Good thing I checked because I was going to say the same thing with different words. Before she could admit to romantic intentions for Charly, she would have to admit them to herself, and I don’t think she has.
Yeah, that’s my read as well, I would have found an additional booster “to yourself” bubble in that last panel equally funny, if not more, but it might not be the direction Willis wanted to take this convo…
That alt text cause me to remember to check Shortpacked!
I found a couple that I hadn’t read yet. It’s always a neat feeling to go there and be pleasantly surprised by new content so long after it ended.
Also reread a few others. And then some more.
The color change visually demonstrates the passage of time from panel to panel! A magnificent triumph of comics that would not be possible in any other art form!
Oh, that nameplate is like a mini-Neon Sign. So not only did she have one of those just lying around, she quickly rigged it up to her hat even though the hat clearly did not start with it.
No, it’s a translucent clear plastic with RBG LED backlighting and a controller that selects random colors to light it up. I think the controllers are on the jungle site, but you have to make your own sign.
It is nice of you to be concerned, but don’t worry. Ana is likely fine. If I recall correctly, she has missed some days before. Hopefully she just is out somewhere having a fun time and forgot to post something. She will show up again in time.
David DeLaney
okay! so 4 or 5 hours from now she’ll have claimed the top spot again?
clif
Sometimes Anna uses pseudonyms to avoid breaking a time-line she likes.
You know, I do think Carla has romantic intentions with Charlie, but I’d also find it kinda funny (in relation to this conversation) if she didn’t. There are a lot of types of attraction, interest, and desire out there! And sometimes it can be hard to tell, and I’d kind of like Carla going, “Look, I DON’T ACTUALLY KNOW.”
(I think that would be more emotional vulnerability than even saying she’s romantically interested, so doubly not likely.)
Or to say that Charlie seems interesting and she would like to be friends. I think the problem is that Carla is still stuck in a self-defensive posture of saying “I just want her to acknowledge me because I am great”. We haven’t seen much of Charlie but I think it would be hard for her to parse the intention behind that.
apparently ‘friend crushes’/someone you wanna be friends with is called a ‘squish’, which does sound cute, or might be a bit odd considering i associate ‘squish’ with like mosquitos/ants lol
As an aromantic, I really appreciate this comment and would love this line of thinking especially since we have an ace character so why not show a bit of aro confusion or various types of attraction
wouldn’t it be inefficiency by choice since walky was like “can’t you just hack the files to find out where she is?” at least there’s some lines she wouldnt’ cross
Fam this really shouldn’t be this hard, come on. Just. They aren’t even asking you to admit it to Charlie, just say “yeah I wanna ask your sister out.”
Booster is saying Carla will have to treat Charlie with understanding and patience, and I’m pretty sure a part of said understanding would involve being forthright about stuff. Charlie won’t pick hints, read vibes, or #assume stuff. TALK ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS, CARLA. IT’S NOT (completely) FOR BOOSTER’S AMUSEMENT, ACTUALLY.
I think a lot of people would struggle to be so honest about their feelings. But it’s hard for Carla specifically because she’s received so much hate for being trans. She keeps herself at a distance from other people, telling herself that she’s not like them because she doesn’t have romantic or sexual feelings. To admit that she does have those feelings, and that she likes a specific person who could reject her, would make her vulnerable in a way that could awaken some of those old memories.
This is a really kind analysis (very fitting Gravatar, tbh). And I do agree with it! For many people, myself included, talking about feelings is a skill one has to practice; and I get that a lot about Carla’s “here I come!!” attitude/walls, come from a place of needing to validate herself in an hostile world. But there’s no way to form a close relationship with other people that doesn’t involve showing vulnerability. Can Carla be a person instead of a persona with Charlie? Booster doesn’t know, so they’re asking.
… Aaaannd she keeps escalating the shenanigans. Which, hey! I’m not judging-judging her, but fam, it’s counterproductive :’33
I want to argue that this isn’t Carla’s first-ever crush; she’s been enthusiastic and vocal about being attracted to specifically Sal.
But as I type those words, I have to wonder if there wasn’t a performative aspect to that. I mean, in-universe, Sal is both Unquestionably Hot (as in, if you said you found her hot, no one would have any follow-up questions about what drew your interest), and also one of Carla’s friends. A friend who knows she’s trans and probably also knows she’s ace. A friend who wouldn’t be made uncomfortable by the stated interest, but who is also Very Straight, so there’s no danger of it needing to go anywhere after being stated.
Sal is a very safe person for Carla specifically to crush on.
Dante
HUH. YEAH.
You’re MOST DEF onto something here. Holy shit OwO!!
i think she’s just used to ppl acknowledging her/willing to talk to her even if they don’t ‘worship the ground she walks on’ but i imagine she wouldn’t have asked/been asked out by anyone yet
I do actually think Booster wants Carla to admit romantic intentions TO Charlie. I think overall this is coming from a place of “Charlie isn’t great at picking up on cues and could easily spend a long time thinking she has a cool new friend but that friend actually has Designs on her, and being secretly relationshipzoned sucks”.
It seems a bit unlikely that Carla would push the issue if the very idea of a crush makes her frown like that. Even admitting that she wants to be friends would be a good start. So far she hasn’t really examined her own motivations for wanting Charlie’s attention, and Booster is better qualified to unpack that than Charlie would be.
Li
Hah, just finished a more thoughtful reply to you above.
Carla’s very tsundere. Specifically the type where the writer actually thought about what would cause that kind of behavior and worked it into her whole characterization. AKA the great and interesting type. (I like tsun characters, but there are definitely some who are just tsun because their creators like the Gap Moe*, or worse, who were added to fill out a cast of characters when their creator hates tsundere characters but wants to appeal to people who like them, lol.)
*Gap Moe is the Japanese term for when the contrast between two sides of a character’s persona is cute or otherwise appealing. Super tough and grim-faced older male characters who are then surprisingly soft and kind to children or small animals? An example of gap moe. Leverage‘s Elliot has some fantastic gap moe going on.
145 thoughts on “Unsettling”
NGPZ
boom, boom
NGPZ
(i sure hope i did this earthling meme thing right)
clif
Hold my hat.
IMPROVED REPLACEMENT MIKE SCORES AGAIN!
True Survivor
You have at last claimed the coveted position atop the comment board?! My God, the dark prophecy was true after all. Everybody, run for your lives!!!
NGPZ
Booster be scheming here for reals, heheheehee XD
*plays “Count Bleck’s Plan” from Super Paper Mario*
NGPZ
Either that or i had me too much fixer elixir heheheehee
Dante
hats off to youuu 8DD
ktbear
Bazil Brush? Not sure where the fox fits in?
Doctor_Who
“Admit I have FEELINGS?! That makes me feel ANGRY!”
Opus the Poet
Good thing I checked because I was going to say the same thing with different words. Before she could admit to romantic intentions for Charly, she would have to admit them to herself, and I don’t think she has.
asmodai27
Yeah, that’s my read as well, I would have found an additional booster “to yourself” bubble in that last panel equally funny, if not more, but it might not be the direction Willis wanted to take this convo…
JA
You have admitted a feeling. This is great progress!
Kim
Damnit, Willis. ”You can’t just have your characters *announce* how they feel!”
anon
I mean, i imagine half the cast are emotionally constipated
and congrats to shortpack for the bday /anniversary!
clif
But we don’t celebrate it till April 1.
It used to be about pranks, but now it’s about waiting up till the new strip drops.
Animedingo
She memed
AbacusWizard
those two final panels are absolutely perfect, the utter pinnacle of sequential art, no notes
Dante
Off-the-charts satisfying, yepppp [chef’s kiss]
Cholma
“wut.”
“I don’t *have* feelings! How dare you!”
sdrainbow
ok I have to admit it
I was going back and rereading the Charlie strips and one of them featured Jennifer doing a big :C face that I found absolutely hysterical
so I have to give Carla credit for doing the same face. it’s such a funny face.
NGPZ
To Shortpacked:
Happy Birthday to you!
The world is a zoo!
We wish you a great party!
And some sweet presents too!
? ? ? ? ? ?
Rose by Any Other Name
That alt text cause me to remember to check Shortpacked!
I found a couple that I hadn’t read yet. It’s always a neat feeling to go there and be pleasantly surprised by new content so long after it ended.
Also reread a few others. And then some more.
Needfuldoer
There’s a new Shortpacked! every April 1st, with a bonus update once in a blue moon.
Jo_cubstar
Wait what?! There is?! I thought it’s been done for years. How did I not know this. I feel like such a terrible fan. :'(
cbwroses
Seeing the name change colors made me think it changed BCUZ she frowned.
*Carla intensifies*
AbacusWizard
The color change visually demonstrates the passage of time from panel to panel! A magnificent triumph of comics that would not be possible in any other art form!
Dean
I like to imagine that between panels, Carla reaches up, takes the sign off her hat and replaces it with a different one.
Thag Simmons
Oh, that nameplate is like a mini-Neon Sign. So not only did she have one of those just lying around, she quickly rigged it up to her hat even though the hat clearly did not start with it.
brionl
What? You *don’t* have a hat with a lighted nameplate?
Thag Simmons
Carla clearly didn’t prior to today either! She just had a hat and a lighted nameplate and she quickly brought them to together.
JA
Some of us don’t have a trust fund.
clif
brioni – not yet.
Opus the Poet
No, it’s a translucent clear plastic with RBG LED backlighting and a controller that selects random colors to light it up. I think the controllers are on the jungle site, but you have to make your own sign.
Adept
How do some of you seem to have custom avatar pics?
David DeLaney
because that’s what we told gravatar to use as our gravatar, rather than not specifying and letting this site assign one
Jo_cubstar
Is Ana ok? There are a lot of comments and she’s not here yet
Jeremiah
The time cops finally got her.
True Survivor
It is nice of you to be concerned, but don’t worry. Ana is likely fine. If I recall correctly, she has missed some days before. Hopefully she just is out somewhere having a fun time and forgot to post something. She will show up again in time.
David DeLaney
okay! so 4 or 5 hours from now she’ll have claimed the top spot again?
clif
Sometimes Anna uses pseudonyms to avoid breaking a time-line she likes.
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2010/comic/book-1/01-move-in-day/home/#comment-430
Thag Simmons
I wouldn’t assume anything bad unless she’s gone for a while. Sometimes folk just get busy with other things.
bootshivers
Charlie’s lucky to have a twin lookin’ out for her, they really care a lot about her feelings!
Alongcameaspider
I just noticed Fuckface is sitting on Carla’s head
David DeLaney
*Carla’s hat
–Dave, now check back a few strips
Yumi
You know, I do think Carla has romantic intentions with Charlie, but I’d also find it kinda funny (in relation to this conversation) if she didn’t. There are a lot of types of attraction, interest, and desire out there! And sometimes it can be hard to tell, and I’d kind of like Carla going, “Look, I DON’T ACTUALLY KNOW.”
(I think that would be more emotional vulnerability than even saying she’s romantically interested, so doubly not likely.)
Erica
Totally. In college I had several hardcore friends crushes
Steelbright
Yeah, I gotta say it would be refreshing if her feelings weren’t really romantic? It’d at least be funny watching Booster figure that out
HueSatLight
That’s probably an accurate answer even if she does have romantic interests.
Bash
Or to say that Charlie seems interesting and she would like to be friends. I think the problem is that Carla is still stuck in a self-defensive posture of saying “I just want her to acknowledge me because I am great”. We haven’t seen much of Charlie but I think it would be hard for her to parse the intention behind that.
anon
apparently ‘friend crushes’/someone you wanna be friends with is called a ‘squish’, which does sound cute, or might be a bit odd considering i associate ‘squish’ with like mosquitos/ants lol
Taffy
“Hey, I have a squish on you.”
“I’m calling the police.”
HueSatLight
I thought ‘squish’ was like a foot fetish on overdrive.
Jo_cubstar
As an aromantic, I really appreciate this comment and would love this line of thinking especially since we have an ace character so why not show a bit of aro confusion or various types of attraction
anonymsly
Pick one, Carla. Either admit your crush and be introduced, or cling to this weird pride thing and go on being an inefficient stalker.
clif
Inefficient stalker it is.
anon
wouldn’t it be inefficiency by choice since walky was like “can’t you just hack the files to find out where she is?” at least there’s some lines she wouldnt’ cross
Dante
Fam this really shouldn’t be this hard, come on. Just. They aren’t even asking you to admit it to Charlie, just say “yeah I wanna ask your sister out.”
Booster is saying Carla will have to treat Charlie with understanding and patience, and I’m pretty sure a part of said understanding would involve being forthright about stuff. Charlie won’t pick hints, read vibes, or #assume stuff. TALK ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS, CARLA. IT’S NOT (completely) FOR BOOSTER’S AMUSEMENT, ACTUALLY.
sultryglebe
Though finding being a good sibling amusing sets up a fun potential in-law vibe.
Dante
Absolutely agreed |DD This is for Charlie, but nothing forbids Booster from enjoying it.
Bash
I think a lot of people would struggle to be so honest about their feelings. But it’s hard for Carla specifically because she’s received so much hate for being trans. She keeps herself at a distance from other people, telling herself that she’s not like them because she doesn’t have romantic or sexual feelings. To admit that she does have those feelings, and that she likes a specific person who could reject her, would make her vulnerable in a way that could awaken some of those old memories.
Dante
This is a really kind analysis (very fitting Gravatar, tbh). And I do agree with it! For many people, myself included, talking about feelings is a skill one has to practice; and I get that a lot about Carla’s “here I come!!” attitude/walls, come from a place of needing to validate herself in an hostile world. But there’s no way to form a close relationship with other people that doesn’t involve showing vulnerability. Can Carla be a person instead of a persona with Charlie? Booster doesn’t know, so they’re asking.
… Aaaannd she keeps escalating the shenanigans. Which, hey! I’m not judging-judging her, but fam, it’s counterproductive :’33
Li
I want to argue that this isn’t Carla’s first-ever crush; she’s been enthusiastic and vocal about being attracted to specifically Sal.
But as I type those words, I have to wonder if there wasn’t a performative aspect to that. I mean, in-universe, Sal is both Unquestionably Hot (as in, if you said you found her hot, no one would have any follow-up questions about what drew your interest), and also one of Carla’s friends. A friend who knows she’s trans and probably also knows she’s ace. A friend who wouldn’t be made uncomfortable by the stated interest, but who is also Very Straight, so there’s no danger of it needing to go anywhere after being stated.
Sal is a very safe person for Carla specifically to crush on.
Dante
HUH. YEAH.
You’re MOST DEF onto something here. Holy shit OwO!!
anon
i think she’s just used to ppl acknowledging her/willing to talk to her even if they don’t ‘worship the ground she walks on’ but i imagine she wouldn’t have asked/been asked out by anyone yet
Li
I do actually think Booster wants Carla to admit romantic intentions TO Charlie. I think overall this is coming from a place of “Charlie isn’t great at picking up on cues and could easily spend a long time thinking she has a cool new friend but that friend actually has Designs on her, and being secretly relationshipzoned sucks”.
But unsure. We will see.
Bash
It seems a bit unlikely that Carla would push the issue if the very idea of a crush makes her frown like that. Even admitting that she wants to be friends would be a good start. So far she hasn’t really examined her own motivations for wanting Charlie’s attention, and Booster is better qualified to unpack that than Charlie would be.
Li
Hah, just finished a more thoughtful reply to you above.
Carla’s very tsundere. Specifically the type where the writer actually thought about what would cause that kind of behavior and worked it into her whole characterization. AKA the great and interesting type. (I like tsun characters, but there are definitely some who are just tsun because their creators like the Gap Moe*, or worse, who were added to fill out a cast of characters when their creator hates tsundere characters but wants to appeal to people who like them, lol.)
*Gap Moe is the Japanese term for when the contrast between two sides of a character’s persona is cute or otherwise appealing. Super tough and grim-faced older male characters who are then surprisingly soft and kind to children or small animals? An example of gap moe. Leverage‘s Elliot has some fantastic gap moe going on.
Nono
Actually this is perfect. Solving the ‘uselessly indirect lesbian’ problem along with the ‘Charlie doesn’t understand subtlety’ problem.
Opus the Poet
+1
Dave Van Domelen
The commoner is quite unsettling.