Housepets! Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Housepets! Wiki
Yes, Jessica, There Is An Opener Of Ways
Yes Jessica
Jessica meets her Opener.
Comic: "Later On We'll Expire" (click for full size)
Info
Number of Comics 10
Dates Published December 4th - December 25th, 2013
Featured Character(s)
Zach, Jessica, Raccoons
Previous Arc
Jungle Fever

Yes, Jessica, There Is An Opener Of Ways is the 73rd arc in Housepets!.

This arc marked the introduction of Jessica into the comic.

Characters[]

Plot[]

Out in the forest, one of the raccoons, Custom Ink, barges in on a possum, Jessica, wishing her a Merry Openermas three weeks early. "Openermas" is the forest animals' take on Christmas based on their veneration of Zach as "the Opener of Ways". The possum's response to Ink's joyous enthusiasm is sour, cynical, and belittling but she still accompanies her on her devotional mission. They go to a cave, where Ink is lighting candles to pray for help for her son Tiny Tum, who got a fever the previous night. Jessica thinks they should save the candles and just get some penicillin. Ink knows that, but they sent Falstaff and Truck to get it. With that, Jessica agrees they might need some spiritual help, given that the bumbling duo are notoriously inept dimwits.

Back at Ink's tree, they take care of Ink's son, Tiny Tum. He says his mom told him he's going to be an angel. Jessica says that's just a lie to give him comfort. Ink gets furious with Jessica, telling her she shouldn't put the other animals down just because she doesn't believe in the Opener. Jessica storms off, wanting to tell Zach off.

On the way through the forest, Jessica stops at the Hermit's house. She is annoyed by the "unsolicited moralizing" in his limerick, but he tells her off.

As Jessica nears Babylon Gardens, a blizzard begins, and it gets colder. Jessica collapses in the snow. A figure approaches as she loses consciousness...

...she wakes up indoors, being tended to by Zach himself. She says his kindness does not change anything about her opinions of him. Every effort the rabbit makes to befriend her or explain his attempts to deny his status as "The Opener", Jessica twists into a manipulative trick to "convert" her to his cult. Eventually, Jessica gets preachy, accusing Zach of being a fraud. Of course, Zach is annoyed by this, as all the "Opener" nonsense has been done beyond his control. Jessica tells Zach about Tum, then bares her soul about how she thinks of this nonsense, and how waiting for miracles doesn't make anything better. She ends her lament in a tone deep personal almost existential disrepair. To her annoyance, Zach agrees with everything she says, thereby innocently dodging another barrage of invective with a show of kindness and empathy.

Zach eventually gets together some medical supplies and extra materials for Jessica to take back into the forest. Never letting her guard down, she responds to each act of generosity with some complaint, only to have Zach meet her gripe with more kindness. Finally, unable to exhaust the bunny's resources or his determined good will, she declares in exasperation. "You just have an answer for everything, don't you?".When she returns like a hero to Ink's home, she finds Truck made it back with penicillin. Tiny Tum would be okay. Truck says Falstaff got captured and relocated by Animal Control again. Jessica drops off what she brought, and leaves. Ink follows her and asks what's wrong. Jessica admits she didn't storm off to be a hero, and feels like her trip was for nothing. Ink assures her somebody will need what she brought back eventually.

On the actual Openermas day, Ink asks Jessica why she hasn't talked about him. Jessica says there's not much to say; in reality, he's a bit of a twerp, and a domestic animal can afford to be generous. On that, Ink gives Jessica one of the scarves she brought back as a gift, reminding her that "the Opener gave it to YOU." Jessica, still determined to be nobody's patsy, notes she's just going to give it back when someone else needs it.

But she accepts it, and eventually puts it on. She finally feels good about the gift, and whistles happily as she walks off.

Events[]

Trivia[]

  • The title of this arc is a reference to the famous newspaper article Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus.
  • This is one of two arcs to feature and debut a new character as its protagonist: the other being My Life As A Teenage Squirrel.


Story Arcs
2008
Imaginate! | The Game | Cat Tail | The Raccoons | The Adventures of Spot | Fido's Return
| Mouse Mouse Revolution | Thematic Arc of Questionable Quality | The Zoo | The Grove |
Housepets Christmas | The Yarn Ball |
2009
The Further Adventures of Spot | The Vet | A Mouse Named Spo | Zap! | Fall of the Pridelands |
The Continuing Adventures of Spot | A Sinister Shadow | Roadtrip Woo | Down At The Farm |
Money Sharks | n-ple Date | The Uncanny Adventures of Spot | The Visitor | Oops I Arced |
It's A Wonderful Dog's Life (All the King's Men) |
2010
Ocean's Two | Imaginate, Too! | The Present | Spot McCloud Presents: Comics |
Dog Days of Summer | Theme Park World | The Adventures of Stripe | Movie Night |
Scaredy Cats | Noob Tube | Hope of the Pridelands |
2011
We're Snowed In! | The Preeminent Adventures of Spot | The Arc Specifically About Being Naked |
Not All Dogs | The Great Water Balloon War | Let's Imaginate Macbeth! | The Interview |
The Case of the Aztec Gold | A Respite In The Country | Spots and Stripes | A Holiday at the Zoo |
2012
Housepets Babies! | Show Business | What Money Buys | The Mall |
The Critical Review of Spot | The Trial in Heaven | Let's Imaginate Guys and Dolls! |
Testing Grounds | Taking Cover | PsyCon | Getting Physical | PsyCon2: PsyConner |
The Retroactively Continuous Adventures of Spot | Temple Crashers |
All Hallow's Ween | The Unbearable Lightness Of Being A Dog |
2013
One Cat's Treasure | Love And War | Jack of One Trade | The King And I |
Mice to Meet You | THE GALLIFRAX PROTOCOL |
Jungle Fever | Yes, Jessica, There Is An Opener Of Ways |
2014
Let's Imaginate And Then There Were None! | What's The Story? |
Tiger's Very Own Super Special Television Show! |
Heaven's Not Enough, Part 1 | The Interlude of Spot | Heaven's Not Enough, Part 2 |
The Ineptitude of Spot | Heaven's Not Enough, Part 3 | I Need A Vacation
All Hallow's Ween: Resurrection | Rabbit's Foot | Pageantate! |
2015
Maternal Instinct | Wolf's Clothing | Ea(s)ter | The Future of Tomorrow, Today! |
All's Fair, Part 1 | The Plot Against Spot | All's Fair, Part 2 |
Housepets 5000 BC, Part 1 | Housepets 5000 BC, Part 2 | Housepets 5000 BC, Part 3 |
Special Delivery |
2016
The Spot-tacular Spot | Flip That Den! | Fort Pillow |
The 4 Animals You Meet In Heaven |
Puppy Power | Real Stories of the K9PD | Snow Joke |
2017
Save the Date, Part 1 | Save the Date, Part 2 |
Temple Crashers 2: Temple Crashers, Part 1 | Temple Crashers 2: Temple Crashers, Part 2 |
Temple Crashers 2: 2 Temple 2 Crashers (Part 3) | Temple Crashers 2: Temple Crasherser (Part 4) | Temple Crashers 2: Temple Crash (Part 5) | Temple Crashers 2: First Blood Part 6 |
2018
Temple Crashers 2: Oops (Part 7) | Temple Crashers 2: Final Crashers (Part 8) |
Temple Crashers 2: Epilogue Crashers (Part 9) | Call o' th' Wild |
Directed To Video | The Hot Springs Episode | Hot Springs Encore |
2019
The Maxwell Thing | Hearts and Minds | No Time For Hot Springs! |
My Life As A Teenage Squirrel | My Life As A Teenage Squirrel, Part 2 |
My Life As A Teenage Squirrel, Part 3 | My Life As A Teenage Squirrel, Part 4 |
My Life As A Teenage Squirrel, Part 5 |
2020
Be Mine | The Identity Of Spot | Let's Imaginate Jurassic Park! Part 1 |
Let's Imaginate Jurassic Park! Part 2 |
Spo's Return | HECKRAISER, Part 1 | Heavendropper |
2021-2022
HECKRAISER, Part 2 | HECKRAISER, Part 3 | HECKRAISER, Part 4 |
HECKRAISER REVELATIONS |
Advertisement