188

Settled
Posted on March 25, 2019 by David M Willis
The Dumbing of Age Book 8 Kickstarter is here, and there's 15 days left to lock in your bid! This book will collect "Year Eight," spanning the four storylines that start on September 1, 2017, and complete on August 30, 2018. This includes new commentary, behind-the-scenes artwork, 24 previously Patreon-exclusive bonus strips, and new character designs into an 222-page tome with luxurious glossy paper all bound up into a sturdy presentation!

188 thoughts on “Settled”

  1. Pablo360

    oh

    1. ValdVin

      Yeah, countdown to that unpleasant re-meeting.

      1. Clif

        Or not. Asher and Sal were on good terms and he might be perfect for Lucy. Or he might turn both to a life of crime. In any case we now have a wild card in play. Of course the odds of Walky slobbering on Asher were kind of low anyway.

        1. Clif

          Tho with Walky we can’t be entirely sure. He did show up at a gay-curious meeting with a ready excuse of free food if he bumped into anyone he knew. On the other hand, with Walky, the excuse was completely believable.

        2. Clif

          Here we go. http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/04-walking-with-dina/jim/

        3. BarerMender

          On the other hand, Walky is not averse to throwing a “beej” if it’ll profit him something.

    2. Needfuldoer

      Ruh-roh.

  2. woobie

    Aher Banipal?

    1. woobie

      dammit

      1. Marsh Maryrose

        I knew you were referring the creator of the world’s first known library.

        1. woobie

          thank you

  3. nothri

    …..do we know who either of these people are?

    1. timemonkey

      Yes, Asher’s the guy who gave young sal smokes and helped rob the first store.

      I assume the first guy is the one who stabbed Marcie.

      1. Durandal_1707

        Also the brother of Gad, and the half-brother of 10 other guys.

        1. Clif

          Asher is the one who resembled the maid, whereas Gad took after his father’s side of the family.

        2. Eyebrow

          And older brother of Joseph and Benjamin, yeah. Takes me back.

    2. Deadjolras

      Leland is the kid that injured Marcie; Asher is the guy that partnered up with Sal to rob convenience stores.

    3. foamy

      Leland, I do, he’s that fucker who smashed Marcie’s throat.

      Asher isn’t ringing a bell.

      1. BBCC

        Sal helped Asher and his brother rob a store before the one with Ethan and Amber.

        Here, have a link – http://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-9-comic/01-flyin-to-the-red/asher/

        It’s this kid.

      2. Marsh Maryrose

        Asher has a tag, and he also has a DoA strip title.

        And I am crushed that you don’t remember my dumb non-joke setup: “Asher, Ashur, Ashour, and Assur walk into a bar…”

        (It’s a non-joke because those are all names that one might encounter in one’s travels around the world.)

      3. mrnoidea

        For those wondering who Leland is: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-9-comic/01-flyin-to-the-red/escalation/

    4. ESM

      http://www.dumbingofage.com/tag/leland/
      http://www.dumbingofage.com/tag/asher/

      DoA has really really good tagging that makes it easy to look up minor characters that you might have forgotten about

    5. emusam

      http://www.dumbingofage.com/tag/asher/

  4. Lily

    Man

  5. timemonkey

    Hmm, with a reaction like that I’m guessing Asher blamed Sal for everything that happened?

    1. BBCC

      Oh, I imagine we’re about to learn Sal got thrown directly under the bus.

    2. Bagge

      While I admit that there – as of now – are not enough evidence to prove that the suspiciously fast arrival of the police during Sal’s second robbery was due to Asher calling the cops on her, I maintain a nagging suspicion.

      Either way, I’m sure I will have cause to call Asher a piece of shit before this arc is over.

      1. BBCC

        I kinda hope not. I maintain a sliver of hope for Asher. Things were clearly FUCKED UP in his house. I’d like to imagine he got better.

        Y’know, until Willis dashes my hopes like a ship on a rock. đŸ˜›

        1. Needfuldoer

          We all know which outcome is on-brand around here…

        2. rectilinearpropagation

          Wait, how do we know things were messed up at his house? Was this explained in a comic he wasn’t physically (and therefore tagged) in?

        3. BBCC

          It’s speculation on my part but he’s a 12-13 year old smoking, routinely stealing and accompanying his older brother on armed robberies. His older brother who apparently is supplying him with cigarettes with no mention or sign of parents anywhere. It’s not treated as something unusual either, which suggests he’s done for a while. It’s not impossible it’s a preteen/young teen acting out to be tough or badass, but when he’s that young, it suggests to me more something is seriously wrong in his house. Possibly the older brother is a toxic influence who either is Asher’s guardian or their parents aren’t around/don’t care/can’t intervene for whatever reason.

      2. Alanari

        Still doubtful. Last thing you want is your underage helper being caught. Even if she didn’t talk, there probably aren’t that many older and dangerous people fitting your description in her life. It wasn’t in his interest to get her caught.

        They already were on the way due to the first robbery and the gas station might have had a silent alarm – or a cop looked through the window and noticed the whole thing.

        1. BBCC

          Asher’s brother was the older one. Asher looks to be around Sal’s age. And they weren’t worried about leaving Sal off god knows where after the police were called after the first robbery – we’re not sure how close by the convenience store was.

        2. Alanari

          And why should they be? She wasn’t held captive. And close, probably. Also, you probably don’t hire a total stranger as a lookout, so it’s probably safe to assume they their association was known. And if they didn’t know each other, all the more reason to be careful. You don’t know if a stranger will sell you out.

          I know it’s easy to hate him, but assuming he’s not a complete idiot, sal being caught was her own doing.

        3. Bagge

          I do admit I do not as of yet have a compelling reason to call him a piece of shit.

          Let’s call it a prediction.

        4. BBCC

          Because if you drop someone off god knows where, it’s a lot easier to get caught, especially if its close by and the cops are already on their way. Someone getting caught drastically ups the chances of them selling you out, if only to get a potentially lighter sentence (or ‘oh, fuck being the only one going down for this. We all did it’). I’d say the safer thing to do in that regard is to say ‘Uh, no, you’re going home*, WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN ALL NIGHT, got it?’ Asher and Sal knew each there beforehand, that is true, but it doesn’t look like she liked him very much, which is why it would be a bad idea to drop her off wherever. That goes double if his brother (the one running the thing) doesn’t know her very well.

          We’ve got no indication the convenience store is close by, so it could have been, but it would make Sal more likely to get caught (and more likely to sell them out). I think Sal wanted to get caught on some level, but it makes little sense why Asher and his brother would agree to something making it more likely.

          I don’t hate Asher. I think it’s pretty clear that something was rotten in his house. I’m not convinced he got Sal caught, but I DO think that once she was, she went straight under the bus with regards to the first robbery.

          * = Or some other previously agreed upon easy alibi.

  6. butts

    of COURSE he’s at Yale.

    fuck.

    1. Stephen Bierce

      As if we needed any MORE reasons to despise him. *looks up any instances when Yale visited Indiana during basketball seasons*

      1. Stephen Bierce

        FTR: The last time the two schools faced off it was the WOMEN’S program, and happened third week of December, 2017.

  7. Deadjolras

    Turns out that everyone in the cast has been in that convenience store at some point in their lives.

    1. MatthewTheLucky

      Even Jason?

      1. Dean

        That’s why we never saw the cashier’s face!

    2. Dave Van Domelen

      It was a VERY convenient store.

      1. Kern Wallace

        It’s always there for you. Conveniently!

    3. HeySo

      So it’s a Convenience Convention? Con-Con? Wait, no, I think scam artists already called that one. ..or maybe I’m being tricked into thinking that. Hmm.

      1. MatthewTheLucky

        Oh, it’s definitely a thing. For a down payment, I can set you up with a booth, I know a guy.

  8. sultryglebe

    He really did have a bright future.

    1. Bagge

      Yeah…

      Pity, however, how he will be caught cheating on the midterms and be expelled and be forced to move to Antarctica where won’t get to bother anyone again and where he will be sad.

      #HeadCanon

      1. Needfuldoer

        I pike to think his family’s caught up in a version of that cheating scandal, but it hasn’t been discovered quite yet.

      2. BBCC

        I like you.

      3. King Daniel

        No no, if he moves to Antarctica it means he’s successful enough to have snagged a research position there…

        …marooned in the Atacama Desert, maybe?

        1. Bagge

          Fine.

          He has to move to Sundsvall.

        2. emusam

          Antarctica needs janitors too.

  9. ShinyNeen

    … So I guess we’re gonna find out just how much it would suck for Sal to run into Asher again, huh?

  10. BBCC

    FUCKING –

    Of course he’s at Yale. Of course he is.

    Dammit, Leland, stop being Brock Turner so I can pretend you’ll experience consequences someday!

    Spite is making me head canon that little toad is part of the ‘bribe to college’ scandal going around. And that he’ll soon be arrested for something like selling an undercover cop a mountain of no-fucking-around illegal drugs or a ponzi scheme that screwed over a zillionaire or something BECAUSE THAT VENOMOUS LITTLE WORM deserves to rot in jail but I’d rather not imagine him hurting another girl.

    On a completely different note – Oooh! Asher’s here. Do tell, Sal. đŸ˜›

    1. Reltzik

      Maybe Leland will get caught up in the bought-admissions scandals?

      …. probably not. That won’t age well with comic-time.

      …. *sigh* Rational-me is saying that Leland hurt Marcie way back in… middle-school? Sometime around then?… and that crimes that young, however serious, shouldn’t be held against an adult because GEEZ that’s an overuse of the penal system otherwise.

      …. I’m having a hard time believing rational-me right now.

      1. BBCC

        Eh, most of the students aren’t being punished anyways, just their parents.

        Rational me would generally agree that it’s not right to hold against people things that happened five years ago automatically, but she would also argue it’s a bad idea to take it on faith that people have changed without any evidence and it’s best to keep your eye out.

        It’s a view point that’s somewhat crochety but it’s served me well with both real people and fictional people. đŸ˜›

        1. AntJ

          Maybe Leland changed, but Marcie’s injury won’t. Redemption can be real (I’d like to disagree with Rachel here), but “sorry” or “I’m not like that now” can’t paper over something so egregious.

        2. BBCC

          Honestly, I think it could go a long way if he were actually committed to doing what Marcie wanted (even if it was ‘fuck off and don’t ever be in my line of sight again’) but like…that requires introspection and growth and an understanding that Marcie is a person who did not deserve to be fucking nearly killed because Sal didn’t take him nearly killing her once lying down.

        3. Regalli

          The one who was an Instagram influencer’s losing sponsorships.

          Also, dude took a pointy rock to another kid’s throat. Underdeveloped frontal lobe or not, he knew that was dangerous. I’m okay judging a little there.

        4. BBCC

          Yeah, like he was 12ish. He had to know that shit could kill her. Even if he’s too young to really appreciate what that meant, most twelve year olds when they saw her lying there needing stabilization would be HORRIFIED, like panicking, sobbing or in shock because they were not trying to kill her, just beat her up to upset Sal. Him compounding it by running off and stealing her skateboard to boot is like…Joffrey level lack of compassion and sadism.

        5. Uly

          Yeah, well, she’s definitely not one of the ones who were tricked and thought they got in on their merits (or, at least a little bit on their merits).

        6. BBCC

          And as far as I know, she hasn’t been kicked out of school yet.

    2. Regalli

      I like the undercover cop/drugs one. Feels like the right level of skeeze. And his parents DEFINITELY bribed someone to get him in. (The current bribery scandal’s apparently primarily a California thing but hey! People can move.)

      1. BBCC

        Yale’s not in California but it was apparently caught up in it. I maintain my spite. đŸ˜›

    3. AntJ

      See? Sal was wrong about Leland. He had POTENTIAL. He’s a GIFTED KID. With OPPORTUNITIES.

      Yeah, this also made me think of Brock Turner.

      I think Leland is actually really smart though, and didn’t have to bribe anyone. He’s charismatic, too. Those are traits that (when you’re a cisgender white male) allow you to do whatever you want and it will be overlooked Because You Have Potential. A lot of these people actually are smart, but have all kinds of rotten personality traits as a side effect. Being told “you’re smart, you can do whatever you want” as a little kid can go to your head and turn you into a prick because you think of people who aren’t smart like you as inferior. Thus, someone like Marcie can get badly hurt without any guilt on your part.

      This is how monsters are made.

      1. BBCC

        Leland is smart like a fox. He knows just enough about who he can get away with hurting and how to get away with it.

        Seems like the kind of kid who will grow up to be an adult in serious need of a swift punch in the face.

        1. thejeff

          Headed for a promising Wall Street career.

        2. BBCC

          Hard to do that when he’s in jail for like 50 years because he sold a mountain of heavy duty illegal drugs to an undercover cop and/or defrauded a zillionaire in a Ponzi scheme. đŸ˜›

      2. Chris Phoenix

        I really don’t think rotten personality traits are a side effect of smart. They may be a side effect of bad parenting, bad circumstances, bad personality… but I know lots of smart people, and most of them don’t have these traits.

        Plenty of not-smart kids get screwed up just as badly – in fact, just look at our current President, who apparently was told he was smart (or he had to be smart) and grew up believing it.

        1. BBCC

          Yeah, the principal said he was a good student but a) People change, especially when they realize they don’t have to try and b) The principal is a weasel mouthed little worm looking for reasons to let Leland off.

  11. drs

    “dramatic chipmunk”?

    1. Danielle

      theres a gif where a chipmunk looks around dramatically

    2. DailyBrad

      it was a meme where a chipmunk turned dramatically towards the camera, often paired with over the top moments, not to mention over the top music. some kind of bombshell would be dropped, and someone would splice the chipmunk in there, too.

    3. moon

      it’s an antique meme https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/dramatic-chipmunk?full=1

      1. mrnoidea

        2007. Now I feel old.

        1. Needfuldoer

          A good year for memes. It brought us the glory of Chocolate Rain.

          But “antique”, though? How would you classify YTMND fads and the likes of Hampsterdance?

        2. MatthewTheLucky

          Petrified.

        3. Needfuldoer

          Oh no I am an old! I need my skateboard, Music-Band shirt, and Geritol.

    4. butts

      https://youtu.be/a1Y73sPHKxw

  12. DailyBrad

    For a guy who classically forgets names, Walky didn’t forget that one. That can’t be a great sign.

    1. Bagge

      He seems to have made an impression.

      Honestly that’s a good sign. That suggests Linda and Charles – or at least Walky – didn’t put ALL the blame for the robberies on Sals or Marcies shoulders.

      1. thejeff

        It’s actually interesting that he even knows the name. Not clear what that implies.

        1. BBCC

          Sal and Marcie both knew him. Maybe he went to their school?

          And yeah, I can see Walky believing (or caring) more about Asher than their parents, though its possible they made Sal talk about what happened with Asher and whatever happened with him is why things are awkward, rather than him throwing Sal under the bus once she was caught.

  13. Marsh Maryrose

    Chekov’s Asher!

  14. Catman

    I pray that Asher has turned over a new leaf and is not only a better person but when he inevitably bumps into Sal he endeavors to do everything he can to make amends.

    Sending prayers fixes every problem right?
    Thoughts and prayers?

    1. BBCC

      I have higher hopes for Asher than Leland. I think it’s pretty clear Asher was having some serious problems at home and he didn’t seem at least outwardly malicious.

      Leland might have some sort of issue at home as well (‘she tripped’, huh?) but considering he went out of his way to seriously injure and nearly kill someone twice and didn’t demonstrate any remorse for it, my hopes are low on him having changed yet.

      1. Koms

        Yeah… such people only get emboldened.

    2. Zach

      http://nonadventures.com/2017/11/18/a-moment-of-paws/

  15. Yumi

    ‘Kay, so I’m gonna hop into this universe and sic a pack of wolves on Leland, and then Dorothy can take his spot at Yale.

    1. BBCC

      Yay! Happy ending!

    2. Regalli

      Don’t forget to wrap him in tasty-smelling meat first!

    3. ShinyNeen

      Wolves are good, wolves are good. Hmm… got anything in your bag of tricks for Blaine or Clint?

      1. Regalli

        I keep saying: Blaine pisses off the wrong mobster and goes to the pig farm. Everyone wins, especially the pigs.

        1. BBCC

          And I already wrote a fic where Clint was arrested by SHIELD so that’s what I’m going with.

      2. timemonkey

        They go on a lovely cruise across the ocean and meet the most delightfull sharks.

    4. mrnoidea

      Could you add some angry weasels for fun?

  16. AntJ

    Willis said back in October “I wonder if we’ll ever see Asher not in shades of flashback blue” or something along those lines.

    It now appears we will.

    1. Regalli

      IU’s a big campus so it’s not a given, but narrative causality is a hell of a drug.

      1. Marsh Maryrose

        IU Bloomington undergraduate enrollment is almost 33,500. (Just for comparison, the population of Evansville, Indiana, hometown of Sal, Walky, Billie, Amber, Ethan, Alice, and Asher, is a little under 117,500.)

        So the odds of Sal encountering Asher by chance are really low. However, the odds of them meeting by narrative convenience are much higher.

        1. BBCC

          Amber and Ethan aren’t from Evansville. They’re from Indianapolis.

        2. BBCC

          For those of you curious, per the PDF character profiles

          Joyce and Becky – La Porte
          Ruth – Kaladar Ontario and currently living in Carmel when she’s with AssFace Grandpa
          Dorothy, Danny and Joe – Mishawaka
          Sarah – Fort Wayne
          Walky, Sal, Marcie, Billie (and yes, Alice, Asher and Leland) – Evansville
          Amber, Ethan, Mike – Indianapolis
          Roz – New Albany
          Dina – Merrillville
          Mary – Michigan City
          Raidah – Bloomington

        3. Liquid Len

          Huh. The only “out-of-stater” by technicality is Ruth. Very different from my college experience where it seemed like everyone was from somewhere else. Feels more like the fact that half my high school class went to UConn.

        4. drs

          I was a grad student at IU; most of the undergrads I knew were from Indiana or an adjacent state. If I met an exception they were generally there for theater or music or classics, one of IU’s distinctively good schools. It’s a state school.

          My undergrad was Caltech, that was a lot more wide-ranging in origin.

        5. Liquid Len

          I did my grad work at NJIT, which was more like a state school. An interesting thing there was that, unlike my undergrad experience, there were quite a few commuter students I ran into (both undergrad and grad). I just couldn’t imagine living at home while going to college. But I did understand why no one would want to live in Newark, NJ at that time.

        6. Zee

          As a simple foreigner, all I can say is of course raidah is from a place called Bloomington

        7. drs

          This campus of IU is *in* Bloomington, apparently Raidah is a local. Unless she’s from a Bloomington in Illinois or Minnesota.

        8. BBCC

          For what it’s worth, Tony likely lives there too, since his dad is the Dean.

        9. Yumi

          I actually really like Michigan City, can Mary not be from there

        10. BBCC

          Sorry, no. đŸ˜›

        11. Yumi

          Gonna push Mary down a sand dune, I guess.

        12. BBCC

          There we go! đŸ˜€

  17. crys

    i’m a yale undergraduate. i thought i was lucky to have teachers who supported my intellectual and personal growth unequivocally. that i was lucky to have friends and parents who read my college essays and offered wholehearted feedback. then i came here and met people who paid thousands of dollars to have third party consultants assemble resumes and ring up contacts to secure fancy internships. people who scoff at the idea that low-income students shouldn’t have to work tens of hours during the week to afford their education (while rich students get that extra time to study or party). even if leland didn’t do anything *illegal*, the game is rigged, and yale isn’t the place where leland will learn consequences

    1. BBCC

      I mean, let’s be real, the fact legacy admissions are even a thing is an admission the game is rigged. And large donations are basically legalized bribes (in addition to a ring of illegal ones apparently).

      Plus, the whole reason elite colleges started requiring extracurriculars, personal statements, essays, interviews, etc. was to keep Jewish kids out.

      1. thejeff

        Hell, that’s a big part of the reason they started legacy admissions. Jews and Catholics and other weird immigrant types.

        1. BBCC

          Yup, basically too many folks weren’t WASPy enough.

      2. Deathjavu

        I always got really, really mad when I saw the “did your parents attend here” question. Usually we at least pretend positions aren’t about nepotism.

        Seriously, how is that a legally allowable question. Sounds highly discriminatory.

        1. Clif

          If it’s a private college it gets to discriminate on any basis that’s not illegal, which is not many. Downside to living in a free country is people are free to be unfair jerks.

      3. Unusually Angry Hippie

        Honestly, this bribery thing is sorta equitable, in a way. It’s equal-opportunity bribery between the old money and noveau rich.

        1. BBCC

          I laughed and now I’m angry all over again.

          College, man.

    2. Uly

      And the whole point of going to Yale instead of somewhere else where the academics are just as good (with all the legacies, let’s admit it, there are better academic schools) is so you can party – that is, network with future influential people. Having to work instead of a. studying or b. partying is really shitty.

  18. ian livs

    Oh, h*ck. (:

    1. butts

      đŸ™‚ đŸ™‚ đŸ™‚

  19. purblebirb

    Why do we call it dramatic chipmunk when its a prarie dog or something

    1. butts

      because the name of the video is “Dramatic Chipmunk”

    2. Marsh Maryrose

      Why do we call it Finland when it’s Suomi? Why do we call it Egypt when it’s Misr?

      Sometimes a name gets attached to a thing, and you have to choose between using the name your peers use, or using the name that people who know better use.

      1. Arian

        The original Lolrus was an elephant seal. Didn’t stop anybody. It resulted in a lot of photos of real walruses in sequels, though, which is all good in my book.

      2. Kamino Neko

        This is not the same thing, though. Those are the names of the same thing in different languages. That’s not the same as using the wrong word from the same language. ‘Dramatic chipmunk’ is more like calling a meatball sub a cheeseburger. (They’re related – concoctions of meat, bread, and cheese, usually with at least one kind of sauce – but not the same thing.)

        1. Clif

          A cool cat is (usually) not a feline. A smart ass may be neither. Many brothers have no siblings. Language is how it is used.

    3. Chris Phoenix

      …So if you’ve got a date in Constantinople, she’ll be waiting in Istanbul! Even old New York was once New Amsterdam…

  20. mrnoidea

    I wonder if Asher is gonna be the next DoA villian. If he teams up with Ryan…shit is gonna go down. Or maybe he turned a new leaf.

    Place your bets here, people!

    1. Bagge

      Maybe he’s just dating Alice

      1. JessWitt

        Yeah good guess.

      2. Marsh Maryrose

        Because for Alice, dating a former armed robber is much less stressful than dating a drama hurricane.

        1. Bagge

          It’s awfully hard to extrapolate from one data point, but what we know of Alice’s history so far does not fill me with confidence in her stellar ability to pick drama-free partners.

        2. Zee

          Tbf, dating a former armed robber isn’t as stressful as you’d think

        3. EnerPrime

          I mean, a former armed robber isn’t that big a deal. It’s the current armed robbers you need to look out for.

      3. thejeff

        Though speculation had it that Alice was dating that girl she was with when she ran into Billie.

        1. Bagge

          LOVE TRIANGLE!

  21. Bagge

    I’m sure Asher went through the whole ordeal without handstabbings, too.

  22. JessWitt

    So from the archives, seems like Asher is a delinquent pal but I can’t imagine how bad his and Sal’s reunion will go.

  23. Nono

    Darn, the Walky/Asher ship sank before it was even conceived.

    1. mrnoidea

      *snrk*

    2. Keulen

      I’m very glad there won’t be a Walky/Leland ship.

      1. Bagge

        I completely agree with you

        http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-7/01-glower-vacuum/landed/

        1. Clif

          Not unless their is free pizza or chicken mcnuggets involved.

  24. Rabid Rabbit

    Ah, Walky, your not entirely unacknowledged bicuriosity is delightful.

    I do find it fascinating that the guy whose sense of masculinity is tied up in how many pairs of (velcro) shoes he owns can so easily make jokes about blowing guys for pizza, or blowing guys for good math grades, and now can imply the possibility of slobbering up Leland and Asher. (Not to mention the blowjob joke when he was playing Joe’s wife.)

    I mean, yes, it’s great to have someone so secure in his straightness that he can make all the gay jokes, but it’s weird that his masculinity is so fragile at the same time.

    1. Yumi

      I do find that to be an interesting aspect of Walky’s character, but I don’t think that’s what’s happening here. I think there’s a transition from “people from your past I might kiss” to just “people from your past.”

      Also, kissing Leland? Gross.

      1. BBCC

        Especially since Leland was a little prick to Walky too.

        1. AntJ

          Leland overwhelmed Walky with his charisma. I’m pretty sure quite a few (abusive) relationships have started out that way.

        2. BBCC

          I mean, yeah, but I want better for Walky.

        3. thejeff

          I’m pretty sure that his charisma had nothing to do with overwhelming Walky. That comment was about as blatant an “I’m not going to argue because you’d punch me” as he could get away with.

        4. BBCC

          Yeah, the teacher was absolutely worthless if she couldn’t notice that.

          Or, more likely, was told no disciplining Leland because he’s a ‘good student’.

    2. Uly

      Mmm, let’s chalk that up to bad parenting. Everything else about Walky and Sal can be, after all.

    3. BarerMender

      Those weren’t jokes.

  25. Uly

    Oooh, topical. Did Leland buy his way into Yale legitimately, or illegitimately? Or is he a legacy?

    1. BBCC

      Probably a mix of legacy and bribery, whether legal or not (donations are basically legal bribes lbr).

      1. Uly

        No argument here on how donations = bribes.

  26. Agemegos

    Quick! No-one tell Ambe or Amazi-Girl about Asher.

    1. abysswatcher1993

      Can we tell Mike? He would pretend he is only there to cause psychological drama for Amber, but he would find a way to get Asher in jail for something petty.

      Amber: “Wow, that was good from you.”
      Mike: “Don’t thank me. I stole all your money from your debit account.”

      1. abysswatcher1993

        Ignore my comment. I thought Asher was the guy that tried to murder Marcie.

  27. Jay

    This was just the page I needed. Good sibling banter. I havent had a great past few days but I can always rely on you for making me feel better for a few minutes.

  28. abysswatcher1993

    1)It’s quite grimdark that a rapist goes to Yale. It connects to all the real life assholes that get away with their crimes just because they are white rich privileged kids protected by corrupt parents, and who become like their parents.

    2)Can we get a comic strip where Asher is beaten down by Mike, Ethan and Ninja Rick? I know intended murder of an immigrant isn’t seen as serious as a guy making a toy scam, but he deserves a beat down after what he did to Marcie.

    1. abysswatcher1993

      Wait, is Asher the guy who stole stuff or the guy that tried to murder Marcie?

      1. BBCC

        Asher was the guy who stole stuff. Leland is the one who hurt Marcie.

        1. BBCC

          Twice actually

          1) He kicked her into a ditch full of exposed rebar and concrete. It’s a miracle she didn’t crack her head open or something worse than a cut.

          2) Smooshing her throat with a rock.

        2. abysswatcher1993

          Ok, I confused Asher with Leland and Leland with gashface. So many criminals.

        3. BBCC

          Poor Asher! Here he is having turned his life around since being split up from his brother, worked to scholarships to go to IU and going into Social Work (where he absolutely loathes that Asshole Who Sits in the Back who likes to manipulate and hurt people for fun) and suddenly he’s getting the shit kicked out of him by Ethan, some Ninja guy and aforementioned Asshole. He’s just like ‘The FUCK did I ever do to Marcie?’

          Yeah, I know we’re currently looking for someone to fill the role of Evil Male Student with Ryan gone and someone to inject a shot of drama back into the robbery storyline but shhhhh, let me have this for a second.

  29. BenRG

    “… Me and Amazi-Girl have already beaten him up… what? Three times? Could be four. He really doesn’t know any other way to relax that try to mug folk.”

    1. Dana

      I prefer to believe he’s on the straight and narrow, studying for a Masters in Social Work.

      1. BBCC

        He seems around Sal’s age so probably too young for a masters, but I like the way you think.

        If he is in social work and legit turned his life around, can he fight Mike for me? As well as whatever jackass let Mike into the social work program?

        1. Seregiel

          Since he’s a frosh, he isn’t actually admitted into the program yet, just declared an intent during admission. You still have hope that someone will catch him during pre-reqs before he’s in the program proper and competing for upper course slots.

          This is why my chem teacher suggested we all try to cheat the system. He wanted us all to declare chem the first two years while doing base coarse work for the scholarships. Doesn’t work for all, but if the requirement is solely working on necessary work for program graduation, it can fly. I had moral qualms with it, but the college system was already hosed and it was validating that he recognized it and was trying to get as many people admitted as possible.

        2. BBCC

          Is that how it works in the US? Here we just declare our major as we go.

        3. Yumi

          It depends on the program. For instance, I was an English major, and was able to declare that before starting freshman year. I also wanted to be in the teaching program, though, which is a seperate program I had to be admitted into during my sophomore year. There are some majors you can just declare and some that are part of a program/college that you have to gain admittance into in addition to your enrollment at the university

          It looks like the IU School of Social Work is one you have to apply additionally for, which fits with the Schools of Social Work at other universities I’m more familiar with. It does look like it’s something you can apply for at the same time you apply for IU, but I’m not entirely clear; elsewhere where I’m looking, it mentions “cumulative undergraduate GPA” as part of what’s looked at for admission.

        4. BBCC

          Fair enough. So it’s like you get into the school, and then have to apply again for different programs.

        5. Seregiel

          General programs are a go, but most schools that require licensure or uniform standards at a state or gov level are going to require you do your basics first (social work, engineering, most sciences, teaching, etc). Also, because those things get higher sholarship money, the grade requirements to pass or fail/ get into programs are harder. Specialty schools also do that – animation at an art school would be competitive due to number of slots but drawing is pretty open as long as your portfolio hits the check boxes.

  30. Dana

    No mentioning Leland. Talking about people leads to panel time. I’d prefer he stay confined to flashbacks. Ones we’ve already seen. Like, meta-flashbacks.

    1. Reltzik

      So, something like Sal reevaluating Amber/Amazigirl after their fight?

      1. Dana

        More like you remembering Sal evaluating A/AG after their fight.

        1. Reltzik

          …. so the archives?

        2. Emperor Norton II

          How about the comments in the archives?

  31. Smooti

    I gotta wonder, would Walky know what Dramatic Chipmunk is? He was six when the video came out. I guess it’s kid friendly enough of a meme…
    also of COURSE Leland is in Yale. Of course.

    1. Eldritch Gentleman

      With any luck his parents will get in trouble like what is happening in real life.

      1. Smooti

        It IS oddly timely for a strip made months ago. What do you know that we don’t about Aunt Becky, Willis???

  32. Emperor Norton II

    So yesterday, I talked about how Walky’s relationship with Sal has improved dramatically ever since the Freshman Weekend and him starting to actually consider it from her point from that day on, and BBCC replied to me saying this:

    “Though, blessing or not, for now Walky’s still not cool smooching someone who hurt his sister.”

    Which is being proven further in today’s strip.

    And this is overall a good thing. Basically, I’d say that Walky did need her blessing (or at least active lack of condemnation) if he wanted to continue smooching Amber with good conscience.

    But at the same time, even with Sal’s blessing, it doesn’t mean he automatically has to do it. He’s certainly considering and respecting her feelings; but at the same time, he has his own feelings to work out.

    And I think there’s quite a lot of feelings for him to work out. A lot.

    Now, I’m really going into guessing territory here; but I’m assuming that Walky never really got a chance to work through his feelings about the whole robbery incident. I don’t think his parents ever really asked him about how he felt (because guys aren’t supposed to have feelings), and at this point, he’d already learned to hide himself away in a shell of happy-go-lucky surfing through life mode.

    And remember, he does love his sister. He really does. And I’m pretty sure nobody asked him much if he missed her while she was away. Instead, they just drilled into his head that this was a criminal deserving no sympathy. And so he never got to really understand her side of things, her position.

    So he put everything away, out of his mind; because life was just easier that way; and he’s used to life being easy for him. And it wasn’t until he practically had no choice to confront his own assumptions that it all changed.

    And so we end up here, where he only recently got his sister back; not just physically, but also as in a proper sibling relationship. That’s going to take time to fully unpack. And then all the emotions he was never allowed to feel about losing her, about her getting stabbed with a knife; all of this is finally catching up with him…

    Yeah, he’s not in the right place to date Amber right now.

    And he understands that he’s not in that right place.

    I’m getting cautiously optimistic about him.

    1. BBCC

      Oh, yes, this is really good analysis.

      I joke a lot about the Walkerton’s family crest being a knight that vehemently refuses to discuss his feelings, but it’s true and it’s damaging.

      It’s even more complicated because, now that Walky’s looking back and seeing the inequities in the way they were treated, he also sees moments he didn’t realize before (like the audition) and ways he inadvertently made her situation worse (how much do you wanna bet he’s kicking himself for reminding his mom he was home and in bed like he was supposed to be when Sal snuck home late now?). He also realizes that even when he tried, he was unhelpful or when she tried to reach out, he tuned her out and ignored her because her feelings were too complicated and she was probably talking about things that made him uncomfortable like their parents. And like, yeah, Sal feels things deeply and sometimes they get tangled up and connect and feed each other, so it does get complicated. Unfortunately that did leave Sal in a bad spot and that’s something Walky does feel bad about.

      There’s a lot going on here and none of its gonna be resolved quick and easy.

      1. Emperor Norton II

        Anything that quotes you is really good, right?

    2. Bagge

      That’s a good one, Emperor.

      I would even go as far as to suggest that the whole ‘smooch or not’ question is not as important for Walky right now as the question what kind of brother he wants to be – something that Amber sensed when she left Walky and Sal alone on garbage roof to talk. Walky has a second chance of having a sister, and that comes with a lot of feels.

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