The Christening (NSFW)

THAT'S IT I'M NEVER READING THIS COMIC AGAIN!!!!1

*fapfapfap*

276 thoughts on “The Christening (NSFW)

  1. And her mind’s broken.

    Does this mean Nate is fucking Tracey?

  2. o_O
    Wow. That girl needs an intervention.

  3. OH COME ON! SERIOUSLY?! Jesus, what’s next, Tracy ends up preggers with Nate’s kid?

    … No. No, I refuse to even think about that possibility. The very thought of it… *shudder*

    1. I don’t know…that might have some interesting plot possibilities (especially if she were faking it).

    2. Don’t even! You probably just jinxed it!

      1. Too late! Now that someone else has said it could happen, the chances of it happening have just risen! Congrats Nate, you’re doomed!

        1. I hope you don’t mean me

  4. AAAAAAUGH

    thats not fatballs is it?

  5. Omg! This is so hot! lol Is that her friend’s step brother or whatever she is with? lol

    1. I think it is. Welp, I don’t really see this ending well.

  6. Hi, I love your comic. I recently discovered your awesome creation and I read the whole lot in 2 weeks with the hopes of finally seeing our beloved hero porking sweet legal (or not legal) rose. Keep up with this incredible work. Best of lucks.

  7. Oh, I am sad now.

    1. Agreed, didn’t see this coming

      1. Unfortunately for Aya, she is about to…

  8. God dammit…this breakup plotline just keeps getting more and more fucking annoying…I might need to stop reading this comic for a while so I can come back after all this SHIT is done…

    1. Also, you’re aware that your life until Thursday night (at least…) is going to be filled with bitching about this strip, yes? I assume that explains your blurb?

    2. I’m guessing you walk out on a lot of movies.

      “Mel Gibson’s daughter’s been kidnapped? I didn’t pay to see this! I’ll be back for the happy ending.”

      “Oh my fucking God, they put Han Solo in Carbonite? And what’s up with Admiral Ackbar? This is supposed to be Star WARS not Star TRAPS!”

      1. All I know is, from this point on, she is not allowed to say SHIT about how promiscuous her sister and mom is.

        1. Agreed.

      2. As poorly put as Anony has it, I get where it’s coming from – I saw this comic and my reaction was a heavy sigh and “Really? -Really?- That’s where this went? Ugh.”

        It wasn’t unexpected and it just made sure that Rose, as a character, lacked any interest for me going forward.

        Will keep reading for the characters that -do- interest, but when they feature Rose I’m just going to skip it.

        1. I agree here, this comic(not this strip anyway) was pretty awesome but now I just think Rose is a total slut, it’s a flat out fact… And I’m pretty sure this goes for a lot of other people too who now think this. This actually ruined most of my day since I come home from work around midnight looking forward to this and seeing something between Nate and Tracy, be it NSFW or not. Instead… I see this… fuck my life…

          Seriously though.. as much as I want to like this kind of twist, the whole idea that Rose keeps spiraling farther and farther down the path of a slut is kind of getting on my nerves… but then again this is actually how some girls turn out, which makes it realistic in other senses. I kind of hope Nate starts something serious with Tracy or Miranda and completely fucks up Rose’s head here, that would be a hell of a comeback on the side of the author here.

        2. Well, I already had given up on her and was questioning my continued readership of this comic (especially with Nate and Tracy), but this is just one more nail.

          Where’s the character’s dimension? She was introduced as a slut, suggested something NON SLUTTY to keep the relationship, then acted slutty to get out what she said many times, then when that blew in her face, she acted more and more slutty each time. That’s not character growth? That’s character assassination.

          How about Nate? Is he really turned on by Tracy just because she’s removing clothes? Really? You do realize that there are other things in life than sex?

        3. Agreed on all points.

        4. To Justme

          Here’s the thing though: Why would most of us invest to see a story that is neither more bleak nor greater than the outside world?

          An autobiography is interesting when it comes from a remarkable person.

          A work of art, comic, painting, movie, whatever, is interesting because it exposes *SOME* part of the human psyche, or paints the world through the eyes of the artist.

          Great stories mostly follow the cycle of Joseph Campbell.

          And you know what? I read close to a hundred webcomic. I consume them, as I do a lot of other media and my job is also within the media. Some are incredibly funny, some keep us on the edges of our seats, some are dramatics, some, however, have a very real day to day style, yet are in such imaginary world as to make you dream.

          Do you think I started reading this comic because I didn’t feel invested in either the plot, the world or the characters? OF COURSE NOT! It’s BECAUSE I was invested in them that it is so disheartening to see it spiral out of control like this.

          Could I do better? Meh, I doubt it, but then again, that’s not the point. I design games and I sure hope people are touched by them, whether through the art, story or, more importantly, the gameplay.

          But, fine, sure, I’m paid for it and he isn’t, right? Wrong. We are most definitively not paid in the same way, but very few people are capable of sustaining arts for the sake of art against both unpopularity and lack of money. Webcomic artists live off the fan and in my eye, this is one of the BEST model out there. And because I LIKED this comic, I took and take time to give my opinion.

          Sure, a small outburst will bring traffic, but it will also kill the comic on the long run (just ask Ctrl-Alt-Delete what happened following the failed pregnancy plot line, one story which I loved, by the way).

          So there you have it. SURE you CAN justify any and ALL behaviors of anything, ESPECIALLY in an imaginary world. Is it material for a good story though? A great one? Will it kills your livelihood? Those are questions I think Nick should ask himself and that’s coming from someone who designs for a living as well as LIKED the comic and thus sees a lot MORE potential both in it and the author.

          I’d touch other subjects, but I think the wall of text is long enough. Hopefully at least someone will be moved by it, one way or another.

      3. I can see the result of the plotline in a few hours, not a few weeks (at the earliest).

        And, for the (nerd) record, Han is PUT in carbonite in a different movie than Ackbar saying “IT’S A TRAP!” And I wouldn’t watch a Mel Gibson movie if I was paid to do it.

    3. Me too. I’m actually removing this comic from my active reading list. I’ll come back to it one day…hopefully. Nothing against you Mr. Wright, I loved the story up until now, but this has hit to close to home (not me but a very close friend) for me to find this entertaining anymore.

      Also, depending on the severity of the situation in the movie I might walk out on it as well, but to date I have not, but this is A) a very specific situation with personal reasons included, and B) I have not paid to read this webcomic as I would pay to see a movie.

      I know that comment wasn’t directed towards me but since I am seconding Anony’s statement, I feel I should respond to it as well. I wish you luck in your comic and all future endeavors.

      1. Really? You’re going to stop reading a comic because your friend got their feelings hurt? You’re so fragile that a character in a comic (or, apparently, a movie) can upset you (by proxy of your friend) enough to make you want to stop reading (or watching) it?

        That’s just silly. Over-the-top, mind numbingly, silly.

        1. He means it reminds him of something that happened to a friend, not that his friends feelings were hurt by the comic.

        2. Wow, if that doesn’t make you sund like an ass, I don’t know what will

        3. *sound, I could have sworn I typed an ‘o’

  9. Bahahaha!!! That’s so awesome. Seriously. You’ve finally answered the question that’s been sitting there without a response for ages…

    “Why yes Trevor, you MAY touch my boob”. 🙂

  10. Ok, it is official. She is just as huge a slut as her mom and sister.

    1. SECONDED.

      1. THIRDED!!

        1. FOURTHED!!!

        2. Motion carried. So shall it be written, shall it be.

        3. FIFTH’D!!!!!

  11. Trickery! when you said that it was a safe bet that next comic was gonna be NSFW, I did not expect Rose and the Deuche to be in throws…

    Well played…

    1. hahahaha, the Deuche! You, sir, get a fist bump. *bump*

  12. She rebounds fast.

    1. Most sluts do…

  13. 1. What are they christening? Aya’s couch?

    2. I want Aya’s shirt, but in a male’s size please.

    1. 1. Precisely.

      2. Hopefully in a week or so!

  14. Done. Fuck this comic. Tired of hoping for the best and getting the opposite. It’s like some dorks way of venting how he never got the girl so he has to be the maltreated victim. Fuck this.

    1. awwww poor jonathan, projecting your own life problems ont a webcomic? don’t worry, it will all be ok!

  15. Hahahahahahaha!!!! I KNEW IT!!!! When you said the next comic would be NSFW, I just knew it wouldn’t be Tracy! XD Thumbs up man!

  16. First thought verbatim: ” Wow… She really is a bitch” I know Nate is trying to date, but he hasn’t fucked the very first person he’s seen. And the kid has proven he is stupid, contrary, and an all around waste of space/breath/ skin. I sort of hope Aya punches her brother, kicks Rose out of the house, and just gives up on her. She is kind of a worthless person after all.

    1. HAHahaha!! That would be EPIC!

    2. Ditto, photoman86.

      Lost all interest in the development of Rose from here on. Intend to read for the other characters and just skim when it’s got this shallow bint in it.

    3. A million dollars that He slept with Tracy.

    4. I agree with everything up until the giving up on her part

    5. I’m gonna have to second Tyler’s comments on this one. Only fair weather friends give up like that. Hate is not what I feel when I see or think about this. Pity and sadness. To the point of an actual physical jolt of pain.

      She needs real honest to goodness love more than anything in the world right now. You just relegating her to “worthless” status shows that you’re no better than the role models she’s been “blessed” with all her life. She needs Aya’s help, not scorn and abandonment. And I pray to the powers that be that Aya’s the person I think she is and not the person you apparently are.

  17. It looked like Nate’s friend for a second there. Probably is. Nick, can you confirm this?

    1. It’s Trevor (aka Dickweed).

      1. Dickweed the Elder

        A-Ha!

        I told you gentlemen young Trevor was Dickweed Material!

  18. Also, nice painting in the background, she has good taste.

  19. Rose’s judgement calls are far worse than any mere umpire or wrestling referee joke could possibly imply.

  20. Not what I want to see happen, but I think some people are overreacting. It may not be smart, but it’s human.

  21. Dear Nick,
    What the fuck?

    Sincerely,
    Abd

    P.S. – What the fuck?

  22. I agree with those who are no longer interested in Rose’s development. This may change, but she’ll have to earn it.

    Nick, you are a master of building up sympathy for a character, and then utterly wrecking it.

  23. The comic title pretty much covers my comment on the comments.

    Anyways, can’t judge her for scratching an itch, but she’s likely going to regret it later.

    1. Sure you can, it’s called self control. She obviously has a complete and utter lack of it entirely.

  24. so i take it this one of those scenarios in which the main character ends up “saving” a damsel with some sort of addiction and thus ridding her of it? although in this case nate want to keep that addiction around ; P

    another part of me wants to say this:
    so apparently, Trevor was pretty good at touching her boob. and hey maybe he won’t be such a dousche after losing his virginity. XD

    1. I kinda doubt that, from what I’ve seen while I was in school, once a douche, always a douche, but hell, you never know

  25. and the plot thickens

    this is just like my brothers life

  26. Wow Nick, you have written art.
    I see the reactions people give. A lot of disgust and anger. This is what real art does to people!

    As for the Rose discussion… I think maybe she doesn’t see this as “wrong”…. so it’s got nothing to do with self control. Indeed, she is scratching an itch that has been there for a long time, and she is just done with waiting for something to happen with Nate. The only thing she lacks is communication skills.

  27. read the panel. k.
    read the panel. k.
    read the panel, quickly looked at the last panel, face palmed, noticed starry night rofl’d at it.. not sure why
    suffice to say the Van Gogh was the high point of this updated comic for me 🙁

  28. wow. while im not done reading this comic, i am done hoping rose will finish this hypocritical stupidity that plagues any “girl” that feels “sexually empowered”… that term in and of itself is BS. in one perspective, it is good that she is finally with someone that is close to her age group. in another, yeah; self control, cold shower, chocolate, trying out for the rank of master debater… as for nate and his situation, bad timing. angry sex with supervisor could be fun, but sweet deli girl could be long term… decisions, decisions…

    1. Not to mention that Rose has proven that girls prefer douchebags over guys that actually cared.

      1. When was that ever considered unproven? The absolute worst thing to do when attempting to get any girl is to genuinely care. It sounds bitter, but I have yet to have a woman in my life prove me wrong.

        1. But even that, for some, including me, is hard to do, cause some guys are raised to be kind and to care, some develop the ability, some are born that way, despite how they were raised

        2. Yep. That’s bitter all right. One of the main things my wife loves about me is that I care. Frankly, any girl who would prefer that you don’t care is a girl who isn’t worth bothering with.

  29. Wow, wasn’t expecting that.

    Curious as hell to see where this goes now, but it looks to be building up to a cluster-fuck of some sort.

  30. Wow… After reading all the comments, I have to admit, 99% of them I agree with. I was seriously hoping for, when I saw the last one, that Nate would see Tracy, walk out, probably get called something degrading, and Tracy just go about her day. I really thought the worst was over when Rose was telling Aya how she is a fucking moron.

    It’s agreed that at that moment where she kissed the douche, that she hit the bottom of the barrel.

    It should be agreed she picked the sucker up and now is proceeding to scrape under it.

    I know that the super negative relationships can make readers dive in, feeling sorry for Nate, yet think he is an idiot for giving up Rose. Feeling sorry for Rose for being stupid with how she reacts and yet its hard to feel complete sympathy for her. Good mix that allows you to bring our hopes up… And crash them down again, and bring them back if you like.

    Seeing her astride the young douchebag just…

    I think the general consensus is this: Fuck it.

    Yup, Rose can go on her merry whore hunt all she likes, fuck Purvous for all we care. Let Les eat her out when shes…
    Ok maybe thats going a bit to far. Les must have SOME standards… Right?

    As for Nate, on the bare hope that Rose would come around and stop whoring it up, I’d have wanted him to turn Tracy aside, but now that Rose is out of the picture. No…Not Tracy. Keep the girl he is with, give us some hope for her. If he does Tracy, new girl will be gone, he is going to feel disgusted with himself, and probably low enough that Rose might be eye level again to comfort him. I don’t want to see it happen, not when they were both brought so low, like… Since we have pretty much ruined our lives, and anything bad that happens is only an improvement…Sure lets fuck. Thats just going down the toilet. I’m still holding out hope for the comic, and think Nate needs to find someone.

    I really like(d) Rose. But I dont want to see her back with Nate. Thats just sloppy.

    1. ROFL @ fucking Purvous

  31. if you know people are going to hate it, why write it? “character development?” ugh.

  32. This situation just gets worse and worse. Thus far Aya is the only character who hasn’t bee a total douche/bitch. However I will continue reading because I think Nick is going somewhere with this.

    1. Not quite true! We have yet to prove that Miranda (The chick Nate is planning to date) is a bitch! Of course we have only known her for a few strips so things could change.

      1. And Purvous! He’s not a douche, IMHO.

  33. First thought is apparently she didn’t care for Nate as much as she said she did….would be interesting to see how Nate’s situation is gonna blow up in his face while this one blows up in hers.

  34. Really Nick, I can’t understand all the bitter comments, people accusing you of ruining the picture They had of how story would go on…
    Come on, if you want a story about a tormented (but not too much) love story buy a Harmony book!
    This is a webcomic about people fucking around seen from the POV of a guy who’s not fucking since WW2.
    Rose was a slut from the first strip she was in, and she’s being slutty acting the whole way to this one. What in the world made you angry commenters think “everything was going to be OK”?
    I mean, the fact that Rose was the first girl wanting to get Nate laid doesn’t mean she’s automatically The One for him… it would be way too simple!

    I’ve been reading for a while and I’m going to go on reading EVERY strip I’ll find, no metter who’s in, and that’s because I’m here to amuse myself, not to support a carachter or a relationship between carachters. God, I hate soap operas!
    So, Nick, go on by yor way and amuse yourself making your carachters do what you want!

    P.S.
    Sorry for my English, I’m Italian…

    1. I have to tell you that your english is better than most english speakers.

      1. agreed

        1. WORST ENGLISH EVA he capitalizes “They” in the middle of a sentence and spells matter/ metter & and character/carachter.

          jk 😛
          HowlingWolf you deserve an internet cookie!

        2. Thanks guys, I’m flattered!
          I’m working hard to keep my English up to a good level, it’s a very good thing to have people giving you totally uninterested appreciation.

          By the way, I’m taking mental notes about the “character” error, and I swear that the matter/metter and the capitalized “They” were jud typos!

  35. Well, Rose can no longer claim she’s only slept with 3 guys, now it’s 4. And perhaps by the time she and Nate fix things up, it might be 7 or 8. The point being, she’s a hot girl so why not sleep with anything and anyone, right? To hell with consequences, with a person being judged by their actions. Because she’ll be allowed to make every wrong decision and eventually return to Nate and be accepted because she’s finally “grown up”?

    Or, if Nate has any self respect, he’ll remember the very same willpower that had him wanting to wait until Rose was 18 and tell her that he’s not interested in dating a tramp. That he’s looking for a girl with whom he has more than physical attraction, but an actual similar point of view on life… which is possible, despite their differing ages.

    At this point, if the point of the comic is for Nate and Rose to build a relationship, I’d say it just jumped the shark. Sorry, Nick, but reading a cuckold storyline isn’t something that appeals to many. For a more modern phrase, this is a turd in the punchbowl. You can scoop it out, but people are never going to forget it was there.

    I may follow the comic a bit more because it’s a simple click of the mouse away, but I really doubt its going towards a resolution that I will enjoy.

    1. And even if it wont turn they way you want, it is a really good story. Deep with alot of thought. Living characters and so well done that people really react to it.
      If it was me doing this comic I would be really happy with everyone reacting strongly to what happens, because that would mean I have done something right 🙂

  36. Contrary to all the negative opinions of it, I think you did a great job with this comic today. Yea, Rose is a slut who was raised by a slut and knows no different and so what. If she were a guy tapping on a sister of her friend, how many of the negative comments would have been made? Seems like the old double standard is alive and well in web comic land.

    I know my opinion is different from others here and fully expect a flaming bloodbath of negativity but I like your writing and your story to date and will continue to enjoy it for as long as you care to place it before the public. Don’t let the naysayers get you down, which I doubt was going to happen anyway, but I still wanted to let you know that you have some folks who appreciate the depths of your writing.

    1. If she were a guy? Well, I’d hope the girl in this hypothetical instance would have enough self respect to turn her back on him, too. I don’t think this is a situation that’s gender specific, in my opinion.

      1. Out of experience I know that (with statistical science-ish-thingie) it is more probably that if it was a guy we would have less negative comments then we have now.
        Generalization
        A guy screws a random girl. Reaction: Dude you are so cool (from guys) and from girls: He’s such an (male variant) slut
        A girl screws a random guy. Reaction: Man that girls such a slut, she will sleep with anyone. (from both genders)
        These are generalizations, but they are also quite a fact.
        Like here, if Nate would have sex with Tracy, most people would think like “Man, why’d he do that?” and almost noone would say “Fuck this, I’m leaving I hate this character development” because, Nate IS a guy.
        And we have in this strip the proof of how people react when a girl does the same thing.
        Btw. if Nate has sex with Tracy, we all will call her a slut, I am sure, but most will think that Nate just did “what he had to do” 😛

        1. Quite right, mate; there is a definite break in the whole gender thing and people don’t like to admit the pervasive gender bias in our popular culture. Though there are a few men who might think the hypothetical guy is a dog for didgeridooin’ a friend’s sister

          Another little chestnut is the bias against non-traditional relationships and attitudes towards casual sex

        2. Your argument is that it is okay to call a girl a slut for going out and having sex…. because she can get it easier than a guy can?

          My irritation was based on how easy it is for people to throw that term around when it is usually cruel and and almost always hypocritical. While this is just a comic strip, this trend to call women names for engaging in sex while men are given slaps on the back and encouraged is stupid. To make matters worse, even unfounded rumors of being a “slut” can cause irreparable damage to a girl’s reputation and make her subject to lewd propositions and torment in some circles. It can be a horrible word, and people use it much too loosely. I do not believe either sex should be labeled or judged like that, but I personally have seen it do much more damage to girls than boys.

  37. Ever since the drama started to happen, I was one who always was hoping (or just waiting) for Nate and Rose to be together I can now safely say, fuck that idea.

  38. Tristan Darkthunder

    Lost all respect for Rose at the last panel, not for being who she is.
    We all knew what she was from the beginning.
    But you gotta give her some credit for at least trying to behave while w/Nate.
    Plus he did blow it for being too uptight about her age.
    So I cannot fault her for “regressing” to her old ways, and for Nate to look for someone closer to his age.
    We can always hold out and see if they get their act together, and reunite in a year or so.

  39. I want to see where this is going. Heck, I’d like to see Nick get with Aya… she’s a smart girl. Miranda… or even Tracey.

    I’ve been there, when you fall for that girl you hate way too much. It’s odd but it happens.

    Good job on the surprise!

    1. Or hell while we’re at it lets get Nate into a 3-bitch love sandwich with Miranda, Tracy and Aya while we’re at it =p

      If Nate walked out on the very much nude Rose what makes you think his mentality of ‘welp, going for a smoke’ mentality won’t kick in for this situation with Tracy? =p

      That said on the issue, I already gave up on Rose as a person, so at this point shes nothing but an enjoyable side boob =D As much as I hate to see Rose literally circling the drain, this whole is a story is about Nate trying to find himself, not Rose. So while I see the legitimacy of the “I’m leaving for a while” comments my only rebuttal is “Cowboy up ya sentimental pansy’s” Turn and run and go do your laundry like good little women if you can’t handle the ‘vapours’. >=o

      *clanks a whiskey to Nick Wright* I salute you sir for saying ‘fuck you’ to the mold of normality and turning it on its ear to piss in it.

  40. I’m simply baffled at some of the comments. I see an awful lot of projecting by people who apparently think this comic should some kind of feel good story.

    Rose isn’t acting out of character at all, the only difference is that it’s with someone the readership isn’t supposed to empathize with. Rose tried the same thing with Nate on strip number SEVEN, I’d say this is rather par for the course.

    Nate and Rose had what can only be called a total break, and the newest page serves to show how a serious infatuation can change one’s sensibilities drastically, and doubly so once removed.

    I have to say, if you don’t like the way the story is going now, then you should have probably quit about 140 pages ago.

    1. I agree, they had what can only be seen as a total break… because of Rose’s own self admitted poor judgement and actions. And I’d be cool with that, except it’s been clear through the entire comic that there is a definite theme of trying to get Rose and Nate together. Except that now Rose’s poor decision making has increased to the point that she would be a bad relationship girl for anyone, much less Nate, because her solution to most problems is to sleep with someone.

      And frankly, this comic has always seemed to stress the comedic. If Nate was to become such a butt monkey to life that it’s written in that he and Rose eventually end up together… well, that’s not funny. That’s just sad.

  41. Wow, you guys overreact, one comic you don’t like, one poor decision by one character and you decide to quite the comic? I’ve been reading this comic and never posted a comment before, and I really just wanted to thank Nick for writing a quality comic that has real people who make mistakes in it.

    1. Totally Agree

    2. One poor decision? I think you might want to read from the beginning and count again

  42. I have this sinking feeling this is going to lead to, one day, Nate saying to Rose: ‘You sucked 37 dicks?’ And yea, Aya is probably gonna get stuck cleaning spooge off the couch.

  43. Aww yeah, fucking up the readers’ minds in the best Willis/Philips/Campos tradition. 🙂
    I have no idea why people are so dismayed about this, it’s a pretty natural development. If she was a slut before, and only tried to change for Nate, it figures she’d return to her old ways after he dumped her. She’s just trying to get the pain to go away by doing something that pleased her before… and I don’t think it will help.

    People, if you react so violently to this, do not read the comics by the authors I mentioned in the first paragraph. Or, rather, do go read them, maybe they’ll grow you some balls. :p

    1. I don’t think it’s that we are angry, we are upset that Rose is regressing to what she was before, she was actually trying to not have sex while with Nate, and when he dumped her, she went off the deep-end and hooked-up up with her best-friend’s douchebag step-brother

      1. Or maybe it’s just me

  44. Hey as a writer, I have plans for my own storyline. Then there is a point when my readers start hating it, but then they see the character change for the better or worse. It gets better after that character change happens. It’s when something bad happens to them at the moment it seems horrible but nothing is permanent horrible or good.

    Like a car wreck our eyes have a hard time looking away from it. Sorry about the sentences, I just finished ten pages and screw proper grammar.

    1. Except that this particular action… hot girl is slightly miffed at romantic interest and so she has a poorly chosen roll in the hay… is so overused in so many mediums these days. Movies, books, and webcomics. It’s a lazy writing convention. And yet, the implications of its view into the character seem to be ignored simply because she’s a “hot girl”. It perpetuates the idea of beauty outside being more important than the beauty inside. Implying that somehow if you judge someone by their promescuity, there’s something wrong with you and not the easy girl or man-whore.

      And maybe the point is holding oneself in higher regard than simply having a tumble with whatever warm body that offers itself to you. Remember, you lay down with dogs, you get fleas.

  45. Quick question: Did Rose’s ass get slapped? Or is that just heat? Or what is it?

  46. oh no, a teenage girl is doing something dumb because she’s upset!!!! how shocking! i understand where everyone’s coming from, it is wince-worthy to see rose make mistakes. but thats life. people make mistakes. in regards to sex, this goes double for teens.

  47. ( wow! )— We’ve ALL heard the phrases; “Outta left field”, “Never saw that coming” ??

    IMHO, THIS came from across town !!! – I NEVER suspected this at ALL! – A GREAT plot twist Nick!

    Screw the ‘nay-sayers’ and keep ’em coming! … If people want their cartoon characters to never change, never do anything wrong, never step on a rake to see if it’ll come up and SMACK ’em in the face …. fine! — (go read GARFIELD!) This plot twist has riled SEVERAL people, for ONE COMMON reason, it happened to THEM or someone THEY KNOW!

    Nick, that just proves your writing REAL facts and issues into the characters!
    DON’T stop for THEM – DON’T stop for ME !!!

    1. It didn’t really come from across town, Rose has been known for ages as a slut, this just visually finally shows it for once, well I guess we could count her making out as kind of a slutty move but, I mean rose was known as the girl who got railed by 2 guys out in the middle of the inter-pass, we just never visually seen that side of her till now, so its not really shocking in retrospect.

      I mean, I’d me more pissed off if it was Aya on that lap; then Rose for loads more reasons. =p

    2. Agreed 100%. The comic blew me away before I even read the dialogue.

    3. Actually…Jon DID step on a rake in a recent Garfield strip. Two rakes, actually. 😉

  48. Nick you are a master of your craft, i am horridly disgusted by one of your main characters and still left wondering if Nate had the balls to see who cold winter really is. looking forward to Friday. Not to mention the amount of comments on this strip is such a short period of time.

  49. Did anyone notice that dickweed had his haircut like nates

  50. Well played sir! Well played! *clap* *clap* *clap*

    Anyone getting terribly upset over this, remember you’re watching story telling in action. Everything that happens got a purpose down the line. The comic is still about Nate/Rose and their relationship.
    I presume so anyway, Nick *could* have jumped the shark and made Tracy the girl + focus 100% on the work environment jokes (sorta like Dilbert did)
    … or even worse… turning the comic into a harem comic where Nate is surrounded by hot chicks wanting his penis pudding and him being a sexual hypocrite about it.

    … no wait! That’d be totally cool! Love Hina with actual sex innit! ^^

  51. Damn, sweaty and everything. The boy must have talent. XD

    It’s a shame that he’s being used and prolly doesn’t know it yet…or he simply doesn’t care. Jackasses kinda do that.

    1. dude not caring is the only way to enjoyable sex in high school

      1. Dude I’m disappointment in your grammar.

        1. Mmm, not certain. He couild have meant it as “it’s the only path to enjoyable sex”, which would make it correct ^^

        2. ya but then you just sound like a nerd

        3. Linguistics Nerd.

          Actually, an interesting point that one learns in a University level linguistics class is that, often, Good “grammar” is linguistically incorrect, there are a number of correct ways to word any given sentence, based on what sounds natural in a specific region.

          lack of punctuation aside, his only linguistic mistake was to say “Enjoyable” instead of “Enjoy” which is an honest and simple mistake that I make often myself with similar words.

        4. Indeed, way is a totally legit noun.

        5. Can I just say that this is the sexiest conversation I’ve ever read online?
          Intelligent discourse gets me hot…
          Is that weird?

        6. @Honey_Thistle: It isn’t weird at all

        7. thats how i read it as well.

  52. welll damn i guess the buffy marathon is off?

  53. She doesn’t look or sound regretful…I know a sex addict when I see one. She needs therapy. That, or a mallet to the face.

    1. I’d throw in an I.Q. test while she’s at it. -_- She knows she’s acting dumb, yet still continues to do so, and with someone she probably doesn’t care about.

      1. Agreed. to the mallet, the therapy, the IQ test and the mallet to the face.

    2. Why would she need therapy. This world is so fucked up when it comes to sex that we have to cover it up and become dysfunctional. Sex is a NATURAL thing. It is great exercise. Love is attached to sex because THE MAN says sex is a sin and you can only have sex when you love someone. That is total bullshit.

      1. Even something natural can be a problem if you let it rule your life.

      2. Careful there – if there are too many reasonable opinions in any one thread, everyone will have to leave and go read vitriolic trash for several hours.

        1. Wait, wait, wait… You can find vitriolic trash on the Interwebs? Know whey!

      3. ‘THE MAN’ says is it sin to have sex with out love because it results in:

        A) rugrats with only one parent, which in past centuries was a huge problem.

        B) rugrats with 2 parents, that are only together because they like sex, and have children. Not exactly the most nurturing environment.

        C) lots of nasty STD’s.

        While I will admit these problems are now controllable, if you’re careful, many people aren’t that careful, and society (THE MAN) changes what is acceptable VERY slowly.

      4. Taking a dump is also natural… but we you shouldn’t do it in your food.
        Sexual discretion is completely natural, all animals are picky about mating to some degree or another.

        1. Except ducks. Those little dudes will bang anything, living or dead.

        2. Female ducks are picky… but if a female duck takes too long to choose she will be gang raped by all the males, suffering severe injuries and possibly death.

        3. As opposed to sex, which is perfectly fine to have in your food?
          I may have gotten that reversed.
          I have this inkling that it’s better to have a bit of food in your sex, sometimes.

        4. He meant that like sex being a sin, so was taking a dump in food.

  54. Rose may be attention-starved, but damn she is hot. So is this scene, including Aya’s detailed reaction. Well-done!

    Thank you for keeping realistic characters, and enjoying feeding the trolls :-). Frankly, I think the rebound sex here makes Rose more sympathetic, because it seems a perfectly reasonable reaction for an 18-year-old girl facing Nate’s frustrating prudishness. The misplaced sex-obsession makes a lot of sense, given that she’s grown up without a real father figure (from what I can tell), and the rest of her family isn’t exactly made of stellar role models. She does try sometimes, but she also fails a lot. Frankly, I’m more interested in her development now.

    Also, did I mention that she’s smoking 😉

  55. Ok, time for a comment just for my own 😛

    Rose did something most would call stupid in this strip. I can agree with that. But it is not strange at all. Also, I can’t call her a slut, only someone who wants attention and tries to get it in the only way she can.

    Rose IS a character I still feel some sympathy for.
    She comes from a dysfunctional family with an alcoholic mother. Anyone know what is very common with that kind of person (Rose I mean)? Just look at Rose. Combine that with being a teenager and I think Rose is doing a good job. She has ONLY been with a few guys, she tried (in a not so well thought way) to have a relationship with Nate and he brushes her off. She probably knows it was a bad idea, but she needs to feel “loved”, and that is a normal way to do it (in a dysfunctional person).

    There was more I wanted to to write, but it is gone from my head now *goes back to watching the strip*

    Oh, and Nick, you really did a good job on this one. Rose’s expression saying “Oh, damn, I thought you wouldn’t be here yet” Aya’s “WTF?! *brain explodes*” expression, and even dropping her phone and the bag sliding of her hand. The *ick* feel in the shoulders is a good touch. And lastly, her brothers “huh? What’s going on?” expression, which (in my opinion) shows the fact that he isn’t the sharpest of persons and quite slow in general.

    1. He didn’t “brush her off”, he rejected her in a reasonably mature and respectful manner. The rest of your comment is spot on, though.

      1. In a poorly thought out high-handed manner.

        OTOH, most rejections are high handed…

  56. Wow, what is with all the hate?
    This didn’t go the way you wanted and a character that is a teenager and a slut is still a teenager and a slut. Big surprise there.
    But to stop reading just because a character is a bigger moron than most people you’ve probably met in your life?
    It’s a webcomic, not your fantasy world where characters can just grow overnight. Besides, and please tell me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the last strip with Rose the same one where she kissed the kid?
    If so, that more or less means there is no reason to believe she should have changed between then and now, and people weren’t all butt-hurt over that, now where they?

    Anyways, love this, and made the mistake of checking it from my phone at work. Had to hold in my laughter and face-palming so the people I work with wouldn’t think I’m crazy.

    1. No, the last strip with Rose was the one AFTER she kissed him, where she told Aya that she wasn’t thinking straight and Trevor that she wasn’t going out with him.

      1. Well, close enough. Still no reason to believe anything’s changed.

        1. Except that that means she’s not dating him and she only kissed him to try and make Nate jealous.

        2. Since when does Rose give us any hint that she cares about things like that before doing anything with a guy?

  57. blah-blah-blah

    She is a woman. That’s it.

  58. I have to say I think some of the readers commenting above might have an over inflated opinion of their own importance. Personally this is not where I wanted to see this end up but I AM NOT THE AUTHOR AND NEITHER ARE THE REST OF YOU.

    None of us know for sure where he is going to take this. The only way to find out is to keep reading. If you really can stand to keep reading though story line you don’t like then you don’t get to find out what happens next. If that is the case, then stop reading. No one is going to know if you do, and to be honest no one is going to give a shit.

    Whinging on the forums serves no purpose other than to piss of other readers like myself.

    1. First of all, fuck you.

      Secondly, if enough people stop reading, the author WILL care.

      I’m not suggesting that enough people actually will stop reading, but for you to say that no one cares about our opinions simply leads into a troll loop (for example, I respond by saying that no one cares about YOUR opinion because it is stock response to webcomic strips that generate some negative comments from multiple people).

      And your right, we are not the author. THAT DOESN’T MEAN WE CAN’T DISLIKE THE DECISIONS HE MADE. Have you EVER disliked a movie, webcomic, book, TV show, or ANY kind of media? IT’S THE SAME FUCKING THING!!!

      1. You both make valid points, But you are both taking things to far in the opposite direction, First, the author KNEW he would piss people off with this, he was expecting negative comments, to think any different would be to say you think the author is an idiot.

        Second, Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but that entitlement does end at flaming, everyone should try to communicate their feelings in a calm and concise manner if they are able to, its always good to keep the lines of communication open.

        Third, YOU SUCK B!@$@! how could you do that with her character? im going to KILL MYSELF NOW!

        LOL…J/k…I expected it from when she first met him, Ive known and counseled waaaay to many girls like her, total assholes that they cant become to emotionally attached to tend to be the rebound guy of choice, very realistic character, I’m sure you have probably known many like her as well.

  59. Wow there sure are a lot of people going ape shit over this. I know I saw this one coming from a mile away. So good on you for going through with it man; keep up the excellent work.

  60. Wow, I didn’t think people would get this adamant about what they feel. Welp, Guess it’s my turn for a comment rant.

    I stand by what I said earlier that Rose is a slut, the signs were there from the beginning and even I could see a mile away just how hypocritical she really is.

    That being said, I’m still going to read this comic and I’ll tell you for three reasons.

    1: I’m still interested in what happens to Nate
    2: I know full well Nick is building up to something
    3: Rose is going to have to do something MAJOR to either change who she is/ show how sorry she is. Call it schadenfreude, but I’m personally reveling the day when Rose realizes just how low she’s gotten.

    As for those who sympathize or pity her: Get Real. It’s one thing to feel sorry for a character if they make a mistake, but to make a mistake again and again and again and AGAIN?! What does she have to do, get fucked by 6 guys at the same time before you realize what she’s become? (Though I’ll bet you’ll still think she’s “suffering”)

    All in all, I wanna know what happens next, haters just need to be patient and sympathizers need to stop trying to justify her actions.

    1. Yeah I can’t really agree more with what you said. My reasons for wanting to keep reading are similar even if I’m rather irritated as hell that Rose is doing this. The excuse that she just wants to feel loved is nothing more than that… an excuse.

      Also, I can’t help but be just anxiously waiting for the day Rose’s world just… I can’t wait to see it just come crashing down and Nate gets a well earned, “Well… I told ya so.” – Though for some reason in the back of my head I see him pulling some White Knight move and helping her through it somehow.

      And as far as it goes with the sympathizers, again, I can’t help but agree with Axel on this… First mistake and you forgive, shame on her. Second mistake, and you forgive her again, shame on YOU. Forgiveness is something that is earned, not just taken as a given.

      I could go on, and on, and on… in fact I did but I read just how long it was and knew I would basically be posting too much explaining the situation but in short sense, this is what I’d put.

      Groupsex on the highway in the beginning – no big deal, he didn’t know her then, she didn’t know him.

      Stripping for the friends to get attention from him – Strike one. You don’t show others close to the guy you like in order to get attention from the one, that’s just retarded and honestly… I can’t wrap my head around that logic.

      At this point – the whole ‘earning forgiveness’ thing comes in. If she does even the simplest thing to prove she’s sorry – then that’s fine, as long as she learned her lesson and knows what she did wrong – no big deal.

      Kissing Douche after seeing Nate just to make him jealous… Fuck it, her attention’s not worth the (foreseeable) headache/heartache isn’t worth it. I won’t forgive a second intentional attempt to make me jealous for a reaction.

      I suppose this is why girls don’t tend to come onto me as much, as I’m not as easily manipulated as they would like, but I always hold moral reasoning and decisions, and relationships to a higher level than others. A girl like Rose is just that… a girl, and one not worth the trouble.

      No rage on this post… only my point of solemn view.

      1. Well, this comment’s tone is a lot nicer and cleaner than mine…

        It basically says all of our (the people complaining) feelings.

  61. You know at the beginning of the comic, I would have expected this, even RIGHT after the Halloween event I would have expected this, but all her stupid pouring out feels… kinda rushed? I mean this is happening in a three day period technically right? Strip for other dudes, kiss other dude, fuck other dude? *shrugs* not sure what to make of it, I’ve been reading this comic for a quite awhile it feels like, and I’m waiting for some justification or reasoning but I’m not nearly as interested all of a sudden.

    1. I don’t know she spent what 6 months waiting for Nate?
      Only to have it fall apart and when people decide to move they usually move every quickly, not with the best reasoning either.

    2. What gave you the idea that it was three days? There aren’t really any temporal markers between then and now.

      1. This is why I completely ignore time passing unless its explicitly stated, Hah.

  62. I’ve been meaning to comment for a while, and never have before, but now’s as good a time as any I suppose. *^_~*

    I stumbled on TG a few months ago, and it’s since become part of what gets me through the work week, so first off, Nick, thanks for that. 🙂 Secondly, congratulations on getting such emotional responses from your readers–it shows that they are heavily invested in the storyline and attached to the characters, which proves what a good storyteller you are. I’m sure I don’t have to advise you to continue telling your story exactly as the characters tell it to you, rather than let other people’s opinions make it no longer fun to tell your story, which is what made “End of Evangelion” such torment to watch 😉 Your author’s note above indicates that you’re very aware of your surroundings, so additional points for being so grounded. Either way, I’m truly enjoying every plot twist, zinger, and off-the-cuff remark in this strip.

    Thanks, Nick–thanks for the John Updike-esque display of the gritty underbelly of working any kind of retail, thanks for Steve, Purvous and Les, thanks for the first “River City Ransom” reference I’ve seen since “Scott Pilgrim”, thanks for the word “floordrobe”, and thanks for making Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays a little more tolerable behind the desk. *^_^* Believe me, it’s appreciated!

    1. Don’t bring “End of Evangelion” into this…

      Or people will start to rant about the ending of the original series…

      1. Tristan Darkthunder

        Saw both versions of End of Evangelion, cannnot agree more.
        Both endings sucked w/weirdness, and left you hanging.

        1. I will always applaud a writer for telling his story exactly the way their characters tell it to them–and I’ll award bonus points for even a wreck like EoE, because it was purposefully done by the creator as a final “screw you” to the obsessive, overemotional fans who had made it no longer fun to tell the story he loved so well. 🙂

          My point was, fans are always important to a story, but in the end the storyteller has the power and it’s awesome to watch when they know how to really use it. *^_^*

        2. Well, he kind of DIDN’T tell the story the way he wanted to…he ran out of money the first time.

  63. They Call Him Eric

    Proof Nate knew what the hell he was doing. Rose didn’t want a boyfriend. Just a bone.

    1. Yep.
      Nate made a good choice in avoiding this.

    2. Or, y’know, Rose decided that if she couldn’t have the “good” guy she wanted, she’d settle for the bone now to clear her head of six months worth of frustration, then move on.

      1. They Call Him Eric

        For someone real broken up over it, she got over it mighty fast. Didn’t she express regret over kissing this guy a few strips ago? And now she’s boning him?

        Yeah. Here is a girl who knows how to have healthy relationships.

  64. WOW NICK!!! i did not know you could go THAT far with NSFW material. that is alomst porn. Sometimes i think you have a collection of porn you drew from this comic stashed somewhere in your house! As M. Night Shamalan would say, “what a twist”

    1. Robot Chicken reference FTW!

      1. your welcome

  65. Can’t say I didn’t see this one coming. Nate F’ed up here, just as much as Rose is taking the hard 1. Rose sees intimacy as an integral part of any relationship, which is very normal. Nate sees her as a shortcut to being Uncle Bubbas prison plaything. Makes for poor timing for love to blossom.

    Is everyone going to be appalled if Nate is wearing Tracys bra as a hat and banging her from both ends on Friday?

    1. Yes. Yes I will.

      1. Seconded XD

        1. Actually, I think I’d be a little appreciative of the irony. Also appalled, but only to a slight degree. He’s got to be at least as sexually frustrated as his jail bait admirer. Also, his pent up rage at his, now naked, boss would make the sex spectacularly satisfying. That is, if he were able to do it.

        2. I know he probably is, but you don’t see him with a girl on his lap….yet

  66. Wow dood… this is a new low for Rose… how’s she gonna get Nate back now(if Tracey or Tracy hasn’t already been screwed by him already)?

  67. Whining is good, it pisses off people with no patience and it’s good to see them go. Any controversy or public awareness, unless really heinous, will general increase the readership. Thing that kills book sales is not writing the story or quitting in the middle.

  68. I’ll be truthful here and say I didn’t say that one coming. [No pun intended.]
    I thought she didn’t like that guy. Or is this just, “I was horny and this is revenge sex”?

    1. Rose has made it clear she likes teh cox, prolly this one was just handy.

      Maybe everyone would be happier if Brother Dumbest caught Rose and Aya on the couch…come to think of it, I would be happier.

      Huh.

      1. YES. A THOUSAND TIMES YES!

        Though I think that would be out of character for Aya, and nothing has been mentioned suggesting that Rose would have sex with girls.

      2. hmmm, you have my vote, Alternate comic maybe?LOL… or maybe just an alternate last panel) hahahaha *gives the artist puppy dog eyes*

  69. If it was an 18 year old boy would people be calling him a slut?

    1. An excellent point indeed. She is acting like an idiot, however.

    2. I think the appropriate phrase is man-whore… and if you flipped things around to show this hypothetical 18 year old boy suddenly sleeping with his best friend’s step-sibling who’s been nothing but an A-number 1 jerk? Yes. I absolutely would. I’d question his possession of a brain for this poor judgement, question his character for just knockin’ boots because the other person was available, and then question his heart because he so quickly seemed to get over the “girl” he had been chasing for some time.

      Gender doesn’t determine how I judge an individual, and it shouldn’t for others, either.

    3. I don’t view ‘slut’ as an insult. Therefore the question seems irrelevent. As Tamakaze said, though, she’s being stupid. So new question: If it was a 17 year old boy, would I call him an idiot? Probably. Mostly because sleeping with your friend’s sister is kinda rude. And if that hypothetical boy hadn’t given up on whoever spurned his advances? Definately.

    4. I would be, such behavior is stupid in a real human being nomatter what sex they are.

  70. My point of view is that Rose is someone who has been making big mistakes for a while but hasn’t been changing.

    That was because the thing that keeps a person going is their support nextwork. Roses support network is pretty much Aya, so to finally see the error of her ways she needed to do something that Aya wouldn’t support her through, so she would finally face it for herself and without any backup.

    So, we come to the position where she has finally done just that, horrified even Aya. Now she gets to see the logical end run of her actions, and then she will start to change. It won’t be fast, it won’t be pretty, and there will be a lot of pain but she will come out of it a much better person. A much more mature person, someone who doesn’t see sex as a game but a important part of a relationship, but not the entire relationship!

    As for the person(s) that suggested gender bias, well look at it this way; Nate doing Tracy would be him doing someone he has a long standing relationship with, not a positive relationship, yes but it isn’t like he just picked someone off the street and had sex with them. Also he has some level of respect for her, she is awfully hard to beat in an argument. Whereas Rose is doing a kid she doesn’t respect in any way, barely knows (and presumable mostly know bare!) and doesn’t care about at all.

    And yes, hate is a strong emotion, how many kids try to get the attention of someone they like by annoying them? (And don’t tell me it is just boys, I saw many girls delibrately following (which the boy in question was annoyed by) or insulting boys I knew they liked.

    Oh, and the people saying that Nate will just walk out on Tracy like he did Rose, well think about this; He directly told Rose no sex, he has never said anything like that to Tracy. So I think he is going to do a quick calculation in his head revolving around how much he wants sex and how much this could hur him.

    And now for my call, if he does indeed have sex with Tracy (I am not going to predict if he will) the I expect the strip after to go something like this : Nate”You know I still don’t like you”, Tracy ” Yeah, well I still don’t like you”, next panel they both just look into space. Tracy”So same time next week?”, Nate “I suppose”.

    AND lastly, I am going to coin a phrase, Enemies with benifits.

  71. Flip the cushions when you’re done! People don’t want to sit in your mess!

    1. ROFL – this is officially the best comment on the thread.

  72. My issue is that I know enough dumbass teenage girls (or did) who’d do something this stupid – I’d rather not see it in my entertainment, because I don’t find it entertaining. She reminds me too much of my exes, I suppose. I’ll give credit for the number of comments, that’s pretty badass. You’re gonna have to go the forum route soon, like many successful comics have.

  73. I don’t often comment but the responses on this post have me pissed off. Nick is a great guy and doesn’t deserve these kinds of comments at all.

    I don’t understand how someone can read this comic AND THEN GET ANGRY WHEN ROSE TURNS OUT TO BE A SLUT!

    Seriously. I don’t get it at all. To me? It’s not insulting. It’s not even a big deal. Sure, fucking on your friend’s couch is probably not so cool but come on! It’s a comic people. Grow up.

    1. People need to escape from the harsh realities of life.

      1. If anyone comes here to escape the harsh realities of life… I pity them. Seriously.

        1. Why is that? Maybe people have no other way to escape

        2. I didn’t mean it like that. I meant that if the characters in this comic have a better life than the readers, they really do deserve some sympathy.

  74. XD great

  75. Would you believe that the main thing that really bothers me here is the fact that they’re screwing each other on the damn couch?

    Bad enough it’s with the step brother but for the love of God, get thee to the bedroom and lock the fucking door!! It’s like no one seems to have enough restraint or will power anymore to go from one room to the other. Sheesh!!

    That being said, Aya looks suitably horrified at the entire thing. I’m curious what the next strip will entail. I mean, I’d know what I’d do but I wanna know what Aya is gonna do.

    1. Name inspired by menage a three?

      1. Lol, I just now realized that

  76. This will end well…

    The minor blush on her buttocks is a nice authentic touch.

    1. Yeah, I noticed the blush too. Great touch.

  77. Wut

    Off coment: BUFFY RULES

  78. Hey! Is that Impressionist art hanging up in the background of the last panel? I love Impressionist art. And webcomics.
    If not Impressionist – which artist is it?

    1. It’s Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night”.

      http://www.artinvest2000.com/van-gogh-starry-night.html

      (Larger picture)

      1. Ah, it’s Vincent. Thanks for that!

  79. THE THICKENING PLOT!
    OH THE THICKENING!!!!

  80. Rose’s acting like many an 18 year old would. I don’t think this means she won’t get back with Nate. I want to see how things develop.

  81. Sorry to go off on a tangent from everyone else, but is Aya a lesbian then? Or did I make that situation up and read to much into what she said?

  82. Some people seem to have a strong opinion about this page, and so do I. Mine is a positive one, however. It will probably be hard to find them here, but here’s a few points I’d like to comment on.

    ¤ For one, I think it’s great that we get to see Rose as she’s been advertised. It was stated in, what, page 2, that she was the village bicycle. Yet we’ve seen little to that effect; she has been acting risque at times, but that’s not the same thing. This isn’t a behaviour we’ve not been told she’s prone to have. So that’s a thing I like.

    ¤ As an aside, I do find it interesting that so many condemn Rose for her fling while cheering Nate on just the page before, where he was theoretically getting involved with TWO women; Tracy and that girl I forgot the name of that he was going on a date with. Granted, Nate had never shown as much interest as Rose in their relationship, but a break is a break and it goes both ways. I don’t see why Nate would be free to do as he pleases if Rose is still bound by some special type of woman-only obligation.

    ¤ Not only is it in character sexually for Rose, but it also reflects her age accurately. She’s a teen still, even if she’s sexually experienced, and chances are she’s not used to “real love”, to use a sorely lacking expression. Therefore, when Nate shows with all due clarity that she’s history, she gets upset and rebounds to the closest guy at hand, namely Dickweed. It’s not a good behaviour, but it’s understandable from her perspective, and most of all, it is a catalyst for Plot.

    I’m not saying Rose is “totally justified omg how dare you accuse her she’s a pure snow white doe”, but she IS an interesting and dynamic character. If characters only did what was right and sensible all the time, wouldn’t it be a damn boring comic?

    Rose: “I harbour feelings of attraction towards you, Nate.”
    Nate: “How wonderful, yet we must wait until thine 18th birthday before we marry.”
    Rose: “Yes, my love. Let us get to know each other so that our first time united in the flesh may be the culmination of all the desire built mutually between us until that point.”
    And then they did, the end.

    Nah, fuck that shit. Keep on rocking, Nick Wright. Just keep on rocking.

    1. Lol damn you, you posted the first real argument here I cannot argue, not only because I don’t have ammo against it, but you post such an accurate straight-to-the-point argument… I find myself laughing at my own complete and utter defeat.

      You’re absolutely right – Rose was portrayed as the village bicycle almost immediately, and now that it’s showing, it proves that she actually is what people say she is.

      Also, that entire paragraph about Nate being able to fuck anything with two legs and a heart beat, while Rose has to keep to herself like a saint is all too true. I hate to admit it, but that’s an unbeatable point you make – even if they do/did like each other, at this point they have officially broken it off and are pursing other relationships – Nate’s obviously more noble than Rose’s, but none the less, your point is all too accurate.

      Congrats – I’m a lifelong believer in the idea that arguments are good for the mental psyche, but you’ve posted a series of points that have shaken my entire view on relationships as a whole. I applaud you, well done.

    2. Hallelujah, someone intelligent and calm. Thank you!

  83. I really don’t know what’s wrong with some of the people making comments. A formerly very sexually active girl has gone without sex for a full year in trying to make a relationship work with a guy who wanted to wait, and then, after he dumped her on her birthday, she had sex with someone else, and people are acting like she’s done something horrible. She’s clearly not a “sex addict”, or she wouldn’t have gone a year without sex in an attempt to get a real romance going. If she’d cheated on him, then he might have grounds to be angry or feel betrayed, but it’s completely his own fault here; she hasn’t done anything wrong.

    The only reason anyone is blaming her is become of an antique and sexist double standard that treats women differently then men.

    1. NOT a full year, I think it’s been stated that it’s been roughly half a year.

      Also, fucking your best friend’s step-sibling is a no-no for guys too, so don’t go bitching about double standards.

      1. You have a point there, that’s a shitty thing to do to Aya. I forgot they were step-relatives.

        However, most of the comments so far has been on how this proves she’s a bad girlfriend to Nate, not a bad friend to Aya. In terms of that, one can make an argument of double standards, even if I don’t.

        1. One may also wonder about her actions and the effect on her own life. As was said she went about half a year without sex for a guy and then he broke it off. Granted it was after a semi-public display of nudity she was attempting to use to seduce him, and that nudity was a striptease for one of his roommates… at her birthday party… while she was apparently sober enough to know what she was doing.

          But let’s move on. Aya made some valid points on what sort of actions he could have taken if not for his brain being fried by her nudity and the shock that she gave his roommate and friend a striptease in front of him, a fact that I don’t see being brought up even in the comic other than her flimsy explanation of trying to get a rise out of him. Aya had set it up for the two of them to meet, talk things over, and possibly smooth things over so that at least if they don’t resume their relationship they can at least be friends. Unfortunately her brother tagged along and Rose is an apparent idiot. It’s one thing if it had been planned but when you naturally assume that our friend has invited the guy you were dating and everyone apparently likes so that you could make out with her step-brother and piss him off… you should probably start thinking about your actions a little more carefully.

          It’s ridiculous at THIS point to be taking the stance of “how dare she do that to him.” At this point a reasonable stance would be “Pull your head out of your ass, girl.”

  84. im just going to say it SIDE BOOB!!!!!!!!

    1. seconded that motion

      1. Thirded. Motion passed.

  85. Thank you Nick.

    Thank you for writing realistic characters. It’s good to see some people have the balls to write stories that emulate real life to such a degree that it’s almost therapy.

    I still have some hopes that Rose will mature a bit and realize how self-destructive her behavior is (she’s not a bad kid, just…very confused). This whole arc has left me wondering though…Where is her father? What kind of guy was he? I don’t remember her mentioning anything about him and I’d definitely like to see that pan out at some point.

    My only complaint is that the comic doesn’t update five days a week but hey, webcomics ain’t easy so it’s all good.

    Keep the comic (and all it’s NSFW goodness) going.

    1. Daddy’s gone.

      1. Yeah, that was stated…somewhere in the comic…

  86. I don’t usually make two comments a day but I felt inspired.

    Frankly, I’m surprised that people don’t see anything worth being told anymore. Me? I wanna see just how far down Rose can go in this downward spiral. Because this is hardly the bottom of the barrel. Hardly.

    Maybe you guys haven’t read what I’ve read and watched any of those twisted soap operas, but this? This is nothing! Rose can do worse than this and if it’s in Nick’s agenda, I wanna see it.

  87. I thought she hated Trevor. But hey, any port in a storm (or something like that). 😉 And WTF is up with Nate & Tracy? How does hate turn to lust so quickly???

    1. Go to Urban Dictionary and look up a little term called “Tsundere.”

  88. All this smutty drama is making me sick…and yet I Can’t. Stop. Fucking. READING!

  89. This isn’t the comic i was expecting but it is entertaining.

    Most rebound relationships are terrible decisions. She’s a sexually frustrated girl who is going to make bad decisions.

    Some of you people act like it’s an actual person. This is a fictional character in a comic strip! Chill out and keep reading.

    It’s not like Nick ran over your dog.

  90. You guys are overreacting. Go outside, take a breath of fresh air and wait for Thursday night. It’s a webcomic for crying out loud, you don’t exactly demand a refund when you don’t like it.

  91. Long time Reader first time poster, it just seem to be the right time for a first post see as I’m not the only one doing something for the first time wink wink nudge nudge.
    Any way love the comic and I could care less what you have you chars do as long as you do with style.
    Also i just love reading all of the comments from others they make my day. and are one of the reason i keep on reading. Thumbs up every body!
    Love OblivionAlpha

  92. Huh. NOT what I was expecting for today.

  93. Its interesting how many words are being slung over her sexual fling, when the situation in reverse would probably not raise an eyebrow. It’s okay for Nate to try dating someone else, but its not okay for Rose to have sex? If Nate had had sex first would that make him a slut? Or is it only because she is a woman exploring her sexual freedom that makes her slutty?

    Good to know sexism is still alive and kicking. *Rolls eyes*

    1. Interesting how you automatically assume most of us posting are sexist

  94. one could say, they were caught in the buffy.

    1. He’s staking her with wood.

      1. Ow it hurts. Make the sweet, sweet agony stop.

  95. Tristan Darkthunder

    Now that I think of it, this strip reminds me too much of me catching my then 13 year old sister doing it in my living room.
    That is a shocker, considering it was my (former) best bud and roomy that she was with.
    He made a such nice thump as i threw him out my 2nd story window, naked. Then taking her home as she was naked, to my parents and leaving her in the drive way to explain things.

    1. Damn, what the hell was she thinking? I just don’t f-ing get that at all

  96. I’ll keep reading it… you have talent to make feel the situations in this comic like common.

  97. So, two issues here from me:
    1- Is the lighting weird in the last panel, or does Rose have a really… unique tan pattern?
    2- So, how is the NSFW tag supposed to help anybody if it is not only below the panel, but on the same page as the comic? Is the assumption that people read the comic via an RSS?

    1. 1. The lighting is a bit weird. Still learning.

      2. You’re right, it’s most useful to people who follow the comic via RSS, Facebook, or Twitter. It also shows up in the archive view. For those who check the site on their own every M-W-F, all I can do is keep the “Occasionally NSFW!” warning flying in the banner.

  98. Nick, you’re gonna have to limit the amount of comments to some set number. It really decreases my productivity when i cant’ take my eyes off all the buffoonery going down in the comments section. Ack… now i’ve added to it. I’m part of the problem! and yet i post anyway… can’t stop!

    1. Heh, how do you think my productivity is faring?

      I really appreciate the unprecedented amount of participation on this one, from both sides of the spectrum.

  99. Be interesting for an ‘asl’ of the comments – especially the ones throwing their rattles out of the pram.

    Hell, If I knew at 17 (18, 19, 20) about women what I know now, I’d have died of sexual exhaustion. Teenagers have sex – no matter how much the US evangelical Right tries to ignore the fact.

    (41, M, UK)

  100. OMG! That’s sooo WRONG!
    I can’t believe you decided to go this way with the plot, this is so horrible!
    That’s it, I’m never reading this comic again!

    On a side note, I need to go over some new artwork for my next episode when we meet tonight.
    Hope you like drawing robots!

    1. As long as you don’t mind robots that GO HORRIBLY WRONG!

      1. Best. Reply. Ever.

    2. Why the hell is my name in the corner where those 2 are buck naked.

      1. You should never have signed away your image rights to those coat hook executives.

    3. Hey wait a minute…

  101. I like Aya’s haircut too. It suits her. 🙂
    In other news, maybe they genuinely like each other? :/ It’s far-fetched, I know.

  102. I’ll be damned if that Lando wasn’t shocked and apalled. srsly i was all like -_- then i was like 0.o then i was like >.< and now im like ;_;

  103. After careful scrutiny (yes, I have no life), I believe only one other reader, WallaceWells, has noticed a couple of hints dropped about Aya. In spite of good artistic taste (the Van Gogh), above average intelligence and a fine sense of irony (the shirt), she has no boyfriend. She is calling a friend who I don’t believe we’ve met before, who also has no boyfriend (but could be a gay male), to come over and watch a “Buffy” marathon. Most telling is the uncompleted sentence that might have continued “…you haven’t even come out…” (About your orientation? To your mom/friend/love interest?) If Alex is female, is she lesbian and lusting after Aya? Aya has been developing slowly as a character in her own right, and it would be very interesting to see a couple more dimensions added via the enigmatic “Alex”.

    1. Agreed, although maybe Nick just created Alex out of thin air

      1. Not sure if you’ve read The Idle State, but he was evealed to be a guy

        1. Actually, SPOILER ALERT, we find out he’s gay in TG.

  104. Ok, as far as I can tell the future smells like this:

    A) We’ll get a strip of Nate getting it on with Tracy (with or without any explanations. Those are always a nice resource for future plot development.) and quite possibly someone catching them “red handed” as well.

    B) Everyone going on about it for a few strips.

    C) Situation where Nate and Rose both feel like crap about what happened and end up trying to somehow make it up to each other.

    D) Nate and Rose realizing they both “cheated” (while not technically cheating), resulting in them getting angry at each other again.

    E) Hilarity ensues.

    Well, that’s what my nose tells me it smells like. Could be wrong, wouldn’t be the first time.

    I hope they get back together eventually, but hey: I’m not the one making the comic. Will keep reading no matter how it goes. (Even though I still hope it goes like I predicted. ^^)

    1. No. I refuse to believe that Nick would pull that friends BS about cheating while they were on a break. They were not together, pure and simple. If Rose and Nate do get back together, it will be because they want to, and they will not carry on for the next 6 years about how one of them betrayed the other, and then the defense that they were on a break. Nobody cheated. Nate and Rose are clearly not together, and when you are not with somebody is a great time to go whoring it up. But if you break up and go have sex with somebody else, that’s perfectly ok, because you are very clearly not with that person any more.

      To refrain: When two people choose to end a relationship, it’s over. Period. Whatever they do while they are not together should have no bearing on their relationship once they get back together, with the exceptions of pregnancy or STDs.

  105. seems to me that rose is the harlot here not tracy tho im inclined to agree with kona that tracy and nate are about to give a frist hand demostration of how freaky people can get……I also think rose lost some serious BFF points with aya by doing her d-bag of a half brother in her living room, talk about throwing a collasal monkey wrench in your friends plan to get you back together with a man that you really liked well we’kk have to wai and see what happens fromthis point on tho i suspect aya is going to blow like vesuvius

  106. I like how there are always huge debates going on about the comic.
    Women are whores by nature, that’s all you have to understand. Is that so hard?

  107. I’m wondering if our lad Nate will flat out say no. Actually refuse action since he doesn’t know what he wants. See that would be interesting to see Rose explain this with no ammo against Nate. If anything she’s acting a child by being with the half-brother with a mental age of a 12 year old. Nate may get jealous but he will definately pity her and that is far heavier…

    Srs Bsnz

  108. Heh. Just seeing how many negative responses has forced me to leave a comment. Yeah sure, perhaps didn’t see this coming – but it’s not a massive surprise – and it’s not out of character for rose either.
    But the worst books and movies are the ones where the author treats you like an idiot and either gives away all the upcoming plot moves or just has straight out predictable plot.
    I love that I didn’t see this coming. I am keen to see what happens next.
    keep up the awesome work 🙂

    1. What he said.

      But in a more manly way. And a larger penis. And a unicorn.

  109. If by slut everyone means the female counterpart to “stud,” then I agree Rose could be a slut. However, if slut is negative let me ask everyone this: Why, in the 21st century are girls that have had more than two sexual partners still considered sluts and bad people? Granted that perhaps she did not make a smart choice in the guy, but she is 18. Did anyone think that maybe she just did it because she likes sex? Is there something wrong with a girl liking sex? Some of these comments seem to be of opinions that are remnants from an old tired generation of opinions where girls are supposed to always be the pious upstanding citizens while guys can go about banging whomever, and wherever they choose and those actions make them more “manly.” I thought Society had progressed beyond these stereotypes. I agree, it is an old tired argument that I am having, but so are the stereotypes.

    1. Shut up slut.

    2. I’m actually starting to think you can’t win: if you’re a girl or guy who doesn’t want sex, people assume you’re a prude, a loser or a fundamentalist Christian who hates everything and everyone non-Christian. You may simply haven’t found the right person. And ‘slut’ is used as both an insult and thrown around as ‘praise’- sluts are attractive, you don’t have to be much or do much for their company. Guys would still rather be around the slut than the loser. I think this comic in general portrays all of this: look how much trash Nate got from everyone else because he didn’t want sex, even though his reasons could be considered sensible. Apart from legality, he could feel it’s been too long or there’s commitment issues, or he even isn’t sure about Rose herself. Sleeping with her would be a bad idea.
      Frankly, I don’t think Rose is a slut, but I think she’s not using her good judgement and acting in exactly the way that would make a sensible person not want to sleep with her: she’s been insisting on sex, trying to get other people to encourage him to sleep with her and she doesn’t seem to want to listen to him at all. Even if it was the case of Nate being Natalie and Rose being Rod, this is an appalling, immature way to act. It’s not the mark of a bad person or even a sleaze or a slut, but one that needs to simply grow up.

  110. O.o HOLY F*CK!!!

  111. Little late to the party, but I absolutely love Aya’s shirt.

  112. W.T.F. oh fuck is right,, LOL!!!

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