233

Determination
Posted on September 21, 2015 by David M Willis

233 thoughts on “Determination”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    So Jacob’s working at Shortpacked! again, looks like? Or he just still has the uniform?

    1. Mada

      I’m telling you; it’s Crisis on Infinite Willisverses.

      1. Someone

        eventually they will have to face walky prime.

        1. Tacos

          Naw, Anti-Willis. Walky Prime will just Retcon Punch stuff.

        2. Someone

          Willis would be the one-above-all

        3. Someone

          fuck just remembered thats a marvel character.

        4. GoldStarz

          You’re thinking of The Presence

        5. Spencer

          One Above All is Marvel (and is also Jack Kirby), The Presence is the Judeo Christian God in DC.

        6. DudeMyDadOwnsADealership

          The one who fired Eclipso and replaced him with The Spectre?

        7. Spencer

          Indeed. In the DCU the Christian God is the defacto head of creation.

          I kind of prefer how Marvel does it with a vague God Above Gods instead.

        8. DudeMyDadOwnsADealership

          Or the Fulcrum, assuming the theory that The One Above All and the Fulcrum (aka “Jack”) aren’t one and the same. Often believed they are, due to the Celestials being an both an enigma and more a source of prologue for the bulk of the major players in the Marvel Universe than actual players themselves. I know they’ve been making recent appearances in Marvel Comics under a decade old, but I don’t think it’s yet been made clear if The Fulcrum is an actual Celestial in addition to being the entity all their actions serve…

    2. Stephen R. Bierce

      Dickies had a sale on those shirts. I know, I have one myself!

      1. Clif

        You have a sale yourself?

    3. Doctor_Who

      This is Shortpacked! Jacob. It’s hard to get work after your webcomic ends, so he works as a body double for DoA Jacob.

      1. Ana Chronistic

        Other Other-Jacob?

  2. gkheyf

    wowee, this story thread has been a long time coming!

    1. Clif

      Mere weeks.

  3. AgentKeen

    Oh man, this isn’t going to go well.

    1. gkheyf

      nah, it’ll be fine. sarah is clearly using the force. though, admittedly, it is the dark side. but hey, beggars can’t be choosers!

      1. inqntrol

        How to recruit people to the Dark Side:,,Join the Dark Side! We got cookies!”
        Later:,,What? You surprised we lied about the cookies?”

        1. gkheyf

          but the cake is definitely, definitely real

        2. Idon'tcarenomore

          So says my shirt 🙂
          Works well for recruiting all the cookie lovers.
          So sad.

      2. Disloyal Subject

        Meh. The Dark Side is basically just embracing emotion and harnessing its power. If the Jedi weren’t so blindly opposed to it, maybe it wouldn’t be mainly dangerously unhinged individuals resorting to it.
        Yes, I’m biased, but emotional repression is generally a bad idea, and too many Jedi choose it over true serenity.
        …anyway, Jedi, Sith, or adept, Sarah would make a frightfully competent force-user.

        1. Leorale

          It’s been suggested that, to become the most powerful force-person, one would instead find a balance between both sides.

        2. Disloyal Subject

          I hold firmly to that philosophy. The most successful Sith are those that can harness their emotions without abandoning rational thought.
          The Jedi and Sith were, in the setting’s ancient history, a single order. (Depending on which sources you believe.) Dark and light are two sides of the same coin; trying to isolate them will only end in suffering.

        3. Yet_One_More_Idiot

          The hate is strong in this one….

        4. Disloyal Subject

          To feel love, joy, anger, and yes, even hate, is to be human.
          Hate is kinda overrated though. It’s not worth the power it gives.

        5. Yet_One_More_Idiot

          Yeah, true for most maybe, but Sarah’s hate is so much more abundant than all her other emotions combined, it still makes up the majority of her power. xD

        6. sjmcc13

          If only the RPG’s were set up to allow that as an option…

        7. timemonkey

          Some fun facts about the Force for you:
          1) The Dark Side is inherently unnatural, it’s not supposed to exist it’s like a cancer in the Force.
          2) It drives it’s users batshit nuts
          3) It’s addictive and only works for negative emotions
          4) You can’t balance the Dark side with the true Force

        8. DarkoNeko

          To begin with, the Force isn’t supposed to be the “light side”. it’s supposeed to the the equilibrum.

        9. Nena

          True. Jedi and Sith are at the extreme ends of the spectrum. Something in the middle would probably be more healthy. =)

        10. Clif

          Just like good and evil are extreme ends of the spectrum. Something in the middle is obviously much more healthy. =0

        11. Clif

          Maybe we could just enslave half the human race and use that to better the lives of the other half.

        12. Ana Chronistic

          I believe white people already tried that

        13. timemonkey

          Nah, the white people were never united. They conquered everyone because they could it didn’t make their lives better it just made everyone else’s lives worse.

        14. timemonkey

          No. Jedi are the equilibrium. They’re supposed to be balanced. The Dark side uses negative emotions to corrupt the Force.

        15. Steve

          Disloyal, have you noticed too that the ultimate result of following the good side of the Force is death and defeat while the Dark Side wins over and over again? That wasn’t the light Darth Vader used to save the day in Return of the Jedi…

      3. Toes14

        Maybe she can use the force when Toedad comes back. (Waives hand) “This isn’t the lesbian daughter you are looking for.”

      4. DudeMyDadOwnsADealership

        The Let Raidah Take Your Morose Bottom To Hell With You Force, I’d say. We’ve already seen evidence that Raidah is simply going to get sneakier and more investable with her Jerry Springer bullshit, but Sarah is heading down a path that could turn her into an actual net loss….Mike’s missing this. I just realized. He should watch this.

  4. Dreadhawk177

    Panel 4 derpface…

  5. Cephalo the Pod

    Jacob’s shirt looks a little Shortpacked.

  6. Plasma Mongoose

    She really wants to ping Raidah, doesn’t she?

    1. jy3

      Is that what they’re calling it now?

      1. Opus the Poet

        Well “ping” is hit once, AKA Gibbslap. You’re thinking “Pound into a fine red mist.”

        1. Plasma Mongoose

          But I couldn’t think of a euphemism that would work with Raidah’s name to convey that sort of violence.

        2. Deanatay

          She really wants to ‘Raid’ Raidah.

          As in, the insect killer.

          In her FACE.

        3. Roborat

          You have been around this forum long enough, you know better.

          it is “FAAAAAACCCCCEEEE”

          (note, number of As, Cs and Es chosen at random)

    2. BenRG

      This is beginning to feel like the scenario that usually ends with a kid, flying high on anti-depressants, walking into a classroom with a bootleg assault rifle and shotgun.

      1. Clif

        Ultimately you’re right; it’s just that Jacob is the one eventually with the shotgun. The scenario is more complicated than you imagine. If you recall from other universes, he is a sexual addict waiting to happen. This is how it starts.

      2. Kryss LaBryn

        Anti-depressants don’t get you high any more than insulin does.

        1. de Combys

          You’re telling me I’ve been sniffing those all those years for *nothing*? Dang.

      3. David M Willis

        when has that ever been a scenario

        1. BenRG

          I don’t know… Just about every mass shooting in recent history? Especially in a higher education establishment?

        2. Spencer

          Having some form of mental illness that requires medication does not mean you’re liable to snap and start murdering everyone around you.

          Now a culture that romanticizes the shooters and puts every detail of them on display for the public to gawk at, as well as a near unrestricted access to firearms? Pretty sure that contributes more than a little.

        3. BenRG

          The problem is, of course, that you don’t need mental illness to have been prescribed anti-depressants.

          However, that is a strawman and it isn’t the point I’m making. The point is that I’m trying to make is that this is the sort of scenario that can and does lead to stress-related illnesses and destructive ideation. Ideation that, as Spencer points out, is very, very easy to turn into a reality.

        4. David M Willis

          what do you think antidepressants do that you think that people without depression using them is somehow an alarming problem

          i mean, first you say they get you high, now you’re saying there’s some epidemic of non-depressed people using them and going on rampages

          do you have some sort of huge ass you’re yanking this from or just some awful anti-gmo or conspiracy website

        5. BenRG

          The particular anti-depressants I’m talking about are SSRIs, a family of psychiatric medicines that also include some recent powerful anti-psychotics. By their manufacturers’ own admission, one side effect (although they claim it is a rare one), they cause extremely violent and suicidal ideation in some users or if the user stops taking them suddenly. There is also well-documented concerns that doctors prescribe high-power psychiatric medication to treat stress and unhappiness, which they have misdiagnosed as depression.

        6. David M Willis

          Just saying, man, basically everyone I’ve ever known is on anti-depressants, and it’s the reason they’re still alive, and none of them have ever felt the need to shoot up a school. They do, however, get fucking shade from everybody about how antidepressants are awful and terrible and nobody really needs them and stuff like what you said above. You can’t even fucking say the word “anti-depressants” without some rando going off on a spiel about how they’re overdiagnosed. It’s tiring.

        7. Clif

          I could well believe that if you snap and start murdering everyone around you it could lead to some form of mental illness.

          Whether you can get high on anti-depressants is empirically testable, but I must personally decline because I fear it would interfere with my current experiments to determine if contemplation of theoretical physics can drive drive you mad.

          You can imagine my disappointment if the answer turns out to be “no.”

        8. sjmcc13

          If the answer is no, you are not working on a high enough level of theory…

        9. Willoughby Chase

          I’ve been on antidepressants twice, and I’m still on them from the second time.

          The anti-depressant problems seen in the current class of drugs I’m using are related to the initial first week or two. Mood-swings are the main characteristics. Suicides and deaths related to, say, thinking you can fly, are the ones I’ve seen documented. I felt just little too happy, then sad. My moods stabilized after a while, which is the normal (hate that phrase, but can’t think of a better) reaction.

          I’ve been on the one I’ve been on for 5 years. I’ve yet to go postal.

          I still get happy, sad, angry. I don’t however wish to go walking off the roof. Bad times.

          So for me, anti-depressants have helped immensely.

          HTH

        10. de Combys

          Unfortunately, for some suceptible people, anti-depressant medication can trigger an unprecedented manic episode, which can potentially lead to destructive behaviour if left unchecked. But that’s more a problem of how they’re prescribed than the meds themselves. Like a renowned psychiatrist said : “We are the only profession which doesn’t look at the organ we’re supposed to treat, so we really are just throwing darts in the dark and hoping it doesn’t harm the patient.”

          Perhaps that was what he meant by “high”. High as in manic, not stoned.

        11. Hotsauce

          Sadly, it’s not just BenRG
          http://www.naturalnews.com/039752_mass_shootings_psychiatric_drugs_antidepressants.html#

        12. David M Willis

          yeah see above re: “anti-gmo or conspiracy websites”

        13. Tenn

          “a kid, flying high on anti-depressants”
          “Just about every mass shooting in recent history”
          “The particular anti-depressants I’m talking about are SSRIs”

          I’m still not entirely convinced that you don’t have a fucking clue what you’re talking about. If you could say something like “They’re putting it in our water supply! Big Pharma! Argle bargle!”, that would really help.

          Seriously, SSRIs are the weaksauce of antidepressants. They can take weeks to kick in, they aren’t addictive, and they most certainly don’t make you high. A glass of wine makes me higher than SSRIs ever did.

          As for side effects: what isn’t on those lists? They’re either hilarious or frightening, depending on how hypochondriacal you are, but the bottom line is, you either take antidepressants with heaps of possible side effects, or you don’t take antidepressants. There can be a lot of a trial and error, because the brain is still far from fully understood, and people are different. Nevertheless, SSRIs are routinely prescribed as a first line of defense against depression, before (perhaps unnecessarily) trying the stronger stuff.

    3. Willoughby Chase

      DDOS time. More pings than you can shake a stick at.

  7. Tayo

    sarah would make a great motivational hate-mongr–err speaker. motivational speaker

    1. Disloyal Subject

      Actually, she seems to be pretty bad at communicating motivation, and the key to sowing hate isn’t just hating – it’s giving people a reason to hate.

      1. Clif

        Don’t you hate speakers like that? Oh, wait.

  8. Kirsten

    LET THE HATE CONSUME YOU!!

    1. Disloyal Subject

      UNLIMITED! POOWAAHHH!!

      1. Durandal_1707

        Unlimited rice pudding!

        1. Gamaran Sepudomyn

          50 McNuggets.

        2. Clif

          A nickle. And …

        3. Deanatay

          That petered out quickly.

        4. Willoughby Chase

          your mom

        5. Clif

          See? You have to wait for it.

        6. Stencil

          You mean like your mom waited for it last night?

  9. Mada

    To be fair, I’m hoping she can at least get a chance to give her side of the story with Dana and whatnot.

    1. Ana Chronistic

      I’d sure like to hear from DANA, tbh

      1. Spencer

        I think it might be for the best if we never see Dana again.

        One of the most effective things about the whole feud between Raidah and Sarah is that they’re both utterly convinced of their own righteousness, and I think we should always be guessing whether Sarah’s actions ultimately helped Dana.

  10. chris73

    I’m conflicted, normally I wouldn’t condone this type of behaviour but since its Sarah I’m preapred to be ok with it

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Funny you should say that considering who your gravatar is.

    2. gkheyf

      now i would just like everyone to envision all of the people that you have hated in your life. now imagine that they had been introduced to you as protagonists in this comic.

      isn’t it weird how we’re more sympathetic to sarah’s darkness because we grew to like her first and learned things from her perspective. wonder how we’d feel about blaine or toe-dad if we’d first learned in detail that they had terribly traumatic up-bringings

      1. Ana Chronistic

        We’d learn they have even less reason to be assholes than Mike.

        Anyway, I read Death Note, so don’t think it changes much.

        1. gkheyf

          wha-? who in death note has a traumatic past that gives us new appreciation for their perspective? as i recall, light had no issues and i liked him fine until his psychotic ego-trips dominated his character

        2. Clif

          The protagonist.

        3. Ana Chronistic

          I don’t know how you can like Light fine for flagrant MURDER, criminals or no. Remember, the second dude he killed was just being a bit of an arrogant jerk to a woman, nothing death-worthy.

        4. Ana Chronistic

          This page of Gunnerkrigg comes to mind, too–okay, maybe he had reasons, but that doesn’t excuse anything.

      2. Plasma Mongoose

        AKA Protagonist Centred Morality trope.

      3. chris73

        Well plotting to break up a relationship isn’t in the same league as Blaine or Toe-Dad so its all good for me, unless I’m merely trying to justify it to myself

        1. Deanatay

          Just think of it as a ‘reverse Parent Trap’. Wacky hijinks, lots of good clean fun, a relationship is shattered, everyone’s happy in the end. Well, except for the antagonists, whom no one is supposed to like, anyway – who cares about them?

      4. Smiling Cat

        Blaine may very well have (Toe-dad I figure is less likely). I still find it irrelevant. I even understand where Toe-dad is coming from. He sees himself as fighting to save his daughter from a universe gone wrong, where everything he’s been taught all his life to reject as unholy is becoming mundane.

        And he’s still wrong. Empathy and approval are two different beasts.

        Likewise, I get where Sara’s coming from. She’s still wrong.

        1. Disloyal Subject

          I dunno, ToeDad was raised in the same community as his daughter. Maybe not quite ‘traumatic,’ but certainly horrific, and it molded him into the antagonist he is today.
          It’s probably too late to fix him though, so whatever tragedy is in his backstory is ultimately irrelevant.

        2. gkheyf

          good, thank you. sarah and toe-dad are both wrong, it just bothers me how easily people sort sarah into the ‘good but wrong’ pile and the bad dads into the ‘evil terrible wrong’ pile before proceeding to exonerate one and vilify the others. some wrong people are much less excusable, but can’t we all just concede that, no matter how wrong someone is, they are still a person whose brain is working on some flawed logic?

          personally, i feel empathy but not approval for toe-dad as well. blaine, i just wish he’d get some anger management classes. sarah is trickier, but her earnest talk with dina was the closest i’ve seen her get to constructive introspection

        3. saki

          Blaine’s problem isn’t just anger management. He has control issues like old testament god! Plus given the nature of his ego, I can’t see how counseling would help since he seems like he’d simply reject the notion that there is anything wrong with him and his behaviour… Although, we don’t know enough about that character and his thought process for me to be certain about this.

        4. Spencer

          Blaine and Ross are “evil and wrong” because they, you know, abuse their loved ones. Sarah’s 20 years old. She doesn’t have the capacity to cause as much damage as they have.

        5. gkheyf

          but then evil is situational. if blaine were in jail, he would have very little capacity to hurt others. and would that mean that his behavior would be ok from a 20-year-old? the aspect of his character that i find most ‘evil’ is largely his ability to selfishly cause what he must be able to recognize as harm to others without remorse.

          ross doesn’t fall under this same label because he doesn’t see what he’s doing as harm. i do think that ross genuinely believes that he’s helping. with him, the most disagreeable character trait is his inability to recognize the harm he’s doing. if we should learn that he realizes how badly he’s hurting becky and that he’s doing all of this to her despite being aware that she can’t actually be cured or happy or redeemed, then that would be another step beyond him doing all of this with good intentions.

          sarah might have some just motives, but she may not have good intentions. her biggest redeeming quality is that at no point does she make the observer believe that she would stoop to intentionally causing serious harm. she plans to make raidah cry, but i don’t think that we expect he to intentionally or accidentally do anything as bad as what either of the dads have done.

          i’m not trying to pass final judgement on anyone, i’m just saying that if we decide to treat these characters like real people, then good and evil are complicated. and it couldn’t hurt to think a little harder before hating people in real life either.

        6. Ana Chronistic

          Not that I would disagree, but sadly there are plenty of 20yos (and younger!) who’ve caused significantly more damage than even Blaine and Toedad combined.

        7. Clif

          Sarah can do no wrong. She even sent Dina to act as the cutest agent in the history of spying.

    3. winter

      Honestly… I wouldn’t normally condone this type of behaviour either, but since I think there’s about a 0% chance this is going to go how Sarah wants it to, I’m okay with it too 😉

      1. timemonkey

        She’s kinda in a no loss scenario. If she hurts their relationship she wins, if she fails she’s no worse off.

    4. StClair

      Whereas I, who am normally on Sarah’s side, am sad and disappointed to see her doing this.

      Wanting things for yourself is one thing. Wanting something specifically to [i]deny[/i] it to someone else, to [i]hurt[/i] them… that’s wrong, IMO.

      1. StClair

        curse you, comment system.

        1. Clif

          Sure. Blame the victim.

  11. newllend(henryvolt)

    Starting to think that Sarah really is Evil, then again so is Mike and we love him for it.

    1. Someone

      I wouldn’t call her evil, but I also wouldn’t call her straight good. She seems mainly concerned with herself and close friends. True neutral?

      1. No Name

        Even Evil has loved ones.

        1. Clif

          Also Mike transcends evil.

    2. John

      Sarah is totally Evil. The sooner she accepts and embraces it, the happier she’ll be.

      Can’t say the same for the people she dislikes, though.

      1. Disloyal Subject

        If we’re gonna hold to alignments, then I’m gonna invoke an optional rule from Unearthed Arcana and call her True Neutral, with Lawful and Evil tendencies.

        She’s spiteful, and maybe a little self-centered, but not really evil.

        1. Idon'tcarenomore

          I don’t think she’s spiteful. I think she has a good solid reason for disliking Rideah. That girls close friend was Sarah’s room mate and was drugging herself to death. Her good friend Rideah didn’t see it or didn’t want to see it. When Sarah contacted the girls dad and told him what was going on, he came got her from school and got her help.
          Note Sarah did not go to the college and get the girl kicked out.
          In return Rideah, instead of thanking Sarah, just blasted her for getting her friend kicked out of school.
          Sarah readily admitted that she was afraid the girl may get them both kicked out but if she were truly self-centered then she wouldn’t have hesitated to just turn her in.
          And Rideah and her gang harassed the Hell out of Sarah ever since. So yeah, if Sarah is bitter, she had good reason imo.

        2. Disloyal Subject

          You’re right, I chose the wrong word. ‘Vengeful’ isn’t quite right though. Vindictive?
          I didn’t choose ‘spiteful’ for her behavior towards Raidah, though; her general bitter attitude is what motivated that description.

    3. gkheyf

      we can’t really fault him for it because mike being evil is one of the supporting-pillar truths of the universe. every time he drinks the universe sags a bit in the middle

      1. saki

        I’d actually call his drunk behaviour the exception that confirms the rule.

    4. BenRG

      Sarah is… a late-teen woman who has been bullied for doing the right thing and has lots of hormone-driven rivalry issues with the head bully. That makes her do stupid and malicious things and create elaborate self-justifications for doing so. She’s not a fully-mature adult and shouldn’t be expected to show the behaviours of one.

      That doesn’t mean that this stupidity might not blow up in her face in the worst possible way. It also doesn’t mean that the maturing process won’t be painful.

    5. timemonkey

      She’s smart and mean.

    6. Ana Chronistic

      I don’t love Mike, even if sometimes I laugh with him.

      I’ve been more attuned to “Altruistic” and “Selfish” over “Good” and “Evil”, myself. Even Hollywood pits the Bad Guys as being self-concerned rather than “for the benefit of all.”

      (although I did watch Sneakers again last night to semi-disprove myself, but it’s the idea of forcing one’s own philosophy upon everyone else rather than letting everyone forge their own way)

  12. Tacos

    Wow, Jacob’s shirt really does look like a Shortpacked uniform doesn’t it?

  13. Lara

    When you need a bit motivation, imagine the people you don’t like crying.

    1. Disloyal Subject

      Doesn’t do it for me; it just makes me angry at them for being too pathetic to be justifiably angry at, or worse, sympathetic to them.
      Screaming, on the other hand… now that’s motivation.

    2. de Combys

      That doesn’t do it for me either. I have too much sympathy.

      But. I like to imagine them throwing themselves into a wall head-first at full speed. Figuratively, of course. But maybe not so figuratively for people who drive so dangerously that they put innocent people’s lives on the line.

  14. John

    Man, Willis, you ninjaed my comment in the hovertext again.

    1. Clif

      Go ahead and make it anyway. If you don’t then someone else will.

  15. caesaria82

    lmaooo this is absolutely glorious.

  16. JessWitt

    And then Sarah realizes she truly loved Jacob all along!

  17. Triniking1234

    Where’s everyone else? Did the Rapture go down?

    1. JessWitt

      Isn’t it Rapture go up?

      1. Deanatay

        And down. Good people, up. Bad people, down.

        So, mostly down.

        1. No Name

          Nonononono, first comes the great battle between all Good and all Evil, *then* they sort out who’s on which side. Of course, before they go to battle, the Antichrist has to get the ball rolling…

  18. Catullus

    The real unanswered question is, why did Jacob come to class so early?

    1. Clif

      In hopes Sarah would be there.

  19. brionl

    Is Sarah wearing tight clothing?

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iAsSlznoFiE

    1. Disloyal Subject

      I love that mug. Best of all, it’s like the helmets it’s modeled after in that it accumulates stains and damage to distinguish it from brand-new ones without losing any effectiveness.

  20. liahansen

    omg panel 3-4 sarah is so cute

  21. Rocketboy1313

    She really needs to get over her hate boner. That is the only she is going to get onto a normal boner.

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      How does one rub out their hate-boner anyhow?

      1. JessWitt

        Think of funny/cute cat videos.

      2. Opus the Poet

        Same way as normal, but watching cat videos. And looking at pictures of sad puppies.

      3. Disloyal Subject

        By harvesting the tears of the broken and defeated object of their hate, and then cackling at their misfortune, furiously rubbing the hate-boner away to nothing with the painfully inadequate lube that is the tears.

        1. Deanatay

          *Sarah licks Raidah’s face as she weeps uncontrollably*

          Oh, your tears taste SOO GOOOD! Gimme MORE!

          *continues licking*

      4. Tacos

        Obviously with furious rubbing.

  22. Twilightomens

    I hate everyone we are all so terrible

    1. Disloyal Subject

      I love everyone. We are all so terrible, wonderful, and free.

      1. Clif

        Mike loves everyone’s mother. And for only a nickle.

    2. Deanatay

      It’s true. We deserve whatever we get.

      Which, it seems, will be more DoA.

      1. Clif

        We must have been terribly deserving in a past life.

  23. Arianod

    Well, yeah; this is guaranteed to end up in tears.

  24. Marc in MN

    The hovertext is making me ponder this question:

    “Which DoA cast members would be Jedi and which would be Sith.”

    Go! 😉

    1. Someone

      Walky: Smuggler

      Joyce: Jedi

      Dorothy: Jedi

      Blaine: Sith

      Toe dad: with

      Mike: bounty hunter

      Amber: Jedi

      Sarah: Jedi

      1. inqntrol

        What about Joe? Also a Jedi?,,remembers a specific rule of the Jedi” uhh yeah..not gonna work.

        1. Someone

          Joe would have some other good based job

        2. Deanatay

          Chancellor of the New Republic?

        3. Disloyal Subject

          Ever played Star Wars: The Old Republic? Jedi Knights’ storyline is second only to Imperial Operatives in sheer number of opportunities to get laid, and loads of them in assorted other media and time periods break, ignore, or skirt that rule.
          Aayla Secura and Kit Fisto broke it during the Clone Wars. Luke Skywalker repealed it when he was Grand Master of the new Jedi Order after the Empire was toppled, nearly every Bioware game, Star Wars titles included, has optional sexual encounters… Joe would do fine as a Jedi. Though he might just be a latent Force-sensitive; likely a mechanic and/or card player.

        4. Cholma

          I thought Smuggler got laid the most. Mine sure seemed able to shag every lady he met. (to Corso’s prudish -1 Rep every time) My Operative seems mostly to have luck with his Sith Lady. He’s a Chiss, not Human, so I heard that automatically excluded him from the Intel Lady he works with. Apparently in true Imp fashion, she only gets busy with other Humans. My knight is a female Twi’lek, so I don’t recall any lusty opportunities for her yet. (she’s only level 30) My Trooper had some opportunities, notably Sgt Jaxo, but once I started running with Elara Dorne, I stayed faithful to her and eventually married her.

        5. Roborat

          My sniper (male) got in on with pretty much every female he met.

      2. Cholma

        I see Sarah more as a Fallen Jedi, or a Force Sensitive who has never received training. She’s the Jolee Bindo of the Walkyverse; she does good things, but has anger issues over it.

      3. gkheyf

        with the religious connotations, i think dorothy and joyce would view the force very differently.

        “the force should be revered and worshiped!”
        “it’s not conscious! just be good and use it responsibly.”

      4. timemonkey

        Joyce, Amber and Sarah as Jedi? The three people with emotional control problems? All three would end up on the Dark Side.

        1. BenRG

          I dunno… Joyce is so straight that I could see her being something like Attack of the Clones-era Obi-Wan – So by-the-book that she is simply incapable of Falling. However, it also seriously inhibits her effectiveness and makes her a walking, talking irritant to others because of her insistence on keeping rigidly to the Rule.

          Amber would be DoA Wars’ equivalent of Anakin Skywalker… or possibly Darth Revan… with poor Danny cast in the place of Bastilla Shan.

        2. Arianod

          Sarah’s got two feet in the dark side right now. Joyce I can see resisting the pull. Amber… coin’s up in the air.

      5. Toes14

        Agatha = Jedi

    2. Disloyal Subject

      Joyce: Jedi Padawan, with careful teaching to slowly let go of her upbringing’s values. The Order are oblivious to her lapses to towards the Dark Side, but she’ll hopefully catch herself, unlike Annie.
      Dorothy: Senator, with ties of friendship to the Order
      Walky: Smuggler
      Billie: disgruntled has-been swoop racer, likely to be used as a disposable apprentice by a Sith if she’s Force-sensitive
      Amber: ex-Sith seeking redemption, assuming that we can classify ‘Dark Jedi’ like the Emperor’s Hands as Sith. Still lapsing into the Dark Side, and hates herself for it, but that only compounds the issue; pursued by the Jedi and/or Republic Intelligence for taking her vigilantism too far.
      Danny: redshirt Clone trooper. Astromech if he’s lucky. Either way, he’s probably been released from working with Dorothy and seconded to serve the Jedi.
      Sarah: Jedi Knight carefully watched and guided by the Council in the hopes that they can help her get over her hangups and keep her from the Dark Side.
      Sal: Mandalorian by adoption.
      Joe: Mechanic and mildly famous sabaac-shark; force-sensitive.
      Ethan: Hapan Jedi Knight.
      Dina: Probably a jedi, but not sure what race. Not Kaminoan, not Duros… maybe a Sullustan?
      Ruth: Quite possibly a Sith Apprentice. If not that, then an unnecessarily brutal Captain of someone’s royal guard. Hell, she might have already pulled a military coup and seized leadership of some backwater Outer Rim planet to impose order through martial law. Goodness knows some of those hellholes could benefit from a strong hand, though her leadership wouldn’t be without casualties.
      Becky: …probably a Jedi? Escaped from a backwater homeworld, probably the same one as Joyce, and befriended a smuggler (Walky?) who agreed to drop her off at the Jedi Temple. Likely to drop out of being a Jedi in favor of a smuggling life, but not before learning the ropes of a Knight, and she’d keep ties of friendship to the Order – they can always use more smuggler friends to help them get in and out of trouble.
      Mike: Hard to say. Dude’s a fuckin’ enigma. He could be a Sith lord, he could be a legendary bounty hunter, he could be a bartender or ship technician. I like that last one; something about Mike refueling ships in a launch/landing bay fits, and it wouldn’t stop him from covertly bounty-hunting or Sith Lording with that as a cover. And it gives him plenty of opportunities to screw people over; one part missing from a hyperdrive and some asshole’s in trouble.
      Roz: possibly another Senator, or at least some kind of political activist.
      Jacob: Strong possibility that he could be a Jedi, but I feel like he’d make a great right-hand man to the Supreme Chancellor. He’s certainly easier on the eyes than that blubbery blue Chagrian who served as Palpatine’s Vice Chancellor.
      Carla: Hard-as-nails Trooper. Possibly even a sergeant.
      Marcie: Mandalorian.

      1. Deanatay

        Danny: C3P0.

        Dina: R2D2.

    3. BenRG

      I’m pretty sure that Danny would be the earnest and out-of-his-depth space pilot caught up in the mess of one powerful Jedi’s flirtation with the Dark Side and, despite his own lack of Force Powers, becomes the fulcrum on which her destiny is decided!

  25. poppaboo2electricboogaloo

    I wonder how far Sarah is willing to push this. Jacob likes Raidah obviously, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that she’s told him about why she dislikes Sarah so much.

    I’m betting we get to hear the story again, but this time from how Raidah remembers it.

    1. Tacos

      Raidah has told her -highly skewed- version of the story to Jacob. Basically all she said was that Sarah got her friend kicked out of the school and that’s pretty much all she said.

    2. BenRG

      I think that Sarah is willing to push this stupidly far, far enough that it causes terrible unanticipated consequences. She won’t realise that she’s gone to far until it is too late and someone is badly hurt, has their future ruined or both.

  26. Kraken

    I have a feeling this is going to go horribly.

    1. Someone

      when has it not?

    2. Spencer

      That’s kind of a tagline for this series, isn’t it?

  27. Bagge

    Follow that dream, Sarah.

  28. Larkle

    Hey, hey
    You, you
    I don’t like your girlfriend
    No way, no way
    I think you need a new one

    1. gkheyf

      ……sarah would not approve

      1. Disloyal Subject

        Which only makes it better!

    2. Roborat

      Yea, but she married Chad Kroeger, so I wouldn’t put much faith in her opinion.

  29. Lapin

    I can’t even with that girl.
    Sarah’s roommate was depressed and misusing weed to the point the girl was missing class and spending all her time escaping her pain. Sarah did the right thing to save that girl. The fact the girl’s supposed “friends” act like Sarah was a bongo for doing it and have been bullying her and making sure Sarah is completely ostracized makes me think these girls deserved to be punched in the face, even though the girl in question’s supposed “threatening” from Sarah is pretty much more BS on her part.

    1. Disloyal Subject

      To be fair, they didn’t know the full story. Sarah said it herself; she was the only one who saw how bad Dana was getting.
      They had every reason to assume Sarah was only trying to weasel out of their blame when she tried to explain the situation, too. I think this is one of those “no one is right” scenarios.

      1. Pedantic Peanut

        They had no indication that Sarah held any particular dislike for her roommate which only leaves Sarah’s given reason for ratting her out.

        In fact now that I think back about it Raidah never refuted that Dana’s coping was putting Sarah through hell and causing her academic performance to slip she just liked Dana enough, and never saw the downside, that it was price she was willing for Sarah to pay.

        I’m starting to feel that while this will be a nobody’s right situation, it won’t be about Sarah’s previous decision but how she handles Raidah in the present.

      2. Idon'tcarenomore

        I disagree. Dana was supposed to be Raidah best friend. How could she not know that Dana was so far down, and still ignore it.
        Not to mention, if they wanted the story from Sarah, all they had to do was ask, instead, they attacked.

        1. Tacos

          Not to mention it doesn’t seem like either Raidah or the rest of her group have ever even attempted to try and contact Dana to see how she’s doing. I’d say they are some pretty shitty friends.

        2. Spencer

          It’s implied that Raidah’s been keeping tabs on Dana since she left, and Dana doesn’t thinking she’s getting better.

          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/06-strange-beerfellows/absolve/

    2. vladipadi

      I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!

      “these girls deserved to be punched in the face” what in god’s name is everyone even thinking? Sarah has been the most bitter, unlikable character in the entire series. Her only motivation to get a guy is to sleep with him, despite him wanting serious relationships – and she pushes him away with her BS “oh you won’t like me, nobody does” and then believes in her self fulfilling prophecy.

      And THEN she believes she gets to decide whom Jacob gets to chose, for some egotistic, complete narcissistic reason. She even does it in this very comic! Her only reason to woo this guy is to see her “enemy” cry and be miserable which is downright idiotic and childish, as if there “arch-enemies” who twirl moustaches and smoke gigantic cigars. I am baffled that everyone not keeps supporting Sarah, but also endorsing her BS.

      /rant

      1. Spencer

        Sarah has consistently shown herself to be loving, supportive, and defensive of Joyce, she’s just bad at showing it because the last time she tried to help someone it exploded in her face.

        That’s kind of the thing about building up a big wall of “everyone hates me”; you keep finding reasons why they would want to, and you never allow yourself to just accept that people do care about you.

        1. Clif

          Also, Sara got Dina to act as the cutest agent in the history of spying. This alone justifies everything she could possibly do, including punching girls even meaner than she is in the face.
          Remember, vladipati, beating the crap out of your abusive father is completely justified, so keep those crazy pills coming if you need them to stay sane.

        2. vladipadi

          Lol, if you consider that as a justification for physical violence then I am taking crazy pills.

      2. Saria

        You really can’t see why? I would say that it’s just your hatred of Sarah blinding you then rather than crazy pills. Have you never had a person who did a lot of wrong to you and you wanted some revenge on, or at the very least wanted your side of a story told? Raidah has been bullying Sarah for a foolish reason, and one of the effects of the bullying seems to be that “BS “oh you won’t like me, nobody does”” mindset you blame Sarah for. It should be understandable that people will encourage revenge against Raidah… or at least for Sarah to stand her ground against Raidah by telling Jacob her side of the story and the truth about what Raidah is like.

        1. vladipadi

          I can see why and I think it is idiotic. And yes, I have. All of that, I went through school-college-university and have been shamed by my school and hated by my friends – nothing out of that justifies punching someone like a rabid junkyard animal. I didn’t end up like Sarah, because I’m a real human being, but Sarah is being written like an insane person with no understanding how people act, and all she does is see herself as a martyr, which is egotistical to the max.

        2. Pedantic Peanut

          I disagree. Sarah hasn’t be depicted as particular egotistical or selfish. Not anymore than any person who protects themselves from unwarranted harm is selfish.

          When given the choice she has gone out of her way to protect Joyce and she allowed a lot of Dana’s behavior slide until it became intolerable.

          In that regard reporting her room mate, not ratting her out, but reporting her to the school, was the correct thing to do. Dana was self destructive and she was dragging Sarah down with her, Sarah had the right to defend
          herself.

          Then she got put through the ringer by everyone else who knew Dana.

          She has been depicted as someone who clawed her way into college with good grades and a scholarship (contingent on those good grades) in order to achieve a better life for herself. If those grades slip away so does her opportunity to get her legal degree.

          And there in lies part of her problem. College is not just an education, it’s a chance to network, and the implications are that Raidah and her friends have more wiggle room than Sarah who has to maintain an exacting academic standing. It is therefore much easier for Raidah and friends to assassinate Sarah’s character.

          The simplest defense Sarah has is to simply bow out of the social game. And be bitter about it.

  30. Megatron

    Yesssssss…

  31. DarkoNeko

    Saraaaah.
    Remember, your primary wish is to bang him. Stay focused.

    1. Clif

      But they aren’t mutually exclusive goals. Logically connected in fact.

    2. Deanatay

      Actually, I’d say her primary wish is as visualized above – to made Raidah cry. Tickling tonsils with Jacob is just gravy.

      Sweet, SWEET gravy.

    3. Bicycle Bill

      She saw Raidah with Jacob.  She even sent Dina to act as the cutest agent in the history of spying.

      I see this merely as Sarah trying to corral Jacob for herself.  And if Raidah gets hurt and made to cry in the bargain, that’s just an unplanned but welcome bonus.

      1. Clif

        She even sent Dina to act as the cutest agent in the history of spying. — Oooo! Good point. I’m stealing it and using it first so that people that aren’t paying attention will think you’re copying me.

        1. Clif

          But … not exactly unplanned. She’s planning it now.

  32. Idon'tcarenomore

    Then again, Sarah has had a major thing on for Jacob. She just is introverted enough that she really didn’t give a very good first impression(s). So she gave up trying.
    Now when she see’s her arch rival making a play for him and decides to go after Jacob all over again…this makes her Evil?
    Hasn’t this been the game that men and women have been playing since we all got kicked out of Eden?

    1. Lord Stoneheart

      She’s not pursuing the chance of a relationship with Jacob, she’s trying to break up Jacob and Raidah. She’s already accepted that her and Jacob are not going to be a thing. Only Joyce still thins that Jacob/Sarah will be a thing.

      Her actions are motivated entirely by spite here.

  33. hikaru

    this is definitely going to be a positive interaction

    1. Clif

      morally enriching.

  34. BenRG

    Y’know, for a long while now I’ve thought that nothing good will come of this petty and childish vendetta. Whose fault it is doesn’t matter anymore. Both sides are continually escalating; it can only make the final outcome very, very ugly for all participants.

    I wouldn’t blame Jacob for telling both Sarah and Raidah to stay away from him on the grounds that he doesn’t want to be in the middle of two crazy people’s feud!

    1. Disloyal Subject

      I suspect that may be the end result here. Hopefully Sarah realized that she was upset over that and that her feud with Raidah isn’t really worth the energy they’re putting into it.

      1. Disloyal Subject

        *realizes. Or would realize.

    2. timemonkey

      That’s kinda was Sarah is going for. Remember, she said she’d given up on him but doesn’t want Raidah to have him either.

      1. Bicycle Bill

        The name of this comic is “DUMBING of Age”.  Sarah is how old — perhaps 19?  At 19, who knows who they are going to “give up on” — or for how long?

        Sarah is, for all intents and purposes, still a crazy mixed-up kid (just like the rest of the cast). Not to mention that she is female and it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind.

  35. Torra

    Ahhhhh this is going to go so badly

  36. Just Me

    How badly it goes depends a lot of Jacob. Sarah is wrong for doing this, it’s for the wrong reason, but I do understand how she feels.

    1. m2iCodeJockey

      She’s now shown, on screen, more interested in “interrupting someone elses’ happiness” than she is interested in “performing what’s required to maintain friendship.”
      In fact, nearly all of her major points of agency have been destructive in some way.

      She not ready for a boyfriend or even a platonic friend as much as she needs a shrink and he stopped just short of telling her as much, already.

      1. Ana Chronistic

        As progressively-minded as this forum has been, I think we should add “shrink” to the list of pejoratives that could really stand to not be used anymore… people study psychology/psychiatry for years to earn those degrees, and calling them, literally, a belittling term is kind of mean.

        Just pointing out there ain’t nothin’ wrong with “therapist” (unless you put a space in there)

        1. m2iCodeJockey

          https://youtu.be/GB5dmv9WYVY?t=68

  37. Em

    So when he speaks to you, you’re just gonna be all “Fuck you Jacob you’re dating the biggest bongo this side of Neptune get out of my face” or what? What is your plan? I think perhaps you do not have one.

  38. hikaru

    sarah and jacob never even had a remotely romantic interaction, he was just trying to be her friend. im pretty sure theres no way at all for her to date him at this point.

    if she tries to get back their brief dynamic from before she can maybe befriend him, but if she changes things up hes probably going to realize whats going on

    1. timemonkey

      She’s not trying to date him, she’s trying to keep Raidah from getting him either.

      1. hikaru

        yeah, but isnt the method shes intending to use stealing him away from raidah? im just saying theres no way thatll work.

        she could break him and raidah up, probably, if she was honest and open. theres pretty much zero way shell do that.

  39. Bicycle Bill

    “This is good, but what is the best in life?”
    “Crush your enemies.  See them driven before you.  Hear the lamentations of the women.”

  40. Gamaran Sepudomyn

    Cue the threesome.

    1. Bagge

      EVERYONE: “Wait? What?”

      1. DarkoNeko

        Sorry, our “hate fucks” section is full.

        1. Clif

          Can’t happen. It’s bigger on the inside.

  41. TheGrammarLegionary

    After reading the comic, and the discussion, and giving this WAY too much thought for a webcomic, I’ve realized I’d love to see this almost blow up in Sarah’s face, then she comes clean to Jacob about her entire plan. Motivation, reasoning, approach, everything. And then he accepts her for her honesty, and she finally has someone to be open with instead of building so many walls.

    And Raidah can piss off; I still think Sarah did the right thing with Dana and Raidah’s refusal to accept it is bullshit.

  42. Shadow12000

    The thought of making your rival suffer….it fills you with determination. (Undertale is a great game go play it)

  43. Willoughby Chase

    Everything will be fine! I sense ponies, rain-bows and unicorns around the corner!

    1. Em

      I mean yeah, obviously. What else could happen? NOTHING I TELL YOU, NOTHING.

      1. Clif

        Also, have you considered the opportunities of investing in Real Estate?

        1. Clif

          I might be able to point out some bridge related opportunities.

  44. Steve

    Being with Jacob is what sh e wants and in all probability be a good healthy thing to have happen to her. If hating the shallow, judgmental cow is the motivation Sarah needs to get past her esteem issues and make a serious play for Jacob, then it’s all good…

    1. Clif

      Also she even sent Dina to act as the cutest agent in the history of spying.

  45. Vangeln

    Embrace the hate.

    1. Tacos

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqTvN_jddaM

  46. JTD

    Good, good! Let your anger flow through you…

    1. JTD

      (Got a good Gravatar for that one too)

  47. feli

    Yes, Sara, that is a healthy reason to start a relationship.

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