322

Innuendo
Posted on January 3, 2017 by David M Willis

322 thoughts on “Innuendo”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    Leslie: “i-if I videotape us and sell it to the tabloids for, will that furnish a bigger kitchen”

    Robin: “…one way to find out”

    Alternate punchline:

    Robin: “naw, they’ll flag for copyright infringement–besides, no one wants to watch us watch Steven Universe”

    1. Jay Eff

      I dunno– I suspect a “Congresswoman DeSanto reacts to Steven Universe” video would be highly entertaining.

      1. MM

        Someone make this a thing. I don’t care how.

      2. Kris

        Reaction videos are the lowest form of entertainment.

        1. gkheyf

          yeah! and robin is above that because…………………..

          i got nothing

        2. StClair

          I thought that was puns.

        3. Kris

          Puns at least require a basic level of creativity.

        4. TachyonCode

          The more you make people groan, the better they are. It’s like forcing people to develop character, but in the domain of their intellect.

        5. Clif

          I always thought that the more people groaned the better the pun was, not the better the people were. So the take away is that we should tell people puns for their own good?
          I can tell my younger sister that all those years I was helping her intellectually mature and become a groan woman.

        6. achallenger

          Lots of groaning thru puberty

        7. RacingTurtle

          “groan woman”

          “groan woman”

          *dies groan-laughing*

        8. Toastanium

          You’re wonderful, you’re beautiful, that was phenomenal, never do it again.

        9. Mortartarsaus

          Now I feel kinda slighted because I like watching Steven Universe reaction videos… I just love to see People genuinely enjoy something I like in a different way than I do.

        10. Jinxed44

          Yeah, a lot of unnecessary hate in this comment thread.

          Also, “Puns force other people to be better people” is the weirdest form of elitism that I’ve seen in a long time…

        11. Mollyscribbles

          Even Steven makes reaction videos.

        12. Kelly Clowers

          I like the SU (and other) liveblogs more, but videos are good too!

        13. Felgraf

          Eh, I disagree?
          Like, some people get vicarious enjoyment watching*other* people enjoy things. For instance, it’s kinda the only way I can re-watch shows, even if I like them-to watch them with someone else, and enjoy *them* enjoying it. (Damn you, near-eidetic memory).

        14. Ana Chronistic

          ironically, BF was watching a guy falling asleep when I posted that

      3. Needfuldoer

        That will just get them sued by Fine Brothers Entertainment.

    2. Stacie

      As to your first idea, that is the movie “Different for Girls”.

    3. John

      I would totally watch a “Leslie Bean and Congresswoman DeSanto Watch TV Together” YouTube channel. I’m pretty sure it’d be hilarious.

  2. UltraKyrie

    Only one way for this to go then

    1. TheAnonymousGuy

      okay we have two choices right now

      A) get the berry white ready

      B) see how Willis fucks with us this time.

      1. DarkoNeko

        Usually both

        1. L33tmaster

          Tis sad but true. Even though I love the twists, I kinda just want the kiss.

  3. butts

    now KISS*

    *wait no, please don’t

    1. Ana Chronistic

      keep it simple, stupid?

      1. a snow ʍousɐ

        The opposite of KISS would be KICK:
        Keep It Complicated, Know-it-all

        I don’t know why you would say that, though.

        1. SomeGuy411

          Here I thought KICK was Keep it cool, kids
          This brought to you by the bureau of keeping things complicated, multiple meanings division

        2. Pablo360

          I only say that all the friggin time.

  4. Foxhack

    Fucked if you do, fucked if you don’t.

    1. Schpoonman

      Kinky.

    2. Deanatay

      Welp, Joe is featured in the Sex Zone today, so anyone could be getting it right now… anyone female, at least.

      1. DrunkenNordmann

        Isn’t that his father?

  5. Sam

    Ah yes.
    The nuclear option.

    1. Sam

      …. goddammit, I need to get a different icon at some point, friggin’ Mary gives off too much of an asshole vibe with all my comments.

      1. Rukduk

        Honestly, I think it works for this one. It gives it this sorta Henry Kissinger-esque superiority and strategy to the comment that helps make the humor even better.

        1. Clif

          Actually, I find it works in general.

        2. Deanatay

          So, you’re saying the asshole vibe works for you?

          Welcome home. You’re our kind of people.

        3. Clif

          Not to waffle around.

        4. PlutoniumBoss

          Because we all have an asshole vibe in a dresser drawer, amirite?

      2. Slartibeast Button, BIA

        I am told if you are using the default avatar, changing the capitalization of your email changes your avatar.

        1. Opus the Poet

          If you have Gmail you can add .(up to two digits) between your addy name and the @ sign to get a different avatar

        2. trlkly

          And, with Gmail at least, you can also throw in or take away any number of periods/full stops/dots.

          Though I believe it will also require your post to be moderated.

          Changing your name also works–I occasionally accidentally start typing part of my message in the NAME part, and wind up having my post held in the moderating queue.

          Oddly, it tends to be the name “Notrlkly.” Because I often start posts with No, even if I later change it.

        3. DarkoNeko

          I recon adding (youractualnick)+(anything)@gmail works too.

          …it looks awesome, theorically. Then you never remember exactly what you put after the + when you try to mail-login anywhere.

        4. trlkly

          That’s why you use the name of the site.

          I just wasn’t sure if that still worked. I heard a rumor it didn’t, and I’ve never had to test it.

        5. Kelly Clowers

          Gmail and a number of other providers support it, it is in the spec. Not all consuming sites will support the + character though, sadly. This site accepts it…

        6. Kelly Clowers

          Which is why I don’t have my sweet Becky avatar…

        7. Kelly

          Is this one it?

      3. Reltzik

        Just go with the Gav Roulette. Changing the capitalization of your email randomizes your avatar.

    2. JasonAW3

      Only if they equiped the vibrator with a Radioactive Thermal Generator!

  6. Mada

    takeiohmy.jpg

  7. Woobie

    DOOO EEEEET!!!

  8. Sporky

    I swear, if the next Welcome to the Fuck Zone is Robin and Leslie..

    1. MM

      I was gonna say, I think the arrow on that caption’s pointing the wrong way…

    2. Heavensrun

      This deserves more than a WTTFZ. We need a proper slipshine for this.

  9. Wheelpath

    Why isn’t it this easy in real life. Like this feel borderline porno level writing and yet so real, Willis. How do you do it?

  10. Nono

    I know Amber’s mom is stacy, but does Joe’s dad have an actual name? If not, can we give him one?

    I’m positing Stan.

    1. BBCC

      Dr. Richard Rosenthal, Dick for short.

      He’s a osteologist.

      Yes.

      1. UltraKyrie

        dammit Willis

        1. Gigafreak

          Doctor Dick is an authority on boners

        2. Cerberus

          I love the gravatar to this because I totally see Carla reacting this exact way to this information.

    2. Nono

      And Tumblr indicates his name is Richard. That works.

    3. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      I expect it is Joe too. Unless he has an older brother.

      1. Needfuldoer

        They were seen together in the same place at the same time once!

        http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/persistent/

        1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

          No I meant Joe is actually Joe Jr.

          But as others have pointed out, his dad is named Richard.

    4. Opus the Poet

      The tags in the linked comic say “Richard”.

    5. Dean

      Dr Dick’s sex face is TERRIFYING.

      1. StClair

        it is. *shudder*

      2. HeySo

        Thank goodness someone else said it. :X

  11. DRA2840

    YES YOU MAY

  12. Lou

    I feel like the alt text is truncated…

    1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      I say nah.

      1. Gigafreak

        To people tuning in late: for a few minutes, the alt-text simply ended before the “nah”

        1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

          In the distant future, the “nah” only version will be a valuable collector’s item.

    2. Toad

      I was assuming there were emoji I couldn’t see

    3. John

      I’m assuming Willis tried to use double-quotes, and it screwed up the HTML. It’s single-quotes now.

  13. L!ghtn!ng

    Leslie/Robin is go!

  14. Slartibeast Button, BIA

    That’s what I always say: love flies out the door when politics comes innuendo

    1. Clif

      Stolen for future use.

  15. OnyxIdol

    The closet is becoming ever more transparent. Also, puppy eyes.

    1. Thursday Violist

      IF your closet is transparent, what’s the point to even having it? Might as well tear off the door and walls.

      1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

        Transparent to what? Visible light only, or also transparent to gaydar frequencies?

        1. OnyxIdol

          But you wouldn’t need a gaydar to see inside the closet. Seeing the closet itselft would suffice, wouldn’t it?

  16. Rukduk

    No. Bad Libido! Bad! That will just make things a thousand times worse and more uncomfortable! Do not, I repeat, do not-and they already did it didn’t they?

    1. thejeff

      No. Robin broke in and went to sleep on the bed. Leslie didn’t wake up.

      1. Clif

        I think he meant they already did it while he was typing.

        1. Rukduk

          That is correct.

    2. Dave

      On the off-chance that this hasn’t already been linked further down the page, I’m going to leave this bit of authorial context here.

      Nothing short of a kitchenette fire is going to keep these two out of each other’s pants, not after that fourth panel epiphany.

      1. thejeff

        I’d forgotten about that, but yeah. It might not happen today, but it’s definitely happening.

  17. Booyahman

    Next panel: Their eyes get BIGGER

    1. Sporky

      Too lewd

  18. Keulan

    I’m feeling conflicted. The Robin/Leslie shipper in me wants them to do it. The rational part of my mind tells me that’s a bad idea.

    1. Rukduk

      You are not alone in these feelings comrade, you are not alone.

      1. inqntrol

        They could try to do it and then sneak away from the paparazzi, though that would be hard, since the paparazzi are like vultures.

        1. Clif

          The fact that it’s a very bad idea is what makes it so irresistible.

        2. Deanatay

          ‘Dumbing’ of Age, people.

        3. Clif

          Though in fairness, being in my sixth decade, I have to say that people can Dumb at any age. I may be speaking from personal experience.

    2. Gigafreak

      I half-expect Robin to still find a way to call it Leslie’s “fault.” Magical lesbian wizardry turned Robin queer, or something.

      1. Cerberus

        I think one of the tragedies is that if Leslie does give in here (which ugh *shudders, the implication of that…), Robin will blame her afterwards and still affirm her straightness.

        And in a state where she’s fearing her whole world is falling out from under her, Leslie does not need that brutal blow to her self-esteem in a state where she’s already going to be hating herself for “not being stronger”.

        1. Killjoy

          Even if one wants this ship to float, this is not the right time for it to set sail. Robin’s got some stuff to figure out and some things to make right before she weighs anchor.

    3. Reltzik

      SHIP THE BAD IDEA! Like, 90% of ships are bad ideas, AND WE SHIP THEM ANYWAYS! Because when you name something after the idea of putting hoping a few flimsy pieces of wood will hold back 350 quintillion gallons of water, and this idea predates anyone understanding how hydraulic pressure differential worked, YOU KNOW IT’S A BAD IDEA THAT GOT LUCKY. JUST LIKE THIS BAD IDEA’S ABOUT TO GET LUCKY!

    4. Falcon

      This ship is built from parts manufactured across the country to get votes, uses a reactor that’s liable to blow at any moment, leaks toxic fuel and has more holes in it than a bowl of fruit loops, but by God this Congressional boondoggle shall sail!

      1. MM

        This is why I hate smush names. “Congressional Boondoggle” is a way better ship name.

      2. Reltzik

        …….. wait, it’s got a reactor and it’s sailing?

        CONGRESSIONAL BOONDOGGLES ARE AWESOME!

        1. Falcon

          Well something needs to power the GIANT FAN! How else would it get anywhere?!

    5. Showler

      What is the rational part of your mind doing reading a Willis comic?

      1. butting

        Basic prep for reading Cerberus’s commentary, that’s what it’s doing.

        1. Clif

          Vacationing here. Cerberus commentary is just bonus.

  19. Stephen Bierce

    Let’s Give Them Something To Talk About
    A little mystery to figure out     …

    1. Keulan

      How about love, love, love?

      1. Deanatay

        Maybe they’re seein’
        Somethin’ we don’t, darling

  20. Cerberus

    What the alt-text said.

    1. Sporky

      “Well, uh, technically, nah”

      sorry for meming

      1. Tenn

        “Are you a real lesbian?”
        “Well, uh, technically, nah.”
        “Have you ever kissed a woman, like, like a gender studies teacher?”
        “Nah.”
        “Have you tried coming out of the closet?”
        “Nah, nah.”
        “Alright! I can see, that I will have to teach you, how to have… ladysex!”

        *sweet sax solo commences*

        1. Ian Dorble

          doot
          doo doodleoot doot doo doo
          doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doodleoot doot doo

          Hey!

          *band starts up*

        2. Pablo360

          We Are Number One is the best meme, if only because it is the only meme that has ever cured cancer.

    2. StClair

      but as you said last time, “Libido only has to win once.”

      1. Cerberus

        Yup, that’s the tragedy cause after libido wins once, Leslie is going to despise herself.

        1. DaveM

          Yeah, and Robin will double down and damn near go super saiyan on the “family values straight woman” stuff.

          That said, the last panel is just before the soundtrack goes all “slap bass and wha-wha pedal” 🙂

        2. Clif

          You underestimate the power of the libido.

        3. thejeff

          Yeah, I don’t believe that. There’s a chance she’ll drop deeper into denial, but I don’t think it’s too high or it’ll last.

  21. Reltzik

    #RobinLogic

  22. John

    Robin is totally not into ladies at all how could anyone think that.

    1. Cerberus

      They’re just gals being blushing wide-eyed pals.

    2. Killjoy

      Before today, I think the best evidence was the “rule of carryover” as stated by Willis. Everything else was more Rorschach test than clear evidence.

      Starting today, it’s those eyes.

      1. thejeff

        If you’re going to take that strict an approach, even those eyes are still just Rorshach test.
        It’s possible.

        1. Killjoy

          I might very well be too strict.

          But I’ve found that when there are multiple plausible explanations for something shown in fiction (particularly visual fiction where it’s all 3rd-person POV), people will reach for the one what they want and insist that it’s “obvious”.

        2. thejeff

          OTOH, it’s also common for authors to hint at things and for people to deny until the final explicit confirmation.

        3. John

          While this is true, it doesn’t apply in this case, because we already know the answer. There isn’t any reaching for the answer we want going on, except for those people who want to insist that Robin is an exception to the Word of God that everyone’s sexuality is the same.

          We’re getting bigger and bigger pieces of the jigsaw puzzle of Robin’s sexuality here, but we’ve already seen the box with the assembled image. And all the pieces we’re getting fit the image we’ve already seen.

          And while this is the biggest piece we’ve gotten, this strip and the one that follows, from Robin inviting Leslie to mess up with her until Leslie turns and walks away, are pretty damn suggestive, too. Note that the crosshatch-blushes that signify arousal are entirely mutual, and when Leslie fights it down, Robin’s just intensify. I’m about 99% sure that when Leslie stole Robin’s glasses, Robin was thinking Leslie was about to pull her in for a kiss, and she wasn’t trying to get away.

          And Robin has been getting into Leslie’s personal space, making excuses to spend time with her, complimenting Leslie’s appearance and personality, and generally flirting her ass off since they met. Leslie’s tendency to go completely goofy over Robin distracts from Robin’s more subtle flirting, but it’s still there.

          I’m also pretty sure that Robin recognized Leslie from the rally by her cleavage, because her face was covered the whole time.

        4. John

          (I think that’s the first time I’ve ever used the words “more subtle” in reference to Robin.)

        5. thejeff

          That’s likely because she’s not even really aware she’s doing it. I suspect Robin intentionally flirting is not very subtle.

  23. androiddreams

    Somebody get Shia Lebouf to explain it to them

    1. Gesc

      Actual lesbian Shia Lebouf?

      1. butting

        You’re hiding in the closet
        There’s no one who knows
        And it’s just a drink
        Out of the corner of your eye you spot him
        Shia LaBeouf

        (later: “Wait! She isn’t straight! Robin surprise!”)

        1. Neeks

          +1 internet to you, sirrah

    2. Needfuldoer

      Like this?

  24. Sporky

    I understand why people don’t want them to get together, but honestly if they do it’ll still be way more healthy than their relationship in the Walkyverse.

    1. Fart Captor

      The solution here is obvious. Leslie needs to put on a trenchcoat and some oversized pants, and sneak Robin out by riding on her shoulders.

      Nobody will believe she could be the lady from the picture if she appears to be eight feet tall!

      1. Fart Captor

        Dang it, that was not supposed to be a reply

      2. Bagge

        It’s so obvious once someone think of it.

    2. Emily

      That is a fantastically low bar in terms of healthy relationships.

    3. Heavensrun

      They ended up in a good place. It just took them awhile to get there.

  25. FortyTwo

    Threadjack, but comic-related: Over Christmas catching up, I found out that my cousin moved to Bloomington because her husband will be earning his PhD from IU. I mentioned that I read a comic strip that takes place there, and she seemed interested because it’s fun when you see familiar landmarks in media.

    So, my question for you all: What are some strips that show some distinctive IU/Bloomington landmarks? This one comes to mind because it’s fairly recent and detailed, but I know many of you have an encyclopedic knowledge of the archive and/or are more familiar with the area so you know what qualifies as distinctively IU. My nefarious plan is to get her hooked on the strip, of course. Thank you for any help you’re willing to provide!

    1. Maveric1984

      There’s the climactic family confrontation in front of the fountain

      1. FortyTwo

        Ah, yes! This one! Thank you!

    2. Ansel

      I think there are several at the school when Joyce shows Becky around

      1. FortyTwo

        Aw, yiss! This is a perfect starter strip for her! Thank you!

        I’m a little nervous about how she’ll receive the content of the strip. Her parents are very James Dobson/Zondervan/etc., but she’s broken out of a lot of that. She spent a year studying in Poland, and her husband is from Belarus, so she has some perspective that her siblings and parents lack. I also see her roll her eyes when her parents go off on what they THINK some other culture is like based on…we don’t know what.

        So, on the one hand, she might really identify with Joyce’s journey. On the other hand, I really don’t know her politics or stance on homosexuality, so this could end up making her uncomfortable. I feel like I’m taking a risk by saying, “This strip means a lot to me and I think you’ll like it!” but…I think it’s a good risk.

        1. Jason

          I hope you’ll let us know how she gets on! …And that I actually see it if/when you do.

        2. FortyTwo

          I sent her the email! She said that the strip might inspire her to go out and visit the locations in the strip…and that maybe she might identify with some characters, based on how I described it.

          Thanks for your help, everyone!

  26. Whammy

    “Lord show me how to say no to this/
    I don’t know how to say no to this/
    Cuz the situation’s helpless/
    And her body’s saying hell yes”

    Couldn’t help myself, especially since at some point we’ve all become the chorus yelling at them to say “NO”.

    1. RacingTurtle

      I am glad you couldn’t help yourself. That was perfect.

  27. Derek

    don’t

  28. Charles Phipps

    I have the hilarious belief that Roz got the photo from her local college paper Twitter and no one else in the state has seen or it or will.

  29. BBCC

    Panel One: And Leslie points out what everyone else has! It sure was a boneheaded move coming into her home after an article outed you if you wanted to prove you were straight, Robin. And this is going to turn poor Leslie’s house into a goddamn circus. Thaaaat may cause problems with her landlord.

    Panel Two: FINALLY Leslie straight up asks why she would do that, since she’s the one who kept putting up boundaries and saying this was not a good relationship to pursue. You kept pursuing her.

    Panel Three: And yeah, Leslie is pissed. This will likely not be a thing she ever escapes. People will remember this and that could be really bad – especially if god forbid she loses her apartment. I have some measure of faith in the Dean – he seems decent and this reaaaaaallllllllyyyyy isn’t a school scandal the way the porno was. I have no faith in her piece of shit landlord. This could cost her a lot and that’s important to mention.

    Panel Four: Yeah, may as well get the fun part if you’re getting the bad. Sadly, however, even the ‘fun’ part is tainted, so wise choice Leslie. You tried to avoid this.

    Panel Five: Whoops, standing really close together again, as the implications of that sink in. Leslie is trying to resist – she looks kind of sad as well as attracted. Meanwhile, Robin’s starting to go starry eyed, the way she did in Shortpacked when she was over the moon excited and interested in something.

    Panel Six: And yep, full on Steven Universe star eyes. This does not bode well.

    Bad libido! Very bad! No biscuit! This isn’t the time to fuck up Leslie. Bad libido!

    1. Cerberus

      Yeah. All of this.

      And that point in Panel 2 is what bothers me the most about this. Robin and Leslie in any universe are adorable together to a degree, but this is the end of a long evening of Leslie repeatedly setting her boundaries at great personal struggle with her libido and desires. And Robin continuing to step over them like they were nothing.

      And if she sleeps with Leslie here. Especially in a headspace that is likely to gaslight Leslie about it afterwards as “evil homo seduction magic”, that’s going to crush Leslie and will be borderline non-consent given how much coercion is in repeatedly showing that Robin will not ever respect a single attempt, no matter how plaintive, to set a boundary.

      1. BBCC

        Yuuuup. Robin needs to leave Leslie alone. I realize she doesn’t want to, but too bad. She’s being crappy right now and Leslie deserves better. She’s been trying to get her to leave. As soon as the paparazzi leaves, Robin needs to as well.

      2. Commodore Jeep-Eep

        If she’s in it’s going to be very hard to get shot of Robin; frankly, a very good gift/investment for Leslie would be a tin of Mace – Robin has proven immune to civilized persuasion – let’s try a bit of blinding pain.

        1. Commodore Jeep-Eep

          Should read give in.

        2. BBCC

          Yeah, I’m rapidly losing my carryover-Walkyverse enthusiasm and gong ‘for god’s sake, someone buy Leslie a whistle and some mace’.

        3. Commodore Jeep-Eep

          She’d be well advised to keep such under her pillow; maybe invest in a firearm for the nutty Robin supporters as well.

      3. Killjoy

        Yeah, I’m really seeing this boundary thing you’ve been pointing out.

        For me the only thing that makes it forgivable is that Robin just doesn’t realize she’s doing it. She has ideas and acts on them, she says things and THEN realizes what she said and then reacts to that without every thinking it through.

        It’s still not at all good, but it’s not done with malice.

        1. BBCC

          Yeah, but much like someone stomping on your foot all night, it doesn’t just hurt if it’s out of malice. At some point, after I’ve asked you (general you) to quit stamping on my foot, it’s on you to either pay attention and quit it, or leave me alone.

        2. Killjoy

          You’re absolutely right.

    2. Bagge

      Panel 3. That’s the ugly part that Robin doesn’t acknowledge – Leslie is in real danger, just from Robin being here. And being someone’s “acceptable loss” is NOT the way to build a relationship.

  30. Gesc

    Yeah, don’t.

    Not like this. Unless you want to ruin it forever ladies.

  31. Cerberus

    Comic Reactions:

    Panel 1: Yup, Leslie and Robin are boned and those are definitely paparazzi so the second Robin leaves, that’s gonna be confirmation in the tabloid press that the amorous affair led to them banging all night.

    Panels 2 and 3: And that’s a tragedy because of what she’s talking about here. Not just that she might be in danger from Robin’s more “lone wolf” fans or at risk for her employment and her housing, but she’s now in the papers as “definitely banging” a homophobic congresswoman.

    And that’s gonna cost Leslie some friendships and a lot of respect as a teacher.

    Cause Leslie just lost a lot of credibility today, because now when she talks about the harm homophobic laws do, people are just going to think “yeah, but they can’t be that bad if she slept with the person making them”. When she says “I’m safe, you can trust me, I can help,” folks in need are going to see someone who will “sell them out”.

    And for her friends on the streets. This woman is their congresswoman too and has fought hard against their rights. Knowing Leslie slept with Robin, whether or not that’s actually true is going to make it harder for them to feel they can drop their guard around her or trust her not to rat them out to her “gay-hating congresswoman lover”.

    And that’s extra dangerous because if she does lose her housing and job over this, then she’s gonna need those friends to get her back to re-re-get back on her feet.

    Panels 2 and 3 Take 2: It’s also frustrating for Leslie, because she did nearly everything right. She set boundary after boundary, she broke it off, she emphasized the damage that Robin is doing, she’s tried to leave multiple times.

    On a fundamental level, this is deeply unfair because this is an outcome she fought like hell against Robin to have happen and Robin has just kept bumbling over all her boundaries and fucking her life over worse and hounding her and has the gall to blame Leslie for an incident Leslie fought like hell not to have happen.

    But Robin doesn’t care and she’ll keep on pushing and pushing until she gets what she wants and she couldn’t deserve Leslie’s love and sexual consent any less.

    1. Bagge

      Re-reading the “Jessica” strips is extra painful now when we see the situation blowing up full scale. Leslie KNEW this was a real risk. She wasn’t just emerassed back then – she was afraid of this exact outcome.

      And as you note, this is just so unfair. She tried, she really tried to give her and Robin a meaningful meeting and avoid the pits, but Robin just cannonballed them in their first opportunity without a bungee cord.

      1. Cerberus

        Yeah, you see hints of it here and there, how much she understood her reputation would be ruined being caught out at the rally, her utter panic at Robin outing her having been at the rally during the meet-and-greet with students, her panic face at having Joe and Walky suss out that she was attracted to Robin.

        It makes it all really sad.

  32. Tomas

    Mary Worth is ruining you as a storyteller, Willis. How many times are you going to hit us with a “They might really kiss this time!” cliff-hanger?

  33. Dana

    Lady likin’ leads to lady lickin’. Hopefully not this time. As much as it pains me to say that.

  34. Bluewind

    Between this and finding The Young Protectors (I bumped an ad for it yesterday while scrolling down on Questionable Content when it was buffering and learned what the appeal of yaoi was), I fear my uterus might jump out of my body and slap me!

    1. Bluewind

      Reading a Cerberus analysis post makes me feel really really stupid for saying that out loud now. Living with my dad for a year has a lot of drawbacks (lack of privacy being one). I’ll be glad when my apartment is ready (it got pushed back 3 weeks minimum because of holidays to sometime in the middle of January). I know I need to stay off the internet (especially mid month), but I seem to not have a bit of sense.

  35. Cerberus

    Panel 4: Okay, let’s um… point to the ugly heart that is this arc. And that’s Robin’s complete lack of respect for Leslie’s repeatedly stated boundaries.

    And that rises her actions from the level of “dangerous” to the level of “okay, at what point of this level of lack of respect to Leslie’s repeated no’s does this actually just become coerced consent i.e. sexual assault.

    Cause, Leslie is in her home, without options, because Robin has destroyed them and has told, begged Robin for the last time not to get so close to her, and here’s Robin still trying to propose banging for like the what? 3rd time?

    This? In a real world setting rather than Shortpacked!? It’s awful. And painfully reminiscent of creepy guys who’ve gone after me who’ve refused to accept any amount of noes I can throw at them until I can escape. And Robin is extra terrifying, because holy fucking shit, she broke into Leslie’s locked home just to keep pushing for sex she wants to gaslight Leslie about the second they are finished.

    That’s… no. That’s just no.

    Panel 5: And that face. I mentioned yesterday that Leslie has been trying to be real strong and resist the idiot part of her brain that just wants to jump Robin’s bones. And that her libido needs to only win one battle against her good sense to ruin Leslie’s life.

    But yeah, you can see it on her face, sleeping with Robin will destroy Leslie.

    It will destroy any sense of self-respect she has for herself. It will lead to intense self-loathing and a feeling of contamination when she realizes that she’s betrayed so many of her ideals. It will make her ashamed to show her face to the queer kids in her class who need her.

    Sleeping with Robin, here, now? Without Robin growing and changing from being outed? I don’t think Leslie would ever be able to forgive herself and my heart would break to see her go through hell for a woman who can’t even admit she’s attracted to her when she’s proposing sex.

    Panel 6: But Leslie’s resolve isn’t infinite even if her lowered eyebrow knows this would be the worst choice and destroy her.

    And that’s what makes Robin’s actions here somewhat villainous. Like, even now, knowing knowing everything Leslie has said, all Robin can do is glance away from her eyes to her lips and step closer. After she has deliberately ignored and stepped over every boundary previously.

    I’d love to see a redemption arc and I suspect Robin and Leslie may be as fated to end up together as Mandy and Grace, but this?

    No, I’m fully in hope that the alt-text is right. Robin needs to for once value Leslie’s repeated noes and step no further. Not until shit’s calmed down and they can approach each other as equals.

    But I suspect it won’t. And once again, Leslie will pay the heaviest cost for Robin’s continued lack of respect for Leslie’s boundaries.

    1. Falcon

      Yeah. I do hope the 2 get together at some point in this comic, but not here. Not like this.

      1. Cerberus

        Ditto.

        1. Commodore Jeep-Eep

          Honestly, I hope for an antagonistic relationship rather than romantic – two frankly abusing f/f relationships would start to get creepy.

        2. Commodore Jeep-Eep

          Like it was a ryonaeque fetish or something.

    2. BenRG

      I think that you’re ignoring the fact that, from the start of this arc (which was her going to Robin’s campaign rally), it’s been quite clear that Leslie isn’t thinking with her brain, at least not clearly. Her desire for Robin is so strong that it’s overriding all good sense.

      This is fairly in-line with how we’ve seen Leslie characterised in Shortpacked!. No matter how badly Robin hurts her, she generally will be the first to return to her; there’s a worrying dependency/submissive aspect to her end of the relationship sometimes. So, her losing her mental strength and giving in to her desire for Robin wouldn’t be unprecedented, at least in my mind.

      Willis is very good at writing characters with plausibly real-world flaws.

      1. Fart Captor

        I think you’re ignoring how Leslie has repeatedly overriden her libido. When she booted Robin out of her class, when she walked away and left Robin at the bar, and earlier when she made Robin back up.

        Her libido has been pushing hard, but so far reason has won out every time when it mattered

        1. Cerberus

          Yeah, having slept on it, I think I recognize why Robin here in the kitchen is freaking me out so badly on a consent level. I think it’s because this situation is heavily echoing an awful sexual assault my ex once received shortly before we started dating.

          CONTENT WARNING: Sexual Assault

          She had been in a sort of super toxic relationship with a guy she had a lot of chemistry with and that had ended and the guy started dating one of her other friends. One night at a party, after a long night of drinking, the guy starts heavy flirting with her and not taking no for an answer, constantly pushing past her every attempt to set boundaries while she also tried to set aside the fact that she had attraction for him, because she knew he was toxic and that sleeping with him would hurt a friend.

          So she said no a million ways, removed herself from the situation multiple times while he followed her into different rooms and hounded her for a sexual encounter. Eventually they ended up in the kitchen and he fully forced himself on her until she was able to shove him off and get through to him that what he was doing was rape.

          As he sobered up, he went into damage control mode, gaslighting her about the event, telling her that her established attraction for him meant she was actually the aggressor trying to get him to cheat on his girlfriend and basically smeared her name so bad with her friend circle she could never out him as the rapist he was.

          Is Robin a rapist here? Or at least will Robin force herself on Leslie in a similar way? I don’t think so. But the constant hounding and pressure knowing that Leslie does have attraction she knows is toxic to pursue and has stated boundaries of not wanting to progress further. And the constant blame on Leslie for somehow forcing Robin to have this boundary-violating level of attraction echoes that situation too much for me to ever feel comfortable having them get together here like this.

          And the level of coercion involved on Robin’s part makes this way more non-consensual than it has any right being.

        2. Bagge

          Ouch, that is horrible. And sadly I can see the last phase all to clear with the “never my fault.”

          And yeah, I really see the paralells to what Robin is doing here. I mean, today STARTED with her breaking into Leslie’s fudgin’ APARTMENT.

        3. Commodore Jeep-Eep

          Non-zero chance that we’re seeing a Moral Event Horizon on the part of Robin here.

    3. Bagge

      Very, very true. I mean, I see where Robin is coming from. She is FREAKING THE FUDGE OUT about all sort of things right now, including her own political situation and the things her lady parts are suddenly screaming about OTHER lady parts. I doubt even she normally breaks into people’s home, however drunk she is. So while her brain is going “…WHAT?” her mouth is saying whatever stupid shit it can come up with.

      And that is not an excuse.

      And Robin is hoping REALLY hard that it is an excuse, because right now she REALLY wants to have some fun involving lady parts, and she REALLY doesn’t want to take responsibility for it.

      Which again makes Leslie the responsible one, and falls neatly into all kinds of extremely dangerous prejudices about lesbians.

      So it all boils down to Robin’s lack of respect for Leslie’s boundaries, and her lack of acknowledgment of the very real danger Leslie is in. I think she will come around eventually, I think there is a potential for them, but just like Falcon noted – not here. Not like this.

      1. Commodore Jeep-Eep

        Only Robin/Leslie action that would be appropriate here is pulling the trigger on a mace sprayer, sorry.

    4. Wraithy2773

      There’s a concept to keep in mind when analyzing… basically everything: The medium influences the work. DoA is a cross between a narrative comic and a gag-a-day strip. More often than not, the comics will end with a joke or a “Oh my god” moment.

      So… if the last few panels make you snicker a bit? Take the literal aspects of it as it pertains to what’s coming in future comics with a grain of salt. While there’s a chance they end up bumpin’ uglies, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if nothing happens and this was just ending the strip on a joke.

      As for Robin… I’ve said this before, she doesn’t seem like an outright hateful person, just someone toeing the party line. A redemption arc for her is… pretty obvious, honestly, because it’s just about doing that thing that a lot of privileged folk have done over their lifetime: Getting over societal expectations, getting past cultural imperatives and just stop being a dink.

      I mean, if Dick Fucking Cheney can become pro-gay marriage…

      1. BenRG

        +1 Ditto

      2. Historyman68

        “Dick Fucking Cheney”

        1. StClair

          No, Dick’s fucking Stacy.

      3. BBCC

        This being a comic strip doesn’t mean funny things will not become serious. See: Amazi-Girl. Started off as fun comic shenanigans, now seems like a very serious mental illness.

        1. Wraithy2773

          Agreed, hence “Grain of salt”: Not impossible, but could just be a gag for the day (I mean, it’s becoming a running joke that the two of them want to bang but know they really, really shouldn’t >_> ).

      4. Commodore Jeep-Eep

        Frankly, I’d find a terrifying sexually charged vendetta on the part of Robin to be far better and less gross, narratively.

    5. Oberon

      So, the congresswoman was so upset about a photo which implied that she was a lesbian that she coerced Leslie’s landlord into letting her into the apartment (this is the really sketchy part, things like this can only happen in movies and web comics) where she spends the night. Which she thought was going to make the rumors of her lesbian/bi tenancies better, how?

      No, no one is that stupid. The congresswoman is closeted and wants to come out.

      And Leslie is very much attracted to the congresswoman, just not to her political positions. Which could simply be a part of the congresswomans’ closeting, because self-loathing and acting against one’s own interests is, to my knowledge, unfortunately a large part of the gay experience for some.

      1. Commodore Jeep-Eep

        Or she’s just impulsive and as predatory in her social relationships as any other, and didn’t manage to lose the the media.

        1. thejeff

          Anything’s possible. Robin could be perfectly aware that she’s bi and have a long history of predatory one-night stands with women. I doubt it, even if only because she seems so horribly bad at it. If she was this impulsive and incompetent, she would have been revealed to the media long ago.

        2. Commodore Jeep-Eep

          I’m saying that Leslie would be the start of such a chain, hence the bumbling.

        3. Commodore Jeep-Eep

          And that’s she’s approaching it like she approaches other people she knows in life, albiet in non-sexual contexts.

      2. thejeff

        Closeted, apparently even to herself.
        But yeah, that’s pretty much it. She wanted to see Leslie again so she used the excuse of the photo to justify going to confront Leslie – rather than doing something reasonable like contact her aides and work up a plan to handle the fallout. Justify to herself, that is. There was likely a bunch more alcohol between when Leslie left her and when she actually decided to follow her.

        Interesting thought that her positions might be from unconscious loathing and repression as well as the practical playing to the base side.

  36. newllend(henryvolt)

    Lady and gentlemen we have now reached the “fuck it” faze.

    1. newllend(henryvolt)

      And I didn’t mean that a euphemism.

    2. Kamino Neko

      Phase. Faze is something completely different, though they do, in fact, seem to be very fazed.

      1. Clif

        Fazers on stun.

  37. SailorCakes

    NOOOOOOOOO

  38. Reltzik

    Ugh! And now we have to wait in suspense until finally, tomorrow, we discover whether Sal and Amazi-Girl have spied Ryan from the rooftop!

  39. AgentKeen

    Well. That is a convincing argument.

  40. KSClaw

    Ignore the libido, Leslie! Go take a shower instead.

    1. Kamino Neko

      … Alone, Les, alone.

      1. Bagge

        That’s an important distinction to make.

        1. KSClaw

          right, I forgot to add that ;^^

        2. Clif

          But you know she’s going to turn around to reach for the soap and there Robin will be, insisting it’s okay because she has an umbrella.

  41. Dean

    “A-at least wear these goggles so I can pretend you’re Tracer from Overwatch.”

    “… OK.”

  42. Bagge

    “….you… you are still standing close to me.”
    “…kitchen. Definitely because of the kitchen.”
    “…just one episode?”
    “…just one.”

    *5 hours later*

    “PEARL, NOOOOO!!!!”

    1. Wack'd

      You can watch about five episodes in an hour, which means they’re “PEARL, NOOOO!!!!!”ing about…”Mirror Gem”?

      1. Bagge

        Sounds about right.

        *SPOILER*

        “Here, Steven, take this dangerous artefact. It will further your education.”

        1. BenRG

          Oh, they do that there too? I thought it was only in Star Wars: Rebels that they give dangerous dark magical databases to semi-trained teenagers.

        2. Bagge

          What could possibly go wrong?

        3. Emperor Norton II

          I can think of a few things…

  43. Lordmazapan

    Now Kiiiiiisssssss!!!!!!

  44. JessWitt

    Oh moly. At least wait till the supposed paparazzi leave… Or don’t do it at all.

    1. thejeff

      Gotta do something while you’re waiting for the paparazzi to leave.

      Though I’ve got to wonder what would happen if Leslie just left and went in to school. If they stop her, just : “Congresswoman DeSanto? No, I left her at the bar last night.”

      1. Cerberus

        That actually might not be a bad idea.

        But the paparazzi might be here because the landlord called them here and he would know that Robin is still inside and so encourage them to keep waiting for her to come out.

        1. Clif

          While a sensible concern, the landlord hasn’t been introduced as a character and therefor is unlikely to be an influential person critical to the plot. Of course we still don’t know the nature of the thing, but at this point I suspect we won’t find out.

      2. Slartibeast Button, BIA

        Leaving Robin alone in Leslie’s apartment for an indeterminate period. What could go wrong?

        1. thejeff

          Yeah, the nature of Robin does suggest a flaw with my theory.

          Best case is, it’s about 5 minutes before she gets bored and orders a pizza or something.

  45. BenRG

    Damn it, Robin! You had to find the one comment that was guaranteed to derail poor Leslie’s brain! The only good thing that I see coming from that is that it’s derailed your brain too and you always think better when you’re not able to talk!

    Seriously, though, I don’t like that ‘strange car’ outside. Leslie might be being paranoid but I don’t like it nonetheless.

    1. Sunny

      “Strange cars” even, so more than just one.

    2. Dean

      It’s the Red Car Killer from Something Positive!

  46. NinjaNick

    When they kiss, the drama tag will be pulled.

    1. BenRG

      I think that the drama tag was pulled when Blaine had to be escorted off the premises during Parents’ Day. The strip has been getting darker in tone ever since.

    2. Killjoy

      This comic came with the tag already ripped off, burned, and scattered to the wind.

      Because I’ve been reading Willis’ work since the start, I have to keep reminding myself that DoA is not a “wacky” strip, it’s always been a drama/comedy with far more grounding.

      What would have been “hijinks” in Shortpacked, has far more serious implications in DoA.

    3. BBCC

      The drama tag came pre-pulled. Case in point – first strip without a joke was Joyce seeing off her parents and Becky on move in day.

  47. Acher4

    Those eyes!!!! 😀

  48. Zombycow

    ahh, the “about to have a very good time” face

  49. OldGranddad114

    getchu some girl

  50. Delicious Taffy

    They hold so much power, right now. No matter what they do (or don’t), someone is always going to thing they did it, which gives them absolutely every last bit of power over the entire universe.

    1. BenRG

      Yeah, there’s nothing more likely to induce poor decision making than the very real expectation that nothing can make this situation worse. That’s usually the chain of reasoning that leads to finding out that things can always be worse.

      1. Delicious Taffy

        I fail to see how participating in Schrödinger’s Lesbian Encounter could possibly make any situation worse.

        1. Clif

          Such a lack of imagination.

        2. Delicious Taffy

          Gay sex makes everything better, regardless of context. You could have a gun to my head, threatening to kill me if I proceed with my gay sexings, and I’d go for it anyway, confident that everything would work out for the best.

        3. Jinxed44

          I’m with you, DT!
          In theory if not practice!

          I think it would be good for them as they already have the hangup(s)!

        4. StClair

          I’m just gonna throw in two words (and one hyphen):
          “non-consensual”.

        5. Commodore Jeep-Eep

          Have you ever heard the story about feeding wild animals? They’ll come back for more, and get aggressive if refused. Robin is the wild animal.

        6. Slartibeast Button, BIA

          So Leslie should dart and tag her, so researchers can track her migration patterns?

        7. Commodore Jeep-Eep

          No, but if she puts out, it will take repeated macings and a restraining order to make Robin go and stay gone.

  51. zaratustra

    Joe’s dad there on the sidebar kind of looks like that ewok pic. You know the one.

  52. BenRG

    One possible get out: Have Robin call a news conference at which she introduces ‘respected educator’ Assoc. Prof. Leslie Bean as on of her ‘special advisors’. Professor Bean has been most forthright and blunt with her input and Robin is convinced that such unfiltered information will ensure that the Freedom of Conscience bill she is navigating through the House will be fair and properly balanced to all sides of the argument.

    If the dirty-minded liberals of the press misunderstood a clear and frank exchange of views between respected colleagues as anything other than what it was, then she cannot be held responsible for their inability to correctly interpret the evidence of their eyes.

    Yes, it’s bullshit but so is most of politics. The point is that a smokescreen like that will confuse the issue whilst giving a reason (that is actually more than halfway true) as to what Leslie and Robin were supposedly doing. “Who do you believe, me or your lyin’ eyes?” is a long-running political dodge of which Robin must be surely experienced in deploying.

    1. Cerberus

      The problem with that is that the gossip press would still want to be pursuing the angle of “Congresswoman sleeps with teacher, nepotistically gives her key position in campaign”. Especially when Roz is caught coming out of Leslie’s apartment wearing the clothes from last night.

      And that type of announcement would ruin Leslie. Like I think she would get a lot of fallout from the local queer community and students for being suspected of sleeping with Roz, but she’d get way more for actually taking a position on a homophobic campaign.

      And even more especially if Robin implied as in your example that Leslie’s approval was being used to whitewash a infamous discrimination bill that would make it harder for queer folks to survive… literally (the “conscience bill” that’s set to pass January 21st and the decision by the judge in Texas on Obama’s attempt to block conscience bills affecting people’s right to care, basically means that someone’s “conscience” not to perform medical care on a (slur for trans person) overrides their right to receive life-saving care. In short, if a trans person comes in to an ER with a heart attack or a gun-shot wound, doctors and hospital administrators would be absolutely justified in turning them away and refusing care because they have a “religious objection” to touching trans folks.)

      In your get out, Leslie would be destroyed and she’d completely lose all her allies and community and would be a name as reviled in the queer community as Peter Thiel or Robert Oscar Lopez who sold themselves off as pretty tokens for the bigots to hide behind when their homophobic legislation is called homophobic.

      1. Killjoy

        You know, honestly, despite worrying about her living arrangements and the risk to her life from wingnuts (I don’t think her job is at risk, it’s still a public university operating under federal law), I had not thought of how this could damage Leslie’s relationships inside “the community”.

      2. thejeff

        And honestly, if Leslie was willing to go that far, she would rightfully be destroyed.

        Of course, I have faith that Leslie wouldn’t go nearly that far. Sleep with the hot Congresswoman in a moment of weakness, quite possible. Especially if she’s still hoping she’ll change as she realizes she’s part of the group she’s attacking. Play patsy for her to make things worse? Not a chance.

        Honestly, I don’t think Robin could do it either – maintain an actual same-sex relationship and still keep up the facade for her job. Denial is too much of her defense and I don’t think she could keep it up for long while acting on those feelings.

      3. BenRG

        I’m supposing that I don’t have the right experiences to be able to predict that no-one would possibly imagine that Leslie working with Robin might make things better for them.

        1. thejeff

          Only if Robin actually changes her policies

      4. the final pam

        There’s also the factor of conservatives denouncing Robin publicly and continuing to go after her and Leslie for “betraying” them, if she did say Leslie was just an “advisor”

      5. Jhon

        ” “Congresswoman sleeps with teacher, nepotistically gives her key position in campaign”. Especially when Roz is caught coming out of Leslie’s apartment”

        Um, whaa? Robin is magically Roz?

        1. Cerberus

          Typos are just the way I hide my sorcerous powers.

  53. Saucistophe

    Kinky stare intensifies!

  54. Arianod

    So that was Robin’s plan all along, huh?

    1. thejeff

      Robin does not make plans. This is pure improvisation. Not even a goal.

      1. Arianod

        Dunno. I’d say bedding Leslie does count as a goal.

        1. thejeff

          Except she’s just barely consciously realizing that’s what she wants.

        2. Arianod

          I wonder…

  55. Emily

    Oh for god’s sake Leslie.

    1. Clif

      Blame the victim.

      1. Jinxed44

        Wait what.
        She is a victim of society and a victim of the press and a victim of hate.
        But if she chooses to go for this she is not the victim sexually, as she has made her choice.

        Overall, I think she’s actually been very in charge of leading the sexuality in this interaction. That line about Stephen Universe was hardcore.

        Again, Robin’s entrance was 15 flavors of fucked up. But Leslie has seem to have accepted it (at least temporarily) in not asking Robin to leave.

        So, um, Emily is not blaming the victim by voicing disagreement to Leslie’s choices I think! Ok thanks.

        1. Fart Captor

          While I agree that Emily isn’t victim blaming, you can’t just shrug off home intrusion like it was no big deaI just because she hasn’t kicked Robin out. Initially, that was because she wanted to find out WTF SHE was doing here, and now she can’t, because Robin getting seen leaving her apartment will make things even worse for both of them.

          She might be physically attracted to Robin, but she keeps pushing her away because she knows that the emotional cost of getting involved with her would be devastating. She keeps setting boundaries because she is trying to control herself and avoid a mistake she will immediately regret.

          The way Robin keeps blowing past them is not okay. The fact that Leslie might give into a distraction from how her entire life might be about to fall apart does not change that.

        2. Clif

          I have a hard time believing that Leslie has done anything wrong here.

        3. Jinxed44

          That is a valid belief as well Clif. One I agree with.
          But I think Emily is saying that she would not make the choices Leslie is making in this scenario, and wishes Leslie would make those choices differently.
          Which is also valid, and not victim blaming.

          And Fart Captor. She can still tell Robin to fuck right out of her apartment. Robin has intruded on her space, which again, is super fucked up, I agree.
          Boundaries are important.

          HOWEVER, Leslie still can remove Robin from her life right now. She still has that option. If there are people outside they wont go away anytime soon. But she can kick Robin out at any point, if not the stigma that Robin has dropped on her.

          She has not set up that boundary yet.
          She set up one last night (and generally) and that should have been respected.
          But she has not set one up here, YET.
          I’m not trying to make this mean this invalidates the past, just stating this as fact. She has a choice here again.
          And if Robin ignores that choice she will (hopefully) be in a justified world of shit.

        4. Clif

          I would like to believe that’s what Emily means, but if memory serves she was the one arguing that Leslie deleting the picture she took was an ethically questionable outcome because she should have used it to destroy Robin. here. In context, I’m doubtful I’m misunderstanding her.

    2. Tadpole7

      It should be “Oh for god’s sake Robin”. Robin’s been using one of the most celebrated and fucked up tactics for getting into someones pants. Pursue the object of your “affection” until they’re too exhausted to say no. Usually used by someone who can bring social or situational power to play as well as a lack of respect for boundaries. It’s used because it works, and not just in a sexually context.

      Leslie set all the right boundaries, removed herself from temptation and was pursued by Robin beyond all reason. And by Robins actions she’s trapped with her toxic crush and Robin keeps pushing, always pushing. Sometimes you say yes because you’re to exhausted too say no.

      Robin’s may be in denial about her sexuality but this pushing over others boundaries? It’s something she’s been doing for a long time to get what she wants.

  56. Bluewind

    I have a random non story question to ask you guys. I’m moving in a couple weeks or so. My new landlord seems very nice. We even went to grade school together and were friends. We talked a bit and caught up. Exchanged stories (she has a lovely family now). Then she said some things that kinda pissed me off (I kept my cool). It started out minor enough. We were talking about those foolish people in town and how bigoted they were. Somewhere in the conversation, I told her I was a polysexual. She said she wasn’t racist either. I explained wwhat it meant. She went on to say that it was fine and that she didn’t judge especially since she was a landlord and such things would get her in trouble. She then told me she had one renter who was a “transsexual” and that she didn’t discriminate against him and that he was a her (and so on). I found it hard to keep my cool after she repeatedly misgendered the poor woman to her new neighbor. For all she knew, I could have been bigoted towards trans* individuals and made my neighbor’s life hell!

    Then we got on the subject of religion. She was a Christian who years ago also dabbled in witchcraft but quit when she felt it brought a bad energy into her life. I shared my lovely black work tattoo (above my ankle) of a broken infinity that I designed myself and told her about how I got it when I finally had the strength to admit to someone that I wasn’t a Christian and hadn’t been for most of my life and that I was an atheist and had hid it so long out of fear. Her first question? Was I a satanist. I said no and said I didn’t believe in deities and such and that made me happy, but I still think religion can be a beautiful thing and important to a lot of people. She then fired back that most atheists are satanists even if they don’t know it. There were a few other things about atheists along those lines, but I don’t remember them.

    I think I handled myself well considering, but I doubt myself. She’s nice, good at her job, and more progressive in many of her views than a lot of people in my idiot town, but she also said stuff like I mentioned. I would be tempted to say something and often do, but she is my landlord in a small complex where she also lives. What she said before can’t be changed, but what if she says something again? Do I try to stay quiet? Do I mention how I feel about it? I’m a bit at a loss.

    1. BenRG

      Well, no-one is forcing you to be her friend and to interact with her socially. If she’s willing to keep this weird and marginal viewpoint out of your commercial relationship then, no problem.

      However, if she feels that your tenancy is somehow contingent on you interacting with her and listening to her attempt to ‘convert’ you, then you might be well advised to start looking for alternatives immediately because there is a fairly good chance that she will try to use her position to make demands of your time and, possibly, behaviour.

      I’m not sure how strong regulatory controls on landlords are in your area. Here in the UK, there are several agencies that could provide legal and regulatory support if you can show she is making unreasonable demands of you.

    2. JBento

      I want to start with an apology, because I read this: “Somewhere in the conversation, I told her I was a polysexual. She said she wasn’t racist either.” and I laughed.

      The answer of how dissenting you can allow yourself to be if you generally interact with her is contingent on a variety of factors, such as how much you need that apartment and not another, what protections your location affords you against her terminating the contract or evicting you, how bad she is (for instance, this “She then told me she had one renter who was a “transsexual” and that she didn’t discriminate against him and that he was a her (and so on)” could be actual misgendering or a clumsy way of saying “this person looks like a man but is in fact a woman,” though I’d need the exact words to lean either way) and if she’s educatable or a lost cause, etc.

      If you feel push is about to come to shove, consider taking her advice and actually joining the great trolling that is the Satanic Temple, allowing you to be an atheist and still get religious protection.

      1. JBento

        Actually, anyone who’s trans in Texas and thinks they might need any form of medical care in any point of their lives might want to look into the Satanic Temple as a survival measure. Fucking Texas.

    3. Syndicaidramon

      Regardless of what you do say or don’t say, always stay calm, cool and collected. Know that what is behind her words is ignorance, not malice. She doesn’t know any better.
      And just like how it can be frustrating when, say, a toddler rips apart or destroys something that they came across that just so happens to be precious to their parents, their parents still don’t get angry at them (or at least shouldn’t). Because they didn’t know any better, and they didn’t mean to do anything bad.

      Take the same approach, and you should find it easier to stay calm,
      And if you find it to be permissable, politely explain that she’s probably afflicted with some rather serious misunderstandings and is a bit lacking in perspective.

      I would however start with asking what she means when she says most atheists are satanists even if they don’t know it. Because chances are, it’s something along the lines of “if they’re not with god, then that means they’re with Satan”, which isn’t something you can really argue with them on, as that is probably something that is a result of a fundamental aspect of their religious doctrine, and can’t be changed, lest you get them to change their religious beliefs.
      At that point, the best thing you can do is probably to just say that you’re a person who strives to be good towards people and want people to be happy and that you don’t worship Satan, and point out that there is a difference between being “with Satan” and “worshipping Satan”…

    4. CJ

      I always though satanists were a figment of Christian’s imagination. There is a regognized church of Saran in the US?

      How can this woman have dabbled with Wicca and see a connection between satanists and atheists? The mind boggles.

      That said, if she becomes your landlord, how much time do you have to spend with her? It sounds like you covered a lot of topics you usually do not talk about with a landlord and found her to be less than trustworthy than you expected. You can either keep the relationship more distant in the future (which might have repercussions if she expects you to become buddies), you can try to educated her but from what you say, logical statement will not help much in this.
      If I were in your place, I think I’d start looking for a new place asap, because people who think about satanism (no matter which way) give me the creeps.

      1. thejeff

        There is a Church of Satan. Some other groups as well. None of them are really what Christians tend to imagine satanists as.
        About as much as wiccans are “witches”.

        As for how she can have dabbled with Wicca, she obviously recognized the seductive danger to her soul and spurned Satan’s wiles, returning to the True Church (whichever one that is for her).

        1. CJ

          Thanks for the links.
          Are Pastafari sort of a modern incarnation of the same line of thought?

        2. BBCC

          Pastafarians are a sort of parody, sort of not religion. Some take it seriously, others are just screwing around.

        3. Kamino Neko

          There’s also the Satanic Temple. They lay on the political activism a bit more than the CoS, but are basically similar.

      2. JBento

        From what I know, there is a Church of Satan, but what I was talking about was the Satanic Temple, which are two very distinct entities. thejeff gave you the link to the Church, which is the one founded by LaVey. This is the Satanic Temple:

        https://thesatanictemple.com/

        From what I understand, the whole thing was founded because US law has no protection for non-religion, so they made one up to make use of religious protection laws to protect human rights (for instance, it allows them to challenge Texas’s fetus burial law on religious grounds, because they can’t do it on “that’s just stupid” grounds). 100 to 1 chances that they picked Satanic both to make use of an already established religious figure and to troll the religious right.

        1. BBCC

          My favourite thing is when religious folks challenge bigoted laws made by different religious folks on religious grounds.

          For example – the guys that sued for marriage equality on the grounds not being able to perform marriage for LGBT+ folks violated their religious beliefs.

        2. BBCC

          Sued is probably the wrong word, but my point stands.

      3. highoffpixels

        The Church of Satan was created by Anton LaVey as an expressed critique of Christianity and its influence on American culture/government. Much of the “satanic” trappings are in place to critique Christian ideology and are not really purposefully meant to be Satanic. This is why the Church of Satan has been doing a lot to challenge “religious freedom” edicts in local government which have just been props for inserting more Christian religion into government spaces.

        That said, the Church of Satan’s beliefs are basically warmed over Libertarianism with a side of carnie folk chicanery.

    5. Cerberus

      It’s tricky because she’s got power over you as well as her other trans tenant and that’s going to limit your options for how to push back without potentially putting yours and others’ housing at risk.

      I’d say, as much as it hurts, it might be worth limiting your interactions where you can, keeping things light and doing very light pushback when it feels safe and she seems responsive, but otherwise, just mostly being polite and light.

      Honestly, landlords in America have way too much power over their tenants because other good options can be limited, especially as you note that a lot of the other landlords in your city would be a lot worse.

      I know this is a shitty answer overall, and I offer you *hugs* for dealing with it. But you’re not going to be able to put effort into activism in other situations if you’re homeless.

      That said, if she goes full bigot and starts harassing you for being polysexual or atheist or mistreating you in service or starts harassing the trans tenant and threatening to evict her, it will likely be worth fighting back while finding a different place.

      Riding out a non-ideal situation is a lot different than passively accepting abuse.

    6. Fart Captor

      Oof. If she gets defensive at the suggestion that atheists don’t worship the devil and she’s MORE progressive than most people in your area, I don’t think it’s likely you’re ever going to change her mind about that (or anything else), certainly not directly. If her tone wasn’t hostile or passive aggressive, you might as well keep disagreeing with her as long as you can keep polite and calm, but I wouldn’t hope for much. Definitely avoid lengthy discussions. Even if she seems friendly enough now, it’s probably not worth the risk.

      If her awful opinions don’t seem to affect her actions as a landlord, avoiding those topics and being polite might be the best course of action, unless you can find a better place to live. I think it’s probably about the only influence you can hope to have on her awful opinions

    7. Silly Name

      So, wait, I’m a Satanist now? The Prince of Darkness has got to start giving me these nifty rewards he always promises, then! D:<

      1. BenRG

        Oh, come on now… seriously! Do don’t actually think that he meant any of it, do you?

    8. Clif

      Bluewind, I’m not necessarily a good person to be giving advice. But… In a potentially hostile situation as a matter of tactics you don’t give someone who has power over you ammunition. A landlord is a person with a measure of power over you. Strategic considerations over-ride tactics, but only if you have a strategy in place. The fact that it’s an old friend can change the equation, but only you can decide by how much.

    9. Bluewind

      Wow… just… wow. I expected to come back to one maybe two replies. I’m honored that yall cared so much to take the time for me 🙂

      I had a very long thought out reply, but Internet crashed and erased it before I could submit, so I’ll come back later to give a proper one. I will note that moving to a different place isn’t an option as I’m on section 8, single bedroom places are limited to only 3 places in town, and the other 2 aren’t good places to live.

    10. Bluewind

      Update

      I sat down and had a talk with her. It looks like her comments came from a place of misinformation and ignorance than actual malice. I told her some of the crap I catch for being an atheist. How the law protects those with a religion from discrimination, but not those without so some got together and created fake religions like Satanic Temple to protect our rights and use to fight for equal rights on the grounds that it’s part of their religion.

      Then we talked about my sexuality. I answered a lot of questions like when did I start liking girls (the same time I started liking boys but I stayed in the closet for years out of fear and shame), what attracted me to women, should women who date butch women just date men, and so on. A lot of your basic questions and ones that were put in her head by uneducated people. I don’t think she’s ever got to talk to anyone who isn’t straight and learned what it really means to be not straight. She was fascinated like a child letting their curiosity loose.

      Then it got to trans*. I talked about the terrible bias they suffer with examples (some of which from here). I taught her some of the more basic proper terms to use. I told her about how top surgeries for transmen is statistically more dangerous than breast removal for other reasons like for women with cancer (even though there is no logical reason it should be). I talked about the importance of hormones for mental health and how much it helps transmen and transwomen (I kept it binary just to not overload her). I talked about how brain scans of transwomen even without hormones have brains closer to that of women than men. I told her how many trans* do not have bottom surgery either because of the risks, the cost, or because they are happy as is. I also told her that not having bottom surgery doesn’t mean they are still the gender they were assigned at birth; that doesn’t matter. That a transwoman without bottom surgery is still a woman.

      It was a strange conversation, one which I talked about things I normally don’t offline. But I can honestly say that I’m glad I did it and think I helped her become a better person. And yes, I totally made fun of her for thinking polysexual meant not being racist and she laughed her ass off.

      1. Fart Captor

        Woo, awesome! I’m really glad I was very wrong about it being worth trying to talk to her! Well done!

        1. Bluewind

          It’s not something I would want to do regularly for sure. It felt wrong opening up like that for the world to see and letting myself be so vulnerable (like having a pap smear in Walmart next to the greeter). She wasn’t open to everything, but she did well. I doubt she realized how hard it was for me. When you live in a town where you have to hide a lot of yourself and your opinions, talking about such things automatically makes your brain scream of danger. I’m not going to lie; I am afraid at times. Hell, even being an open polysexual I still chicken out asking a woman I like out. The atheist thing is even worse making me live with walls upon walls up and watching my words. Everybody is nice, kind, and helpful, but aren’t too keen on those who are LGBTQ+ and/or not the right religion. It may not be Texas, but it’s close enough.

  57. LWS

    And thus was born the latest Slipshine comic: “Leslie and Robin: What The Heck, They’re Already Gonna Think We Did It”

    1. Geneseepaws

      Well, the morning is a-wasting, make hay-ste while the slip shines… Or something like that.

  58. altalemur

    that is the worst and the best excuse to have sex, ever.

    1. Clif

      Not really.

    2. Killjoy

      Wrong on both counts. 😉

  59. Syndicaidramon

    DO IT! DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!!!

  60. nlips

    Innuendo? No… in YOU end-o!

  61. hof1991

    In the last two panels, the blushes got deeper and the background disappeared. Looks like they’re headed for something zipless.

    1. BenRG

      I’m still expecting something like a passionate kiss followed by both agreeing that it was an enormous mistake and trying to figure out what the hell they were supposed to do next. I’m not expecting them to discuss the matter with each other in any more useful a way than they have already because none of their personal issues will have changed.

      1. Heavensrun

        If they get to the stage of a kiss, there is no way that boulder isn’t rolling all the way down the hill unless they get interrupted.

        1. BenRG

          That’s the purpose of a worried ‘phone call from Dorothy to Leslie in response to Roz’s ‘scoop’.

      2. Commodore Jeep-Eep

        I’m more hoping for the kind of slap that leaves a hand mark from Leslie.

  62. Lulu

    I lost all hope now for a good ending for Leslie.

  63. Ethan

    Welp, this is going places. Not nice places. Maybe violence. I’m hoping for violence, ’cause that solves all the problems.

    1. Clif

      Only if accompanied by loud enough explosions.

    2. Jhon

      NOT LOUD ENOUGH

  64. MutantSentry

    The damage years of Looney Toons and Muppets have done to my psyche… I want the next panel to be that signing Frog jumping out of the draw going “Hello my baby, hello my honey, hello my rag time gaaaal….”

  65. Betty Anne

    No immediate commentary on the strip, but I wanted to stop and say congrats to Willis – Joe’s dad and Amber’s mom made me finally get a Slipshine subscription. :p

    1. David M Willis

      I WIN

      1. Clif

        Yay!

  66. tekjr

    Willis, I swear to cheese if you cut to another story-line tomorrow…

  67. Don't tell him, Pike!

    Willis, why do your characters usually say “there is”/”there’s” when they mean “there are”/”there’re”? I’m not trying to be THAT guy; I’m just curious about the reason for this obvious solecism. Is it just that it’s part of the vernacular in your part of the world?

    1. Kamino Neko

      Not just that part of the world. It’s ridiculously common.

      1. Clif

        There’s many reasons.

        1. Clif

          English as she is spoke is defined by the way native speakers abuse her — so to speak.

  68. Jhon

    To you folks who desperately want to read Shortpacked at me:
    Make yourselves useful! Answer a question I want answered:

    Is Robin still in office when she and Leslie finally get together?

    1. BBCC

      Yes and no. The first time, she’d been in congress for about a year. She’s long out of office when they get together the second time.

    2. Jhon

      Ok, thanks!

  69. Geneseepaws

    Deer in the headlights!

  70. Roborat

    I think this page needed about three more panels at the end, with the eyes getting progressively bigger in each panel.

  71. Scar Man!!!

    yesssssss. hate sex!

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