mindbleach
Still at 1200 m/s muzzle velocity, so the flag unfurls out the backside of the target – but now the lethal force is also comedy. It’s for ha-ha-homicide.
Formedras
The Joker meets Casino Royale (1967)?
Smallmoon
I’m almost certain I’ve seen someone (in animation) do the ‘”Bang”-flag pops out” gag, but the weapon specifically had a two-stage trigger. half-pull unfurls the flag, and a full pull launches the flag with lethal velocity.
Needfuldoer
That sounds like something that happens in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
Amós Batista
that TV box was so large for me…
Dwampre Scorrigank
I appreciate the literary concept of the Check-Offs List, where you make a list of every single background detail and then as the demonstrate plot importance later on, you check them off the list. Obviously you must check off the entire list or the work cannot end.
beth
Nah, it shoots pies.
mindbleach
At some point Jocelyne’s gonna figure out the entire plot is contained within her sister’s dormitory floor. It’s a one-stop shop.
Slartibeast Button, BIA
Wait is this going to be like the ST:TNG episode where the whole universe shrinks down to just the Enterprise?
StClair
The universe is a spheroid region 705 meters in diameter.
Rose By Any Other Name
Love that episode.
Or any episode where Gates McFadden gets to stretch her acting chops.
StClair
Seconded. For example (and I’ve said this before), she has an excellent, very human and entirely non-verbal reaction to the above line: she almost swoons for a moment (oh fuck me) and then locks it firmly back down (no, no, we are not doing this now – work the problem, save the patient, come apart later).
Astariel
I like the self-awareness from Dorothy in panel 2.
Morleuca
And panel 3
Sirksome
I’m suddenly getting vibes Jocelyne is actually in charge of this. Don’t trust Jocelyne on the principle of it, but also if she’s actually organizing these protests good for her.
Lee
I’m much more prone to take “don’t trust Tony” away from this situation than “don’t trust Jocelyne”.
Amós Batista
If it’s true, Jocelyne was the main character all the time :O
Throwatron
Jocelyne is conspicuously the only writer within the cast, so if anyone within the story wrote it, it would be her XD
Grimey
Jocelyne saying she leaves the thinking for smarter people but is actually the leader of all this… I see what you’re putting down.
Sirksome
These just don’t sound like the questions of someone just doing what she’s told and leaving the thinking to the smarter people. But that’s a lot to assume from a few words.
Folus
I think it might also be a little bit giving an impression of being open/willing to manipulate/exploit others for their gain. Like. For the cause, sure thing.. and for sure it’s a good cause. But the “using someone” angle to get there never gives great vibes.
Skorpeyon
It could simply be that she’s asking questions and reporting back to the folks she referenced in the previous comic. Getting intel is good. The musing on angles, though, does seem to contradict the statement about leaving the thinking to other people.
I also think it’s a bit unnerving the way she’s talking so easily about exploiting people, personally. I get seeking allies, but talking about it the way she is, it sounds like she considers them expendable if they get caught.
nadamás
“Get caught” on what? Talking to their parents?
Red Comet
The “leave it up to smarter people” line from yesterday felt pretty standard as far as ways white progressives activists might try to be intentional about avoiding moving into a new movement they’ve just ‘discovered’ and clumsily taking over aka ignoring the already existing organization of movements created by marginalized groups who have been impacted by “the cause” that the white person is new to for a long time already.
IMO Jocelyn just phrased it in a self depreciating and maybe awkward way. But to me it sounds like Willis took note of discourse other real political movements had irl and online in the last few years as opposed to Jocelyn being Sinister.
Amós Batista
“2/5 Steps complete”
*World of Warcraft quest update sound*
Slartibeast Button, BIA
To shreds, you say…
Quinn
And their wife?
Jon
To shreds, you say. Tsk tsk.
brionl
Good News, Everyone! There’s a new dorm room open.
RassilonTDavros
Been waiting years for Jocelyne to interact with Carla, crossing my fingers this isn’t a fakeout
Morleuca
But will they use the secret passcodes?
Stormtide Leviathan
Joyce is gonna fuck carla to get an in. It’s the only way
anon
isn’t carla ace? She’s also dating charlie as well, tho idk if it’d work if charlie and booster were to try to convince her to have a proper talk with her parents
eh, whatever
Carla is ace – and sex-repulsed even, so she’s not going to fuck for any reason.
“You, go in there and do gross things to your girlfriend right now!” Or something like that.
Opinion
Trying to convince Carla to influence her parents seems reasonable.
Trying to convince Tony, in the hopes he can convince his dad the dean, in the hopes the dean can convince the board (who actually controls the budget) to divest from a company, in the hopes that losing one university would change the companies actions regarding Bulmeria. Seems like too many degrees of separation from actual decision makers
Though this comic does seem to talk like the dean would be the one to make that call? And like losing the university connection would be majorly impact full to Ruttech? So maybe thats how it works in universe?
Dwampre Scorrigank
Leaving aside the social dynamics of the relationships, I think Tony has more actual tangible power in the situation. For him it’s not just child to parent, it’s also Star Player, and the various people in power including pops likely really don’t want him sitting out in protest (though I’m sure there are political situations where they would see that as a gain, such as to appease warhawks).
Though Mr. Dean definitely gives the impression of an authoritarian hardass and Tony might not have much practice at standing up to him. Carla’s parents seem nicer but it’s unclear if that’s a niceness that involves listening to her input
Ray Radlein
Star player, or just… player?
(Mind you, at the time Willis started this comic, the idea of a “Star Player” at Indiana was frankly laughable, and now they’re National Champions)
anon
idk how strict the dean was with tony before but i can imagine at the beginning of the year or so him telling tony to not make any public statements about anything in interviews/social media or so or overall telling ppl after roz’s sex tape leaked
Opinion
Okay but …. so? Like let’s play this out. Let’s say that Tony does have enough pull to get the university to divedt from Ruttech.
Divesting means selling the stock they hold, which they would sell to some other party. Which unless the university has somehow accumulated a significant percentage of the company, Ruttech wouldnt even notice.
Like sure its good for the university not to invest in companies connected to the conflict. But them divesting doesnt really change anything practically in Bulmeria.
Carla’s parents are in a much more significant place to actually change what the company is doing. But even then that would likely involve breaking a bunch of contracts which in a publicly traded they might not even be able to do.
Dwampre Scorrigank
The market can sometimes be hypersensitive to trends, and a small sell-off can trigger a big one. And a depressed stock price puts a company at risk of hostile takeover, so they might have to defend against it with something like buybacks, which tie up their cash.
It’s also about the fact that the organization inherently speaks for its members when it comes to using it’s power to support companies. Employees efforts built the organization, students’ tuition payments are part of what funds it, and the head honchos then think they get to do whatever they want with the money without any say from the students and staff. Especially at a public university, students and staff should have a right to get an education and pass on knowledge without participating (however indirectly) in a genocide. Divestment would reduce their participation and that’s a goal of the protest.
And yeah Carla could have a more direct effect, but if Tony’s dad doesn’t listen to him, Tony can take a knee, start sitting out games, start teamwide walkouts, spread the protest message to the wider student body and potentially on national TV. That being said, Carla probably has a sizable fanbase because of the court case. If she wanted to go against her parents, maybe she could start a boycott or somethinf… but obviously she’s going to need to work up to that (as might Tony, yet to be seen).
But talking to Tony is a little trickier than Carla. Carla will probably mock and prank her but eventually hear the message (which she’s already heard once from Charlie). Tony seems to be sensitive to people using him as a connection and that was just amplified by dealing with Raidah the other day. Maybe if Sarah speaks up for her like “I am pissed at her right now but I do trust her on this” …assuming that’s true. Without that it will be difficult to open a dialog unless Tony initiates because of recognizing her from the paper.
anon
i wonder if we’ll get to know her parents thoughts on it versus the company having independent individuals/higher ups that are more directly involved while they do whatever they do at the company
Taffy
Welp, looks like Jocelyne is just using Dorothy, manipulating her toward recruiting Carla to her PMC. Next thing you know, she’s gonna go to the bathroom and come back dressed in body armor and a helmet that looks like a skull, armed with various guns and explosives.
Stormtide Leviathan
That does sound like something that might be enticing to carla
Li
Sob I mean this does seem like it’s gonna be someone’s take eventually.
clif
Sure. On the one hand we’ve got treating people as things with the end justifying the means, and on the other we’ve got sexy body armor with guns and explosives. You can appreciate why it’s a real moral quandary.
eh, whatever
Sexy… body armor?
What would that be? A chainmail bikini?
Rosicrucian
Any body armor can be sexy.
If you’re not a coward.
SillyGoose
Chainmail bikini was pretty standard body armor in videogames. I hear it’s been changing, but hey.
Also modest can be sexy, since it is very much in the eye of the beholder. The sexiness I mean, and also literally the spikes, at times.
Big Z
“What are you doing with that drill?”
“Cutting a boob window in my ballistic plate.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s sexy and I’m not a coward.”
Li
Sigh. Not the literal joke take, the GENERAL take of “Jocelyne is manipulating Dorothy (and therefore evil)”.
Qube
…dammit that has decent odds just because carla is too much of an obnoxious histrionic to say no to any plan that explicitly hinges on her presence
ProfNekko
I do NOT like the wording on Jocelyne’s rhetoric at all… The term “exploitable humanity” just comes off as the kind thing a person of… less than high moral character… would say. Is that the intent? Probably not… But it still just comes off as more of a “use others to force my ideas through” kind of talk.
anon
well, lots of ppl have to be morally gray but emotionally manipulating them is diff from say, wanting to kidnap someone and hold them hostage lol
Foxtastic
I think that Jocelyn is saying “Exploitable humanity” sort of facetiously. Like hey, maybe somebody with some kind of power to enact change actually has a shred of humanity that might care for our cause?
Kind of like if you were to joke that you’re exploiting your partner’s love for you in order to get kisses. Like obviously if they love you, they’ll give you kisses. Obviously if somebody has a shred of humanity, they’ll help the cause if they can.
Throwatron