sibling relationships can be both easy and hard to write. I’ve seen brothers in my family barely acknowledge each other as they are near, insult each other, do half hugs, and do a fake fight and all of it works.
That said these two work really well together easily and I am glad they are getting closer based on their history. The biker and the mouse….. wait are they from mars?
It’s finally time, Amber lounges on the bed in a sexy negligee. Romantic music plays. In lieu of rose petals, nachitos have been spread on the bed. The bathroom door opens, light from behind silhouetting her lover and his full body chicken suit.
I heard that “‘Erotic’ is using a feather. ‘Kinky’ is using a whole chicken.”
Clif
Using a feather is exotic, no matter what else it is. The distinction between erotic and kinky depends primarily on what you’re using the whole chicken for.
HeySo
I think it depends on the feather. I mean, it’s not usually hard getting a random feather, but getting, say, a phoenix feather? That has impact.
..well, I guess you could go for, like, a peacock feather, long-tailed widowbird feather, or kagu feather, instead, if you’re not yet ready for phoenix level exoticness. Or, y’know, for some reason have trouble finding the feathers.
Shout-out to Australia and its crazy quilt of time zones, especially during DST! Special props for Eucla and its rebel UTC +8:45 time zone.
Agemegos
The quarter-hour time zone is hard to beat. But an honourable mention also goes to Lord Howe Island, which is on UTC+10:30 during standard times and does daylight saving by half an hour.
Agemegos
First Sunday in October until first Sunday in April.
By “the rest of the world” you really mostly just mean the EU. Canada and a number of Central American countries match the US, Mexico does the first sunday in April, Australia and New Zealand also change over on the first sunday in April though in the other direction (southern hemisphere so they’re ending summer time), and Brazil ends it in February. A couple countries do it on Fridays too.
If Ambers self deprecation is going to play as an interference in her love life then I see her trying make different attempts to get Walky to move on from her out of hatred for herself. Matter of fact if Walky ever introduced Amber to Lucy I bet Ambers opinion on her would be ” You should probably go for her instead, you’re better off with someone whose not me anyway” in which walkys reply to that would probably be “Chances are SHE’s better off with someone who’s isn’t ME.”
I noticed that that’s the same jacket Sal wore the day after her parents came to visit where she was reasserting herself. Looks like this is her ‘uncomfortable family stuff’ jacket now.
And Sal, honey, you’re the last person who gets to talk about someone having their self worth in a finger trap when you’ve plenty of guilt issues of your own.
I DO like that it’s not Amber forgiving Sal for the robbery isn’t what Sal thinks of first as making them even – it’s Amber helping her get back in Marcie’s good graces. Because that matters a lot more than forgiving her for the robbery.
…I’m not joking. It actually does. There’s very precious little Sal prioritizes over Marcie. It hadn’t had quite as much story attention before this book, but it’s pretty similar to Joyce and Becky – ‘pit you against anything else in my life and you will win every time’.
I think there’s an interplay between “pointing out the mote in your neighbor’s eye while ignoring the beam in your own” and “it takes one to know one.”
If the one-armed lumberjack says you’re holding your axe wrong, it might be worthwhile to listen.
Sal probably feels like she already suffered enough for the robbery, and she already got forgiveness from Ethan. Being in Marcie’s good graces is a lot more immediate. Not that I disagree that Sal puts Marcie over everything else, that’s pretty clear.
Amber’s guilt is definitely larger and more stubborn than Sal’s, Sal has demonstrated a non-zero capacity for self forgiveness. I don’t think Amber has forgiven herself for anything at all, ever.
I wouldn’t say Sal thinks she’s suffered enough for the robbery – I think the extended flashback sequence was a pretty good indication she still feels pretty damn guilty. But yeah, there’s other reasons why she values being in Marcie’s good books over Amber forgiving her – namely, while they’ve agreed to try to move on, brain weasels sometimes have a funny way of catching up to you. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of their issues.
Deathjavu
I’m mostly thinking of the bit where she asks Amber if anything happened after she “stole nothing, and hurt no one” (obviously the second one isn’t strictly true), which sounds like “hey I suffered a lot for almost nothing, that’s unfair I didn’t deserve this.” And I thought the flashbacks were less about guilt and more recognition of a bad pattern of violence.
We definitely haven’t seen the last of their issues, both girls have enough issues to fill a monthly magazine for decades. Or a daily webcomic for years.
BBCC
Sal’s point there is about how she was arrested and faced legal sanction for threatening someone with a knife while Amber did not face such sanction for actually using it. That’s not about whether or not Sal feels guilty (which I think she does based on the extended flashback after Ethan, how fast she chases him down to apologize and yes, on her reactions to remembering said cyclical violence and escalation, including the look on her face in the flashback where she puts the knife down after she sees Amber cowering in the store), that’s about Amber having an advantage with the law Sal doesn’t. I can almost guarantee if Amber were black, latina or indigenous, she’d have been arrested for stabbing Sal. Amber didn’t address that point though she did say she was also ‘punished’ by her dad for embarrassing him by him beating the hell out of her mom.
And yep, but I think the issue of forgiving and moving on is going to be a struggle for a bit – if only because sometimes it takes a while for your brain to get with the program about what you want to do.
Okay I have one question about the remaining time on the kickstarter. If I request a single DoA character art commission at that hundred-dollar tear Can I by any chance ask for a special costume theme? I just have a couple ideas and I wanted to try out one, it’s nothing lewed though I promise.
Anyone know if I could make a request something like this? Past Kickstarter contributors or even Willis got an answer.
I’m not sure, but if you don’t get an answer here today, maybe message Willis via the Kickstarter campaign? There’s a section on there for comments, and probably a way to message Willis directly too.
109 thoughts on “Square”
AnvilPro
I like these two
sunflowerofice
sibling relationships can be both easy and hard to write. I’ve seen brothers in my family barely acknowledge each other as they are near, insult each other, do half hugs, and do a fake fight and all of it works.
That said these two work really well together easily and I am glad they are getting closer based on their history. The biker and the mouse….. wait are they from mars?
cbwroses
Shouldn’t there be a third sibling if you’re going to make Biker Mice from Mars references?
Maybe an honorary sibling, like Joyce?
darkgloomie
Billie is the honorary sibling, although classically it’s men that are from Mars.
Rowen Morland
Billie is (from) all over the place.
sunflowerofice
Never actually seen the show. I just know the name of it.
Doctor_Who
It’s finally time, Amber lounges on the bed in a sexy negligee. Romantic music plays. In lieu of rose petals, nachitos have been spread on the bed. The bathroom door opens, light from behind silhouetting her lover and his full body chicken suit.
Amber: What.
Walky: I’m sorry, but I wanted a surprise twist!
paleotectonics
According to certain canon strips, that chicken suit is going to fit somewhat oddly in certain areas…
Stephen Bierce
Reminds me of a radio joke I’d heard a long time ago. Exotic is using a feather. Erotic is using the whole chicken.
Agemegos
I heard that “‘Erotic’ is using a feather. ‘Kinky’ is using a whole chicken.”
Clif
Using a feather is exotic, no matter what else it is. The distinction between erotic and kinky depends primarily on what you’re using the whole chicken for.
HeySo
I think it depends on the feather. I mean, it’s not usually hard getting a random feather, but getting, say, a phoenix feather? That has impact.
..well, I guess you could go for, like, a peacock feather, long-tailed widowbird feather, or kagu feather, instead, if you’re not yet ready for phoenix level exoticness. Or, y’know, for some reason have trouble finding the feathers.
Kamino Neko
Kinky is using a feather. Perverted is using the whole chicken.
keithcurtis
It’s a Terry Pratchett Qupte, from ‘Eric’: “Just erotic. Nothing kinky. It’s the difference between using a feather and using a chicken.”
keithcurtis
Curse my Hulk-like typing skills: “Quote”.
HeatherJean
“Erotica is using a feather. Pornography is using the whole chicken.” – Woody Allen, allegedly
newllend(henryvolt)
Now THIS is fanfiction worth reading.
Deanatay
Nobody’s said it, yet, so I’ll say it.
Walky should have dressed up like a duck. Duck penises always have a twist. Although, everyone knows that, so it’s not a surprise.
Still, WAT A TWEEST
CleverTrousers
I mean, why must they?
Marsh Maryrose
The narrative arc demands it. All hail the Narrative Arc!
Keulen
All glory to the
HypnotoadNarrative Arc!DarkoNeko
teenager hormones
Clif
The Slipshine. Willis has a family to support.
Marsh Maryrose
If Danny wants to be remembered, he should work at becoming a bad egg. Everyone remembers a bad egg. Nobody remembers good eggs.
Clif
Danny who???
Needfuldoer
You know, he’s the question mark with a flat cap floating over it.
Meagan
I remember danny and love him. He is kinda my bisexual dream boy
Mitsukara
Hey! Nobody calls Danny uncruzimatic!
Deanatay
…BECAUSE nobody remembers him.
StClair
and that’s the cassettes heard from, anyone else?
TrueVCU
In which Danny is Danny’d
Stephen Bierce
You might think I’m crazy, but I don’t even care
‘Cause I can tell what’s going on
It’s Hip to Be Square!
Ghostforge
even if it is hip to be square, still not allowed to play a modron.
Needfuldoer
Sal was renegade in the old continuity, but here she could take the punishment and hasn’t cut her hair…
DarkoNeko
Oh, it switched back to 5AM. Forgot the US didn’t go to summer timezone at the same time as the rest of the world.
Agemegos
“The rest of the world”, huh? Where I live summer time is just about to end.
DarkoNeko
last sunday of march and october for you too ?
huttj509
southern hemisphere.
Marsh Maryrose
Shout-out to Australia and its crazy quilt of time zones, especially during DST! Special props for Eucla and its rebel UTC +8:45 time zone.
Agemegos
The quarter-hour time zone is hard to beat. But an honourable mention also goes to Lord Howe Island, which is on UTC+10:30 during standard times and does daylight saving by half an hour.
Agemegos
First Sunday in October until first Sunday in April.
Lensipensi
We have still one week to go.
Tan
By “the rest of the world” you really mostly just mean the EU. Canada and a number of Central American countries match the US, Mexico does the first sunday in April, Australia and New Zealand also change over on the first sunday in April though in the other direction (southern hemisphere so they’re ending summer time), and Brazil ends it in February. A couple countries do it on Fridays too.
TImezones: They’re Fucked Up, Yo.
ValdVin
Walky didn’t immediately try to pooh-pooh Sal in the last panel. Hmm.
John Smith
I rather like Danny better with Amber than Walkey. Danny’s a good egg.
Daisy
Danny is a good egg and that’s exactly why Amber won’t get back with him. She needs someone more hard-boiled.
Tacos
Ah yes. Good ol’ What’s-his-face. How fondly he is remembered.
ValdVin
“I think he wears a hat now?”
alice
(avatar) and we all know how you feel about hats
ValdVin
Nice one.
Deanatay
Everyone’s blushing in this chain! (Even Taco, you can’t see it thru the bag.)
(Yes, waffles blush.)
newllend(henryvolt)
If Ambers self deprecation is going to play as an interference in her love life then I see her trying make different attempts to get Walky to move on from her out of hatred for herself. Matter of fact if Walky ever introduced Amber to Lucy I bet Ambers opinion on her would be ” You should probably go for her instead, you’re better off with someone whose not me anyway” in which walkys reply to that would probably be “Chances are SHE’s better off with someone who’s isn’t ME.”
DailyBrad
I guess Sal and Amber aren’t, like, besties all of a sudden, or rather, Sal doesn’t like anyone trying to out-“accept guilt for everything ever” her.
BBCC
It’s a competition between Sal’s guilt issues and Amber’s guilt issues. Who will win?
Me. I’ll win. None of my fictional babies are happy and therefore I am happy.
drs
“self-worth caught in a finger trap” is a line of beauty.
BBCC
I noticed that that’s the same jacket Sal wore the day after her parents came to visit where she was reasserting herself. Looks like this is her ‘uncomfortable family stuff’ jacket now.
And Sal, honey, you’re the last person who gets to talk about someone having their self worth in a finger trap when you’ve plenty of guilt issues of your own.
I DO like that it’s not Amber forgiving Sal for the robbery isn’t what Sal thinks of first as making them even – it’s Amber helping her get back in Marcie’s good graces. Because that matters a lot more than forgiving her for the robbery.
…I’m not joking. It actually does. There’s very precious little Sal prioritizes over Marcie. It hadn’t had quite as much story attention before this book, but it’s pretty similar to Joyce and Becky – ‘pit you against anything else in my life and you will win every time’.
Speaking of those two goofs, does anyone who knows ASL want to translate what Marcie’s saying in this preview panel?https://twitter.com/damnyouwillis/status/1109631988372332544/photo/1
Clif
Maybe “continue” depending on how you interpret the motion marks. Not an expert. http://www.asluniversity.com/asl101/pages-signs/c/continue.htm
BBCC
Interesting.
huttj509
I think there’s an interplay between “pointing out the mote in your neighbor’s eye while ignoring the beam in your own” and “it takes one to know one.”
If the one-armed lumberjack says you’re holding your axe wrong, it might be worthwhile to listen.
BBCC
Or, as Billie once put it, ‘When the pot calls the kettle black, the kettle’s still fucking black’.
Deathjavu
Sal probably feels like she already suffered enough for the robbery, and she already got forgiveness from Ethan. Being in Marcie’s good graces is a lot more immediate. Not that I disagree that Sal puts Marcie over everything else, that’s pretty clear.
Amber’s guilt is definitely larger and more stubborn than Sal’s, Sal has demonstrated a non-zero capacity for self forgiveness. I don’t think Amber has forgiven herself for anything at all, ever.
BBCC
I wouldn’t say Sal thinks she’s suffered enough for the robbery – I think the extended flashback sequence was a pretty good indication she still feels pretty damn guilty. But yeah, there’s other reasons why she values being in Marcie’s good books over Amber forgiving her – namely, while they’ve agreed to try to move on, brain weasels sometimes have a funny way of catching up to you. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of their issues.
Deathjavu
I’m mostly thinking of the bit where she asks Amber if anything happened after she “stole nothing, and hurt no one” (obviously the second one isn’t strictly true), which sounds like “hey I suffered a lot for almost nothing, that’s unfair I didn’t deserve this.” And I thought the flashbacks were less about guilt and more recognition of a bad pattern of violence.
We definitely haven’t seen the last of their issues, both girls have enough issues to fill a monthly magazine for decades. Or a daily webcomic for years.
BBCC
Sal’s point there is about how she was arrested and faced legal sanction for threatening someone with a knife while Amber did not face such sanction for actually using it. That’s not about whether or not Sal feels guilty (which I think she does based on the extended flashback after Ethan, how fast she chases him down to apologize and yes, on her reactions to remembering said cyclical violence and escalation, including the look on her face in the flashback where she puts the knife down after she sees Amber cowering in the store), that’s about Amber having an advantage with the law Sal doesn’t. I can almost guarantee if Amber were black, latina or indigenous, she’d have been arrested for stabbing Sal. Amber didn’t address that point though she did say she was also ‘punished’ by her dad for embarrassing him by him beating the hell out of her mom.
And yep, but I think the issue of forgiving and moving on is going to be a struggle for a bit – if only because sometimes it takes a while for your brain to get with the program about what you want to do.
Ed Rhodes
Oh man, I HATE the brain weasels!
BBCC
Everybody does. They’re lying fuckwads.
newllend(henryvolt)
Okay I have one question about the remaining time on the kickstarter. If I request a single DoA character art commission at that hundred-dollar tear Can I by any chance ask for a special costume theme? I just have a couple ideas and I wanted to try out one, it’s nothing lewed though I promise.
Anyone know if I could make a request something like this? Past Kickstarter contributors or even Willis got an answer.
ShinyNeen
I’m not sure, but if you don’t get an answer here today, maybe message Willis via the Kickstarter campaign? There’s a section on there for comments, and probably a way to message Willis directly too.
David M Willis
I’ve had people request certain clothes before, and as long as it doesn’t make me think Hey Wait Is This A Fetish I’m generally happy to oblige.
Keulen
If her self-worth is caught in a finger trap that means she still has a little self-worth, right?
Deathjavu
The kind of surprise twist where literally no one would be surprised.