She understands Becky’s limitations very well, because Becky’s sexual limitations closely mirror her own social limitations. So Dina made sure to communicate her desires clearly so Becky wasn’t misreading her, and was happy to accept that Becky was unwilling to cross that line at this moment.
Yeah, kids these days have the Internet to learn from. That probably creates a whole lot of problems by swinging expectations too far the other way, though…
you are severely overestimating both the educational properties of porn and the amount of confidence a teenage virgin has when trying out the real thing
Hehe, yeeeep. I don’t think porn is fundamentally a bad thing (far from it!), but it does teach some hilariously bad ideas about how sex actually works in real life. That’s not to say that trying out stuff from porn can’t be thrillingly exciting, but just do your proper research beforehand. If you change your mind, stop. If it hurts, stop. (Unless you’re into that AND know what you’re doing.)
I know that Becky’s translucent hair is just an artistic flourish, but panels 3 and 4 make it really hard not to imagine she has orange cellophane growing out of her head.
Although, weirdly it seems to obscure her nose and mouth, but not her eyes. And kinda looks like mouth tentacles. She sorta reminds me of the OOTS version of an Illithid.
That’s not an uncommon desire among cultures where expressing sexuality isn’t allowed, but Becky, it’s okay to admit you want it, even if you’re saying no. You don’t need to absolve yourself of that.
Erika Moen has put much of her comic on the same subject into book form on Oh Joy Sex Toy. Sometimes the pictures are illustrations of what to do or NOT to do. Some UU churches are using them as adjunct texts for OWL adult sex ed.
The “Boo! it’s Sex” webtoon team up by Danielle Corsetto and Monica Gallagher is also a well written, well disguised sex ed primer, as is Futari Ecchi, which does a great job of compensating for Japan’s terrible track record on sex ed.
I don’t think she wanted absolution for her desire in and of itself, I think she was fantasizing about Dina being so turned on that her (token, important to emphasize) objections would be ignored, allowing her to have that experience while still technically expressing an interest in staying chaste.
And this is where the whole “women say no but mean yes” thing comes from. There was a time when it wasn’t safe, socially speaking, for women to admit to wanting sex (and for some, like Becky and Joyce, it is still true). So there is a truth to the idea. The problem is that 1) you can’t know for sure when this is the case and 1a) there’s a bias toward interpreting things that way if it is in one’s own interests and 2) the culture has changed and it is much safer for women to say “yes” without social reprisal, therefore “no” is more likely to always mean no (and not be a token, socially obligated “no”) but somehow the concept that women still do this all the time endures.
Funny how you mention that, because there’s a similar plot point going on in another webcomic called “Alfie.” There’s a character who is essentially another Mary, but was about to bone down with someone. She says no, and he actually stops. When she counters him with “you didn’t have to stop,” he counters with “I no play games.”
Nice. Yeah, that is definitely best practice. I realized another aspect of this too, which is that if someone is saying no and wants it to be ignored, that is almost never wholehearted. Like, it is really an indication of mixed feelings, which is bound to lead to emotional turmoil of some sort. Like Becky here, she’s saying that she kinda wishes Dina would just ravish her despite any objections, but if that actually happened, she would probably feel at best ambivalent during or at least after. Hence, beat practice is to take no literally all the time as per your webcomic reference.
I feel like middle name Ryan was on some level using that as an excuse.
The thing is even if fear of social consequences leads to false nos I think most of the time you will end up with some combination of the following situations if you push past a no.
1. You ignore their stated desires and give them what they really want, now its what they wanted but they now know you don’t respect their bonderies.
2. You ignore their stated desires and give them what they really want, they know you knew they wanted you to ignore their no and now face the consequences they were trying to avoid by saying no.
3. You ignored their stated desires which were their actual desires you f-ing rapist.
Not really. Similar in some cases, but basically anyone stuck in the mindset of “I have to protest for form’s sake, but I really want to continue” isn’t going to up on safe word culture.
THIS is exactly how i reasoned when I was a fundie christian teenager. Feels relieving to read that here, so it wasn’t just me. Sometimes it still haunts me. It’s actually ridiculously hypocritical, but it helped in reconciling what i thought of as good morals with sexual desires thatitotallydidnothaveatallbecausei’magoodgirl 😉
I’m glad I articulated something that connected to your experience. It is actually relieving to me to see this because I feared I’d get a lot of push back for not staying “on message” that no always means no. But we need to acknowledge nuance and complexity in these Dynamics.
I was pretty sure they weren’t ready for that yet – or that Becky at least wasn’t.
Now, performing a Heavy Petting… well, I was kinda hoping she was ready for that. Second Base is a wonderful place.
Holding hands is Up To Bat, kissing is First Base, touching breasts above or under clothing is Second Base, touching bare genitals under clothing or pants/underwear pulled down was third, and PIV was a Home Run. Oral sex was considered a myth when I was growing up so not included in the “Base System.
(ONLY if it’s for that reason, either because it being reactionary will somehow taint it for her or because she’ll feel she rushed. If she did it at exactly the same time but for another reason, it’s fine.)
Expressing freely her feeling is the birthday present she knew she wanted.
The Velociraptor is the present she had no idea she wanted or even imagined she could get.
So having both is a extremely great day.
haha apart from the innuendo, i’m serious. Christians are supposed to care about people. I wonder why that keeps getting valued less than “no sex before marriage“ etc…^^
real answer?
because being nice to people is great and all, but if the bride’s not virgin, her owner father can’t charge as much for her.
politeness is one thing, property value is another.
(of course this is something that’s started to change/be less of a consideration in the last couple of hundred years, in many places… emphasis on “started to”.)
But one thing religion does very well is preserve cultural traditions – often long past their usefulness.
Even the “virgin property value” thing has roots in practical concerns – avoiding pregnancy outside of a committed relationship and ensuring the child you’re devoting resources to raising is your own. Which also explains why it’s only really important for women.
But it winds up wrapped in layers of religious taboo and tradition and extended way past any practical concern. Like to same-sex relationships.
And then we develop effective birth control and the practical concerns become much less significant, but the old taboos don’t just vanish.
That’s because you can still have sex before marriage, hide that fact, claim you didn’t, and tell everyone how much better than them you are because of it. Caring about people has to involve actually doing it and it’s harder to hide the fact that you aren’t.
I personally don’t believe you can have sex before marriage and hide the fact. Pre-marital sex among young people — heck, almost any kind of no-strings-attached sex — is so commonplace these days that once you’ve been with someone for a certain length of time the default mindset among others is that you must have been doing the mattress dance by now. And even if you didn’t do it, most people would treat your denial the same way they treated Clinton’s denial that he “tried marijuana but didn’t inhale” — nod-nod, wink-wink, and maybe a comment like ‘yeah, sure’.
Yeah, it’s on Slipshine. No pay, no play, as the saying goes. If you already have a subscription, I’m still not really comfortable giving details, though.
again – really good communication, against all odds. Dina and Becky want different things and they are both very confused about what they really want from a relationship, but they talk it out and they make it work.
a+ relationshipping.
also, nice reminder how similar Joyce and Becky are, despite their different ways of expressing it.
I agree Becky has been dealing with growing sexual need since starting her relationship with Dimwit started with the hat thing a harmless and acceptable lust fixation but obvious transference and they’ve been getting closer ever since and also she was confronted with Leslie’s sexual activity so she’s probably been thinking about it anyway. What surprises me is Dina’s frankness and desire which hasn’t been a focus I’m a little sad it isnt working out for them right now but they handling it great though my ship is so pure and sweet and full of good communication
Becky you don’t have to go from zero to a hundred. You can hold hands! Lightly make out! Touch a clothes covered boob! Go at a pace that is comfortable!
Yesterday, Bagge almost died. Fart Captor is missing, presumed dead from an overdose of DOOFUSNESS!
Today, I have a feeling that Cerberus might have had too many happy neurons firing up at once in her brain; meaning she probably died too (I hope you’re happy with killing off all your readers like this, Willis).
I mean, look at how amazing this conversation is. How full of respect for one another that Becky and Dina are. How Becky is completely open to Dina about her reservations. And how Dina is -not pushing it-, despite not having any religious views whatsoever. She accepts Becky’s reasons, full stop! This conversation is just so full of proper consent!
This is why these two DOOFUSES is the purest and most wholesome couple in the history of web comics (possibly Austen and Sunati are tied with them). Sure, they stumble a bit along the way; but they are both in their first serious relationship, so that’s only to be expected.
And then they solve these stumbles by talking it out! Every time! What adorable communication positive and (for once) proper sex positive message is this?!?! I can’t even.
It’s the Nordic countries. He’ll have plenty of access to salty licorice to counter the sweetness of Dina and Becky.
FUN FACT: A lot of the time, there’s not table salt in salty licorice, but “salmiakk”, AKA ammounium chloride. Which is also known to be used as an active ingredient for floor cleaners.
Because we’re hardcore candy eaters in the Nordic countries.
There’s nothing wrong with waiting for marriage. Of course, marriage certified by the state, which includes legal protections, economic benefits, and serves as a contract that protects you from negligence and ensures children (if wanted) will receive legal protections, inheritance, etc.
A marriage by your gods of choice is also acceptable, and there’s no way to morally judge living in a free union where couples prove their love without the need of the state or your gods.
Seriously, everything goes as long as there’s no marital rape, abuse, marriage because of schemes, arranged marriages, or the horrible situation of selling kids to marry strangers. I have read disturbing stuff on Tumblr.
There’s always handfasting, a Pagan ritual of bonding that can be for any amount of time from a night to eternity. It’s also where the description of marriage as “tying the knot” comes from. That is a marriage in a religious sense, and recognized as legal marriage in most states.
There’s nothing wrong with waiting for marriage. There is something wrong with the kind of social pressure to wait for marriage that groups like Becky’s church instill.
Even without the worst stuff you describe, it can also lead to kids getting married just because they’re horny, which is rarely a good idea. Not to mention the shaming of anyone who doesn’t wait.
Squeal. Awwwww. I am so pleased with Dina’s maturity. Shes so sweet and she really is good to Becky and i love how their difficulties aren’t ignored but they work together they help eachother and compromise and I love this ship so much yay girls. I hope they do manage ya’ know do the dinosaur though eventually when they are ready
I honestly wasn’t that surprised. I already knew that Becky had a lot of reservations of innocently sleeping with Dina, and these mostly appeared to be her upbringing and what she was told about sex (only for married people!). And while Dina may have had a few reservations, those disappeared immediately upon seeing Becky in dinosaur pajamas.
Speaking of Dina, she appears to me to be demisexual; so what she needed was a romantic relationship to feel the physical desire. And now she’s got it. Since her upbringing doesn’t appear to have involved anyone near her shaming sex outside marriage, it wouldn’t make much sense for her to have many (or any) reservations once she figured out that she wanted to make love to Becky.
I think she’s supposed to be more indifferent ace than sex repulsed, where she just doesn’t feel strongly enough to pursue it or engage in it frivolously like some of the rest of the cast but also doesn’t feel strongly enough to try to avoid it or not be able to engage in the act if her S.O. is willing.
There’s a lot of grey area with asexuality, so just because she’s willing to engage in the act doesn’t mean she isn’t capable of still being asexual.
These two are gonna go crazy on each other (probably in slipshine) and Becky is gonna call out “Joyce!” and its gonna ruin everything! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT BECKY?!
Well let’s see… Mom commits suicide, Dad takes her at gunpoint, car flips, homeless, brief job at a pizza joint, then political advisor to someone whose platform conflicts with her emerging inner feelings.
Add to that her newfound scientific knowledge, Christian guilt and her need to keep up her bravado … so yeah, it may be a good time to slow down.
But wow, that would have been an amazing Slipshine.
Ehh, given the long lead time on the strip, it’s probably already been written.
I thought that Becky was kicked out of Anderson college for making out with her roommate. I even remember a line like “If I had to do it over again, I would have locked the door”. I assumed they went pretty far but today’s comic makes it sound like she has no sexual experience. What am I missing?
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Oh COME ON.
Yes. That was a come-on.
oh great, two subs looking to be dominated
(I mean srsly tho, they’re gonna be waiting for a while at this rate)
Dina’s a dom, she’s just being considerate.
It’s always the quiet ones.
She understands Becky’s limitations very well, because Becky’s sexual limitations closely mirror her own social limitations. So Dina made sure to communicate her desires clearly so Becky wasn’t misreading her, and was happy to accept that Becky was unwilling to cross that line at this moment.
Honestly, relationship goals
Huh, I never thought of it like that. Nice!
That’s a very good explanation.
Yup
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/04-walking-with-dina/misreading/
Lol, that actually supports the “Dina is a Dom” hypothesis.
Neither have any idea what to do ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Isn’t that every teenager when doing sex?
Maybe in the seventies
Yeah, kids these days have the Internet to learn from. That probably creates a whole lot of problems by swinging expectations too far the other way, though…
Well, “having any idea what to do“ and “realistic ideas“ are two different things…
you are severely overestimating both the educational properties of porn and the amount of confidence a teenage virgin has when trying out the real thing
Hehe, yeeeep. I don’t think porn is fundamentally a bad thing (far from it!), but it does teach some hilariously bad ideas about how sex actually works in real life. That’s not to say that trying out stuff from porn can’t be thrillingly exciting, but just do your proper research beforehand. If you change your mind, stop. If it hurts, stop. (Unless you’re into that AND know what you’re doing.)
Yes, and I feel very sorry for any families with step children, or any situation where a girl gets stuck in, on or under something.
It’s amazing how you summed up the current trends in porn in one sentence.
They said “the Internet”, not “exclusively porn websites”
They’ll get there! Give them time.
I know that Becky’s translucent hair is just an artistic flourish, but panels 3 and 4 make it really hard not to imagine she has orange cellophane growing out of her head.
Although, weirdly it seems to obscure her nose and mouth, but not her eyes. And kinda looks like mouth tentacles. She sorta reminds me of the OOTS version of an Illithid.
to me she looks like Zoidberg
Looking for a girlfriend? Why not Zoidberg?
Her left eye turns into an exclamation point.
(!)
That’s not an uncommon desire among cultures where expressing sexuality isn’t allowed, but Becky, it’s okay to admit you want it, even if you’re saying no. You don’t need to absolve yourself of that.
I really want to give these dear ex-fundie girls a hug and also just, the entire contents of Scarleteen.
Can Scarleteen compile its articles into a book? I’m sue there’s a market for it.
Erika Moen has put much of her comic on the same subject into book form on Oh Joy Sex Toy. Sometimes the pictures are illustrations of what to do or NOT to do. Some UU churches are using them as adjunct texts for OWL adult sex ed.
The “Boo! it’s Sex” webtoon team up by Danielle Corsetto and Monica Gallagher is also a well written, well disguised sex ed primer, as is Futari Ecchi, which does a great job of compensating for Japan’s terrible track record on sex ed.
Given her background, it’s hardly surprising that she still thinks she does.
I don’t think she wanted absolution for her desire in and of itself, I think she was fantasizing about Dina being so turned on that her (token, important to emphasize) objections would be ignored, allowing her to have that experience while still technically expressing an interest in staying chaste.
I know, but the fact she feels so bad about ADMITTING she wants it makes me sad.
And this is where the whole “women say no but mean yes” thing comes from. There was a time when it wasn’t safe, socially speaking, for women to admit to wanting sex (and for some, like Becky and Joyce, it is still true). So there is a truth to the idea. The problem is that 1) you can’t know for sure when this is the case and 1a) there’s a bias toward interpreting things that way if it is in one’s own interests and 2) the culture has changed and it is much safer for women to say “yes” without social reprisal, therefore “no” is more likely to always mean no (and not be a token, socially obligated “no”) but somehow the concept that women still do this all the time endures.
Funny how you mention that, because there’s a similar plot point going on in another webcomic called “Alfie.” There’s a character who is essentially another Mary, but was about to bone down with someone. She says no, and he actually stops. When she counters him with “you didn’t have to stop,” he counters with “I no play games.”
Nice. Yeah, that is definitely best practice. I realized another aspect of this too, which is that if someone is saying no and wants it to be ignored, that is almost never wholehearted. Like, it is really an indication of mixed feelings, which is bound to lead to emotional turmoil of some sort. Like Becky here, she’s saying that she kinda wishes Dina would just ravish her despite any objections, but if that actually happened, she would probably feel at best ambivalent during or at least after. Hence, beat practice is to take no literally all the time as per your webcomic reference.
I feel like middle name Ryan was on some level using that as an excuse.
The thing is even if fear of social consequences leads to false nos I think most of the time you will end up with some combination of the following situations if you push past a no.
1. You ignore their stated desires and give them what they really want, now its what they wanted but they now know you don’t respect their bonderies.
2. You ignore their stated desires and give them what they really want, they know you knew they wanted you to ignore their no and now face the consequences they were trying to avoid by saying no.
3. You ignored their stated desires which were their actual desires you f-ing rapist.
On some level perhaps – he does call her a tease.
Mostly not though – he didn’t ask, he didn’t make a pass, he didn’t even find out her desires. His plan was to isolate and drug her from the start.
This is literally why safe words exist. as an AllStop
Sometimes people use no when they mean “slow down” or ‘not that’ or
“not that right now” .
Not really. Similar in some cases, but basically anyone stuck in the mindset of “I have to protest for form’s sake, but I really want to continue” isn’t going to up on safe word culture.
THIS is exactly how i reasoned when I was a fundie christian teenager. Feels relieving to read that here, so it wasn’t just me. Sometimes it still haunts me. It’s actually ridiculously hypocritical, but it helped in reconciling what i thought of as good morals with sexual desires thatitotallydidnothaveatallbecausei’magoodgirl 😉
I’m glad I articulated something that connected to your experience. It is actually relieving to me to see this because I feared I’d get a lot of push back for not staying “on message” that no always means no. But we need to acknowledge nuance and complexity in these Dynamics.
Becky and Dina Decide Not to Perform a Sex, At Least For the Time Being
I was pretty sure they weren’t ready for that yet – or that Becky at least wasn’t.
Now, performing a Heavy Petting… well, I was kinda hoping she was ready for that. Second Base is a wonderful place.
But according to Dina, first base is holding hands.
(Admittedly, as someone who was never really given The Talk or interested in dating as a teenager, I still remain ignorant of the base system.)
There’s an xkcd for that.
xkcd is incorrect per my growing up location.
Gods I wanted to be in right field so hard in the 90s.
Holding hands is Up To Bat, kissing is First Base, touching breasts above or under clothing is Second Base, touching bare genitals under clothing or pants/underwear pulled down was third, and PIV was a Home Run. Oral sex was considered a myth when I was growing up so not included in the “Base System.
A… myth?
… The Legend of Oral Sex.
Yeah, im like, you can still do…stuff…can’t you?
!!! but stuff will lead to STUFF!!!
;D
Hilarious! But they make out don’t they?
Way to simultaneously be integritous(?) AND a cop-out, there, Bex.
She’s acting with integrity, but she has so many regrets!
…
Too soon?
Nah, Ruth’s not Dead anymore, it’s cool.
When you do the right thing, while wishing you’d done the the wrong thing?
Integregrets?
Maturity
Overrated.
Aww. They’re both very sweet.
When they finally DO IT, there’s no doubt they’ll do it on top on the plush thingy.
Responsibility Absolving Mating Frenzy should be the title of their slipshine.
That’s what I’m gonna call it if I ever decide to havr kids and tell my family afterwards
Makes a great band name also.
Dina’s sooooo cuuuuute!! and i rarely say that lol thank you for deawing her soooo adorably!!
Well my dreams are crushed for now but maybe one day they will be realized. In the mean time, I wonder where Sal is right now?
This was oddly wholesome, I have to admit.
I suspect that Becky will change her mind in the post adrenaline rush after whatever shit Ross and Blaine are planning goes down.
That said, Good on Dina for being understanding.
I hope not, I think she might regret it.
(ONLY if it’s for that reason, either because it being reactionary will somehow taint it for her or because she’ll feel she rushed. If she did it at exactly the same time but for another reason, it’s fine.)
Hair Monster Becky in panels 3 and 4 is super adorbs
Of all cute Beckies, her hiding behind her hair might be the cutest
Agreed.
But this strip is full of incredible faces from both Becky and Dina.
Now I wonder if she is related to the Red Hair Monster in the old Bugs Bunny cartoons.
Expressing freely her feeling is the birthday present she knew she wanted.
The Velociraptor is the present she had no idea she wanted or even imagined she could get.
So having both is a extremely great day.
I’m sure there are others principles Becky can keep instead of this one.
How about “loving your neighbor“? 😀
haha apart from the innuendo, i’m serious. Christians are supposed to care about people. I wonder why that keeps getting valued less than “no sex before marriage“ etc…^^
real answer?
because being nice to people is great and all, but if the bride’s not virgin, her
ownerfather can’t charge as much for her.politeness is one thing, property value is another.
(of course this is something that’s started to change/be less of a consideration in the last couple of hundred years, in many places… emphasis on “started to”.)
But one thing religion does very well is preserve cultural traditions – often long past their usefulness.
Even the “virgin property value” thing has roots in practical concerns – avoiding pregnancy outside of a committed relationship and ensuring the child you’re devoting resources to raising is your own. Which also explains why it’s only really important for women.
But it winds up wrapped in layers of religious taboo and tradition and extended way past any practical concern. Like to same-sex relationships.
And then we develop effective birth control and the practical concerns become much less significant, but the old taboos don’t just vanish.
That’s because you can still have sex before marriage, hide that fact, claim you didn’t, and tell everyone how much better than them you are because of it. Caring about people has to involve actually doing it and it’s harder to hide the fact that you aren’t.
I personally don’t believe you can have sex before marriage and hide the fact. Pre-marital sex among young people — heck, almost any kind of no-strings-attached sex — is so commonplace these days that once you’ve been with someone for a certain length of time the default mindset among others is that you must have been doing the mattress dance by now. And even if you didn’t do it, most people would treat your denial the same way they treated Clinton’s denial that he “tried marijuana but didn’t inhale” — nod-nod, wink-wink, and maybe a comment like ‘yeah, sure’.
Maybe she could refrain from wearing cloth made of two different fibers.
I am kinda disappointed but mostly happy for these two this day.
I thought Joyce was the only one capable of making me buy a Slipshine, but here goes Dina proving me wrong.
Well, teeeechnically, there’s that one Joyce/Dorothy thing from a recent April update on there. I’m sure you saw the ads ’round then.
*happy smile*
I think we all share in your grin, Bagge.
I forgot about that! Would someone be so kind as to help me find it please? I’m having trouble.
Yeah, it’s on Slipshine. No pay, no play, as the saying goes. If you already have a subscription, I’m still not really comfortable giving details, though.
I meant when did the ads or the context for the Slipshine happen?
It’s one of the one-page pinups he was doing for awhile, IIRC.
Thank you!
Pornographique 0159.
Got it thank you!
You know, I’m very proud of Dina here. Clearly expressed feelings, but not trying to pressure Becky. Their time will come.
Just give Dina a dino-hug and call it a night.
at this point there is no guarentee it would stay with a hug.
D’aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw.
again – really good communication, against all odds. Dina and Becky want different things and they are both very confused about what they really want from a relationship, but they talk it out and they make it work.
a+ relationshipping.
also, nice reminder how similar Joyce and Becky are, despite their different ways of expressing it.
I would say Becky does want the same thing Dina wants here, she just doesn’t WANT to want it, at least right now.
I agree Becky has been dealing with growing sexual need since starting her relationship with Dimwit started with the hat thing a harmless and acceptable lust fixation but obvious transference and they’ve been getting closer ever since and also she was confronted with Leslie’s sexual activity so she’s probably been thinking about it anyway. What surprises me is Dina’s frankness and desire which hasn’t been a focus I’m a little sad it isnt working out for them right now but they handling it great though my ship is so pure and sweet and full of good communication
Can I just ask if that was an auto-correct mistake that just happened there?
Yes it is. Dina is a sweetheart and I love her it was supposed to say “Dina it”
True. Very good communication. 🙂
I’m going to assume it was.
Becky you don’t have to go from zero to a hundred. You can hold hands! Lightly make out! Touch a clothes covered boob! Go at a pace that is comfortable!
Have her take off her hat for you
Woah now! Let’s leave the intense stuff for special occasions!
It IS her birthday…
“You can take off your hat”?
https://youtu.be/4b04jq7NB1s
I feel like Becky is worried that those gestures won’t be the end of it.
Yesterday, Bagge almost died. Fart Captor is missing, presumed dead from an overdose of DOOFUSNESS!
Today, I have a feeling that Cerberus might have had too many happy neurons firing up at once in her brain; meaning she probably died too (I hope you’re happy with killing off all your readers like this, Willis).
I mean, look at how amazing this conversation is. How full of respect for one another that Becky and Dina are. How Becky is completely open to Dina about her reservations. And how Dina is -not pushing it-, despite not having any religious views whatsoever. She accepts Becky’s reasons, full stop! This conversation is just so full of proper consent!
This is why these two DOOFUSES is the purest and most wholesome couple in the history of web comics (possibly Austen and Sunati are tied with them). Sure, they stumble a bit along the way; but they are both in their first serious relationship, so that’s only to be expected.
And then they solve these stumbles by talking it out! Every time! What adorable communication positive and (for once) proper sex positive message is this?!?! I can’t even.
I agree. I amy not share the same beliefs as Becky, but her ethics are valid, and it is good that Dina respects her beliefs.
The DOOOOOOOOOOOOFUSnes-level is still dangerously high. These two have such a good relationship its heartmelting.
How do you even keep yourself alive?
Swedish nationalised healthcare is good and cheap.
I assume lots of sweets.
Neither of you are wrong
It’s the Nordic countries. He’ll have plenty of access to salty licorice to counter the sweetness of Dina and Becky.
FUN FACT: A lot of the time, there’s not table salt in salty licorice, but “salmiakk”, AKA ammounium chloride. Which is also known to be used as an active ingredient for floor cleaners.
Because we’re hardcore candy eaters in the Nordic countries.
Are you making a Queen reference?
Nope.
I respect this, if you feel like your not ready your just not ready.
Light… touching… for now……
*plays a purely orchestrated version of 50 Cent’s In Da Club on the hacked Muzak* NO ABSOLVING IN LOVING, BECKY!!
Hooray healthy discussions about sex between two consenting adults and respecting boundaries!!
That sounds sarcastic but it is genuinely nice to see
Sometimes you have to state the obvious even if it sounds sarcastic.
Now that would be a great book title.
There’s nothing wrong with waiting for marriage. Of course, marriage certified by the state, which includes legal protections, economic benefits, and serves as a contract that protects you from negligence and ensures children (if wanted) will receive legal protections, inheritance, etc.
A marriage by your gods of choice is also acceptable, and there’s no way to morally judge living in a free union where couples prove their love without the need of the state or your gods.
Seriously, everything goes as long as there’s no marital rape, abuse, marriage because of schemes, arranged marriages, or the horrible situation of selling kids to marry strangers. I have read disturbing stuff on Tumblr.
There’s always handfasting, a Pagan ritual of bonding that can be for any amount of time from a night to eternity. It’s also where the description of marriage as “tying the knot” comes from. That is a marriage in a religious sense, and recognized as legal marriage in most states.
There’s nothing wrong with waiting for marriage. There is something wrong with the kind of social pressure to wait for marriage that groups like Becky’s church instill.
Even without the worst stuff you describe, it can also lead to kids getting married just because they’re horny, which is rarely a good idea. Not to mention the shaming of anyone who doesn’t wait.
That is why I said everything goes and mentioned free unions. Everyone is free as long as the freedoms of others are respected.
Squeal. Awwwww. I am so pleased with Dina’s maturity. Shes so sweet and she really is good to Becky and i love how their difficulties aren’t ignored but they work together they help eachother and compromise and I love this ship so much yay girls. I hope they do manage ya’ know do the dinosaur though eventually when they are ready
So what would Dina need to be given on top of the Velociplush to push her into a matin’ frenzy?
A scientifically re-instated brontosaurus.
Or a T-Rex with feathers.
Ahem. I believe you mean “T. rex”. 🙂
Dina is a treasure.
Becky is fully aware.
Aww, Becky’s Christian guilt. It’s okay to acknowledge and Dina still loves her anyway.
this is lovely and i hope they get married
or have a long healthy happy relationship, i just like the healthy dialogue it’s so refreshing
Five years later…
Please don’t tempt me to write this.
With all due respect Emperor… I’m trying to tempt WILLIS to consider an epilogue, should he ever finish the comic.
(that said… yes, I really do want you to write this)
The one thing that I think that no-one here was expecting: Becky is the one who isn’t ready.
There have been subtle hints…
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-7/03-the-thing-i-was-before/sooner/
I honestly wasn’t that surprised. I already knew that Becky had a lot of reservations of innocently sleeping with Dina, and these mostly appeared to be her upbringing and what she was told about sex (only for married people!). And while Dina may have had a few reservations, those disappeared immediately upon seeing Becky in dinosaur pajamas.
Speaking of Dina, she appears to me to be demisexual; so what she needed was a romantic relationship to feel the physical desire. And now she’s got it. Since her upbringing doesn’t appear to have involved anyone near her shaming sex outside marriage, it wouldn’t make much sense for her to have many (or any) reservations once she figured out that she wanted to make love to Becky.
Nah, I saw it coming. She and Joyce have talked about waiting until marriage before.
I wonder if this decanonizes that render of Dina in the asexual flag shirt or if it’s setting up something involving it. I see it going either way
I think she’s supposed to be more indifferent ace than sex repulsed, where she just doesn’t feel strongly enough to pursue it or engage in it frivolously like some of the rest of the cast but also doesn’t feel strongly enough to try to avoid it or not be able to engage in the act if her S.O. is willing.
There’s a lot of grey area with asexuality, so just because she’s willing to engage in the act doesn’t mean she isn’t capable of still being asexual.
Aaah! Dina is such a complete sweetheart!
Becky is also adorable, but in a way that makes me feel bad for her.
“please come on strong, I have issues” jesus HELL if that isn’t a thing for me.
Wait…
“Lo-ki” hopin… is she invoking the Norse god of lies?
Hold on, I’m seein’ it…
Horned,
Sexy,
Gender-flexible…
Ermagerd Dina is Loki!!
Aw, Becky.
Just remember that there’s nothing actually in the Bible about waiting for marriage to have sex. And several examples of people who didn’t.
These two are gonna go crazy on each other (probably in slipshine) and Becky is gonna call out “Joyce!” and its gonna ruin everything! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT BECKY?!
They are so sweet.
Well let’s see… Mom commits suicide, Dad takes her at gunpoint, car flips, homeless, brief job at a pizza joint, then political advisor to someone whose platform conflicts with her emerging inner feelings.
Add to that her newfound scientific knowledge, Christian guilt and her need to keep up her bravado … so yeah, it may be a good time to slow down.
But wow, that would have been an amazing Slipshine.
Ehh, given the long lead time on the strip, it’s probably already been written.
Becky: “Use me, I’m weak…. push me over the edge….”
Fuck. An emotional and romantic breakthrough that lines up with her had leaving prison.
I’m in fear for the safety of the lesbians
I thought that Becky was kicked out of Anderson college for making out with her roommate. I even remember a line like “If I had to do it over again, I would have locked the door”. I assumed they went pretty far but today’s comic makes it sound like she has no sexual experience. What am I missing?
They were just making out, not banging.
Oh, Becky, sweetie, you just chose the one principle that doesn’t make much sense. And doesn’t benefit anybody.
But Dina is THE perfect girlfriend.