THIS is why internet-enabled implants must never happen.
…. well, this and a zillion other reasons.
Khyrin
Another reason?
“I’m sorry, sir. Bionic Pancreasâ„¢ went under, thus making it obsolete, as no one makes the insulin packs. it’ll be 6000 for the new installation plus the cost of the implant. “
I think Faz knows they’re related, as he has corrected her saying “OUR father” before. But I don’t think Amber knows.
I think this will be the storyline where Amber finds out her father had been cheating on her mother for years before the divorce.
InsertJoJosReference
I mean she said “my dad shacked up with this kid’s mom” but that’s vague enough in that it doesn’t specify if Faz was born before or after so she might know for all we know and just sticks to the step brother claim to keep distance. On the other hand, he might have said “our father” but that doesn’t necessarily mean he knows but rather that he just views Amber’s dad as a father figure. Basically we know nothing about what they know just from this strip lol
Needfuldoer
Unless the author changed his mind, Amber is Blaine’s only biological child.
My guess is the divorce was probably three to five years ago. That’s about when the convenience store incident happened, and Amber was with Blaine at the time. When he showed up on Freshman Family Weekend, Amber said she hadn’t seen him in years.
Whether Blaine and Stacy lived separately before the paperwork was filed remains to be seen.
Deanatay
The divorce might have happened before then – divisions of custody in divorces can get convoluted. It’s possible that Blaine only got to see Amber by driving her to school every morning. And maybe every other weekend.
thejeff
Possible, but hinted against. Blaine seemed to have much more control over the aftermath than I would have expected if he only had partial visitation rights, rather than still being married. Got her into martial arts instead of therapy, for one thing.
Not sure how the “hadn’t seen him in years” bit matches Amber’s apparent familiarity and apparent (step)sibling relationship with Faz.
thejeff
I don’t think they are related – other than the step-relationship.
As for the correction: When Amber said “My dad”
Faz said “Father does not care”
And Amber corrected him “Not your dad. My dad. Your step-dad”
I suppose Faz could have been hinting at Amber’s “my dad” being the
same as his Father, but it’s far from clear.
Unless it’s a different correction you were thinking of?
You know, we’ve met Danny’s parents, so I am not that sure why Danny ought to think much of family bonds, either.
Granted, on the DoA curve, talking down to Danny and being kind of shitty to him still gets them “above average parenting” compared to implicit racism, various forms of abuse, armed kidnapping, etc.
Also, Danny seems the type to think that the way things are for him is the way things are for everyone, or at least the way they should be. He’s certainly internalized his parents’ neglect.
thejeff
Yeah, Danny’s internalized that enough that when his parents treat him like that, it’s his fault.
I’m sure he was exposed to other, better parents – Dorothy’s for example. But they treated her so well because Dorothy was so much better than him. It’s only reasonable.
wow. I actually prefer the faz comic to the sal+malaya ones. I did not think faz would ever be preferable to anything.
it’s probably because he’s got so little power here, compared to other characters (and compared to Walkyverse Faz). Amber is keeping him under control, so while he does make one want brain bleach, he’s not really looking like a *threat*.
also I’m really wanting to know why faz is here. I think. I may well regret this curiosity.
as for panel 5: oh danny, you sweet summer child. 😉 he’s still got that naive idealism… but in panel 6, he’s reminded of reality and he reacts like an adult. 🙂
>”also I’m really wanting to know why faz is here. I think. I may well regret this curiosity.”
Betcha it’s a completely emotionally devastating reason for everyone. Like “Faz’ mother died yesterday, so Faz decided to seek solace in the arms of another mature female. And by arms, Faz means…”
Sorry for not being clear enough last night. I blame sleep deprivation. For full disclosure, the wedding I mentioned is between my mother and her abuser, which is why it disgusts me. He’s a raging alcoholic, belittles her constantly, and while I was living there, referred to me as “that thing in the attic”, and would regularly threaten me to get her upset. We moved out, but the new living arrangement was unbearably volatile, so I’ve been staying with my brother.
When I said “not exactly invited”, it was in the sense that I was more or less given an ultimatum. I could go, or she’ll hold it against me like she holds her dad’s funeral against me. See, her family didn’t want her there at all, which I only found out the day of the actual funeral. I didn’t know what to tell her at the time, and a family friend wound up breaking the news. She blames it on me, despite me repeatedly apologising and going out of my way to make up for something that wasn’t even my decision.
So, to sum up: My mother is marrying her abuser, despite doing everything to escape him. I’m being guilted/threatened into going, on the grounds that I “lied about her dad’s funeral”, which wasn’t even the case, and despite repeatedly being told she wasn’t holding it against me. I’m probably still oversimplifying the situation.
Honestly, it sounds like it might just be best, for you, to cut ties entirely. Considering how she’s treating *you*, she’s also an abuser (of the emotional sort). Ultimately it’s all up to you, of course, but it sounds like you don’t need that sort of crap in your life.
maybe it would be less of a pain to just let her believe what she wants about you? it sounds like she’s committed to her questionable-at-best choices…
this seems like a question delicate enough to be worthy of Captain Awkward. (she’s probably sick of getting “do I really have to break up with the nazi” letters anyways 😉 )
Your grand-father’s extended family banished your mother from her own father’s funeral and she blames it on YOU? They’re terrible, she’s terrible, you don’t deserve this attitude because nobody does.
Look, I took abuse from my mother for years because I felt guilty about the way my father treated her. It accomplished exactly nothing but hurt me.
You tried to save her from her abuser, and it seems that living together was impossible afterwards.
I don’t know how to say it.
She needs to be saved from this guy, she needs to be saved from the idea that emotional abuse is OK (she uses it on you, she marries the guy who uses it on her), but you’re not the person for the job because she already decided that you were the type of human she gives orders to and not the one who gives orders to her.
Don’t go to the wedding. Announce you won’t go to the wedding. Mother will blame you forever if you don’t? Well, then I guess you will have to stop talking to each other forever.
TL;DR : She needs help, she’s already decided you’re not worthy enough to help her, there’s nothing you can do to change that, let her go (she won’t), make her go.
You weigh the issues that will arise from not going against how much you don’t want to show support for her decision.
Also you need to focus on what you need to do to get to solid ground first before you even ask yourself if you want to try and help her out and if you can without risking being pulled back in.
I say don’t go. You have done more than enough emotional labour for your mother over something that wasn’t your fault and if you don’t want to go, don’t.
Inahc’s suggestion of writing to or reading CaptainAwkward’s previous responses could also help as they give an impression and idea of how to deal with things generally and ways to respond.
I think #1067 would be partially helpful as it deals with a similar kind of attitude and for some of the scripts you could switch tense to present and funeral to wedding.
I’m still going back and forth on how I feel about Amber using the Silver Age spelling over the Golden Age one. Because I’m a horrible pedant. Or maybe a really good pedant. Pedantry is hard.
It reveals unto us which version Willis (and I [*]) grew up with. We can use this somehow for blackmail purposes, and/or ask about getting a Mxy-expy into the Transformers canon and/or wiki!
–Dave, and which pronunciations do you prefer? (I think it may be the 5D equivalent of gender?)
[*] sold my comics collection just over 20 years ago. can STILL babble on to you for hours about Silver-Age-up-through-about-Crisis-on-Inf-Earths DC multiversal happenings and history, though mostly not Batman.
This is terrifying. If Faz weren’t here, Amber wouldn’t have needed Danny’s help, and probably would’ve continued avoiding him, so the two of them wouldn’t be talking right now.
Consequently, I… I think I might actually be… *glad* that Faz showed up
…. Okay, I recommend a vacation of a minimum of two weeks. Focus on calm and relaxation, not excitement, in a peaceful, non-frenetic environment. No stimulants beyond routine caffeine intake, keep alcohol consumption down to no more than two drinks per day, moderate exercise, and full nights of sleep. Avoid anything that might enrage or frustrate or aggravate you, including news, youtube comments sections, and contact with annoying step-brothers.
124 thoughts on “Torment”
Proxiehunter
Does Faz really deserve to be acquitted?
Stephen Bierce
Repeat offender.
Stephen Bierce
…And now I feel obliged to look up some Richard Marx. Anybody for “Don’t Mean Nothing”?
Deanatay
No it don’ mean nothin’
The words that they say
No it don’ mean nothin’
The games that people play
No it don’ mean nothin’
No victim, no crime
No it don’ mean nothin’
‘Till you sign it on the dotted line
Dean
He should at least be tried as a juvenile.
Doctor_Who
I don’t know, he’s being going around asking women to “try me as an adult” all day.
Emperor Norton II
The one thing we can agree on is that he sure as hell is trying.
Clif
And that he’s guilty of being a juvenile.
AnvilPro
Faz is gonna save America.
Clif
Faz! The president we deserve.
Doctor_Who
Faz sat quietly through the whole class, and didn’t move or speak for 45 minutes. Yet he still managed to commit sexual harassment 67 times.
Lokitsu
What can I say? The boy has a gift.
Reltzik
THIS is why internet-enabled implants must never happen.
…. well, this and a zillion other reasons.
Khyrin
Another reason?
“I’m sorry, sir. Bionic Pancreasâ„¢ went under, thus making it obsolete, as no one makes the insulin packs. it’ll be 6000 for the new installation plus the cost of the implant. “
Opus the Poet
How has Amber managed to not kill him yet?
tim gueguen
She tried, but he just got up afterwards muttering something that sounded like “There can only be one.”
Anna
She would have to see her father again, it’s the only thing saving that boys life.
Passchendaele
That *would* explain why I can’t usually change things.
newllend(henryvolt)
Dear God, we’re bringing back the old Amber /Faz dynamic are we ? ?
spriteless
Well, at least they already know they’re related, so we can skip to like 9 years into shortpacked.
threePwny
Can we have Drunk Mike now, then?
Suzi
I think Faz knows they’re related, as he has corrected her saying “OUR father” before. But I don’t think Amber knows.
I think this will be the storyline where Amber finds out her father had been cheating on her mother for years before the divorce.
InsertJoJosReference
I mean she said “my dad shacked up with this kid’s mom” but that’s vague enough in that it doesn’t specify if Faz was born before or after so she might know for all we know and just sticks to the step brother claim to keep distance. On the other hand, he might have said “our father” but that doesn’t necessarily mean he knows but rather that he just views Amber’s dad as a father figure. Basically we know nothing about what they know just from this strip lol
Needfuldoer
Unless the author changed his mind, Amber is Blaine’s only biological child.
http://itswalky.tumblr.com/post/21013138638/so-is-ambers-dad-still-have-a-bevy-of-children
My guess is the divorce was probably three to five years ago. That’s about when the convenience store incident happened, and Amber was with Blaine at the time. When he showed up on Freshman Family Weekend, Amber said she hadn’t seen him in years.
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/paid-2/
Whether Blaine and Stacy lived separately before the paperwork was filed remains to be seen.
Deanatay
The divorce might have happened before then – divisions of custody in divorces can get convoluted. It’s possible that Blaine only got to see Amber by driving her to school every morning. And maybe every other weekend.
thejeff
Possible, but hinted against. Blaine seemed to have much more control over the aftermath than I would have expected if he only had partial visitation rights, rather than still being married. Got her into martial arts instead of therapy, for one thing.
Not sure how the “hadn’t seen him in years” bit matches Amber’s apparent familiarity and apparent (step)sibling relationship with Faz.
thejeff
I don’t think they are related – other than the step-relationship.
As for the correction: When Amber said “My dad”
Faz said “Father does not care”
And Amber corrected him “Not your dad. My dad. Your step-dad”
I suppose Faz could have been hinting at Amber’s “my dad” being the
same as his Father, but it’s far from clear.
Unless it’s a different correction you were thinking of?
Keulen
Hopefully not all of it. I’m hoping Faz doesn’t have a romantic/sexual interest in Amber like he did in the Walkyverse.
thejeff
We’ve seen no sign of it. And it’s not like he hasn’t been completely upfront about sexual interest in damn near everything else that moves.
DarkoNeko
“oh, right.”
Anna
She would have to see her father again, it’s the only thing saving that boys life.
DailyBrad
You know, we’ve met Danny’s parents, so I am not that sure why Danny ought to think much of family bonds, either.
Granted, on the DoA curve, talking down to Danny and being kind of shitty to him still gets them “above average parenting” compared to implicit racism, various forms of abuse, armed kidnapping, etc.
King Daniel
Danny has an older brother who’s been mentioned a time or two in the comic.
No Name
Betcha a nickle he’s just as bad as his parents.
Also, Danny seems the type to think that the way things are for him is the way things are for everyone, or at least the way they should be. He’s certainly internalized his parents’ neglect.
thejeff
Yeah, Danny’s internalized that enough that when his parents treat him like that, it’s his fault.
I’m sure he was exposed to other, better parents – Dorothy’s for example. But they treated her so well because Dorothy was so much better than him. It’s only reasonable.
Inahc
wow. I actually prefer the faz comic to the sal+malaya ones. I did not think faz would ever be preferable to anything.
it’s probably because he’s got so little power here, compared to other characters (and compared to Walkyverse Faz). Amber is keeping him under control, so while he does make one want brain bleach, he’s not really looking like a *threat*.
also I’m really wanting to know why faz is here. I think. I may well regret this curiosity.
as for panel 5: oh danny, you sweet summer child. 😉 he’s still got that naive idealism… but in panel 6, he’s reminded of reality and he reacts like an adult. 🙂
Emperor Norton II
“wow. I actually prefer the faz comic to the sal+malaya ones. I did not think faz would ever be preferable to anything.”
Could this possibly be because Faz doesn’t get to say anything in this strip?
Inahc
quite possibly. 🙂
Loki
>”also I’m really wanting to know why faz is here. I think. I may well regret this curiosity.”
Betcha it’s a completely emotionally devastating reason for everyone. Like “Faz’ mother died yesterday, so Faz decided to seek solace in the arms of another mature female. And by arms, Faz means…”
Needfuldoer
We need to quantify this preference in a chart.
FLUFFYWOLF
Why’s Danny being all “family first” here? His family hates him!
(Okay maybe they don’t hate him, but they’ve almost certainly emotionally abused him…)
Inahc
he hasn’t figured that out yet. :/
Sundae'sChild
As the saying goes, we accept the love we think we deserve
Delicious Taffy
Sorry for not being clear enough last night. I blame sleep deprivation. For full disclosure, the wedding I mentioned is between my mother and her abuser, which is why it disgusts me. He’s a raging alcoholic, belittles her constantly, and while I was living there, referred to me as “that thing in the attic”, and would regularly threaten me to get her upset. We moved out, but the new living arrangement was unbearably volatile, so I’ve been staying with my brother.
When I said “not exactly invited”, it was in the sense that I was more or less given an ultimatum. I could go, or she’ll hold it against me like she holds her dad’s funeral against me. See, her family didn’t want her there at all, which I only found out the day of the actual funeral. I didn’t know what to tell her at the time, and a family friend wound up breaking the news. She blames it on me, despite me repeatedly apologising and going out of my way to make up for something that wasn’t even my decision.
So, to sum up: My mother is marrying her abuser, despite doing everything to escape him. I’m being guilted/threatened into going, on the grounds that I “lied about her dad’s funeral”, which wasn’t even the case, and despite repeatedly being told she wasn’t holding it against me. I’m probably still oversimplifying the situation.
Sol Karas
Honestly, it sounds like it might just be best, for you, to cut ties entirely. Considering how she’s treating *you*, she’s also an abuser (of the emotional sort). Ultimately it’s all up to you, of course, but it sounds like you don’t need that sort of crap in your life.
Inahc
:/ shitty.
maybe it would be less of a pain to just let her believe what she wants about you? it sounds like she’s committed to her questionable-at-best choices…
this seems like a question delicate enough to be worthy of Captain Awkward. (she’s probably sick of getting “do I really have to break up with the nazi” letters anyways 😉 )
Inahc
ooh, and she is accepting questions at the moment! https://captainawkward.com/ask-a-question/
Inahc
here’s a partially relevant thing: https://captainawkward.com/2017/10/11/1031-mom-is-pressuring-me-to-have-relationship-with-abusive-dad-because-hes-my-dad/
Inahc
another partially relevant one: https://captainawkward.com/2017/06/22/981-watching-from-the-sidelines-in-horror-how-do-i-be-a-supportive-friend-to-my-friend-whos-involved-with-tfg/
Anowan
OK, I have exactly one piece of advice for you.
Get out of these nonsensical family ties.
Your grand-father’s extended family banished your mother from her own father’s funeral and she blames it on YOU? They’re terrible, she’s terrible, you don’t deserve this attitude because nobody does.
Look, I took abuse from my mother for years because I felt guilty about the way my father treated her. It accomplished exactly nothing but hurt me.
You tried to save her from her abuser, and it seems that living together was impossible afterwards.
I don’t know how to say it.
She needs to be saved from this guy, she needs to be saved from the idea that emotional abuse is OK (she uses it on you, she marries the guy who uses it on her), but you’re not the person for the job because she already decided that you were the type of human she gives orders to and not the one who gives orders to her.
Don’t go to the wedding. Announce you won’t go to the wedding. Mother will blame you forever if you don’t? Well, then I guess you will have to stop talking to each other forever.
TL;DR : She needs help, she’s already decided you’re not worthy enough to help her, there’s nothing you can do to change that, let her go (she won’t), make her go.
Please be well.
Delicious Taffy
You’re probably right. All of you are, I just needed to see it in writing, I think.
TemperaryObsessor
You weigh the issues that will arise from not going against how much you don’t want to show support for her decision.
Also you need to focus on what you need to do to get to solid ground first before you even ask yourself if you want to try and help her out and if you can without risking being pulled back in.
Sam
I say don’t go. You have done more than enough emotional labour for your mother over something that wasn’t your fault and if you don’t want to go, don’t.
Inahc’s suggestion of writing to or reading CaptainAwkward’s previous responses could also help as they give an impression and idea of how to deal with things generally and ways to respond.
I think #1067 would be partially helpful as it deals with a similar kind of attitude and for some of the scripts you could switch tense to present and funeral to wedding.
Adam Black
“Who ever has any Objections to this Union”
She knows you do, yet shes coercing you to go.
( she subconsciously hoped you will break up the wedding?)
Do it. Go , break up the wedding.
lest there be any doubt, you can tell her inadvance.
Yumi
I don’t think they say that all the time–or even often–anymore.
But if they do at this particular wedding, I don’t see that making things better.
Agemegos
One day someone is going to have to seek a better answer than “Hell if I know” to a cogent and possibly important question.
MasakiSayz
Unfortunately that is the primary way things are done here in DoA, I can’t see that changing in the future.
It’s in the title, all things considered.
Undrave
Quick, Amber! Trick him into saying his name backward!
Needfuldoer
They encounter Zaph and Rose on the way back to the dorms. Zaph and Faz introduce themselves to each other, then disappear in a puff of smoke.
BrokenEye, the True False Prophet
This is why I try to stay away from puffs of smoke
David H. Adler
I’m still going back and forth on how I feel about Amber using the Silver Age spelling over the Golden Age one. Because I’m a horrible pedant. Or maybe a really good pedant. Pedantry is hard.
David DeLaney
It reveals unto us which version Willis (and I [*]) grew up with. We can use this somehow for blackmail purposes, and/or ask about getting a Mxy-expy into the Transformers canon and/or wiki!
–Dave, and which pronunciations do you prefer? (I think it may be the 5D equivalent of gender?)
[*] sold my comics collection just over 20 years ago. can STILL babble on to you for hours about Silver-Age-up-through-about-Crisis-on-Inf-Earths DC multiversal happenings and history, though mostly not Batman.
Pat
Have we met Ambers real father yet in DoA?
No Name
Yes, that was Blaine. Step-brother means Blaine isn’t Faz’s real father, just to nip that retread in the bud.
Clif
Too late.
Shaunzii
Yes, he came and visited her in an earlier arc along with gas and got kicked out for not being on the dorm approved list.
Fart Captor
This is terrifying. If Faz weren’t here, Amber wouldn’t have needed Danny’s help, and probably would’ve continued avoiding him, so the two of them wouldn’t be talking right now.
Consequently, I… I think I might actually be… *glad* that Faz showed up
Reltzik
…..
…. Okay, I recommend a vacation of a minimum of two weeks. Focus on calm and relaxation, not excitement, in a peaceful, non-frenetic environment. No stimulants beyond routine caffeine intake, keep alcohol consumption down to no more than two drinks per day, moderate exercise, and full nights of sleep. Avoid anything that might enrage or frustrate or aggravate you, including news, youtube comments sections, and contact with annoying step-brothers.
BenRG
It would appeal to Faz’s sense of vanity that he is the key to solving some, if not all, of his sister’s problems.
C.