337

As long as
Posted on September 13, 2019 by David M Willis

337 thoughts on “As long as”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    “oh ok I guess I dreamed that whole thing with that girl who didn’t like ‘chicken fingers that aren’t too spicy'”

    bless my fam, they never once badmouthed the poor hookup decisions I made

    …

    well except the one time my dad banned the one guy foreverBUT OTHER THAN THAT

    1. Ana Chronistic

      “yeah but also, headlights”

    2. Doctor_Who

      Yeah, Jacob’s confused expression could totally be “I don’t remember this happening, but I can’t imagine why my brother would lie, so I guess it did.”

      Law students are under a lot of stress and it’s midterms. Jacob can’t know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he didn’t break up with Raidah and start dating Joyce in some sort of exam-cram fugue state.

      1. K^2

        “I could say, ‘Joyce isn’t my girlfriend,’ and he would say, ‘Says who?’ And I would say, ‘My actual girlfriend, Raidah,’ and then he’d object on the grounds of hearsay being inadmissible. Better just go along with it.”

      2. Geeky Warrior

        I think it’s more revealing the issue that Jacob doesn’t feel like he can correct his brother. As if he is too embarrassed or doesn’t feel worthy enough to do so.

        1. Axel

          Yes this

        2. Ana Chronistic

          I expect it’s actually more “I thought you were my friend and so don’t have the heart to call you a shitty liar asshole in front of my innocent, uninformed brother and nibling*”

          *I didn’t pay attention to which Jaime is and maybe that’s not relevant ever

        3. showler

          I was thinking he just doesn’t understand why Joyce would say that and isn’t willing to undercut her until he does understand. He likes Joyce and thinks highly of her so he might be giving her the benefit of the doubt until he has a moment to speak to her in private.

        4. Axel

          But he wouldn’t have had to be rude or anything to Joyce to correct Harrison, just say something like ‘oh this is a misunderstanding, Joyce is a very good friend but not my girlfriend,’ which also would make more sense for Jacob to assume than that Joyce had lied for some reason.

        5. thejeff

          Seems to me it was more he was just taken aback at first and now doesn’t want to admit he’s actually with a “stuffy by-the-numbers lawyer” like Harrison expect and not with the one that impressed his big brother.

        6. SuperZero

          He doesn’t understand what’s going on enough to know Joyce was lying.

  2. Newllend(henryvolt)

    Nice one Joyce, you’ve entangled is good man in your Web of Lies. Here’s Harrison telling Jacob he’s proud of him and going as for has to be chatty and tease him and the hole time Jacobs probably freaking the hell out that he’s been roped into this without even realizing what’s happening.

    1. Newllend(henryvolt)

      *Catty

  3. King Daniel

    Well, I’m certain this comment section will be nice and civilized.

    1. woobie

      [facepalm]

    2. Doctor_Who

      Do pass the scones my good chap, and my word is that a new pince-nez? Very fetching, if I do say so.

      1. He Who Abides

        I say, old bean, would you also care for a spot of tea? And would you be ever so kind as to inform me of the state of your marigolds at this fine time?

    3. Clif

      The comment section? I’m just looking forward to how nice and civilized Raidah will be.

      1. David

        Raidah is the comment section now.

        1. Clif

          Oh, come on. Who could begrudge Sarah her best birthday ever?

        2. elebenty

          This *would* make Sarah unrecognizably happy.

          …at least not sure I would recognize a truly happy Sarah.

    4. Roborat

      Umm, are we both in the same comments section???

  4. ValdVin

    “Stuffy by-the-numbers lawyer” v. “assumed good caboose”.

    Never thought Jacob would have to make this decision.

    1. woobie

      Can one not be both?

      1. Nono

        Depends on the size of Sarah’s caboose?

        1. Doctor_Who

          I was about to propose we get all three girls together and find an impartial judge to decide, but then I remembered that’s how the Trojan War got started, and ain’t nobody got time for that during midterms.

        2. Ivy

          A golden apple with a note: For the Thiccest

        3. Bathymetheus

          There’s a joke about contraception in there . . . but given that Joyce is a virgin, I’ll skip it.

        4. Needfuldoer

          Who do we know that’s an aficionado of all kinds of posteriors, and could make such a judgement?

          *Runs to the roof, throws a giant lever switch*
          *A giant spotlight with a shadow of a butt in the middle appears in the clouds*

        5. Clif

          Plays the Buttsman theme song on the hacked musical thingamajig.

        6. Chris Phoenix

          Pintsize!

        7. He Who Abides

          YES!

        8. krylani

          “All I’m getting is ‘butts.'”

        9. Clif

          Appropriate avatar is appropriate.

        10. ValdVin

          Tina Belcher finally has a superhero alter.

  5. Wack'd

    harrison, don’t talk about the cabooses of ladies without their consent

    rude

    1. Wack'd

      at…least “assumed” means he hasn’t actually checked?

      kind of a low bar

      1. Clif

        I don’t hear Joyce complaining.

        1. Raven

          I think Joyce is probably too distracted by the whole getting to hold hands thing to be paying attention

    2. Jago

      “Hey, may I talk about your butt?” Let’s be real, that’s weirder than doing it when the person can’t hear you.
      Keyword being, when the person _can’t hear you_, Harrison.

  6. Jamie

    Aaaaaaaand the bear trap snaps shut on your leg.

    1. Clif

      But which one is the bear.

  7. Shane

    The fact that she could non-verbally explain what she may or may not have done and request what she will hope he does shows they do have a certain rapport. And if he’s willing to go along with it, either he’s a little bit of an enabler, has empathy for her plight, and/or wants to please his brother, and/or things aren’t going super hot with Raidah (who is kinda manipulative, at least I think so.)

    Of course, as before, doesn’t everyone’s plan completely fall apart when Raidah (or secret new gf) actually shows up?

    1. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

      Maybe Raidah’s out of town?

      1. BBCC

        We know she’s not. She and Jacob had plans to introduce her to him when he visited.

        1. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

          ruh-roh

        2. Clif

          Raidah had plans to be taken out to an adult restaurant.

        3. Jon Rich

          Is that a euphemism? She really doesn’t seem the type….and neither do either of the two men.

        4. Axel

          It was a dig at Joyce being a picky eater

        5. Axel

          By Raidah, not Clif

        6. Sam

          It is not. That is meant literally. She planned to be taken to a restaurant that would be intolerable for someone with food sensitivities because while she likes to think herself progressive, she is ableist and sees Joyce’s food issues as ‘immaturity’.

        7. Eric

          lol jfc this post!

        8. Inahc

          And since there’s a baby along, they won’t be going to that type of restaurant anyways, which makes me wish even more that Joyce had stayed out of the way and let raidah ruin this all on her own.

      2. Sunny

        She probably wasn’t expecting Harrison to show up early and make Jacob skip class. She was expecting Jacob to go to class like a good high-status boyfriend related to The Legend Harrison, only once class ended would the three of them meet up and go to a fancy restaurant and talk about lawyer-y things.

  8. Tan

    Joyce, no.

    Jacob, no.

    Joycob, no.

    Jayce, no.

    1. Newllend(henryvolt)

      She looks so proud to, she would only be lucky if she gets out of this barely affected.

      1. Clif

        But Jacob is holding her hand! Concentrate on what’s important.

        1. David

          Jacob put her hand on hold. Or at least in a holding pattern.

    2. Yossarianduck

      Jaime, yes.

  9. Crumplepunch

    I CAN’T SEE THIS LEADING TO FURTHER MISUNDERSTANDINGS

    1. Bagge

      I don’t think it will, actually.

      I think everything is exactly as it appers.

      1. Bagge

        I think this was Jacob dumping Raidah.

        1. Ron

          Welp, I don’t see this happening without someone dumping someone…

        2. Miri

          Pretty certain the dumpee should be part of that event… This is Jacob being so eager for his brother’s approval that he’s willing to treat his actual gf very poorly… And ironically, Joyce might help him see that if she actually tells him how much he has his back…

        3. Clif

          Now I’m wondering if Jacob picked Raidah to begin with because he thought she was someone his brother would approve of.

        4. Chris Phoenix

          +5 Insightful.

        5. K^2

          Pretty much a guarantee. The only question is whether that was conscious or not.

        6. Kryss LaBryn

          Well, that, and how much he actually enjoys her company and being her boyfriend, given the assumption that he picked her as someone for his brother, rather than for himself.

  10. Nono

    Okay yeah last panel Harrison affirmed my wariness about his word choices yesterday. That’s kinda gross.

    1. Clif

      Yeah. Like you’ve never appreciated a caboose.

      1. Nono

        Harrison basically went ‘nice catch, bro’ and then not two minutes later, ‘I bet she has a nice butt’, right within earshot.

        There’s times and places for that, and Harrison doesn’t know Joyce nearly well enough to make those kind of comments, especially not when she’s basically right there.

      2. Felian

        Appreciate yes, comment about it to a stranger, no. That’s rude in most social situations.

  11. FLUFFYWOLF

    Congratulations. You’ve drilled below even my absurd and low hookup standards.

  12. Bagge

    Who friggin’ called it?

    I FRIGGIN’ CALLED IT!

    While part of Jacob’s brain want to say “No, she’s not my girlfriend,” another, larger part asks “…why not?”

    Because she is RIGHT THERE with her big blue eyes and nervous smile and all he has to do is take her warm hand in his and suddenly, just like that brave, cute, adorable Joyce COULD be his girlfriend. and his brother WOULD approve and (isn’t there someone he’s forgetting) and everything would work out (I’m sure there is someone else he should remember right now) and nothing bad would ever happen again.

    GODDAMIT, JACOB!!!

  13. SUGauthor

    Well that was super depressing.

  14. Grant

    finally, Jacob, too, gets to be an active participant in “making terrible, poorly thought out decisions that will bite you in the ass almost immediately.”

    Welcome to being an actual character, Jakes. It’s about damn time

    1. artschoolrage

      man, I was so tired of jacob being a handsome accessory that orbited around the core group. Let’s make some mistakes, jakes!

      1. timemonkey

        Take chances, make mistakes, GET MESSY!

    2. Bagge

      Turns out he has agency after all

      1. Clif

        Yes, all this is completely his doing. It’s what he cleverly intended all along.

        1. Clif

          Nope. Can’t even convince myself.

        2. Bagge

          I woldn’t go THAT far

        3. w00t

          Maybe it’s part of Blaine’s master plan to get witnesses out of the dorm. Hey, it isn’t less realistic than your version, is it?

        4. Clif

          Wait a minute. I’m busy trying to find some way to blame/credit Mike.

    3. Felian

      …. at least it’s a nice ass that’s going to be bitten into? ^^

    4. Eve

      I did not expect “actually pretty severe brother issues” to be a major thing of Jacobs character but hoo boy. He is SUPER insecure about his brothers respect.

  15. artschoolrage

    h a r r i s o n quit talkin about ur brothers “girlfriend’s” ass jing jimmy christmas

    Alright, fake girlfriend Danny Amber 2.0. Let’s see how this goes!

    1. David

      Oh, I don’t know. It might get Jacob defensive and protective about Joyce and his “choice”. Once he fights for her getting treated with respect, Raidah will be caught on the wrong foot stumbling into this situation with the other foot stuck in her mouth. Or even the same foot.

  16. Stephen Bierce

    *plays Hootie & The Blowfish’s “Hold My Hand” on the hacked Muzak*

  17. GoblinScribe

    NNnnnoooooooooo

    Jacob is still doing this to impress his brother, and in the saddest way. Joyce is doing a bad.

  18. AntJ

    Jaime giving Joyce the side-eye

  19. MatthewTheLucky

    This is objectively a bad. Jacob already has a girlfriend who is not Joyce and he’s going on a date with Joyce rather than deal with an awkward situation.

    1. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

      the fact that he’s actually doing this might be a good sign for Joyce×Jacob shippers though
      although i feel like he might get super mad at her later
      then again, he seems pretty chill literally all the time so idk maybe it’ll just be a firm reprimand and a request that she not do anything like that ever again

      1. Nymphie

        He looks so damn depressed in that last panel though. Seems to me he’s just playing along for the visit and once Harrison has left he’s gonna let himself break down over this, which will include being upset with Joyce over this stalkerish move.

      2. Schpoonman

        Jacob is very evenly tempered, but this is Joyce butting into his life, telling his family things that are not true. This is “cut you out of my life” territory.

        1. David

          This is “cut you out of my life like Raidah if you ever do this again” terrortiry.

      3. Eve

        Honestly the fact that I like Joyce/Jacob makes this even worse. This is poisoning the roots of what could have been a very cute relationship, and I don’t know if it will recover.

        1. thejeff

          The roots have been poisoned for a long time. Which I’ve been unhappy about for quite a while since I do like them together.

      4. Axel

        Not mad… disappointed in her.

        and also himself for humoring it.

    2. Bagge

      I’m honestly not sure he has a girlfriend who isn’t Joyce any longer.

      1. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

        i think he might not have a girlfriend much longer…

      2. BBCC

        Yes, yes he does. Even if he isn’t interested in Raidah anymore, he needs to break up with her first.

        1. Bagge

          He seem to have skipped that little detail

        2. BBCC

          Jacob doesn’t get to skip that detail.

    3. Anonymsly

      Also to avoid ‘disappointing’ the older brother he idolizes with his actual girlfriend, the stuffy by-the-numbers lawyer, I bet.

  20. Pocky

    Laying it on a little thicc there. . .

    1. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

      uh-oh, Butts Disease is spreading

  21. shadowcell

    Dumbing of Age Book 10: I Also Assume She Also Has a Good Caboose

  22. Mishyana

    Please let someone else see this and intercept it before it goes too far Yeah that’s definitely not a thing that’s going to happen, is it

    1. David

      The Willis giveth, the Willis taketh away. Praise be in the wisdom of his pencils.

  23. BBCC

    Don’t mind me and my angry eye twitch right now.

    Everything bad that happens to Joyce as a result of this is deserved. I hope as soon as Harrison leaves for a minute, Jacob lets her have it. If not, I’m sure Raidah will be happy to.

    1. Anonymsly

      I think Jacob’s too busy feeling bad about himself and his own choices (which Harrison has just unknowingly called disappointing) to be mad at Joyce yet.

      1. BBCC

        Yup, so it’s gonna be up to Raidah.

        1. Nono

          I’m hoping Dorothy steps in, but she’s voiced her disapproval of Joyce’s actions before and it didn’t land.

          That means… it’s Walky time?!

    2. timemonkey

      Honestly, I’m kind of hoping everything goes completely in Joyce’s favor, just due to the sheer improbability (also the future fun of trying to explain how Jacob is now her boyfriend to her friends without making herself sound horrible).

      Also because I wanna see Joyce and Sarah flip Raidah a double bird after all the shit she talked about both of them.

      1. BBCC

        Can’t relate. Joyce has acted like a tool here and I’m sick of her trampling other people’s boundaries and relationships because she thinks she knows best.

        1. Clif

          What do you think of the way Jacob is acting?

        2. BBCC

          Jacob’s being an asshole. That doesn’t make Joyce less of one.

    3. not someone else

      Yeah I imagine Raidah is going to rip both of them new assholes, if not assume Jacob is cheating or something. Wasn’t that something she had a hair trigger for?

      1. BBCC

        She said if Jacob cheated, she’d dump him and that she would have deserved better all along. Let’s hope so. Zero tolerance policy.

        1. Shane

          Didn’t she also pretty much answer “Hey can we make out now?” with “No you need to spend every single second becoming more wealthy and powerful otherwise your big brother won’t love you”?

        2. Delicious Taffy

          Yeah, but the first one is actually valid.

        3. BBCC

          No, she didn’t. She told him to go study. It’s MIDTERMS time and she knows Jacob’s goal is to be like his brother. Jacob was not upset by what she said, far as I can tell, and he wasn’t acting insecure when she brought him up either.

    4. Zero

      Eh, Raidah can fuck off. What Joyce is doing is wrong yes, but after the shit she’s said about everyone, the way she’s treated both Sarah and Joyce, how she acts like owns Jacob, and her general unpleasantness, only Jacob deserves to tell Joyce off. Hell, Sarah has more claim to telling Joyce off.

      1. BBCC

        Joyce started trying to undermine Raidah’s relationship before Raidah was mean to her. She can be unpleasant, yes, but if she finds out her boyfriend took another girl to meet his brother under the pretence she was his girlfriend, when Joyce knows for a fact he HAS a girlfriend, Raidah absolutely deserves to tell Joyce to go fuck herself.

        1. Zero

          At the time however, Joyce wasn’t interested in Jacob when that happened. I went back to Book 8 Chapter 1 – Face the Strange. Joyce had gone to Jacob’s church because she wanted to get him interested in Sarah, as Sarah suggested to her here https://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-7/03-the-thing-i-was-before/alternative/ The entire church visit was nothing but them hanging out as friends. The closest Joyce got to actually even undermining the relationship was her going to get lunch with him and saying they talk about Sarah. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-8/01-face-the-strange/noticeably/ If anything, BECKY was doing more than Joyce was https://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-8/01-face-the-strange/perfect/ https://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-8/01-face-the-strange/steadfast/

          The two were largely just hanging out as friends…. up until Raidah shows up. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-8/01-face-the-strange/guzzle/ Joyce gets scared off, and Raidah and her click immediately assume JOYCE is gunning for Jacob. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-8/01-face-the-strange/fool/ Its as if the very idea of Jacob having a platonic female friend is alien to her. And what’s her response? That Jacob needs her, and to belittle Joyce. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-8/01-face-the-strange/proud/ It’s only after Raidah makes it clear she’s challenging Joyce does Joyce become more confrontational with her https://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-8/04-of-mike-and-men/wrong-3/ And even then, the most Joyce is a little passive aggressive, where as Raidah is openly manipulating Jacob in thinking Joyce is not good for him. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-8/04-of-mike-and-men/numerous/

          And no, while she hasn’t been mean to Joyce before then, she was condescending. The minute Sarah shows up and tries to drag Joyce away from Raidah, Raidah grabs Joyce like she’s the rope in a game of tug a war. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/05-saturdays-all-right-for-slighting/paid/ While yes, Sarah had no right to try and drag Joyce away, Raidah specifically phrases it as “You can stay with us. You don’t have to go with her.” She is deliberately using Joyce to hurt Sarah here. She still blames Sarah for what happened with Dana, and whether or not she somehow thinks she’s SAVING Joyce from Sarah, it doesn’t change the fact that she is using Joyce to try and hurt Sarah.

          Joyce I’m a little more lenient with in regards to all this shit she’s doing because of her upbringing leaving her severely emotionally and socially stunted. As Becky herself put it best: https://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-8/04-of-mike-and-men/wallets/ And she doesn’t know how to properly deal with these feelings. Yes, what she is doing is shitty. Yes, she needs to be read the Riot Act so she can learn what she’s doing is wrong. Yes, Jacob has the right to tell her off for this. Joyce needs to face the consequences so she can grow.

          But no, Raidah I feel doesn’t deserve to tell Joyce off. She openly acknowledged the idea Joyce was challenging her for Jacob. In her eyes, should Jacob choose Joyce, then she simply lost the game she herself instigated. It would be a different story had Raidah immediately told Joyce to stay away from Jacob when she first saw them together and Joyce still did this, but not now. She played with fire and if she gets burned, its her own fault. She could have stopped it earlier, but she instead tried to prove herself superior in a show of dominance while making Joyce look like a bad fit for Jacob. Raidah can reap what she sowed.

          Maybe I’m less sympathetic to Raidah than Joyce because compared to Joyce, Raidah is a flat character. Raidah has no reasoning behind her actions aside from being a bongo. She has no backstory, no Freudian Excuse. She’s only skin deep. Joyce meanwhile has justification for her behavior, and while I still disagree with it, I can more easily see why she’s doing it and feel this could be a good opportunity for character development. She’s already had a crisis of faith, this can lead to a crisis of upbringing. She already has doubts over her community considering her feelings on Carol and how Becky was treated. This could be the final nail in the coffin that yes, her upbringing royally screwed her up and any relationships she could have.

        2. Zero

          Geez, how long does it take for a comment to moderated?

        3. BBCC

          1) Trying to undermine Raidah’s relationship for Sarah is only very slightly less awful than doing it for her own sake. She was still trying to undermine it.

          2) Raidah’s really not particularly mean when she talks to Joyce there. A little teasing sure, but that’s not what scared Joyce off. What she DOES say that’s mean and condescending is to her friends, after Joyce left. She’s also not convinced they have a problem yet.

          3) By the time Raidah gets competitive, Joyce is already interested in Jacob for herself and is pursuing him.

          4) Telling Joyce she doesn’t have to go with Sarah when she clearly wanted to stay and try on clothes with Raidah and her friends is not abusive to Sarah (in contrast to her year long bullying, which was). We don’t have any indication she was emphasizing Sarah’s awfulness to Joyce here (like an emphasis on the word ‘her’ or anything with her facial expression). She’s certainly not happy to see her and probably wouldn’t be upset if Joyce staying DID hurt Sarah, but I’m pretty sure she’s just trying to remind Joyce she doesn’t actually NEED to go anywhere she doesn’t want to. Considering Joyce was apologetic and sad when Sarah did drag her off (after punching Raidah in the face), I think Raidah was right that Joyce did not want to leave.

          5) I reject being lenient on account of Joyce’s upbringing. Joyce is an adult now. She is responsible for her own shitty actions now.

          6) Raidah did not start this. Joyce did the moment she tried to undermine Raidah’s relationship. This is not ‘what Raidah’ sowed because she decided to handle it by re-emphasizing why she’s (in her mind) right for Jacob and talking down to Joyce. Joyce shouldn’t be doing this shit in the first place, she doesn’t get to pout and whine if Raidah’s condescending to her. Raidah not doing so immediately does not forfeit her right to tell Joyce off.

          7) Raidah is less developed from Joyce, but imo, that doesn’t make Joyce less shitty or more sympathetic here. I’m sure she will develop from this point, but until that happens, I’m going to be annoyed with her about it.

        4. Zach

          She has been far worse than unpleasant. The only problem is a single egregious offense and we know she will paint herself as a tragic victim, publicly absolving herself of any responsibility for past misdeeds.

          If Raidah deserves to tell Joyce off, Sara deserves to punch Raidah in the throat.

          And Joyce started pursuing Jacob before he and Raidah were serious.

        5. Schpoonman

          Raidah being a raging asshole to Sarah (and most characters, but holy shit she has it bad for Sarah) still doesn’t make her deserve Jacob cheating on her. Dumping her, sure, absolutely, Joyce is clearly a better fit for him. But this idea that Raidah should be punished for her behavior by having her consent and trust broken is gross.

          Raidah absolutely deserves for Sarah to throat punch her, but not this.

        6. Nono

          I don’t think Jacob needs anyone to be a better fit for him.

          Sounds like he’s better off being single and away from people with insidious intentions.

        7. Steve C.

          This! I would really like it if this storyline ended with someone telling Jacob that he needed to spend some time as a single person until he could decide what he REALLY wants–or at least WHY he wants what he thinks he does. I hope that person would be Joyce, but it could be Harrison. I doubt it would be Raidah (although if it were, my respect for her will go up 200%.) Personally, I doubt Raidah will dump Jacob over this. I think she would be more likely to hold it over his head and use it to malipulate him like she has used his admiration of his brother in the past (in my opinion, anyway.)

        8. BBCC

          No, no she did not. By the point Joyce started pursuing him, he and Raidah were already boyfriend and girlfriend. Even if she hadn’t, she kept pursuing him afterwards.

          And I’d have no issues with Sarah punching Raidah again beyond concern for possible legal consequences.

        9. Wraithy2773

          Oh, come on. Sarah and Raidah have a huge beef over a fairly understandable conflict. If it wasn’t for the perspective issue (that Raidah is a tertiary character that is in conflict with major characters), we’d just as likely be on her side, recognizing her hatred of Sarah as a tragic flaw with a relatable origin.

          The people cheering on Joyce are little different from someone cheering on a geeky, “nice guy” trying to sabotage his crush’s relationship with someone that seems a bit douchey on the surface.

          This shit is not okay.

        10. Steve C.

          I think Joyce is being very stupid here. (Ditto Jacob, but that deer in the headlights look he has is kind of endearing.) That said, I think Raidah is kind of douchey on the surface. Maybe I’m making a leap here, but I suspect that deep down Raidah is attracted to Jacob for his looks (understandable) and his family connections (which is not okay.)

  24. Agemegos

    What the hell just happened to Jacob’s characterisation? What is either of Jacob or Joyce doing? Is this a bizarro nightmare sequen

    1. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

      this seems consistent wih joyce’s character and how she’s kind of a quixotic ostrich whenever jacob is involved
      buuuut jacob going along with this is pretty surprising. i guess he feels pretty close to her, and maybe even realizes that joyce might have a crush on him?
      (also if this is a nightmare sequence, i think it’d be raidah’s)

      1. Anonymsly

        Jacob idolizes Harrison and wants him to be proud. It makes Harrison proud that Jacob doesn’t have a ‘stuffy by the numbers lawyer’ girlfriend… except that’s exactly what Jacob DOES have, really.

        Jacob is going along with this because it would kill him to disappoint his awesome big brother, though he knows himself to be a disappointment, I think. It probably doesn’t really have anything to do with Joyce herself.

        1. Jhon

          Bu, but… Raidah is perfect!
          She checks all the boxes!

      2. Bysmerian

        I’m pretty sure Harrison implied he would have been disappointed with someone like Raidah, and as much as Jacob looks up to him, he can’t bring himself to correct the guy.

    2. DailyBrad

      Honestly, I think Jacob probably either figures Joyce had a reason for fibbing or else he’s just trying to help her avoid humiliation. It also lucked him into sidestepping how Raidah would have been a predictable choice, seemingly.

    3. Rotunda

      Jacob has trouble contradicting Harrison—his issue with his high-achieving brother is that bad. We previously saw Jacob wanting to iron all his clothes because Harrison was coming to visit.

      1. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

        If you think about it, Joyce just agreed with what Harrison was saying. Maybe Harrison is hard to contradict for many people? Maybe this isn’t entirely Joyce’s fault? …nah

    4. Ron

      People are often acting different around certain others. Jacob is trying so hard to impress his brother that he either chose to go along with a bad decision that he thinks will win him favours or forgot about everything and just goes along the ride completely in shock.

    5. Wraithy2773

      My reading of Jacob’s actions here is that he’s kinds segfaulting. Weird shit came out of left field, and he’s trying to figure out what the hell without making a scene.

      This isn’t exactly the kinda thing folks know how to deal with on the spot…

  25. Bathymetheus

    At least it is now unlikely that Jacob will text Raidah to invite her to lunch.

    Somehow I suspect she’ll turn up anyway

    1. Steve C.

      I’m kind of hoping Willis avoids that trope, but I’m not holding my breath.

  26. Tab

    Yet another fake date for Joyce. Ouch.

    1. TheWanderingMist

      Considering how her first real date went with Joe, maybe she should stick to the fake kind. Less people get attacked that way.

  27. Tab

    Yet another fake date for Joyce. Ouch. d

    1. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

      [insert middle-school-humor comment about (for)getting the “d”]

    2. Nono

      How many other fake dates are there? The one with Joe was real, and even if the relationship with Ethan was doomed to failure, I think the dates are real enough.

      Here it’s fake because Joyce basically shanghaied Jacob into this.

  28. JetstreamGW

    Awesome, it is so much worse

  29. Well_Played

    Oof. That inward look in the last panel. The look of self disappointment.

  30. theKOT

    Theoretically, Joyce could now escape with minimal damage. “I didn’t say I was your girlfriend, he just assumed and it was too awkward/I didn’t have time to tell him otherwise before you showed up!” In fact, this could be a regrettable instance but if word didn’t get out, it could just be an awkward meal and nothing more.

    But that’d be boring so more likely: dumpster fire.

    1. timemonkey

      She could also say she was distracted by the baby and wasn’t listening to what she was agreeing to.

      1. not someone else

        Honestly, that there would be a smooth recovery in Jouce terms. “I’m sorry, I was just saying whatever sounded like it would let me continue staring at the baby, what came out of my mouth?”

    2. Keulen

      Yeah I’d be surprised if this situation turns out well for Joyce.

    3. Needfuldoer

      Joyce gaslighting a lawyer has just about the same odds of success as Walky not eating an entire box of 50 chicken nuggets.

  31. Bagge

    Caboose is the same thing as caboodle, right?

    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/noodle/

    1. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

      i guess “caboose” was too explicit.

    2. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

      personally i always thought a caboodle came with a kit

      1. Needfuldoer

        But listing them in that order is like saying “Cher and Sonny”, or “Jelly and Peanut Butter”…

  32. Shane

    “Why would she do this? To impress Harrison?”
    “Which, I mean, is something I strive for a lot.”
    “And something Raidah strongly manipulates me with as something I should do”
    “And is he correct in pointing out that I have a ‘type’ and it’s stuffy lawyers- like him??”
    “If he’s impressed about Joyce as a girlfriend, does that mean faking it for one breakfast mean I’m _still_ trying to impress him?”

    1. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

      oh, wow, maybe he IS going along with this because he wants to impress harrison! and maybe he usually dates lawyers because he thinks his brother will respect them more, or because he really admires lawyers due to his idolization of his brother…

      oh my god, jacob has a brother complex

      1. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

        god he really is pretending to be with someone he didn’t think would impress harrison just to impress harrison–this makes my brain hurt. hopefully jacob takes away from this that he doesn’t have to live in his brother’s shadow, though i’m not quite sure that will actually happen. …goddammit, the best scenario for jacob’s self-respect is if he chooses raidah over joyce, isn’t it…? or maybe… if he stands up to joyce’s manipulations and raidah’s pettiness and just leaves both of them???

      2. Felian

        But also…. what if Harrison plays it up that he’s all for Jacob’s (alleged) choice? To show he cares and approves of Jacob? Maybe he’d have done the same if he had met Raidah, and just worded his approval differently? ^^

    2. Jess

      Poor Jacob, he’s not in for a good time of it.

  33. TheKelliestKelly

    I am one-hundred and fifty percent here for this train wreck.

    Also, I’ve been meaning to say: Jaime is adorable! You draw babies very well, Willis. Haha, tho I can tell it’s not your favorite thing from the hover text

    1. Anywhere

      It’s like a trainwreck that doesn’t just crash, it keeps tumbling along and somehow catching more on fire and starts picking up pedestrians like a katamari and taking out multiple buildings.

      1. Deadjolras

        it just keeps tumbling down, tumbling down, tumbling down

        1. Delicious Taffy

          The last panel of the entire comic is Joyce sitting next to herself with a giant Joyce head in the distance, on a beach surrounded by orange Fanta.

      2. Clif

        Yes. Isn’t it great?

      3. Delicious Taffy

        Yoooouuu’re lonely rolling staaaaar

  34. abysswatcher1993

    Dammit, Jacob! You could have made Joyce realize she is fucking up! This web of lies is getting bigger!

    This webcomic would take less time if everyone was honest instead of “dumbing” everything!

    1. DailyBrad

      She realizes. You don’t make that face she’s making in panel 2 if you think you made a wise decision and not an impulsive fuckup you couldn’t gracefully bow out of.

    2. ktbear

      Yea but Honesting of Age would be a dumb name for a comic strip.

      1. David

        While Dumbing of Age is a honest name for this comic strip.

    3. Keulen

      That’s why it’s not called “Smarting of Age” or something similar.

  35. Sporky

    Oh, jeez.

  36. Shane

    Who took whose hand in the last panel? I read Joyce’s expression as Jacob did it. I read his expression as he has (justified) serious misgivings about this whole situation and his own choices, but also likes it more than he guessed.

    1. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

      yeah, i mean, she forced ethan into holding hands, making out, etc., but i think she regrets that now and has greater respect for others’ personal space? definitely jacob who clasped joyce’s hand.

    2. not someone else

      Joyce is offering her hand in the panel before that.

  37. DailyBrad

    I usually don’t give voices in my head to the cast, but I really can’t read Jacob here without thinking of Chidi’s voice, but that might be because I binged the most recent season of The Good Place for a few days.

  38. Synnerman

    Shenanigans!!!

  39. Woomy

    Kind condescending there, Jacob Bro

  40. Chaucer59

    I think Jacob is caugh between three poles: impressing big brother, finding Joyce irresistible, and Raidah is something of a self-obsessed manipulative bongo.

  41. Deadjolras

    oh god, how does this keep getting worse

    1. Clif

      How does this keep getting better? – Fixed that for you.

      1. Deadjolras

        if by ‘better’ you mean ‘worse’, sure.

  42. beckett

    Jaime is just here to have a good time

    1. Clif

      So am I.

  43. Tacos

    Jacob, bro, I expected better from you.

    Though does this count him breaking up with Raidah? I mean, he’s now lying about Joyce being his girlfriend instead of clearing up this horrible plan.

    1. Eve

      I don’t think you can break up with someone without letting them know, this is more of doing a romantic thing with someone else while still having committed to a romantic relationship with a different person without their knowledge or approval, also known as cheating on someone.

      It definitely may lead to Raidah breaking up with him tho.

      1. BarerMender

        I don’t think you can call Jacob & Raidah a romantic relationship. Raidah isn’t interested in romance.

    2. Wraithy2773

      I think he’s trying to avoid making a scene while his brain tries to catch up with the weird shit that’s come out of left field.

  44. OnyxIdol

    Wow, Joyce living out her fantasy and Jakob wanting to impress his brother is about to give us a hilarious farce. Chapeau Mr. Willis, well played.

  45. Jess

    EMBRACE THE BABY, WILLIS, HE’S CUTE

    1. Bagge

      That IS a cute baby.

    2. David

      Ah, Baby Willis. That explains why in his vicinity the plot is turning into a dark ravenous chaotic thing.

  46. timemonkey

    I wonder, how much of his relationship with Raidah was an attempt to have a girlfriend his brother/family approved of.

    1. Bagge

      according to Becky – quite a lot

      http://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-8/01-face-the-strange/perfect/

      1. Eve

        To be fair, Becky is not a psychic and she just met him that day. She’s a good kid but her opinion on the inner workings of Jacobs mind and choices is effectively meaningless.

        1. Bagge

          Bet you a packet of Arby sauce she’s right, though

        2. Clif

          Yeah, the very next comic shows just how well she understands Joyce and Jacob both.
          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-8/01-face-the-strange/steadfast/

    2. Mra

      Then why does it seem like he is hiding her?

      1. Bagge

        That’s a very good question. He DID tell his brother about Joyce before Raidah.

      2. Eve

        Does he? He mentioned he had a girlfriend but just hasn’t talked much about her yet. Between a student and a new parent the brothers may not get much free time to hang out and chat.

        1. Sam

          Harrison didn’t even know Raidah’s name but knew Joyce’s and knew a bit about Joyce. If he had time to talk about that, he had time to talk about Raidah, but she wasn’t who came to mind to talk about first.

        2. Bladeglory

          Jacob didn’t necessarily bring up Joyce.

          There was a shooting on Jacob’s campus. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Harrison called Jacob to talk about it, and Jacob was proud that he knew somebody involved in it.

          Raidah hasn’t been on the evening news, so it’s perfectly justifiable that Joyce came up in conversation first (especially if Jacob was “saving” Raidah’s reveal for Harrison’s visit)

    3. BenRG

      Yeah, that’s my worry too. I never thought I’d feel sorry for Raidah but this is a genuinely shitty thing to happen to her.

  47. JessWitt

    And Jacob is continuing the charade. Oh dearie dear.

    1. BenRG

      How can he not? Harrison approves of Joyce and, unfortunately for both Jacob and Joyce, in Jacob’s life, if Harrison does it or likes it, it happens!

  48. Lanie

    Joyce…
    Jacob…
    Mostly Joyce…
    I wanted to be proud of at least one person’s boundary setting tonight. This arc is really uncomfortable.

    1. Clif

      Jaime has really solid boundaries.

      1. Dovahqueen

        That’s an entirely fair point. Yay, baby Jaime! Go you for not fighting your… baby seatbelt?

  49. enigma42

    Question what floor are they on right now and how long does a human need to fall achieve terminal velocity?

    1. RIK

      Given that Harrison asked Joyce to point him to the stairs, I assume they’re in the lobby, which would put them at or near ground level.
      A person’s terminal velocity as well as your acceleration when falling through air depend on a lot of variables such as their mass, body shape, posture and clothing, but for a very rough estimate I’d say about five seconds (which would translate to ~100 meters)?

  50. Questionor

    When does Mr Furley show up?

  51. Mra

    Why is Jacob going along with it?

    1. Zero

      Several possibilities.
      1. He’s too much in shock at what Joyce has done to properly process.
      2. He’s embarrassed of Raidah and would rather Harrison think Joyce is his gf rather than her, considering he omitted telling him about her.
      3. He doesn’t have to heart to tell Harrison the truth after seeing how happy he looks.
      4. He doesn’t want to make Joyce look bad by outing her lie.

      1. hof1991

        5. To avoid disappointing Jaime, who is the secret ruler of the universe.

      2. Wraithy2773

        My guess is that it’s a lot of 1, with a bunch of 3 and 4 mixed in too.

    2. BenRG

      He is so desperate to mirror his hero (Harrison) that he must be with Joyce, of whom his hero approves!

  52. Zero

    The Alt Text lies! He says he managed to now draw a baby in this strip, yet Jaime is clearly visible in Panel 4!

    1. BBCC

      He says he ALMOST managed it. 😛

  53. JepMZ

    Hahaha! I can’t help but glee at the drama here. It’s so entertaining! I’m kinda hoping Joyce secretly apologizing to him and telling Jacob she’s gonna turn herself in and fess up and Jacob stops her

  54. nlips

    And now they’re boyfriend and girlfriend.

    Man, that was easy! She should have done that ages ago!

  55. tirachokko

    I literally forgot I was on the phone with someone as I was reading this strip and just said “oh Joyce, you have fucked up” a few times to no one in particular and my friend was like “who’s Joyce? What did she do?”
    Both too much and nothing, my friend.

  56. Zellgato

    That baby’s got evil castle crasher villain face.

    1. Delicious Taffy

      I guess Jacob and Joyce had better buckle their pants. Buckle buckle their pants. Pull up their socks and dance.

  57. Ron

    I have to admit I did not see this coming. As others did as well I expected a diversion, Joyce getting away and Raidah showing up at that moment. Wait, that sounds like something that could still happen. Bonus if Raidah meets Harrison at the moment that Joyce and Jacob talk privately to make the decision to keep the charade going.

  58. Icalasari

    Jacob and her are going to have some stern words later. That said, this seems to be a wake up call for Jacob as well. Just not sure *what* kind – That he’s seeking too much approval? That he’s dating the wrong kind of people? That he needs to reevaluate life choices? That Joyce has some serious issues?

    1. Portland

      All of the above?

  59. Amy

    Ironically, when Raiydah shows up, Harrison will not be impressed Jason appears to be cheating on her.

  60. BenRG

    Jacob’s reactions are worrying me here. Just how much influence does Harrison have over him? I’m not saying that he badgers his brother, at least not consciously. However, do I think that the hero worship is real and I think that Jacob feels that, in order to be worthy of his brother, he has to act like him and act in a way that he approves of, even if it isn’t something that he wants to do.

    This logically pushes to me to wonder if Jacob is following a career path that he wants or if he’s just going the way he needs to in order to be Harrison #2. Is he dating Raidah because he likes her or because he thinks that she is the sort of woman Harrison would approve of? Similarly, will he now dump Raidah and date Joyce because he thinks that Harrison wants him to do so (which would be unfair to Raidah and Joyce on top of everything else)?

    Meanwhile, Joyce doesn’t know what’s happening other than her fantasy is coming true and she no longer is sure of her personal sense or reality!

    1. Bagge

      One of the worst parts is that on planet Joyce this kinda… makes sense.

      You fall in love, relentlessly peruse the object of your affection and because you are true of heart and God meant you to be together anyway it will all work out in the end.

      Joyce in the final panel: “I can’t believe that worked.”

    2. StClair

      “Just how much influence does Harrison have over him?”

      All of it.

  61. PB

    HhhhhhhhhhHUH.

    This is … this sure is a thing.

  62. Keulen

    I didn’t expect Jacob to go along with this so easily.

  63. Eve

    Jacob is a lot more insecure about his brothers opinion of him than I thought. Still kind of a shitty move to pull on Raidah, like, I hate her but I still don’t wish for someone to cheat on her (which yes, this is. This feels different than some agreed upon fake date beforehand)

    1. Bagge

      Jupp. If this feels like a betrayal to Raidah its because it is.

      Remains to be seen if she’s as cool about that sort of thing as she said. My guess is “not”.

  64. Clif

    Enjoy it Joyce, while it lasts.

    It won’t last.

    1. Eve

      Are you telling me lies and familial pressure (accidental or not) and cheating aren’t the start of a long lasting and healthy relationship?

  65. Chris Phoenix

    Theory of mind, people! Jacob does not know that Joyce lied. Jacob probably thinks Harrison made an assumption that was incorrect when Harrison made it. After all, a wrong assumption by someone new to campus is a lot more likely than a ridiculous bald-faced lie by someone Jacob likes and is becoming friends with.

    If that is what Jacob thinks happened, then Jacob’s reaction looks completely different than you all have been assuming. From Jacob’s point of view,
    1) Jacob heard Harrison say something obviously mistaken and easy to correct.
    2) Jacob thought about it for half a second and did not correct it. In that half second, Jacob chose Joyce.
    3) Harrison spoke further, reinforcing Jacob’s belief that he had made a good choice.
    4) Jacob realized that he will, in the near future, have to actually officially dump Raidah, and not just dump her but tell her he’s already found someone else. That’s probably why he looks so sad in the last panel.

    Jacob was already unhappy with Raidah, and already attracted to Joyce. Harrison just crystallized it and made him realize it was time to make the switch.

    Jacob is caring and Raidah is catty and destructively negative – after that lunch with Joyce and Raidah, Jacob had to know already that it was time to leave. But he might not have realized until this moment that he could, not just dump Raidah and be alone, but actually be with Joyce.

    Now, if and when Jacob finds out that Joyce misled Harrison, he may see things differently. But that might not be for a surprisingly long time. And it’s not obvious that Jacob will think it’s an unforgivable sin to say what you wish was true in the heat of the moment – especially since the result was Joycob. After all, it’s not like Joyce was carrying out a sustained campaign of deception – she was literally trying to run away (not acting at all like a girlfriend, real or fake) when Harrison dragged her back.

    If Raidah follows through on her stated policy (if he cheats, I walk away and don’t look back), and if Jacob continues to like his choice (leave Raidah, get close to Joyce) then it could be a long time before Jacob finds out Joyce made a self-fulfilling prophecy lied, and an even longer time before Joycob sinks.

    1. Bagge

      YES

    2. Bagge

      also 2b) While he was thinking about it , he also saw Joyce making abundantly clear with expression and body language that, yes. Joyce being his girlfriend is an option.

      1. BenRG

        Or, alternately, he knows that the crazy triangular-smile girl has got herself in far deeper than she can handle and he’s decided to get her out of it by presenting a masquerade to Harrison. He can always tell his brother: “Yeah, it wasn’t working out; we broke up not long after you met her!”

        1. Bagge

          Bet you a packet of Arby sauce that’s not it.

        2. Fuchs Sakemann

          Honestly, I would be okay with that happening. Then Harrison should just sit down with Joyce and talk this out. It’d protect both of them and allow them to actually work out what the fuck is happening here without making a scene, which it doesn’t seem like Harrison or Joyce wants.

        3. Jhon

          No.
          There must be a scene.
          Rule of Max Drama requires it.

    3. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

      Technically, Harrison did make an erroneous assumption, and then Joyce affirmed that assumption.
      If this was entirely Harrison’s faulty assumption, Joyce could just tell him he’s mistaken. Instead she grins apologetically at Jacob, encouraging him to go with it. So, technically Jacob may not know Joyce actively lied, but he knows she’s not trying to correct Harrison, which is a lie of omission. I don’t really see much of a difference, especially because all she said in her lie was “yes.” Literally one untrue word. I don’t think Jacob would act differently based on that word, either.
      No, if there’s anything that Jacob misunderstands about this, it’s not the lying but the intention. He might think she introduced herself, Harrison told her how cool she was, and then asked if she was Jacob’s boyfriend. If that had happened, she might be lying as a favor to Jacob, to help him impress Harrison.

    4. Portland

      Holy crap, you’re right. Pushing that further, from Jacob’s point of view, he probably sees this as Joyce bailing him out.

    5. Lexi

      Adding a little more, Harrison *did* incorrectly assume Joyce was his girlfriend. Joyce just didn’t correct it when asked.

      1. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

        ^

      2. ǝ snow ʍousɐ

        Jacob can gather that Harrison made that assumption, and that Joyce didn’t correct it, so he’s basically got the situation down.

  66. Homer Sexual

    Is this storyline a subtle callback to Roomies?

    1. He Who Abides

      Well, the last story in this book shares a name with the first story of Roomies, soooo . . .

      1. BenRG

        Joyce x Danny FTW?

  67. Steelbright

    JFC this might be the most awkward thing i’ve ever witnessed in fiction

    1. Kelandrea

      I agree entirely- the secondhand embarrassment is so strong i may spontaneously combust at any given second.
      I cannot WAIT for the payoff though.

  68. Nenja

    Huh. I never thought Jacob would go along with it. I thought he would expose the charade when he realised what was going on. Why would he do this? I wonder …

    Harrisons words about Joyce being Jacob’s choice fits with him saying Jacob needs to relax a few strips ago. It seems to me that he knows how Jacob admires him and wants to be like him, and perhaps he worried Jacob would choose a girl based on what he THINKS is a suitable partner for a lawyer, and not follow his heart.

    So Harrison saying that Joyce seems great could be him going: ‘you made a great choice on your own, no need to worry about doing things exactly like me, do things your way, the way that makes you happy.’

    When Jacob’s talked about Raidah it seems they got together cause they have interesting conversations and actually like eachother, so Jacob probably have followed his heart by getting together with her. Maybe her being a lawyer lady have influensed his choice a tiiiny bit, but still.

    But since Radiah IS a stuffy lawyer-lady, Harrisons words that is meant to encourage ‘do what you want, don’t worry about what I’d think’ ends up doing kind of the opposite.  Jacob hearing this can make him think his brother would not approve of Raidah, and Harrison already seem so impressed with Joyce, it’s difficult to ‘disapoint’ him. So he goes along .

    And now that he has, this whole situation will probably last way longer. Perhaps until Raidah shows up and everything explodes.

    Maybe? That’s just my thoughts for now.

  69. Kaz

    The levels of “OOF” in this have gone off the charts! So he’s dating Raidah because of his admiration for his brother, huh? Yeah, even if this doesn’t blow up, he’s probably gonna get a nice, long bit of introspection after all this.

    Oh also isn’t this just the perfect birthday gift for Sarah? I wonder if she’ll help distract Raidah.

  70. Very Bored

    backfire imminent

    1. Jago

      Worse: Backfire is coming. You don’t know when. BUT IT IS.

  71. BarerMender

    I don’t think you can call Jacob & Raidah a romantic relationship. Raidah isn’t interested in romance.

    1. Zaxares

      Yeah, Raidah doesn’t really strike me as being interested in Jacob as a romantic partner. She likes him as a STATUS partner. It doesn’t mean that she’ll treat Jacob badly, but the difference can mean the world to the person involved.

      1. Sam

        Especially when said person actively lies to you. Raidah said she wasn’t the jealous type but then didn’t dare speak up when her feelings actually did change and for someone like Jacob, that has got to be like, the biggest of red flags when he has had problems with jealous girlfriends before.

  72. Rabisch

    If you look closely you can actually pinpoint the exact moment when Jacob’s admiration and respect for Joyce breaks irreparably.

  73. Ohmsford

    It’s funny, but this is more or less how I scored my first boyfriend.

    “You guys are so cute, are you a couple?”
    Me:(panicking):”Yes we are”
    Him: “We are?”
    Me: “Apparently”

    1. JBento

      I’m assuming “him” wasn’t dating someone else at the time, which makes it… nothing like this?

      1. Ohmsford

        He had a “girlfriend who lived in Canada”, does that count?

        1. JBento

          OMG, you stole BBCC’s bf?

        2. Roborat

          There is more than one male living in Canada. However they are all named Bob, even the girl.

        3. BBCC

          Well that’ll be awkward when I go to his house in a couple hours. Rude, Ohmsford. 😛

  74. Classic Appa

    The irony here is just to rich.

  75. Robin Lionheart

    I… I… I’m in a sitcom plot now, aren’t I?

    1. BenRG

      Actually, I’m expecting this to turn into a tragicomedy but I’m not sure if the tragedy is going to be about Joyce’s lack of self-control screwing up her life or Jacob’s low self-respect screwing up his.

      1. quigzby

        I think it’s about to be about Raidah’s Revenge! Based on her interactions with Sarah, Raidah is definitely one to hold a grudge and stealing one’s bo is grudge fuel big time.

  76. Killer Klown

    Motion seconded; it’s official now.

  77. Juanoku

    And then Joyce imploded

  78. quigzby

    Now that’s its been brought to our attention, we need to see more of Joyce’s “caboose”.

    1. Bicycle Bill

      But we need a better term for it.  Even the railroads don’t use a caboose any more.
      May I suggest “Ba-donk-a-donk”?

      1. Bagge

        To be fair, “Ba-donk-a-donk” also sounds like a term that could be used around the railroads.

        1. Roborat

          Kinda sounds like the noise they make when they are pushing cars together.

    2. Bagge

      This is relevant to Becky’s interests

      Erik

  79. Sambo

    I’m seeing a double meaning here:

    “Bro, you’ve done me proud”
    “That’s…why she’s my girlfriend”

    He could be expressing a realization that he only chose Raidah to be his girlfriend to impress his brother

  80. JBento

    Amazing how the one person in today’s strip who isn’t shitty is the one too young to be able to have boundaries. Save Jaime, burn everyone else to the ground. You deserve a better family, kid.

  81. Seregiel

    Getting out the hose.

  82. Needfuldoer

    So, who do they encounter first: Raidah or Sarah?

    1. Clif

      Both at the same time. It is Sarah’s birthday.

      1. Bagge

        Hah!

  83. BenRG

    From his expression, Jaime has already decided that he likes triangle-smiled not-the-mama!

  84. FirePrincessLily

    I feel so awkward for Jacob. Liek this is just going to end in the most disastrous way it can.

  85. hof1991

    My bet, when Raidah does appear she will NOT impress Harrison. She’ll explode all over nice girl Joyce, which won’t make him like her at all. Then Jacob will realize that he should just avoid crazy altogether for a while.

  86. raul

    Raidah will show up and make a scene, while everybody is standing around in shell-shock, Sarah comes to the rescue by taking out her out, protecting her roomie.

    from there, I have no idea.

  87. Clif

    On the whole, I go with the Jacob just wants his brother’s approval theory, but honestly this could be Jacob throwing her a lifeline against his better judgement.

  88. Mr.Morningstar

    Jacob no?

  89. Wraithy2773

    …honestly, at this point, I want Raidah and Jacob to be 100% happy with each other just to spite Joyce and all the people cheering on her pretty disgusting charade.

    Good people don’t actively attempt to sabotage relationships that they have no information showing are unhealthy. Joyce is doing this because she wants to bang Jacob and hates Raidah… and she only hates Raidah because she’s firmly on Team Sarah and Sarah and Raidah hate each other for kinda tragic and understandable reasons on both counts.

    This is just a twisted mess, and everyone in this story deserves better (…….not that this is a bad story, mind you, good stories can do bad things to people for legit reasons, it’s why I enjoy this comic!).

    1. raccoonrebels

      Absolutely. Joyce is being awful. Clearly she doesn’t care about Jacob that much either if she’s willing to force him into a compromising situation like this.

    2. Eve

      Yah, it is kind of weird seeing people happy at Joyce doing a pretty shitty thing, when Joyce is the person with the least reason to have a grudge against Raidah. Raidah was just kind of snippy with her when she was hitting on her boyfriend in front of her, which is not that bad. Sarah and Dinah have legit complaints about Raidah since she sought Sarah out at times to harass her and the way she acted to Dina was horrible. If either of them were doing something I’d be way more for it, presuming it wasn’t crossing all the lines this scenario is crossing.

      Not to mention Joyce is doing shitty things to Jacob here! Like, what are his options other than embarrassing a friend right now and then probably having to try and make her not look insane to his brother since he seems the type to defend his friends. Or going along with this and cheating on his girlfriend. Dudes boxed into some shitty situations by Joyce here but a lot of people are ok with Joyce doing this this because Raidah was really mean to two people who are not Joyce?

      1. JBento

        I would, at this point, like to add that the way she acted towards Dina was the way everybody’s darlings Dorothy and Joyce acted towards Dina and THEY had a lot more info on Dina than Raidah did.

        http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/03-the-butterflies-fly-away/safe-2/

        What we have here is a GLARING case of protagonist-based morality.

        1. BBCC

          In fairness, Joyce immediately apologized when Dina called her on it and Dorothy cheered Dina for standing up for herself. Raidah just spluttered angrily about being called a bully.

      2. Inahc

        To be fair, 99% of the comments are the “no, Joyce, nooo” kind. I think there’s just enough people commenting that statistically, someone’s likely to say something incredibly dumb on every page.

    3. SillyGoose

      Seconded. Let Raicob have their happily ever after, and let Joyce realize that she was for all intents and purposes forcing herself on Jacob.

  90. Kravis

    She doesn’t, Harrison.

    And even if she did, that caboose would belong to the G-Zuz.

  91. Guest42

    This isn’t healthy.

    Neither is Jacob and Raidah.

    But generally it is frowned upon to speak of cabooses in front of the person. Also, assume? Your eyes work.

  92. Vyse

    This is so unfair on so many counts. Jacob looks so upset in this scenario, caught between pleasing Harrison and the infidelity he’s complicit in by playing along with by going along with Joyce.

    Has anyone thought about what Jacob wants instead of constantly pinning his situation on “who’s healthier” for him? Maybe he was happy with Raidah! Maybe he found a solid structured life in her! Maybe he just wanted friendship with Joyce!

    And I don’t know how Joyce is the right choice here when you look at that poor man’s face; he looks so pained and conflicted right now. Maybe Raidah isn’t right, but this isn’t either. This is so unfair. I’ve narrowly escaped this situation before and it does nothing but hurt people. God, this sucks right now. I hope he speaks up.

    1. Charlotte

      Oh, I’m pretty sure it’ll end horribly for Joyce, so no worries there…
      (I’m sad because I like Joyce’s and Jacob’s friendship, but I cannot see that surviving this.)

  93. Jhon

    Did we really think Willis was going to let Joyce off easy? Instead of going for Max Drama?

    Plan B: For Joyce’s sake, they agree to go to a place that serves non-spicy chicken fingers. It’s early yet, so Jacob figures he can bail and still meet Raidah at the appointed place and time.

    What could possibly go wrong?

    1. JBento

      I mean, PRESUMABLY that appointed place and time will also involve Harrison, so your plan B actually results in Harrison thinking Jacob is a two-timing, cheating shit.

      Also, literally nothing should be done for Joyce’s sake in this situation.

    2. Jhon

      I was thinking that perhaps Mike (being helpful) overheard and told Raidah about the change in venue.

  94. JBento

    I would like to remind everyone that while we’re wasting time on this shitshow where everybody but the baby sucks, we could be watching Becky and Dina out on a date or, if you insist on a trainwreck, being bluepannelled with the Rachel/Ruth freshman year lowdown.

    1. TemperaryObsessor

      Hey the older bro seems cool so far just misinformed.

      1. JBento

        I’m… cautious concerning Harrison. Also, he’s a DoA dad, so how good can he be? ;p

  95. Kyle

    love these messy bongoes

  96. RZ

    Can someone tell me when this storyline is over. Heck. I’m cringing so hard I may not be able to keep reading. I’m getting seriously anxious and stressed.

    1. JBento

      If you tell me a way to contact you, I can drop you a line when this thing finally implodes.

      1. Inahc

        Since people have been asking for this both on the Joyce and the toedad bit, maybe Willis could rot13 some info on which dates to avoid/return?

    2. Inahc

      Rot13 for minor spoilers: Gbzbeebj’f pbzvp unf qvssrerag punenpgref, abg fher ubj ybat gung’yy ynfg gubhtu

  97. Jhon

    Harrison’s praise for Jacob’s independent decision makes me wonder — was Harrison pressured into choosing law?

  98. Narx

    Is that a word for butt?

    -no, genuinely, I can’t tell.

    1. JBento

      It is.

      1. Sunny

        Thank you. I wasn’t sure either.

    2. a/snow/mous/e

      Yeah, because the caboose is at the “rear” of the train, geddit?

  99. Kittygurl

    Joyce… this is really crappy of you to do this. Fix it before it becomes unfixable. Admit while you didn’t really say you were his girlfriend, you did go along with it and it was wrong. Come on girl… you can do it, Grow!

  100. Victor Riley

    Okay, Jacob is being a bit Charlie-Brownish here.

  101. Rahdream

    Uh, so you’re enough of a gentleman not to actually just LOOK at her butt (hence “assuming” it’s nice), but you’re rude enough to say it right in front of her? You’re an odd duck, Harrison…

  102. Claire

    Flashback to Danny and Amber holding hands in front of family members as part of an elaborate relationship ruse… somehow I think this one won’t go well either… 🙁

  103. TheWanderingMist

    So, I’m guessing Jacob is planning on asking Joyce what the heck she was thinking the second Harrison is out of earshot.

    Wasn’t expecting him to play along with it though.

  104. TheWanderingMist

    And now, for a comment entirely irrelevant to this particular comic, I can’t stand Dorothy. She’s so insidiously condescending but you won’t notice it unless you’re reading the comic at a lightning pace. Other than the outright villains like party guy or Amber’s Dad, she’s my least-favorite character.

    1. Council

      I don’t think there is anything insidious about it. Dorothy does low-key think she’s better than anyone else and it seems tacitly accepted as a part of her personality by pretty much everyone. It ain’t Good, but it isn’t Hidden, either.

  105. Axel

    I only just now read it this way, but is he saying a good caboose is part of being in the family

  106. eskimolos

    Right now I can’t tell if Jacob maybe assumes that Harrison has assumed Joyce is his girlfriend and she wasn’t able to dissuade him, then Harrison swearing Joyce was a better choice has made him go along with it.

    But no, this is generally wrong and yikes and actually maybe a rehash of that Danny-Amber-Danny’s-Parents storyline from back before Danny realized Amber was Amazigirl.

    1. Heavensrun

      At least with Danny-Amber-Danny’s-parents, there was a noble motive. I honestly don’t know why Joyce did this, but it was definitely selfish, and there’s no possible way it doesn’t end in tears.

  107. Freddie

    This has nothing to do with the current conversation, but Harrison is the most attractive guy Willis has drawn since Ethan.

    Carry on.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

*

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.