209

Harrison
Posted on September 9, 2019 by David M Willis

209 thoughts on “Harrison”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    ok this will definitely go well

    sure worked out the first time in that other universe amirite

    (I mean, basic psychology practically screams that she’s lying, but *grabs popcorn*)

    1. jeffepp

      Trip to Bullmiria, anyone?

      1. Clif

        And… Willis answers Sarah’s prayers so it’s all good.

  2. Doctor_Who

    We need to hire Joyce a life coach to spritz her with water and say “Bad!” sometimes.

    1. He Who Abides

      But then Sarah would never sleep in again. How could you condone such a tragedy?

      1. HeySo

        I think Sarah’d be up for it, though.
        I mean, getting paid to rebuke people seems like a job she’d not have problems with. 😛

        1. Doctor_Who

          You ever see that Incredibles short that shows what happened with Jack-Jack and the babysitter? By the end she’s just sitting there, zombie-like, with a fire extinguisher and spritzing him every time he bursts into flames.

          That would be Sarah after a week.

        2. Bicycle Bill

          That was a hilarious short.  When they show the movie on TV now (like on Freeform) they should run that immediately after credits.

    2. DudeMyDadOwnsADealership

      That might be a good idea if she’s going to do things like this.
      Betraying Jacob’s trust is enough of a reason.
      Thing of it is, this stacks with crossing Jacob’s loser ‘fake person’ of an actual new girlfriend, and we all remember why she needs to be kept separate from anything Sarah-related (which includes Joyce) until graduation…..

  3. ValdVin

    Great job respecting boundaries now, Joyce.

    1. jeffepp

      That now was then. This now is the new now.

      1. StClair

        When will then be now?!

        1. Tacos

          At some indeterminate point in time.

        2. Keulen

          Soon.

      2. ValdVin

        “You can’t get then from now.”

        Isn’t that an old salt’s maxim about time travel?

        1. Clif

          Now is the new then.

    2. Deanatay

      “It will be okay JUST THIS ONE TIME because WE ARE DESTINED TO BE TOGETHER FOREVER!!”

    3. hof1991

      Turns out Sluggo has this figured out. Very timely.
      https://www.gocomics.com/nancy/2019/09/09

  4. newllend(henryvolt)

    Joyce is back on her bullshit, her vintage Roomies bullshit!

    1. abysswatcher1993

      W! Danny and D! Danny know how stupid she can act.

    2. Anywhere

      YES

  5. Cattleprod

    Yes, this will certainly stand up to scrutiny, from the first moment they encounter Jacob and well beyond.

    1. thejeff

      Yeah, beyond even the creepiness of it, it’s just dumb. No way she should think Jacob would play along – and that’s assuming Raidah’s not already in there with him.

  6. Diner Kinetic

    MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA, mwahahaHAHAHAHAHAHA
    Joyce, let the chaos throw through you, let your dark ascension cause worlds to tremble, let jacob be… MILDLY CONFUSED! *evil cackle*

    1. abysswatcher1993

      Wait, is Joyce joining Chaos? HERESY! ORDER AN EXTERMINATUS!

      1. Chris Phoenix

        OK, I know this isn’t an HPMOR reference, but it sure sounds like one.

        1. fridge_logic

          It’s a 40K reference, though a bit overzealous one in the case of Joyce turning to Chaos, since Exterminatus is an operation that consumes an entire planet in fire to cleanse it of Heresy.

        2. FacelessDeviant

          There are loads of in jokes about inquisitors being way too fast with destroying entire worlds on the drop of a hat. Bruva Alfabusa has bade a few good vids about it 🙂

        3. Kat

          Wait…you mean Inquisitors aren’t supposed to order Exterminatus at
          the first sign of Xenos or Heretical activity? Next you’re gonna say the
          Emperor gave orders not to worship him as a divine being! That the
          Imperium of Man isn’t the best and Most Goodest faction in Warhammer
          40k and that… *lights flamethrower* Is Heresy. /s

        4. FacelessDeviant

          The Imperium might very well be the Goodest and Nicest faction in 40k. That is probably why its called such a dark millenium.

          That aside though, you even mentioning the possibility that The Emperor isn’t divine is in itself *racks the bolt gun* an heretical act.

        5. Lailah

          It’s really not. Even after the retcons to try to make it moreso. Still completely stupid to have done some of them, but the fans are the fools we are.

      2. Sunny

        Now now, she might also be sympathising with the Tau since this is all for the Greater Good (of her becoming Jacob’s girlfriend and later wife).

  7. Grant

    joyce no

    1. Doctor_Who

      I think Joyce doesn’t have an angel and a devil on her shoulder (there’s not a malicious bone in her body), she has a Dorothy and a Becky instead. Both good, but in very different places on the Lawful/Chaotic axis.

      ShoulderDorothy is facepalming right now, and ShoulderBecky knows this is gonna be hilarious.

      1. Schpoonman

        You remember the faces Becky and Joyce made when Joss said they would have to break into Becky’s house? Becky is wearing the same face, Shoulder!Dot is wearing Joyce’s.

      2. Bicycle Bill

        She has Aziraphale and Crowley.

        1. Doctor_Who

          Joyce has no idea who those are. Reading/watching Good Omens would melt her brain.

        2. CoMa

          Probably. If she progresses, though, she might be able to in 10+ years. Maybe?

          And now that it was mentioned, I’d love to have Aziraphale and Crowley as shoulder angels

        3. Khyrin

          I mean, the crux of Azi’s argument at the End of Days was basically. “All ya’ll can just shut up because this is YOUR plan, not THE plan. ” and oh… yeah. there’s the brainmelt. the concept that not even the Angels know what God is actually planning.

        4. Arianod

          Yes

      3. Felian

        Haha i love that!

  8. Jamie

    I need a facepalm meme, and all it needs to say is, “Joyce…”

  9. BBCC

    Shit, it’s been a while since I wanted to reach in my screen and shake Joyce really hard, but here it is. I’m gonna go any yell and beat my head against a wall for a while, you guys want anything?

    1. BBCC

      Boundaries my ass. You couldn’t even respect that climbing in your roommates bed and waking them is shitty.

      1. TheWanderingMist

        Sarah LIKES Joyce waking her up, in case you forgot. And it’s what Joyce did for probably 15 years give or take with her brothers. She’s been at college a total of two months, probably even less considering school starts late August and it’s only early October.

        1. BBCC

          No, Joyce thinks Sarah likes her waking her up. Sarah screaming and yelling at her to knock it off says otherwise. And just because Joyce did it at home does not give her the right to do it at school. As for your alt text, *I* sure as shit wouldn’t. Joyce would’ve gotten punched already if it was me, because that’s my knee jerk when people suddenly wake me up by screaming in my face.

        2. Yumi

          To be fair, if that is something Sarah was opposed to (and other characters who are opposed to it), this isn’t a case were “it hasn’t been that long in strip” would apply. Learning to be better with boundaries in general takes time, but learning a specific boundary like that? That should go a lot quicker.

    2. Kyrik Michalowski

      Answers. I want answers. What the hell made Joyce think this was a good idea?

      1. Kamino Neko

        She’s very poorly socialized?

      2. Needfuldoer

        Wish fulfillment?

      3. Sporky

        Honestly, I don’t think she DOES think this is a good idea, she just couldn’t resist.

      4. Hielario

        In romantic matters, Joyce’s mind defaults to fictional tropes.

    3. Nono

      Joyce handed the ball to Billie for a while, but how she’s back to reclaim her title.

    4. Woomy

      I don’t like that your icon is different

      Have some consideration

      1. BBCC

        I’m sorry, for some reason the comment field went blank and I don’t remember what sequence of capital letters it was that led to my old one. I miss it too.

  10. Kyrik Michalowski

    Joyce, you were doing so well. Where did it all go wrong?

    1. Nono

      Sarah should have followed up on locking Joyce in a closet with that men’s fitness magazine and a hairbrush.

      1. Leorale

        I always thought men’s fitness images weren’t actually attractive to most women — but hey, Ethan and Joe are very built, so maybe Joyce has a type.

        1. Nono

          I think it’s only in recent years that the conventional attractive male sterotype has veered away from that.

          Even then, you’ll still see the requisite shirtless abs in every other big blockbuster film these days. I mean I don’t doubt that there’s a bit of male power fantasy in there too, but there’s still a market for those abs out there I imagine.

    2. Shane Wegner

      Year after year of not getting laid is doing her no favors.

  11. Thores

    Ohhh boy. There’s Walkyverse Joyce.

  12. Nono

    Ah, yes, this marks the… third? time that someone is pretending to be somebody else’s girlfriend in the comic.

    1. newllend(henryvolt)

      3rd!? I remember that one time with Danny and Amber ( well technically that wasn’t a lie) but was the 3rd one?

      1. Nono

        Sal and Malaya.

        1. Nono

          Marcie, not Malaya. My bad.

        2. newllend(henryvolt)

          Oooooh…also that was a very amusing mistake.

        3. Norah

          And that was an idea that came from Joyce and Becky.

        4. Kamino Neko

          Salaya OTP.

          They have a perfect smushname, it’s clearly meant to be. >_>

        5. Needfuldoer

          Sal and Danny could be just “Sally”, which is perfect because Danny is more or less invisible.

          Sal and Said would be “Salid”, another good name portmanteau.

  13. Yossarianduck

    Hey
    Hey Joyce?
    This is the opposite of how you achieve what you want.

  14. Far

    JOYCE NO

  15. Tacos

    Oh? So she is at least now aware that she wasn’t respecting people’s boundaries?

    This totally can’t go wrong. No sirree.

  16. Cheshrin

    Joyce, no.

    Look at that, I’m typing HTML brackets on a phone, that’s how much of a bad idea this is.

  17. Deadjolras

    PLEASE SAY SIKE RIGHT NOW

  18. butts

    JOYCE YOU BUTT

  19. AntJ

    Joyce Brown is through with playing nice and I love it. This is the culmination of what really got started with this glorious strip: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-8/04-of-mike-and-men/wrong-3/

    1. Sunny

      Jacob is the best character and makes the best face in that strip.

    2. thejeff

      1) She was supposed to given up on that
      2) What’s the plan here? Does she think Jacob’s going to play along? Raidah certainly won’t.

  20. Delicious Taffy

    Joyce! >8(

  21. Anthony S

    DAMMIT JOYCE, NO
    This is Roomies Joyce all over again

    1. abysswatcher1993

      Time to get Head Alien and some British Ninjas.

  22. Sol Karas

    JOYCE NO.
    COME ON.
    YOU DID THIS SHIT IN ROOMIES! AND IT DIDN’T END WELL THERE.
    PLEASE STOP NOW>

    *Screams*

  23. Cass

    You’re a teenager now, Joyce, you can’t just go and regress twenty-two years like that when you weren’t even born yet!

  24. William Leonard Reese Jr.

    *Facepalms* Gotdangit Joyce! This is not going to end well is it? There is no way this ends well.

  25. Kravis

    Yes.

    In a three way.

  26. TheAmazingKMan

    God dammit joyce…

  27. newllend(henryvolt)

    I don’t know how this is going to go. If it doesn’t go horribly wrong then it ends in a way that’s unexpected.

    1. Norah

      I can’t imag any way this could turn out good for Joyce, since Willis usually doesn’t write rom-com stuff.

  28. Mr. Random

    Hooray for lying!

    This can only end badly.

    1. Bicycle Bill

      Oh, what a tangled web we weave,
      When first we practice to deceive.

  29. CMasta

    JOYCE

  30. NinjaNick

    Don’t go there, Joyce. What if he’s married?

    1. Victor Riley

      No, I think she’s saying she’s Jacob’s girlfriend (when it’s really Raidah), not making a pass at Harrison.

    2. SuperZero

      What?

  31. nlips

    JOYCE NO

  32. Mada

    JOYCE NO

  33. Woomy

    Jesus, Joyce

    1. Dara

      …is my all-lesbian Jesus Jones cover band.

  34. Dara

    Joyce? No. No, Joyce. No.

  35. Ambs

    Dammit, now I have anxiety about how this is gonna end up going.

    1. Sunny

      Yeah, it’s at that uncomfortably stage of stupidity.

  36. Bicycle Bill

    We need thought balloons in panels three and four.
    Panel three — Joyce is saying a quick prayer… “Lord, lead me not into temptation…”
    Panel four — still praying: “…for I shall find it by myself.”

  37. Black

    Joyce, this isn’t one of those “fake it ’til you make it” moments.

    1. Bagge

      …I give it pretty good odds it actually is, given that I’m pretty sure Jacob has yet to address HIS crush on pretty, brave available Joyce

      1. thejeff

        He’s got a crush, but he’s also got a girlfriend, who’s planning to meet his brother today.

        1. Bagge

          I’m not saying it won’t be a clusterfudge.

          I’m saying I’m not ruling out Joyce snagging her man in the end, despite it being a clusterfudge.

        2. BBCC

          That might be the DoA strip that finally makes me throw my computer out a window.

          And I like both my computer and Dumbing of Age, so I’d have to go about getting a new one to keep reading. 😛

  38. Kamino Neko

    ‘You know, when he said your name was Raidah, I was picturing someone a little less…lily white.’

    ‘Yes…uh…well, I am American.’

    ‘… So are me and Jacob?’

    ‘Uh…yeah, I…uh… … … I’m not racist, I swear.’

  39. Flame Warp

    Wow, this is the first time a character’s actions have made me actually facepalm in real life.

    1. Vukodlak

      You’re face palm threshold is much higher then mine.

  40. Vukodlak

    You can still salvage this Joyce.
    “Yes…. I know her.”

  41. SUGauthor

    What are you doing Joyce?

  42. Yumi

    Joyce. Sweetie. How do you see this ending? Like. What’s the outcome you think you’re going to get from this? Jacob Just doesn’t want to make things awkward with his brother, so he goes along with it, and you bond with Harrison so he keeps asking about you, and Jacob doesn’t want to disappoint him, so bam, there you are a month after graduation walking down the aisle towards Jacob as Raidah lurks in the shadows, preparing to drop a chandelier on you?

    1. abysswatcher1993

      If Jacob politely tells her to fuck off, that would break Joyce.

    2. RicardtheDragoon

      I don’t think Raidah would ever get that deranged, but maybe Joyce could. It would be a bit sacrilegious to do at Joyce’s “church” (assuming it has a chandelier), but in a month, Joyce could slide that far. She did skip church once already.

  43. Dana

    Okay Joyce, repeat after me: “Oh, you mean *Girlfriend* girlfriend. No, I’m Joyce. We’re close, but nothing like that.

  44. abysswatcher1993

    Ah shit here we go again. Anti Joyce is always two steps behind and ready to jump when Joyce is close to something stupid and dangerous.

  45. Nenja

    JOYCE NO

    I’m getting flashbacks to Roomies, when she pretended she and Danny had gotten engaged.

    1. Ron

      Exactly my sentiment. “NO! Bad Joyce!”

    2. abysswatcher1993

      She made Danny’s parents think he has a mental problem and sent him to therapy.

  46. CleverTrousers

    Your ads overlap with the comic.

    1. Lingo

      Yes, I particularly hate that ad, because it tries to wiggle away when you try to click the Close button.

  47. Chaucer59

    Wouldn’t it be a hoot if she caught up to Harrison just short of Jacob’s door and corrected herself? Joyce could say something like, “I meant ‘friend.’ Jacob and I are ‘friends.’ As for romantic relationship entanglements, well, you know, Jacob—”
    At this point, Jacob opens the door, “Harrison! I see you already met my new girlfriend. Isn’t she amazing?”

    To which Harrison naturally replies, “Glad you finely broke it off with that harpy you were chained to last time we talked.”

    1. BBCC

      No, no it would not. The last thing Joyce needs is to be rewarded for being a boundary trampling brat.

      1. TheWanderingMist

        Oh, get over yourself. People don’t have to change for Joyce but she has to change for them? That’s pretty blatant hypocrisy there.

        1. Deadjolras

          What in the world are you talking about?

        2. Yumi

          I’d bet BBCC would be in favor of anyone learning to respect boundaries. Joyce is just the one here who is taking flawed action.

        3. BBCC

          I didn’t say anything about other people in this strip, because nobody else in this strip is currently being a tool. I’ve said Walky, for instance, should stop teasing her about her sexuality, and that Raidah should knock it off when she was making fun of being a teacher. But right now? It’s Joyce who’s being a jerk so she’s the one who should stop.

        4. Chaucer59

          I don’t know if it’s hypocrisy, but asking for more justice in a comic than in the real world is certainly unrealistic. People—especially the privileged—get away with far more outlandish shit all the time.

  48. bearfuz

    “Dear Evan Hansen” without the tics and most of the angst

    Though there may eventually be some

  49. Synnerman

    Miss one Sunday of church and she goes full hussy!

    Never go full hussy Joyce!!

  50. Lux

    JOYCE NO

    1. Tom T.

      What could go wrong?

      1. Sunny

        Off the top of my head: 4 major things and 3 to 4 dozen minor things.

  51. Hoboturtle

    “Just kidding” just say this Joyce.

    Joyce please say “just kidding.”

    Joyce plz, there is no reason to put a baby in the middle of this conflict.

    1. Norah

      Let’s hope. Or that this is all a dream and she’s still sleeping.

  52. Rei

    Oh god I physically felt the cringe at the last panel

    JOYCE NO

  53. Abbefaria

    God has finally decided to speak to you Joyce and he’s saying “ABORT!”

  54. C.

    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

  55. Solenoid

    joyce no

  56. JessWitt

    Mamma mia, Joyce. Raidah’s gonna be beyond miffed (and Sarah will be thrilled by said miffing).

  57. Shane Wegner

    It feels good. Just let me have this moment, this one moment. It can be real if it feels real, just for a moment.

  58. Bagge

    JOYCE, NO!!!

  59. WaterKey

    The real surprise will be where she admits to Harrison that while she’s attracted to Jacob she’s not actually his girlfriend, doing so before they even meet up with Jacob.

    This preemptive fixing of her mistake and Raidah’s…. Raidah-ing, will cause Harrison to start going to bat for Joyce as an alternative he thinks will actually make Jacob happy in the long-term.

  60. Viktor

    Bold play, Joyce. I like it.

    Also, is anyone else having issues with the RSS feeds? They were fine for me until the BABY comic. The last two comics don’t seem to have posted into the feed?

    1. Josie

      Same!

      I’m also having intermittent success with hover text on my old ass iPad. I wasn’t seeing the same problems on my phone when it wasn’t shattered (rip)

  61. Clif

    Let me go on record as being 100% in agreement with the alt-text.

  62. Needfuldoer

    Oh Joyce, no… You were doing so well!

  63. SillyGoose

    Hey look at the bright side! For once ALL THE COMMENT SECTION agrees that this is wrong! How often does that happen?
    With some variations as to the level of ‘hilarious’, but still wrong. Also, stupid.

  64. Farmer_10

    You chose…poorly.

  65. Keulen

    Well I predict this will go great. Nothing could possible go wrong from Joyce lying to Jacob’s brother about being his girlfriend.

  66. BenRG

    The only reason why there is even a hypothetical chance of this working is because Harrison doesn’t know Joyce well enough to interpret her agonisingly obvious ‘I am a filthy, sinful liar’ facial tells.

  67. Zero

    I’m getting Roomies flashbacks….. sudden influx of supernatural abilities, acting like her Walkyverse counterpart prior to character development, dear god the Head Alien has replaced our Joyce with a clone of the Walkyverse Joyce! Someone find Walky! Or Walkyverse Mike or Robin!

  68. fire_daws

    God damnit it Joyce.

    1. Bagge

      +1-Gravatar!

      1. fire_daws

        Claireface for every occasion.

        1. He Who Abides

          Any of Momo’s faces when her taser is on works too.

  69. Norah

    Joyce, this is such a bad idea. It’s bound to come out, and then you’ll lose Jacob’s friendship, not to mention anything deeper.

  70. Norah

    N fact, if the news gets around, the only friend Joyce will have is Becky. Well, possibly Sarah.

  71. Eli

    I literally gasped and went NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

    JOYCE!!!!!!!!! AAAHH

  72. Miffed Mab

    Oh Joyce

  73. Mr.Morningstar

    JOYCE NO

    1. Zaxares

      x 2

  74. Arianod

    Looks like I’m the only one, but I didn’t read this as Joyce “lying”. More like “New girlfriend? OMG YES Jacob is done with Raidah, he’s into ME now!! I’M the new girlfriend!!!”

  75. AGV

    Oh deer oh honey oh golly

  76. Anywhere

    This is the greatest thing that’s ever happened in this comic and I just hope this is going to end so spectacularly badly.

  77. Shane Wegner

    I doubt she’ll play this card very hard. Just try it on for size, if people try out the assumption for a while. Ultimately she can just play it off as “Ha I was just joking”, if it leaves a hint of “Huh, I thought you were a cute couple until I knew” in the air, she can say “Huh, maybe you’re right, maybe we would be”.

  78. acher4

    NO!

    Gosh Darnit Joyce!

  79. Wraithy2773

    Look, I’m all for seeing how this story arc plays out and letting Willis explore subjects that he’s interested in…

    …but I gotta say, if there was one plot arc that I was less interested in revisiting than “Becky and Amber’s parents are fucking scumbags”, it was “Joyce tries to get Jacob to date her through horribly unethical means”…

  80. TheFlamingonator

    She might not be his new girlfriend now but she might become his New girlfriend later on…

    ok but srsly lying is bad and this will end in some wonderful chaos which i will watch with popcorn

    1. BenRG

      I think it will be hilarious if Joyce breaks down and ends up confessing (because I don’t think she’s that good at lying). Harrison will probably ask Jacob what the hell he’s doing with his fangirls to leave her in that state.

      The answer is ‘nothing’, of course. There’s nothing Jacob could do that would be worse than the angel on Joyce’s shoulder nagging at her 24/7.

      1. thejeff

        Joyce has been shown to be horrible at lying.

  81. ninja_jesus

    My hand is on my mouth I have Gasped audibly, OH MY GOSH JOYCE HOW COULD YOU?! :O

  82. Very Bored

    Shes a friend and a girl, Technically correct is best correct!

  83. BenRG

    I’m thinking that, when the time comes, Jacob will be very disappointed in Joyce but will probably describe her to Harrison as “a cute and slightly crazy girl with a crush on me and a heart made of a solid gold nugget). The Williams brothers will then laugh and move on with their lives.

    Depending on how well Joyce handles Jaime, she might get a regular babysitting gig.

    1. Bagge

      That’s a likely outcome, but it could be complicated by
      a) Jacob himself having a chrush on Joyce.

      b) Raidah’s Billie-esque alpha-bongo-tendencies, and her already being set on a battle for Ownership of Jacob between her and Joyce.

      1. Norah

        Jacob’s crush might go away after this, as he’ll see Joyce as too immature/messed up by her upbringing to have a relationship with at the present time.

        1. BenRG

          Or it may grant him an opportunity (one that many readers have speculated he may be seeking) to have an alternate second life with a ‘fun’ girlfriend as opposed to Raidah who is more serious and ambitious for him.

  84. beige

    and now Joyce is starting to become her Roomies version XD

  85. kilgaen

    oh Joyce

  86. JBento

    “And then Jacob finds out about this and tells Joyce to fuck off and die for being a disrespectful little shit.” is the ONE ending I want out of this.

    1. Acebender

      harsh

      1. JBento

        Even if we discount Raidah (because the commentariat seems to have an intense hateboner for her, on account of, CHARITABLY, protagonist-based morality), this is disrespectful to Harrison and EXTREMELY, SHITTILY disrespectful to Jacob.

        1. thejeff

          I’m not even sure “disrespectful” is what I’d call it. Mostly just stupid. It should blow up in her face in about 30 seconds when Jacob opens the door.

          It would actually be worse if she was doing it with less proximity so she might be able to keep up the pretense longer. I don’t see how she won’t just come off weird and creepy.

          As for Raidah, some of us can have issues with her based on her presentation, while still not likely what Joyce is trying to do. We can multi-task, as Rachel would say. 🙂

  87. Rabisch

    It’s just a matter of time.

  88. Acebender

    Well I can’t imagine how this could go wrong!

  89. Josh Spicer

    That’s a bad, Joyce.

  90. djaevlenselv

    Hah! This is just like that time Amber lied about being Danny’s girlfriend to his parents!
    Except not like that time at all, really.

    1. Norah

      No, because she needed to get away from Blaine, and it actually helped Danny at the time with his awful mom, who only values him based on his girlfriends.

      1. thejeff

        Plus, you know, she kind of was his girlfriend, he just didn’t know it. The split between AG and Amber wasn’t so strong back then.

        At least it didn’t have the potential of messing with his actual relationship.

  91. hof1991

    The correct next line is. Yes, I have heard of you.

    That’s not where she’s taking this.

  92. BenRG

    You know, the way Harrison is looking over his shoulder whilst smiling, I cannot rule out shenanigans. I wonder if he knows Joyce isn’t Jacob’s girlfriend (having met Raidah by video-chat on several occasions). However, he’s smart enough to know a crush when he sees it and he’s seeing how far he can string Joyce along before she snaps like an over-stretched elastic band.

  93. Catullus

    I showed up to say “joyce no” only to discover that, well, I was far from the first person with that idea :b

  94. PB

    Oh. Oh dear God. My cringe allergy is acting up.

    I’ll … I’ll come back in a couple days, I think.

  95. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

    NOOOOOOOOO

  96. Hark a lizard awaits ye

    This can only end good or neutral. If Joyce gets called out she can just be like “what oh i thought you meant female friend we’re not dating” and then If harrison likes Joyce more than ‘The Adversary’ then maybe Jacob will rethink the relationship. Jacob could see through it all but like he wouldnt have any hard evidence something malicious was at play and he seems too logical and grounded to get (justifiably) angry at her without hard evidence.

    1. Schpoonman

      Or Jacob would see it as “someone not at all respecting my boundaries or my relationship and therefore are to be avoided because they cannot be trusted,” and despite Jacob and Joyce obviously being into one another, the relationship would and should be tanked before it could get off the ground at all.

      If Joyce hadn’t screwed this all up by lying to Harrison, she could have controlled the entire ebb and flow of Harrison’s visit, or she could have let Raidah do the damage for her (based on the last time we saw Jacob and Raidah together, Jacob does not like the pressure that being Harrison’s Little Brother entails. It is a very familiar feeling for me, since I’ve been called every one of my brother’s names, especially in high school when I was regularly called by their names). Raidah doesn’t see Jacob chafing under the pressure, and she would have done all the imploding required to break off their relationship, clearing the way for JacobxJoyce.

      Frankly? Raidah would deserve it! She doesn’t see Jacob nearly as well as she thinks she does (Jacob does want to live up to his brother’s reputation, but that’s all Raidah focuses on), and the entire situation with Sarah (Raidah tracking Sarah down every so often to tell her what a horrible person she is unprompted is her first appearance in the comic) really paints Raidah as an asshole, but she doesn’t deserve Joyce homewrecking.

      If Joyce had been above-board earlier she wouldn’t have had to do anything, but now she’s poisoned every interaction beyond any antidote (unless she freaks out and admits the truth before Harrison meets up with Jacob).

      1. thejeff

        It’s funny how we read things differently. I don’t see Jacob as chafing under the comparisons to Harrison in those other strips. I didn’t see any negative reaction from him to any of Raidah’s manipulation, in fact. He seemed kind of oblivious, at least to the idea she was doing it intentionally.

        Which doesn’t mean I disagree with your assessment of Raidah, just how much of it Jacob sees.

        As for this? It’s not even “respecting boundaries”, it’s just weird and dumb. I can’t see how it doesn’t blow up in her face as soon as Jacob opens the door. If she’d been able to pose as his girlfriend for longer and actually do something with it, then I could see it being her boundary issues, I suppose.

        1. Schpoonman

          Well, I could be projecting.

  97. Axel

    Joyce nooooo

  98. zee

    Oh honey, no.
    This is gonna be fun as hell when it plays out though

  99. Matt

    Damn it Joyce. Not again.

  100. Thulcandran

    Oh god, the secondhand embarrassment may actually prevent me from reading this whole storyline. Joyce, noooOOOOOO

  101. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

    What is even the point of this? Literally the only thing that this could possibly happen as a result of this is that Jacob finds out Joyce is pretending to be his girlfriend.

  102. EmCaCo

    What if this gets Jacob in the crossfire? As in Harrison thinks his little brother is playing two girls and loses respect for him. That would be devastating and mean extra feelings of betrayal when Jacob finds out.

  103. TheWanderingMist

    Joyce, no.

    You know better than this.

    Not that you’re good at lying, so it won’t last long anyway.

  104. Tealjoy Grove

    *whispering* Joyce honey, nooooo….

  105. Electriccombines

    The only way I see this working out is if she says she meant “a girl friend” and that it was a huge misunderstanding. Otherwise I’m worried Jacob will feel that Joyce was yet another person who was objectifying him.
    This is very stressful.

  106. Gary Grandpa

    Man, from skipping church to breaking commandments in like, a day. I can see the fundamentalists really making a thing of this one.

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