284

Unlike me
Posted on August 9, 2024 by David M Willis

284 thoughts on “Unlike me”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    totes not how my MIL found out about Spouse and me, nope

    1. IntangibleMatter

      ANA CHRONISTIC LORE

      BOTTOM TEXT

      1. Ana Chronistic

        her reaction was very Dina’s parents (sorry if that’s a Patreon exclusive, I forget)

    2. anon

      I mean, at least that’d give you a bit of ‘time’/awkward enough mood for the question of “when are we gonna get grandchildren” put off for a while lol

    3. AndroidDreams

      My exes mum had a habit of opening her bedroom door unannounced in the mornings. (my ex was 27) The first time I slept there she opened the door to the view of my naked sleeping butt… and that was the last time she opened the door!

      1. raultsi

        Bwuahahahahaha, that’s fucking awesome

  2. Sirksome

    Ugh. Wake me up when it’s back to being queer adjacent.

    1. Yumi

      This is happening adjacent to Jennifer, so…

    2. Doctor_Who

      Jennifer is queer, she WAS adjacent, but she’s taking steps to remedy that.

    3. Akane

      I hope we either get Dorothy breaking up with Walky to join Joyce and Joe, or we get Amber dating Dorothy and Walky.

      1. Michael Steamweed

        Why the breakups? Let the exploratory threesomes commence! Make ’em one big six-way polycule!

        1. Akane

          Ooh. A six polycule would interesting!

    4. Some Guy

      Poor baby.

      1. Sirksome

        I wish I had my original Sarah gravatar to reply to this because I am devastated.

    5. Ana Chronistic

      Wake me up when hetero ends
      [/Green Day]

      1. Ana Chronistic

        realised this fits the meter better:

        Wake me up, when the gender bends

      2. Akane

        Considering these comics are drawn months in advance, I feel you there. We’re all waiting for many characters (like Joyce) to have their bisexual arc.

  3. NGPZ

    *plays “Filthy Gorgeous” by Scissor Sisters on hacked muzak*

    1. Risky

      Welp that’s in my head now. Not that I clicked.

  4. shadowcell

    Lucy Goes That Fast AND That Far: A Dumbing of Age Pornographique

    1. Rose by Any other Name

      I’m kinda hoping.
      Honestly, I’d much rather have a Lucy/Jacob slipshine over the Danny/Sal one we got most recently. Too many Danny slipshines, not enough Jacob.

      1. Tyler

        If you’re not already, you should check the NSFW patreon, David is currently working on a showpiece for these two!

    2. Laura

      They are so cute wearing those complementary silk head wraps side by side. Did Jacob go back to his dorm room for his, and then come back to spend the night cuddling with Lucy? Or do you think she just lent him one of hers?

      For the sake of preserving Lucy’s “woman of the world” mystique with Jacob, I’m hoping she didn’t bleed on the sheets. Not all V-card ticket-punches do wind up drawing blood, but it can be awkward when a fellow surmised that he was the first.

      1. Opus the Poet

        Since Lucy’s room is in a different dorm it’s probably Jacob’s wrap.

  5. Thag Simmons

    good for them

    1. Newlland(Henryvolt)

      Yeah all power to them, I mean they had to pigeon Whole Sarah a tad bit but I think she’ll get over it in no time.

      1. Sentient Sandvich

        Honestly I see Sarah robbing a liquor store the next time she sees them kiss,
        She spent months opening herself up to Jacob and was about to turn a big corner thanks to how kind and caring he was to her during this.
        Only to see him kiss a girl he’s known for less time then her, without any alcohol too.
        This WILL cause her to never open herself again.

        1. Michael Steamweed

          She got burned once. Got ‘twice shy’ afterward. But after about a year of safe friendship, she started to trust again. Only to get burned again. Dang, how long will this second ‘twice shy’ last? 🙁

        2. Insanenoodlyguy

          If you never claimed the last doughnut, didn’t buy it in the first place, and it’s two days later you finally look at the box you really can’t be mad when somebody else ate it.

        3. John Campbell

          You absolutely can. Sarah doesn’t own Jacob, but that doesn’t invalidate her feelings.

        4. Jamie

          I feel like it’s worse if the donut is still there and you try to eat it.

        5. Jon

          Well, possibly. Joyce actually had a very similar experience with Jacob: stepped outside of her comfort zone in big ways and then it went sour. She’s already back on the horse in similar ways with Joe.

          Sarah’s in a rough spot, definitely. I have very little sympathy for her, though. She spent MONTHS treating Jacob quite inconsistently when he has made it very clear that he’s mostly (still!) interested in her as a friend. Has he ever, even once, expressed romantic interest in her? Not just “not rejecting her” but actual interest?

          Sarah’s done the “oooh I’m just soooooo bad with people, you won’t like me” shtick with him like six different times. I’m surprised he hasn’t already said “fine then” already (permanently, at least. We know he’s reacted to that rhetoric from her before, but only temporarily).

        6. Ben

          Really Joyce and Sarah only have themselves to blame, regarding Jacob. They were both well out of order; Jacob let Joyce off the hook because he is a good egg, but Sarah… I think he just lost interest in her antics and who can blame him? Joyce was well out of order with Joe too, but he is giving the chance to make good for his own reasons

  6. Doctor_Who

    Jennifer isn’t intentionally moving away, she’s just being literally repulsed by the cuteness.

    1. Yumi

      She may also be realizing she’s in a kind of weird place to either be brushing her teeth or holding a spoon in her mouth for an extended period.

      1. Taffy

        She’s a real strange person.

        1. HueSatLight

          repulsed by charm, neutral on truth, attracted to beauty.

        2. Mark

          What about strangeness?

    2. staszu13

      Yeah that’s how I read it. Her expression oozes “Ew, gross, a relationship that isn’t about self destructive raging”

      1. Jeremiah

        It’s difficult for her mind to comprehend.

    3. M!a

      Shhhhh-! She’s trying to set them both on fire using the power of her innate superiority.

      …this may take a while.

  7. Schpoonman

    Get that diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

    1. True Survivor

      -lithium crystals aligned.

      All the talk about going fast and far was about Warp Speed, right?

      1. AbacusWizard

        Yes, and the long iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii was due to time dilation effects.

        1. Needfuldoer

          diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

          vert all auxiliary power from weapons to propulsion!

        2. Michael Steamweed

          What about life support? We can diiivert from that too.

    2. Proxiehunter

      -ll pickle relish for the hotdogs.

      1. NGPZ

        I prefer mustard myself ^^

        1. APW

          *trying not to think what “mustard myself” is a euphemism for* (also, you lost a “to”)

        2. NGPZ

          It’s not a euphemism silly!

          I mean like on hotdogs XD

        3. OBBWG

          Mustard on hot dogs? Ooh, kinky euphemism.

        4. OBBWG

          And now I want Portillo’s for lunch.

        5. Airyu

          Wait, “I prefer mustard myself” is correct. It’s a way of saying “I prefer mustard *rather than* [the thing that was said before]”. Meanwhile, “I prefer mustard *to* myself” means “I don’t want to share the mustard”.

  8. IntangibleMatter

    Two things:

    1. Spooning, always a good thing

    2. Jennifer perfectly shows how it feels to be in the room with said people who are spooning

    1. Michael Steamweed

      Jennifer doesn’t have the spoons for this.

  9. Claire

    Good for her. Also Lucy continues to have good taste in television shows if that OFMD poster is hers.

    1. Jeremiah

      Oh I didn’t noticed, that’s nice.

    2. Dr. Sharks

      Oh! I missed that detail. Respect for Lucy increased!

      Not that it was particularly low or anything to begin with, but still, great show.

  10. Kyrik Michalowski

    Watching Jennifer being weird about Lucy getting some action is very strange.
    Is she grossed out, weirded out by the pillow talk, or by the fact that Lucy now has a boyfriend while Jennifer does not?

    1. Hazel

      My bet is a little annoyed and a little jealous by how cute they are being.

    2. Sirksome

      I think it’s just awkward to be near any couple you know had sex. Especially when you still have to live in the room. Joe wasn’t exactly chill post Danny and Sal fucking either. How are you supposed to act in this situation? Just a weird but common shared space scenario.

      1. eh, whatever

        How are you supposed to act in this situation?

        Why not just ignore it? Why make a big deal out of it? Why think you are supposed to act in any special way?

        1. Daibhid C

          “Ignoring it” is a way of acting. Is it the correct way of acting? I don’t know, maybe! But it’s certainly a way you can act.

        2. Sirksome

          She is ignoring it. She’s literally leaving to better ignore it. I know people really don’t like Jennifer, but i feel like there’s a lot of overanalyzing of a squint. This isn’t jealousy or condemnation of them, it’s just mildly annoying to witness a couple’s pillow talk. Some people aren’t Joyce.

        3. HueSatLight

          oh good, someone else is seeing the same version of the strip I am.

    3. Bash

      I think its a little embarrassing to listen to two people being so sweet and also a bit dorky with each other. Jennifer doesn’t have much of a tolerance for anything she deems “nerd stuff”.

    4. DashWallkick

      Remember that Jennifer thinks sincere and sweet and corny is “nerd stuff” and looks down on it. This is why, uh, well I was going to say Ruth then I thought of how she’s currently neglecting Asher and really it’s why Jennifer is Jennifer.

      1. Needfuldoer

        If it’s anything like her love of Star Wars, she wants “nerd stuff” without being seen as a “nerd” herself.

    5. Archieve

      I was thinking a bit of jealousy that Lucky had a great hookup and maybe a bit angry that she got thrown out by a nerd since Jennifer is still insecure being seen as popular and cool, it seems like she’s trying to get noticed giving the glare.

      1. Amelie Wikström

        Her inner voice is totally going “This is everything you wanted but you decided it was more important to have high status and be cool and popular, aren’t you happy you made an adult decision?”

    6. Octo

      I imagine on some level it’s also her feeling a bit bad for Walky. As far as I’m aware I don’t think she knows about him and Dorothy yet?

    7. M!a

      Jennifer’s feeling resentment at this obviously broken world, for allowing a Jacob to happen to a total NERRRRD while her own better-in-every-imaginable-way ass is left unfulfilled.

      Or just unfilled.

    8. GreyICE

      Some people are all about cute relationships. Some people are not.

      She met her ex during an attempted assault. On her. Her other ex is an ex-criminal.

      Some people are not about cute.

    9. Hoboturtle

      Isn’t Jennifer under the impression that she’s still in a relationship? Just one where she wants her boyfriend to cheat on her so he’s a bad boy.

  11. Doopyboop

    Good for them! Good for them.

  12. Newlland(Henryvolt)

    Well absolutely no regrets on either end, good for them I suppose.

  13. Animedingo

    Shower caps? What kind of kinky shit were they doing?

    1. TrueVCU

      Can’t tell if joke or ignorance

      1. RonF

        Ignorance, I would presume, as I was going to ask exactly the same question.

    2. JD

      they call it domestic snorkeling, these days.

      1. Bryy

        Domestic Dorkeling.

    3. Mel

      Those are a bonnet and a durag respectively. Commonly used to protect black hair from damage while sleeping

      1. Veronica

        I thought a durag was a kind of banana. Doesn’t Turk where one while doing surgery in Scrubs?

        1. Envy

          I assume you mean bandana. Even if Turk calls it a durag, he wears a bandana in the series. A durag is usually made out of silk, satin, or nylon, and fits very tightly to the head. Using a bandana as a durag would move around too much.

        2. Veronica

          I can’t believe Turk misled me for years about what he was wearing.

          Well now I know.

    4. Sirksome

      They both have black hair.

    5. Queezle

      Sleep caps/ bonnets. Not shower caps.

    6. Kyrik Michalowski

      They aren’t shower caps; they are caps to protect their hair that some black people wear because of how fragile their hair is.

      1. Vigil247

        It’s not so much that black hair is more fragile per say. We sometimes are protecting styles so they last longer (like waves) or to maintain certain moisture levels which helps with protective braids or locks. And since some styles and management are the salon can be expensive, making them last is important… But yes it’s also to help protect against frizzyness and tangling which is more of a risk with really curly hair at night

        1. Vigil247

          Lmao just accidentally reported my own comment

        2. Dday

          But… did Jacob just have a durag in his pocket in case he got lucky that night? Maybe his “6 dates” rule is just denial or a front… Or maybe Lucy had a spare for when her adorable red riding hood bonnet is in the laundry

        3. pope suburban

          Yeah my question is about Jacob’s headwear, because so far we’ve only seen Lucy in bonnets. Granted I’m no expert, it may be that she has durags around too, but I understand it to generally break down as people with longer hair using bonnets and people with shorter hair using durags. But I’m going to keep up in the comments to see if we get any elaboration.

        4. Envy

          No, we’ve seen both Sal and Sarah in bonnets. Sarah was in a bonnet for the entire kidnapping arc. Sometimes people with longer hair or wigs will wear a durag to keep their roots flat or their edges/baby hairs from getting messed up, but yeah durags are more useful for short hair.

        5. Dday

          Sure, its plain to the eye that Lucy’s hair couldn’t fit in Jacob’s durag, I Doubt that’s hers.

        6. Dark_T_Zeratul

          I’ve just gotta say I find this comment hilarious attached to a gravatar of Daisy.

        7. Dark_T_Zeratul

          …And my comment being attached to Sarah is just *chef’s kiss*

        8. Envy

          I do think that bonnets also help prevent your curl pattern from getting smushed or messed up while you sleep.

        9. zee

          Really everyone with hair should wear a satin bonnet to bed. Helps keep your pillow clean. No natural oils or product from your hair smearing over the pillow and giving you acne

    7. Hazel

      Bonnets/head wraps protect the hair while sleeping. Curly and coily hair is more fragile than straight hair.

      1. RonF

        I was unaware of this.

  14. Erica

    Does anyone else feel like Jacob led Sarah on a bit? I don’t think he ever had any interest in her beyond being a friend. But she straight up, directly asked him if he liked her after telling him she liked him, and he gave her an indirect wishy washy answer that left her at least with room to think there was a chance. That bugs me. He should’ve just straight up said he liked her as a friend but wasn’t interested in dating/sex

    1. Erica

      It hits me hard cuz I did the same thing many years ago where I was very direct about how I felt, which took a ton of courage, and was given a wishy washy open ended enough answer to think there was hope and I stayed on that hook for six months before I finally got the hint. It’s a shitty thing to give people false hope.

      1. Leorale

        I don’t think it was a false hope. Jacob was definitely interested.

        Jacob wants a person who can be honestly vulnerable together with him, and then to see where it goes together. Sarah isn’t emotionally ready for that relationship, but Lucy is.

        Plus, liking Lucy doesn’t mean he can’t also like Sarah. Jacob may even still be interested in Sarah, once Sarah is able to be emotional with him — it’s just that Sarah clearly can’t do that yet.

        1. Sirksome

          The real question isn’t even if Jacob is still interested in Sarah. It’s if Sarah is interested in Jacob? She seemed pretty shocked at their hookup. Will she even have the motivation to keep pursuing him or anyone or fall back into her shell?

    2. Doopyboop

      I do agree with this. Like, yeah, Jacob doesn’t owe her a relationship, but when she outright asks if he feels the same way he did not say no. He also didn’t say yes. But it leaves the door open just a tad.

      Then again, his reaction with Joyce (aka, kissing her only to tell her he didn’t want to date her because of how she’d acted) tells me that Jacob’s not very good at giving clear answers when it comes to romance. So at least it’s in line for him.

      1. Jerach

        I hadn’t thought of that angle but you’re right. I feel like Jacob might just be way too scared to disappoint people so he ends up giving bad mixed signals.

      2. Delavan

        This is a very good point about Jacob’s character that I hadn’t noticed.

        That said, giving clear answers is critical to good communication. I have so many issues related to unclear expectations, shifting expectations, being led on and/or manipulated romantically as a teen, etc. that both of them are really, really pissing me off.

        Good writing. It’s too real. Ugh.

      3. thejeff

        I hope with this starting up, we’re going to dig a bit deeper into Jacob’s issues. He’s definitely got them.

      4. Big Z

        This was my thought: I think Jacob might just be “just as bad at relationships as seemingly everyone else in the main cast”. It’s not like he’s had a lot of role models.

    3. Red

      Yeah I’m bothered too

    4. DailyBrad

      I don’t think he wasn’t interested, but I do think he’s being unnecessarily obtuse with her.

    5. Yumi

      He might have been giving the answer that was indicative of how he felt, which was open ended. Maybe he could see himself dating Sarah, and then several dates into the relationship be interested in sex with her. He had different, clearer feelings with Lucy.

      1. Mark

        I take it as feeling tentative, waiting to see if Sarah would bolt again (and she did). It would be reasonable for him to see her as enticing him with feelings she wasn’t willing to really share.

    6. cbwroses

      I wouldn’t go as far as to say he led her on, but he definitely knew what she wanted to hear and chose not to say it.

      And I do think it’s messed up of him to hook up with someone right in front of her, someone who introduced herself to him as Sarah’s friend mind you, after encouraging Sarah to share her feelings about him to him.

      I’m surprised he wasn’t more discreet.
      But sometimes people just press your buttons in the right way.

    7. drs

      I think there was a change, if Sarah wasn’t so Sarah, and if Lucy hadn’t barged into his life.

      “I’m interested, if you can be not quite such a dumbass about everything… oh hey, new girl is awesome (awesomely clear and direct and sparking chemistry)!” is not leading someone on.

    8. MM

      I think he was open to seeing where things went with her, but she just kept shying away from any kind of sustained serious conversation. There’s only so many opportunities he can give her when someone like Lucy comes along and isn’t going to balk at being emotionally available.

    9. Sirksome

      Look, I hate that my ship died for this more than anyone here, trust me, but Jacob didn’t lead Sarah on. Lucy swooped in and made a move after Sarah literally ran away from him. He even begged her to come back.

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2024/comic/book-14/04-for-me-it-was-tuesday/buhbye/

      Unfortunately you snooze ya loose, you miss %100 of the shots you don’t take, ect. Sarah blew it and that let Lucy blow Jacob.

      1. smolgrlboi

        Yeah, I also like the idea of Sarah and Jacob and Lucy isn’t exactly my favorite character, but I gotta call it when I see it. Lucy got em fair and square. *reluctant high five to Lucy*

    10. HueSatLight

      I think he was hinting no, but trying to include a compliment. Like when Joyce told Joe he smelled nice after having Mike assault him. He doesn’t have socializing all figured out, just because he’s gregarious. He’s not without his flaws.

    11. dalniente

      I think “leading her on” is perhaps uncharitable, but not inaccurate. I don’t think it was intentional – he seemed to genuinely want to be her friend and see where things go from there. But she was making getting to know her really hard, and like…he gave her so many opportunities to open up about herself. He didn’t want to shoot her down completely, because he wasn’t sure how he felt about her other than “mostly positive,” but like, she did tell him how she felt (a couple times iirc) and he gave non-answers. It would have been more kind to be direct with her in one of those conversations: you make me feel objectified, I’m uncomfortable with how overtly attracted you are to me, I would want to take things slowly and we both know you would be waiting, I like you as a person but I’m just not romantically attracted to you yet, and until you let me actually get to know you I don’t know if that will change, you should not wait for me. Anything along those lines. Or whatever his true feelings are! I don’t know.

      tldr Leading On feels loaded but idk what else to call it, so…yeah, pretty much.

    12. Nymph

      It’s not leading on to flirt with someone. It’s not leading on to not have decided yet. It’s not leading on to go home with someone when the person you were still deciding about skitters away mid-conversation and leaves you on your own. Having sex with someone/staying the night with them isn’t an automatic monogamous relationship, it’s possible to sleep with more than one person/flirt with more than one person/even date more than one person. It’s called not being exclusive yet and it happens literally all the time. He could easily still be interested in both women. It’s also possible that this IS the start of a monogamous relationship and he has now decided about Sarah. Hell, maybe he’ll even have a proper sit-down talk with her about it.

      The idea that Jacob did anything wrong by accepting the interest of someone not actively fleeing the area is such a reach. Let it breathe, ya’ll

    13. Bash

      Sarah didn’t actually say she liked him romantically. She said she wanted to have sex with him, something that was already pretty clear. He responds with the same energy, mentioning something he finds attractive about her.

      He wanted someone who could say she liked him for more than his body. He was waiting for that sign from Sarah for a long time, but she’s not capable of being vulnerable like that. Lucy is obviously more than capable of expressing romantic feelings.

      1. Leadsynth

        Yeah, you said it. Sarah might not have the capacity to like anyone romantically at the moment.

    14. pope suburban

      Yeah I got real weird vibes off that. Jacob has historically been a good communicator and even when he got carried away with Joyce, he immediately owned it and broke up with Raidah. To flirt with Sarah the hook up in front of her feels out of character for him.

      1. thejeff

        Jacob’s historically been sort of a good communicator. He’s also been completely oblivious and very flirty with Joyce while he was with Raidah and didn’t seem to be aware that he was “leading her on” – or more accurately, showing his interest in her while not intending to act on it.
        He’s open about talking about his feelings and willing to own it and do things like break up with Raidah, but he’s not the best at understanding those feelings until blatantly confronted with them. He spoke to Raidah at one point about a history of jealous girlfriends and I suspect that’s linked to his own flirty behavior.

        Like many of us, his behavior and his stated beliefs don’t always line up. We don’t always live up to what we believe. Which is kind of funny in this case, because Sarah backed off way back when he said he didn’t just want casual sex, but this suggests she probably could have gotten him into bed if she’d just flirted a bit more. Without a real relationship first or opening about her feelings – it’s not like Lucy did any of that.

    15. anon

      i wouldn’t be surprised if he was like “well, i gave her a chance to talk more ” or so but maybe things would’ve turned out diff if lucy hadn’t shown up to at least have some kinda ‘first date’

      Sarah might need a bit more emotional growth before getting into a ‘serious relationship’ tho. Or, wonder, if she had hooked up with some random guy , if she’d still wanna spend time with jacob after her post nut clarity lol

    16. Kammon

      Jacob gave Sarah a chance, though.

      It’s not his fault that Sarah used that chance to run away then hide behind the metaphorical curtains, however much we might feel for Sarah.

    17. Amós Batista

      Now that you talked about it…
      I know that Jacob owns nothing to Sarah, and he could sleep with anyone. But I can’t stop feeling that was much unfair to her.
      That’s the problem with gorgeous people to me.

    18. Michael Steamweed

      Yeah, same. I’m a guy, and I hope not to give wrong (or even mixed) signals to someone attracted to me. I’ve done it before and felt bad when I was told about it.

    19. Sharkpeople

      He was interested. He kept being patient and giving her chances and she kept panicking and running away over and over again every time they got close. Then someone else came along that didn’t do that. Just because he liked her didn’t mean he was obligated to wait for her forever.

    20. Luna

      I think Jacob was trying to be encouraging towards Sarah’s attempts at opening up to him, while also being honest about his own level of interest in her (likes her as a person, finds her attractive, but would like to get to know her more personally before he can really say whether he reciprocates her romantic interest). I don’t think he 100% nailed it, and he could definitely have handled making the jump to Lucy with more tact. But on the whole, he’s been extremely patient with her (to an extent that I actually found a little baffling at times), so I think it’s just a matter of thoughtless fumbling rather than anything more malicious/manipulative.

  15. RassilonTDavros

    I’m trying to figure out whose line the second speech balloon in the penultimate panel is meant to be.

    1. Kyrik Michalowski

      If you figure it out please share because I am just as confused.

    2. drs

      Yeah, we seem to have a parity error. Inferred speech balloons starting with panel 3:

      3: Jacob, Lucy, Jacob

      4: Lucy, Jacob

      5: Lucy… Lucy??

      1. Clif

        1) Lucy, Jacob
        2) Lucy,Lucy
        3) Jacob, Lucy, Jacob
        4) Jacob, Lucy
        5) Jacob, Lucy

        I don’t think anything else makes sense.

        1. Aura

          That’s how I read it too, but I had to go over it a couple of times to work out where the off-screen bubbles stopped alternating

        2. Nymph

          I choose to believe the last one is Jacob talking to himself and I cannot be convinced otherwise.

        3. Guerisso

          I think Jacob says his name to introduce himself because they didn’t even talk that much. Or if they did it is a joke to point out how little they talked. Anyway it makes more sense to me if that’s Jacob’s speech bubble.

        4. Jeremiah

          Yeah that’s definitely the one, really it made perfect sense for me in my first read from the order in which they were talking.

        5. Jeremiah

          Huh, I reread it a few times and it seems the other ways people see it also makes sense.

    3. Kyrik Michalowski

      Also, “penultimate” means second to last; final panel is the ultimate panel.

      1. Yumi

        Yeah, I think that’s the one they’re talking about? Unless you think the second speech balloon in the last panel, going, “Heh heh heh heh heh heh Jacob.” is meant to be Jacob himself.

        1. Nymph

          It is. For sure.

    4. Yumi

      I think the top speech bubble is Jacob, in continuation of what he had been saying the previous panel. Then Lucy for the second in that panel. Same for the last panel.

    5. cbwroses

      Just work backwards.

      Since the last bubble laughs and says “Jacob”, that’s obviously Lucy.

      Which means Jacob says he couldn’t help himself.

      Therefor Lucy asked if he just liked her that much.

      Implying that it’s Jacob saying he took his last relationship slow after also saying he aims for 5-6 dates in the previous panel.

      Also, to further support this, if you consider how eager Lucy was to have sex with Walky despite going on 3 dates in 2 weeks, it’s arguable that she wasn’t going very slow.

      1. Tan

        I think the more likely explanation is that both panel 5 speech balloons are Lucy, with Jacob responding to the first with some silent off-panel act upon Lucy (prompting the the latter double-speech-balloon; the specifics left to the reader’s imagination)

      2. Morleuca

        he usually tries to wait but “gosh, she’s just not like the other girls”……

    6. HueSatLight

      3: Jacob, Lucy, Jacob

      4: Jacob (continued), Lucy

      5: Jacob, Lucy.

      He might be talking about Raidah, or a relationship during the timeskip.

    7. John Campbell

      I’m pretty sure it’s:
      1: Lucy, Jacob
      2: Lucy, Lucy
      3: Jacob, Lucy, Jacob
      4. Jacob, Lucy
      5: Jacob, Lucy-Lucy

      1. Delavan

        This is correct. The 2nd bubble in panel 5 is a double-bubble for Lucy.

  16. TrueVCU

    Billie: I will NOT be sexil-

    Billie: [is sexiled]

    1. Michael Steamweed

      “The cuteness burns. I must go into sexile.”

  17. True Survivor

    Where did Jason get the nightcap? Also if he was going to get a nightcap, why did he not go for a full on Scrooge-esque model? Be fancy for Pete’s sake!

    1. Yumi

      They might have stopped by Jacob’s room, since it was in the building they were in. As for why he got, like, a normal one and not a Scrooge version, that’s because this is Jacob, not Jason, that we’re talking about.

    2. Wendy

      If you’re talking about Jacob, I’m pretty sure that’s a durag?

    3. Uly

      The sort of cap you’re talking about would keep his head warm but it wouldn’t do much to keep his hair from getting frizzy and damaged.

  18. Wendy

    They’re disgustingly adorable already and I am loving it.

  19. DailyBrad

    Not my ship, but also like, I don’t hate that this got to be Lucy’s first time. She needed a positive experience, and this looks to have been one.

  20. Yumi

    Just to over think it, was does Lucy mean by she never thought she’d go that far? That fast I get, “that far that fast” I’d get, but she didn’t think she’d ever go that fast OR that far? What did they do? Hotwire a car and drive out of state and back at 100mph?

    1. Taffy

      They went to a steakhouse and ordered salmon, didn’t pay, then broke into an office building, fucked in the break room, and then microwaved the salmon until it caught fire.

      1. Emperor Norton II

        Taffy describing their regular Tuesdays again.

        1. Taffy

          Regrettably, I’ve never broken into an office building. In my teens, I did break into a cabin in the woods with some friends, but all we found was some activity supplies for kids. The microwaved fish is definitely me, though. I’m super guilty of that, and I’ve never once felt a shred of remorse for doing it.

      2. Nymph

        At least they didn’t burn popcorn in the office too.

    2. Mark

      Swipe another girl’s crush rignt from under her nose, as ten thousand people have commented above?

      1. Yumi

        Doesn’t really make sense to me as an answer, but okay.

    3. MM

      The last time she decided she was ready, things crashed and burned. I could see part of her thinking, “Well, maybe it’s just not meant to happen for me.”

  21. Ray

    YEAHHH SHE GOT SOME

  22. Viga

    I’m gonna need the slipshine comic now please. 😛
    TBH Lucy deserves this W. All the Ws.

    1. Emperor Norton II

      Pretty sure she got all the D.

  23. Taffy

    Who’s the blonde?

    1. Nymph

      That’s Walky. He did a lot of crossfit last night and bulked out.

    2. John Campbell

      Eglamore.

  24. Derek

    I guess the alt-text confirmed that they boinked, but I’m kinda surprised she’s waking up with a shirt on and her hair bonnet (Jacob seems to be wearing one too?).
    Did they have sex and THEN fetch their nighttime toiletries? wow they’re dorks.

    1. Taffy

      They stopped by his room to grab his stuff first, it was in yesterday’s strip. Which you’d know if you read the comic.

      1. drs

        Neither of them was in, nor mentioned in, yesterday’s strip.

        1. Taffy

          Yes, that’s why I said it.

      2. Jodka

        There’s no need for the snarky attitude, they were just asking a question.

      3. Prior Semblance

        It’s hilarious that you take this attitude when you’re completely wrong. Take your own advice.

        1. Taffy

          I didn’t give any advice. I lied about what was in a comic strip. Those are very separate things.

    2. Nymph

      TIL: It’s dorky to protect your hair and want to sleep in clothing.

      Thing I already knew that’s demonstrated here: This comment section has way too many nitpicky people who somehow don’t know that narratives skip over a lot of boring parts.

      1. Needfuldoer

        Who wants to sleep in clothing, when sleeping not in clothing is an available option?

        1. eh, whatever

          Then you’ve never had comfy pyjamas.

        2. Needfuldoer

          Sure, they’re called sheets.

        3. Taffy

          I’ve got comfy pajamas, and I still go without them more often than not. Sometimes it’s a burden to have things on my body.

        4. Nymph

          Me, I do. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

      2. Bash

        Going to a party, drinking, and then hooking up with a stranger is the kind of scenario where you would expect your normal routine to be thrown off. Being responsible and still making smart choices in this scenario might be seen as a bit dorky. Not necessarily in a bad way, but it implies that they are not the type to abandon their standards and be wild, at least not completely.

      3. Derek

        I mean most people who have a surprise hookup they were not originally planning on generally wake up in the same state of undress they went to sleep in. That’s not to say it’s impossible that they had sex, then got up, dressed, brushed their teeth and put their hair in a bonnet and then went back to cuddling and fell asleep. It’s just that doing all that makes the sex seem a lot less spontanenous.

    3. Uly

      Nobody wants to spend half the morning doing hair care because they failed to protect their hair properly.

    4. Envy

      They got redressed after sex, which isn’t surprising seeing as how they’re both kinda modest and Lucy has a roommate.

      1. Taffy

        If Billie doesn’t wanna see bare asscheeks, she can quit staring at them.

  25. daeranilen

    oh I am SO delighted by the two of them together

  26. Derek

    Also I’m kinda surprised Lucy is so nonchalant about losing her virginity. I was brought up as a Catholic and even though I was very much not religious by the time I lost my virginity, it still seemed like an event, you know?

    I guess I don’t grok Lucy’s brand of Christianity; she goes to church and is a believer, but some rules she’s okay with skipping.
    I understand Billie’s Christianity much better, because she says she’s one on paper but doesn’t participate or care that much, so her “sinning” feels more on brand.
    (I should clarify that I do not think premarital sex is a sin, but I did grow up in an environment where it very much was and I assumed people who grew up in similar environments would have similar hang ups)

    1. Bash

      I think the point here is that it SHOULD feel like a big deal, but she woke in the arms of someone she likes and she can’t muster up any panic about it.

    2. moon

      lol “grok”

      1. Michael Steamweed

        “Hi! We’re from the Church of All Worlds. We have some pamphlets to share about the good life. May we come in?”

        1. jflb96

          What’s my lifespan look like if I say ‘no’?

    3. anon

      parties with alcohol do loosen your inhibitions, but wonder how diff it’d have been if it was just a sober ‘pizza party’ after going to church together or so

      tho she was willing to hook up with walky even without being ‘engaged’, even if she did have a ‘3 date rule’ pre requisite

    4. Bittersweet

      It seems like it is a big deal to her in that she’s in the warm embrace of this fun person who really likes her and seemingly wants to have more of this with her. Which is sweet.

    5. Amós Batista

      A bit of christian hypocrisy, I guess.
      (Which I’m starting to think it could be healthy in any way or another)

      1. Mark

        Hypocrisy is the number one religion and always has been.

    6. Chubseus

      Was it ever actually stated that Lucy was a virgin? I don’t remember that.

      1. thejeff

        Not in so many words, but I’m pretty sure she’s talked about not dating before

  27. Reltzik

    … why’s Jennifer brushing her teeth in the dorm room instead of the half bath? It’s almost as if she wants to be there to passive-aggressively side-glare at them.

    1. Emperor Norton II

      I mean, there’s nothing else she can do and not come across as a giant butt, yet she has to something to show her displeasure of not just being sexiled by a big nerd, but said nerd snatching the studliest of studs.

      1. Mark

        Well, she could stride over, hold out her hand, and say “congratulations! I’m so happy for you both!”

        Wait….

    2. Needfuldoer

      You answered your own question!

      1. Archieve

        yep she’s trying to be passive aggressive while acting like she’s too cool to notice them first. looks like she might be standing there awhile waiting for them to notice her lol.

  28. Emperor Norton II

    Soooo… What are the odds Jacob squeezed Lucy’s butt right as he said “Yep. Couldn’t help myself’?

    1. Mark

      Unity or better.

  29. CitrineMonster

    GOOD FOR HER.

  30. Thing2

    As far as I could see, Lucy was pretty eager to get into sexual intimacy with Walky. To the point where it seemed like she ‘wanted him to persuade her’. Which seems understandable, if so.
    Maybe she has realised that this can happen before love is declared, as a result of the failure of declaring love.
    Are sleeping arrangements like those depicted here normal in the USA? Or were they when this story might have been inspired, but are not now??

    1. Nymph

      “Are sleeping arrangements like those depicted here normal in the USA? Or were they when this story might have been inspired, but are not now??”

      Sleeping arrangement customs are unlikely to have changed in 7 months.
      What sleeping arrangements are you confused about in particular?

      1. Thing2

        I don’t see myself as confused, just from a different country. Shared rooms with an assigned room-mate is the thing I’m asking about.
        I’m not sure where 7 months comes in.
        I was referring to the author possibly talking about their own era of . My experience era was 1975, so I expect things are different now. On that basis I assume that could be the case for Willis.

    2. Jodka

      Yes, in college dorms you typically share the same room with a randomly assigned roommate of the same general age and gender. Men typically sleep on a different floor than the women, and sometimes a different building entirely, and are not typically supposed be in the women’s dorms overnight, same vice versa. Whether or not you even sleep in dorms differs from person to person. Some people live in the same area or city they go to college in, so sometimes they stay living with parents. Sometimes friends will get jobs and split rent on an apartment (No RA so less rules and monitoring). But the sleeping arrangements presented in the story was most likely inspired from Willis’ own time in Indiana State University, and it’s still like that today in many colleges.

      1. Bash

        Perhaps its just because I went to school in woke California, but we did not have separate floors for men and women. Your roommate would be the same gender, but the next door neighbors might not be. No one cared about overnight guests as long as you weren’t being a nuisance.

        1. TerribleTransit

          Yeah, no part of this is universal. Some colleges will have co-ed buildings or floors. Often different buildings at the same college will have different rules so you can to a degree pick your level of conservatism. Likewise, rules on visitors can be anywhere from “whatever, just not for too many nights in a row” (even the most hands-off college doesn’t want a Becky living there without paying) to visiting hours all the way to no visitors at all.

          So yeah it’s wildly variable but the general basics are pretty common

        2. Jodka

          Never meant to imply it was universal, that’s why I included different avenues students might take for living situations, as well as clarifying this is most likely based on Willis’ own experience. But thank you for expanding on how different colleges might differ.

      2. Mark

        Side note: Indiana State University is a different institution, in Terre Haute.

        1. Jodka

          My bad, added the “State” without thinking about it. Correction noted!

    3. Thing2

      Wow. I am astonished. Shared rooms!I doubt I would have survived that. And that was 1975! I barely survived single rooms in shared halls of residence…

  31. Queezle

    That is kind of cute.
    I am glad that there is no regret.

    1. Nymph

      YET

  32. Bryy

    IS THAT JEALOUSY, JENNIFER???????

  33. Pocky

    at least Dina and Becky had the decency to stay at the party after doing it.

    I mean, it is Diina’s room, but still.

  34. Synnerman

    Ooooh, do-rag and bonnet afterglow!!!

    1. Synnerman

      Oh no… Raidah is going to find out. Poor Lucy.

      Sarah is probably going to save Lucy, because… Raidah is Raidah

      1. anon

        I mean i don’t think it should matter if raidah finds out b/c they’ve long since broken up (unless it’s only been under two weeks in universe time for them lol)

        lol i wonder if jacob just had one in his pocket or he went out back to his dorm like at 3 am quickly and went back to snuggle lol

        1. MM

          And maybe Raidah will think, “well, at least it’s not Joyce.” I’d be more worried about Joe, personally.

  35. anon

    i mean, i guess jen has to overhear this for the joke/comedy but feels like , unless you’re moving around to grab your clothes and such as ur brushing, weird to just not do it in a bathroom

  36. darkoneko

    they both took the time to get their sleeping hat back on eh ? hair care is important when it’s frizzy

  37. Now

    Awwwwwwwwwww Lucy feeling desirable and desired is very cute! Good for her!

  38. Da Boy

    If this was anime every cutesy line would shoot Jennifer with an arrow XD

  39. GUIGUI

    First I was wondering where Lucy’s night cap was coming from but then I remembered “oh yeah, this is Lucy’s room. So now I am wondering where Jacob’s nigh cap is coming from…

    1. Da Boy

      Maybe she has a spare and lent it to him?

      1. Mark

        He’s in college: sometimes sleep is where you find it. He may carry one around in case of a nap attack (or unexpected free time).

        1. Jeremiah

          They also might had drop by his room on the way to Lucy’s.

        2. Da Boy

          There is something I’ve been curious about. What’s the purpose of the hair cap? Preventing messy hair in the morning? is it more of an issue for black people since both Lucy and Jacob are wearing one here? I have literally no experience with this stuff XD

        3. Uly

          It keeps your hair from rubbing against the pillow. Which, yes, does keep it from getting messy – but also keeps it from getting damaged.

          The tighter the curl of your hair, the fewer hairs you have and the less oil each hair follicle produces. This makes your hair more fragile. That’s one reason people with curly hair tend to use more product, and one reason Black people in particular are more likely to use protective hairstyles like braids – and that’s absolutely the reason Lucy and Jacob (and IIRC Sarah) cover their hair at night.

        4. Da Boy

          Thank you

      2. Nicoleandmaggie

        I’ve been hoping it turns out to be a pikachu

  40. ADLegend21

    boooo tomato tomato I’m throwing tomatoes.

    1. Woop de doop

      I’ve got some rotten bananas.

  41. Adept

    Alright. I believe the hidden text immediately answered my ”how far exactly…” wonderings. Far enough to count as sex, to Lucy’s definition at least.

  42. Taigan

    No wonder Jennifer’s getting out of there. Authentic happiness is like her kryptonite.

    1. Plain Marie

      Also, being near half naked people while they are all gooey with each other is kind of icky to me. Maybe one but not both. Baby talk without recent nakedness. I don’t need to be part of this. Get me out of there!

  43. Woop de doop

    Yeah I’m with Jennifer. Gross.

  44. Segnosaur

    Well this strip addressed one issue that was raised a while ago… Just how far did the relationship between ridah and Jacob go.

    Since he mentioned it “not getting that far” in his last relationship, it suggests that he and ridah never got as far as having sex. (Which, to me, would be consistent with the ridah character… Only interested in status and power, so doesn’t really want sex for the pleasure or intimacy.)

    This is assuming he had no other girlfriends between his breakup with ridah and his pickup of Lucy

    1. Schpoonman

      Jacob at least displayed a desire to “fool around” with Raidah, but she sent him to study.

      1. thejeff

        And it was done in a pretty casual way – not like it was the first time or something they’d been avoiding.
        OTOH, “fool around” could certainly be sex stuff less than “all the way”.

  45. ValdVin

    Jennifer brushes any harder and enamel’s gonna start flaking off her teeth.

  46. Helen

    Our Flag Means Death poster in the background!!!

  47. Chubseus

    So correct me if I’m wrong, but the only main characters not in a relationship right now are Jennifer, Amber, Sarah, and Booster.

    1. Michael Steamweed

      I’m unsure about Leslie’s status. How’s (who’s) she doing?

      1. thejeff

        The dentist, I believe.

        Carla would another not in a relationship.
        And Robin and Roz, if we’re counting Leslie as main characters.

        1. Woop de doop

          Carla’s dating Charlie!

        2. thejeff

          Right. Can’t believe I forgot that.

        3. Mr.Morningstar

          They did.

        4. Dark_T_Zeratul

          Honestly, were it not for Charlie, I think I’d still be confident in saying Carla’s in a relationship with herself as being distinct from “single.”

        5. Morleuca

          is she still dating the dentist?

    2. BorkBorkBork

      I don’t know how “main cast” they are, but I suspect that Malaya x Marcie are not a couple; at least not romantically. We’ve seen plenty of Malaya since the 2019 end-of-storyline head-on-shoulder moment, and the only moment we’ve seen of Marcie not in roller derby since then has been one frame out of context with Malaya. Seeing as there was some ambiguity at the end of the pre-timeskip storyline whether or not Malaya liked Marcie in that way, I think it’s kind of conspicuous that we’ve seen almost none of Marcie, considering that she was almost main cast pre-timeskip. The fact that Shortpacked Malaya wasn’t interested in people *period* and only had a thing for Ultra Car, makes it seem far less likely, as that was a major part of SP Malaya’s character arc.

      Granted, for all I know they’ve been hanging out either on the Patreon pages or the sexytimes one, so if someone knows more about that, please fill me in. I can’t believe we’ve gone five years without real confirmation one way or the other.

      1. Jeremiah

        In one Patreon strip they are showing very explicitly as a couple. (Malaya wears a cool flannel shirt and Marcie gets all over them, kissing their neck on the floor).

      2. HueSatLight

        bonus strip first panels (free to the public):
        https://dumbingofage.tumblr.com/post/614117584126803968/marchs-first-dumbing-of-age-patreon-bonus-strip (march 2020)

        These two panels don’t feature Malaya visually, but she’s talking in the second one. Both strips are about Malaya+Marcie.
        https://dumbingofage.tumblr.com/post/646868241760862208/marchs-first-patreon-bonus-strip-is-about-marcie (march 2021)
        https://dumbingofage.tumblr.com/post/658013819901263872/every-month-at-the-dumbing-of-age-patreon-theres (july 2021)

    3. HueSatLight

      Mike.

      1. Schpoonman

        You love to hear it.

  48. Jeremiah

    Ooooh look at that they both know this was unlike themselves and are perfectly fine with that because they had a good time. How weird. (,He said very smugly).

    1. thejeff

      I’ll admit I was expecting more dramatic fallout.

      Not yet convinced it won’t happen, but at least they had a good night and a nice snuggly morning.

  49. Michael Steamweed

    I’m-a guessin’ that Jennifer did _not_ get some.

  50. Amós Batista

    I’m loving it! Each panel that Jennifer is pissed of because Lucy.

  51. Some Guy

    Tumble into bed after a party but stop to put hair protection on after.

    Okay.

    1. Jeremiah

      They probably did after having sex along with their clothes.

  52. CianM1301

    To the tune of the Hallelujah chorus
    ♪Luuucy got some! Luuucy got some! Lucy got some! Lucy got some!♪

  53. Mr.Morningstar

    okay my question is, did jacob bring the sleep cap with him to the party or did lucy give him a spare or something?

    1. Jeremiah

      Also might had go to his room for it on the way to hers.

      1. Yumi

        Yeah, I was thinking maybe even they had to grab condoms from Jacob’s room, so he grabbed his durag while he was there as well.

  54. fishamaphone

    Anyone else find it jarring that the alt text didn’t end with “‘splainin’ to do”?

  55. Raja

    The size difference between them is so cute!

  56. Dante

    Why is Jennifer seething. She’s clearly on Team Edward

  57. Rabisch

    How sweet. Neither of them expected to do what they did. It’s a magical and intimate moment, they seem so happy. On the other hand, if envy and anger could kill, Jennifer would have already exterminated them.

  58. Meeks

    Not to be a total Sarah about this, but am I the only person who sees red flags here? In general, “this isn’t like me, I usually set much better boundaries and take a while to build up trust” is usually a big old warning sign for codependency. At least in my experience – the people I think I have such intense chemistry with that I’m willing to forgo my normal vetting process to jump into a relationship with are almost always very bad for me.

    1. Ellegos

      Maybe. They’re both on the rebound.

      1. thejeff

        It’s been months for Jacob – longer than the relationship lasted.

        I do think the mutual “this isn’t like me” is a sign of trouble, though not necessarily codependency.
        They barely know each other. Which isn’t necessarily a problem for having sex, but they don’t seem to be treating it as casual.

    2. anon

      i mean outside of a straight up pregnancy scare/risk, you’d think college would be considered the ‘ideal time’ to experiment and ‘make mistakes’ lol

  59. PedanticJerkass

    Yeah, this is a dumpster fire on a trainwreck waiting to happen.

    1. PedanticJerkass

      But then, to be fair, I almost assuredly would have said the same thing if Sarah and Jacob had hooked up, instead of Lucy and Jacob.

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