2018/12/14 - Alone Time

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 8:38 am

You know, I honestly wonder about Kevin's intellect sometimes: can he comprehend stuff that doesn't involve tackling?

NHWestoN · Post by **NHWestoN** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 9:04 am

Given how obtuse Office Beauregard is a simple verbal ruse should suffice, like "Oh, Kewy, there's I lichen patch on the shower ceiling and we though it was mistletoe ''cause neither lot us is really good at botany and it is Christmas and so ....." And the slip out together as Kevin crosses into catatonic unconsciousness.

Well, this'll be that start of SOMETHING.

Oh, and if you don't shower before dressing and leaving the baths, you'll soon know why you shoulda.

Prof · Post by **Prof** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 9:14 am

Personally I think Kevin won't care much about his girlfriend smooching with Fox...

But I can't shake the feeling we'll get a heartbroken Doberman next episode

NHWestoN · Post by **NHWestoN** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 9:19 am

Well, Sasha and Cox did "smoochies" before when he and Mungo encountered her wandering in the woods by Jessica's tree and she was still under Johnson's "spell". So, subconsciously at least, Sasha has feelings for our melancholy husky....

Gr8fulFox · Post by **Gr8fulFox** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 9:20 am

I'm surprised nobody's suggested, yet, that Kevin and Sasha planned this together just to mess with Fox.

HundKatzeMaus · Post by **HundKatzeMaus** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 9:25 am

Gr8fulFox wrote:I'm surprised nobody's suggested, yet, that Kevin and Sasha planned this together just to mess with Fox.

Because nothing in their characterisation indicated they would do things like that.
Neither Sasha nor Kevin seem to me like characters, who would do something like that. Their pranks would be more childish if at all.

Okay I know that isn't the current topic here, but I must say I LOVE the coloring in this strip.
The blue is very calming and is a nice contrast to the red of Fox's face

NHWestoN · Post by **NHWestoN** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:27 am

You know, Hund, that's true. We often get so wrapped up in the plots, the episodes, the characters and motives and what-comes-next possibilities, that we don't take time to appreciate Rick's art as art. After all the hot colors, the coolness of this strip is quite delightful and enhances the colors of Fox and Sasha (especially Fox's blush - poor lamb). Sasha's lovely and beguiling as always, and Kevin's intrusion is dramatized further by his Doberman earth tones.

Gr8fulFox - Oh, that's cruel and diabolical! And deliciously twisted. Seems very out of character for Sasha and, while Kevin's a bit of a bully, I don't think he's outright mean. Still ………….

Douglas Collier · Post by **Douglas Collier** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:56 am

Frankly, I think it’s a simple matter of Sasha just being loose and Kevin being too uncaring for his own good.

Fox deserves better, in my opinion, but it’s up to him in the end if he’ll pursue a somewhat unstable relationship with Sasha or find someone else. As a dog who seems to care about not being lied to, I feel like the latter would have a better chance of working out - unless Sasha were to change and become more loyal or Fox were to loosen up.

Gr8fulFox · Post by **Gr8fulFox** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:06 pm

Hey, it would be an interesting bit of character development

Macsen · Post by **Macsen** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:15 pm

Gr8fulFox wrote:I'm surprised nobody's suggested, yet, that Kevin and Sasha planned this together just to mess with Fox.

The thought had crossed my mind, but I decided not to suggest that yet.

Amazee Dayzee · Post by **Amazee Dayzee** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:20 pm

Not sure that Kevin will care. Considering that one New Year's Eve when Kevin and Fox were out and he didn't seem to mind Sasha p on stage in a provocative manner butchering a song to a building of howling dogs.

Gameb18oy · Post by **Gameb18oy** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:34 pm

Honestly I think Sasha might be hurting Fox by doing this, even if she somehow has convinced herself it be sweet. Fox is gonna feel used if he feels this was planned with both Kevin and Sasha’s knowledge and he’s gonna be upset Sasha didn’t consider how his superior would feel about this even if Kevin seems fine with it, as there’s a possiblity it could have impacted his job status. If this somehow leads to Sasha getting two boyfriends out of the blue though, which honestly would feel a bit out of place, I hope Rick realizes that just mean he has no excuse not to let Grape call Res her boyfriend while she’s with Max.

TigerShark20 · Post by **TigerShark20** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 1:06 pm

The title may be call 'Alone Time' but for ones have wanted to see Fox and Sasha together would thing the better name would be 'About Time'

NHWestoN · Post by **NHWestoN** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 1:21 pm

Well, we're definitely gonna learn a new thing or two about this trio come Monday.

Gr8fulFox · Post by **Gr8fulFox** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 1:34 pm

NHWestoN wrote:Well, we're definitely gonna learn a new thing or two about this trio come Monday.

LOOK! Out of the blue! It's Spot! (Superdog!)

Cesco · Post by **Cesco** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 2:11 pm

Aaah! Sasha!

But, why betray Kevin in this devious way?

Ain't you still under hypnotism like you were here? You're leaving me the doubt.

Eheh, Fox, your question is pretty dumb, though.

Sasha is sexy and generous with you lucky husky, after all.

Eh, and Kevin suddenly caught you two... What's going to happen now?

Prof · Post by **Prof** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 2:51 pm

Gr8fulFox wrote:
NHWestoN wrote:Well, we're definitely gonna learn a new thing or two about this trio come Monday.
LOOK! Out of the blue! It's Spot! (Superdog!)

Don't call his name! You'll summon him!

Twilight · Post by **Twilight** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 2:53 pm

Fox, you've made a monumental mistake here, giving into your fantasies. If Sasha is this willing to cheat on Kevin, then don't you think she'd eventually cheat on you?

Champion Wallace · Post by **Champion Wallace** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 2:55 pm

I'd say Sasha is playing the field, but she doesn't even own a helmet.

AldyBilly wrote:This is not pg-13 anymore

I disagree. What's un PG about kissing?

Gr8fulFox wrote:I'm surprised nobody's suggested, yet, that Kevin and Sasha planned this together just to mess with Fox.

dryideabat wrote:Wow. Hopefully this is all staged and is really just an intervention for Fox and his crush on Sasha... Who am I kidding, this probably won't end without repercussions.

Well, someone kinda did.

Argent wrote:
Champion Wallace wrote:As absurd as it sounds, is there any backing to Sasha's claim that it's more hygenic to shower during swim time?
A lot of public pools REQUIRE showering before swimming, and when you think about it you want to shower afterwards.

Yes, I understand the before and after part, but Sasha said before, after and during, hence why she's in the showers now. I was wondering if there is any increase to hygiene, however marginal, to get out of the pool, shower, then get back in the pool.

NHWestoN · Post by **NHWestoN** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 3:53 pm

Yeah, she did say "during", didn't she? Oh, well, more "wisdom" from the Tao of Sasha Hartford....

fenrirblack · Post by **fenrirblack** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 4:25 pm

Here’s hoping Mungo is going to show up and be the voice of reason. No matter what is happening whether it be a trick, Sasha’s nature, or just wrong. Fox is going to need a friend and possibly some pet therapy. Mungo can at least be a neutral party in all of this.

Now that I have my masters degree when I sound like a raving lunatic it comes from a place of professionalism.

NHWestoN · Post by **NHWestoN** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 4:38 pm

Mungo's a pretty gentle soul but, if he can't talk someone down, he can always pick them up. Literally. (...and belated congratts on the M.A., Fen!)

Gameb18oy · Post by **Gameb18oy** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 5:45 pm

Um, little worrying detail. While Fox on the surface seems receptive to the kiss, the third panel has a worrying detail. Sasha’s Tail is wagging but Fox’s isn’t, he may not be enjoying what she’s doing. I wouldn’t think that was anything if Rick hadn’t made Sasha’s Tail wag. Probably looking too far into it, but felt people would enjoy noticing that

fenrirblack · Post by **fenrirblack** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 6:01 pm

Gameb18oy wrote:Um, little worrying detail. While Fox on the surface seems receptive to the kiss, the third panel has a worrying detail. Sasha’s Tail is wagging but Fox’s isn’t, he may not be enjoying what she’s doing. I wouldn’t think that was anything if Rick hadn’t made Sasha’s Tail wag. Probably looking too far into it, but felt people would enjoy noticing that

I did notice that and I think it shows just uncomfortable Fox is at least subconsciously.

Tappy Too · Post by **Tappy Too** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 7:05 pm

leinglo wrote:
Tappy Too wrote: Unpopular Opinion Time: Sasha is pretty rotten. I mean, it has been said by Duchess I think that dog relationships aren't meant to be taken seriously. They just go with whoever's convenient at the time. But most of the pets seem to care immensely about their romantic relationships.
Then we go to Sasha, who is known for dating TONS of dogs on and off according to Bino. She probably just goes off and does stuff like this and it gets rubbed off as whatever because she's "soo pretty", when she's also out here breaking hearts like it doesn't mean anything. While Bino never really showed it, it was implied that he cared for her a lot, or at least cared about having a girlfriend if not her directly and she always wanted to go after other dogs. Fido in particular.
I think it's pretty safe to say that Sasha is one of the reasons behind Bino's poor mental condition.
Then we move on to Fox who apparently hasn't stopped obsessing over her since 2013, and with her recently being so teasy to him it's probably like torture because he doesn't want to betray Kevin.
And she probably knows too. She may not be smart, but she definitely notices things like this. Sure it's entirely possible she adopted this mindset for relationships from Duchess, but she's still playing with hearts like they don't matter and that's pretty scummy.
I wouldn't say "rotten" or "scummy" as much as I would say "damaged." We haven't seen it in a while so it's easy to forget, but Sasha has a bit of an abusive home life with her owner.
https://www.housepetscomic.com/comic/20 ... s-edition/
https://www.housepetscomic.com/comic/20 ... ace-to-go/
And that's not even going into that whole brainwashing thing she went through

And what does her being "damaged" have to do with her basically just using dogs whenever she wants. You'd think if she was really "broken" she'd be more dependant on one person because they can protect her. Right?

I mean I know nothing about all of this psychology stuff but i feel like that's unrelated.

Gameb18oy · Post by **Gameb18oy** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 7:21 pm

First we start to realize Tarot is kinda horrible due to temple Crashers, now the fanservice arc of all things might do the same to Sasha, will no lady come out of the comic unscathed?

GameCobra · Post by **GameCobra** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 7:51 pm

Gameb18oy wrote:First we start to realize Tarot is kinda horrible due to temple Crashers, now the fanservice arc of all things might do the same to Sasha, will no lady come out of the comic unscathed?

Yes =P

Peanut will forever be Tarot's zombie boyfriend, listening to her like the good boy she wants him to be. Fans will riot. Tarot will rick roll them.

Sabrina is enjoying the buff today. Moreso than usual.

Sasha will have kissed every boy in the comic. Including the cats. Yes, even Maxwell.

Grape will be floating around the pool somewhere on her back, unable to comprehend what she saw when Mungo took off the robe.

Duchess got snooped on by Mungo. Bragging rights!

Bailey is already perfect <3

Gameb18oy · Post by **Gameb18oy** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 8:02 pm

At first I thought you were upset with me, but you actually just saw an opportunity and you took it. Great job other person the forum can refer to as Game

fenrirblack · Post by **fenrirblack** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 8:47 pm

You do realize this is all Keenes fault again. How is it every time there is drama Keene is somehow connected to it. Temple Crashers, Keene. This spa drama, Keene. Jata, Keene. That time he was almost murdered, Keene.I feel like there is a lesson in here about how money corrupts everything. It’s very “Great Gatsby”

Gameb18oy wrote:First we start to realize Tarot is kinda horrible due to temple Crashers, now the fanservice arc of all things might do the same to Sasha, will no lady come out of the comic unscathed?

Tarot not horrible, just flawed. Let’s face it she was never a saint. The only reason she dated Peant originally was because Dragon told her to. She manipulated everyone back during the Game along with Kitsune. The problem was that she is so used to being the one in charge and with the power that when that power was taken she sought to fill that hole. It’s very super villain-ish except she was trying to be the hero which makes her even more dangerous.

Tappy Too wrote: And what does her being "damaged" have to do with her basically just using dogs whenever she wants. You'd think if she was really "broken" she'd be more dependant on one person because they can protect her. Right?

I mean I know nothing about all of this psychology stuff but i feel like that's unrelated.

Have you ever seen a detective show? This is exactly what happens. We call this high-risk behavior. Sasha being like this is par for the course considering her home life.

Post by **D-Rock** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 8:50 pm

Well, that is exactly why I never liked Keene.

Gameb18oy · Post by **Gameb18oy** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 9:37 pm

Oddly enough, I don’t get the Keene hate, I emphasize with the ferret a lot, and while I agree some of the stuff he does is incorrigible, he rarely goes into a situation with ill intent for others. His biggest flaws seem to be impatience and greed, which actually seem to help him in going after his goals, but tend to make him headstrong at the worst possible times

Titanium Dragon · Post by **Titanium Dragon** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:20 pm

All of the characters are flawed in their own ways.

Res and Max both have no confidence, but express it in opposite ways - Res is shy and terrified of failure while Max tries to show confidence but ends up being a doormat. Guess Grape has a type.

Grape is a charming young lady but, well, let's face it - she's definitely interested in Res in a way that she shouldn't be with Max. Yeah, she has her boy crushes, but she doesn't really do anything in that regard, but Res feels like someone who she would pick over Max if he didn't live in Canada. She also seems to struggle a bit with Peanut's crush on her.

Peanut is smart but he's got a really bad case of Being a Dog. He's not very good at being Tarot's girlfriend (though he does like her in his own way, he's just got a bad case of Being a Dog) but at the same time he seemed like he showed a lot more active romantic interest in Grape (who he still seems to have an unresolved crush on).

Tarot has a bad case of Hero complex, but she also likes being a Mysterious Wizard, and these two things don't end up mixing well.

Sabrina is... okay, she's actually probably the least flawed of the lot of them in truth, and generally the most reasonable person, along with Bailey (though Bailey does have a touch of Being a Dog, her case isn't nearly as severe as Peanut's).

Keene also has a Hero complex, but he's Machiavellian. He's really kind of an anti-hero type. He has good intentions but he's really bad at being a good person.

King has gotten vastly more confident and has more of a sense of direction, but I think he kind of used being a dog as a means of escapism as well, putting off actually being an Adult with a capital A.

Fox is also insecure. He's taken a lot of steps to make himself a better person, and has greatly improved his situation in life - but none of that has actually fixed his personality flaws, which are still as obvious as ever.

I like that the characters are flawed, though; it makes them interesting. And Fox is one of my favorite characters in some ways. I am curious where this is going to go, but Sasha is really not the right partner for him - Sasha is an adorable fluff but she's not really good girlfriend material for someone like Fox, who emphasizes loyalty so heavily - and frankly, Fox probably wants someone a lot less ditzy than Sasha is.

Gameb18oy · Post by **Gameb18oy** » Fri Dec 14, 2018 11:01 pm

I’m really hoping Rick is setting some stones up to make it clear Sasha isn’t the girl for Fox before setting the ground work for introducing us to his actual love interest.

Also, why you talking in the past sense on King becoming an adult, he’s improved a lot but his reaction to getting a job shows becoming an adult is one of the few things he still needs to work on, along with the temper and potty-mouth we’ve seen less of but is still present alongside his new trait as a married man of being a bit of a worry-wart. In fact, learning to be a bit more mature is something most of the cast can work on, ironically Keene might be the only one who doesn’t as his problems aren’t from maturity, they come from a bit of arrogance and shortsightedness that comes from being rich and impatient.

Also, I feel like you may have avoided talking about Grape’s flaw, whether you meant to or not, in regards to the boyfriend thing, Grape has a problem of just assuming things will go her way, in fact both she and Peanut share that trait now that I think about it, though they both take it into different areas, Grape doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with being boy crazy when Max is clearly a little hurt by it (and honestly, Res likely would be too if he was around to see it) and Peanut just doesn’t take time to think things through before he does them and often doesn’t do a good job observing how he acts makes people react, which I’ll admit is the one area I understand Tarot getting frustrated on him with.

biddyfox · Post by **biddyfox** » Sat Dec 15, 2018 3:49 am

OH NOOOOOOO

NHWestoN · Post by **NHWestoN** » Sat Dec 15, 2018 11:19 am

Ironically, the emotional maturing of some of the characters has steadily changed aspects of the strip over the years. Particularly subtle has been the pivotal relationship of Peanut and Grape. They no longer play together one-on-one, and their mutual affection seldom expresses itself overtly. Grape's attractions and boyfriend attachments (mainly Max and Res) seem more fluid perhaps because she likes being independent - and if Max comes off as vulnerable, his rather careless self-indulgence may be a barrier to Grape getting closer. The Tarot-Peanut pairing remains a work in sorta-progress, given the personalities involved - and has kinda been talked to death by now. Regards.

CunningFox · Post by **CunningFox** » Sat Dec 15, 2018 12:35 pm

Can't wait for Monday.
[Actually I can, cause I've got a essay to finish]

Yamitora1 · Post by **Yamitora1** » Sat Dec 15, 2018 3:23 pm

dakaggo wrote:Kevin should just sidle up behind Fox and the three of them can have some fun together :p

And Fox comes to find out they've gotten half the K-9 unit.

Amazee Dayzee · Post by **Amazee Dayzee** » Sat Dec 15, 2018 11:29 pm

Reading that, I can easily see Kevin offering Sasha to other members of the K-9 unit to make out with as he doesn't really see it as a big deal.

Post by **Sleet** » Sat Dec 15, 2018 11:48 pm

Man, nobody seems to have a functional relationship in this universe. XP

Except the humans.

Amazee Dayzee · Post by **Amazee Dayzee** » Sun Dec 16, 2018 12:28 am

Which really shouldn't count since for the most part they are out of focus.