Line #138 TearJerker/DumbingOfAge


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5	'''Moments pages are Administrivia/SpoilersOff. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.'''
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7	[[foldercontrol]]
8
9	[[folder:General]]
10	* Most of the Parent's Day story arc, due to how many of the characters come from some major JerkAss parents.
11	** [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/princess/ Sal's shouting at Walky over how he's done nothing to be considered their favourite child while she's always felt like the hated one.]] Walky doesn't make the issue any better by making a joke about her past attempted robbery and that leads to to this WhamLine;
12	--->'''Sal''': You fuckin'- You really think this started that day? You really think ''that'' was the beginning? It fuckin' started the day we were born and you came out '''whiter'''.
13	** [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/whitelady/ And leads to him angrily walking out of her dorm after she accuses her parents of racism and Billie sticks up for her.]]
14	* [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-6/01-to-those-whod-ground-me/troopers/#comment Astonishingly, Becky's dad manages to]] pick up some JerkAssWoobie points when Becky tries to talk him down from threatening her with a gun to bring her home.
15	-->'''Becky:''' ''(in tears)'' Do you know what this means? It means by the end of the day, state troopers are gonna blow open the back of yer head. Ka-spew! That's the only way this ends. You know that, right?\
16	'''Ross:''' ''(also in tears)'' Satan took your mother from me, and I won't let him take my daughter next. If I have to die for you, Becky, I will die for you.
17	* A commenter on the site gives a pretty clear reason why "To Those Who'd Ground Me" is a pretty crushing story arc;
18	-->'''Commenter:''' This has been a genuinely painful arc. We have seen beloved characters hurt and humiliated and brought down to their lowest point. We have seen Dina lay bleeding in the woods, Joyce frozen in fear, her best friend taken from her and Becky brought by gunpoint to the horrible fate she tried to escape. We have seen a very realistic portrayal of power abuse and something that’s a real fear for too many youths.
19	* Carla's expression after Mary deliberately misgenders her is heartbreaking enough, but after Ruth fails to stick up for her because of Mary threatening to out her and Billie's relationship...
20	-->'''Carla:''' You do whatever you want. I'm used to being everyone's acceptable loss.
21	* Ruth in the hospital. Things seem to be going well(ish). Then Ruth and Billie hug, and...
22	-->'''Ruth:''' [inaudible]\
23	'''Billie:''' What?\
24	'''Ruth:''' I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die. ''(now beginning to cry)'' I don't want to die, ''don't let me die'', please don't ''let me die''.
25	* Joyce [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-7/04-the-do-list/object/ lays some harsh realities on]] LoveableSexManiac Joe.
26	-->'''Joyce''': Because I '''remember''' your list, and I understand that the game ''wasn't'' just limited t-to ''him''. That ''anybody'' could be thinking of me as an object. E-even my friends. And that it's seen as a ''harmless joke''. And I'm reminded that I-- I am '''never safe'''. '''[[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre Everything you do matters, Joe. More than you know]]'''.
27	** And leading to this, Joe sincerely believes it's better if [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-7/04-the-do-list/shallow/ nobody actually cares about him]], likely stemming from [[FreudianExcuse seeing his parents' marriage dissolve]] because of [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/persistent/ his father's philandering]].
28	* The reason Faz snuck away to visit Amber at her school is because she's the nicest person to him. We all probably kind of suspect as much (what with having Blaine as a stepfather), but if ''Amber'', who dragged him by the hoodie all day, is the ''nice'' one, what does that say about Faz's home life or social life? And this makes Amber feel more guilty about how she treats him because she thinks there's a not-zero percent chance they're ''half'' siblings.
29	** The kidnapping arc reveals that he's fully aware of his father's villainy, but helped him out in a crucial moment because if he gets arrested, his family loses a breadwinner.
30	* Dorothy and Walky have broken up. They tried to be 'on pause' until Dorothy's grades improved but after a relapse, they decide they can't be together because Dorothy just doesn't have enough time or energy to juggle schoolwork, extracurricular activities, a social life, ''and'' Walky. And Walky, for his part, no longer feels he has any reason to improve himself and, despite agreeing to the breakup, feels like he left the best version of himself at the spot they broke up. Even when they were 'on pause' Walky quickly slipped back into his old habits of being a slob, eating junk food, and ignoring the fact that he's failing math.
31	** And frankly, watching the immediate aftermath of that breakup-getting drunk with Jason (who's facing the prospect of getting fired for sleeping with Sal) and causing mayhem at Galasso's-makes it seem that Walky's on the verge of a mental breakdown.
32	** Walky later gets this mild, but seriously harsh, dig in at Dorothy when she tries to invoke YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-8/04-of-mike-and-men/harassing/ to stop his teasing Joyce]].
33	--->'''Walky''': Or what? You'll stop dating me?
34	* Ross's death. Despite all the horrible things he did over the comic's run, nobody wanted him to ''die''. Joyce, who has very justifiable reasons to hate him at this point, can't stop herself from bursting into tears over the death of her best friend's father, and even Becky looks like she's about to cry while she's delivering her last words to him.
35	* Mike's last words before falling into a coma? You'd expect something relatively tongue-in-cheek or some GallowsHumor, considering his abrasive personality and how even his one-liner before tackling Blaine off the balcony was a YourMom statement, [[https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/wralwys/ but no]], it was a genuine admission that Amber and Ethan were his best friends, and he barely got it out on account of his serious injuries. Amazi-Girl [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness understandably freaks out]] and the strip becomes even more of a tear jerk when it's revealed that those were probably Mike's last words, period.
36	-->'''Amazi-Girl:''' No! No last words! Those sound like last words! You're being earnest and it's frightening!
37	* Mike's parents [[https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/cruise/ visiting their comatose son in the hospital.]]
38	-->'''George Warner:''' I--I knew our boy was good.
39	* After the time-skip Walky returns to his dorm room, and [[https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-11/01-this-bright-millennium/timestamp/ stares solemnly at Mike's empty loft.]] Dialogue in the following page confirms the worst: [[https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-11/01-this-bright-millennium/invited-2/ Mike is dead.]]
40	** As Hank puts it in [[https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/evolving/ this]] strip, death prevents a person from changing further, and so despite Mike showing more aspects to his character besides jerkassery in his final moments, his death robbed him of the chance to become a better person.
41	* Throughout the first arc of the second semester it was hinted many times that Ruth and Billie broke up. The second arc not only confirms that, but reveals that Billie moved on to ''Asher''. It's a tear jerker on so many levels: pity for Ruth, of course, that after all they went through together it's over, pity for Billie cause she picked (as someone on Patreon said) 'the worst possible choice that doesn't involve incest', and worry for her all the same because of Asher's mob ties and his role in the kidnapping.
42	** Of course, after many real life months pass and very critical context is revealed, most are now saying ''Asher'' deserves better than a relationship with Billie, who seems to like the ''idea'' of Asher more than Asher himself. Couple that with ''Ethan'', who's become more cynical and self-destructive since Mike's death, taking an interest in him, and, well...
43	* Ethan isn't taking Mike's death well at all. He's visibly much thinner, uncaring about his appearance, a Patreon bonus comic implies he regularly skips classes, and is dwelling on the fact that the last thing he said to Mike was a dismissive response to Mike empathizing with Danny and that he never got to confess his feelings for Mike. To make it all hurt further, Ethan wasn't even seen until the ''sixth'' story arc of the second semester (which, if current plans pan out, will be in the ''second'' book) and out of universe a ''year and three months'' after his last appearance.
44	* TheReveal that Mike was ''literally dying'' during the Garbage Roof finale of Book 10, and mere ''seconds'' after Joyce says the final line, Amber gets the text that says he died.
45	* The entire Halloween flashback arc is proving itself to be this, although [[ForegoneConclusion considering what we now know]], this was a given.
46	** First, we have the reveal as to why Amber and Walky broke up: during Joyce's Halloween party, Dorothy attempted to have a moment of silence for Mike's passing. Walky, in an extremely tone-deaf attempt to lighten the mood, jokes that [[FandomNod Mike is still alive and in witness protection.]] When Joyce furiously calls him out, he breaks character and snaps at everyone for being depressing instead of having fun due to his own unresolved issues regarding Mike's death. [[https://www.dumbingofage.com/2022/comic/book-12/05-this-was-halloween/booing/ Amber does not take it well at all.]]
47	--->'''Dorothy:''' Guys. Worst moment of silence ever.
48	--->'''Sal:''' Bro, silence is ''free''.
49	--->'''Walky:''' Silence fuckin' ''sucks''. Y'know what's silent? My fuckin' ''dorm room''. I just wanted to get out of there tonight an' forget about it for one goddamn minute, y'know? ''Fuck off'' with your moment of silence. I came here to escape. This is s'posed to be Halloween.
50	--->'''Amber:''' [[DisappointedInYou It was.]]
51	** Second, we ''finally'' find out what happened between Ruth and Billie. And it's arguably worse than what was expected. Rather than an explosive, emotional confrontation (although Ruth initially did try to make it so, only to back down upon seeing the group already frazzled from the aforementioned outburst from Walky), what we get instead is tragic in how ''pointless'' it was. Early in the arc, Ruth confides in Dorothy that she'd been mulling on breaking up for days. Why? Because she believes that the current happiness she has won't last, that inevitably things will go back to being toxic, and [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy she loves Billie too much to see her go down that path]]. But what's worse? Dorothy actually points out that it would be best to talk this over with Billie herself, only for Ruth to shut her down, claiming that [[ForYourOwnGood ghosting Billie is for her own good]]. When Ruth commits to it by literally smashing her lock with a hammer so Billie can't pick it, it leads to the latter storming off in a huff... which leads to her bumping into [[ManipulativeBitch Raidah]], who instantly begins to sow the seeds of manipulation that lead Billie towards her current attitude and behavior.
52	*** In short? Life has been so cruel to Ruth that, even in her happiest times and at her healthiest mental state, she just can't believe in herself to hold things together. Not only that, but she utterly fails to notice that abruptly ending a relationship without even talking to your partner about it before OR after is far from "healthy." [[NiceJobBreakingItHero In her attempt to save Billie, Ruth unintentionally sent her right into the arms of an even more toxic friend group.]]
53	* For the 25th anniversary of ''Roomies!'' Willis put up a set of rotating headers showing various characters over the years, with the rightmost one being the character in the current arc. Most are just interesting to look at, Ultra Car/Carla's is downright funny...and then there's Mike's. It shows Mike through the years and at the far right...an empty space because he's dead.
54	* The reason Dorothy decides not to accept her entrance into Yale: they only accepted her when she told them about being in the hostage situation, and she feels guilty about using a day that was so traumatic and tragic to get an advantage. Becky is ''not'' happy about being the reason Dorothy is refusing to go (as it was her father that started it all) and points out that Dorothy is going to have to do a ''lot'' worse than exploiting a traumatic situation for gain if she wants to make it into politics, straight up calling her a bad politician.
55	** Not helping is Raidah telling her to her face the next day that she doesn't trust anyone who is willing to become President, ie. a potential war criminal. Dorothy can't even tell herself she wouldn't do that.
56	** And now Dorothy is having a full-blown existential crisis, realizing that her life-long ambition might not be what she wants to do anymore, and the resulting trauma from being in the hostage situation may keep her out of it anyway, due to the stigmatization of mental issues such as depression and PTSD. And she wonders if she's continuing on the path to presidency because she still wants to, because she's [[SunkCostFallacy sunk so much time in pursuing that path that changing her mind will feel like failure]], or sheer ego not letting her quit.
57	** And then she tries to ''steal Walky away from Lucy''. Anyone else, they'd be called unflattering words, but it's just too easy to feel ''sorry'' for Dorothy because she's on the verge of a mental breakdown and just trying to go back to the last time she felt happy. Walky turns her down which leads to Dorothy breaking into Ruth's room to try to find her alcohol stash to [[DrowningMySorrows drown her sorrows]], eventually blackmailing Ruth into telling her where it is by threatening to look elsewhere (read: somewhere unsafe) for booze.
58	* "But Don't Give Yourself Away" starts out badly for the Walkerton twins and Lucy when the Walkerton parents suddenly show up, promptly ruining Sal's month because she doesn't want to see them. Then Linda assumes Walky's new girlfriend is Joyce (which, note, she was the only white girl in the group), and immediately loses interest when she learns his girlfriend is actually Lucy. (Lucy is oblivious for now but how long will that last?) Then, when she says she plans to meet them both for lunch, she explicitly states she means Walky and Lucy, as she knows Sal 'makes her own plans'. But then she postpones lunch until dinner and says she'd understand if Lucy was unavailable for it, while clearly hoping she won't make it. And despite Walky's assertion that Lucy should stay away, Lucy just isn't getting it.
59	** Not helping is Jennifer's (probably correct) assertion that ''she's'' Linda's favorite child (despite not being related), nor her firm belief that dating Lucy is going to make Walky TheUnfavorite. And the implication is clear that the former is because Jennifer can pass for white, and the latter is because Walky is dating a black girl.
60	** The fact that Sal is so desperate to be the golden child for just a minute that she is willing to exploit Danny for it.
61	*** And in the end she can't even say for sure if she was...or if it was Danny instead.
62	** Linda taking Sal dating Danny as ''vindication'' for all the decisions she made for Sal.
63	** Once Lucy finally clues in about Linda's problem with her, they come up with a scheme to make her look better by comparison by claiming Walky's dating Amber instead: Amber, who stabbed Sal and has no shame about rambling about anything she's into (see: her rambling about Transformers mpreg). It even ends up ''working'' too, up until Amber accidentally drops the bomb about how Walky had been flunking math until she hacked his grades, and Linda proceeds to tear into Walky over flunking. Walky just ends up freezing in terror, and suddenly his reaction to getting a failing grade makes more sense.
64	** What's worse about all of the above is they could have been forewarned and had time to mentally prepare for this visit...[[PoorCommunicationKills if Walky had just checked his email and seen the one from his mom saying they plan to visit.]] Or, you know, if she had just bothered to email Sal too.
65	** And then all of this becomes moot in the next story arc when Lucy, fed up with Walky's reluctance to say he loves her, and his wishy-washiness in defending her to Linda(and after finding out he only asked her out because Dorothy suggested it), breaks up with him.
66	* Amber tries to warn Ethan off pursuing Asher on the grounds of his role in the robbery...but Ethan is on a ''very'' self-destructive path so the ''first'' thing he does is make out with Asher.
67	* Joe is trying ''very'' hard to put his skirtchasing days behind him and shed his reputation as a manwhore, but in contrast to the rest of the readily accepted CharacterDevelopment that's been unfolding around him, almost ''nobody'' [[ReformedButRejected believes that Joe is capable of change.]] Dorothy and Sarah have both tried to sabotage his relationship with Joyce thinking they're protecting her from him, but their actions are more painful to ''Joyce'', who feels that her closest friends aren't respecting her autonomy or judgment.
68	[[/folder]]
69
70	[[folder:Amber]]
71	* The story of how Amber broke.
72	** Quickly followed by TheReveal of [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/01-the-only-dope-for-me-is-you/under/ her identity to Danny]].
73	--->'''Danny''': ''[[LateToTheRealization Oh my God]]''. Are you... ''Amber'' under there?\
74	'''Amber''': ...[[BecomingTheMask I don't know.]]
75	* Danny learns that Amber could've been killed when she rescued Becky, and takes Sal's advice to try and get her to give up the act out of fear for her safety. [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/03-when-god-closes-the-door/buckle/ It does not go well, as Amber switches to the Amazi-Girl personality when seeing Sal, and proceeds to cut all ties with Danny on the spot.]] What makes it worse is that [[HarsherInHindsight Danny messing things up used to be played for laughs.]]
76	-->'''AG:''' Yes, well, Amber needs Amazi-Girl a '''hell''' of alot more than she needs you.\
77	'''Danny:''' Amber-- Please, just listen to me for a min--\
78	'''AG:''' And make no mistake, she '''did''' needs you. She '''really did.''' She just thought she could trust you to support her more. Or to maybe not '''buckle''' under a light breeze.\
79	'''Danny:''' ''[puts his hand on her shoulder]'' I'm '''not''' buckling, I'm--\
80	'''AG:''' No, don't touch me. Not ever again.\
81	'''Danny:''' '''This is the opposite of buckling! I love buckling! Look at how unhappy I am!'''
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	[[folder:Becky]]
85	* Becky's AnguishedDeclarationOfLove [[https://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-5/01-when-somebody-loved-me/jealous/ to Joyce]], only for Joyce [[IncompatibleOrientation to reluctantly rebuff her]].
86	-->'''AltText''': oh god oh god [[https://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-5/01-when-somebody-loved-me/hindsight/ i'm so sorry becky]] i'll make joyce gay if it makes you stop crying oh god please stop don't be sad
87	* Joyce's acceptance and love for Becky is starting to become this, as it becomes obvious it is making it harder for Becky to accept Joyce's rejection. It gets to the point that Becky demands Joyce to be mad at her, after she fired Ethan as Joyce's boyfriend, but Joyce had already broken up with Ethan, so Joyce just tells her that she helped.
88	* While Becky is inside of her own home, reminiscing her life with her parents, we find out that her mother committed suicide and that [[HarmfulToMinors Becky was the one who found her]], and it is ''soul-crushing.''
89	* [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/03-the-butterflies-fly-away/darling/ "Okay, my word is 'Painful'!"]] Cue a zoom on cards in Becky's hands and how most of them allude to her struggles in some form.
90	* In the denouement of book 10, Becky plays Animal Crossing on the Switch, and ends up getting an in-game letter from "her mom". Her reaction is over the top, but it doesn't hide that she's hurting.
91	-->[[https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/animalcrossin/ "Entertainment, my refuge, how could you betray me"]]
92	[[/folder]]
93
94	[[folder:Billie]]
95	* "[[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/01-the-only-dope-for-me-is-you/smoocharama/ You taste like alcohol,]]" and the three following strips.
96	* Billie, having an epiphany about herself and worried sick about Ruth, confronts her in her room (lock-picking is a very useful skill) because, last time they spoke, Ruth told her she "couldn't bring herself (Ruth) to do it '''yet'''", hinting that at some point in time Ruth would fall off the wagon again. [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/04-the-whiteboard-dong-bandit/tired-2/ So Ruth explains what she meant, in a tirade full of depressive realism which leaves Billie in tears]]:
97	-->'''Ruth''': Billie, I am so tired. The school. The alcohol. The stress. The loneliness. I can't survive it forever. I '''will''' be worn down. It's just a matter of time. But I can hold out for a little longer. Long enough for '''you''' to move on. To stop caring about me so much. '''Then''' I can give in. Open a bottle. Maybe slip away. [[DissonantSerenity See? That's why I didn't want to tell you, dumbass]].
98	* After Ruth had finally started therapy, [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/02-but-the-sun-still-shines/worth/ she learns that Billie is STILL drinking]], and [[ReasonYouSuckSpeech calls Billie out for denying that she needs help]].
99	-->'''Ruth''': Just ''days'' ago we were ready to ''die''.\
100	'''Billie''': For ''you''. I was ready to die for ''you''.\
101	'''Ruth''': Worth dying for. But never worth living for.
102	* Just how much Billie has changed for the worst is difficult to watch. She ''thinks'' she's gotten better after sobering up, but she's just as insecure as ever, having convinced herself it's everyone else that's the problem, not her. She's outright abrasive to her old friends, choosing to hang out with people like [[BitchInSheepsClothing Raidah]], who plays into her ego while secretly mocking her behind her back. Billie is so convinced that she's above it all, that Ruth seeming to show amicability after their breakup causes her to hit a RageBreakingPoint, believing that there's no way Ruth could be honest in her feelings.
103	-->'''Billie:''' [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Stop.]] (slams Ruth into the wall) [[PunctuatedForEmphasis LYING TO ME.]] It's so ''goddamn fucking condescending.'' "I miss you," or "Hope you're doing okay," or "You're finally becoming a ''beautiful fucking butterfly''", or whatever. ''STOP PRETENDING TO BE NICE TO ME. STOP LYING.''
104	** It gets even more frustrating after the Halloween flashback arc reveals why they broke up, after which we get a follow-up conversation in which Billie gives Ruth a harsh ReasonYouSuckSpeech.
105	-->'''Ruth:''' I never lied to you.
106	-->'''Billie:''' You lied about being happy for weeks before you barricaded yourself in [[FreudianSlip our room]] on Halloween. [[VerbalBackspace Your room.]]
107	-->'''Ruth:''' I ''was'' happy. I've never been happier than I was then. I ''didn't lie.''
108	-->'''Billie:''' You lied about never pushing me away again.
109	-->'''Ruth:''' (irritably) Well ''you'' lied about never ''letting'' me push you away again.
110	-->'''Billie:''' (voice gradually raising) You lied because ''this is the real you. YOUR REAL FEELINGS.'' You ''abandoned'' me, and YOU want to get to play ''martyr'' about it. Like it's some huge sacrifice YOU made. YOUR BURDEN. And not like you ''revel'' in it and all the contempt you have for my happiness. Raidah's friends are amazing! They're level! And stable! And I dont have to worry about every moment about maybe today one of them might flip a table! Or ''lock themselves in a room!'' And that PISSES YOU OFF! Because you assumed-- you knew-- I'd come back and succeed in breaking down that door. Deep down that's still what you wanted. So don't fucking lie to me about being happy for me. Because you HATE that I walked away and never came back.
111	** The worst part of this? While Billie ''may'' be right about Ruth's feelings, she's still completely wrong about being in a better environment. She has no idea that Raidah and her friends (except Asher) hold nothing but contempt for her, and see Billie as nothing but a pawn in her social climbing tendencies (and spiteful rivalry with Sarah and Joyce). Billie is only continuing to project her own insecurities on to Ruth, simply because it's easier to vilify her, rather than admit she might have had a hand in causing Ruth's faith in the relationship to waver. And Ruth can do nothing except stand there silently, either because she believes Billie is right, or because the latter is simply proving Ruth's point by lashing out.
112
113	[[/folder]]
114
115	[[folder: Faz]]
116	* When Faz [[https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/nurture/ opens up to Amber]] about his worry that he's [[GenerationXerox destined to become Blaine 2.0]], his last line in the strip becomes incredibly sad when you think about it, as the top comments point out: What's intended to be a joke about Faz being a perverted little creep also reveals that Faz is so abused and touch-starved that he cannot help but interpret ''any'' form of physical affection - in this case a hug from his ''half-sister'' - as sexual stimulation. Even worse is how his warning/preemptive apology for this reveals that he knows how fucked up it is.
117	* Faz doesn't like that he's become Blaine's accomplice in his kidnapping attempt but feels he has no choice because if Blaine goes to jail he and his mother will lose their home.
118	[[/folder]]
119
120	[[folder:Joyce]]
121	* Joyce, who nearly got raped. While she tries [[StepfordSmiler to act cheerful]], deep down she is still very affected by this event, having nightmares about it and still very scared of meeting the guy again. It also turns out the reason Joyce is rarely alone is because she's too scared to be by herself and follows Walky or Ethan around because she thinks it's safer.
122	* This strip from [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2011/comic/book-1/05-media-rumble/break/ book one;]]
123	-->'''Joyce:''' Sarah, wait. I think we should give everyone a second chance before we write them off. I admit sometimes I'm not good at it, but I feel I at least need to try. I want to find the good in people.
124	-->'''Sarah:''' You're a good kid, Joyce. [[HarsherInHindsight I'll be sad when the world breaks you.]]
125	* [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/03-up-all-night-to-get-vengeance/dark-room/ Joyce is really repressed]].
126	* In book Six, a very upset and jaded Joyce comes to the conclusion that [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-6/01-to-those-whod-ground-me/everythings-broken/#comment "everything is really broken"]] (not just herself, but the whole world). Sarah has no choice but to let out an uncomfortable "Yup".
127	* After being subjected to Roz's [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech incredibly vitriolic rant]] about her previous behavior, Joyce leaves Leslie's class in tears. That's bad enough, but then we see Joyce outside by herself for the first time since [[DateRapeAverted the party]]. And then it just [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/trauma/ gets worse]] as Joyce starts to see Ryan in place of all the people outside...
128	* The look on Joyce's face and her body language [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-6/01-to-those-whod-ground-me/hero-2/ in this strip.]] Poor girl looks like she's edging nearer and nearer to a full blown HeroicBSOD. Her mother pushes her closer and closer [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-6/01-to-those-whod-ground-me/sweetie/ in this strip.]] Bonus points for her telling Joyce [[MeaningfulEcho the exact same line]] Ross told Becky when he was pointing a gun at her, no less. What is worse is that David Willis is directly channeling [[http://itswalky.tumblr.com/post/133847635397/i-dont-talk-to-my-mom-anymore-whenever-we-had his own experiences with his mother.]]
129	* [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/04-it-all-returns/amazinglove/ Joyce is not in a good place now.]]
130	* [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/03-sometimes-the-sky-was-so-far-away/richmullins/ Joyce is having a crisis of faith]]. It ends with [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/03-sometimes-the-sky-was-so-far-away/ultimately/ this]] WhamLine.
131	-->'''Joyce''': You're not really there. You weren't ever really there. Ultimately I'm just talking to myself, like in a dream. (''Wakes up with a'' serious ''case of existential dread'')
132	* Joyce has experienced a lot of changes in one semester. What finally breaks her is a doctor suggesting she might be autistic. Now she's in her room having a bit of a breakdown wondering if her entire life and everything she felt was a lie. Perhaps no sentence sums up how much all the changes are affecting Joyce more than this, after Billie (now going by Jennifer) asks if Joyce wants to talk to her:
133	-->"I don't want Jennifer, I want ''Billie''."
134	* Joyce admits she doesn't know what it feels like to not be judged.
135	* Joyce's day in "But Don't Give Yourself Away" starts out just as badly as the Walkertons': she's ambushed by her mother, who bullies her into taking totes of Joyce's stuff that she has no room for by threatening to leave them on the curb, then drops the bomb that she sold Joyce's childhood home. And then Joyce has to hastily hide her birth control so Carol doesn't see.
136	** Then Carol drops ''another'' couple bombs: the divorce has been finalized for a week now, and she sold her house because "God told her to" in a dream. This gets Joyce so panicked that she hastily texts Joe begging for help. Carol's clarification of 'God told me to' makes it worse: she plans to give the money to the church because they're on the verge of losing their building because they used it as collateral for Ross's bail, and...well, we saw what happened there. Joyce is ''not'' taking it well that Carol is still supporting an organization that indirectly killed Mike, and in her anger blurts out that she doesn't think God is real. ''And Carol refuses to believe Joyce believes that.''
137	** And the implication is, like Sal and Walky, Joyce could have been forewarned and prepared herself mentally for this ordeal...but she opted to decline Jocelyne's phone call, no doubt warning her Carol planned to come.
138	** Patreon only strips reveal Carol surrendered Joyce's beloved dog Snoop to a shelter because where she moved to didn't allow dogs. Another reveals he was adopted by another owner, meaning it's very unlikely Joyce will see him ever again.
139	[[/folder]]
140
141	[[folder:Sal]]
142	* Sal is visibly having a breakdown of her own during the convenience store holdup; WordOfGod is that she had no intention of getting away with it and wanted to get caught. That's [[DesperatelyCravesAffection how thoroughly starved for attention she was]].
143	* When discussing Dexter and Monkey Master with Dorothy, Walky mentions he and Sal used to watch it together. Compare the thought of ''Sal'' sitting down to watch a cartoon with her brother to the present day, where it's rare for her to be around Walky for more than a few minutes at best.
144	* When Sal [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/03-when-god-closes-the-door/dumped/ tries to talk casually with Danny]] (when she barely talks casually at all), Danny tells her to go away, since Amber had just cut all ties with him for talking with Sal moments before. Sal looks genuinely hurt in panel 6. It doesn't help that she had admitted to herself that she's afraid of opening up to people [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/03-when-god-closes-the-door/pissybaby/ just minutes ago]]. And in the strip where she talks to herself, the first two panels are heartbreaking as well. Walky tells her in the first panel to not blame him for not being able to talk to family, since he had just given her a chance to. Sal in the second panel is obviously saddened. She ''knows'' she's messed up somehow, but her rough childhood and the mannerisms she got from that ''just won't let her do anything'' about it.
145	* Sal can't quite handle being called Danny's girlfriend because she's never been that before. One night stand, fuckbuddy, a shameful secret, the reason Jason got fired...but never an emotional connection like that.
146	** When she asks Joe if Danny's mother would like her, he has to admit it's unlikely...although he also says ''anyone'' Danny brings home will be a disappointment to Sharon because they ''aren't Dorothy''. Sal's actually okay with this because she's used to being a disappointment to parents.
147	* While out for breakfast with Raidah's circle of friends, Asher drops a harsh truth on Walky: it's probably Linda's connection with the dean that allowed the 'definitely has a criminal record' Sal to attend university in the first place. Which means that's ''another'' thing Linda can hold over Sal's head to keep her 'in line'.
148	[[/folder]]
149
150	[[folder:Sarah]]
151	* [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/03-the-butterflies-fly-away/healthy/ "You want to get rid of her, just like you did Dana."]] Joyce realizes too late that she went too far.
152	[[/folder]]

Context TearJerker / DumbingOfAge