“Orrrrrrr… we start making out until we’re banging on the floor and are eventually caught by your mom, who will either have a heart attack and die OR give us all her money?”
Selfies of making out passionately and post on Facebook (or appropriate social media dictated by the floating time-line). Carol can show her friends and Liz will be so happy for Joyce.
She’s a fundamentalist boomer, of course she’s on the Face Book. She doesn’t understand the process behind logging in and thinks she got hacked every time she has to do it, but once she’s in she gets to blame it on “these damn liberal hacker trolls” and have people support her. She can also share her “patented’ “home” “recipes” (boiling premade noodles and pouring jarred, unaltered marinara sauce on top) with her “friends” and rake in the… Likes? Does The Face Book have likes still? Re-faces? Face-orites? It’s been like 5-7 years since I used it for anything other than a single group chat I’m in for D&D.
Needfuldoer
Don’t forget about answering and sharing those “nobody under the age of 30 will get the right answer” basic algebra quizzes. She never gets the correct answer because she gets the order of operations wrong, but so many other people of her cohort also post the wrong answer that she thinks she’s right.
HueSatLight
I think it’s “You’ve been faced”. I haven’t been on there is so long, it won’t even let me log in to delete my accounts.
God, this is gonna sound like a weird comment, but Joe is reminding me why I love my husband so much. A partner who is willing to have that conversation with you and willing to do whatever you want on it is worth so much of their weight in gold. I’ve had so many partners who just went full appeasement or full nuclear, and Joe is reminding me a lot of my husband who is similarly considerate and I love how it’s making Joyce feel better.
Yep. My husband knows I hate asserting myself and am bad at it and is willing to “be the bad guy” but will also ask me if I want him to do that. Validates me. Listens. (Advises on medication when things hit the stage that that makes sense…)
Is also way better at playing off saying the thing but calmly and with a smile and so it isn’t a huge deal than me.
Or they could just leave and go hang out in Joe’s room. But all of these options fly in the face of the dramatic necessity of eating in the same place as Walky’s parents.
Probably still as horny as a barn fulla bulls, but at least this fictional big guy is depicted as a little bit more than just some unhinged sex machine now.
I realized that Joyce may be the first girl who ever treated him like a person, not a hunky sex toy or a monster. She cared enough to plumb her own trauma to explain why she was repelled by his attitudes and actions, giving him a chance to be better. Even when they were severely at odds, she’s been a friend.
Were I in such a position, I’d be thinking hard how to be worthy of that.
“Let’s jump up and down on the bed so it sounds like we’re having sex from the other room.”
“Why though”
“It’ll make her feel awkward so she has to leave, and also parallel when you met my mom in the other universe”
“…so does that mean there’s a copy of the Kama Sutra in one of those bins,”
Dangerous to men? What’s she gonna put in her pockets, a sticky note with the word “NO” written on it?
morleuca
According to the newspaper article of the time discussing it, yeah. She could have pamphlets on women’s suffrage in there. And also carry all her own things including items if self-defense.
Needfuldoer
A big backlog of smooth things to say in a given situation.
We just went over this.
Felian
“that sign can’t stop me because i can’t read“ – way too many cis men -.-
morleuca
I would be lying if i said I didn’t miss pockets.
Felian
that is a great theory, actually. DANGER POCKETS.
Men are so weak that nothing they can put in their giant pockets could harm a woman. The other way round tho……. DANGER.
i’d prefer they break up versus dina and becky but it might be amusing for them to do one breakup/ take a break, date another person and then end up back to each other
Joyce is all in for this relationship, seemingly more so than the others she started.
That said, both her growing relationship with Joe (not only in the romantic sense) and her attraction to Joe have existed a lot longer than those other interests as well.
That plus her growing freedom from her fundamentalist hangups makes her seem especially affectionate and enthusiastic (yet more relaxed) for this relationship.
This is the first relationship of all the ones we’ve seen where she’s actually gotten to know her partner as a person. They had the abortive attempt at dating at the start, which fit more with the pattern we saw with Ethan and Jacob, but after that crashed and burned she got to know Joe as a person rather than a mountain she could climb. That makes a difference.
It also helps that Joe got to know her as a person as well. So they met each other in the middle, as two friends, instead of leading with their respective bits and then trying to figure it out after the fact.
I think the fact that he’s actually single and attracted to her play a factor
On a serious note tho this is already the most healthy relationship she’s been in, not just because the guy is actually in a position to date her but also because i think this is the first time she’s in a mindset where she can handle dating. No more fear of God and grandma’s wrath from heaven, finally starting to work on her purity issues, taking a class in her passion, getting a little more understanding of herself with the autism referral. She’s been less tightly wound in general lately (when her friends are off her back at least.)
149 thoughts on “Complicated”
Ana Chronistic
“Orrrrrrr… we start making out until we’re banging on the floor and are eventually caught by your mom, who will either have a heart attack and die OR give us all her money?”
“Go on… ♥”
Ana Chronistic
meant to link but couldn’t find it even though no one cares: http://www.itswalky.com/comic/dinky-slinky-relations/
Sharaku
I care! I like reasons to look at the old stuff.
Lysbeth
That’s the kind of embarrassment that would make one migrate to Bulmeria
Roborat
Wow, now there is a reference that goes waaaaaaay back.
TrueVCU
This might be the purest interaction with a woman Joe has had since puberty
Thag Simmons
Yeah this is a very good showing for him.
Harmony
And you’ll notice he’s blushing at all her less lewd but romantic comments.
Joe is learning the difference between romantic attraction and sexual attraction, and this is the former.
He’s probably thinking right now, “Daaaaaammmm that was smooth.”
Steamweed
Earlier Joe would be taking notes right now. But Today Joe is very distracted and is a bad student.
BBCC
Sounds like a pretty clear directive to me! 😀
Yotomoe
Ah you’ve chosen option 4. Make out passionately in front of her until she’s uncomfortable and leaves.
Bryy
It’s going in that direction, yup.
Clif
Selfies of making out passionately and post on Facebook (or appropriate social media dictated by the floating time-line). Carol can show her friends and Liz will be so happy for Joyce.
Yotomoe
I’VE KISSED THE LIPS THAT KISSED YOU!!!
woobie
Carol? On Facebook?
Taffy
She’s a fundamentalist boomer, of course she’s on the Face Book. She doesn’t understand the process behind logging in and thinks she got hacked every time she has to do it, but once she’s in she gets to blame it on “these damn liberal hacker trolls” and have people support her. She can also share her “patented’ “home” “recipes” (boiling premade noodles and pouring jarred, unaltered marinara sauce on top) with her “friends” and rake in the… Likes? Does The Face Book have likes still? Re-faces? Face-orites? It’s been like 5-7 years since I used it for anything other than a single group chat I’m in for D&D.
Needfuldoer
Don’t forget about answering and sharing those “nobody under the age of 30 will get the right answer” basic algebra quizzes. She never gets the correct answer because she gets the order of operations wrong, but so many other people of her cohort also post the wrong answer that she thinks she’s right.
HueSatLight
I think it’s “You’ve been faced”. I haven’t been on there is so long, it won’t even let me log in to delete my accounts.
Frank M.
It’s a power move, really.
Needfuldoer
That’s one way to assert dominance, I suppose…
Clif
Seems like a reasonable request to me.
Doctor_Who
Joyce fighting to sudden urge to go do some laundry.
Felian
…. go do some laundry with Joe. Are the laundry rooms co-ed?
Bittersweet
God, this is gonna sound like a weird comment, but Joe is reminding me why I love my husband so much. A partner who is willing to have that conversation with you and willing to do whatever you want on it is worth so much of their weight in gold. I’ve had so many partners who just went full appeasement or full nuclear, and Joe is reminding me a lot of my husband who is similarly considerate and I love how it’s making Joyce feel better.
I love this ship so much.
Miri
Yep. My husband knows I hate asserting myself and am bad at it and is willing to “be the bad guy” but will also ask me if I want him to do that. Validates me. Listens. (Advises on medication when things hit the stage that that makes sense…)
Is also way better at playing off saying the thing but calmly and with a smile and so it isn’t a huge deal than me.
Slartibeast Button, BIA
Maybe when she comes out pretend neither of your recognize her and ask who she is and what she is doing here?
Clif
Or they could just leave and go hang out in Joe’s room. But all of these options fly in the face of the dramatic necessity of eating in the same place as Walky’s parents.
DarkoNeko
Priorities, Joyce.
Chaucer59
I think her priorities are pretty damned clear.
HoopsieDaisy
Yep. Focus on the things you can control. Can’t do much about the house or divorce at this point.
NGPZ
awe ?
*plays “Hanezeve Caradhina” from Made in Abyss OST*
DailyBrad
One of the most romantic things you can do is to be a willing accomplice. Seriously, Joe’s nailing this boyfriend thing.
Needfuldoer
A good partner knows where the bodies are buried.
A great partner helped you put them there.
EAG46
Joe is being really sweet here. Hard to believe this is the same horndog that was at the start of the strip. He’s even blushing! 🙂
Dsr667
Probably still as horny as a barn fulla bulls, but at least this fictional big guy is depicted as a little bit more than just some unhinged sex machine now.
Mark
I realized that Joyce may be the first girl who ever treated him like a person, not a hunky sex toy or a monster. She cared enough to plumb her own trauma to explain why she was repelled by his attitudes and actions, giving him a chance to be better. Even when they were severely at odds, she’s been a friend.
Were I in such a position, I’d be thinking hard how to be worthy of that.
Dave
“Let’s jump up and down on the bed so it sounds like we’re having sex from the other room.”
“Why though”
“It’ll make her feel awkward so she has to leave, and also parallel when you met my mom in the other universe”
“…so does that mean there’s a copy of the Kama Sutra in one of those bins,”
Slartibeast Button, BIA
A copy of the *rest* of Kama Sutra, all the non-sex stuff that gets left out.
Clif
I wonder if there’s a market for the All New Censored and Sanitized Kama Sutra.
Bryy
I honestly love that Joe is giving Joyce the options that she herself can’t voice to herself just yet.
Dara
May the bridges you burn behind you light your way forward, Joyce.
Light ’em up.
Slartibeast Button, BIA
Plays the “Burning Bridges” song from “Kelly’s Heroes.”
Bicycle Bill
Do you mean this one?
Great movie, by the way.
Proto_Eevee
Get get now, while she’s vulnerable, before she turns into another parent supervillain
Switchchris
Why is Joyce so good at being Smooth as hell lmao. It seems she just has a big backlog of smooth things to say in any situation lol.
Proto_Eevee
She’s been planning them her whole life. Probably has some written down in her back pocket for emergencies
BarerMender
She’s a girl. Not permitted pockets. Pockets might make her dangerous to men.
Taffy
Dangerous to men? What’s she gonna put in her pockets, a sticky note with the word “NO” written on it?
morleuca
According to the newspaper article of the time discussing it, yeah. She could have pamphlets on women’s suffrage in there. And also carry all her own things including items if self-defense.
Needfuldoer
A big backlog of smooth things to say in a given situation.
We just went over this.
Felian
“that sign can’t stop me because i can’t read“ – way too many cis men -.-
morleuca
I would be lying if i said I didn’t miss pockets.
Felian
that is a great theory, actually. DANGER POCKETS.
Men are so weak that nothing they can put in their giant pockets could harm a woman. The other way round tho……. DANGER.
mommert
they are so sweet. how did this borderline crack-ship end up so sweet
woobie
I don’t trust Willis to let it last.
k
Appropriate gravatar is appropriate
Bryy
It’s Joyce’s first relationship. I give it literally 8 arcs.
shellshockbp
Nah, the only webcomic that hates its character that much is QC. R-right?
Liara
QC has been hella wholesome the last couple months though
Angel
i’d prefer they break up versus dina and becky but it might be amusing for them to do one breakup/ take a break, date another person and then end up back to each other
cbwroses
Joyce is all in for this relationship, seemingly more so than the others she started.
That said, both her growing relationship with Joe (not only in the romantic sense) and her attraction to Joe have existed a lot longer than those other interests as well.
That plus her growing freedom from her fundamentalist hangups makes her seem especially affectionate and enthusiastic (yet more relaxed) for this relationship.
Matthew Davis
This is the first relationship of all the ones we’ve seen where she’s actually gotten to know her partner as a person. They had the abortive attempt at dating at the start, which fit more with the pattern we saw with Ethan and Jacob, but after that crashed and burned she got to know Joe as a person rather than a mountain she could climb. That makes a difference.
It also helps that Joe got to know her as a person as well. So they met each other in the middle, as two friends, instead of leading with their respective bits and then trying to figure it out after the fact.
GholaHalleck
It’s gonna make her panic attack because of the unresolved dickface assult trauma hit like a freight train for both of them, isn’t it?
Needfuldoer
Hopefully they can look back on their initial beat-cute and laugh.
(“Beat-cute” because Mike kept punching Joe when he thought he was leering at Joyce, remember?)
zee
I think the fact that he’s actually single and attracted to her play a factor
On a serious note tho this is already the most healthy relationship she’s been in, not just because the guy is actually in a position to date her but also because i think this is the first time she’s in a mindset where she can handle dating. No more fear of God and grandma’s wrath from heaven, finally starting to work on her purity issues, taking a class in her passion, getting a little more understanding of herself with the autism referral. She’s been less tightly wound in general lately (when her friends are off her back at least.)
Dave Van Domelen
UwU
TerribleTransit
“Hold me close and keep talking about arson.”
“I’m not taking about across bridges, it’s a metaph—”
“No keep going, now do we tie my mom to the bridge before we light it on fire or…?”
Yotomoe
Arson? I thought you said “Our son”
Clif
Arson is 93 million miles away.
Clif
Just ask Sal.