“Were those nasty, toxic people paying you to be their friend? *Under*paying you, even? Well, I can take the 5 GBP they gave you off your hands. You know. If you’re interested.”
He also killed Blaine. So he has that going for him.
Decidedly Orthogonal
*Had Blaine killed, we -think-. Not even stand up enough to do it himself. Smart enough not to though. Between him and Raidah, I think the gang has *much* more dangerous villains on their hands.
Mark
I think his role was more like “facilitator” or “expediter”. That he made the necessary arrangements and saw to it that the plan was carried out. And I got the impression that he was unhappy with the assignment. I feel that Asher is someone you avoid because of his business associates.
Clif
Blain was blackmailing him. I suspect that if he made any arrangements, he was happy to do it.
Nono
I don’t like Char either, but that seems needlessly antagonistic to insult someone’s sexual ability when it had no bearing on the topic
Laura
Very true, Nono.
RowenMorland
Maybe it isn’t insulting Cher so much as praising Asher, perhaps he has like top being in bed ratings, triple-double plus good, a distinction held only by him and people who match you exactly on the kink spectrum and aren’t afraid to show it.
Grant
I mean, unless we get a flashback that shows Asher meeting Jennifer, and the first words out of his mouth are *also* fat-shaming her, I’d say he’s definitely better than Char. (I’m too lazy to look up if she’s the friend of Raidah’s that called Dina an abreast slur, but I wouldn’t be shocked.)
Jason
I went back and checked- she was.
Jason
Also I just noticed your comment got autocorrected to “abreast slur” which would either be a slur involving breasts or one that’s aware enough to be abreast of the situation.
Am amused.
Laura
Flanders: “Why are you biking two abreast?”
Homer: “I WISH! No, we’re just biking to a lake!”
Taffy
What kind of slur would even involve breasts?
“Watch where you’re walkin’, titfucker!” just sounds like a New Yorker berating somebody.
Casi
you just gave J. Jonah Jameson a new thing to call Spider-Man, i hope you’re happy
Adam Black
You Breast of mashpotatoes , You chickpea son ofa toothache
Adam Black
Ablesist , Ableism a test
Adam Black
spells ableist wrong
Laura
I dunno… Ruth frequently mocked Billie’s weight using much cruder language, and Billie apparently liked how Ruth was in bed…
Thag Simmons
Asher is a nice polite young man and the dude he had murdered totally deserved it
Clif
All that is true. And yet who among us has not totally deserved to be murdered on occasion.
I’m thinking they replaced Char with *Billie* actually. Billie’s possibly higher on the food chain, and it could lead to how Billie and Asher meet easier.
I mean, I’ll agree that the 5-pounds line is a very bad start, and the introduction in terms of family/business connection and Raidah acting like she’s got some ulterior grudge-settling motives aren’t helping…
… but “better” is a relative term, and the bar was previously set at “depressive-alcoholic suicide pact relationship with your former bully”.
Raidah’s a social climber.
She saw someone and chatted them up. After finding out they were prominent and possibly a good social connection, she introduced her to a new group to keep her close.
It’s the right thing/wrong reason that follows that entire friend group since year one.
thejeff
Well, it’s certainly part of it, but the “No more Sarah, no more Joyce” is also part of it.
Sure but I didn’t move here til 2021 so I didn’t recall that.
AntJ
you should try having adhd, it enables you to recall trivial stuff from four years ago while you forget to do your laundry lolsob
Taffy
It’s a great superpower if your goals include not being able to finish a book as an adult, having terrible cleaning habits, spacing out in the middle of a conversation no matter how desperately you try to pay attention to somebody, and funny fourth thing providing tonal whiplash.
Decidedly Orthogonal
Did I leave the popcorn in the microwave *again*!?
a/snow/mous/e
finding your breakfast in the toaster and thinking “surely it can’t have popped yet, maybe i forgot to toast it”, then toasting it again and finding it burnt T^T
Needfuldoer
Don’t forget losing track of time and suddenly finding yourself five layers deep into a distraction/procrastination cycle. Something completely irrelevant has consumed your attention while the important stuff has faded into background noise.
Taffy
I was gonna include that, but I started thinking about Roxas.
Geneseepaws
did you take your pills yet?
Uh, … no I’d have to have taken them to remember that. I’ll take them now.
(5 hours later) Crap. Gotta do that soon. Ooooo new comments!
Taffy
We got the Alexa puck, set her to go off basically every hour or two with a regular hygiene/eating reminder. I sure find myself shouting “Alexa, SHUT THE FUCK UP!” a lot more often than I actually listen to the advice that we told her to give us.
It’s a shame — that incident would have been perfect for a U visa. If the cops and DA would have cooperated and prosecuted Marcie’s attacker, and if Marcie’s parents had been in touch with an immigration advocate to file the petition for them, and if the cops had vouched for them as helpful to the prosecution… ok, yeah, that’s a lot of ifs. And I understand why Marcie’s parents didn’t press charges, given how easy it would have been for her attacker’s parents to pick up the phone and call ICE. Connections matter, money matters, use of language and “credibility” matters. And so the attack against Marcie went unpunished and her family remained screwed over and Marcie lost her voice. Just sad all around.
Laura
Sorry, I was referring to the scene depicted in the link above.
So are Amber, Ethan and Mike. So where are the others from? Dorothy, Danny and Joe went to the same high school but I don’t know where. Joyce and Becky, of course, are from La Porte. Ruth, I think, is from Canada (Toronto?). Carla is from the Indianapolis area, but I don’t know about the rest.
thejeff
Amber, Ethan and Mike are from a different area. Not sure exactly where, though I think it’s mentioned? The convenience store encounter was during a road trip, not local.
Ruth is from Canada, but has been living with her grandfather (and Howard) somewhere in Indiana for something like 5 years.
Well it looks like she decided to lose a lot more than five pounds. I’m not going to guess what cat-ear-girl weighs but at least she’s not there anymore!
So what you’re saying is that Jennifer recognized this group as more toxic and decided she was all in on that?
anon
hm, with the ‘cheerleader’ mindset i wouldn’t be surprised if she was more used to dealing with these ppl versus joyce. Unless her parents happened to be around long enough to at least ‘warn’ her like “don’t bother with ppl/be wary of ppl who’s only interested in our money”
I have heard of rich kids being super cheap/being outta touch but at the same time i can imagine parents telling ppl to be wary of other ppl after money and such
The sad thing is, this actually is a better group for her. Radiah is completely wrong on why it’s a better group for her, but this is a legitimately less toxic place for her. It’d be a bit much to say it’s a good place, but it’s better.
Discussion (375) - “Real estate”
Ana Chronistic
No more teachers’ dirty… voice?
…the least terrible interpretation of panel 2 is “I have a thing that costs 5 GBP if you’re interested” but idk how to work it into the follow-up q
temporalshrew
“Were those nasty, toxic people paying you to be their friend? *Under*paying you, even? Well, I can take the 5 GBP they gave you off your hands. You know. If you’re interested.”
darkoneko
…. this isn’t getting any better
AntJ
swapping Char for Asher in the friendgroup is certainly an upgrade
Jamie
… is it? I guess Asher’s probably better in bed.
C.T. Phipps
He also killed Blaine. So he has that going for him.
Decidedly Orthogonal
*Had Blaine killed, we -think-. Not even stand up enough to do it himself. Smart enough not to though. Between him and Raidah, I think the gang has *much* more dangerous villains on their hands.
Mark
I think his role was more like “facilitator” or “expediter”. That he made the necessary arrangements and saw to it that the plan was carried out. And I got the impression that he was unhappy with the assignment. I feel that Asher is someone you avoid because of his business associates.
Clif
Blain was blackmailing him. I suspect that if he made any arrangements, he was happy to do it.
Nono
I don’t like Char either, but that seems needlessly antagonistic to insult someone’s sexual ability when it had no bearing on the topic
Laura
Very true, Nono.
RowenMorland
Maybe it isn’t insulting Cher so much as praising Asher, perhaps he has like top being in bed ratings, triple-double plus good, a distinction held only by him and people who match you exactly on the kink spectrum and aren’t afraid to show it.
Grant
I mean, unless we get a flashback that shows Asher meeting Jennifer, and the first words out of his mouth are *also* fat-shaming her, I’d say he’s definitely better than Char. (I’m too lazy to look up if she’s the friend of Raidah’s that called Dina an abreast slur, but I wouldn’t be shocked.)
Jason
I went back and checked- she was.
Jason
Also I just noticed your comment got autocorrected to “abreast slur” which would either be a slur involving breasts or one that’s aware enough to be abreast of the situation.
Am amused.
Laura
Flanders: “Why are you biking two abreast?”
Homer: “I WISH! No, we’re just biking to a lake!”
Taffy
What kind of slur would even involve breasts?
“Watch where you’re walkin’, titfucker!” just sounds like a New Yorker berating somebody.
Casi
you just gave J. Jonah Jameson a new thing to call Spider-Man, i hope you’re happy
Adam Black
You Breast of mashpotatoes , You chickpea son ofa toothache
Adam Black
Ablesist , Ableism a test
Adam Black
spells ableist wrong
Laura
I dunno… Ruth frequently mocked Billie’s weight using much cruder language, and Billie apparently liked how Ruth was in bed…
Thag Simmons
Asher is a nice polite young man and the dude he had murdered totally deserved it
Clif
All that is true. And yet who among us has not totally deserved to be murdered on occasion.
Still. Blain. Yeah, let’s give him a pass.
GholaHalleck
I’m thinking they replaced Char with *Billie* actually. Billie’s possibly higher on the food chain, and it could lead to how Billie and Asher meet easier.
Reltzik
I mean, I’ll agree that the 5-pounds line is a very bad start, and the introduction in terms of family/business connection and Raidah acting like she’s got some ulterior grudge-settling motives aren’t helping…
… but “better” is a relative term, and the bar was previously set at “depressive-alcoholic suicide pact relationship with your former bully”.
anon
well, teh girl(?) who said the five pounds line isn’t in the present panel at least
Leorale
That’s Charlene. I think one time she also called Dina the R-word. So basically you could swap her out for a moldy potato and still be better off.
All-Purpose Guru
Russian? Recidivist? Realtor?
Dunedon
Acting like she has a grudge? She’s not acting … She definitely has a grudge.
Reltzik
It’s fine to have a grudge, but it looks like she’s befriending Billie to SETTLE a grudge. That’s… kinda icky.
Taellosse
Only ‘kinda’?
Bryy
It’s okay, the last panel heavily implies Book 12 starts with the Walky Luncheon.
Schpoonman
I knew it.
Clif
All’s Well That Ends Well.
Adriynn
This feels uncomfortably predatory.
Nova
It’s the fact that it’s predatory. That’s what’s making it feel like that.
Mr. Random
Raidah’s a social climber.
She saw someone and chatted them up. After finding out they were prominent and possibly a good social connection, she introduced her to a new group to keep her close.
It’s the right thing/wrong reason that follows that entire friend group since year one.
thejeff
Well, it’s certainly part of it, but the “No more Sarah, no more Joyce” is also part of it.
Svata
Evansville, huh. That’s where I’m stuck living for now lol
AntJ
Jennifer, Sal, Walky, and Marcie have been canonically from Evansville for awhile: https://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-9-comic/01-flyin-to-the-red/injury/
Svata
Sure but I didn’t move here til 2021 so I didn’t recall that.
AntJ
you should try having adhd, it enables you to recall trivial stuff from four years ago while you forget to do your laundry lolsob
Taffy
It’s a great superpower if your goals include not being able to finish a book as an adult, having terrible cleaning habits, spacing out in the middle of a conversation no matter how desperately you try to pay attention to somebody, and funny fourth thing providing tonal whiplash.
Decidedly Orthogonal
Did I leave the popcorn in the microwave *again*!?
a/snow/mous/e
finding your breakfast in the toaster and thinking “surely it can’t have popped yet, maybe i forgot to toast it”, then toasting it again and finding it burnt T^T
Needfuldoer
Don’t forget losing track of time and suddenly finding yourself five layers deep into a distraction/procrastination cycle. Something completely irrelevant has consumed your attention while the important stuff has faded into background noise.
Taffy
I was gonna include that, but I started thinking about Roxas.
Geneseepaws
did you take your pills yet?
Uh, … no I’d have to have taken them to remember that. I’ll take them now.
(5 hours later) Crap. Gotta do that soon. Ooooo new comments!
Taffy
We got the Alexa puck, set her to go off basically every hour or two with a regular hygiene/eating reminder. I sure find myself shouting “Alexa, SHUT THE FUCK UP!” a lot more often than I actually listen to the advice that we told her to give us.
The Wellerman
Welp, at least we’re not alone in our struggles.
Laura
It’s a shame — that incident would have been perfect for a U visa. If the cops and DA would have cooperated and prosecuted Marcie’s attacker, and if Marcie’s parents had been in touch with an immigration advocate to file the petition for them, and if the cops had vouched for them as helpful to the prosecution… ok, yeah, that’s a lot of ifs. And I understand why Marcie’s parents didn’t press charges, given how easy it would have been for her attacker’s parents to pick up the phone and call ICE. Connections matter, money matters, use of language and “credibility” matters. And so the attack against Marcie went unpunished and her family remained screwed over and Marcie lost her voice. Just sad all around.
Laura
Sorry, I was referring to the scene depicted in the link above.
Ed Callahan
So are Amber, Ethan and Mike. So where are the others from? Dorothy, Danny and Joe went to the same high school but I don’t know where. Joyce and Becky, of course, are from La Porte. Ruth, I think, is from Canada (Toronto?). Carla is from the Indianapolis area, but I don’t know about the rest.
thejeff
Amber, Ethan and Mike are from a different area. Not sure exactly where, though I think it’s mentioned? The convenience store encounter was during a road trip, not local.
Ruth is from Canada, but has been living with her grandfather (and Howard) somewhere in Indiana for something like 5 years.
Nova
Well it looks like she decided to lose a lot more than five pounds. I’m not going to guess what cat-ear-girl weighs but at least she’s not there anymore!
Nova
“Char” sorry. I should read the tags and I just don’t lol.
Sirksome
Fun fact: She’s the girl who called Dina the r-word. A really great person.
Dafydd
Sorry, who’s the toxic group here, Raidah?
anon
She did at least say she ‘chose’/is aware of unhealthy relationships and stll chooses that
thejeff
So what you’re saying is that Jennifer recognized this group as more toxic and decided she was all in on that?
anon
hm, with the ‘cheerleader’ mindset i wouldn’t be surprised if she was more used to dealing with these ppl versus joyce. Unless her parents happened to be around long enough to at least ‘warn’ her like “don’t bother with ppl/be wary of ppl who’s only interested in our money”
I have heard of rich kids being super cheap/being outta touch but at the same time i can imagine parents telling ppl to be wary of other ppl after money and such
Insanenoodlyguy
The sad thing is, this actually is a better group for her. Radiah is completely wrong on why it’s a better group for her, but this is a legitimately less toxic place for her. It’d be a bit much to say it’s a good place, but it’s better.
Switchchris24
Book 12 didn’t end with a Bang, but with a Whimper…
Clif
If we’re the ones doing the whimpering, I don’t think it counts.
Jamie
I wonder what happened to Char.
Yumi
Maybe she fucked all the way off, like she needed to
Nono
The real mystery is what they kept Char longer than… the other one.
RassilonTDavros
They had to kick Char out of the polycule because she could only name two of the Beatles.
That or Dina finally got her long-awaited revenge for that time Char called her an ableist slur, either or
Taffy
#1: Wild Snapcube reference spotted and appreciated.
#2: Dina knows how to make a body vanish.
Thag Simmons
Dina keeps a dozen protoceratops at a farm upstate