The Book 14 Kickstarter is RISEN INDEED! or was, yesterday
reminder that you can read tomorrow’s strip early on patreon
The Book 14 Kickstarter is RISEN INDEED! or was, yesterday
reminder that you can read tomorrow’s strip early on patreon
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 22d
Bayjmin Tuckles @bayjmin-tuckles.bsky.social ⋅ 17h
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 22d
Brian Tyler Cohen @briantylercohen.bsky.social ⋅ 21h
Mae Dean @maegodhavemercy.com ⋅ 2d
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Well, I’m sure everyone is gonna be normal about this one.
Perfect first comment.
Aggressively normal.
I like Dorothy’s hat.
It’s a good hat. Really compliments her head.
Prime choice of a knit cap. She really knows how to knit-pick.
9-;
Oooh…
Top that.
Bobble.
*applauds
Is that the “1950s dockworker” look? She pulls it off well.
She has class. She could be a contender.
Hat to head:
“You are a good head. I like to sit on you.”
yes, nothing but totally normal earthling comments
… reminders on what earthlings do on Easter Monday again?
In my case it’s sleep off a meal that featured more ham, eggs, and chocolate than I probably consume in the rest of the year combined.
Based on the amount of ham and eggs I typically see them vore on Sunday, my assumption is that they spend Monday morning with the shits.
I just want you to know this is the first comment I saw when scrolling down.
Eat lots of half off chocolate. Marshmallow eggs ftw. And caramel filled bunnies.
Deal with kids on a sugar high. It’s like a mini-Halloween on the oppositeish side of the calendar.
Meanwhile it’s the day after 4/20 and thus folk like me gotz actual weed high XD
So mellow trying to manage hyper.
Only one thing to say in that scenario: “Run wild little dudes. Just remember you’re gonna clean up any messes you make.”
typical monday stuff
Buy discount chocolate?
Go to work, mostly.
Sleep in bc last day of a long weekend
Well I’m already normal. By which I mean perpendicular, or orthogonal.
But in a more perverted manner than usual.
Normal is for weirdos… THEY GON FUK! ~<3
I mean, sexual tension/bisexual undertones between these two specifically, i’m sure lots of others would’ve wanted a friend to help them ‘prep’ emotionally/metaphorically if not literally to get ready for one’s first time with a partner
I will never be normal about this
Including this comment, for sure. *eye roll*
I hope they get stuck back there.
trying to
So normal. So calm.
Ohhhh my god oh my god oh my god. I’m not normal about this one.
Anyway: looks like Dorothy is going with the
strategyjustification of “if I just do what she tells me to do, and nothing else, then I can’t get in trouble for it.”Which is unlikely to stand up for long, especially since Joyce is supposedly going to be *learning* from Dorothy here.
But hey, maybe Joyce really knows what she wants here? Maybe if Dorothy just stays completely still, she’ll get to feel Joyce’s bare skin against hers while they tenderly kiss beneath the covers….
Yeah right!!!!!!
I’m so bummed I can’t afford the sexy events; I’m trying to get some money on a reloadable card so I can at least see it for a little while.
If you can imagine a game of chicken where one driver is dead set on not chickening out and maybe has a bit of a deathwish and the other driver is nearsighted and thinks there are two lanes and that the cars will pass by one another harmlessly as long as they both keep plowing ahead, this is like the gay chicken version of that.
That’s such a vividly painted image, thank you for saying it exactly that way.
I’m with Taffy on this one.
tripling down on the sentiment, it was poetry
iron_giant_it’s_art.gif
Reminds me of the magnet game where you scoot two magnets towards each other to see how close you can get before they suddenly crash together, and usually shatter…
Or she’s going with the more reasonable “She hasn’t actually asked anything strange of me yet, maybe it’s just my crush making my imagination run away with me. Maybe I can get through this without having to come out to her.”
Of course the temptation is also there.
I’m quite curious as to exactly what Joyce has in mind, as far as “teach me how to have sex” but still remain a virgin for her boyfriend. Does she just want to ask questions? Does she want lurid instructions? Demonstration? What’s the plan here? :O
Invest in popcorn futures.
My friend, have you _seen_ the stock market volatility these days? Got more ups and downs than the infamous spiral of death roller coaster.
Motherfu–
perfect comedic timing.
Gotta respect it.
I spit out my tea XD
Also don’t look now but it’s on Willis’s feed
Willis’ feed has just made me impossibly upset I can’t afford Patreon. Don’t look at all :’DD
Hehehehehe I’m “internet famous “
Hell yeah, must be pretty cool to have a rep.
This is not going to end well, for either of them.
That being said it’ll be hilarious; anybody want some snacks for the show?
What do you prefer as a showtime snack? I’m a fan of popcorn or a gummi candy, myself. Maybe a nice seltzer water, for the bubbles.
I like popcorn, and/or skittles, and a lemonade.
Skittles are really hit or miss, for me. They’re either exactly what I want
specifically 20 of or the only thing on Earth that could have upset me right now why did you give me these do you hate me why does everyone in this house want me dead I can’t believe you gave me Skittles how could you
I like skittles if they are fresh enough to still be a little soft. And preferably the Orchard mix. But the originals are better now that they have lime again. Except the strawberry. I don’t like strawberry.
The snacks for this viewing will be coming from Taco Belle.
… well, okay, probably not, but Dorothy’s thinking it.
Popcorn is universal. Depending on mood, I’d also go for either the spiciest Takis known to man and an energy drink, or yes: Seltzer water and a nut mix.
I can certainly provide the baked goods if anyone’s in for the late show.
A show and baking together with friends is always a nice time.
There’s a weekly group monster-movie watch on Mastodon called “#monsterdon” and I almost always liveblog baking something beforehand, in the leadup. My whole household participates so it actually is in part baking for the show.
This week I made Tomato Soup Cake, which is actually really good and not difficult, but which I chose mostly as a vehicle for the separate chocolate frosting recipe I’ve never made before.
(Turns out said recipe is UNBELIEVABLY GOOD. I have now learned that frosting in a can is a crime against frosting. And possibly cans. Everyone I gave a taste after making it made the same little involuntary “oh gods” noise upon tasting it, it was hilarious.)
Popcorn if I’m at the theater. Popcorn at home, too, but I’ll add Ruffles, Doritos and/or Milk Duds to the mix.
Also hi I haven’t commented here in years I wonder what my avatar will look like now wheeeeee!
Not bad.
:(((
Yeah me too.
Blowjobcat buddies!
at a certain point you have to admit you’re just torturing yourself by allowing this to continue, dotty
She probably feels like she deserves to be tortured right now.
Big week for her, then. She’s learning she’s bi AND a masochist.
She’s an atheist! But her family is Irish-Catholic andJewish. Her moral ocd was gonna happen one way or another, and masochism IS a classic for a reason.
Not looking forward to this
Really? It’s gong to be very interesting, and possibly hilarious.
It does seem like Dorothy’s in for a rough time. She’s only just coming to terms with her attraction to Joyce, and now she’s basically let herself walk into Temptation Central. I have confidence that Dorothy’s steady enough to get through this event without making a horrible mistake, but unless she fills Joyce in, I don’t see it being easy or perfectly tidy.
It may not be easy or perfectly tidy, but Dorothy needs to say “no” more. She was feeling self-conscious (or something like it) about making a mix-tape, so I agree, she’s probably going to avoid making a horrible mistake. But I don’t know if she’s going to say, “no, I don’t feel comfortable with that” if she doesn’t feel comfortable with something.
Truth be told, she may have bitten off more than she could chew.
Closing the door was saying, “Yes. Oh, God, please, yes!”
Hilarity aside, we don’t yet know precisely what Joyce is going to ask for.
Right. And neither does Dorothy.
So she’s likely torn between hoping and fearing she’s asking for what’s been hinted.
I’m doing it hard enough for both of us.
Joyce is such a gentlewoman
She really knows how to treat a lady.
Not yet. That’s what Dorothy’s here to teach her.
Nah, Dorothy’s here to help teach Joyce how to treat a Man. Despite her increasingly strong with for what you’re saying, I’m willing to make a wager that ol’ Dotty’s gonna get through this scene with any untoward behavior.
It’s the uncertainty that makes it interesting.
For us and for Dorothy too.
Who do you think is more nervous: Dorothy now, or Joyce when Dorothy was taking her to masturbate?
What do you mean, it’s the washing machine that ended up with performance anxiety.
I’ve been told it works better with addition of BenWa balls. At first I thought that would unbalance the machine’s drum badly, and then I was told where they went…
I love the dread from this not really having a punchline. It’s gonna get so weird.
It’s really so ominous!
It also helps it feel very awkward.
it has a gut punch line
“Joyce, what the hell” — Dorothy
“Dorothy, what the hell” – Me, and probably also Joe
And Walky, probably.
You can take my pants too. I give to you!!
“Don’t care! Removing pants now!”
–Walky
Alt text reminding me of Rocky Horror
Oof, this is gonna hurt
Is this a Jill Sobule reference?
whys everyone so scared in the comments im loving this
I’m not scared, I’m excited for this trainwreck. I view it like Amber; I want the trainwreck because it will be entertaining.
There’s a g-g-g-ghost in here somewhere.
Nah, that’s just old man Cheevers trying to keep the kids away from his abandoned farm so they don’t find the mason jars full of silver coins his grandpappy buried.
He could try putting them in a safe or something, instead of storing them in open jars placed around the property at regular intervals. Seems a little easier.
Personally, it’s an ethical quagmire likely to produce an emotional outcome which I find distressing to read/watch in any media, and the tension of waiting to find out what happens increases the anxiety.
It plays into my least favourite queer trope and something I majorly struggle with as an autistic person (taking something someone says too literally) and turning it into one of the most distressing places (unintentionally doing something incredibly hurtful and unethical).
I don’t think that it’s actually going to happen because that’d potentially nuke five relationships, but I think I’m going to have to take a break from the comic for a while so I can read it all at once.
Five? I only count three, maybe four
Can’t speak for everyone, but I’m worried because while I really want to see Joyce and Dorothy get together, this situation could potentially go very wrong and not only nuke that possibility, but severely damage their friendship as well. There’s also the potential for collateral damage to other relationships I like, such as Joe/Joyce.
None of that worry means I’m not enjoying the hell out of this storyline, though.
Oh, Dotty. I love the mess that you are
Bisexual Mess Dotty comes with everything you see here! You put her together (because she can’t do it herself)! Batteries not included. New from Galoob!
Anyone have those “weird” (too judgmental of a word, but) triggers that come up and you’re like, “Damn, I want to enjoy this thing, but…”
Like, I very much want to be invested in this because I love mess, but it somehow hadn’t occurred to me that the topic of virginity might come up, and I may need to step away for a bit and catch up later. Might see if it becomes more of a topic first.
With any hope Joyce will catch on to learnin that virginity is a harmful social concept.
Fam. Yumi is talking about being uncomfortable herself with the topic.
I see. Apologies Yumi
*themself fyi
Oh no! I’m sorry, Yumi, I swear I didn’t know
Gesture of support?
Lots of people have “weird” triggers. Brains do the wacky sometimes.
Especially after some events.
I’m sorry this is upsetting for you right now. I hope you’re able to enjoy the comic again soon!
Yup. Same trig here, friend.
I think a lot of people kind of regret the exact how and why and where and when and with whom of their first few such encounters…
*Offers a cup of warm tea or cocoa…*
🫖
Y’know, I can’t lie and say I wouldn’t change at least some of those circumstances. Definitely the where and when.
Not the same trigger for me, but I totally get you. This storyline is squicking me out too.
Right I brought the dips, who brought any other snack while we watch this trainwreck?
The word is devirginized, Joyce. It’s not a great word but it’s better than deflowered. :/
Not a great word? It’s a shitass word. Gives vibes like unto The Orphan Grinder. Mega dystopian. At least “deflowered” has a flower in it.
Yeah, but it’s a flower that is lost as part of a really messed up metaphor.
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2011/comic/book-1/06-yesterday-was-thursday/petals/
How about “cherry popping”? That’s kind of a cute way to think of it. Like the cherry on the top of the sundae and popping it right into your mouth.
I do kind of like the “flower” imagery.
For me, it was kind of like “deghosting”: one moment, there was a strip of tissue, the next moment, it was gone. Like the vanishing wisp of a ghost disappearing.
Sorry, sorry, TMI…
My apologies… I did not need to share so much detail on an already sensitive topic…
Instead of regarding it as losing something fictional, we can frame it as gaining an experience. And it’s a first experience, so primary. Also sexy times. And hails back to our earliest ancestors when the Earth was young. I give you
PRIMORGIAL
Ha! Google search item #2 for ‘primorgial’ leads to today’s DoA.
Excellent SEO!
I’ll believe it when I see it!
…Joyce doing this, because she wants to try on Joe, right after, right?
Presumably!
My current assumption is that Joyce just wants to ask Dorothy some questions and maybe get her help finding specific references for certain activities. I really don’t think she’s going to try to get physically intimate with Dorothy. I’m guessing no more skin contact than it takes to move a hand to a hip or something similarly normal.
…Even THAT much intimacy might blow a gasket in Dorothy’s head right now.
True. I suppose she’s got Walky to help her pound out the gay thoughts for at least one more night.
He’ll be happy to accept her second apology. He’s a forgiving kind of guy.
Walky’s a very gracious boyfriend, if we’re honest with ourselves. “Ah, my girlfriend seems to believe she’s wronged me in some way. I’m not entirely sure how, but I’ll accept her apology because I can see she’s very sincere about it. It would be churlish of me not to plow her like an Illinois cornfield, really.”
A good boyfriend (or should I say, ‘boytoy’?) knows his responsibility is to rail his girlfriend like the Falcon’s Flight at Six Flags Qiddiya.
With no glasses and a tad of imagination she can even pretend it’s Sal plus a strap
My image is Joe comes in, finds them naked in bed, pitches an insta-tent, and Joyce says, “I’m sorry, Joe, but I love Dorothy now. Really sorry. Um, could you leave?”
Oh, wait. Option 6: Dorothy moves in for a kiss and Joyce says, as imagined by Prufrock, “That is not what I meant at all;/That is not it, at all.”
Joyce: “Joe, I’m not ready for you yet. Dorothy is helping me.”
Joe: (*faints)
It’s rare that I have my head held in my hands in desperation due to the sheer awkwardness of a comic, but god dammit this one is nearly physically painful. Poor Dorothy
That’s a pretty rad corner to stand in.
“They don’t know I’m attracted to Joyce.”
It’s very subtle. Too low-key to discern. No one on the entire campus can perceive it. Dorothy’s dark secret is locked up tight.
Am JUST seeing those two-liters Joyce apparently still has XD
sdljglksj oh I hope she stops taking her pills with THAT much Sprite, it can’t be good for her :’DD
… like surely there’s an iced tea or lemonade which could suffice in it’s place??? :0
same wine, different bottle.
What a gentleman you are, Joyce.
I’m phasing in and out of reality with an excitement that feels quite like dread. Dorothy is fighting demons, the demons are bisexuality & ethics, and oh boy. I have no clue of what’s going to happen. At all.
hoooo boy. brace for impact, gang
She can hang your coat up in the closet. Unless, of course, you don’t want it in the closet. Or maybe you want to put it in the closet yourself. And once you’ve put it in the closet, you will exit the closet.
Boy, this is a dilemma, isn’t it Dorothy?
Closet did the thing where I typed it so much it stopped looking like a word.
Have you watched The Good Place?
Dorothy reminds me so much of a certain character I can’t even.
well she wears a lot of her shirts
I adore Elanor but right now Dorothy’s def more of a Chidi, derailing thoughts expertly described by Bladegory.
Dorothy: Ohhhh I’m getting a stomachache.
Joyce: Oh no! Would you like a hug and I can soothingly stroke your head and tell you things will be all right?
Dorothy: That sounds very nice and just made it *so* much worse.
Okay, but just don’t say “Rockabye” at the end.
I’m kinda hoping that the moment anything visiby suspect happens Becky comes bursting through the wall like some kind of Kool-Aid Lesbian and sees everything.
Poor Joe. He was so scared he was going to have to comfort Joyce when they have sex. But, he’s gonna have to comfort Joyce before they have sex! And then they’re gonna have to go find Becky! AND Dorothy!
This feels like a boilerplate premise for a porn.
Probably a good time for a funky bass line, then? Or should I hold off until some clothes hit the floor?
Well, Dorothy did mention making a playlist.
“Wow, Dorothy, I’m really liking this one by… Tegan and Sara. Thanks for sharing!”
“All The Things She Said… It feels so ‘me’? You know me so well! :D”
“You see the smile that’s on my mouth
It’s hiding the words that don’t come out
And all of our friends who think that I’m blessed
They don’t know my head is a mess”
Goddamnit, Dorothy; bail out! Flee, explain later!
Narrator’s voiceover: But Dorothy did not flee in panic. She kept all her panic internalized and sunk deeper into the situation.
/popcorn eating intensifies
Don’t do Patreon. Don’t do Patreon. You’re gonna cancel it when this arc finishes anyway. You absolutely cannot afford it right now. Resist, damn you. Resist!
If it’s any consolation, the “next comic early” tier is a prank right now. It’s just been Faz eating various woodland creatures in a national park or something. The other day it was a live salmon, today it’s several sparrows.
…Ok, I… I’m now not sure anymore. Maybe Joyce IS f’ing with Dorothy? But that’s not like Joyce, but this is just a whole other level of… What?
Joyce may be catching on to some things, but remember she grew up with Becky, who she’s admitted skewed her ideas about platonic lady friendship. And Billie didn’t help much, with her “You can definitely make out with your gal friends, it’s fine.” Wiser in some ways, but I think experience will teach her in others, ere long.
Unusual, but not completely unheard of.
That entire night was so cute for them.
It WAS.
Brain lowkey fried because I clicked on the link and realized oh my god that was a YEAR ago.
I’m pretty sure Joyce is just expecting Dorothy to give her, like, a *verbal* walk-through of what’ll happen during sex, so idk this isn’t THAT weird
I’m excited, but I’m keeping my expectations low.
We will be needing PLENTY of paper and ink. #iykyk
I’m thinking the she WON’T be de-virginified tonight. Not with Dorothy having a crisis, and Joe’s current anxieties. (But I can certainly be wrong)
There are so many irons in so many fires right now, I can’t wait to see which one lands first.
You know, because I don’t want the rest of the floor to be coming along with me on my music discovery journey. It’s a very personal experience!
lol remember a couple nights ago when i said dorothy’s two likeliest reactions would be a hard “no” because she doesn’t trust herself right now or a “yes” to desperately try and prove to herself that she can do this without it being Weird? Turns out she’s apparently gone with Option 3: not really committing to either but just sort of Going With The Flow because she doesn’t exactly know WHAT to do but is getting dragged further and further to the point where her hand is going to end up forced one way or the other!
I mean, ideally Joyce would gently guide Dorothy’s hand, more than force it.
Going with the Flow and also not completely sure whether it’s her horny imagination or whether this is really going where she thinks it’s going.
If she’s wrong, then the hard “no” would be weird and explaining why would be embarrassing or worse. And then the temptation of “what if she’s right” is still there.
Okay, maybe Dorothy isn’t thinking anything right now. Maybe she’s still buffering, and all that’s happening in Dorothy’s skull right now is, like, hold music. Or 90s internet dial-up shrills.
Dorothy.exe has stopped responding
“There was an error loading firmware update. Please turn off and turn back on again.”
Dorothy.exe has encountered an error and needs to close… the door, apparently.
Very auto drive, just saying yes to helping Joyce cause that’s what she always does and she does not have the brain function to do anything unfamiliar
She knows she was asked to close the door, so she did, but she’s just gonna be huddling in this corner until she receives further instructions.
Dorothy is wearing the most Walky face possible
Pfff
Dorothy, what the fuck is your gameplan here. It’s just been explained to you, in clear, certain terms, that any physical move would be you cheating on Walky and Joyce cheating on Joe. If you make some big confession to Joyce, it’ll ruin her date. Just explain the birds and the bees, explain to Joyce that figuring things out WITH Joe is part of the fun, help Joyce choose a cute top, AND FUCK OFF!!! Confess to Joyce AFTER her date!! DO NOT MOVE!! (How the fuck is Willis a good enough writer to get me to NOT want something to happen here?)
It’s interesting you say a confession would ruin Joyce’s date. I can easily see her hearing Dorothy out and then gently, without definitively shutting her down, saying something similar to “Babe, we can discuss this tomorrow after class, but tonight I am 100% boning Joe Rosenthal behind the Denny’s, in his 2006 Honda Civic. Everything else will have to wait.”
Maybe not the Denny’s part. She’s not Sal or Malaya.
Of course not. She’s going to bone him in a gazebo.
That would definitely be ideal. I hope you’re right. I’m thinking that a close friend, who you’ve always assumed has had a platonic interest in you, confessing that those feelings are actually romantic or sexual would throw off your day as you try to process that, recontextualize every interaction you’ve ever had with them, and come to terms with exactly what your own feelings are. I think it’d throw off ANY kind of plans you have.
The fact that she’s already had one of her best friends express romantic feelings for her, would also have to factor in how she responds.
Oh poor Dorothy, she’s like a deer in the headlights. She wants so much to go go along with this foolishness, like two Christian girls who believe anything they do with a girl is just friendship because women can’t have relationships.
I’m curious at what Joyce expects from this? Like a spreadsheet or something?
Hur hur hur, you said “spreadsheet”. Like she’s gonna “spread” her legs, underneath the “sheets”. Uhuhuhuh, like a sex thing.
She spreads my sheets until I excel
I have died and gone somewhere.
The “visual”s certainly aren’t “basic”
An amazing formula. Love it when you have no filter
Excellent sexy “office sweet” pun. You excel. My word.
This made me laugh, thank you
They call me the king of the spreadsheets
Got ‘em all printed out on my bedsheets
Yeah, okay, sure, but what is going on with the door in panel 4? I really need to know. Did Dorothy take it out of its hinges? Is it because she’s slowly becoming unhinged herself? These are important questions.
She’s closing it. It was open and now it’s not.
Yes, but not in a way that makes sense. First panel shows the door opens into the room. Hinges are on the left side. Panel four would make sense if the door opened outwards on right side hinges.
…okay, maybe that’s not what we’re seeing. What we’re seeing is that Dorothy walked around the door, closing it in the process & also immediately positioning herself back in the corner. Which is a really awkward way of closing a door.
…which is appropriate since Dorothy is in a really awkward position, get it? Hmm, it gets a pass but not an Award for Straightforwardly Depicting a Mundane Action.
Now that I look at it, it does seem kind of like she’s trying to stay as far away from Joyce as possible, all tucked away in the corner there. Poor girl.
Yeah I don’t think straightforwardly depicting an action was the point. I think highlighting how Dorothy is huddling was the point.
Ok so there’s really only like three ways this ends.
1. Joe outs Dorothy once he arrives
2. Dorothy confesses or otherwise tries something
3. Dorothy realizes this is a bad idea and leaves
I’m voting for the secret fourth option, Dorothy gathering her senses just enough to say “I’m not the best person for this job, right now. We should have a talk about some why in the mornin.” and then Joyce just says “I know you’re attracted to me, Dorothy. I already talked to Walky and Joe and they’ve agreed to a double date with us later, followed by ‘group activities’. Tonight is all about that Rosenthang, though.”
I’m going with option 5: Dorothy’s emotions have already shut off her brain (viz: the closed door) and she’s going to get all she can get.
Of all the things that won’t happen next, this is the one that won’t happen the most lol
Mmm.
I can make one that won’t happen even more, don’t test me.
Orgiastic foursome isn’t _totally_ out of the picture. It’s been acknowledged obliquely.
Panels 4 and 5:
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2024/comic/book-14/03-trystin-in-the-wind/aboutchange/
you had me going there.
So… how many days to the next Slipshine?
Is there a betting pool?
It’s amazing how we have went from the laundry machine to this.
Dorothy is going to hide this shit or she isn’t and either way I’m going to enjoy this storyline.
I’m placing my bets. Either:
Joyce takes Jen’s “friends can make out” suggestion too literally;
Dorothy needs to leave and Joyce is concerned about her and it derails the date;
Dorothy catches further feelings but nothing comes of it yet.
And, presuming the date isn’t derailed:
I am 99% certain that Joe is going to say he’s “not ready” for sex in a moment of irony at the end of the date. Because he’s conflicted about being seen as a sex monster, because he really cares about Joyce and is afraid to mess things up, and he might have a flashback to when Liz stopped things with him at the last minute and freaked out about “almost ruining everything”. Might even tie in with his comment to Danny long ago when he criticized him for “thinking he knows better about what the girl wants than the girl herself” only for him to do the same thing.
I hope Dorothy texted “help me” to Joe. I don’t know if she can handle this.
For everything Joe has done wrong in his life he’s sure as shit been in his saint arc lately. He is absolutely going to end up consoling multiple women this week, maybe multiple times.
“I would not have believed me six months ago.”
HAPPENING?!
Dorothy. What are you DOING?
honestly? i assume, INTENSELY dissociating
Being a bigger piece of shit with every second that passes and the words ‘no, this is super weird’ don’t pass her lips.
This is like a goddamn train wreck I LOVE it
Ok, when do you think that Dorothy will have the mental breakdown: before, during, or after things have gotten physical?
Place your bets!
I’m gonna say before. I also predict Dorothy will go for an attempted makeout session that Joyce will potentially go along with, believing it to be part of the whole “Devirginification” process.
Joyce goes to kiss Dorothy. Dorothy freaks out. Joyce is deeply confused, but Dorothy is freaking out too bad, and she’s focused on calming Dorothy down. She holds Dorothy. Dorothy calms down a bit…Dorothy tries to kiss her.
Joyce puts 2 and 2 together. Joyce realizes what’s going on here…Joyce realizes the ethical implications of what’s going on here. Joyce and Dorothy are now both having the same parallel freak-out, possibly in some state of undress.
This is what Joe walks in to.
In a suit, of course.
I don’t think Joyce is going to kiss Dorothy. I think Joyce is going to ask her if she’s disrobing sexily enough. Maybe ask her to touch her skin. Hips sort of thing, not lips sort of thing.
I feel like I need some popcorn for this.
Don’t forget ICEEs and hotdogs! ^^ :9
Do it Willis!
Ignore the awardness and horrible character conflict and give everyone the JoyJoDo polycule.
Only you can give the people what they don’t know they need.
your name LMFAO XD
i see you are new here, welcome to the comments section!
enjoy your stay with in-depth discussion of the comic, fun and lolz and great music ^^
*plays “Welcome Mitsuha Tsugaku” on hacked muzak*
XD Poor Dorothy is struggling right now!
Poor Dorothy? This is EXACTLY the shit she’s been setting up for months. She’s getting exactly what she planned here.
genuinely I would love to check out the comic you seem to have be reading because it sounds kinda cool?
We just had multiple comics about how she didn’t even realize she was bi and wasnt conscious of her attraction to Joyce, I think it’s a bit of a stretch to make this teen person into some cold-blooded mastermind villan?
Maybe they’re confusing this with the universe where she was possessed by Head Alien.
No, that’s not the truth.
She’s been setting this up for months when she only realized she’s bi and attracted to Joyce about four hours ago? Seems unlikely.
Obviously she has a time machine, Astariel. You can see it in her pocketses.
Yes we know your version of Dorothy is indeed history’s greatest monster.
Yeah, fam. Look at her cackling and everything, it’s not like she’s having realizations and a mental breakdown.
… Media literacy is on crisis too.
She has been setting it up for months (well, weeks). She has only realized today that she’s bi. And yes, poor Dorothy.
It’s a monkey paw situation, without the magic.
No. No, my coat is fine where it is.
It’s hard to see how we (especially those of us who ship Dorothy & Joyce [is there a ship name for that??]) aren’t written into a corner right now where the next few strips either (a) nuke multiple plot-central and long-running character/relationship dynamics and soft-resets everything to a degree that exceeds the Blaine/Ross kidnap/murder extravaganza or (b) cop out in a way that strains credulity even for people who are fine suspending disbelief for stuff like, say, Amazi-Girl and Sal’s motorcycle chase in said extravaganza.
not really?? i mean that could happen i guess but so could anything else
ship name is doyce ofc
I mean, the most likely case is that Joyce just wants sex advice here. Dorothy either does her best to provide that despite her circumstances, freaks out and runs away or melts down in some way, or refuses. Any of these may or may not include a confession of some sort, or hint of one. I don’t think any of those result in either a or b.
I agree with all of this except the last sentence. A confrontation / confession [between Dorothy and Joyce, anyway] is not a prereq for (a) happening. Dorothy could decide to take some space from Joyce without Joyce fulling understanding why. That alone is fairly (a). But since we know that Joe (and Danny, and probably Billie, and maybe even Amber) knows the answer to the questions that would cause Joyce to start asking…
I’m not sure I’d go that far, but I do kind of agree. Joe/Joyce has gotten way too much focus to be torpedoed in favor of a Dorothy/Joyce relationship now, which means despite it coming to the front at last, it’s not going anywhere.
Reminds me in a way, though for very different reasons, of the Jacob/Joyce thing back when. I liked them together and thought they’d be a fun couple, but it was obvious from the set up that it wasn’t going to happen.
I think dojo would be a cute ship name.
Oh lord.
Whatever happens next. It will be painful for someone. :_(
Mostly to Dorothy, and partially to us.
I want to spray them with a hose like horny dogs. Dorothy, no! Joyce, down!
Joyce doesn’t need to be sprayed down. She needs an explanation that she’s being weird right now.
Every strip we inch closer and closer to it, it looms in the distance, you can almost hear the chaos
ITS THE 2K25 KISS OF DOOM!!!!!
Dorothy is about to make it super awkward, isn’t she?
Already is. Joyce just hasn’t noticed yet.
“It’s very warm in here”
Waiting for Joyce to have a small breakdown revealing she’s not as gung-ho as she seems, and Dorothy to thank a god she doesn’t believe in for the small reprieve.
At this point anything could happen.
Dorothy, no.
Dorothy has no idea what Joyce wants to do. But she seems to have decided to follow her lead, without any opposition. Whatever happens, I don’t think she can be able to hold back much longer.
…Dorothy, you know she doesn’t want you to actually have sex with you, she wants adviiiiice
sigh… Y’all remember Switch’s death in the Matrix?
“Not like this.”
I would be very happy with Joyrothy sexy times. But it would be so much better if they both knew EXACTLY what they were doing and were both completely eyes-open about it all when it happened. I would find that so much hotter than this. And I care too much for these two. If they are gonna do it, I want it to be good and healthy for both of them. No popcorn for me just yet.
Although I still can’t completely rule out Billifer and Alice appearing in this passion play somehow.
This has been my reaction (minus the Joyrothy ship) for every sexual/sex-adjacent interaction they’ve had!
Dorothy is on some kind of villain arc with the way this is going — one can excuse the laundry room if one squints at it, but at this point the fact that Dorothy hasn’t actually said “Look, I have a crush on you, and I want to do things with you in spite of us both being in other relationships, let’s actually talk about that” and has instead chosen to go with the flow of Joyce’s need for information and complete trust in Dorothy is not a good look.
Oh yeah, anxiety is for other people. Never perfect Dorothy, who’d rather go evil and get his way so she doesn’t lose her best friend right before a date
It seems like a common assumption is that Dorothy and Joyce are Definitely About To Fuck™, because Joyce is fully cognizant of all the implications here and Dorothy is fully willing to go through with it. I don’t understand where the vibe is coming from.
Dorothy. Say NO. Joyce has no idea that she’s doing anything abnormal right now, primarily because YOU already set this shit in her mind as normal.
Say NO. Say you won’t cheat on Walky (again, and what happened to the entire day of fussing about that in the first place, hmm?), tell Joyce that you figured out you have crush if you have to, though I think you can get out of this without. Joe already knows Joyce isa virgin, he’s already primed to be careful and check in a lot.
Dorothy, not saying NO and explaining something genuinely DOES make you the shitty person you’ve erroneously believed you were all day. It makes you predatory, taking advantage of Joyce’s naivety, and it makes you a cheater by conscious choice. Do you want Danny to be right about you being morally bankrupt?
This is Joyce. She’ll be unhappy that she’s out you in a weird position. She’s not going to stop being your friend, this isn’t the end of anything, though it COULD be the end of you kiiiiiiind of being a piece of shit to this girl you’re currently pretending to love. And it is pretending, Dorothy, because you are using and taking advantage of Joyce being naive and sheltered to get what you want at her expense as well as the expense of others you purport to care for. That’s not love. That’s selfish, and it’s the exact thing an asshole would do.
Are you an asshole, Dorothy? Decide now, and act on it. Have a single ounce of genuine rather than performative integrity, or accept that you have none.
Dorothy. Say NO. Explain whatever you need to explain. Then get the F out.
Yeah, that’s the expression of someone who is taking advantage of Joyce and has stopped fussing about cheating on Walky. It’s definitely not the expression of someone who knows this is wrong, is panicking about it, but whose brain is too broken to actually find an out. Preferably one that doesn’t involve admitting to herself that the reason this is wrong is that she’s attracted to Joyce.
Don’t get me wrong, she’s still being selfish asshole, but she’s being a selfish asshole from the position of having a massive anxiety attack and finding it too complicated to do anything about it, not because she knows what she wants and doesn’t care about using Joyce.
And also of someone who isn’t sure what “this” actually is and whether she has to say no and storm out to avoid cheating or whether she’s just imagining that Joyce is going to suggest something that crosses the line.
She’s not doing anything abnormal. Nothing is wrong at all with what Joyce is doing.
The “abnormality” is that Joyce is putting a person who has a crush on her into a situation where they’re going to be having some very frank discussions about the mechanics of sex, while both of them are already in relationships.
It’s not WRONG for Joyce because Joyce doesn’t have the information she’d need to know she’s accidentally leading Dorothy into temptation. On the other hand, it is 150% wrong for Dorothy to keep going with it and not say anything, because Dorothy knows that it’s both abnormal and wrong.
No, that’s silly. Having an in-depth sex talk doesn’t become wrong just because the participants are in a relationship or one of them is into the other.
Man people really do come out to the Nonstop Social Disaster comic hoping everything will just be good decisions and smooth sailing from here out XD
I also think nothing wrong has happened or been requested yet. A line could come up, but there’s no point in pulling the brakes early.
Besides, this is the perfect lead-in to a poly relationship in the main cast, and why doesn’t want that firework display to start?
I mean, it does when one party is crushing and the other party is unaware AND they’re both in relationships.
I’d feel really fuckin’ awful if, say, I had an in-depth sex talk with my best friend and then it turned out he was secretly crushing on me — I’d absolutely feel like his motives were shitty, regardless of whether that was true, precisely because he wasn’t open about it.
Unless actual clothes more than coats start coming off, I don’t think Dorothy is doing anything wrong in this scene, and I’ve been really hard on her lately. But she absolutely needs to come forward and tell Joyce about this crush if that does start happening. It’s info Joyce should be privy to before discussing sexual things or engaging in states of casual undress. I love Dorothy, but being bi and responsible with your crush means that there are New Rules, some of them frustrating. I suspect Dorothy is trying to figure out what those new rules are and where they piece together.
I still argue that if Joyce has any intentions more than talking, she doesn’t get a pass here.
On another hand, Dorothy can just appreciate a shirtless Joyce who’s still wearing a bra, without making it weird, and she’s under no in-story time constraints to confess now now now do it now oh my god right now to feelings she’s still registering. Things don’t need to happen in the tidiest, most optimal order, it’s fine.
This is 100% correct in all particulars!
And doubly so for “everyone should already know that Joyce won’t reject a friend merely for having a crush on her”.
I feel like we’ve been reading a completely different comic. Say no to what? As comically awkward as a lot of her phrasing and behaviour has been, there’s every chance that all Joyce wants here is some sex advice to help her prepare for her planned encounter with Joe tonight. While I’m sure it’s crossed her mind because Joyce keeps accidentally implying it, there’s little reason on Dorothy’s end to actually believe that this is going to involve sexual activity of any kind. And if Joyce’s request does involve something inappropriate, I think it would be better to judge Dorothy’s response at that time, rather than before that’s even happened.
It’s not monstrous or selfish to help someone you love with their request for sex advice, even if you’ve just discovered (as in, today!) that you have an unrequited crush on them. In fact it’s likely to be very painful and difficult for you and done from a place of putting their needs ahead of yours, so I’d suggest it’s actually quite altruistic. And it’s certainly not cheating.
It’s not ideal behaviour because you’re putting yourself in a really brutal situation (or in this case rather allowing someone you love to unknowingly put you in a really brutal situation because Dorothy hasn’t actively done anything here), and maybe not doing all you could to avoid temptation, but at this point I’m not seeing what could be construed as shitty on Dorothy’s part?
#DorothyInhales, as usual.
I agree completely.
Thank you!
I’ve enjoyed speculating about what Joyce is aiming for here, and I especially enjoyed the speculative plot-twist of “SURPRISE! Joyce knows and is teasing Dorothy on purpose!”, but like. No. Obviously not. And there’s no reason Dorothy should be assuming Joyce actually wants hands-on sex ed here.
I wouldn’t say *no* reason – the washing machine wasn’t quite hands-on, but they did *hold* hands during.
They did. And it would be really interesting foreshadowing that Joyce kicked her out once she was close.
This is FAIR, but y’all know what I mean
If Joyce knows anything, it’s subconscious atm. I still think it’s fair for Dorothy to feel anxious about what Joyce wants her to do because of that drunken confession and she wanted her to order a list of every non-penetrative sex act for her to try recently. It’s more about Joyce’s boundary pushing being fairly unpredictable, which is partly Dorothy’s fault since she initiated this kind of line crossing with Joyce.
I think technically speaking the initiator here is actually Walky, who has been “joking” that Joyce was jealous of them, and could be cheered up by Dorothy “banging” her, for ages. I feel like this background radiation seeped into Dorothy’s subconscious and is the source for why she thought offering to hold hands with Joyce and pretend to be girlfriends would help Joyce get through her pharmacy visit; she plainly thought offering would be a carrot for Joyce, and the way Joyce started trying to come up with a shared backstory for how they started dating — plus maybe if Dorothy also sees romantic tension between Julia Gray and Doris (we know Dorothy has been reading Joyce’s comics)…
On Joyce’s side, the boundary blurring probably dates back to Becky, and hasn’t been helped at all by the multiple things Jennifer has told her. And we know she watched Parks and Recreation and came away from it thinking Leslie and Ann just had a neat friendship…
Or, TL;DR: I agree that the boundary-pushing is partly Dorothy’s fault for sure but I would also loop in Walky, Becky, and Jennifer in terms of confusing what is and isn’t just two gals being pals.
Yeah, I do get what you mean. I made distinction with the laundry being the inciting incident because it’s directly related to sex, specifically self-pleasure, which was a carnal sin to Joyce for almost her entire life and something she’s never done before. That’s a big new step and it was initiated by Dorothy. Joyce isn’t going to ask just any close gal pal what sex act she should have and in which order. That’s specifically an ask Dorothy thing, which was worrying because it immediately came after Roz told her “there’s only one person who can tell you what want (sexually).” Sexual discovery is linked with Dorothy in her mind. That whole situation funnily enough ends with Dorothy planning the Joe/Joyce date, unknowingly to Joyce, and it actually leads to her being turned on enough to give him a handy of her own volition.
So while Joyce has perhaps had misguided ideas of how the average girls interact with each other for a long time, what I’m talking about is something brought on by her specific relationship with Dorothy and only exists within the confines of it. Also, you mentioned how certain things may have seeped into Dorothy’s subconscious. We really don’t know how she interprets some of the eye brow raising comments Joyce makes, especially with this new POV, so that’ll be interesting in the future.
God I was forgetting “help me come up with a list of sexy things to do with my boyfriend”.
Anyway, agreed on all points I think.
It’s Devirgin Countdown
ba na na naaaaa…
Silent like a stone, very silent. Guess here comes the big meltdown?
<abbr title="I associate virgin with non-alcoholic drinks. tissue paper. horoscope. but not… this"
She accidentally pulled an American Pie.
NO WHY DO I GET BJ CAT AND ON THIS TOPIC OF ALL THINGS
Buggered if I know.
“Yes, buggered if I know. And that’s all we’ve gleaned so far from experts on 14th century painting, greengrocers, and recently revived members of the public. Buggered if I know” Vivian Stanshall, ‘Tubular Bells’ coda.
‘Renaissance greengrocers’
Wow – I haven’t heard that version in… decades? Thumbs up. In the air, not butts. Unless that’s what you like.
Icon perfection.
I can’t look away.
Somebody is going to get lesbian pregnant, aren’t they.
(Did we ever get a Slipshine of Lucy’s First Time?)
Nah, Lucy and Jacob were relegated to the Secret Patreon.
Do we think Joyce or Dorothy is gonna carry the lesbian baby? It’s a 50/50 proposition at this point, but I’m leaning towards Dorothy. She’s a little bony, but as the President of the United States, she’s got a lot of security for the kid’s formative years.
Sir David Attenborough voice narration: We see here the nervous primate in a new social-sexual context. This is the process of devirginification. First, they both will need privacy in order to relax.
This is screaming to me that Dorothy will stop this right after not-so-innocent kisses, and Joyce somehow pulls an uno reverse card and they end up doing it anyway.
Walky will break up with Dorothy, for sure. But I would be interested to know Joe’s reaction– too hurt for not being Joyce’s first, while they were dating? Okay with it, because he knows how much Joyce means to Dorothy? Willing or not willing to work through things? Leaning towards a threesome? That’s where the interesting stories are, I think.
I wonder how Steve is getting on with that bowl of cereal…
I am deeply appreciative of the fact that Willis has never hard cut to a full strip of Dina eating a bowl of cereal on one side of a weekend break. I can’t remember the first time Jeph did it, but fuck it was a long three days.
Its important to periodically cut back to parallel storylines so the reader understands that multiple things are happening at once.
I’m dead sure Joyce hasn’t thought this through. It seems like she wants to know the nuts and bolts (no pun intended) but she might just want tips for seduction and condom use. I can totally see Dorothy and Joyce having sex and Joyce thinking it’s not “real” because it was “just research” and there weren’t any penises involved. The realization would be shattering.
Also, Dorothy knows what’s going on. Would she bang Joe’s girl? Would Joyce decide that Dorothy took advantage of her and be livid? Would she go public and ostracize Dorothy from the group? Would Joe feel betrayed? These questions and many more will be answered on the next episode of Soap.
God, I *hope* so. Dorothy being un-nuancedly ostracized from the Friend Group and becoming a supervillain (with her own logo and everything!) would be pretty cool.
She’d have to get into more slightly problematic lesbian shenanigans tho. To maintain interest.
She could be a sexy librarian-themed villainess who goes around seducing innocent women and then giving them rigorous education on the ins and outs of enthusiastic consent.
Woag….
Wait, that isn’t evil!
Surely Joe is the least concerned party, vis-a-vis impending lesbionics. He’s worried about fucking up his relationship with Joyce… not whether Joyce gets off without him. So as long as any side action is primarily hedonism, hey, bonus. Might land that threesome yet.
His issue would be that it’s Dorothy. A girl who kinda hates his guts, and whom he’s recently confirmed has romantic intentions. He knows that if he trips and falls into Roz then Dorothy’s gonna be on that like a shot. That is the level on which he would object to informed promiscuity.
As much as Joe might in principle be OK with it, that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt him a lot. They’ve both been very monogamous as they have dated, and she’s literally told him he’s going to take her virginity tonight. Even if they were poly I’m sure he would be put off by that.
“Joyce thinking it wasn’t real…”
I’m sorry, what?
Joyce told Joe she wouldn’t masturbate with Dorothy again.
But playing wild speculative timeline, I’m guessing Dorothy would punish herself. It’s not implausible that she’d try to get Joyce to break up with Joe (don’t say “Joe’s girl”, that’s weird). She asked Walky to leave Lucy for her. But I see her feeling rotten about it afterwards, and ostracizing herself.
Still, wild speculative timeline, because this Joyce absolutely knows a penis isn’t required for sex.
This whole storyline has been incredibly hard to watch as a lesbian dear lord. Dotty please get your shit together this is embarrassing and rapidly getting weird
Gawd this is such a Trainwreck …I f’kin love it. *Grabs popcorn n’ Pepsi zero with lime.*
It would be really funny if Dorothy’s first piece of advice is “well first off you should be REALLY SPECIFIC what you want him to do. That’s how to have the best sex. Don’t leave them guessing!”
I STILL contend that Joyce knows exactly what Dorothy wants, and is deliberately fucking with her head, before fucking with the rest of her.
That’s kind of the only “good” outcome here, isn’t it?
I don’t know though. I think Joyce has the awareness to realize that something like this wohld be manipulative and hurtful and not very funny at all.
As much as we all dream about mean!sexy!Joyce, it just isn’t going to happen in our lifetimes…
This will set off a chain of events that ends in Joyce and Wally finally getting together, trust the plan
atheist Hell is real and Dotty is currently in it
Dorothy please use your words
Who else is up mashing f5
Eyyy
four more minutes