251

Attraction level
Posted on April 19, 2022 by David M Willis
A prelaunch page for the Dumbing of Age Book 11 crowdfunding is here! Coming: SOON

251 thoughts on “Attraction level”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    that’s a very different kind of “bed and breakfast”

    1. Decidedly Orthogonal

      Eating out isn’t gonna do anything to fix Asher’s problem. At best it’s going to distract him until he gets actual food.

      That said, his self awareness of his irritability and the source is… surprising.

      1. Kaidah

        Smokers are acutely aware of both the cause and effects of nicotine withdrawal induced irritability, especially when they’re trying to quit. They just aren’t always that articulate about it.

      2. ButWhyASpoon

        I think Asher has already covered Eating Out.

  2. Doctor_Who

    I notice he managed to still not explain how he got in there. Think he does windows like Sal?

    1. Thag Simmons

      I was assuming he picked the Lock

    2. C.T. Phipps

      I am going to guess: he came in through the window like Sal.

      Because he is the Anti-Sal.

      1. Alkahest

        With the sound of a crescendo?

      2. CrazyJ

        You mean like that infamous Beatles song?

      3. Yotomoe

        If he’s the Anti-sal then he would’ve knocked and then walked in through the door like a reasonable person.

      4. Proxiehunter

        Wouldn’t the anti-Sal come in through the anti-window? i.e. the door.

        1. Stifyn Baker

          Wouldn’t the Anti-Sal go OUT through the windows? Reversed polarity, and all that.

      5. AGV

        So he’s Azúcar?

        1. Shadowsnail

          nice.

    3. Laura

      Neither did he explain how he knew the occupancy of the girls’ showers.

      1. Yotomoe

        Maybe Lucy let him in and said that exact sentence to him prior to leaving.

        1. Clif

          Hey, now. No reasonable expectations.

        2. Clif

          *explanations

        3. Opus the Poet

          Either one works.

      2. Crotonhurst

        He actually only said he thinks she was in the shower, and then moved straight on to his amazement/maybe envy at the level of female interest in Walky.

        1. Thomas

          Asher’s got it all wrong. If you want to match Walky’s level of attractiveness, you don’t shower! Case in point: Asher being quick to perform a sex to Billie, who hasn’t showered either.

    4. Devious Smile

      People are still going on about that?
      Wasnt Joyce coming into the rooms of others to wake them up are regular thenback then when she was overly bubbly all the time?
      or is there an unspoke rule were only Happy Christian Girls with Triangle smiles are aloud to do that?

      1. Spencer

        Not that I think Asher’s doing anything wrong or even being kinda sus, but Joyce doing that was consistently played for laughs because the comic presented it as a joke.

        She’d do it and it’d be annoying, she did it to Sal and got strangled and then forgot that last part so she and Becky got strangled at the same time, Becky and Dina did it to Sarah one time and Joyce got really offended because they stole her job, when Joyce was visiting her folks Sarah imagined it happening as a visual metaphor of Sarah missing her.

        S’why there’s a bit of a difference between all of that and Dina doing it to Joyce’s obvious physical distress where Joyce tells her to get off and Dina says no because she needs to ask Joyce about being physically abused. Dina doing it that first strip is also a joke, it just stopped being funny when it got played for painful dramatic consequence and Joyce doing it never had those painful dramatic consequences before.

      2. Gwyn

        Joyce was a resident of the dorm in which she was waking up other residents. The question here is not so much the waking up as how did he get in at all.

        1. thejeff

          You mean like Becky wandering in and out of the dorm last semester? Or various other visitors coming in and surprising those they were coming to see?
          It’s long been clear that the dorms are essentially open.

          It was shown during Ryan’s attack that they’re locked at night, but it was implied that any student would still have access.

          Getting into Jennifer’s room is more questionable, but not really a case where Jennifer, who learned to pick locks to break into Ruth’s room, has a moral high ground.

    5. Fay

      I’d assume their door was unlocked? That would explain both how he got in and why he think Lucy is in the shower.

      1. thejeff

        That’s my assumption too.

      2. Agemegos

        That isn’t nearly nefarious enough. We need reasons to condemn Asher, and you’re not helping.

  3. The Wellerman

    ? My parasite sensors indicate another upcoming Slipshine! ?

    Sex with a student mobster… that’ll be fun to watch!! ?

    *plays “Apocalypshit” by Molotov on Hacked Muzak*

  4. Sirksome

    Can’t help but notice he dodged the question about how he got in, but also he’s really taken the time to notice how attractive Walky is and maybe that’s some bisexual energy….Also I don’t trust Asher. That is all.

    1. C.T. Phipps

      I mean, trust him to do what? He’s a murderer but he’s not going to randomly do evil.

      1. Mr. Random

        He ain’t a murderer.
        Just an accomplice.

        1. Adam Black

          thats called felony murder, conspiracy,
          & ..murder.

        2. BBCC

          Doesn’t count. A Blaine is not a people.

        3. Rowan

          I get that this is intended as a joke, but really uncomfortable with the dehumanising of people who do awful things. Pretty awful atrocities have been justified by calling the other person or group “not really human”, it just…it’s bad vibes

          (Ofc, you are strictly right, he’s a fictional character not a real person but that’s not what you meant I don’t think)

        4. Username Taken

          Blaine is a literal murdering, comic book mob stooge and supervillain. This feels like a much different vibe than othering people to justify atrocities.

          I hope you’re aight tho if that association stressed you out.

        5. King Daniel

          A very large portion (at least) of the Russian military in Ukraine is either fine with, or outright committing themselves, horrific atrocities—and I fully support Ukraine’s resistance as it fights back against the invasion. And in light of the aforementioned atrocities the Russian government is carrying out at this very moment (literally-murderous stooges committing almost comic-book levels of villainy, to slightly paraphrase yourself) there are a lot of people who understandably feel hatred for Russia…and yet unfortunately, a lot of this is being expressed through slurs and dehumanization of even the regular Russian people.

          Like, I get it on some level. It was long before my time, but I had Jewish relatives who for the rest of their lives refused to purchase any products made in Germany or by German companies as a result of the Holocaust. But still, the fact remains that I am a Russian(-American dual) citizen, and so I am supremely uncomfortable to say the very least when I see people who say things like how “all Russian people are savage orcs”, “mindless drones who deserve everything coming their way”, “backward peasants”, etc.

        6. Username Taken

          Dehumanizing a literal supervillain who wear costumes and masks and fight superheroes in comic strips while attempting to beat kids to death with a hammer is not hurting people in real life. This is not a sweeping generalization of real people, it’s an indictment of one particular fictional character for his cruelty and sadism.

          Perspective, please.

        7. King Daniel

          And my point is that dehumanization in general is Not A Good Thing™. Even immediately below me, you have Spencer arguing that it’s okay to dehumanize ableists and homophobes and other such bigots because they already so often do that to us. We’re supposed to be better than that.

        8. Spencer

          I’m already better than them by virtue of like not doing harm to someone who doesn’t immediately, intimately deserve it for doing harm to as many people as they want on the grounds that they’re entitled to it.

          Worrying about how you morally compare to a fascist is kinda like multiplying by zero.

        9. King Daniel

          Again, there is a fucking difference between “I wish [person] would die/disappear/no longer be hurting us”, and fundamentally denying their status as an actual human being. For fuck’s sake. Even a fucking Nazi should still be entitled to basic fucking human rights. WHY IS THIS EVEN A FUCKING DEBATE WITH YOU.

        10. Username Taken

          If you want to promote not dehumanizing real people, and especially not dehumanizing groups of people based on generalizations, I’m with you.

          I can do without the moralizing over whether we need to be “better than” dehumanizing Blaine or Snidely Whiplash or whatever cartoonishly evil fictional characters we encounter, though.

        11. King Daniel

          Username Taken: As long as it solely sticks to Blaines and Snidely Whiplashes and the like—sure, I can accept that at least. It’s not the kind of joke I’d personally make (and I can understand why some may still be uncomfortable over it), but as long as we’re not dehumanizing actual living-breathing-flesh-and-blood people, I’m not going to ruffle my feathers over it too much.

        12. Username Taken

          That’s a totally fair distinction to me, I’m glad there’s some understanding there between us. It’s why I told Rowan up above that I hope they’re ok after drawing a potentially stressful link from this talk about Blaine to real-world issues. That can be very serious and traumatic for people.

        13. Spencer

          I mean yeah there’s bad vibes because the one going “you’re not really human” has the power, either culturally or just with a bunch of his goosesteppers, to enact his view as he sees fit.

          I’m not people to him, I dunno why he’s gotta be people to me. My life is better if he dies.

        14. King Daniel

          Wishing death on someone in the knowledge that your life would be better if they died is not the same as ducking dehumanizing them, FFS.

        15. Spencer

          I mean I feel dehumanized when those thoughts are directed at my communities idk

          I do not feel like A Person whose life has value in these circumstances.

        16. King Daniel

          I was referring to your comment, specifically:

          “I’m not people to him, I dunno why he’s gotta be people to me. My life is better if he dies.”

          See also my much longer comment a short ways above.

        17. Spencer

          I’m aware that you were referring to my comment, I don’t know what you want to me to respond with.

      2. Sirksome

        Look it’s just a bit, but in like a general since. For example, dodging the question of how he got into Jennifer’s room, which in itself probably has a rather innocuous and excusable explanation but the fact he still avoided it, makes it more suspicious. And that sums up Asher’s character so far to me. He’s sus.

        1. True Survivor

          I agree. I think Asher is really well written. He is both at once likeable, sympathetic, flawed, charismatic, and subtly creepy. Willis really keeps you guessing about him and its awesome.

        2. Thag Simmons

          Yeah, Asher’s great. He’s been a real interesting character so far

        3. Clif

          It’ll be even more interesting once we find out that Grandfather retired and Asher’s running the mob.

        4. Thag Simmons

          I do not think Asher is that far into a Micheal Corleone story

        5. Azhrei Vep

          YET.

        6. AbacusWizard

          hella sus

        7. The Wellerman

          yeah SUS

          And this coming from an alien parasite…

        8. Keulen

          I want to hope he’s a better person than when he was younger, but yeah Asher is definitely sus.

    2. Shitbird

      Neither do I.

    3. True Survivor

      I think maybe he has a focus on Walky either because
      A) Walky punched him in the face and you tend to remember and keep an eye out for people who do that
      and/or
      B) He is jealous of Walky, whose life is (at least on surface level) incredibly carefree and full of girls who tend to sorta just fall into his lap, while Asher’s own life has likely been an endless struggle to both prove himself to his family and later to prove himself as having not been tainted by them.

      1. Thag Simmons

        We already know there’s some mutual attraction between him and Walky’s identical twin, so I’m inclined to bet on that

        1. eh, whatever

          They’re not identical! “Identical except for gender” is not a thing! They’re siblings who happen to have the same age.

        2. shanunu

          Identical except for gender could totally (and is) be a thing but just not in the case of the Walkerton twins

        3. Yumi

          True, I know multiple sets of identical twins of different genders. But yeah, Sal and Walky just look alike.

        4. thejeff

          Identical twins will have the same chromosomes, but could certainly have different gender identities.

          It’s a common fictional trope though to have twins of different sexes appear like gender swapped versions of each other, even if that’s not how real life works (at least not more than any siblings.)

        5. Thag Simmons

          They’re siblings who look extremely similar to each other.

      2. Sirksome

        I mean, I don’t know the details of Asher’s full romantic history but he pulled Jennifer and has Sal side-eyeing him. Not to objectify the fictional cartoon ladies too much, but neither of them are slouches in the looks department. He really has nothing to be jealous of Walky from in that regard.

        1. drs

          Asher wants to collect all three Walkerton siblings.

        2. egg egg

          gotta catch ’em all!

  5. Darkoneko

    so anyway, did he bribe/chat up the RA into opening the door ?

    1. True Survivor

      Possibly. He seems to be very charismatic and is as Sal claims: “Absolute Sex.” However, given his criminal background I think he probably just picked the lock or went through the windows like Sal.

      Oh here is a scary thought: What is he scrumptiously made a copy of Billie’s room key? That would explain his hesitation to explain how he entered her dormitory (though the same could be said for going in through the window, etc.)

      1. Agemegos

        “Scrumptiously”?

        1. Adam Black

          He testiculously bounced his balls through the door

        2. True Survivor

          Whoops, that is supposed to be “surreptitiously.” Though if he made the copy, out of chocolate I guess it could be both.

      2. Sirksome

        Nah, see what actually happened is he pulled out a silenced pistol and assassinated two people (one of them being Lucy) to get into this room. The whole “I think she’s in the showers” line is just a lie to buy time while he lines up an identical double to replace her with his mob connections. She’ll look and act exactly like Lucy until it’s time to enter “phase 2”.

    2. Yotomoe

      He actually just walked right through the door. It’s just a power he has.

      1. Needfuldoer

        The power to noclip through doors must have come in handy back in his juvenile delinquent phase.

    3. Thag Simmons

      I had assumed he just picked the lock

    4. zee

      I assume the door was just unlocked

      1. Agemegos

        Stop making sense!

  6. ProjectXa3

    @ that alt-text: you can scramble some eggs AND eat some scrambled eggs at the same time, heyo~

    1. RassilonTDavros

      Personally, I would never eat scrambled eggs while doing that, but that’s probably mostly down to the fact that I would never eat eggs period. It’s a smell thing; just walking into a kitchen where eggs have been cooking tends to trigger my gag reflex.

      1. Needfuldoer

        For me it’s a texture thing. I can’t stand omelets and scrambled eggs (semi-solid foam… bleh), but they’re good fried with a slightly runny yolk.

        1. cbwroses

          You are the exact opposite of me which means we are either archenemies, soulmates, or both.

        2. powerpowerpow

          Ah, the immortal dilemma of people hate the food you love. On one hand, the food you like tastes amazing and it’s a damn shame that you can’t share that love with someone with different tastes. On the other hand, they ain’t stealing your food, that’s for sure.

  7. Viktoria

    Asher, 12 months from now: Well, my charity work is complete, better get back to the dorm so I have time to feed the feral cats I’m taking care of.
    Comments section: What’s his angle? The payoff is coming, but what is it?!

    (also, the comments are correct)

    1. Cattleprod

      The charity work is a cover to gather intel on the person he’s training the feral cats to murder.

      1. Yotomoe

        I’m gonna be honest, if he trained a bunch of feral cats to murder I’d only have MORE respect for him. Try to train a cat to do ANYTHING, I dare you.

        1. Reltzik

          I can train a cat to come when called by a can opener.

        2. Needfuldoer

          You don’t train cats.

          Cats train you.

        3. cbwroses

          Which means they always wanted to murder.
          They just used Asher to provide the scenario and resources they were too lazy or distracted to do themselves.

        4. Morleuca

          I had a pair of cats that would sit, shake, one of them even jumped through hoops.

    2. Keulen

      People can do charity work and still be bad. Lots of very rich people will support charities to make themselves look better, while they continue to treat the workers at the companies they own terribly.

  8. Switchchris24

    As much as I don’t like Asher, I can approve of somebody trying to quit something that leads to one of the most painful deaths.

    1. Clif

      Yeah, those scrambled eggs are dangerous.

  9. C.T. Phipps

    Jennifer: Walky was KIDNAPPED.

    Asher: I try and forget that event ever happened for reasons.

    Jennifer: Eh, okay.

    1. Thag Simmons

      Asher: And also all of them made it out okay! They lived and were only mildly traumatized!

  10. newlland(Henryvolt)

    Is that how coping with Is nicotine withdrawal works? I ask out of curiosity and lack of experience.

    1. The Wellerman

      Well I’ve never smoked the stuff, it’s been scientifically verified countess times just how SEVERE withdrawal symptoms can get, physically and psychologically.

    2. Lan

      Well, the cravings can be ROUGH and I suspect that, on top of that, he’s also getting hangry and cigarettes are an… “effective” way of dealing with hanger.
      A good, sober, consensual fück, on the other hand, tends to make everything better

      1. Lan

        Source: myself
        And “effective” is in quotes because I want to make it clear that I do not in any way encourage or condone the act of using cigarettes as either a replacement for meals or a means of stress relief

        1. The Wellerman

          You said it slick, (safe) sex is SO much healthier! ?

          And although it’s a good idea to limit usage for the sake of tolerance, cannabis edibles are really effective too, with much less damaging side effects than alcohol or even coffee!

        2. ButWhyASpoon

          Booze, Coffee, and Weed represent the progressive
          phases of History. Whatever is cheap enough for the
          common people to consume and alter brain chemistry
          is going to change the global thought dynamic. Coffee
          brought us out of the Dark Ages. Weed will balance us
          out from the Spike from Industrialization.

        3. King Daniel

          Pretty sure coffee only came to Europe long after the Dark Ages

          (For reference, “Dark Ages” is not a synonym for the entire European medieval era, but is supposed to mainly refer to a period after the collapse of the Roman Empire in which the paucity of surviving records has left this period “dark” to modern historians with little to understand the regular goings-on of that time. By c.800 CE, the Dark Ages were pretty much over in most of Europe.)

        4. King Daniel

          The term is also used in other similar contexts; for example, the Greek Dark Ages roughly correspond to the centuries-long period between the collapse of Mycenaean Greece (in which at least some of the familiar cultural trappings already existed somewhat, but things like the pantheon were pretty different; Hades was entirely nonexistent for example, while proto-Poseidon was lord of the underworld and king of the pantheon, and probably married to proto-Demeter) and the rise of “classical” Hellenistic culture.

        5. ButWhyASpoon

          I have been corrected by a Historian. I am honored and put in my place.

        6. zee

          Why did you type it like that? Those are really awkward breaks in the sentences, kinda hard to read.

        7. ButWhyASpoon

          Formatting Issue. I didn’t mean to.

      2. Michael Lanting

        But don’t people often smoke afterwards? Wouldn’t that make his cravings even worse?

        1. Lan

          Not necessarily. The smoking after sex thing is more of a trope than a thing people reliably do in real life (although it does happen, yes). If he doesn’t want to smoke, sex can at least provide the dopamine and endorphins he needs to help quell his cravings

  11. William Leonard Reese Jr.

    Asher is openly Bi? Bi-curious? I wonder how that works with Billie/Jennifer’s “Just a phase” thing.

    1. Yotomoe

      I forget, has she stated anything to the tune of “being bi was just a phase” or is that just how people are interpreting her recent changes?

      1. BBCC

        She was saying her relationship with Ruth was a phase. I don’t recall off hand if she implied it was her whole sexuality or just her time with Ruth, though past statements (‘bisexuality only exists in porn’ and ‘Everyone likes girls sometimes’) lend some credence to the reading of her calling bisexuality as a whole a phase.

        1. thejeff

          It wasn’t clear. Easily read as just Ruth, especially with the other changes she’s been trying to make.

          OTOH as you say, she barely admitted bisexuality was even a thing while she was doing it, so it’s hard to parse. If she’s gone back to “everyone likes girls sometimes”, does that really fit with it being a phase she’s left behind?

    2. Regina phalange

      Men can notice that other men are attractive without being sexually attracted to them…. (Disclosure: I don’t know what, specifically, Asher’s sexuality is, but I don’t have any better idea after today’s strip than I did before.)

      1. Yotomoe

        That is also true. I tell my roommate he’s good looking all the time, just cuz I believe it’s objectively true.

        Though by that same merit if I thought he was ugly I probably wouldn’t bring it up.

        1. eh, whatever

          There is no such thing as “objectively good-looking”.

        2. Nono

          You can say someone is ‘objectively good-looking’ in that they have traits that are considered popular by society’s standards. Like right now it’s white, scruffy, in-shape dudes.

          It doesn’t mean that standard won’t change over time. But you can think that someone is good-looking and most of society could back you up.

        3. Christina

          I think the term “conventionally attractive” tends to serve better than “objectively” because regardless of if most people in your particular culture will agree with it, not everyone does. It’s a convention, not an objective fact.

        4. Decidedly Orthogonal

          There is _some_ science behind objectively good-looking. Studies have found that having certain measureable traits result in people being ranked as consistently more attractive. There are some obvious outliers, and we go through some fads, but still symetry and having features of measureably average proportion consistently result in those people being ranked as attractive.

    3. Spencer

      His character profile states “women want to be with him, men also want to be with him” and two of his like five appearances since the timeskip have been checking Walky out.

      I’m calling it.

      1. Christina

        You know, I looked back after you said this and Billie’s comments in this strip make it obvious to me that at least she thinks Asher finds Walky attractive, and that was the reason he acknowledged him!

    4. C.T. Phipps

      If you’re attracted to Sal, you’re attracted to Walky. It’s how this comic has portrayed it.

      1. Yotomoe

        That explains a lot about me then 😛

    5. Wraithy2773

      Possible, but speaking as a straight guy, I roll my eyes whenever I see stuff like “HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT A GUY IS HOT HE MUST BE GAY OR BI!”

      No, damn it. I don’t need to be attracted to someone to recognize that they’re hot. It’s my eyes doing the seeing, not my dick. Asher could well be just a straight guy that’s secure in his sexuality.

      1. Tan

        Last time he acknowledged Walky being hot. At this point it is starting to seem more like a fixation. Which does not mean he can’t be straight, but there’s also no reason he has to be straight.

      2. eh, whatever

        So you’re biromantic but heterosexual?

        1. Yumi

          …Why would you say this to someone who just described himself as straight?

        2. Wraithy2773

          No, I’m heterosexual and heteroromantic with functioning eyes. Do you not get that one can acknowledge someone’s attractiveness while not feeling any sexual or romantic interest in them?

        3. thejeff

          It’s interesting because women do this all the time, with societal approval, but guys aren’t supposed to acknowledge any awareness of it.

        4. Shadowsnail

          Agreed – I would be lucky to look like Adrian Paul, but I have no smooch or cuddle feelings toward him.
          Walky’s attractiveness could also make Asher feel insecure if he’s used to being the hot one around. He might keep bringing it up because he feels his status is threatened. He may even be fishing for a compliment (“Oh darling, you’re so much more attractive than any Walkerton”).

      3. Spencer

        I’m not saying you don’t have a point, I’m saying that this kind of subtext (in that it’s a dude mooning a whole bunch over the attractiveness of another dude) is all we got sometimes. If he were talking about a girl then we’d all be going off about how whoever it is he’s super hot for her body, if he were doing it in front of his girlfriend it’d be a big long tirade about how inappropriate it is to do so.

        Straight girls just had to ruin it for us, as they do.

        1. Wraithy2773

          Aye, it’s one of those nasty things that subtext and economy of storytelling causes. In reality, it’s entirely normal for a straight guy to go “yeah, that guy has got shit working for them”.

          In stories, there’s a certain impulse to only really bring it up if its relevant to the story. Sometimes that can be done just by virtue of the character being the only one in a position to comment or in service of a joke (doesn’t need to be homophobic, just the comment coming from an unexpected source, maybe followed by a “…what? I’m straight, not blind” joke), but usually writers are trying to do a lot with their scenes.

          Hence why I’m saying I’m rolling my eyes at the reaction. I get it, but it’s a trope that only really exists in fiction. Doesn’t help that someone’s already read my comment as me being not straight despite, ya know, me saying I’m straight.

        2. Spencer

          Okay and it’s also perfectly normal for a bi dude to make pointed commentary on the attractive state of another man, let alone that he is A. dating someone who has to be dragged kicking and screaming from the closet and B. the heir to a mob legacy and mobs aren’t known for their progressive values.

          Like it is also perfectly normal for a behavior to exist outside the context of how a straight does it.

        3. Tan

          > In reality, it’s entirely normal for a straight guy to go “yeah, that guy has got shit working for them”.

          Generally, no, when the context is a completely unrelated conversation, it is not very normal for a straight guy to turn the conversation to the hotness of another guy who is neither present nor being discussed. It’s POSSIBLE, sure, but not normal.

        4. Leorale

          It’s not only about how Walky is hot now, but also that there’s a disparity between Walky and Lucy’s percieved hotness, and Lucy is trying to fix that. Asher is very aware of social standing (which makes extra sense for a mob boss’s kid), and this is some pretty solid gossip.

          Related: my straight fiancé has a friend, whom he describes as the hot one, who gets a lot of attention from random women and is able to have one night stands with them. When my fiancé notices this, it doesn’t mean my fiancé is personally into his friend. It means he’s noticed a thing. He doesn’t have any resulting feelings for his friend, other than maybe jealousy of the guy’s ease with women. Their friendship remains unchanged.

          All that said, I don’t personally think Asher is a Kinsey 1. This is a comic, and Willis likes having more potential pairings. But still! Men should be allowed to notice things, even if they’re straight.

      4. Sirksome

        I think this moment is more of a bi-trigger for us, because he specifically brought it up unprompted. Walky isn’t here, Jennifer didn’t ask about him, she asked about Lucy letting him in their room. I know he was looking for a subject change but Asher went straight to “Walky is hot haven’t you noticed?” Also implying maybe Lucy isn’t as hot as he is. This at least warrants an eyebrow raise.

    6. Amós Batista

      I see no problem in Asher being bi. It would be really interesting as a character. Bi, and a mob.

  12. Yotomoe

    Asher without smoking? But ASH and Cigarettes go together!

    1. The Wellerman

      So do ASH and Pikachu, but Imma not seeing any pokemon around here.

      Although it is rather likely that we’ll see Jennifer tossing balls some time soon! ?

    2. newlland(Henryvolt)

      So does Ash and Fire but I haven’t seen him commit arsenry…atleast as far as I know.

    3. Otl1973

      And Ash and deadites.

      1. Lone Duck

        Ash and Angela?

  13. Yotomoe

    Ok so I didn’t have time to draw anything tonight but I also had a question about the nature of this thing I’m gonna draw.
    When do y’all think it should take place? I realized Walky and Billie do a good job of never being single at the same time, in fact they’re usually BOTH taken.
    https://www.strawpoll.me/46029176

    1. Mr D

      Another time period: In between the end of high school and the beggining of DoA

    2. Sirksome

      If you want to justify it somehow, they both actually broke up with their last romantic interest in the same time frame. That being the three month time skip. I’m sure there was an area in there where they were both free and could potentially have banged before finding Asher and Lucy respectively. You could make it around Halloween or even on Halloween night. That’s apparently when shit went down. It could even be canon until we actually have details.

      1. Yotomoe

        I…I hadn’t even considered that! There’s a 2-month Window where literally ANYTHING GOES. Aw shit I think Sirksome wins. That’s perfect.

        1. Clif

          Agreed. Though I’m honestly not clear why a definite time matters.

        2. cbwroses

          Cuz there might be a certain look during the time frame and there might be appropriate dialogue, maybe?

        3. Yotomoe

          Basically this. Characterization matters a lot to me and these characters have changed a lot since their debut.

    3. The Wellerman

      There’s an option here you’re not seeing — one of Amber’s fan fictions!!!

    4. newlland(Henryvolt)

      I’m caught between wanting to see a non-canon Scenario and wanting to see a different take on them sharing bed since I still wonder what could have went that night if he thought she was Dorothy the whole time, I might still have some jokes to share about that.

      1. Yotomoe

        “Dang Dorothy, Did you go up 3 bra-sizes overnight? McNuggets are amazing!”

        1. newlland(Henryvolt)

          That got a bigger laugh out of me than it should.

        2. The Wellerman

          ? Me too. Now that’s the true power of the Happy Meal.

    5. Yotomoe

      While I’ve got you guys here, What Outfits should I have them wearing? They were a lotta good stuff and I can’t quite deside.
      something fun to draw being removed would be great

      1. Yotomoe

        *wear a lotta good stuff

        1. The Wellerman

          I dunno about Walky, but Billie for SURE should just wear a long shirt with underwear and NO bra ?

        2. The Wellerman

          You know what, no underwear either ’cause why not! ?

        3. Yotomoe

          hmmm that does sound hot.
          That said I also find bras super hot…

      2. deliverything

        I probably shouldn’t be weighing in on this, given that I’m an aromantic asexual and so probably not the target audience, but… as you seem to have settled on it happening over the Halloween break, I’d like to point out that halloween costumes are an option. I’m sure there’s some potential fun to be had there…
        I’ll admit, I’m mostly suggesting this because I’m hoping Walky’s costume will be comically inappropriate for their activities.

        1. Yotomoe

          You’d think I wouldn’t see this because the next strip is up.
          But I did.
          and I’m considering.
          Though I was also thinking of having it post-halloween rather than on it.

    6. Opus the Poet

      Your poll says I voted, but 0 votes cast. Did Tucker Carlson program the poll?

      1. Yotomoe

        Clearly it’s a metaphor for the electoral college.

    7. Azhrei Vep

      Your poll says I voted (for a non-specific time whenever), but says 100% of people voted for not that.

      1. zee

        Yeah same

    8. Max

      How did you manage to break the poll? That’s mildly impressive. I voted for Walkyverse and then it told me everybody (7 people) voted for In Billie’s New Room.

  14. thakoru

    No, don’t do it, Asher! If movies have taught me anything, it’s that sex will make smoking inevitable!

    1. Yotomoe

      It’s not even like he’ll pull out a cigarette. It will just spawn into his hand post-coitus.

      1. Geneseepaws

        Quoting from old folk song:
        Cigarettes are a blight in the whole human race,
        A man is a donkey with one in his face,
        The work of the devil and a terrible bother,
        A fire on one end and a fool on the other.
        (The song of the Temperance Union)

  15. newlland(Henryvolt)

    Also that hesitancy in her no was about her being shocked he’d asked her that right? Or was that something else?

    1. Yotomoe

      Am I not even gonna need to draw this thing 😛

    2. Archieve

      It looks like he deliberately changed the subject from ‘did my roommate let you in?’ To ‘don’t you think your roommates boyfriend is hot?’

    3. Wraithy2773

      I think it was just more that she views Walky less as a friend and more akin to a (very annoying) brother.

      Might just be a segfault in the notion of vocalizing that she finds him hot.

      1. newlland(Henryvolt)

        Which is why she was shocked he put that out there right?….right?

      2. thejeff

        Jennifer definitely noticed that Walky got hot with the messy hair.

  16. Mr D

    So like, am I the only one who has noticed a thought line between Billie’s last few appearances? Walky does an off kilter joke about expanding his relationship with Lucy into a polycule (while Billie is in the room) -> Billie having dreams about her childhood with Walky -> Billie being oddly quiet about the way she “didn’t” notice how Walky got good looking in college…

    1. Yotomoe

      Don’t do this to me. I only JUST hopped on this ship. I need y’all to raise sail so quickly.

    2. Taffy

      They’re definitely gonna fuck, I agree. Although I don’t think Lucy’s probably inclined to share, considering how long she was after him in the first place, so that might be troublesome. It’s a good thing Asher is a convicted murderer with real blood on his hands from the person that he personally killed by himself with a gun. He’ll be able to help “relocate” Lucy for Billifer.

      1. Yotomoe

        To be fair, a Polycule means 3 or more. Asher can absolutely join in. Spread the love and such.

        1. The Wellerman

          Yeah! The more the merrier! ? ?

          *plays “Awaken Pillar Men” on Hacked Muzak*

    3. DailyBrad

      I do think it’d be funny if Joyce was told about Jennifer/Billie having some attraction to Walky, and her response was, “Did I manifest this?”

      1. Yotomoe

        “Billie and Walky? Did someone at least pick up the phone?”
        “What”
        “Cuz I CALLED IT”

    4. Nicoleandmaggie

      I don’t know how to feel about a walky harem comic strip.

      1. Yotomoe

        o3o Well that’s interesting cuz I like…totally made one!
        https://imgur.com/a/ZLmAETY

        1. The Wellerman

          One of my favorites!

  17. Spencer

    ykw I hope the doomposters are right about Asher.

    It makes him hotter.

  18. thakoru

    Gotta say, that book title might be the best one yet.

  19. BBCC

    I mean, either sounds like a good way to handle it. One might make your friends slightly annoyed at being held up though! XD

    As much as I wish Asher would answer the question because it tripped my red flag alarm, he and Jennifer are otherwise very cute here.

  20. LiterallyJustSomeGuy

    Raidah and Carl can wait. I’m sure they’ll understand. /sarcasm?? /question mark?

  21. Bagge

    When all you have is a hammer…

    1. Yotomoe

      Jennifer’s about to get nailed?

  22. Agemegos

    Okay. So supposing that Asher did break into Jennifer’s bedroom by some means other than simply slipping in when Lucy opened the door — why? What did he do that he couldn’t have accomplished by knocking on the door for Jennifer to let him in?

    1. newlland(Henryvolt)

      No I feel like Lucy did let him in, how els would he know she was showering?

      1. Yotomoe

        Made a pit stop 😛

    2. drs

      He couldn’t have woken Bill/Jen by looming over her, Joyce-style.

    3. Azhrei Vep

      Maybe Lucy just forgot to lock the door.

      1. thejeff

        Not locking the door when going to shower was pretty common when I was in school. Course that was a guy’s dorm and we might have been a little laxer.

  23. newlland(Henryvolt)

    By the way If Walky and Asher go through the proper steps of making up I could see them bonding over Walky introducing Asher to a number of his favorite different breakfast foods.

  24. Clif

    We know that Jennifer knows Walky is now hot. She advised Lucy to nail the relationship down. But she is definitely not admitting that to Asher. There is a distinct lack of candor on both sides, and I can’t help suspecting this is only the tip of the iceberg.

  25. Juanoku

    Oh God please don’t eat while you have sex
    That’s just a nightmare for everyone involved

    1. The Wellerman

      What about whipped cream? Or edible lube? ?

  26. brionl

    Smoking in lieu of Sex? That sounds familiar…

    Cold Turkey (1971), staring Dick van Dyke, and an all star cast including world famous Bob & Ray!

    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066927/

  27. Amós Batista

    Willis, please, stop make morally questionable characters vulnerable, so we will never have any sympathy for them.

  28. Nono

    Oh boy, I hope we’re all ready for a whole bunch of strips with Raidah!

    1. Amós Batista

      Finally! I love her.

    2. Spencer

      Yes actually.

      I am in fact in the mood right now for a character whose main personality trait “hates Sarah so goddamned much.”

      1. zee

        And I’m in the mood to see some characters be annoying, so this’ll be fun

        1. Spencer

          How dare you cast aspersions onto Carl.

        2. Thag Simmons

          Yeah, that’s unfair, Carl doesn’t have enough personality to be annoying

  29. Pearl

    I like these two together. They talk really openly and naturally with each other while also maintaining a healthy amount of space for people who have been dating for, at most, like 2 months.

    1. Clif

      Openly, naturally, and honestly with no secrets.

    2. Nicoleandmaggie

      He’s ignoring her repeatedly stated boundaries though. She doesn’t like people seeing her before she’s gotten ready and he broke into her room and is telling her he’s too hungry to wait for her to clean up before other people see her in the dining hall.

      1. alongcameaspider

        I think you (and other commentors) might be reading too much into what she said last strip

        She doesn’t seem too upset to see him

        I think she was more worried about her, Asher, or Lucy getting in trouble with their RA then anything else

        1. thejeff

          Why would they get in trouble with her RA? How does that come in?

  30. poofdepoof

    Never thought I would relate to Asher…

  31. Needfuldoer

    Aw, she misses the pseudo-brother she stepped on again to climb the social ladder.

  32. Sombrero

    Read it here first!! DoA Book 12: Can’t we just fuck or something?

  33. Sombrero

    By the way, nice decoy Jennifer! Don’t let him push you to the ARC of Doom.

  34. cbwroses

    What is the logic behind “you shouldn’t see me like this cuz I haven’t freshened up, but it’s ok to have sex when I haven’t freshened up”?
    Is it just that to limit the number of people to see her not-so-fresh?
    Cuz if not, there’s leap in logic that I’m not making.

    1. thejeff

      He’s already seen her, so why not?

      1. cbwroses

        Seen her, yes, but she also unequivocally said she stinks right now.
        So is she just exaggerating?
        Cuz if she really believes she stinks, any decent bout of sex is probably going to make that worse.

        1. thejeff

          Sure, but that provides an adequate distraction for Asher instead of eating and then she can go shower. I see the sex as an alternative to breakfast.

        2. Mr D

          It could also imply shower sex?

    2. Ereb

      protesting that you’ve just waken up, is a way to voice a) you’re feeling a bit insecure about being seen/being stinky, b) excusing the behaviour by showing self-awareness, c) inviting his consent to be with you right now.

      He said she’s fine, that she’s beautiful. That will comfort her and reassure her that she’s not being rude for not freshening up immediately.

  35. Reed

    Just wanna gauge the room, is Walky really that eminently hot to everyone? I’ve never personally seen it, so it’s always strange to me the way everyone in the comic just treats it as fact that Walky is somehow the hottest person on within their circle.

    1. Spencer

      He’s canonically considered attractive yes. But he’s “the hottest person within their circle” to:

      – His ex-girlfriend who still has feels for him.

      – His other ex-girlfriend he broke up with under seemingly harsh circumstance.

      – His current girlfriend who was bouncing up and down the walls waiting for him to make a move on her for like three months.

      It’s the hair, you see.

    2. thejeff

      It was made clear a couple storylines back that his current hair makes him hotter. Even those not previously shown to be attracted to him – like Jennifer and Asher – have commented on it.

    3. Blue

      I think he’s physically attractive, but his personality can be a turn-off sometimes.

  36. Joebo

    Is there a reason that I haven’t gotten book 10 yet?

    1. David M Willis

      Are you in Australia or haven’t filled out your address survey?

  37. Rabisch

    Asher, quit cigarettes and start smoking the pipe. It’s way better. Seems that this arc will really be on the relationship between Walky and Jennifer. Still hoping for the end of their friendship. Walky deserve better friends and already has a great sister.

  38. Adept

    Er… this is a bit weird. Is Billie ok with having sex while “stinky” but not going to the cafeteria for breakfast? I’d question her priorities, but we already knew she’s a mess.

    1. Yotomoe

      I mean I think having sex with someone you’re dating while you’re stinky makes way more sense than going out in public like that. It’s a difference in intimacy.

      1. ButWhyASpoon

        Sex will make them stinky, regardless. Or perhaps, the stink has layers. Morning Stink + Sex Stink = Don’t go out in Public.

        1. Adept

          I’m so confused. Sex does not make you “stinky” if you’re clean to begin with. Maybe my ideas about personal hygiene differ from those of Americans. I tend to have a shower before going to bed, and at the very least I’ll wash off any deodorant over the sink.

          Going to bed while sweaty or dirty sounds really gross to me. I’d feel the need to change the sheets after such a night.

  39. WAhydrohead

    ? Lets Get Brunch and Screeewww ?

  40. Yotomoe

    I am probably way too far in TMI territory by saying this but…last panel is doin’ it for me.
    And not the part that you might necessarily think

    1. Kintrex

      I’ve been on the internet long enough to see people type variations of “but what if she also smelled bad?” intended as a positive quality.

      1. Yotomoe

        There’s absolutely difference between “stinks” (attractive) and “stinks (gross) and I am not adept enough to describe what it is.

        1. Mr D

          *Comes into comment section reads that, turns around and leaves*

  41. Jenniffniff

    Is Asher jealous? Does he feel threatened by Walky?

    1. Raen

      I kinda wonder if he wants to do him.

      1. seregiel

        Considering Walky assaulted him… and weakly at that, I would doubt it. Messes up either side of the kink spectrum and general decency. Even if we alllll wanted to do it in our heads, most people don’t manifest it with fists.

  42. Shadowsnail

    Baby, I hear the blues a-callin’…
    (I don’t know much about tossed salads, but I think they are a post-shower kind of thing)

  43. Plaaaa

    Damn Billie is an awesome girlfriend

  44. DailyBrad

    Wonder if anyone who dislikes Asher (many valid reasons to do so, granted) assumes he is with Jennifer/Billie due to her rich family, like if this is a scam he’s running.

    I don’t personally think that’s the case, but still, half-surprised I don’t think I’ve seen anyone float the idea.

    1. seregiel

      I think he’d go after someone not Sal-tangental if that was the case. Less threat of fists.

  45. Tetra

    I caught up again, finally!

  46. Chokfi

    Yeah

  47. Hinoron

    “Oh fucking is always a positive alternative to anything… but now I’m wondering what it is you have against breakfast?”

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