Frenemy
Posted on January 4, 2026 by David M Willis

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Tags: ruth, sal

193 thoughts on “Frenemy”

  1. Dot

    So uh, police raid plotline over? I guess?

    1. apocryphascribe

      I wouldn’t jump that gun just yet! (mainly because I’m holding out hope)

      1. Wraithy2773

        “I wouldn’t jump that gun just yet!”

        …phrasing.

        (I reserve the right to say “CALLED IT” if something horribly tragic does happen)

    2. NGPZ

      I wouldn’t be so sure.

      It’s only been like 10 strips and we have yet to see our star crossed lovers encounter the pigs

      1. Risky

        It’d be weird if nothing happened with the slipshiny new combiners after the last time we saw them. DJ were actively incriminating everyone they know via sms last, according to the comments. Still seems likely to escalate. Also if the cops have moved along, they might have already picked someones up.

    3. AMagicalDuck

      This raid may be over but I doubt they’ll just give up

    4. KtBear

      Moved on, like I can see Jennifer getting busted for this

      1. Adept

        Billie is also the right size and shape for Amazigirl, and she’s an athletic cheerleader.

        1. Needfuldoer

          She’s almost a foot too tall.

        2. Big Z

          One of the first things a great number of chuds do when they lose a fight is exaggerate the size of their assailant, though.

        3. Throwatron

          Favorite joke in all of ATLA is probably still Toph being represented by a jacked dude in the Ember Island Players, because absolutely nobody who lost to her would admit they got their shit totally rocked by a blind teen girl.

    5. Pocky

      I’m sure police will be raiding another campus first thing in the morning

    6. Thag Simmons

      I think the active threat is over but the status quo change it represents in terms of Amber/AG’s relationship to the cops and to Asher will be relevant going forward.

    7. Effie

      My bleary eyes read the first comment on the page as “police raid paladins over?” and I knew we had some relationship paladins around but I hadn’t heard of any police raid paladins and I was sort of intrigued for a moment

      1. Thag Simmons

        I’m sure there’s people who would, although I can’t imagine many actively reading this comic.

    8. ESM

      A police raid isn’t truly over until they shoot somebody.

    9. Needfuldoer

      Not until they figure out Amazi-Girl is actually…

      Red Herring!

      1. Aquila

        “Red Herring”, is he/she Marvel or DC?

        1. deliverything

          Neither. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Pup_Named_Scooby-Doo :
          Red Herring (voiced by Scott Menville) – The town bully, who often torments the gang but is always thwarted. Fred often accuses him of being the villain, but is mostly incorrect. He is the villain in “Night of the Boogey Biker”, but Fred does not verbally accuse him due to Daphne betting that he cannot not go a day without accusing Herring. His name is a reference to the idiom “red herring”.

          Or possibly the 1925 world light welterweight champion.

        2. deliverything

          Oops… should’ve given a spoiler warning. Sorry.

        3. Leorale

          No worries, I don’t think anyone was planning to savour the artful suspense of ‘A Pup Named Scooby Doo’

        4. Cinnibar

          Well… NOW, I’m not.

    10. Da Boy

      They are still around so things can still go badly… and who knows maybe someone like Raidah will do some snitching? Billie was pretty vocal bout her Amazi Girl Sal ideas.

      1. Shogeton

        I think Raidah has several very unpleasant traits. I don’t think she’d snitch to police, even about Joyce, who’s the top of her shitlist. She cares about the protest, and these cops are obviously enemies to the protest. Snitching is both something she’s historically been very opposed to, not to mention is a really bad look for someone trying to be a lawyer.

        Now Mary? Mary I could absolutely do it. But I don’t think she knows anything to snitch about.

        1. thejeff

          Maybe I’m missing something, but why would reporting a crime to the police be a bad look for someone trying to be a lawyer?

          There’s no attorney-client privilege here or anything.,

        2. Embe13

          if she plans to be a prosecutor then snitching may be seen as a positive. if she intends to be a defence laywer or go corperate law then a history of snitching could be detrimental to her employment prospects

        3. thejeff

          Definitely a thing they teach in pre-law.

      2. Dot

        No one has yet to articulate any reason why Raidah would be inclined to snitch to the police beyond “I don’t like her.” Her politics are firmly left-wing, it’s reasonable to assume she wouldn’t go out of her way to talk to the cops.

        1. Da Boy

          To be fair I only used her because she was the first person that came to mind who might want to use the situation to get back at the main cast. But also you’d be surprised what people do for the sake of pettiness.

        2. Freemage

          I don’t know that I’d say they are ‘firmly’ left-wing, but I agree she tilts that way, so long as it doesn’t cost her anything. And I concur with your larger point that she isn’t likely to narc to the cops on just about anything–and I say this as one of her bigger critics.

        3. Big Z

          While I’m not in the camp that thinks Raidah would, she’s also the kind of person who is interested in working the system, and lord knows a law-and-order reputation has historically helped more than it’s harmed the average American politician/AG/prosecutor.

        4. Dot

          It’s a leap to assume that Raidah is interested in pursuing a prosecutorial position. The only specific areas of law she’s expressed opinion or interest in is civil rights litigation, and those types do not tend to be partial to pigs.

        5. thejeff

          Unless I missed something, the only interest she expressed in civil rights litigation was to praise Jacob’s brother, mostly to motivate him.

        6. Dot

          Yes, and that’s the extent to which she has expressed any specific interest in any specific area of law.

    11. Acher4

      Doubtfull that it’s over so easy….

      But I guess ‘some specific’ commenters really want some police justice on our protagonists…
      <.<

      1. Big Z

        I sincerely hope you figure out how to quantum leap back into whatever timeline you are reading comments from.

        1. Embe13

          they are likely referring to the hate readers over on reddit to only read to be able to post horrible comments about horrible things happening to characters because the characters don’t conform to their specific expectations.

        2. Big Z

          Bringing that energy over from reddit is needlessly provocative and hostile. Go fight ’em there.

      2. Taffy

        Name names, troll.

      3. Thag Simmons

        I don’t think that’s what people mean when they say they want to see consequences

      4. Dandi_Andi

        Are ‘some specific’ commenters in the room with us right now?

      5. zee

        Please list out the people who said they want dotty and Joyce to get arrested or police brutalized for the crime of cheating and being boring. Come with receipts or stop trying to start shit when it has nothing to do with the page

        1. Taffy

          This weirdo isn’t capable of giving legible receipts. Best you’re gonna get is the equivalent of a sticky note with “I bought this flashlight from here” on it.

        2. zee

          I’m just gonna keep flagging this shit stirrer every time they try this annoying bullshit, literally just looking for a fight

        3. Taffy

          Some people don’t drink enough London PubⓊ Steak & Chop Sauce, and it shows.

        4. Da Boy

          They should drink some home made moonshine, it chills you out.

        5. NGPZ

          they acting like an agent provocateur if I ever seen one

      6. Dot

        You are an incredibly annoying troll, and I hope you knock it off soon.

    12. Steamweed

      Nope, not over. The cops all did the pretend walk-away tippy toe thing, stomping away at first, then getting more and more quiet. Now they’re waiting quietly in the closets (’cause they’re all closeted, see?) for A-G to let her guard down.

      (and since sal is a-g, this is tension time!)

  2. Yumi

    Sal’s acting pretty chill in panel 1, considering what she might have been (to her knowledge) walking into.

    1. Decidedly Orthogonal

      Chill always. But it’s also winter still… innit?

      1. Jon

        It’s still the Monday after the protest.

        1. NGPZ

          and if that, a very I Hate Mondays Monday if you know what i mean

    2. Betsumei

      Showing panic is telling authority figures something. Specifically, telling them to pay attention. She’s smart enough to not do that.

    3. Pocky

      Ay, lookit Sally Tight Lips over here!

      She ain’t gonna say nuthin ‘bout nuthin!

      1. Steamweed

        And to nobody no-how.

    4. Throwatron

      Of all the characters, she’s the most used to these sorts of stakes. Pigs oinking and mucking around? This is just Tuesday to her.

  3. TJ

    the fact its been seemingly wrapped up so clean makes me a little worried about when itll crop back up

    1. Kyrros

      “[…] when it will ‘cop’ back up”…?

      (Sorrynotsorry)

  4. Doopyboop

    Consider it plausible deniability, Ruth.

  5. Mr. Random

    She has cause for her views.

  6. Rosicrucian

    So Sal is going to do all the proper due diligence stuff these other dorks were spinning their wheels about.

  7. QueenofSodor

    these two should make out

    1. Decidedly Orthogonal

      Yes! But make what, and out of whom?

      1. Rosicrucian

        Make ornamental windchimes out of people’s femurs.

        1. Thing 2

          Oooo, I like it.

  8. AshleyMagica

    Huh. Is this the first time Ruth and Sal have interacted?

    1. Yumi

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/tag/ruth+sal/

      They haven’t interacted much (a number of the strips they’re both in don’t actually have them interacting), but we have seen moments between them before.

    2. Astariel

      Nope.

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/tag/ruth+sal/

      Notably, Sal nearly attacked Ruth early on when Ruth was harassing Billie, and later, Ruth broke up the big Sal/Amber fight.

  9. IntangibleMatter

    Common “never trust an authority figure” Sal W

  10. not someone else

    You’re a damn good woman, Sal.

    1. not someone else

      Kind of weird how different the vibes are from “good guy”. Or even “gal”.

      1. Nono

        Well the gendered equivalent of that would be “good man”, which has a similar vibe?

        1. Effie

          I’m thinking being a “damn good” anything is kinda different vibe from being a “good” that same thing

  11. Bill Erak

    “Caped frenemy” is such a gayass way of describing it though. It would be hilarious if Amber were dating Walky and AmaziGirl Sal.

    1. Rose by Any other Name

      I would absolutely support that ship pairing.
      The garbage scowl and the Amazi-Salboat.

      1. jeffepp

        Sibling timeshare.

        1. Throwatron

          holy FUCK i snorted

    2. Nono

      Maybe Ruth really wanted Jennifer to wear a cape.

      1. Doctor_Who

        It occurs to me that Jennifer’s cheerleader outfit is the same general color scheme as Amazi-Girl’s costume, so add the cape and mask and you’ve basically got a full “Fanservicey Amazi-Girl” cosplay going.

        Daisy must never possess this information.

        1. Throwatron

          Have we considered just hiring a giant woman to suplex Daisy? To completion??

    3. DailyBrad

      Man, if Becky not getting Joyce made her lose faith in God, would Sal getting with a woman other than Marcie make Marcie like, spontaneously heal her voice box so she could curse out the heavens?

      1. Bill Erak

        I feel like Marcy would be a bit hurt but she’d ultimately shrug and be like “Eh, I got malaya now”

      2. Freemage

        Do we know for a fact that Marcie was actually into Sal?

        1. Astariel

          Yes.

          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/04-vote-for-robin/fair/

  12. Rose by Any other Name

    That was awkwardly phrased, Sal.
    You should have said: “… but ah still don’t tell nothin’ to no authority figures.”
    That way you don’t interrupt your clause.

    1. Dot

      “Ah’ll interrupt YOUR clause”

      1. Taffy

        Santa sweats nervously

        1. Clif

          Santa has good clause.

    2. Nightsbridge

      Hm. Dunno why, but that way of phrasing it actually sounds more awkward.

  13. C.T Phipps

    Sal knows that Ruth and Jason are still servants of the ManTM even if they’re stormtroopers working for the Galactic Empire.

  14. Rosicrucian

    You know, I’m starting to have doubts it was Asher that warned Amber.

    Because you’d think he’d have warned Sal too.

    1. Astariel

      Why would he warn her? The cops weren’t looking for her and he didn’t know she was hiding the costume. It’s more secure to spread the information to as few people as possible.

      1. Rosicrucian

        At the least he’d know Amber is in no state to haul ass on her own (in spite of what she thinks, or did) and that Sal was helping Amber.

        1. Thag Simmons

          Seems entirely plausible that he’d warn the person actively being targeted and hope that she could wrangle whatever assistance she needs on her own, especially if he’s trying to minimize traceable evidence of his involvement.

        2. Dot

          Not relevant but nice Primrose icon.

        3. Thag Simmons

          I felt like I was spoiled for choice, there’s so many good sprites in Demonschool. Some of Faye’s more unhinged faces were very tempting.

          But Primrose is just my favourite. She’s such a fun character and I really like all her sprites

        4. Dot

          I’m a Namako girlie myself.

        5. Thag Simmons

          Namako is also just delightful. So much fun to play and she has such good chemistry with Faye. She might be my favourite phaser, and Aina and Kestrel are tough competition

        6. Throwatron

          Plus, he has literally been willing to throw Sal to the wolves before. He’s trying to be better, allegedly, but he could just as easily think “well, Sal literally isn’t the guilty one, so she can take the heat, and probably beat the case.”

          It’d be a dick move to Sal, but it might also be true. All photographic evidence of AG ever obtained, would support that Sal isn’t AG, and IIRC they’ve even been in the same places at the same times.

          So, it could have been an oversight, it could have been a deliberate play, or it could have been smartly minimizing contact to only the most necessary parties. Hopefully time will tell.

    2. Kyrros

      Who knows, maybe this will become Amazigirls’s “Year One” arc, and the anonymous text is some sympathetic ‘detective Gordon’ figure in the local LEO dept.

      … probably not, but it’s fun to think about nonetheless.

      I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Asher. If anything, spending all that time with Ethan lately may have even made him more likely to want to ‘do right’ by Ethan by protecting Amber even more than usual.

      (Who knows, with all the texting he’s done with various characters in previous strips, there a decent chance we’ve already seen his number visible on someone else’s phone like Blain’s or someone else entirely…?)

      1. Throwatron

        Shit, it just occurred to me that it could literally be Ethan, purely based on his proximity to Asher. We don’t know if he knows much about Asher’s affairs, so therefore, we also don’t know that he doesn’t. I’ve seen nobody suggest that possibility, and it belongs on the corkboard.

  15. Nono

    Only tangentially related but I only just realized that Sal and Jennifer are (I think) the only POC in Read Hall that were paired with another minority (each other).

    Sarah was paired with Joyce (and Dana her first year).
    Dina with Amber.
    Sierra with Dorothy.
    Roz with Mary.
    Walky with Mike.

    1. TulipKitten

      Walky is paired with Booster now, so that’s not true at the moment.

      1. Nono

        Yeah I meant initial room assignments, since room transfer requests would obviously shake things up (Sierra is presumably paired with Mandy and/or Grace now, for instance).

        Wonder if that was a deliberate move by the school to encourage mixing of white/non-white students.

        1. Thag Simmons

          Sierra is paired with Agatha now

  16. ClaudeLemieux

    Sal is dope. She’s got a good head on her shoulders, if she had parents who appreciated her, she’d be doing great.

    1. spriteless aunty

      heck she’s doing great without!

  17. C.T Phipps

    Ruth works for the university and the Evil Puddi….DAMMIT, Chloe is NOT evil. Keep reminding yourself of this, Charles.

    It’s the sandy brown hair! It reminds me of family.

    Yeah, I was certain that was revealing that Chloe was just like HR in corporations. At the end of the day, her job wasn’t to help Ruth but to just help the university avoid liability and to please one of their donors. It’s why I was predicting something malevolent with Asma (who is extra vulnerable as a politically active muslim woman on staff). I was, of course, completely wrong but the conspiracy theory got deep in my head.

    1. Astariel

      You weren’t the only one. After the thing with Ruth’s grandfather, I was pretty sure she was evil too, but apparently she’s well-meaning but oblivious.

    2. Rosicrucian

      RAs are older students. Their job is mainly to be there as an ear for disputes, and to flag up problems to their RD if something is above their pay grade.

      RDs are actual adults and unlike RAs do not live on-campus. They’re an awkward combination of building superintendant and crisis support and counseling. They’re often in over their heads, but they’re not far up the tree to make actual decisions on important things, though they can advocate for the students in their residence halls.

      Chloe absolutely got told how she was expected to handle Ruth and Billie, and unless she sees actual abuse her hands are pretty tied with regards to parents or guardians.

      Clint knows how not to set off red flags to authority figures. Nothing Clint said to Chloe was evidence of an abusive relationship.

      1. Leorale

        Agreed. Clint is a sneaky kind of abuser, who is significantly harder to spot.

        He doesn’t lose his composure, or run down halls shouting threats, or say any of the really terrible things where anyone with any power can hear him. Instead, he purposely presents that he’s a stern-but-respectable veteran grandpa who just wants what’s best for Ruth — in order that people will believe him instead of his victims, in order that he can reinforce to his víctims that nobody will believe them and they’re all alone.

        And Chloe isn’t sneaky at all, she falls right for it.

        (And none of us is immune to falling for these acts, when abusers do them in real life. It’s a problem.)

        1. thejeff

          Hell, a good chunk of commentators fell for it in that initial scene with him and Chloe, despite others pointing out all the red flags. Up until they left the room and he turned on Ruth.

          Still, Chloe should have seen it. There were enough signs, especially in Ruth’s behavior, but it’s not surprising she didn’t.

        2. C.T Phipps

          Yeah, I was so on my edge that I assumed her helpful conversation with Asma was setting up a sudden but inevitable betrayal.

  18. ZombieKyrik

    As much as I feel like Ruth is somewhat trustworthy; I wouldn’t tell her anything.

    1. Nono

      And even if she was on Sal’s side, she would need the plausible deniability.

      1. Throwatron

        The second thing is way more important. People really, really underestimate the extent to which ignorance can be something that works in your favor. Knowing less things can be sick as hell.

  19. John Campbell

    If you don’t know, it can’t be interrogated out of you.

    1. C.T Phipps

      Don’t worry, Ruth will confess after enough illegal interrogation.

  20. ADLegend21

    phew…crisis averted…..do NOT let Joyce blab about this!

  21. Kyulen

    Considering what Sal has probably been through, I really can’t blame her for not trusting authority figures.

  22. NGPZ

    Happy Full Wolf Moon viewing to all who celebrate ^^

    time to get stoned XD

    1. Throwatron

      i dont know what this means but im gonna get stoned anyway. in solidarity.

      1. NGPZ

        It means theres a full moon and those are always cool

        this month is called a Wolf Moon

        i also have a furry friend from the UK who howls at it every time, always fun ^-^

  23. Rosicrucian

    I feel like where we’re going is Dorothy convinces like every female student in the hall except Amber (and Mary) to do an “I am Spartacus.”

    And then we smash cut to all of them in holding cells and Dorothy admits that she didn’t think this through.

    1. Throwatron

      i’d unironically love that, what a punchline

  24. Shakes

    Ruth is hardly “The Man.” Barely even “Some Dude” on that scale.

    1. Rosicrucian

      She’s still gotta report it if she catches wind that someone on her floor was kicking cops in the face.

      1. Bill Erak

        Yeah, like she should’ve reported Becky living there. Or Fuckface which I’m… fairly certain she knows about at this point?
        Nevermind that she ALREADY knows who Amazi-Girl is

        1. Thing 2

          The cops haven’t *said* they are looking for AG…

        2. Rectilinear Propagation

          They might when they finish looking and don’t find her.

      2. Pappenheimer

        She could always Sgt Shultz it.

    2. Nymph

      An authority figure is an authority figure.

    3. Dot

      She is an authority figure and she holds power over Sal in their social dynamic.

  25. Juanoku

    What is Ruth wearing? A shirt over overalls over another shirt?
    Why do you need a second shirt? If you’re cold get a jacket

    1. Thing 2

      A shirt over overall over a T-shirt or what I would call a vest (but A aware that vest in the USA means what I would call a waistcoat) but have no knowledge of the name of in the USA. A combo I wear a lot in winter.

      1. Clif

        Any place where your noise hairs can freeze in winter demands as many layers of clothing as you can get.

        1. Doopyboop

          Plus the ‘shirt’ beneath the overalls looks like a basic tank top or camisole, basically there to make sure nothing’s peeking through the overalls that she doesn’t want there.

        2. Astariel

          I figured that was a bra under the overalls.

    2. Holly

      She’s indoors, jackets are for outdoor use only. Indoors overshirts, shawls, jumpers, etc. are very normal.

      Also layering tends to look WAY more stylish.

    3. John Campbell

      Layers are good. Layers let you adjust for changing temperatures. From my experience with residence halls in winter, the temperature may be markedly different between Ruth’s room, the hall, and the lobby, and will certainly be much different outside and perhaps in various classrooms. She can add a coat when she goes outside, take off the flannel in her room, put it back on for that one lecture hall where half the heating vents don’t work, then take it off again towards the end of class when three hundred bodies packed in there have warmed the place up…

    4. Freemage

      The bottom “layer” is an undershirt, a tank-top style shirt meant here to prevent exposure when wearing just a pair of overalls. They have no sleeves, so arms are still exposed, as are most of the shoulders. She then has a flannel shirt as the top layer–open in the front, as her chest is adequately insulated, but able to be buttoned up if she goes someplace colder.

      1. Thing 2

        Singlet. Tank top. OK. Educated. Not what I expected a tank top to be.

    5. Taffy

      ACAB includes the fashion police.

      1. Juanoku

        This is the best reply yet

  26. Clif

    I don’t know, alt text. I suspect I would blab everything to myself on account of being gullible that way.

    1. Soncnikralj

      I found the alt-text hilarious, since Willis IS the ultimate authority figure in DOA.

  27. Thing 2

    Sal’s hair has curled. Authority figure stress?

    1. Leorale

      She’s stopped straightening it awhile ago, this is her natural texture.
      (And, I feel fancy that her hair is like mine.)

  28. Thing 2

    I like”
    The hall colour scheme
    That Ruth’s hair matches Sal’s trousers
    That Sal’s hair looks like a dinosair’s plates down her back
    Sal’s clenched fists
    Ruth still in the hallway observing everything happening.

  29. Chris Phoenix

    How is this the first-ever strip called “frenemy”?

  30. Adept

    This is a timely strip, considering what happened yesterday in international politics. Resist.

    1. Zaxares

      I must admit, even with my opinion of the orange man as low as it is, I never imagined he’d actually cross the line of invading a sovereign nation for the sole purpose of capturing/kidnapping its leader. Maduro’s no saint, or even a figure worthy of respect, but I fear now that the precedent exists, what’s to stop people like Putin or Xi from doing likewise to fulfill their goals?

      1. thejeff

        Precedent has nothing to with it. Putin and Xi weren’t refraining because of a lack of US example. When Russia invaded Ukraine, they sent a strike team into Kyiv to take out Zelensky, they just failed due to incompetence.

        Also, it’s early days yet, but this is likely to turn into an example of why not to do that. Trump kidnapped the President and is now proclaiming the US is running Venezuela, but we have no presence on the ground to do so and while Venezuelans may not have been fond of Maduro, this is likely to unite them behind his VP and harden opposition to the US.

        1. Freemage

          I have the most cynical sense of optimism ever. My original concern about Trump that he was more Franco than Mussolini–focused almost entirely on internal control of the nation, and not so much about empire-building. While both flavors of fascism are bad, there is one upside to imperialist fascists–they tend not to last long. Consider that Hitler’s “Thousand-year Reich” lasted 12 years, before ending in a suicide in a bunker, and is still widely reviled by the German populace. Meanwhile, Franco lasted three times as long, ‘retired’ only because he died in office, and is still regarded with mixed feelings by the Spanish populace, with some going so far as to laud him as a hero despite the brutality he used on much of the populace.

          So basically, the ‘upside’ to the Venezuelan turn of events is that it could lead to a route whereby the Canadians have to burn down the White House. Again.

        2. Throwatron

          look you gotta have some optimism on this bongo of an earth. we’re in this weird situation where we want Trump to do the minimum amount of damage possible, and yet, we still need him to somehow convince his cultstituency that Fascism Was A Bad Idea, in that process of reckless fascism. If Trump ever abdicates or dies, such that he can become a martyr figure, we’ve just got Peter Thiel running the White House and the country for the technocratic corporatocracy, with the consent of Trump’s voter base…and that possibly leads to things getting worse even faster and harder than what we are at right now.

          Nobody wants Iraq 2.0, but we still need to actually convince 30% of Americans of that reality, or we’re fucking getting it. Every outcome is kind of bad right now.

        3. NGPZ

          Yeah, no, that 30% are not gonna be convinced via leading through either good or bad example

          they are of these fatalist additudes which are long standing US conservative tradition, under which they see their problems and things getting worse in the world as more or less a GIVEN (i.e. “do democrats really think Venezuelans are gonna live forever?”)

          the only reason these kinds of people are driven to engage in politics is never for the sake of actual productive problem solving like we do, but as an outlet for venting and validating anger and spite

          and this will hold true regardless of whose currently holding power or is being paid attention to in established media and its celebrity centric ecosystem; for better or worse, genuine social change doesn’t really come from celebrities, but from the people themselves

          for the sake of our causes, we are much better off devoting ourselves to organizational efforts so as to attract those who are ACTUALLY interested in making collective effort for positive change and posterity

          we simply are not going to win over conservatives or moderates in the so called Free Marketplace Of Ideas™ — let’s fucking face it, the very STRUCTURE of that marketplace is stacked against us

        4. Adept

          I love your optimism Throwatron, but 30% of the population are just fine with fascism pretty much everywhere. When things get bad, that number swells bigger.

          The only way we get to keep englightenment and liberal democracy, is by fighting for education and equality every day, forever. Oligarchs, kings and women as property is always trying to come back.

  31. Imogen

    RAs are tools of the state and class traitors and *will* be remembered as such when the revolution–

    1. Adept

      😀

      nice

  32. Sirksome

    ??? Sal doing all the not trusting for me! I approve. No notes.

  33. Da Boy

    Heh getting called the Littlest Cop

  34. Acher4

    One thing for certain.

    Sal and Ruth should have more interactions for certain. 😛

  35. Mr.Morningstar

    Sal she’s an RA, not a cop

    1. deliverything

      Then again, she has used reinforced her authority with the threat of violence.

      1. deliverything

        …please ignore the word “used” in my previous comment. An edit button would be nice…

  36. darkoneko

    …valid

  37. FacelessDeviant

    Not valid.

    A resident assistent is enough to be a bastard.
    First and foremost they are supposed to be there for the students, secondary the university.

    This police raid is clearly unconstitutional and warrantless, and I believe Ruth already knows that the Cops don’t want whats best for the students and are corrupt. I really doubt Ruth would snitch on anyone on her floor. That might be a holdover from her in another comic, but I still think she would act with integrity, no regrets.

    On the other hand Sal might know that the cops might question Ruth and doesnt want to make her life harder by giving her something to hide.

    1. FacelessDeviant

      Is not enough to be*

      Pretty important word to forget.

    2. TulipKitten

      To be fair, Ruth hasn’t always been for the best interest of the students when she started a booze-fueled suicide pact with Jennifer.

      1. thejeff

        Yeah, but she didn’t snitch on Jennifer’s drinking.

      2. Embe13

        she probably has signed contracts with the college that would legally force her divulge certain things in the present of law enforcement, and therefor the less she knows the better

    3. C.T Phipps

      I don’t think it’s clearly at all given there’s actually a bunch of information to justify a warrant like the fact Amazi-Girl operates only on the campus, has been witnessed by dozens of people, and has a history of violence.

      1. thejeff

        I think it’s pretty clear from the narrative that there’s no warrant: the story point of Ruth asking about one and being ignored was to tell us that.

        While a warrant to arrest Amazi-Girl would certainly be warranted, it’s not clear that “search all the private rooms in the dorm because she’s been reported in the area” is a warrant that would signed off on. If they had evidence of who she was or linking her to a specific room, that would be clearly actionable.

    4. Tequila Mockingbird

      I honestly think it’s that second one. The less Ruth knows, the better. For both the others and Ruth.

  38. Steamweed

    ACAB (all coppers are bastiches)
    TNTAF (tell nothin’ to authority figgers)

  39. ValdVin

    The less Ruth knows, the less IU can threaten to blackmail her with. Both she and the women on this floor are better this way.

    1. Astariel

      What would they blackmail her with? Threaten to take away the job that she doesn’t want and doesn’t think she deserves?

      Besides, she doesn’t know that Sal was hiding A-G’s costume, but she knows who A-G is, which is much more important, and she hasn’t made any move to reveal that to anyone, nor has the university tried to blackmail her for it.

  40. Staszu13

    Thou shalt not snitch

  41. Willoughby Chase

    C’mon Sal. Living in the gray means you have to suck up to authority figures occasionally

    Especially as you’ll (inevitably) need to black-mail them later

    1. Taffy

      Suck them up in a big vacuum like Team Rocket, maybe.

      1. Throwatron

        wait, this has been an option? this whole time? can we give em The Big Suck???

  42. Andy

    Sal spent four years in a religious boarding school. Based on my experience, the floor supervisor is a frenemy. Not an associate in hijinx or fun but a limiting factor to be avoided most of the time.

  43. Zamperla

    yyyeeeeuuuup. Well said, and well taken. Nothin’ personal, Ruth. But what you don’t know you can’t be put in a position to disclose.

    Appreciate she knows it IS fair.

  44. FredG

    At the end of the day, this is a comedy (as opposed to tragedy) about a handful of young adults stumbling through college. The Real World is damaging people with these characters’ traits, more violently and aggressively than it has for decades. I, for one, do not blame Overlord Willis for softening the dystopian nightmare that this strip could easily become, and not the stress nightmare of reality.

    1. Dot

      My response to this, as with the geonocide protest, is that it’s a bad idea to introduce this plot element if you are not going to commit to the implications of it. It comes off as wishy-washy.

    2. NGPZ

      “Is trying to anticipate Awful Changes and making those changes ahead of time in my story just Complying In Advance? Is ignoring any specific parts of it in service of the ongoing story living in a Sanitized Liberal Dreamscape?”

      One thing is certain tho, I said it once and I will say it again,

      stressful as it may be to achknowledge these scary realities affecting us,

      We are not gonna “good vibes” or “wellness” or “therapy” our way out of a nation-wide mental health crisis which is a DIRECT result of economic inequality and systemic bigotry and violence.

      like I GET the need to have peace within the mind and all that, but as Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. had anything to say about it, not all peace is necessarily equal.

      as our brotha reminded us, no good can come from gravitation towards a negative, unsustainable peace which is the mere absense of tension, over the positive, sustainable peace which is the presense of justice.

  45. Rectilinear Propagation

    Every day is Shut The Fuck Up Friday.

  46. Daibhid C

    “Don’t … no … nothing … Dammit, triple negative, the maths checks out!”

  47. NGPZ

    Oh my god do i really have to say it

    WHY ARE SO MANY FUCKING PEOPLE ASSUMING THE POLICE RAID IS OVER WHEN IT ONLY BEEN LIKE 10 STRIPS?!?!?! @-@

    what in the attention span fuck?

    has instant gratification internet scroll-feed slop really set the bar THAT low???

    like i have ADHD myself and even I’m just completely flabbergasted here, goddammn

    1. Dot

      Well, because the narrative tension created by the raid doesn’t really seem to exist anymore?

      The police have moved their search to other floors, where characters we follow do not live. They failed to find anything incriminating, and also failed to identify Amber.

      I’ll grant that they may come around later and search Forest Quad, where Billie’s possession of the Amazi-Girl costume may cause issues. But right now the immediate threat of the police appears to have been averted.

      1. thejeff

        Yeah, I’m not sure why anyone doesn’t see this. It’s got nothing to do with the number of strips or attention span, but with basic narrative rules. The threat of the raid was introduced, it was set up what they were looking for and both of those things were addressed.
        There are likely to be ongoing issues with the police, they’ll definitely be more interested in Amazi-Girl from now on, but that’ll be in later arcs.

        There’s also been the hint that Leslie’s missing, which means she might still be under arrest so that’s likely to remain a thing.
        For the moment though, the main outcome of the police raid is that Amber’s in Walky’s bed.

  48. Ymbrael

    Probably for the best. I don’t think Ruth would snitch, but less knowledge means less anxiety over keeping her lips shut.

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