209

Effer
Posted on November 28, 2017 by David M Willis

209 thoughts on “Effer”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    “I need to relish the moment when I launched my own ship”

    “that ship launched long ago”

    “WHAT AND I MISSED IT Nooooooo”

  2. CandidCanid

    …I think Jacob’s expression in the last panel is, um, a little telling. I feel like he might be kinda sorta catching on to what Joyce is feeling, if not what she’s up to. And I don’t think it’s all negative; anyone who observes the two together can see that they have some chemistry, and there is no way it’s not mutually felt to a degree.

    But as the signs start to add up, Jacob would obviously be, y’know, uncomfortable enabling those feelings to persist. And if my speculation is on the mark in any way, I think that’s what we’re seeing in panel five.

    I don’t know anything about Raidah’s integrity or her quality as a long-term girlfriend. I’m not going to comment on that. But putting either Raidah or Jacob in this situation is only going to turn out shitty. Jacob is well-meaning, kind, and obviously fairly intelligent, and if he’s at all worth his salt he’s going to notice something’s up sooner or later. And I’m starting to grow just a smidge upset with Sarah – this is in no way something Joyce should be subjected to, especially not right now.

    1. MM

      Or maybe he’s just realizing he’s not as cool with barf as he claimed to be.

      1. Reltzik

        Or maybe he’s just worried because injury.

        1. Icalasari

          Or worried that Joyce is starting to sound delirious, wanting to remember a traumatic moment

        2. HeySo

          Dear Trauma Princess Diary:
          Day 2754: Successfully managed to combine breaking a toe with a princess carry. Gold star day!

        3. Khyrin

          So… this particular diary is on its eigth year? Neat!

        4. Deanatay

          So Joyce would have started it when she was… nine, ten? That’s young for a trauma princess…

        5. Reltzik

          …. it’s Joyce. She was brought up thinking that this is what romance IS.

        6. Michael

          No, no, that’s in real life days. In webcomic time 2754 days is equal to about 9 months.

    2. Fezzam

      Radiah “catches” the two somehow in a compromising position, Joyce vomits on him making a mess of his shirt, somewhere along the line they both need to be in a shower and Jacob is shirtless either before or after joyce encounters a relationship doubting defensively jealous Radiah who gets mad at Jacob before the nonsense can be explained. And it just spirals…

      That’s my guess

      1. Needfuldoer

        She vomits on him, then accidentally headbutts him in the genitals as she passes out.

        Then they can be roommates.

        1. ruhrow

          That is the commonly accepted roommating ritual, right? I’m doing it right?

        2. ValdVin

          Any headbutting of junk plus barfing will only increase the UST. Just like in the original to which you refer.

        3. Parzival

          This plot thread is familiar.

    3. Ecostarr

      Man, you’re overthinking things. Sometimes shit happens and relationships don’t work out. Jacob’s a grown ass man, and if his feelings change for Raidah, and in the direction of Joyce . . . they change. Whether he chooses to act on those feelings or not is this messy thing called life.

      1. Jhon

        “… this messy thing called barf” is how I first read it.

  3. Pablo360

    Joe? No. Check your notes again.

    1. Reltzik

      That sounded more like desperation-grasping-at-straws than dismissal.

      1. Bladeglory

        Exactly. I’m pretty sure he’s trying to convince himself she’ll be okay.
        (not to mention trying to absolve himself of guilt. Can’t feel too shitty over something if it wasn’t a big deal!
        (this is a lie I feel shitty about minor things all the time)
        )

      2. sultryglebe

        Joe: I did not mean to break Joyce’s toe!

  4. AnvilPro

    Would there not be a first aid kit in the supersize room?

    1. AnvilPro

      *Exercise. lol

    2. Phil Dog

      Nah. Probably just extra large drinks.

    3. Carms

      there should be yes. Like chemical cold packs or something. absolutely.

      1. Reltzik

        Except instead of cooling, the pack in the supersize room fries.

        1. Leon

          And the kids train on the Happy Mill?

        2. Reltzik

          …. the whole process is the exact opposite of healthy.

    4. hof1991

      Leaving anything in a public exercise room means it walks away. The place to go is the front desk, which is closer than their floor.

    5. Ozzi

      Well hand sanitising fluid is alcoholic

  5. Phil Dog

    Pretty sure wearing shoes wouldn’t protect her form whatever happened to her.

    Seriously, what did happen?

    1. BBCC

      Caught her toe in the machine and it got crushed. Petty much WHY we’re told wear shoes on exercise equipment.

    2. Felgraf

      No, but it would have made it hard for her toe to get into a position where it could GET smashed like that (B/c the shoe’s in the way. single toes can get into crannies whole shoes can’t. Hence why only ONE toe is injured.)

    3. Reltzik

      Depends on the shoe. Canvas shoe, no. Hard rubber, maybe. Steel-toed, yes.

      …. because weights HURT when you drop them on your toes, that’s why.

    4. geno

      She might have still hurt her foot with shoes on, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as bad.

    5. Fart Captor

      I think when she turned to look at Joe, she moved her left foot so it was hanging off the right side of the step, and her toes got caught under the other step as it came down, and pinched between the two steps before they came to a stop

      Shoes would’ve at least kept her foot from being crushed as badly, or as quickly

      1. Needfuldoer

        If that’s the case, there’s a chance it could just be a flesh wound without a break. It will still hurt like hell and she might lose the nail, but it won’t take as long to heal.

        1. kristiellkay

          The brain-fuzz and barfiness are pretty good indicators of a break, ime.

        2. thejeff

          I don’t know. The only times I’ve broken thing – toe and couple hairline fractures, I picked myself right back up again and went on. The pain and reaction didn’t really set in until the swelling had a chance to get properly going. With the toe, I actually was going rock climbing when it happened and didn’t give up until I’d hiked up to the cliff face and tried to put the climbing shoes on.

          OTOH, I’ve gotten the nausea from less serious, but more immediately painful injuries.

        3. Blanche Quizno

          When I broke my shoulder, I was very nauseous while waiting in the ER, though I didn’t barf. They said that nausea was very typical with a break, and I was actually prescribed anti-nausea medication to go home with.

        4. laurenh

          Have to agree… while I don’t like to speculate too much because we ARE talking about fictional characters presented to us in a medium where we only see a small sliver of what they’re presumably up to every day….. I will say that I read this more as hos Joyce deals with pain/trauma/etc. The only time I broke anything (ribs) I just went on with my night after falling, a little more sore than before, but no big deal. The next morning I was involuntarily screaming from pain every time I tried to get up or lay down. Three days later I was able to move around enough to get to a doctor and confirm that yes, I did indeed break some ribs. But the only times I remember feeling pukey/dizzy were when I cut visible chunks off my finger and thumb. And that wasn’t right away. It was like a lot of bleeding and then sort of realizing what I’d done and I felt like the pukey/dizzy feeling was more a result of shock setting in.

          But again….all conjecture!

        5. thejeff

          Oh, I forgot about the serious ones – cracked rib and tailbone. Both caving trips. Walked out both times – the rib was frustrating because it was getting painful and I still had to slow up and wait for the rest of the group to catch up. A long slog back out, but the worst was the 10 hour car ride home the next day with everyone telling jokes. Breathing was hard. Laughing or coughing was agony.

          The tailbone was bad, but again not really until an hour or more later – and then for weeks while it started to heal.

          Everyone reacts differently though and obviously a compound fracture or other more serious break could be completely different.

      2. random832

        It looks like her foot slipped forward, which wouldn’t have happened wearing shoes (it might also not have happened if she wasn’t wearing socks)

      3. Old Fart

        OMG Fart Captor, that’s the same action as a pair of scissors I am cringing so hard right now…feel barfy…

  6. Opus the Poet

    Yep, going into shock. definitely broke that toe.

    1. Doctor_Who

      Just got rid of that arm cast too.

    2. Keulen

      For a moment there I thought her toe might not be broken, but now I think you’re right, it’s probably broken.

    3. Reltzik

      MAYBE. Or maybe she just faints easy if she’s injured and not mad.

      1. Kryss LaBryn

        I’ve damned near passed out just from getting bonked on the ankle bone in a painful way. Didn’t do any actual damage; just hurt like a sonofabongo and made me shocky enough I felt ill and lightheaded and needed to sit down for a bit.

        Also passed out getting a tooth pulled once, and I guarantee that one didn’t hurt; again, it was just the shock. Same thing happened when I got my ears pierced with the stapler thingie, too, actually.

        Hm; I wonder if Joyce has low blood pressure? If it’s low enough (and mine certainly was) then even a small sudden dip can be enough to push one to the brink of passing out. Heck, in high school, when mine was particularly low, it could be triggered just by standing up too quickly. :/

        1. Mephron

          IHNC, IJLS ‘sonofabongo’.

          (I Have No Comment, I Just Like Saying)

        2. Reltzik

          Well the blood’s clearly run out of her face, she’s loopy and fainty, so that’s a mark in favor of low blood pressure.

          But on the other hand when she’s being carried, she’s roughly horizontal and her legs are elevated and her symptoms aren’t being mitigated. So, perhaps not.

          … unless there’s something else about this situation that’s making her feel loopy and about to swoon….

    4. pintsize

      Not neccessarily. A little blood loss, or even just a painful bruise, can do that to you, too.

      1. Agemegos

        I once fainted when a doctor looked into my ear with an otoscope.

        To be fair, I wasn’t well.

        1. Inahc

          the only time I’ve fainted, it was totally random, and eventually blamed on me forgetting to eat lunch.

          then again, when I started deadlifting I discovered that can bring me very close to fainting. and that that sucks a lot more than actually fainting.

        2. Dellaran

          The closest I’ve ever come to fainting involved a mellophone and a G an octave above the top of the staff. I was young and foolish.

        3. CoMa

          A suggestion: We might all have low blood pressure? (or a slow-ish pulse?)

          I once fainted at the veterinarian: It was a warm summer day, my cat was feverish and I was so worried, I ran off with him to the veterinarian, with hardly drinking any water or eating anything. Because my cat is also scared to death, I tried to hold him down during the examination, but he somehow freed his head and bit my forearm. Because of that excitement, I got dizzy, tried to drink some water, and then seem to have fainted, because the next thing I remembered was some guy standing above me, calling out my last name and asking me whether I was okay. My sister had to come get me, because I was too scared of leaving and walking ten minutes, to just faint again and possibly losing my cat if it’s container got damaged, because even after drinking water I was feeling pretty unreal.
          I’ve sometimes come close to fainting, once during training. But the most usual thing happening is my vision going black when I e.g. stand up too fast. Things like that.

        4. Agemegos

          I turned out to get conscious VT. Now I take pills.

        5. CoMa

          Ah – there’s that too. Sorry to hear/read that, hope you’re well with them.

        6. autogatos

          Speaking as someone with low blood pressure: It can definitely be a factor! When I was pregnant I blacked out several times from low blood pressure, to the point where my doctor told me to eat MORE salt (advice you rarely hear from a doctor) XD and I had to avoid hot showers until I’d consumed at least something salty and some caffeine.

          Heat, like a hot shower or exercise, + pain or any other illness can definitely cause your blood pressure to drop too, thus causing you to get dizzy/queasy/black out.

          Also heeeey the one non-injury-or-illness-related time I fainted was at the veterinarian as well! I had low blood sugar because I’d missed lunch, it was a hot day, and we’d just brought our dog in with a black widow bite. Something about the combination of these factors, + the smell of blood + the alarming news about the severity of the bite just made my blood pressure drop FAST.
          (For those concerned: The dog turned out fine after treatment. She lived to a ripe old age of 16 after that).

        7. Benjamin Geiger

          I took a leak and collapsed.

          Twice.

          Exhaustion, blood pressure meds, and quickly getting out of bed led to “micturition syncope” (literally peeing fainting).

          Now I keep a urinal bottle under my bed for when it’s urgent, and take my time otherwise.

      2. HeySo

        I’ve had full body gashes, cuts across my entire body, full body bruising, fractured bones, and more, all without any lessening of consciousness.

        And then, one time, I cut my thumb while helping out at a soup kitchen, and blacked out. Apparently it’s just a thing that can happen sometimes from sudden shocks, especially if you’ve low blood sugar at the time.

        So no, no real way to tell the severity just off how faint she feels.

        1. HeySo

          Er, tired. I meant, full-length gashes. I swear I haven’t split open my entire body.. yet.

        2. Mr. Bulbmin

          Aw. I was about to call you Darth Maul.

      3. Daisy

        There’s also the fact that Joyce got up earlier than usual, which can contribute to low blood sugar and general bad head feelings. She also possibly hasn’t had anything to eat or drink. It almost certainly seems like she was pushing herself too hard exercising. Lotta mitigating factors here.

        She’s been running on adrenaline with Ryan and Toedad injuries, but she cried when getting shots so I’m not sure her pain tolerance is up to much either.

    5. Inahc

      yeah… when I dropped a giant rock on my toe and fractured it, there was a lot of whimpering, and then I needed something to bite down on for a while, but I don’t remember feeling woozy. then again, I got to stay sitting exactly where I was until the pain settled down. maybe that helps – I’m always very reluctant to move when I’m hurt.

      1. CoMa

        Ouch! That sounds really painful.
        Not moving probably really helped, though.
        My hand once got crushed by moving a larger than me TV-cart out of my classroom as a student. The party pushing it couldn’t hear me tell them to wait, pushed and my hand got caught between door frame and cart. It hurt like hell, and instead of saying something or moving aside, I just covered there over my arm, staying where I was and not saying anything for a minute or so. Hand was thankfully just bruised, and nothing broken.

  7. shadowcell

    SOME PEOPLE WAIT A LIFETIME
    FOR A MOOOOOOOOOMENT LIKE BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH

    1. LeslieBean4Shizzle

      **respectful slowclap**

    2. Fart Captor

      lmao

    3. HeySo

      Now, any occasion is the right occasion to give a Blargh greeting card-
      Blargh: When you care enough to send the very grossest.

    4. Reltzik

      “Doctor? We’ve got a severe case in Urgent Care.”

      “What’s happening?”

      “The patient appears to be regurgitating… Kelly Clarkson.”

      “DEAR GOD GET THEM TO ER STAT!”

    5. ValdVin

      Words fail me.

  8. Shiro

    Oh no, last panel Jake figured it out. Now dilemma.

    Poor everyone in this bar :c

  9. Yumi

    I’m barely into guys and I’d date Jacob, damn.

    1. Shiro

      He is a genuinely good and sweet guy but probably wholesome enough that I’d put him off. Also the poly thing might be a problem, romantically. He’d def be that guy friend that I lowkey have a crush on, though.

    2. LS

      Perfect gravatar.

    3. Foxhack

      Congratulations, you find nice people attractive.

  10. Shiro

    Also, has Joyce said fuck yet? I’m drawing a blank.

    1. Yumi

      Didn’t someone have a chart of fucks for this comic?

      1. Shiro

        I think so but I’ve lost the link

        1. Dana

          John does. It’s at http://www.ci-n.com/~jcampbel/doafbombcount.php. Sorry if this is a double post; the comment system is being weird to me.

        2. Shiro

          Thanks! So Joyce has yet to say fuck

      2. John

        Yep. Dana got the link.

        Joyce is still not on the chart, but I’ve got an entry just waiting for her.

        At the bottom, because she has the most appearances of anyone and no F-bombs yet, but still.

        1. CleverTrousers

          Huh, that tag cloud sort of makes it look like Amber and Amazi-girl would smoosh Joyce if they ever got together.

        2. Byron Orpheus

          Perhaps you could rephrase that?

    2. timemonkey

      Didn’t she scream it after Becky was taken by her dad?

      1. Deadjolras

        No, I think that was a “damn” or a variation of it (like “dammit”). Might’ve been a “goddamn”, but I’m not sure.

      2. Yumi

        Nope!:
        http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-6/01-to-those-whod-ground-me/language/

      3. John

        Nope. That was a “damn”. She’s said “damn” and “hell” a bunch since, and “shit” a few times, most recently today, but has yet to let a “fuck” loose.

        1. Jamie

          Someone should count her shits.

          …that came out wr–.

          …

          I’ll leave this here.

          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-6/02-that-perfect-girl/pg/

        2. HeySo

          “DINA?! What are you doing in corner of my bathroom while I’m using it?!”
          “I am merely transcribing a record of your bowel movements for scientific reference. Is that not what you meant when you asked me to ‘Come count all the shits I give’?”

        3. Mephron

          I think what I love about that one is that Dina saying that seems to have stunned Mike.

        4. Byron Orpheus

          Like Joyce doesn’t do that already.

      4. Jamie

        Nope.

        http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-6/01-to-those-whod-ground-me/language/

        1. Jamie

          Aaaaand that’s what I get for leaving the page open for ten minutes.

  11. MM

    Correction, Joe: Joyce can’t be that badly hurt if she’s still looking out for her femurs.

  12. Keulen

    Yeah I’m shipping these two like Fedex now.

    1. Cass

      We do connect people and possibilities!

    2. John

      Which two?

      1. Keulen

        Joyce and Jacob.

        1. John

          I was thinking Jacob/Joe brohubbies. Since Danny’s left Joe for the ukulele.

      2. DonDueed

        Joyce and an F-bomb.

        1. HeySo

          And that’s how you fuck up a relationship.

  13. Fluffy

    My mom had a fully loaded trailer dropped on her foot once… she still wouldn’t drop an F-bomb (broke 3 of the long bones in her foot and fractured her calcaneus (heel bone)). Upbringing can give you a will like gods own to not say some words.

    1. Jamie

      After I realized how stupid that upbringing was, I actually made a dedicated effort to train myself into dropping the f-bomb quite a bit. And also taking the Lord’s Name in vain, too.

      I still don’t curse naturally. Fun fact: I will sometimes make a point of quoting the bartender from Boondock Saints, though. No one ever gets it.

      1. Chris Phoenix

        I was raised to say fudge, shoot, and darn. And I did. All the way into college.

        Finally, midway through freshman year, one of my friends took me aside and told me:
        “Say fuck.”
        I thought hard and fast: It’s just a word. I’m not swearing, just quoting. There’s no reason not to.
        “Fuck.”
        “Say fudge.”
        “Fudge.”
        “Now don’t say it anymore.”

        For whatever reason, this worked; I started giving myself permission to talk like everyone else did.

        Now I have a toddler and it’s back to “Oh goodness.” Which she is now saying – it’s the cutest thing ever.

  14. Holdinglines

    As someone who has broken their toe and an even more embarrassing manner, this is super accurate

  15. Passchendaele

    Ruth: “You’re awake! Also, I took the liberty of removing your femurs. You didn’t look like you’d need them anyway.”

    1. Jess

      I’m laughing

    2. Reltzik

      “Well you see the problem was that your toe bone was broken. And the toe bone was connected to the foot bone and the foot bone to the leg bone and shit I don’t know how to cut ligaments okay?”

      1. Passchendaele

        “I’m not even a med student! Anyways, uh, I guess you probably need to go to the hospital, but I can send you a picture when I bronze these things.”

    3. Byron Orpheus

      “Your life as you knew it is over, Ms. Brown. So if you wish to continue living, you will be a walrus, or you’ll be nothing at all.”

  16. DailyBrad

    Damn, Joe. I guess pull an assist and collect her shoes so nobody steals them?

    Still, not his fault, and hope her toe’s just bruised up. Broken feet bones suck.

  17. newllend(henryvolt)

    I’m feel satisfied for some reason but I can also can feel some disappointment in the air because I know there was people who wanted that to be Joe….sorry.

  18. Tacos

    Yep, as someone in the comments previously guessed, Jacob ended up holding her in a Princess Carry. I’m half expecting Raidah to show up now.

    1. Shiro

      Oooh, that would be Maximum Drama (especially since Raidah’s a little insecure about Joyce already) but maybe too convenient.

      1. Rukdug

        And too early. This is still 5am in the morning or close to it. She’s probably still asleep.

    2. Reltzik

      Eh, Raidah doesn’t do sitcom-misunderstandings. She’d ask what’s going on, Jacob would explain, Raidah would help.

      Or Jacob will just tell her all about it later.

      …. But either way paranoia will grow, but not because of misunderstandings.

      1. thejeff

        No, because of understandings.

    3. WillD

      I find it hard to believe it was a guess when you can pay to see the next day’s strip.

  19. Deadjolras

    There’s something really funny yet sad about the way Joe looks in that fourth panel. I don’t know what it is, though, just that it makes me laugh and simultaneously feel sorry for him.

    1. geno

      I think he see’s Jacob and Joyce knowing each other a lot better than he thought. Not certain exactly what his feelings on that would be. Probably a complex mishmash of them

      1. Deadjolras

        Yeah!

        So far, we know he’s against Joyce breaking up Jacob/Raidah for Sarah, that Joyce is the one person he’s been able to open up to (to some extent), and we know he’s very opposed to cheating in general thanks to his dad. So if he finds out Joyce herself is interested in Jacob…? I don’t know what emotional rollercoaster is going to ensue then, but I definitely want front-row tickets for it.

    2. Marsh Maryrose

      “When I’m with Jacob, I am the Danny.”

      1. Deadjolras

        Well, well, well, how the turntables.

  20. Plasma Mongoose

    Is that a Spaceballs reference?

  21. Rukdug

    Joe’s words in panel 2: “Maybe it’s not as bad as it seems?”
    Joe’s face in panel 2: “Oh God no this isn’t good. I was just trying to do something right and I fucked up.”
    Yer body language isn’t matching your words Joe.
    Jacob in the final panel: “Wait, why would you want to remember this-I guess I can be little dense sometimes after all.”

  22. DocHarleen

    I have vasovagal syncope, too, Joyce. That shit is ROUGH.

    1. Shiro

      I was trying to remember that phrase! Happened to me at the doctor’s fairly recently, I felt like a baby as the nurse had to take like 15 minutes holding my hand through it because I started hyperventilating.

      1. Agemegos

        Things you remember, times you remember them! Last thing I said before I fainted at the blood bank was “Excuse me! I seem to be going into syncope.”

        (I got a letter from the Australian Red Cross after that telling me never to darken their blood bank again.)

        1. Liquid Len

          Yeah, last time I donated blood I felt pretty woozy afterward. That didn’t happen to me when I was younger. Haven’t been back to donate since.

    2. Dara

      Thank you for a name for this because I was so confused.

      (I have been hurt way worse than this and never had a reaction like it, so I was all… “da hell?” But apparently it is a thing! And now I know.)

      1. Agemegos

        Yeah. I’ve broken my leg on a mudslide. I’ve broken a toe playing soccer. I’ve broken a couple of ribs playing Rugby. Nothing.

        But I faint at the sight of a needle going into my arm.

        1. Needfuldoer

          I’m with you on that, Trypanophobia’s no joke. I can’t even watch someone else get stuck, even in a pre-recorded video. I’ve had shallow fillings done without novocaine. I don’t even get the flu shot every year; someone once asked me “would you rather be sick for a week than just get one little shot that’s over in 5 seconds?”, and without blinking I said I’d rather be sick for a month.

          Blood and gore? No problem.
          Needles? No thank you.

        2. Agemegos

          I turn out to have haemochromatosis. The treatment is to take blood, lots and often. 🙁

        3. Liquid Len

          Ooh, I can’t watch that either.
          I was on IV antibiotics when I was 18, so I had to have a canula in my arm. Administered myself 3X a day. But every 3 days or so I had to have a new one put in. That lasted I think 6 weeks IIRC. I was very happy when that all was over!

        4. Mephron

          I used to have that.

          Then I got diagnosed as diabetic, and had to go through what I can only say is “confrontation therapy’, because I wanted to live. But it still wasn’t fun.

  23. John

    So Joyce’s smiting hand has all the trauma it can hold, so she’s had to start on a foot?

  24. Bagge

    Jacob swoops up Joyce in his strong arms, carrying her to safety.

    Not that she has fantasized about just that or anything.

    Not that he has fantasized about just that or anything.

    (But the barf is probably new)

    1. ScarvesandCelery

      “Not that he has fantasized about just that or anything.”

      Particularly relevant here are Jacob’s Steven Universe heart eyes in panel three.

  25. ESM

    Joyce didn’t drop an F-bomb when Becky got kidnapped in front of her and she screamed in primal rage. There’s literally nothing that could possibly happen that she’d care enough about to say fuck.

    1. HMH

      When Stabby McRapeface inevitably gets off of all of his charges and goes free, maybe.

      1. Pl0x

        That’s not gonna happen in a David M Willis comic.

        1. DonDueed

          Seems to me it’s exremely likely to happen in a Damn You Willis comic. Or was that your point?

      2. hof1991

        Trial will happen in nine months, so DYW will be happily retired by then.

      3. Byron Orpheus

        Which would be a nice climax (stop it) to the strip (I said “stop it”). Stabby McRapeface goes free, so Amazi-girl goes full Punisher and kills him then leaves Amber to face the music. Deciding it’s all her fault, Joyce goes completely off the deep end sleeps with Becky, Jacob, and Walky, has a three-way Mike and Ethan, and slaps the shit out of Mary. As knowledge of her behavior is compartmentalized (no one knowing the full story) it’s generally considered to be no big deal. This is buttressed by the fact that everyone applauds her Mary beat-down. A group thought-bubble appears over the cast: “I’ve been wanting to do that since Pajama Jeans.”

        Finally, Joyce wakes up next to Joe one morning and realizes she needs help. And that’s how fall semester ends.

    2. HeySo

      Oh, I’m sure one day she’ll give a fuck.
      So to speak.

      1. Byron Orpheus

        Yes. Yes, she does.

  26. JessWitt

    Yeah, I can’t swear aloud too. I’ve felt guilty for previous instances.

    I did swear an awful lot when I had to wrangle a feral cat my sister picked off the streets into a pet carrier for spaying. Received a memorable puncture scar.

  27. Pl0x

    This whole scene is…ridiculous. Including the previous strip. I don’t even find it funny, or the princess carry to be sweet. It’s just ridiculous, almost like a bad sitcom. Obviously the tropes are intentionally used, but I’m not entertained by it. Whatever. Just my personal commentary. Also I feel for bad for Joe for getting blamed in Joyce’s fit of pain and her own desperation to place the blame on someone.

    1. Pl0x

      Maybe I’m just tired of this opposite sex trope-y romantic comedy type stuff. (I definitely am.)

    2. CoMa

      I also feel bad for Joe for getting blamed, because he just meant well by calling out to her and things escalated.

      I personally enjoy reading this stuff (but I’ve also been imprinted onto by romance mangas for 16 years), but I do hope the next comic strips will be more to your taste, maybe Willis will do something interesting with this trope. If it wouldn’t be too early, it’d be really funny if Sarah was awake, meeting them on the floor and just taking Joyce over to get her to someone who can help.

      1. Pl0x

        For all I know, it could be intended to be ridiculous. The previous strip sure seemed like it, because why wouldn’t Joyce, who wears giant jug shoes to the bathroom and then throws them away right after, wear shoes on an exercise machine that has been touched by other people’s sweaty hands and dirty shoes??? Completely uncharacteristic of her. And all that exaggerated yelling. It’s absurd, I tell you.

        1. WillD

          Tell that to Willis’s toe.

        2. Pl0x

          Yeah I saw his tweet (after I made that comment).

          It’s not a completely uncharacteristic mistake. It’s still a ridiculous one, though.

        3. HeySo

          I feel like we’ve been reading different comics. Let’s address your points:

          1. Joyce treats things not directly related to food or other people’s body remnants with an absurd kind of consideration. Ergo, this is to form (especially given how early in the morning it is and how presumably half-asleep she is).

          2. Joyce has always been intense, especially when upset. This is especially true of her Walkyverse persona, which her DoA one gradually is opening up more similarities to.

          3. It was Joe’s fault, completely. It was incredibly stupid to call it out so intensely from far away instead of walking up to her and telling her directly. That’s just a basic, common sense thing for most any similar situation.

          4. Joyce isn’t emphasizing blame, nor is she expressing any form of projection or desperation to engage in such. All she said was “You broke my toe”. That’s an objective point which doesn’t at all express that she felt there was intent behind his action. Rather, she’s just making an incredulous, stressed statement over the causality of the events which occurred. There’s nothing targeted about that, and the only reason Joe feels bad at all from it, is because he feels guilty for his mistake in the first place.
          Further, considering the situation, she’s way calmer than everyone I’ve known in that kind of situation. Here, she’s “What the hell, man?” about it, while most everyone else I’ve known in such situations have gone straight to “I can’t believe you! What the hell were you thinking!”. The only implausible thing about her reaction is how tame it is- but then, that’s to her character, ergo, it’s not implausible at all.

          5. This is still well within the scope of reality (general comedic atmosphere of the comic aside), while other parts of the comic have been way more implausible. Between the focus on this comic and the strongly expressed frustration with it, you seem to be specifically defensive about this comic’s subject matter.

        4. John

          Having recently seen a friend blow out a knee because I didn’t urgently call out from far away when I saw a potential safety issue, I don’t think I buy this idea that Joe’s actions here are blameworthy.

        5. HeySo

          I’m referring specifically to situations where introducing drama is more likely to cause issue than not. Joe’s action was certainly done with good intentions, but that doesn’t make it the right action to have taken at that moment. It’s a question of risk from distraction vs preexisting impending risk. For things where the injury’d be minor and unlikely, you don’t create a scenario where it significantly improves in likelihood of occurring.

          And, you appear to have significantly misread what I said- as I noted, it’s *not* “blameworthy”, but it *is* due to his actions. As I noted, he feels guilt over it because he understands that [versus due to Joyce making any accusations against him, which she did not].

          It’s natural to take responsibility and feel guilt over the consequences of your actions, regardless of what you intended by them, unless you’re significantly lacking in maturity, empathy, self-awareness, self-respect, and respect for others. Joe, as has been indicated both in DoA and Walkyverse, is a deeply compassionate and loyal and good-hearted individual [as his calling out itself indicates], despite his more coarse personality quirks.

          To recap:
          Joyce didn’t blame Joe.
          Joe feels guilty anyway.
          That’s due to Joe being a decent human, not due to Joyce’s comment.

          In short, the whole topic of blame should really not be in any way associated with this particular strip.

        6. Pl0x

          Yes, we interpret this strip differently. Cool, whatever.

        7. HeySo

          Which is entirely fine, but you’re making suppositions without premise, and accusations without basis. The first in itself isn’t an issue, either, until you begin expressing an elevated response to such; the second is always an issue.

          In short, not liking certain themes is totally your prerogative, but it shouldn’t jump straight into being a blame-game. If nothing else, given the topic, that feels somewhat hypocritical.

          Shorter version: The internet is full of cat gifs. Get an injection, stat.

        8. Pl0x

          I’m just saying, we have very different beliefs and feelings about this. I have certain biases in this comic; I’ll blame whoever or whatever I want to blame, if I’m feeling angry or petty enough. If that makes me a hypocrite, fine.

  28. Tom T.

    I suspect Joyce should go to the university’s health service rather than simply to her RA.

    1. BenRG

      Would it even be open at around 5:30am?

      1. thejeff

        I don’t know. Maybe they’ve closed by then?

        I think the only times I ever went were around 2 am.

    2. HeySo

      As I recall, all the clinics at every campus I’ve ever been to were always closed outside of standard school hours; meanwhile, RAs all had all the school emergency numbers, and could get someone sent over if necessary.

      Assuming a similar setup for the DoA campus, this may in fact be the best course of action for any non-emergency (ie, 911-requiring) injury. After all,it’s presumably just a few steps away from the exercise room to the elevator, and then a quick ride up a few stories to see if the RA is available. The extra 2 or 3 minutes that takes isn’t going to hurt much, and having the RA sorting out and expediting matters could help immensely.
      On that note, even if the clinic *is* open, the RA can, if the campus is like most and has on-campus staff vehicles, send over transportation to take Joyce to the clinic (or perhaps even to the hospital, if necessary, saving Joyce’s family hundreds of dollars). Given her lack of mobility, that could be beneficial indeed (though, in fairness, I don’t imagine Jacob would have any difficulty getting her down there himself :P).

  29. BenRG

    Poor Joyce – Yeah, there’s definitely a trip to the ER in her future! That said, there’s something sweet about Jacob’s nobility here and Joyce’s reaction. Like a lot of girls, she’s always dreamt of being swept off her feet but the context is probably more than a little disappointing in this case! 😉

    I also feel genuinely sorry for Joe because I’ve been in this situation: where a friend is hurt but my brain locked up and I’m not able to make any serious or useful contribution to helping them. I’m not really sure if it’s worry, lack of self-confidence or what but locking up like that can be just as distressing as the injury itself.

    Finally, I have this mental image of Ruth being mildly verbally abusive towards Joyce all whilst fussing over her like an older sister. There’s nothing like a minor crisis to take your mind off of your own problems.!

  30. AGV

    Jacob is a pure cinnamon roll and doesn’t deserve to be involved in this mess

    1. Needfuldoer

      He’s a cinnamon roll that’s been dropped on the floor. Still good inside, but with some crap to scrape off the surface.

      1. Needfuldoer

        Wait, you said Jacob. Shit, sorry. For some reason I mentally transposed him with Joe.

        Joe’s the floor cinnamon roll.

        1. Eldritch Gentleman

          Joe needs some pressure washing if you ask me.

        2. HeySo

          I hear lye soap is making a comeback. 😛

          (Explanation if anyone needs it:
          https://learningandyearning.com/is-lye-soap-safe          )

  31. ScarvesandCelery

    Jacob’s expression in Panel 6 is interesting, as he goes from smiling while comforting Joyce in panel 5 to looking somewhat worried/ discomforted in panel 6. Has her dialogue made him recognise that she has a crush on him, and maybe forced him to recognise the possibility he might be getting a bit of a crush on her too?

    1. Zee

      I think it’s more “why would you want to remember this? That’s a weird thing to say. Oh god maybe this is worse than I thought I need to get her help”

    2. Eldritch Gentleman

      Yeah there is this hint “and this drama-free sweet friendship was developing so well…”

  32. CoMa

    Poor Joyce, poor Joe.

    I might be thinking too much along the way of the story, but I somehow get the feeling that maybe Dorothy might feel a teeny-tiny bit guilty if she hears of this. Idk, I just have that feeling…

    1. Eldritch Gentleman

      If nothing else she will freak out that Joyce is hurt and in her current state that might hurt her even more.

  33. Garnakan

    “Tell her i need my femurs to live”

    Yep, still feared

  34. Eldritch Gentleman

    I guess every cloud has it’s muscle-lini… I mean silver-lining.

  35. Calibus

    Kinda feel like Joe only ever has concerns for Joyce. Always the first to be there, first to help her, and the first to bring sense into her. But sadly he’s just being made a martyr for her. He’s everything Joyce hates in a man, yet everything she needs in some form or another. He just has no ability to comfort her and in the end the one who is always second for her, Jacob, is the one who seems to be the one who keeps her feeling safe than actually trying to make her safer. I feel Jacob is a soon-to-be terrible disaster for Joyce and Joe will rescue her in a not-too-happy ending sort of way.

  36. CianM1301

    Now all we need is for Raidah to see Jacob carrying Joyce bridal style and lose her mind.

  37. adjudicus

    At last! Toedad finally has his revenge on Joyce!

    1. Agemegos

      Boo!

  38. ValdVin

    Between the squeans*, shrunken eyes and the loss of 95% of whatever color her face has, we don’t need the dialogue to tell Joyce us really is in trouble. I hope Jacob is able to direct her barfyness into an unused disposal area.

    (* Circles or lines around someone’s head indicating drunkennes, pain or shock.)

    1. BenRG

      You can get shock from just pain without any serious deep injury if the pain is strong and sudden enough. At least that’s been my experience.

    2. Vulcanodon

      As a teen with friends I was pulling a cable cart across a canyon, reached back, and my hand got caught in the rear pulley supporting the cart. Motorcycle gloves saved my fingers but when we got to the other side I fell to the ground, threw up, and passed out. My friends, being dudes, laughed, waited for me to get up again.

    3. HeySo

      As noted, those are just signs of shock, which can happen from fairly minor triggers, and it does pass on its own if the injury itself isn’t severe.

      Rather, the fact that she hasn’t *passed out* (Which, as with Vulcanodon, I can personally attest to being the normal response to shock.), and seems more alert rather than less, indicates she’s likely doing fairly well.

  39. Zaxares

    Shipping intensifies.

    1. BenRG

      With the added advantage that Joyce can later wave off anything revealing that she says as being ‘the pain talking’.

  40. DoggySpew

    Is it bad for me that I ship Joe with Joyce? His look on his face here.

    1. Parzival

      You’re not the only one.

    2. Ambs!

      same. I can’t believe I’m starting to like Joe, but there it is.

    3. steelplatedheart

      Came here to say almost that exact thing

  41. Vulcanodon

    Joe, you just don’t understand how hard it is for Joyce to drop an F bomb.

    (Missing Cerberus, sending positive vibes to Cerberus)

    1. Pablo360

      *holds hands in the air, gathers energy from the entire world, sends it to Cerberus*

    2. Ivy

      What happened to Cerberus

      1. PB

        GRRRRREETINGS FROM THE FUTUUUURE! She’s fine.

  42. Skraeling

    Annnd Iiiii willl alwayss looove youu!

  43. THEHYPERBOLOID

    I once wound up with a hole and a BB in my thumb. I hollered shoot a lot, but that was mostly because I was a sheltered homeschooled kid who didn’t actually know any cuss words.

  44. kirbiliusclausius

    Isn’t this Joyce getting injured to the bone twice in two months? I mean, it’s not even ‘Halloween’ yet. Convincing her _particular_ parents to accept her friendship with a lesbian and an atheist is one thing, convincing her parents to accept her repeated incapacitation?

  45. Josh Spicer

    I mean obviously this wasn’t intentional by Joyce but I do find myself wondering if her and Joe are gonna pick-up the conversation regarding the whole Jacob sitch.

  46. Deanatay

    *Raidah appears at top of stairs*
    Jacob: Raidah! I could use some h-
    Raidah: WHAT. Are you DOING?
    Jacob: Well, Joyce hurt her foot, so I’m taking her upst-
    Raidah: In a PRINCESS carry? HOW COULD YOU??
    Jacob: Uh… easily? I.. Is this a jealousy thing? I thought you didn’t do j-
    Joyce: BLEEURRGHH!! *vomits on Jacob’s chest*
    Raidah: Oh, now she’s BARFING on you!
    Jacob: I.. is that a thing?
    Raidah: That’s IT, Jacob! We’re OVER! *storms off*
    Jacob: So confused…
    Joyce: *in her head* Heh heh heh…

  47. Marsh Maryrose

    One of these days I’ll have to get a Twitter account just so that I can ask Willis if Maggie carried him in a princess carry to the RA.

  48. steelplatedheart

    You know I wasn’t convinced at first but now that we’ve seen some character development I’m gonna say it… I ship Joe/Joyce

  49. Roborat

    “Gonna go sleepy now” That is so adorable. Even woozy and in pain Joyce is cute.

  50. Ryan

    Next time, wear your shoes.

  51. Guest42

    I still prefer joe and Joyce. No cheating involved and he saved her donuts special.

    1. HeySo

      I know *I* would be won over by someone making sure I get donuts.. 😛

  52. shadebug

    There’s a lot of comments here so maybe somebody’s already done this but, just in case…

    I ‘ardly know ‘er!

  53. buddy

    CALLBACK!!!!

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