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I think we're good. This is my first convention appearance, and I'd love to meet any of you who are able to make it. I'm going to be massively consumed for the rest of the week, so the next realistic update would be next Wednesday. You guys, as always, are a way better audience than I deserve! Thanks for all the encouragement and supportive comments. Love you much! XD -Chris
Won’t Get Fooled Again
124 thoughts on “Won’t Get Fooled Again”
Just stop Ellie. If you had to look up his name, just stop now…
Why would she had known his name, she thought is was going to be like all the others before the date started so she probably did not bother to read up on him, so did not know his name ahead of time, and it would be unlikely that halfway through the date he’d do introductions…
Which kind of just further proves his point.
Though to be fair, he never gave out his name.
True, but also in the spirit of being fair, why wouldn’t she know his name if she had arranged to date him where he would have every reasonable expectation that she had at least looked at his dating profile? She’s just digging the hole deeper.
She’s looked over papers before. We know that she’s highly analytical (when it comes to conventions (hint (hint))) and had to read the papers to know where she was going. She has signed others names before.
Getting blind sided like this made her draw a blank.
I’m pretty sure her habit of signing others’ names was because she was too lazy to read what she was signing but still didn’t want to sign her name to unknowns.
That was always my assumption as well.
That can’t be proven from her performance on evaluating D-bag’s booth, which in a way disproves your point. And that doesn’t seem to jibe with the consent form D-bag thought that she had signed.
I dunno..
I remember a task in a job that involved going through large amounts of output. It was somewhat structured, but not ideal for working with programmatically. I ultimately decided that it was significantly less work to go through it manually than to write something to quickly parse it (especially considering the time it took me to interpret the output versus the time the jobs took to run).
It got transitioned to someone else. He looked at the length of the output and he decided there was no way he was going to put the effort into going through that output manually, so he wrote something to parse it (if I recall, he even used C rather than something more suited like Perl or Python).
We both made opposite decisions, and we both made our own decisions solely out of laziness and the least effort manner to accomplish the task.
Ellie’s a social creature, she likes to be in crowds and people watch and talk to people. You can absolutely find people would tell you that analyzing a situation with a gut reaction and then reading a flyer you spent hours handing out and potentially doing more analysis while doing so isn’t something that’s a lot of work. It’s also pretty easy to find people who consider reading contracts or legal documents (even one page docs) to be a hassle and a pain and something they’d rather avoid. I’m quite comfortable that the intersection of these groups is non-zero.
So I don’t actually see a contradiction.
And regardless of her method, motivation or intention the end result is that she couldn’t remember his name which goes miles towards reinforcing his already negative impression.
Bump that!
Hope you bought insurance for that rental car flambé.
And we finally have a name! Too bad he’s gone.
It would be hilarious if his name wasn’t given just for this one joke.
But did you see who the next date is/was?
Poor Ellie, the truth stings. You’re cut out for that kind of work. Do something legit.
It…it actually SAYS on the form that he actively dislikes dishonesty. Who thought this was a good idea?
Owen’s brother. It was a cue for someone actually reading it to do a better job lying.
… and likes: bad movies and obese cats!
Too bad for Ellie. Truly the one who got away.
Looks like it says guns, too, which makes sense since they are in Florida…
Quite the expensive hobby for a guy planning to retire by 45, though.
Not necessarily. Back when I collected I almost always made money on them. You just have to buy them right…
I was actually thinking more ammo costs. Sure, reloading could keep down costs, but with other hobbies and a job that pays what he was suggesting, seems likely to lose the cost/benefit analysis.
Oof! Not looking good for Ellie.
Looking AWESOME for you at the Con however!
Please let us know how the DBZ restaurant is!
HECK YEAH!
You scouted it? I’d always thought those scouters were about worthless against anyone with real training. ^_^
Flying Nimbus light fixtures for the win!
David Stevens?! Oh no you–
Don’t do this to me! She’d better go on that damned date!
I have a feeling that because she didn’t even really know his name she was just in love with the idea of being with a guy like him but not really interested in him.
Also finally David! So a lot of people were right, Mr. Stevens/Blind Guy is indeed David o_o
Also I must say, it’s nice to see they both had two things in common, they both like movies and obese cats!
BAD movies!
Pft, thanks for correcting me xD I never noticed I didn’t write bad in there!
I would bet money that she’s going to rage quit her job after this current date, thus not going out with David.
Again…
I will be very upset if that happens… I hope she doesn’t rage quit for two reasons: 1) she needs the last dates for that day to get her paycheck, 2) I really want to see what will happen if she goes out with David!
Even though I fear that once she’s done with Owen, she just might look at David’s paper and immediately call it off.
She’s already decided avoid him.
I’d be disappointed because I think Ellie needs to talk to someone level headed right now but at the same time I wouldn’t be surprised.
Owen had a picture, so David likely is the one they were talking about who did not. So Ellie wouldn’t know from the picture or the name.
Also remember that Blind Guy is in the Royal Buckinghams picture that’s a picture from Pumpkin’s upcoming birthday party next chapter. It’d be pretty odd for Pumpkin to invite a teacher, so that along with positioning suggests Ellie’s date as a strong possibility.
So I wouldn’t count on it as a certainty that she’s going to quit before heading to the date with him, and if she does, she may meet him again soon at Pumpkin’s birthday party anyway. Quinn or KK or Tarra can stand in for someone for Ellie to talk to until then if that’s the way it goes.
Oooh, that is true! David doesn’t have a picture (I would believe it’s David because they said 6’1″ and he has a dog… Seems like Blind Guy to me.) and Ellie doesn’t know his name so if she doesn’t quit she’ll probably go on the date anyway… But what about when she does see him face to face? Will she go through with it or just be like “Nopenopenope” and get out of there? ._.
He has been stalking her and was seen on at least one of her previous dates. He might plan it so that he finds her before she can spot him and run away.
Yea, hints have been seeded for a quite a while now that he’s been trying to keep tabs on her. Not sure what his plan would be here though since it seems to be the opposite of his previously “down low” style.
I’m guessing he’s going to confront her about her choice of occupation. Maybe he’ll come partially clean about trying to find her again to ask her out and stumbling upon her through the site and not confront.
It’s hard to say, as I get the feeling that most of what we’ve heard dialog-wise from Blind Guy is him on best behavior/trying to be a good example as opposed to being himself.
But that’s not how ironic suspense works.
David Stevens? As in blind guy Mr. Stevens? Oh, I am very much looking forward to this.
That map, man. That map reminds me of the Penny Arcade map that tried to get Gabe and Tycho from Seattle to British Columbia by way of Mexico. Either that or the directions to Big John’s Shirt and Tie Barn from Mad TV. It’s on YouTube. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it. Any time someone tries to give you directions that involve the phrase “Get a boat and let yourself float for six more miles down river,” you don’t want to go to that place. Ever.
MEGACON IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!
You goin?
Ha… ha…very funny. See you soon!
After a series of “hilarious” misunderstandings, she’d wind up trapped in some collector’s UV-resistant plastic casing. :(
Just like that one episode of the Simpsons with not-Xena.
…and Biiiiig Papa Smurf.
Now where did that mystery white purse come from?
Wonder what vamp dude is doing in all this….
Maybe this is how Solid Snake carries all those guns around – the magic, instantly materializing purse.
::BEST ANSWER::
Cannot…unsee…
This actually made me go back and see if the purse had appeared before in the comic.
It has.
At first I though she was pulling her clothes off in panel 4 to get Owen’s attention…
Really, though. If she’s going to be in this kind of business, she ought to at least look at the profile and remember the name (I’m kind of impressed that he has that good a picture for the profile. I don’t do dating websites, but most of my avatars tend to be my dog, not me).
I like Ellie, but Owen’s absolutely right.
Also, awesome buttons! Good luck at the con! Watch out for the crazy Orlando drivers. They’re plentiful whenever we go.
Very true. And I will. :)
Have you priced the buttons yet? Like the four one, 12 for a set?
NOOOOOOOOOOO!
That’s not about Owen’s reaction. Ellie absolutely deserved that. Too bad it just made him more bitter, though.
I’m mourning the first in-comic sign I have to give up on Blind Guy’s name being Stephen Esteban Stevens.
Speaking of, my vote for a future Patreon arc is Rosemary’s extremely likely talk after she read David’s name on Pumpkin’s schedule.
I’m sure it’s got all kinds of plot spoilers so will have to wait a while, but I’d really like to see that.
Well, that’s to be expected. Teachers don’t move school districts every few years, so it wouldn’t be odd for all of the kids to have the same teacher.
Ellie’s only a few years older and didn’t recognize him, and he’s young enough that she would’ve heard other girls in her grade talk about him even if she didn’t have him. By timeline, I’m thinking he was Tarra’s tutor when he was in college and this may be his first full-time teaching position (which appears to have started after Ellie was past his class, possibly out of high school).
And now Ellie enters full on Damage Control stage.
For either a) she likes this guy
B) her job
Or c) a little of both
Well, I’m pretty sure it’s not the job, beyond the simple fact of having one.
There’s a dragon Ball Z restaurant?!?! I live in Florida, (about an hour north of Tampa) is it close to me?
Location and FB: https://www.facebook.com/soupasaiyan1
Or known as, “how to get my patreon fans to buy my meals. Photo of the artist holding a sign ‘Today’s lunch brought to you by the letters Mr.B, signed copy of a menu, copy of receipt, pics of face during consumption along with any comical ham acting for laughs. “
… is Owen’s last name an anagram of “Ghastly” on purpose?
Google shows the name to be Irish and to mean ‘son of a foreign lad or servant’. Given his doormat status with women, I’d say we are looking at the servant.
I’m still betting he’s a platinum patreon, so I’m betting the patreon chose the name.
How did you get BBpress to be so awesome for uploading comics? any of the ones ive seen are overcomplicated
For the comic. While I don’t care for dishonesty either, I never cared for the idea that all truths built on a lie are still a lie, but I never agreed with the idea of omitting the truth is a lie either.
The original pic of Juniper has me thinking she’ll shape up and become a photographer!
Make sure you enjoy your first convention? CHECK!
Everything looks fantastic! Have a great time. Wish I could be there!
Good thing she kept the printout with his name or that would have been really embarrassing.
While I don’t think it’s worth Rusche showing in the comic, I’m imagining him looking back and seeing that she had to consult the printout just for the perfect touch to his temper before he goes back to yell at his brother.
Good thing his brother set up the date or he’d feel like a real fool right now.
I remember him showing up to prove his brother wrong about Ellie showing up. I wonder if he’ll admit to the brother that they were both wrong in new and exciting ways.
Good thing he was there to prove his brother wrong or he’d probably be hurt and even more cynical about relationships after this whole experience.
Question…..
Looking at original fanart section, noticed Pink Top Elle, and I was wondering…
Was she always intended on having that kinda rack or did it just ‘shift’ that way over time?
While I can’t answer for Rusche, it’s looked to me that her boobs are roughly the same size in proportion to her waist as they were at the beginning of the comic. However, her waist was way too thin at the beginning, and as Rusche started drawing Ellie’s frame closer to something feasible, the boobs stayed proportional in growth for similar effect.
I’m not sure if that pink top is intended, as Rusche described last post, “Frank Cho’d up a bit” or if that’s supposed to be her being a master of the MySpace angle.
Ha! Joke’s on you. Georgia doesn’t have any more toll booths since we got rid of our only one on GA-400. You could just take I-75 south from Atlanta (if you wanted to brave the traffic past McDonough, and if I let you leave rather than forcing you to stay through Dragon Con).
I hope the show is wonderfully successful for you.
(Seriously, though. Major construction around McDonough on I-75. Avoid it like the plague, if you can.)
How could Owen turn his back on her like that? He was her Number One guy!
The buttons and prints look awesome :) If I can’t make the con, are they going to be available in the store?
Geeezz Owen! You would rather live in your script that all women are liars? Read the situation!
All day you have been having a great time with this woman. Then you find out that the first connection was a lie. SNAP into your preconceptions and ignore everything real that you have done with Ellie. I now it gets hard to trust as you get older. But quit being a righteously hurt person and take just a little more risk.
What he found out is his that date was one of multiple that were scheduled today with Ellie to prevent people from getting refunds.
Good point but how many people would react differently?
With the background knowledge we have of Ellie, giving her a chance might be a positive thing for Owen.
With the amount of knowledge he has and knows for a fact that he’s drawn to women that end up being a really bad idea, walking away here is probably the best choice for him to make.
It’s sadly much too easy to make the same mistake over and over again when emotions and libido start talking loudly. Fleeing like mad can thus be, literally, the course of reason.
You know, that, and she’s half his age, so the likelihood of it working long term were already pretty low.
Marriage isn’t the only possible positive. If Ellie got some more maturity and Owen a slightly healthier view, it could still be quite positive for both of them even if relatively short-term.
I’d buy the hell out of that Minecraft stuff if I was going to the con. Hope it goes well!
..Did anyone else notice the other paper under Owen’s one say Stevens?
Yes, Stevens, which I believe is also the name of one of Pumpkin’s teachers. A.K A. Blind Guy.
It’s a well proven fact that standing on your toes makes your voice louder.
I hope the con is going well dude.
Give it up, Ellie. You poisoned the well. You think he’s ever going to take a drink again?
I have to stand outside and hold up a giant cardboard shotgun tomorrow, based on the travel itinerary.
A giant cardboard shotgun will get you 5 to 10 in any Blue State.
Wrong. I don’t need either a concealed weapons permit, nor a gun check, since I would be the designer and owner of the shotgun. Along with it being manufactured in a single state, I would not have to get permits with the A.T.F.
Camel that, I just saw blue state. So I’m glad that I only have to stand next to the interstate exchange. Chris, wally’s choo choo has boundless candy and fireworks along with some of the cheapest gas prices in the state.
Is the name Lysaght another music reference? I am thinkign the real name of Shane MacGowan, or possibly Benji Lysaght?
So Blind Guy, Pumpkin’s teacher, and Ellie’s one decent customer from her first legit job, just happens to subscribe to an online dating website that she just happens to work for? Anything other puzzles pieces out there?
Always lots more. Here’s what comes to mind quickly (I’m not doing comic hyperlinks, as Rusche or Jessica would need to approve)
* First instance of stalking/taking more of an interest than expected [O’Jacks job, shortly after walking away when he wouldn’t ask her out] – comic Guy vs Guy (current post date September 25, 2013)
* Circumstantial notice [Black Friday, in mall after Ellie quit Kohl’s] – comic A Hot Girl’s 180 (currently dated January 3, 2014)
* Dheu mentioning David’s connection to Tarra and that he normally cleans up her messes [Black Friday, after fight with X] – comic Echoes Of An Era (currently dated March 26, 2014)
* Continued failed stalking at Kohl’s [after losing seasonal jobs] – comic Temporary One (currently dated April 28, 2014)
* Rosemary & Herb talking about their children having obsessive behavior and referencing Tarra & a tutor as one of the examples [Katrina/Pumpkin] – comic Down the Internet Hole (currently dated November 19, 2014)
* Continued successful stalking via otherwise extraneous panel by matching T-shirts [dating site job] – comic Number 500 (currently dated January 6, 2016)
[removes informal archivist hat]
[hurriedly puts archivist hat back on, it’s a little crooked]
…aaaand of course I forgot the obvious one, comic Date Swag (currently dated January 11, 2016), which shows Nena & Tired Guy talking about a guy keeping taps on Ellie matching a profile and having no picture.
[takes off hat again, throws it across the room this time]
You forgot him finding, then punching out, Tired Guy.
That’s the Guy vs Guy comic. First one on the list.
don’t think we’ve seen the last of him
This is NOT the first song title or lyric to be used by the author as a reference. Can you list others?
Yes – http://shotgunshuffle.com/archive/
To be honest, I’m sure there are a few song titles or lyrics in there that I didn’t recognize and still don’t, though. I’m far from the music trivia master. More of a smart ass, really.
That’s ok. We like you anyway. :)
I just noticed that obese cats are on Owen’s list of “Likes”
Does this mean Ellie has met her match?
You forgot hand sanitizer on your check list. :)
And the Febreze.
We see Ellie trapped between what she wants and what she is supposed to do as her job.
Owen has let his cynicism and pessimism make an angry decision for him. He has let go something that could have made them both happy.
Has something like this happened to anyone reading this in real life?
Yes.
Hello sir! It was wonderful meeting you both at Megacon! The mug is awesome and the Quinn print is wonderful, and I hope to see you guys at many more Florida cons to come!
Hello TheDagda.
As the un-honorary chairman of the welcoming committee, it’s my privilege to present a laurel and hearty handshake to our new…
[looks up and sees TheDagda]
conventioneer.
You’re going to love the new welcome baskets. We’re up to six Cheetos and a coupon for a free small ice cream cone at Garry’s House of Tires and Muffler Repair.
Dude, you forgot the Ratchlantula droppings. Those aren’t chocolate buttons there, mate.
grant Alabama on the Map? that’s about 40min from the house cool.
David Stevens? Those are mine and my brother’s names. Pretty eerie that you chose those two names.
How was the Convention!? Must needs know full update!
Its been awhile since seeing that icon. How’re ya doing?
Welcome to Der Weinerschnitzel. May I take your order?