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Transformative
Posted on April 26, 2024 by David M Willis
The Dumbing of Age Book 13 Kickstarter is still going, somehow.  When will it end???? (in 12 days) anyway go pledge for a book and some magnets we unlock HALLOWEEN BECKY at $45k (that's in $700)

262 thoughts on “Transformative”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    Joyce is a cat

    …wait no, if that were true, her ass would be in Joe’s face

    1. IntangibleMatter

      Even if her ass wasn’t she’s too unobtrusive. My cat managed to sneak in the other night and I woke up with her taking up a good chunk of the bed with me confined to a small area on the edge.

      1. Schpoonman

        I once woke up with my roommate’s cat tucked in my belly like Joyce is doing to Joe. It was maybe the most precious thing that had ever happened to me.

        1. IntangibleMatter

          Also the other day when I was lying in bed after getting home my cat decided to crawl under the blanket and she proceeded to sleep there for a good while. Rarely seen her do that, usually it’s just on top.

        2. Masumi

          When my cat was a little kitten, she would always insist on burying herself under the blanket all the way through to me and bite me. No matter how well I dorritoed myself up.

          So glad she stopped XD

        3. thejeff

          On cold nights my old cat would crawl under the blankets and cuddle for warmth. Which worked well, except for the night that I must have rolled over and twisted them so she couldn’t get out.
          Panicked cat trying to escape from a trap is not a pleasant thing to sleep with.

        4. pope suburban

          A college roommate, who totally sucked, had a cat that she was…not the best with. She’d make sure the cat was fed and all, but she was too busy with boy drama to meet the cat’s other needs. Kitty would sleep with me most nights, and burrow under the covers. We were lucky enough not to have had blanket panic but I remember being so confused the first time I awoke to a little bundle of fur snuggled up to me.

        5. Ana Chronistic

          that was my Gabey ^-^

          I miss him so much

      2. Erik

        One of our old cats used to shove me off my pillow every night without waking me up. I feel you.

      3. Shen Hibiki

        That says more about you than about the cat!
        Wife’s like you, moves away from the cat in bed.
        I’m the kind of person that moves -towards- what pushes them in bed.

        So the cat pushes her to me and I push back and wife ends up a sandwich.

    2. Yumi

      I definitely thought “cat” with that last panel. How obtrusive my cat is when doing things like this seems to depends on her mood. Sometimes you wake up and she’s just there, sometimes she makes sure to walk over your body a couple times before settling in. Sometimes she nips at your sleeve because you’re not petting her. Because you were asleep.

      1. Vanessa

        Sometimes my cats sneak into my lap so quietly and softly, sometimes they jump on my head in the middle of the night with claws out.

      2. Vinter Nacht

        My cat walking on me during the night is a very comforting experience. It brings me a feeling of contentment. Sure, I can’t sleep till she settles down, but I’m fine with that. Bonus points when she stops to paw-pound for a while first.

        1. Decidedly Orthogonal

          Yeah, until they step on the back of your throat via your open mouth. ?

    3. John Campbell

      Or she would have made a four-point landing directly on his junk. Or started biting his feet through the blanket.

    4. jeffepp

      The night is young. When she needs to use the, er, litterbox, she might be feeling frisky.

    5. Joe Moose

      ♫ With Cat-Like Tread
      Upon our prey we steal
      In silence dread
      Our cautious way we feel ♪
      -Gilbert & Sullivan

    6. Reltzik

      Just give her a bit.

    7. Ray

      They COULD wake up and have something in each OTHER’S faces…

    8. DarkoNeko

      give it a bit

    9. Shawn L.

      Save that for the slipshine.

    10. lur

      that’s only for the slipshine i guess?

    11. Miafillene

      Ahhh there you are, at the top of the comments. Normalcy has been achieved for now. Now let’s shake things up!

    12. Kazuma Taichi

      my childhood cat liked to curl up between my knees

  2. IntangibleMatter

    Aw FUCK YEAH cuddles

    1. NGPZ

      HAVA NAGILA!!!! ^^

    2. Spriteless Aunty

      This is why there was a story line about non sexual touch earlier.

  3. Doctor_Who

    Next storyline: Joyce discovers the wonders of Hangovers.

    If that doesn’t get her to drop the f-bomb, nothing will.

    1. Jo_cubstar

      Honestly I was a heavy drinker when I was younger and I didn’t really experience hangovers until my 30s

      1. SpaceDorf

        You can avoid Hangovers by avoiding to get sober ..

  4. NGPZ

    *plays “Roundabout” by Yes! on hacked muzak*

    1. Opus the Poet

      Great song, I used to have the LP in vinyl.

    2. Ray

      “To be continued…”

      1. a/snow/mous/e

        glad I’m not the only weeb here whose mind immediately leaps to JJBA 😛

        1. Taffy

          Not a weeb, but I also immediately think of JoJo when that song comes up. The meme is where I first heard the song, so that’s natural.

        2. Ray

          Less a weeb; more an Oldtaku.

    3. wwwhhattt

      I’m so glad Yes have been rehabilitated, they’re fantastic

    4. Schpoonman

      Shit, that’s good.

      1. David DeLaney

        there’s more Yes, u no.

      2. mindbleach

        If you want a song that’s all like the opening bit, it’s “And You And I.”

        Though both other songs on that album are better.

    5. Amós Batista

      I miss playing Progessive Rock… Thanks for the memory.

  5. quark

    YAAAAAY

  6. Sirksome

    Oh no, will Joe be alive in the morning?!

    1. clif

      He’ll be pleasantly surprised in the morning. Either that or things will go very sideways.

      1. morleuca

        Sideways is good for first thing in the morning. Especially when you have a roommate and don’t want to wake them.

      2. David DeLaney

        Joyce discovers Morning Wood

        –Dave, isn’t it good

        1. Taffy

          Morning wood is an urban myth. Nobody has experienced it.

        2. GT

          Speak for yourself. Most young guys in fact do experience “Morning Wood.”

        3. Taffy

          They claim to, sure. Gotta fit into that performative male sexuality, after all.

        4. morleuca

          So glad not to experience it any more.

        5. Taellosse

          “Young”? Provided one has decent blood pressure, penis-havers are likely to keep experiencing morning wood basically as long as they retain the ability to get natural erections at all. The frequency may taper off some, but they’re an autonomic function that helps ensure the system continues to work properly.

        6. Taellosse

          I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or serious here?

          In case it’s the latter, it’s not a myth. Morning wood is very much a real phenomenon, and unlike porn would have us believe, it’s mostly just annoying, and genuinely has nothing to do with sexual arousal.

        7. Shadowydreamer

          Assuming you’re not being facetious – morning wood is from a full bladder pressing onto the prostate which in turn says “Hey, you need a woody” .. Pure biological, rarely anything to do with hurh hurh, I gotta get some.

      3. Decidedly Orthogonal

        More likely something will come up and it’ll be very hard for him to deal with.

        1. Taffy

          Omg Joe’s mom is gonna die????

  7. Pocky

    Stealth Level Up

    1. saltchocolate

      Yesssss

    2. Amós Batista

      Way so far from Dina’s Stealth level.

  8. V

    I like her little smile in the last panel…

    1. Rose by Any Other Name

      Agreed.
      **smiles**

    2. eh, whatever

      In the last panel we can’t see her mouth.

      1. morleuca

        Either a teeny little smile or a line for her nose. I like the idea that it’s the smallest of proud, self-satisfied smiles.

    3. Ace

      That’s her nose.

      1. Taffy

        Her suddenly enormous nose?

        1. Kintrex

          You can see her nose in the third panel. It’s two lines, one for the bridge and one on the bottom.

  9. Schpoonman

    Shut up, Amazi-Girl.

    Go Joyce, get you sum, guuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrllllllllllllll

    1. shrub

      Agreed

      Amber or whoever she thinks she is should try taking the stick out of her butt every once in a while

      1. Taffy

        It wouldn’t kill you to not be gross about people’s mental health.

    2. Masumi

      Cmon, she’s traumatised by last semesters events too.

      1. Schpoonman

        No, she sucks.

        1. Taffy

          Both things are true at the same time.

  10. Cholma

    *gasp* Pre-marital sleeping together! *faints*

    1. Rose by Any Other Name

      … I read “faints” as “farts” and laughed.

  11. Dara

    Oh gods Dorothy is sufferiiiiiiiiiiiiing

    she’ll figure it out, Dots. Have faith.

    1. Mano308gts

      I read that ‘o-okay’ as becoming accepting- she’s finally cast aside her doubts and instead acknowledging her friend’s agency.

      1. Coatl

        Well, after the reveal, it’s understandable that Dorothy finally lets Joyce make her decisions.

  12. Animedingo

    That’s the top bunk how did she do that

    1. True Survivor

      I have no idea. Her unnatural powers are growing.

      1. jeffepp

        Drunk teleporting isn’t a good idea. At least she got a look first, though. If she’d done it blind, she and Joe could have become truly joined at the hip.

    2. BBCC

      There is no ‘top bunk’. It’s a loft bed. Which…still does not sound drunk friendly, no.

      1. John Campbell

        Alternately, they’re all top bunks.

        1. David DeLaney

          Joe sleeps in one, and Joe is a top (at the moment). Therefore…

    3. furubatsu

      Joyce has mastered sneaking into beds to joyfully wake the girls up over the school year for this express purpose.

      1. Steelbright

        That IS a canonically supported explanation, i embrace it

    4. Needfuldoer

      Maybe she can teleport to Joe, too.

    5. Mturtle7

      She’s clearly been taking lessons from Dina in teleportation!

  13. John Campbell

    Yeah, well, no one asked you, AG.

    1. Nathan

      Right?

    2. Sirksome

      She’s very judgmental isn’t she?

    3. HueSatLight

      Her cape is a wet blanket.

    4. Mark

      It’s not bad advice. It’s casting it in the imperative mood that makes it abrasive.

      1. zee

        Hard to drink in a safer environment when you can’t legally buy alcohol. Oh hey there it is, one of the many reasons having a high drinking age is stupid

      2. Matthew Davis

        I am now going to think of the imperative case as the Batman case.

  14. Mano308gts

    No lie, Joyce’s been fire this whole storyline.

    Drunk Joyce is surprisingly percipient.

    Also triangle grin is best grin.

    1. Switchchris26

      Joyce is the best kind of Drunk.

    2. Holly

      Even when it’s Faz’s?

      1. pope suburban

        That doesn’t count, as it’s a leer.

    3. Amós Batista

      One of best storylines, I won’t deny.

  15. DailyBrad

    Super cute, though now part of me is wondering if she ditched her pants for bed and is gonna have to try to dodge Danny in the morning, since that’s the same shirt she’s got on and it doesn’t look like she headed back for jammies.

    1. John Campbell

      Sal, in the next bed: “Hey, that’s my shirt!”

      1. jeffepp

        +
        (Do we still do that? I know it’s been like several internetz lifetimes. Hank’s had cancer, and all.)

    2. Shakes

      “Joyce: Pants or no pants?” is totally a poll topic over which wars would be fought.

      I’m gonna say she’s still wearing pants. At the start of the storyline she couldn’t even fall asleep next to Joe, so baby steps.

  16. DarkoNeko

    dude you need to learn to lock your door

    1. True Survivor

      I know. Though, to be fair, Amber and Sal kept showing up through the window, so maybe bothering to lock the door just seems like a futile gesture at this point.

      Also, they don’t run the risk of accidentally locking themselves out of the room, like I did – a lot.

    2. Loki

      Might she have a key?

    3. Cimorene

      Doors in my dorm automatically locked. RAs were constantly having to use the master key to let people back in. One night the RAs were doing the lights out check sweeps and we had our door open. One RA grabbed my roommate’s stuffy and ran out with it. His partner was like “???” And he and my roomie stood outside in the hall, I chased him down, jumped on his back with arms around his neck/shoulders and I flapped like a cape and fell on the ground as he locked himself in our dorm. The RA on our floor had to come down and threaten to get their boss if he didn’t let us back in and surrender the stuffy.

      I worked the front desk and the same guy yelled at drunks that broke the elevator to shut up or else they’d run out of air.

    4. morleuca

      Ours had combination locks. Which work fine until your idiot roommate gives it to everyone he meets in a desperate hope that someone, anyone, would come visit him and he’d get laid.

    5. Mark

      That bothered me too.

      Maybe Dorothy has been teaching her to pick locks, while our attention was elsewhere.

    6. smolgrlboi

      another comment pointed out that Jacob likely let Joyce in

  17. Shorduie

    Mad respect for Joyce, as always

  18. Vanessa

    Aw how cute.

    1. Vanessa

      He’s going to be absolutely petrified when he wake up isn’t he?

      1. Coatl

        Obviously terrified, but at some point flattered

      2. Reltzik

        For some definition of petrified, I’m sure.

      3. Ray

        Well, at least SOME of him might end up petrified. As long as it doesn’t last more than 4 hours…..

        1. Chris

          ISWYDT! 🙂

      4. thejeff

        Wonder how she’ll react when she sobers up and wakes up there.

  19. Blume

    AWGHHHH AWWWWW AGHSHEJJS GOOD.

  20. Yvonne

    I like how Joyce and Joe’s relationship is permanently stuck on “cute” mode.

    I know it’s a slightly more sinister thing about how people see their own relationships differently than other people’s (Joyce being the viewpoint character / quasi-insert character in this version) thematically, but it’s still one of the more genuine-feeling relationships in the strip so far.

    I guess probably because all the hesitation and the whole “two different people who want four different contradictory things out of the relationship” part is left in but not overdramatized, maybe? Or maybe just because this version of Joe deserves literally none of the crap he gets and has basically been catching interdimensional flak for stuff other versions of him from a decade ago did. Can’t quite put my finger on it yet.

    1. thejeff

      Can we at least accept that this version of Joe started out with serious issues and has had character development? I mean, Joyce gets that.

      1. zee

        Yeah it pisses me off how much people act like Joe wasn’t an asshole before. It’s disrespectful to the character. They’re dismissing all the work he put in to change, what’s the point of a redemption arc if there was apparently not much to redeem

    2. David DeLaney

      Well … a decade or a semester and a half.

      –Dave, sliding timescales warp the lore in odd ways

    3. Taffy

      You don’t have to make things up about interdimensional flak, Joe started out as a shithead in this comic, the one we’re all allegedly reading and commenting on. It’s stupid to act like he wasn’t, just so you can make some vague jab at nobody who actually exists.

  21. Qube

    oh this’ll end well

  22. Kim

    Sw, poor Dorothy 🙁 not easy when your crush wants to cuddle up with her boyfriend </3

    1. BarerMender

      Fuckin’ boyfriends.

      1. Reltzik

        I don’t think she’s ready for THAT just yet, but…

        1. John Campbell

          She wants to watch Dorothy do it first.

        2. David DeLaney

          Joe: “With Joyce’s permission, I am good to go all in on this educational diorama!”

      2. BarerMender

        But yeah. Dorothy’s expression in the fourth frame is sadness and disappointment.

        1. Mark

          I read it as “I can’t save her, so learn to live with it.”

  23. BBCC

    Ohhhh, this is adorable! I’m glad all went well and nothing really bad happened. Poor Joyce hasn’t had the greatest experiences around drinking so this is nice to see.

    And because Willis said he really wanted to put this as the alt text but couldn’t because he needed to announce the end of storyline…

    Joyce: I consent!
    Dorothy: I consent!
    Amazi-Girl: I don’t!

    1. Holly

      And Joe doesn’t get a say in it… not that I think he would mind, but if Sarah comes for him in the morning assuming the worst it becomes more relevant!

    2. Sajuuk-Khar

      Oh no I missed this lmaoooo

      Truly wish he could’ve put it in the alt-text. Alas, heavy is the head that wears the crown

  24. WolfPerson

    After a wonderful night with her girlfriend, Joyce settles down in bed with her boyfriend.

    1. RassilonTDavros

      I wish I could like comments on this site.

    2. Steelbright

      Haha, all the polys can dream can’t we

      1. justin8448

        It’s gonna happen, I just know it!

        1. Mr D

          25 IRL years later (and, like, a week in-comic):
          “Aaaaany day now!”

    3. Amós Batista

      We got a winner.

    4. Imogen

      Dorothy’s all like, “what, no kiss goodnight? ,_, not that id want one, 0 on the kinsey scale, haha just a joke haha haha ha”

  25. foducool

    basically, Joe didn’t get a girlfriend, he got a cat

    1. Coatl

      So it seems

    2. Opus the Poet

      A cat like Gary Seven’s cat from ST:TOS (deep cut, but very funny one at the end of the episode).

    3. David DeLaney

      cats that sleep with you every night – for example, with your legs bent at the knees and flat on the bed in a diamond shape, with the cat inside – are just THE best thing

      as opposed to the shy outside cat at a house i visited for the clipse, who apparently would LEAP upon the guy every morning, causing him to LEAP and swear furiously in turn, cue vanishing qat. The lady thought the cat liked the commotion involved.

      –Dave, when a cat sleeps next to/on you, you know it’s because they like you. OR because they KNOW you find it annoying. or both.

  26. Dday

    That-… that’s not our adorably repressed Joyce! She’s acting like some kind of Anti-Opposite-Inverted-Joyce!

  27. RassilonTDavros

    …oh, Dotty’s down bad.

  28. Reaver

    JOYCE TAKE YOUR MAKEUP OFF FIRST!

    1. BBCC

      Yeah, her skin is gonna be mad tomorrow.

      1. zee

        She’s 18, she can tank it for now.

        1. zee

          Come to think of it does Joyce have a good makeup remover? I’m sure she has face wash but that’s not really enough, esp for eye makeup. Maybe Sarah has some, or better yet coconut oil. My favorite makeup remover, only thing that can get those long stay matte liquid lips off without just eroding that layer of skin

    2. Aubrey

      I’m sober now, but drunk early twenties me pretty much never took her makeup off before bed. A bad habit, but I (and my skin) survived to tell the tale.

  29. Amelie Wikström

    Ways to get safely drunk in the US when you’re only like 20:
    *Don’t get narced on, so stay with a small group of friends you trust
    *Don’t go to a bar since there may be strangers
    *Don’t steal booze
    *Don’t get a fake ID
    *Don’t pay off a middleman to buy booze for you
    *Definitely don’t distill booze yourself
    Am I missing something? It feels like I’m missing something.

    1. Reltzik

      Don’t drink non-booze alcohol as if it’s booze.

      1. Needfuldoer

        I see.

        (Because I don’t drink non-booze alcohol.)

    2. Amelie Wikström

      Oh, least of all go to a party. That’s been tried.

      1. Steelbright

        Don’t drive ANYTHING or ANYWHERE.

        But I think there are some do’s too….mostly…eat lots of food and drink lots of water when you’re done!

        What’s non-booze alcohol? Is booze a specific kind of alcohol??

        1. Reltzik

          Booze is alcohol meant for drinking.

          An example of non-booze alcohol would be rubbing alcohol.

        2. Amelie Wikström

          Well, you don’t have to worry about that until you’ve got something to drink and somewhere to do it. (Your own dorm? No no. History has shown that leads to depression spirals and suicide pacts.)

        3. Mark

          There are many linear alcohols. Other than ethanol, I’m not sure any are suitable for consumption. Methanol: bad. Propanol stinks. Butanol smells like bananas. Etc.

          There are cyclic alcohols. There are more complex alcohols. I have no idea what any of them does to human in’ards. I’m not going to try to find out by experiment.

        4. CJ

          Methanol makes you blind if you survive larger amounts.
          That’s why it’s a bad idea to destill your own spirits if you don’t know really well how to do that.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_methanol_poisoning_incidents

          Cyclic alcohols tend to be cancer-inducing.
          There’s actually a Wikipedia article on other alcohols in drinks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_psychoactive_alcohols_in_alcoholic_drinks

        5. David DeLaney

          see also: absinthe

          –Dave, the Green Fairy

        6. Van Jealous

          Yes, some of us have totally terrible toluene tolerance!

        7. HueSatLight

          I like how “smells like bananas” makes something unfit for human consumption.

    3. Dday

      Brewing your own beer or hard cider is fairly safe if you use the right equipment and follow the directions. Distilling your own liquor is outstandingly dangerous.

  30. Icalasari

    Joe’s gonna be surprised 😀

    1. David DeLaney

      Noah Webster to his wife, upon being caught in the closet with the chambermaid: “No, dear – _I_ am surprised. _You_ are startled.”

  31. Steelbright

    oh my god, it’s too cute, I am slain. I imagine he’s gonna be slain by cuteness as well when he wakes up… and then immediately thereafter have to deal with baby’s first hangover. godspeed, Joe, you lucky bastard

  32. Shakes

    Cute book-ends for this storyline. Joyce forcing herself to stay awake with Joe in her bed to being comfortable to sleeping in Joe’s bed (with Joe.)

  33. staszu13

    Haven’t decided if last panel is cute or creepy

    1. eskimolos

      cute. if they didn’t have a prior relationship dynamic and having shared a bed before (even if joyce didn’t sleep or cuddle), maybe creepy. But this is a boyfriend and girlfriend sleep-cuddling, with the girlfriend overcoming her reasons for touch aversion.

    2. Miri

      It would be creepy if there was any reason to think Joe would object to this. He may well be flustered (morning wood, not sure if Joyce will remember nothing happened and could get upset, maybe initially panic that HE forgot their first time together, possibly unsure about what she expects from him…) – and I’m not sure how much experience “waking up in bed cuddling a girlfriend” he has (am guessing none, and possibly very little experience waking up cuddling a girl who he slept next to, too) – so there may be an initial awkward moment, but “Joyce feels safe being vulnerable with me. She trusts me” is a good thing for him to know and one I think will make him very happy. He loves her. He worries he isn’t good enough for her but he trusts her judgement and he’s trying so hard to be his best self…

      Also, he has fallen asleep in her bed before so it’s not a huge step up in intimacy. The main difference is that she’s also sleeping, and it’s a deliberate decision.

      Would generally advocate for asking somebody “can I stay over?” If this isn’t something reasonably established, mind.

      Still cute. Not necessarily the perfect approach to the situation, but I reckon when he wakes up he’ll be glad she got back to the Halls safely, she had a good night, etc.

      1. Mark

        I don’t think he’ll object ultimately, but those first moments of wakefulness are gonna give his heart a good stress test.

    3. Bash

      It’s ben established that Joe is okay with the idea of them sleeping in the same bed, and even welcomes it. Maybe it’s not great that she invited herself in, but it doesn’t seem that bad either.

    4. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      A possible problem is Joyce wondering if they did anything besides cuddle and she doesn’t remember because of the alcohol.

      (I don’t know how drunk you have to be before memory loss happens, but I doubt Joyce does either.)

      1. Miri

        Depends on the person. The one night I don’t remember properly involved drinking vodka from a pint glass in my teens (I didn’t think it was “working”… Then it hit me). I do remember vomiting egregiously, though.

        I didn’t feel great the next morning (had been sick a lot, hence it coming out through mouth, nose and eye sockets. Had not previously known that was possible. Eyes were very swollen the next day. Was probably massively dehydrated, and probably still processing some of the alcohol)…

        But have also still never had a hangover, 24 years on… People told me at some point in my 20s, then my 30s, that’d kick in. I don’t often drink (maybe once or twice a month on average) but I’m going to be 40 this year, and some quirk of biology means I may just be lucky in this regard! (maybe it’s the chronic migraines? Maybe there just isn’t room to experience a hangover on top?)

        Alcohol affects people differently. Like a lot of people are happy drunks. I won’t drink if I’m down because I learnt as a teen that’s how to be the party pooper sobbing in the loos and worrying people (didn’t think I was worth worrying about so felt guilty worrying them. But also alcohol can make people properly spiral into depression so it’s not a bad rule to keep even though I’ve ditched the cripplingly low self-esteem). Other people get aggressive when they drink (or are fine if they drink X but angry when they drink Y)…

        Be interesting to see how Joyce is tomorrow ☺️

    5. Amós Batista

      Since first pages of this storyline, my guess is it’s cute. And great step for Joyce.

  34. Amós Batista

    Surprised that Joe’s name didn’t appear in the chat, while they were drinking.
    I wonder what was inside Dorothy’s mind about him.

  35. DJTsurugi

    well… that’s a slipshine XD ~<3

  36. Sajuuk-Khar

    To quote the great Willis themself:

    “Joyce: I consent!
    Dorothy: I consent!
    Amazi-Girl: *I* don’t!!”

  37. Freezer

    And then our young lovers confront the next hurdle in their journey: Morning wood!

    1. David DeLaney

      Joe’s morning wood definitely morning _will_

      –Dave, Adam: “Stand back, I don’t know how big this thing is gonna get!”

  38. DorJoJo

    IT’S HAPPENING EVERYBODY STAY CALM IT’S ACTUALLY HAPPENING

    Joe/Joyce is peak shipping material and I hope they go the distance.

    1. Rowan

      Me too – I’ve been rooting for them for so long! This is one of the cutest strips ☺️

  39. CianM1301

    Can’t wait for Joe to wake up tomorrow to see Joyce in his bed and start wondering A) how she got there without him realizing, and B) if they did anything without him realizing.

  40. GUIGUI

    She is alike a cat.

  41. Suet

    Immersion is part of the environment… say, if you end the strip at panel 5, it feels more ominous

    *plays “I Can Change” by LCD Soundsystem*

  42. ADLegend21

    so…..are we gonna deal with Joe’s self loathing more?

    1. Superducked

      I mean, i hope so? Joe deserves character development as well

  43. Moon

    Honestly kudos to the author for resisting the temptation to end today’s strip in a baity way with just the sliver panel #4 and not the resolving last two.

    1. Amós Batista

      this entire storyline was surfing entirely in bait ngl

      1. Imogen

        At this point, if there’s not *something* building to a boil between Dorothy and Joyce, the story and metacommentary are just actively trying to trick us.

  44. Needfuldoer

    Aww…

    Somebody’s in for a surprise in the morning! Hopefully he doesn’t roll over and accidentally smoosh her overnight.

  45. Francoinblanco

    Something something consent something something decisions after drinking alcohol something something Joe’s fault

    1. Schpoonman

      Damn, you nailed Sarah’s thought process.

  46. Mr.Morningstar

    aaaaaw

  47. M!a

    Aw! She’s such a cute lil spoon… ❤️

  48. Da Boy

    Awwwww, Just don’t barf in his bed XD

  49. DashWallkick

    I like that Dorothy’s face is a combination of “I’m not comfortable being given advice about my life and identity” and also “…what? are…are we talking about me still, or…?” because Joyce is about to go cuddle with her boyfriend and if something happens it’s okay because she’s still Joyce.

    It’s such a beautiful way to integrate her neuroses about Hell and sin with Dorothy who feels that failure is exactly as scary.

    1. Imogen

      I dunno, I read it as a mix of confused and *maybe* a little hurt that Joyce isn’t going to walk her back to her room, or nervous because Joyce changing is kind of scary to Dorothy, who depends on her so much!

  50. Yeet

    man, amazigirl, just offer to go with them if you’re that worried
    pubs might not be the safest but encouraging people to cut themselves off from ever potential danger ever puts you closer to being just amber but fighty than you’d probably like

    1. Big Z

      Almost as though Amazi-girl was born from the consequences of a major life event in which a normally safe place was much more dangerous than could be reasonably anticipated, skewing her perception of such things forever.

  51. chuckroast

    CUTE.

  52. Allison Branford

    I love Joyce panel three, That’s so Beautiful and important to remember!

  53. Solace

    Muy heart!

  54. Nicoleandmaggie

    Gah, what does it say about me that my first thought was she needs to drink more water after that walk to minimize chance for hangover and since she didn’t Joe is going to be taking care of her headache instead of anything else when she wakes up.

    1. Nicoleandmaggie

      Maybe she had another glass, used the restroom, and finger-brushed her teeth off camera.

      1. DorJoJo

        Assuming the best? How very Joyce-like of you.

    2. Clell65619

      A drinking virgin (as in ‘first experience with alcohol) after a flight of whiskey? She’s gonna be puking at some point tonight.

  55. Taffy

    Amazi-Girl, don’t express concern about your friends.
    Dorothy, don’t respect Joyce’s agency.
    Joyce, don’t be comfortable with your boyfriend.

    1. Da Boy

      We are entering a most heretical era
      Smarting of Age!

    2. HueSatLight

      They should interpret AG’s statement as an offer for her to buy acquire alcohol for them so they can get drunk in a safer environment.

      1. Taffy

        She volunteered explicitly, we all saw it. It’s canon that Amazi-Girl will be getting and delivering the drinks next time.

  56. Schpoonman

    So the first thing Joe is going to see in the morning is “hottified” Joyce.

    1. David DeLaney

      s/see/feel/

  57. Woof McGee

    Thoughts and prayers for all the Dorothy/Joyce shippers.

    1. Amós Batista

      :'(

    2. Tesset

      (´｡• ω •｡`)

    3. Superducked

      Now now, they were gonna have to stop kidding themselves eventually.

      1. Amós Batista

        No

      2. John Campbell

        Not really sure who you think was unaware that Joyce has a boyfriend whom she’s into. Even Dorothy knows that.

  58. ValdVin

    Wait, she’s not going to split into her human side and her gem side?

  59. Big Z

    Good for you, Joyce.

  60. Amós Batista

    Joyce: Joe, take your clothes now. I’ll use your body.
    Joe: *sleeping* mmmmrg…mrilommm…
    Joe: *sudden male excitation from his pants*
    Joyce: What.. it is… happening.
    Joe: uhhmmmgm… body’s not ready… spritit… ‘s ready…
    Jesus: See? That’s all Dorothy’s fault, keeps calling my name in vain. Next time, I’ll turn your fricking drinks in water.

  61. Chubsius

    They’re barely out the elevator and Joyce “Jugs” Brown has already got her shoes off. Dranks Joyce is wild.

    1. Amós Batista

      Boots are cool, but it can be painful after some hours on feet…

  62. Adept

    Joyce is like a kitten in the last two panels 🙂

  63. Hof1991

    How far back in comic time was the night Joe fell asleep and Joyce huddled as far away from him as possible? Maybe Dorothy has reassured her enough to calm her worst fears.

    1. Schpoonman

      That was last night/this morning.

    2. HueSatLight

      And Sarah. That’s who she was bouncing ideas off of when she was looking up Tristan.

  64. Luminous Lead

    Joe doesn’t lock his door? Yikes.

    1. Da Boy

      It’s possible that Jacob let her in… Jacob is Joe’s roomie, right?

      1. nicoleandmaggie

        Danny?

        1. Da Boy

          Oh right! Right! Jacob roomies with Ethan.

    2. Taffy

      Guys don’t have to worry about that stuff as much.

      1. Da Boy

        I’m a guy and I lock my door, SA is possibility for men too but there is also stuff like regular break ins, assault, stealing.

        1. Taffy

          as much

        2. Da Boy

          Yeah I know, I was just pointing out SA is not the only thing to worry about.

        3. Taffy

          k

        4. HueSatLight

          Joe and Danny probably use their judgment based on the amount of that stuff happening in that residence hall, which requires a student ID to enter. Vs the inconvenience of having to unlock the door every time they use it.

        5. nicoleandmaggie

          In my head cannon, Danny is still out with Sal and Joe has left the door unlocked for him. : )

  65. HueSatLight

    Out of frame, for panel 6, Joyce accidentally crawls into Danny’s bed first.

  66. Josh Spicer

    God I sincerely hope when they wake-up (like if someone sees Joyce leaving the room or somebody randomly finds them together) there isn’t a huge bout of miscommunication.

    That shit needs to die.

    1. Taffy

      Man, I’m so mad about this thing that might not even happen. Literally shaking and quaking over a scenario I made up on my own.

      1. Josh Spicer

        Not sure where you got “viscerally filled with rage” from my comment, but bet.

        Never said “this thing is going to happen” or “this thing that doesn’t exists makes me wanna explode”. Just said that I’m tired of a trope that could feasibly happen in the story or something that generally happens in stories in a similar scenario.

        1. Taffy

          ?Yeah, alright.

    2. Mark

      Keep hope alive, but mis-communication and no-communication are two of the main engines that drive these stories.

  67. Felian

    tfw you need to *get drunk* in order to cuddle with your boyfriend.
    tfw you need to learn that reaching the last stretch of the slippery slope is morally okay, so you are no longer worried to do the things that you were taught would lead to said slippery slope.

    1. morleuca

      She didn’t need to get drunk to cuddle with Joe, she needed Dorothy to be a duck so she could reson through her lifelong insecurities based on her upbringing.

  68. Jennifer Bak

    Okay, so while it’s cute she crawled into bed with Joe and is snuggling with him and I’m sure we all assume he will be happy with this, I still find it a bit of an issue if she didn’t wake him to ask if this was okay. Assumed consent from a sleeping person isn’t cool, especially since they haven’t done this together before, even though Joe has done this a lot in the past with a lot of other people.

    1. thejeff

      They slept together last night, though Joyce was too stressed by it and sat up instead of cuddling.

      It’s a bit of an issue, but about as small a one as you can expect.

      1. Jennifer Bak

        Oh! Right. So much time passes IRL between comic days that I forgot they had attempted this last night, too. So yes, that makes the problem even smaller. Thanks for the reminder. 🙂

    2. Dday

      Maybe the plot twist is that Joe actually did consent to sleep snuggling in advance?

  69. HueSatLight

    I hope we discover who Joe and Danny share a half-bath with next chapter. That is the most important revelation / story development I can think of.

    I’m guessing Jim and Bryan. Maybe Peter if it’s going to be a source of drama.

    1. Taffy

      Peter seems like the kind of guy who pisses without looking or aiming, to avoid becoming queer or whatever. I really hope his nasty ass isn’t polluting poor Danny’s bathroom.

      1. HueSatLight

        pooping standing up, because sitting down on the toilet is effeminate.

  70. Imogen

    The Chaos Scenario is averted another day. Can’t keep running forever, though.

  71. Warmth

    Blackout or not, I believe Joyce will regret that last decision in the morning.
    Do make decisions while tipsy/drunk but don’t, DON’T carry them out until sober!

  72. Roborat

    And this is how she discovers that Joe sleeps naked.

  73. wakeangel2001

    so there ARE other ways to get drunk and wake up in some guy’s bed…

  74. LibraryDragon

    It’s not exactly PMHP but she is in his bed, soooo I guess Joe called it?

    https://www.dumbingofage.com/2011/comic/book-1/06-yesterday-was-thursday/frequency/

    1. Amós Batista

      ugh, that’s right

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