Waking Up, p19

March 28, 2026


Waking Up, p19

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Triad
Triad
12 days ago

Oh, that’s some pain, there.

foducool
foducool
12 days ago

he’s noticing, that’s good

Boof
Boof
12 days ago

Not just the loud things, but the quiet things

Killiak
Killiak
12 days ago

That’s just an analogy of their relationship.

Fartsy
Fartsy
12 days ago

Remember, kids : pvp players are toxic people not only in games, but in relationships too !

Marcus
Marcus
12 days ago
Reply to  Fartsy

haha oh man, thats harsh. not all of em surely. i mean… MOST of them… probably….

Alberto
Alberto
11 days ago
Reply to  Fartsy

I wouldn’t want to lump everyone into that box so fast, but I get your reasoning.
Overly competitive people will try to “win out” in other aspects too, bulldozing their partners.

T.J.
T.J.
11 days ago
Reply to  Fartsy

At 37 years old and gaming since I was old enough to hold a Sega Genesis controller… I can’t condone the stereotype, but, uh… I have to admit that I can’t actually disprove it from my own lived experience – and I used to be a PVP player.

Merida
Merida
9 days ago
Reply to  T.J.

Gamegear ftw?

Greevar
Greevar
10 days ago
Reply to  Fartsy

Not all PVP players are toxic, but all toxic players tend to do PVP. Some PVP players choose PVP because NPC’s can’t improvise and challenge you without making them overpowered.

Marcus
Marcus
12 days ago

to her credit, she didnt try and shmoosh him into swapping to another game that more interests her playstyle. she just said… yeaahhh.. nah, it aint doin it for me, oh yeah i got laundry i can be doing.

Red
Red
12 days ago
Reply to  Marcus

she’s been passive-aggressive about how it objectively sucks the whole time. she practically called him disabled five minutes ago

Finvair
Finvair
11 days ago
Reply to  Marcus

Yeah, all she did was belittle a game he enjoyed and implied the people that play them have some form of mental deficiency. No big deal!

GeorgeV
GeorgeV
10 days ago
Reply to  Marcus

Because she already did that the last 99 times. There’s also a big difference between ‘this game isn’t doing it for me’ and the constant ‘this game is boring’ she is actually doing. And the only reason they are playing this now isn’t even actual interest, or even giving Ethan’s preferences a turn for once. It was cutting off Ethan’s attempt at important conversation by distracting him with a “Hey, let’s go play that game you wanted!”. Which she then further turned into another free barrage of implied ‘The game is dumb, you are dumb for liking it, you owe… Read more »

Esc
Esc
12 days ago

Like seriously what does either party get out of this relationship?

Red
Red
12 days ago
Reply to  Esc

Currently, it seems to be that he gets kisses and she gets power. Gaming-wise there’s really just nothin’, and that seems like it could be the final nail in the coffin to me. For Ethan, at least. Who oddly would be in the right for once to be seeing things purely through that lens; the relationship is half HIM, after all.

Finvair
Finvair
11 days ago
Reply to  Esc

She gets to control, and put down another person to feel better about how much of a horrible person she is. And he got to think that she might have gotten better and actually be into the same things he was. Unfortunately Ethan was misled.

Stix
Stix
10 days ago
Reply to  Esc

They seem to enjoy each others bodies at least?
She gets someone she can bully/mold.
He gets someone who appeared to be protective and interested in the same hobbies.

Stroopwaffle
Stroopwaffle
10 days ago
Reply to  Stix

There is a certain genuine pain in thinking you and your partner are on the same wavelength, that you just fit together, only to find out that the other party was merely pretending to make you happy.
It’s a nice gesture on the surface for sure, self-sacrifice for the happiness of others, but when you start to think of the other party actively “sacrificing” themselves to make you happy then you might not be as compatible as previously being led to believe.

Gonfrask
Gonfrask
12 days ago

I’m playing a DnD campaign with friends that somehow are like this, they only want the fight thing and try to avoid or even boycott the conversations.

Bubble181
Bubble181
12 days ago
Reply to  Gonfrask

There’s nothing inherently bad about preferring roll playing over role playing. I’ve been in tabletop games where the dice came out once every other session, and I’ve been in groups where every session included two fights and maybe 5 minutes of setup/hook for why we’re killing these specific goblins this time. Either can work, as long as the whole group is more or less on the same level.
For computer games… I guess the same is true, though in many cases I’d just suggest playing a different type of game of all the talking isn’t your thing.

The Legacy
The Legacy
12 days ago
Reply to  Bubble181

Roll playing… I’m going to have to steal that from you. It’s such an eloquent way to describe combat-loving players over roleplay/plot loving players.

Predrag
Predrag
11 days ago
Reply to  The Legacy

That’s….been the name they’ve been called for more than 20 years

Pronghorn
Pronghorn
11 days ago
Reply to  Predrag

I think you’re missing the difference between roll and role

Diogo
Member
Diogo
11 days ago
Reply to  Predrag

At least 30… (don’t ask my age).

Stix
Stix
10 days ago
Reply to  Predrag

I also learned this just now.

Cypher
Cypher
10 days ago
Reply to  Predrag

Veteran DM from 3.X era, first I’ve heard it. Maybe regional term? I was around a military installation, so different community.

Dorander
Dorander
9 days ago
Reply to  Cypher

Veteran player and DM from 2nd edition AD&D era and not US-based here, it’s been an internationally used term for decades.

That doesn’t mean you HAVE to have encountered it before, discussions about gaming style have been prevalent mostly in TRPG-related communities so unless you frequent those you may never run into it.

Stroopwaffle
Stroopwaffle
10 days ago
Reply to  The Legacy

It’s the common term for people who reduce the roleplaying experience to a computer game adjacent. It’s funnily enough also not limited to combat, as some people would reduce both combat and social interactions to a series of rolls just so they can faster advance the scene without really interacting with it non-mechanically.
In my experience the rollplayers are there mostly for the passive entertainment experience, where they are more akin to actively participating spectators to their own stories.

Dorander
Dorander
7 days ago
Reply to  Stroopwaffle

I just spotted this and I kinda disagree with this perspective. Characters frequently have abilities that their players don’t. This is especially true for a gaming type that has traditionally drawn a lot of introverts, some of which suddenly played hypersocial characters. That doesn’t always translate well. Same with extremely high-int characters, it’s practically impossible to roleplay being smarter than you are. You end up having to describe, rather than actively roleplay, what you are doing, and let the diceroll determine the rest. This has also always put DMs in an awkward position. We’re encouraged to reward good roleplaying, but… Read more »

TomB
TomB
11 days ago
Reply to  Gonfrask

Some people just want to do tactical puzzles ALL THE TIMES. We did a 17-20 level D&D 4 campaign and one of the players was all about the tactical combat and following up the expected amount (3 or 4 encounters per session). Almost zero RP or any social or exploratory/discovery… that’s part of why I kinda hate D&D 4 (although I dislike the system itself). Worst long-term campaign I’ve ever experienced. It was just bland.

Baleine
Baleine
11 days ago
Reply to  Gonfrask

The only question there is “are they all happy about that?” and “Are you happy about that?”.

If everyone around the table is happy, there is no issue. If you aren’t, talk about it, and they may want to try to accommodate your needs. If it does not work, either you grit you teeth, either you find another table.

Jack0r
Jack0r
11 days ago
Reply to  Baleine

Though it’s totally possible to nudge people a little. I had a pure murder hobo gang of players once. They killed the guy who was going to give them all-important exposition before he could do so.

So I never gave them the info while I kept teasing that it was incredibly important. It did help to make them listen to what I was saying. But of course I still gave them all the tactical puzzles they really wanted.

Dorander
Dorander
9 days ago
Reply to  Jack0r

I just make sure their murder-hobo tendencies negatively impact them in combat later and that they know it :P.

Ahh, the satisfying sound of players worrying about their character’s lives after the first few NPC actions and knowing it’s all their own fault… yum yum.

some guy
some guy
10 days ago
Reply to  Gonfrask

There is no right or wrong way to play D&D. It’s only important that the whole table – that includes the DM as well, not just players! – are on the same page about what game they are playing. Now you can try and strike a certain balance between different player styles, but if you have too many extremes (some only want to fight, other only want RP with zero fights), it’s best to split the group. And there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s nothing wrong with finding another table that better fits your playing style. At the end of… Read more »

Tiger
Tiger
9 days ago
Reply to  Gonfrask

Well, yes, plenty of gamers skip cutscenes in games too, they just want the action. Nothing wrong with that, different people enjoy the hobbies in a different way. However, when you play together in D&D, it’s about finding the middleground.

Dorander
Dorander
9 days ago
Reply to  Gonfrask

Are they experienced players? Playing style will vary but in my experience, new(ish) players are all about sticking their sword into the nearest goblin, but after they’ve done that for a while their interests may broaden. Or not, some people are fine sticking it to goblins forever. Remember there’s no right or wrong way to play, as long as everyone at the table is having fun. That includes you. Of course you can always try to dangle something in front of them, let them know there’s something more if they want it, but if they don’t want it, don’t invest… Read more »

Red
Red
12 days ago

I know she’s being a jerk on purpose, but honestly…it would be kind of funny if ultimately the impetus for Ethan deciding to end the relationship is because they clearly like very different types of games. It’d be very Ethan of him. Though I doubt it’ll go over well.

Swiftbow
Swiftbow
12 days ago
Reply to  Red

That’s giving her too much credit. People like that DON’T realize they’re being jerks. They’re too self-centered to be that introspective.

From her perspective, she thinks she’s being very generous, giving her time to a substandard game that she doesn’t like/understand. And on top of that, she’s letting Ethan play alone while she gets chores done! How big and kind of her!

If he doesn’t acknowledge her sacrifice later, it’s only further proof that Ethan doesn’t think about her feelings at all.

(Please note… I’m not defending her at all. I’m just trying to explain her very wrong perspective.)

GeorgeV
GeorgeV
10 days ago
Reply to  Swiftbow

Now I’d say YOU are giving her too much credit. I won’t disagree that there are some people that genuinely don’t realize their jerkiness. However, there are also plenty of genuine abusers that ARE aware of their behavior, but simply don’t care. And in Nicole’s case, it really looks more like the latter. I understand you’re not trying to defend anybody, but you are unintentionally enabling abusers when you make it out as if none of them is ever really that bad. It’s true that some of them might not be, but others very much are. And exploiting that difference… Read more »

B b
B b
12 days ago
Reply to  Red

Ethan trying tell the authorities about a dangerous abusive partner who murdered him when he tried to leave, but can’t prove anything because he respawned and no-one will listen.

That’d be dark timeline

Mor
Mor
11 days ago

Competetive gamers are built differently. You could say it’s a dopamine-cortisol brewing tank under high pressure. They just can’t handle slower pacing and they need their hit.

Predrag
Predrag
11 days ago
Reply to  Mor

you mean they’re assholes

TomB
TomB
11 days ago
Reply to  Predrag

Not all, but enough. That’s why I gave up many years of head to head or team to team when the people on the servers were nasty. They’re only a notch higher than the 13 year olds that jump in and swear and being a jack ***.

Richard II Weatherfield
Richard II Weatherfield
11 days ago
Reply to  Predrag

Being someone who gets their dopamine from high energy situations does not make one an asshole.

MannyBothans
MannyBothans
11 days ago

they way they conduct themselves and interact with others sure does though

Cypher
Cypher
10 days ago
Reply to  MannyBothans

I think that’s more of a growing subculture combined with developers learning they profit more off player frustration.

Tiger
Tiger
9 days ago
Reply to  Mor

Depends on the person. I mean, I can be very competitive, but part of that is also appreciating when someone is simply better than me. I can absolutely dislike not winning, but appreciate and GG the winner at the same team.

It’s not mutual exclusive.

DahrAmahr
DahrAmahr
11 days ago

yeah… those two meat interfaces are incompatibile.

Crestlinger
Crestlinger
11 days ago

There’s your opportunity! Splat out the window and Run!

J.D.
J.D.
11 days ago

Imagine her dismissal of a game like Civilization.

MMH
MMH
11 days ago

THIS 👆

You asked us some time ago about why we haven’t attended Ctrl+Alt+Del webcomic as much as before. All issues aside, these Ethan-based comics that go on and on and on and only stop for one webcomic about Video Games in the middle, are the reason I’ve stopped checking Ctrl+Alt+Del.

It’s been a while since I checked the website but I told myself this time may be different but here we are with the long-running serieses that aren’t funny or creative and merely related to video games.

Lost cause 😑

Last edited 11 days ago by MMH
Diogo
Member
Diogo
11 days ago
Reply to  Tim

What about a burger pizza though? We have those in Brasil.

Stix
Stix
10 days ago
Reply to  Tim

MMH has a bit of a point though.
The first comics were… well, comical. And humor is what makes me keep coming back.
You are of course free to change your product as you wish.
But for me, this story line needs to wrap up soon or fatigue and depression will make me walk away and forget the site.

I’m not saying you make bad pizzas because they are buns with too much meat. But I can say that your menu has changed over time and less to my taste.

Sunbeam
Sunbeam
10 days ago
Reply to  Tim

Well put Tim. Long time readers have seen how the comic has evolved from purely one off jokes to consistently moving between different storylines with the humor and seriousness being well balanced.

I for one still love it, just wish I was in a position to sub and get rid of that banner telling me I’m like 20 comics behind!

Thomas
Thomas
10 days ago
Reply to  Tim

That’s kind of survivorship bias at this point. The people who are left are the ones who like the stories. The people who liked the comics for the wacky humor and hi-jinx haven’t had as much of that to enjoy lately, so they might have just stopped coming around.

You make excellent pizzas. It’s great that you enjoy making burgers – glad so many people love them! – they’re not my favorite. But I’ll keep hoping pizza gets back a bigger chunk of the menu.

Dorander
Dorander
9 days ago
Reply to  Thomas

Honestly, I checked back years after having gotten tired of the stupid jokes and found this comic got some quality writing going, so I stayed. So, what bias? You’re just assuming that everyone who visits this site has been around since the beginning and used to enjoy it the most back then, rather than acknowledge the possibility of the comic appealing to a broader audience of old and new visitors. We should also acknowledge that Tim has data on site traffic and thus has more information about his business model than we do. So any criticism we level about his… Read more »

Thomas
Thomas
6 days ago
Reply to  Dorander

The topic was long time readers, and this would make you one of the “survivors” in this context.

I assumed no such thing.

Not all feedback is “criticism,” even when it’s not wholly positive. One could argue that receiving feedback is one of the points of comment sections. But you are absolutely correct in observing that I have a bias – as stated in my comment, I do prefer wacky hi-jinx, alluded to as “pizza” here.

Hope this helps! Have a good one 🙂

pookysgirl
pookysgirl
11 days ago

Ten bucks says she comes back wearing something else to distract him from this “boring” game.

Baleine
Baleine
11 days ago
Reply to  pookysgirl

Exactly what I thought

Ben Dutchman
Ben Dutchman
11 days ago

When people show you who they are, believe them

Vampyrr
Vampyrr
11 days ago

She doesnt care about you or your interests only herself. Time to head out friendo.

Stix
Stix
10 days ago
Reply to  Vampyrr

You don’t need to have all the same interests for a healthy and fulfilling relationship.
You can munch on carrots while the other is chewing on gross radishes, but you like how sweetly she smiles with every bite.
But if all your interests and needs are dismissed or looked down upon, that’s not good.

Joel
Joel
11 days ago

I have trouble with turn-based on gaming systems. I wanted to like BG3. I just couldn’t get into it. Maybe I’ll give it another go sometime. On table-top, I’ve always been more into the role vs the roll in playing. I once made my group a little twisted at the amount of roleplaying and recon activities I was doing as a rogue when they all got pinched and I had to break them out of a camp. All they could do was watch me interact with the dm except once I started and it got noisy. Then the dm had… Read more »

Huecuva
Huecuva
11 days ago
Reply to  Joel

Same here, really. I’m an avid D&D player and have been playing for over 30 years. In theory, games like Baldur’s Gate and such are right up my alley. But in reality they just kind of live in this strange uncanny Valley where I appreciate what they are but I just can’t really get into them because while it’s based on D&D, it’s just not the same as gathering around a table with your buddies for some good times.

pookysgirl
pookysgirl
9 days ago
Reply to  Huecuva

Or the insane, spontaneous dialogue that can happen. “We don’t need stairs where we’re going!”

KaaosKeiju
KaaosKeiju
9 days ago
Reply to  Joel

Hehh, for Us it’s different. With Baldur’s Gate 3, We felt We could really enjoy both the game world of D&D and the game system better than on the table. We prefer TTRPGs that are more rules light, like Shadowrun: Anarchy or the 5th edition World of Darkness games. We felt D&D 5e too limiting, since it has rules for many actions… And if your action that you had in mind doesn’t have a ruling, many GMs just outright prevented doing the thing. Add the rollplayers and min-maxers who didn’t approve decisions that aren’t optimal or might be outright stupid… Read more »

MintNRainbow
Member
MintNRainbow
11 days ago

Idk why but the last panel of this page where ethan js looks rlly sad broke me a bit. I can’t wait for him to be free from her, he deserves so much more. I know this long arc of her will pay off though, when they eventually break up it will feel so rewarding. But for now, he is still trapped & i continue feeling bad for ethan 🙁

Stix
Stix
10 days ago
Reply to  MintNRainbow

To me it won’t feel rewarding. It will be like someone lifting their high heel from my toe or no longer dragging nails across the chalkboard. It’s the ending of something bad. Not something good that has happened.

Number51x
Number51x
11 days ago

It’s time for the next and hopefully last fight.

Stix
Stix
10 days ago
Reply to  Number51x

Not a fight. Just a statement and an end.

John
John
11 days ago

Well some people only seem to enjoy fast paced pvp. Its also such a bad comparison as pvp games are often hard right away and repeated failure/loss is just considered normal but other styles of games have you loose progress in some way when you loose and actually have things get gradually harder. Not only is that way more fun but it with the games intented to be easy at the start you just cannot compare early on an RPG or normal story game to playing PvP ranked in any PvP game.

Stroopwaffle
Stroopwaffle
10 days ago

It’s dawning on Ethan that what is important to him is not important to her, and that what he considers important she considers a chore and ultimately unimportant.
I hope he realizes that they both want different things out of a relationship and comes to terms with that.

noone
noone
10 days ago

This is too real. Stawp

Theotherdude
Theotherdude
9 days ago

as dark as this is getting i really hope ethan doesn’t woos out and pull a “fake my death” to break up

Marty
Marty
9 days ago

For all her faults, the game is not for her, simple. She gave it a shot. You couldn’t wake me up for a flight sim either.

Mike
Mike
8 days ago
Reply to  Marty

Keep in mind the regards those who do enjoy it as literally disabled for “needing turns”. How quickly you forget literally on the very next page that her thinking is inferior to your own is sad.

Mike
Mike
8 days ago
Reply to  Mike

*she regards

Stix
Stix
9 days ago

Ugh! Thanks the Patreon previews we can see this will take 6 more pages, and then we get at least 11 pages titled “Breaking up”!

Cmd1095
Cmd1095
8 days ago

Well, this really shouldn’t have been the last straw for Ethan, but if it works it works. This woman is just awful, I won’t say she’s the WORST because there are worse people out there who are physically abusive as well as emotionally. But damn does she have a stunning collection of red flags