139

Hospitality
Posted on August 12, 2024 by David M Willis

139 thoughts on “Hospitality”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    “what’s this… Bad Dragon?”

    “CAN’T UNSEE”

    1. Michael Steamweed

      “I knew that Bad Dragon had a Transformers line, but the Monkey Master and Head Alien line is a surprise.”

  2. NGPZ

    Walky really wanna NOPE outta this one

    I’ll say, this is… some birthday strip XD

    1. Dante

      Happy birthday, though!! :DD MAY THE THC GODS SMILE UPON YOU ON THIS HALF MOON!

    2. a/snow/mous/e

      and Dorothy really wants to NOPE out of classes that advance her potential career path into the dreaded realm of politics…

      Happy birthday! 😀

    3. HueSatLight

      Earth calendar I assume.

    4. True Survivor

      Happy Birthday!

    5. Laura

      All the birthday hopes for your shining future, present, and past, NG!

    6. Taffy

      ?Welcome to the Birthday Zone.?

    7. Max

      Happy Birthday to you
      You live in a zoo
      You look like a parasite
      An… xx

      1. NGPZ

        Aaaaawwweeee heehee thanks everyone ^^

        ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

    8. Nymph

      Happy birthday! Hope your day is amazing.

  3. Rose by Any other Name

    … Dorothy, please, no. That’s a violation of personal space in a major way.
    Just fuck Walky or something. Please.

    1. NGPZ

      They should also go and get coffee,

      cause clearly their earthling meat vehicles require some

      1. Clif

        Mine certainly does.

        1. staszu13

          Me also. Drinking some now.

    2. ktbear

      Compromise, go and fuck Walky in Ambers room.

    3. Nicoleandmaggie

      Seriously. Don’t touch other people’s stuff without their permission.

    4. thejeff

      If they confine it to cleaning up the consequences of the party last night, I think it’s acceptable. Don’t dig into personal stuff beyond that.

      Of course, if Becky & Dina are still in there don’t intrude on them without permission, as usual.

  4. Pocky

    oh god; she’s going to see her browser history?

    I think we’re in for a dangerous story arc.

    1. Sirksome

      I’d think Amber would be the one character established as computer literate enough to protect/delete her search history if she wanted.

      1. Dante

        I know in my heart Amber runs a Linux PC beast – I’ve got no proof nor doubts about it.

        Would they even be able to figure out how to get around in it?

        1. Nedlum

          Or an OS she programmed from scratch.

      2. RassilonTDavros

        She probably uses incognito mode basically all the time.

      3. Zero

        I think all she has to do here is have a password on her computer.

        1. Byron Orpheus

          I can’t believe I’m the first one to say this, but… no. That’s nowhere near enough.

    2. Proto

      If it’s one of those models that has a fingerprint scanner to unlock, it’s probably rigged to start backing up files to the cloud after 1 unauthorized entry attempt and explode after 3

      1. Opus the Poet

        I currently have a laptop with a fingerprint scanner, and I seldom get in on the first try, and frequently not on the 4th or 5th try. They’re just not reliable enough for “security” like that.

  5. Davus

    I really want to see where this goes, and also think that this will be a invasion of personal space that should be done with consent.
    Still excited though.

  6. Sirksome

    I wonder if Amber drinks coffee? I also wonder if Amber has an equivalent to Other Jacob? I also, also wonder if Other Jacob will be getting a name change?

    1. Nono

      Amber was probably more a energy drink person to keep up with late night raiding.

  7. Nono

    I thought Dorothy was doing better last night, but I guess the spiral continues.

    (Also oh man we’ve hit the ‘other people are getting concerned for you’ stage, which feels too relatable.)

    1. Dante

      Walky being the responsible one is major growth, I’d say. I wish he had the spine to straight up go “nope, I’m not going to snoop around Amber’s room” against Dorothy, but he keeps trying to get her to class and it’s nice to see.

      1. Coatl

        The progress is noticeable, and he also meets Dorothy

      2. HueSatLight

        He’s trying/planning to have a serious conversation. Communication that’s been sorely lacking. Too bad Walky+Dorothy rerun is doomed.

        1. Nymph

          “Too bad Walky+Dorothy rerun is doomed.”

          Says you.

      3. Doki

        Yeah, seriously! I’m impressed LOL

    2. Coatl

      Those details may still be present, but keep in mind that Dorothy managed to lift a heavy burden off her shoulders, the challenges remain.

    3. Mark

      We’re soon going to have a week of various people all saying, “wait, Dorothy skipped class? What hospital is she in?”, aren’t we?

  8. Thag Simmons

    I feel like if one of your associates is someone you know is both secretive and has committed actual serious crimes, even if you know they’re good people you probably shouldn’t go snooping through their stuff.

    1. Clif

      What are they going to find? Mikes body?

      1. Firseal

        I mean, do we know he was buried? Was he buried locally? Does Amber own a shovel?

        Perhaps Walky’s inability to believe Mike was gone had some basis in reality. He and Amber were dating, he might have seen some literal skeletons in the closet.

        But no. That probably wouldn’t happen.

        1. NGPZ

          Amber literally said they watched his body’s head get shaved, and watched him get buried.

          I can get how it can be hard for them to accept his loss, however much they are aware of it a little piece of him still resides in each of them.

          These pieces have actually been there since the very start of the comic, and are in fact the Doylist explanation for why he died in the first place.

  9. Dante

    So on one hand I have the habit of helping do the dishes for my friends when they throw a party, either before passing out or after waking up. It’s one less chore to do for them, and nothing sucks more than being hungover and having to clean.

    On the other, I’m not sure Dorothy is within those boundaries? Trust levels?IDK? And this, uh. This is Amber’s room. Not the same animal, I think :’DD

    1. Yumi

      Yeah, that seems fine; you’re in an area you’ve been welcomed into, and you’re helping with something that you had some part, even if very small, in making a mess of. Like, it’d be fine to help clean up an abandoned board game, or pick up wrapping paper. It’d be weird if you started going into their hamper and doing their laundry, or decided to scrub their bathroom (presuming you didn’t, like, wreck the bathroom that night).

      1. Dante

        Yepyepyep. Small non invasive stuff. I also throw the used paper cups and wrappers in the trash; but for example… I don’t put the dry dishes in their cabinets, because that would involve rooting through them to know where they go – We’ve been pals for a decade, still feels like Too Much.

        Plus. Another reason Dorothy shouldn’t do this is……… Bruh, Dina and Becky are in there.

        1. NGPZ

          You’re probably right. XD

          At the very least, somebody in that pile, perhaps using it as a weighted blanket.

      2. zee

        Idk id be pretty psyched if someone scrubbed my bathroom for me. I think the line is when you get to like, clothes and the bedroom. That’s private stuff, you keep things hidden in there

        1. Yumi

          For me with that, it’s like, well, you’d have to rummage around to find the cleaning supplies (and bathroomcupboards can alsohave private things in them), and I would actually like to use my bathroom, right now, so…
          If someone offered to help, it’d be different, possibly also different if we were close friends.

    2. GreyICE

      It’s a dorm room, that’s just had a party in it. I’m sure tidying would generally be appreciated.

      1. Nymph

        This right here.

    3. HueSatLight

      Dorothy’s never marched boldly past personal boundaries like they didn’t exist before.
      Of course, I’m not a fan of other people deciding I’m incapable of doing a chore and presuming to do it for me.

  10. Nick Piers

    Has Amazi-Girl had full control over the meat vehicle like this before? Outside of the costume, I mean?

    Because she’s being super productive, which seems good and healthy, but makes me worried the longer it continues.

    1. Riley

      she fronts for derby

      1. TerribleTransit

        I think derby counts as “in costume” for these purposes. It’s an alternate outlet to super-heroing, but it’s still very much AG’s thing and she even has an alternate version of her mask (as much of her costume as she can have while still being in team uniform).

    2. Rotunda

      Yes, she was in control and not in the costume when she walked Joyce and Dorothy home. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2024/comic/book-14/03-trystin-in-the-wind/drunkenly/

    3. The Blueprint System

      If Amber has DID like many commenters suspect, it’s not actually worrisome at all for multiple alters to be fronting on a regular basis. It’s totally normal within DID and not something you should try to force stopping.

      1. Dante

        I have pals who are DID systems! And I’ve learned to identify when each alter is fronting without them telling me by things like the pitch of their voice or their speech pattern. It’s nice. It’s like having several friends in one. And it’s a relief for them to have one person less they hide it from.

        Considering some of them go to class with me, yeah, I can also vouch as an outsider it’s pretty common :33

      2. Jeremiah

        Pretty sure it has been just flat out confirmed at this point, it’s not really a suspicion.

  11. RassilonTDavros

    I can’t remember what day of the week it is in-universe right now, so I’m not sure if Walky’s referring to a class she’s been missing, or a class she’s missing today?

    1. Yumi

      She has a class she’s missing right now: https://www.dumbingofage.com/2024/comic/book-15/01-love-dares-you-to-change/defnitely/

      1. RassilonTDavros

        Thanks! Sometimes my own forgetfulness astounds me.

  12. John Campbell

    What the hell, Dorothy. Are you still drunk?

    1. Dante

      She’s got no boozles over her head. Just some bona fide Depression Bad Ideas: Manic Stage going on.

    2. NGPZ

      No, worse:

      She’s lapsing back into her schema of making other people into projects 🙁

      1. DailyBrad

        I think in this case, she’s doing that just to avoid going to class. This is the second time she’s changed the subject when Walky has tried to steer her in that direction.

      2. Laura

        Yup. I can identify HARD with Dotty, here! 8-|

  13. Sirksome

    Is it just me or does Amazi-Girl seem a little harsh when she speaks of Amber? Almost like she kind of looks down on her or doesn’t respect her a bit. If Amber were to ever receive therapy I think it should be to get some mutually respect or self respect between herselves. Does that make sense?

    1. Clif

      Not a new situation. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/04-vote-for-robin/partitions/

    2. Laura

      Makes me worry that Amazi-Girl might try to take control more often, or might do something to sabotage Amber somehow.

      Also makes me worry that Amber might not be getting enough sleep.

  14. Dday

    So there’s a personality called Amber, and a personality called Amazi-Girl, and as I recall, a third personality that is “not Amazi-Girl”. Does that personality have a name, or was that just Amber?

    1. aelfwine

      I think that was Amber

    2. Dara

      There’s also been a reference to “The Monster,” who could have been Amber beating up on herself, but I’m not sure it was.

    3. Dante

      AFAIK, Ghost!Mike was a headmate but didn’t qualify as an alter.

      1. Opus the Poet

        GhostMike was never running the ship, either, just harassing Amber. More of a persistent hallucination than an alter.

    4. thejeff

      Some commenters think there have been hints at another, but the only two publicly acknowledged have been Amber and Amazi-Girl.

  15. IntangibleMatter

    Alt text: Fire won’t be strong enough, you need a magnet.

    And a hydraulic press.

    And some sort of nuke.

  16. morhek

    Dorohy, this is not going to end the way you think.

  17. HueSatLight

    I don’t recall Dorothy’s early MWF class this semester. I assume she’s going to get around to dropping at least one. She had too many classes in the fall semester (big part of why she’s spiraling), and I assume she signed up for just as many.
    Feels like for Fall Semester, Willis just kept adding new classes she was in at random. I have like 5-6 in my notes and I may have missed some. If I kept notes.

    1. HueSatLight

      Still haven’t figured out the class, but she has a brown book for it. The next scene is the Calc + Sarah gang headed to their 10 am classes. That’s the Monday a week and a half ago.

      Other Dorothy MWF morning strips.
      Last Friday:
      https://www.dumbingofage.com/introuble/ (~10 am) and /undisciplined/ (~11 am)

      /peacedonut/ is also on a MWF morning, the first Wednesday of classes. Based on lighting (no sunrise) it’s probably before her early class.

      I only skimmed by visuals, if anything about her class is in dialogue, I don’t remember it.

  18. Zamperla

    Dorothy has unlocked: PRODUCTIVE AVOIDANCE!

    1. Laura

      Ayup. A beast with which I am WELL TOO familiar! 8-[

    2. M!a

      It really is astonishing, the level of effort some will attain to avoid work.

  19. DailyBrad

    In panel 4, I was half-expecting Walky to make a joke that both had checked out Amazi-Girl’s ass or something, but I am actually kind of pleasantly surprised he is on task, even if I am curious why Dorothy is so adamantly against it.

    I mean, I know WHY she is, but I mean moreso if there is something about this class, specifically.

    1. Needfuldoer

      I forget, which class is it?

  20. AGV/Ruby

    A strip in which Walky is undeniably right twice in a row

  21. cmd1095

    Ah productive avoidance my old friend

  22. GUIGUI

    Oh no, she is a Monica!

  23. moon

    need a freak like that in my life tbh

  24. The Blueprint System

    Once more for those in the back:

    It is not alarming for multiple alters within a DID system to front regularly. It is not a sign that the DID is “worsening.” It’s not worrisome. It’s completely normal.

    Signs that would potentially be alarming:

    1. If Amber/AG started experiencing amnesia about whenever the other was fronting, again.
    2. If one of them started making decisions to actively sabotoge or harm the other
    3. If any system member (Amber included) started trying to pretend that the others didn’t exist and forcefully trying to prevent anyone else from ever fronting.
    4. If the dissociation got bad enough that any of them were more inclined to put themselves in harms way because they can’t “feel” the consequences.

    This has been a PSA from your friendly neighborhood DID system!

    1. Nymph

      Thank you for your efforts!

    2. Adept

      Thank you for the info.

    3. eh, whatever

      In fact, 1 and 3 have happened in the past (many years ago IRL) but are not happening now, so the DID has actually been improving.

  25. M!a

    “Meat vehicle” is certainly one I hadn’t heard before… and I’ve known a lotta systems. O_o

    1. Taffy

      She’s used it before, too. Girl’s brain is infected with converting robots and yaoi fanfic.

    2. NGPZ

      i don’t have DID but I use “meat vehicle” to refer to my host body :p

      1. HueSatLight

        I use “meat vehicle” to refer to the horse.

  26. darkoneko

    …Dorothy, NO

  27. EmTaya

    nooooooooo cmon dorothy. ffs

  28. Envy

    I was gonna say this is invasive, but seeing as how they just threw a whole ass party in her room last night it probably IS a mess.

  29. Taffy

    I’m seeing a small amount of unease about this concept of cleaning someone else’s room, and it’s kinda funny. See, my brother was out of town so I was watching his house while some guys fixed his central air unit, and while I waited I decided to clean the place up a little. It’s just a funny little coincidence, is all.

    1. Nymph

      How dare you (apparently).

  30. Rectilinear Propagation

    I’m sad there’s no Pinky & the Brain joke even though Dorothy said the thing.

    (But happy Walky is trying to be a responsible, helpful person.)

    1. eh, whatever

      Dorothy did not say the thing. She said “thinking”, not “pondering”.

    2. John Campbell

      “I think so, Dorothy, but Amazi-Girl seems less likely to go for the threesome than Amber.”

  31. Carla's #2 Fan

    What if, instead of president, local politics! She could really do some good there

    1. Bash

      I do love that but I’m not sure if she has a serious interest in politics. I always felt like the “president” thing was less about policy and more about aiming as high as possible.

      1. Da Boy

        Even beyond that I think her primary goal is to Help and she saw the position as the best tool to help as many people as she could. It is the most powerful position in the world after all.

  32. Michael Steamweed

    “Look, Dorothy, detailed plans and sketches for sex scenes between you and Joyce. And you and Sal. And me and Joe. And me, Joe, and Jacob. And you, Joyce, me, Sal, Joe, and Jacob. And…what the, it looks like Amber methodically diagrammed out every possible combination and permutation of us, from twos to sevens.”

    “Oh, good, that’s how I would do it. But her diagramming is sloppy. We have to help her refine these. Hand me that eraser.”

  33. Needfuldoer

    Dorothy, no. Don’t “tidy” someone’s room for them as a surprise. At worst it can cause them to feel violated or intruded upon, and at best it doesn’t solve the problem because they’re not learning how to process their stuff on their own.

    You’re Dorothy Keener, not Dorothy Breininger.

    1. Jeremiah

      That second one fell kind of weird but I can’t tell why. Just made me uncomfortable reading it.

    2. Colin McKenzie

      Worst case: they’ve got their own “filing system” and you’ve just screwed it up and they can’t find anything ever again!

    3. Taffy

      On the other hand, it can be a nice little surprise to see the floor’s been swept, empty cans and unfinished drinks have been tossed, and the bin’s been changed. Sometimes we can’t do it all on our own, and it’s also not helpful to let a mess fester just because someone’s “not learning”.

      1. Jeremiah

        Okay thanks you that is what was rubbing me the wrong, the “if you help someone then they wouldn’t learn to deal on their own” thing fell very callous.

        1. Needfuldoer

          Sorry, I’ve watched way too many episodes of Hoarders. The patients/subjects of that show have to actively participate in the process and want to change, otherwise they’ll almost inevitably fall back into the habits that got them on the show in the first place. (And as someone who had to overcome some hoarding tendencies, I get irked when someone offers to “tidy up for” someone else. I had that happen too many times, and it only made the problem worse because even well-meaning “help” can come across as an attack because things get “put away” wrong or thrown out carelessly. The only way to get past it is to process it yourself.)

        2. Jeremiah

          Okay but that is a weird thing to apply in this context imo. It’s very much not the same thing.

        3. Taffy

          Yeah, but by your logic, it was wrong of me to tidy my brother’s house a little while I was over, and that’s just not an acceptable framework.

        4. John Campbell

          If that’s the relationship you have with your brother, that’s fine. You shouldn’t assume that everyone has that kind of relationship with everyone else. If one of my siblings decided they were going to “tidy up” my house without asking me, I’d be very annoyed. Much less some random neighbor who’s banging my ex.

        5. Taffy

          Jesus Christ

        6. John Campbell

          Yeah, gods forbid anybody have boundaries that don’t include any random asshole coming into their living space and messing with their stuff.

        7. Taffy

          Stop making up dumbass problems. I didn’t say any of that shit and you fucking know it.

        8. Needfuldoer

          *Slams table*

          Thank you!

        9. Taffy

          Thing is, the scolding is very much unnecessary. I was never assuming anything about “everyone’s relationship with everyone else”, and I definitely never advocated for this implied violation of boundaries. If anything, my relationship with my own brother is the one getting assumed about. Y’all are acting like I said “barge into any home you like and dismantle their system without asking”, and it’s ridiculous. Don’t fucking scold people for shit they didn’t say.

      2. Needfuldoer

        I’m not saying they have to “let the mess fester”. They should offer to help Amber clean up, not do it all “for” her “as a surprise”.

        1. HueSatLight

          ya. AG was right there. She should have asked, instead of waiting until she was out of earshot.

  34. staszu13

    I do wish to congratulate Amazi-Girl on curbing her violent tendencies.

  35. Amós Batista

    Hangover types:

    – Joyce: too much poop
    – Amazi-girl: headaches
    – Amber: dead
    – Dorothy: “hey, I think I’m gonna clean my friend dorm”

    1. Needfuldoer

      More like Amber: “that’s your problem lol”

  36. Jeremiah

    Nobody can tell you have issues if you refuse to acknowledge them!

  37. Jammy

    So they had their big drinking party on a school night? Were Friday and Saturday both taken? If so, I demand to see those strips!

    1. Jeremiah

      It was a spontaneous decision caused by Dina stealing a jug to prove a point so there really wasn’t a lot of planning involved.

  38. S.R.

    I’m not sure digging around in someone’s room without asking first is necessarily the nicest thing to do, Dorothy.

    1. Taffy

      Nobody said digging. You said that, not the character. Why would you assume any digging is involved?

      1. Jeremiah

        Don’t you remember Dorothy sizeable collection of shovels? She had one for every day of the month. They are color coded.

  39. Taffy

    Unrelated to the moral agony, Walky mentioned Amber’s apparent squish hiding secret buffness. As someone who’s never grabbed the ass of a person matching that description, I’m curious how the physics work. Like, is it springy, or would it be like slapping a door?

    1. Da Boy

      An ancient memory was risen by this question. One where I heard a girl describe her sitting in her boyfrend’s lap, boyfriend who was a football (not the American one) player and the lap was definitely describes as Hard.

    2. DailyBrad

      I sort of expect that there’s some softness in her case, but you pretty quickly encounter the muscle underneath, which is hard, depending some on if it’s being flexed.

      Like, if she was rock hard with her backside, I feel like Walky would have been less surprised. He did, after all, once get grinded on by her until, uhh, completion, so she’s probably soft enough for that much without him having taken full note of her firmness.

  40. Anon A Mouse

    I’m unclear exactly how much time has passed but Dorothy missing class is fairly new, right? As far as I am aware, she could miss a few classes and not have any issues whatsoever. I can understand the concern but maybe Walky can calm down just a bit about her missing a couple classes?

    1. HueSatLight

      This is the third Wednesday of classes, unofficially officially Jan 26. She was teetering before Raidah prodded her into her downward spiral on Jan 20th. If she wasn’t skipping before that’s when she started missing a lot.

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