Dumbing of Age Book Fourteen

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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October 20, 2026

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Proselytize

Posted In: comic
└ Tags: lucy, walky

Discussion (162) ¬

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  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    May 20, 2019 at 12:05 am | # | Reply

    that would be like Faye meeting Renee!

    • Well_Played
      Well_Played
      May 20, 2019 at 12:07 am | # | Reply

      They did meet when Angus introduced them

      • Chronos
        Chronos
        May 20, 2019 at 12:10 am | # | Reply

        Ah, there we go.

      • DailyBrad
        DailyBrad
        May 20, 2019 at 12:11 am | # | Reply

        I always forget that since Renee’s appearance changed a lot. (Which, I’m glad, since she used to basically just be black Faye, but I think she absorbed Gabby and they melded)

        • Chronos
          Chronos
          May 20, 2019 at 12:16 am | # | Reply

          … did they get ahold of some Potarra earrings…? I guess Renee is the dominant personality, considering they’re using her name.

        • Rowen Morland
          Rowen Morland
          May 20, 2019 at 4:03 am | # | Reply

          Does she look that different now, aside from the art changes? She probably does but, would you be willing to link a couple of pages that underline what you mean?

          • Ari
            Ari
            May 20, 2019 at 11:19 am | # | Reply

            New Renee: https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3858
            Renee’s first appearance (I think): https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1845
            So yeah, the character design has changed substantially in addition to the art style differences

            • Schpoonman
              Schpoonman
              May 20, 2019 at 1:32 pm | # | Reply

              Anything in QC immediately following 1800 just suck. They just. Just suck.

              (I was so sad and even a little angry when Marten and Dora broke up, and then Padma came to help Marten along while Dora seemed to be doing pretty well for herself [additional aside: Oh fuck her and Tai are engaaaaaged] and then Marten fucked it all up and it’s rough to read, okay?)

              • Marisa Mockery
                Marisa Mockery
                May 20, 2019 at 1:36 pm | # | Reply

                Brun is a treasure and you can’t convince me otherwise. And May is introduced way after 1800 and she is the backbone of this comic. Plus Spookybot. Spookybot is LIFE

                • Poofdepoof
                  Poofdepoof
                  May 20, 2019 at 2:28 pm | #

                  I think the focus was “immediately after” for Schpoonman

              • Felix
                Felix
                May 20, 2019 at 8:24 pm | # | Reply

                1812

              • Seregiel
                Seregiel
                May 21, 2019 at 12:05 pm | # | Reply

                I have the same problem with how GC started trying to explore character flaws. Highlighting they are there and shifting to the less positive focus of a personality shouldn’t be the same as throwing characters under the bus and removing a lot of life lessons they had already learned from having those flaws so they can be revisited or shown to not be as pure as a minority thought. It was well enough written we knew Marten could be a flop. That being said, I actually liked the Padme arc (not the Dee arc) because he didn’t just accept it and his hard time, he took the Lts. advice and reached out. He was passive with Dora, and aggressive when they broke. He was then passive aggressive and now he’s learning to initiate. Coming to that balance out of a bad spot did feel natural even if other elements in the writing felt more like a “guide to not be a dick” then a daily life comic.

        • Seregiel
          Seregiel
          May 21, 2019 at 11:58 am | # | Reply

          That was supposed to be the joke but I thought with how slight she looked she was more a Faye/Tai hybrid in her original form.

    • Chronos
      Chronos
      May 20, 2019 at 12:09 am | # | Reply

      I thought they *had* met by now…

      Have they not?

      • cesium133
        cesium133
        May 20, 2019 at 12:26 am | # | Reply

        It looks like the only time they’ve been near each other was when Marten invited a bunch of drunk people back from the bar, after Elliot accidentally destroyed Clinton’s hand. Faye and Renee had no interaction while Renee was there, though. The link on my name goes to the list of QC comics that have both Faye and Renee in them.

        • Roborat
          Roborat
          May 21, 2019 at 5:05 pm | # | Reply

          I like that a major conversation thread is about a different comic.

  2. butts
    butts
    May 20, 2019 at 12:05 am | # | Reply

    she’s GOD DAMN RIGHT

    • MaddMaxx
      MaddMaxx
      May 20, 2019 at 12:43 pm | # | Reply

      No woman that attached to Sal’s hair or Billie’s boobles can be straight.
      I’m living proof.

  3. shadowcell
    shadowcell
    May 20, 2019 at 12:06 am | # | Reply

    Dumbing of Age Book 9: SNRK!

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      May 20, 2019 at 1:35 am | # | Reply

      DoA Book 9: I’ve Had Worse

      • HeySo
        HeySo
        May 20, 2019 at 3:44 am | # | Reply

        DoA Book 9: Absorb All Reality

        • Tan
          Tan
          May 20, 2019 at 11:52 am | # | Reply

          I think you all mean Dumbing of Age Book 9: Kind of a Bisexual Version of Me

          • MaddMaxx
            MaddMaxx
            May 20, 2019 at 2:59 pm | # | Reply

            DoA Book 9: I Didn’t Intend to Proselytize

  4. ValdVin
    ValdVin
    May 20, 2019 at 12:06 am | # | Reply

    What vibes would Lucy, specifically, witness from Joyce like that?

    • Yumi
      Yumi
      May 20, 2019 at 12:08 am | # | Reply

      Lucy’s a shipper, so her “can I read this person as bisexual” sense is strong.

    • purblebirb
      purblebirb
      May 20, 2019 at 12:08 am | # | Reply

      Bisexual vibes obvi

      • Rachel McCall
        Rachel McCall
        May 21, 2019 at 2:00 am | # | Reply

        Bibes

    • MatthewTheLucky
      MatthewTheLucky
      May 20, 2019 at 12:10 am | # | Reply

      Lucy had one conversation with her, in which she talked about how Walky is sexy because he has Dorothy’s smell.

    • Thores
      Thores
      May 20, 2019 at 12:10 am | # | Reply

      http://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/02-but-the-sun-still-shines/offbase/

    • Regalli
      Regalli
      May 20, 2019 at 12:10 am | # | Reply

      The ‘he smells good’/‘he smells like Dorothy, do all the girls like him because of the Dorothy smell?’ exchange. Alternately, Billie mentioned all the bi vibes she gets off Joyce.

      • LeslieBean4shizzle
        LeslieBean4shizzle
        May 20, 2019 at 9:46 am | # | Reply

        Indeed.
        And, as mentioned previously (here and on Its Walky), when I had my wife read the early sections of DoA and then “play Joyce, but mind-wiped and with super powers” she went with “bisexual poly-amorous romantic”. So yeah, Joyce exudes bi-vibes to a great extent – even long before many of these characters started pointing it out. ^^

        • Mouse
          Mouse
          May 20, 2019 at 11:10 am | # | Reply

          In support of the ace contingent, I’d like to point out that liking and even crushing isn’t the same as thinking of someone sexually.

          • Ike
            Ike
            May 20, 2019 at 10:25 pm | # | Reply

            No, but having sex dreams about your hunky boyfriend is.

    • drs
      drs
      May 20, 2019 at 12:11 am | # | Reply

      http://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/02-but-the-sun-still-shines/offbase/

      Thanks to /tag/lucy+joyce/

    • Schpoonman
      Schpoonman
      May 20, 2019 at 12:18 am | # | Reply

      Joyce thought that almost everything Lucy found attractive about Walky were really things about Dorothy. His nice sense of dress, personal hygiene (smell at the time), etc.

    • ValdVin
      ValdVin
      May 20, 2019 at 12:19 am | # | Reply

      Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit remembering important comics!

      • Regalli
        Regalli
        May 20, 2019 at 12:22 am | # | Reply

        Search function does all the magic.

      • Cholma
        Cholma
        May 20, 2019 at 12:27 am | # | Reply

        As long as you remembered to keep sniffing glue!

      • Tualha
        Tualha
        May 20, 2019 at 3:48 am | # | Reply

        LOL. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15230934

        • ValdVin
          ValdVin
          May 20, 2019 at 9:56 am | # | Reply

          Okay, I’ve never been to AO3, but that someone whipped up an SU/Airplane fic has piqued my interest.

        • Tualha
          Tualha
          May 20, 2019 at 6:15 pm | # | Reply

          Hmm, well. +160 hits, +1 kudos. Wonder how many didn’t get the pun and how many got it and didn’t like it? Ah well.

    • Freezer
      Freezer
      May 20, 2019 at 2:17 am | # | Reply

      If I had to guess, she’s seen Joyce fangirl Sal and no-so-secretly lust after Jacob, and made some guesses.

    • Aelfwine
      Aelfwine
      May 20, 2019 at 5:44 am | # | Reply

      http://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/02-but-the-sun-still-shines/offbase/

      She thought girls were attracted to Walky because he smelled like Dorothy.

      That sort of thing definitely implied that Joyce was attracted to Dorothy.

  5. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    May 20, 2019 at 12:06 am | # | Reply

    Bustin’ makes me feel GOOD!

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      May 20, 2019 at 2:42 am | # | Reply

      I ain’t afraid of no sleep. I ain’t afraid of no bed.

      • Felix
        Felix
        May 20, 2019 at 8:35 pm | # | Reply

        An invisible bed. Freaky Ghost bed. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

  6. Woomy
    Woomy
    May 20, 2019 at 12:06 am | # | Reply

    Way to define people by their sexualities, Lucy!

    Most problematic character, stg.

    • Meta
      Meta
      May 20, 2019 at 12:15 am | # | Reply

      If assuming Joyce is bi/ defining her by her bi-ness is Lucy’s worst crime, then she’s still not even in the top TEN most problematic characters. Probably not even top twenty.

      • Chronos
        Chronos
        May 20, 2019 at 12:21 am | # | Reply

        I assumed Woomy was being sarcastic, if for no other reason than their last line.

      • butts
        butts
        May 20, 2019 at 12:34 am | # | Reply

        yeah this is so patently a joke comment

    • Jon Rich
      Jon Rich
      May 20, 2019 at 12:52 am | # | Reply

      Stg?

      • Bladeglory
        Bladeglory
        May 20, 2019 at 1:03 am | # | Reply

        swear to god

        • Rowen Morland
          Rowen Morland
          May 20, 2019 at 4:40 am | # | Reply

          I don’t know why I was stuck on it being an abbreviation for Stargate.

          • Felix
            Felix
            May 20, 2019 at 8:43 pm | # | Reply

            SGC for StarGate Command.

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        May 20, 2019 at 1:58 am | # | Reply

        Some say his comments are hyperbolic, and that he can be disassembled for convenient storage. All we know is he’s called The Stg!

  7. Regalli
    Regalli
    May 20, 2019 at 12:07 am | # | Reply

    I do love Walky’s reaction.

    • ShinyNeen
      ShinyNeen
      May 20, 2019 at 12:51 am | # | Reply

      That kind of honesty/straightforwardness sure gets some interesting reactions out of people sometimes.

  8. Catman
    Catman
    May 20, 2019 at 12:07 am | # | Reply

    Oh my goodness Lucy! You are absolutely definitely on my list of characters I refer to as ‘the best’.

    Lucy is the best

  9. NerdHerder
    NerdHerder
    May 20, 2019 at 12:08 am | # | Reply

    I swear the next Slipshine comic is just going to be “Lucy Fantasizes About a Polite Date with Walky Where She Maybe Also Meets Starfire”. She’s just so damn wholesome.

  10. Dr_D
    Dr_D
    May 20, 2019 at 12:09 am | # | Reply

    Right now, Lucy’s at the top of the DOA Leader board.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      May 20, 2019 at 12:14 am | # | Reply

      I liked her, anyhow, but I think I end up liking her more each time she appears.

  11. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    May 20, 2019 at 12:09 am | # | Reply

    Panel 4 Walky was me reading this. Perceptive one, that Lucy.

    I really like that Lucy did cop to it being her way of trying to spend some time with him, that was pretty forthright of her, and I do like that Walky didn’t shit on that or anything, and did give her fair warning. This ought to be interesting.

  12. Yumi
    Yumi
    May 20, 2019 at 12:10 am | # | Reply

    I’m really hung up on the phrase “a bisexual version of me.” I can’t decide how I feel about it.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      May 20, 2019 at 12:13 am | # | Reply

      I guess that between Joyce thinking Lucy was making fun of her by being herself, she figured out they must have a lot in common, and Joyce defining Walky’s attractiveness by her associating him with Dorothy gave the impression that she was into Dorothy, which, is a pretty common take.

      Lucy can only really operate on the information she’s been presented with so far, which ended up being a sorta crash course of Joyce, incidentally.

      • Regalli
        Regalli
        May 20, 2019 at 12:21 am | # | Reply

        Yeah, even in universe it’s not uncommon to see people think
        1) Joyce and Lucy are weird mirrors of each other and
        2) Joyce’s sense of typical female friendship behaviors have been skewed by not realizing Becky was gay and crushing. (Also she occasionally has a ‘I’m a friend of Dorothy!’ line or uses a verse from Ruth read at lesbian weddings for lunch notes moment.) If you don’t know about the Becky thing it’s easy to get a false positive bi read off her.

        • Jon S.
          Jon S.
          May 20, 2019 at 1:51 am | # | Reply

          Are we sure it’s a *false* positive…?

          • Khyrin
            Khyrin
            May 20, 2019 at 6:27 am | # | Reply

            I don’t know what the polite, one word term is, but if Joyce is Bi, she hasn’t admitted it to herself, yet.

            • StClair
              StClair
              May 20, 2019 at 10:22 am | # | Reply

              I believe that term is “closeted”.

              • Reltzik
                Reltzik
                May 20, 2019 at 10:29 am | # | Reply

                “Closeted” is when you know but don’t tell anyone, or only tell a limited set of people who will keep the secret.

                “Egg” was the term that Cerb always uses for this sort of thing. … unless that’s only for trans people who haven’t realized it?

                Oh, wait, DENIAL. That’s a word.

                But seriously, if Joyce were going to be gay for anyone it would have been Becky. And she just isn’t.

                • neptune432
                  neptune432
                  May 20, 2019 at 1:12 pm | #

                  Are we SURE Becky is Joyce’s type though? She seems to be more into structured people.

        • Zee
          Zee
          May 20, 2019 at 10:19 am | # | Reply

          Also the fact that Joyce attributed walkys attractiveness to the “Dorothy Smell”

    • Chronos
      Chronos
      May 20, 2019 at 12:13 am | # | Reply

      My mind went weirdly to Zoolander…

      “…You can read minds…?”

      …then I realized that the line is bulemic, *not* bisexual.

  13. Opus the Poet
    Opus the Poet
    May 20, 2019 at 12:10 am | # | Reply

    Lucy has very refined gaydar. I’m with Walky in this one, if I was 40 years younger, and a cartoon character, I would love her too.

  14. Bagge
    Bagge
    May 20, 2019 at 12:11 am | # | Reply

    Making fun of Joyce: A tried and true method of making Walky warm up to you.

    • Chronos
      Chronos
      May 20, 2019 at 12:14 am | # | Reply

      Then she’s doomed; I don’t think Lucy can consciously rag on someone deliberately.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      May 20, 2019 at 12:26 am | # | Reply

      Even funnier to Walky, probably, in that Lucy’s not even trying to make fun of her.

  15. Dr_D
    Dr_D
    May 20, 2019 at 12:11 am | # | Reply

    Looks like Walky may go from Garbage Roof to what seems like the most well adjusted person we’ve seen in the strip so far. I’m shopping that just for the cuteness factor.

    • butts
      butts
      May 20, 2019 at 12:18 am | # | Reply

      Yeah, I was noticing that something felt… off about Walky in this strip. As weird as this is to say, I think it’s… maturity? Somehow? Just a bit?

      • ShinyNeen
        ShinyNeen
        May 20, 2019 at 12:44 am | # | Reply

        Maturity? Ahh, can’t be. You sure it’s not just the bedhead?

  16. BBCC
    BBCC
    May 20, 2019 at 12:12 am | # | Reply

    I mean, she does kinda signal flare that vibe, yeah.

  17. Piotr W
    Piotr W
    May 20, 2019 at 12:13 am | # | Reply

    Lucy is very perceptive! 🙂

  18. oggser
    oggser
    May 20, 2019 at 12:17 am | # | Reply

    lucy’s third eye is wide open

  19. Kensou
    Kensou
    May 20, 2019 at 12:19 am | # | Reply

    No, seriously, say it within earshot. Myself and others can have fun imagining the train wreck.

  20. ShinyNeen
    ShinyNeen
    May 20, 2019 at 12:20 am | # | Reply

    Hey, yeah! Surely there’s never a wrong time to invite Joyce to church!

    And hey Walky, be fair. Joyce is getting more open-minded! Nowadays she’d only absorb local reality if someone said that.

  21. ValdVin
    ValdVin
    May 20, 2019 at 12:20 am | # | Reply

    Lucy is blushing, just a tiny bit, in that last panel.

    • Chronos
      Chronos
      May 20, 2019 at 12:23 am | # | Reply

      Wouldn’t you be if your crush said that they love you?

      Well either that or deeply uncomfortable, depending how close a relationship.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      May 20, 2019 at 12:26 am | # | Reply

      I think a combo of the “I love you” and him putting his hand on her is flustering her.

    • Marsh Maryrose
      Marsh Maryrose
      May 20, 2019 at 12:39 am | # | Reply

      Based on her facial expression, she didn’t hear anything Walky said after “I love you….”

  22. ktbear
    ktbear
    May 20, 2019 at 1:13 am | # | Reply

    Is it bad that I hate Lucy based purely on the fact I love Amber and Walky?

    • Icalasari
      Icalasari
      May 20, 2019 at 1:20 am | # | Reply

      Isn’t this all going to end with Walky and Joyce together anyways? Or did Willis confirm that’s the only relationship that isn’t possible in Dumbing of Age?

      • Samantha Johnson
        Samantha Johnson
        May 20, 2019 at 1:25 am | # | Reply

        Not necessarily and so far seems unlikely. Lord Willis has said that all orientations remain the same such as Joyce being straight and Ethan being gay. And Billie and Mike being Bisexual. But relationships can change for example so far we’ve had no indication that amber and Mike are interested in eachother and Joyce doesn’t like walky at all and finds him physically and mentally unnatractive

        • DailyBrad
          DailyBrad
          May 20, 2019 at 1:44 am | # | Reply

          Amber and Mike are attracted to each other at points, like, it’s come up, but the nature of their friendship is completely different than it was in Shortpacked, so I doubt it’ll move in that same direction.

          • Samantha Johnson
            Samantha Johnson
            May 20, 2019 at 1:50 am | # | Reply

            Really? I know she thought it was hott when she found out that Ethan had sex with but was she into him or just fangirling over yaoi and having vicarious thrill cause her best friend got laid. I could be wrong

            • DailyBrad
              DailyBrad
              May 20, 2019 at 3:57 am | # | Reply

              She’s called him a hot jerk before, and he got a hardon when she confronted him when she was investigating the white board incident, since he was an obvious suspect.

              I don’t think either of them have any sort of romantic feelings for each other, but there’s a mutual attraction still.

        • begbert2
          begbert2
          May 20, 2019 at 3:45 am | # | Reply

          Joyce finds Walky physically attractive in a “have you seen those pecs??” kind of way, but is grossed out by his style, hygiene, and personality.

          Or as she put it, “He’s made out of pretty parts”, before promptly ripping into every non-physical thing about him.

          • DailyBrad
            DailyBrad
            May 20, 2019 at 4:17 am | # | Reply

            Yup, plus the hilarity that was her and Dorothy finding out she crushed on Walky when he was a mouse in that church program Walky completely forgot about being in, though, the three of them swore to never bring that up again.

    • Samantha Johnson
      Samantha Johnson
      May 20, 2019 at 1:20 am | # | Reply

      It’s not bad but sort of a strong reaction. I like Amber and Walky but I dont think it could last. I like walky Lucy a lot though. Lucy is so cute

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      May 20, 2019 at 9:02 am | # | Reply

      Just root for everyone to discover that they’re poly and all the hate will melt away.

    • Corey
      Corey
      May 20, 2019 at 12:46 pm | # | Reply

      Yea kinda, hating a character for shipping reasons isnt really that great.

    • Schpoonman
      Schpoonman
      May 20, 2019 at 1:24 pm | # | Reply

      Yes.

  23. Samantha Johnson
    Samantha Johnson
    May 20, 2019 at 1:19 am | # | Reply

    This is adorable and wholesome and I ship it internationally for a low flat rate!! I really think Lucy is the most adorable nice nerd. And I think she’s just what Walky needs. Shes smart and driven enough to push walkie and keep him motivated. And she’s really kind and shares his interest and laid back ebough to not overwhelm him and stress him put like Dorothy.

    • Icalasari
      Icalasari
      May 20, 2019 at 1:21 am | # | Reply

      And also isn’t a depressed suicidal potentially multiple personality wreck that could bring out the worst in Walky until she deals with her issues

      • Samantha Johnson
        Samantha Johnson
        May 20, 2019 at 1:31 am | # | Reply

        That’s true. I do think walky and amber were good for eachother but romantically not going to last way too much outside issues that would keep causing internal relationship problems. I think they need to stay friends they give eachother prospective walky reminds Amber that people can like her not just Ethan because i saved him and that others suffer the same insecurity she does just to a lesser degree so she doesnt feel as isolated. Amber reminds walky to be observant to people struggling hes spent a lot ofntime overlooking problems and pushing away hard things like with his families mistreatement of his sister and she reminds him to deal with issues and face them and be brave.

      • Fart Captor
        Fart Captor
        May 20, 2019 at 1:34 am | # | Reply

        ?????

        • Zee
          Zee
          May 20, 2019 at 10:27 am | # | Reply

          Wait did you mean to flip Samantha off there, or are those just supposed to be pointing fingers signalling that you agree?

          • Schpoonman
            Schpoonman
            May 20, 2019 at 1:22 pm | # | Reply

            Birds for Icalasari for describing Amber in the shittiest, least charitable terms possible.

            Once more, for the people in the back: People with mental illness need a fucking doctor, not a warden. Stop treating them like dangerous individuals out to get you/me/us (even when they sometimes are!) and start treating them like a sick person. Which. They. Are.

            We get it. Amber can be dangerous. Mike is/can be dangerous. You know who else was dangerous? Sarah with a baseball bat when she was breaking Ryan’s ribs.

            • Samantha Johnson
              Samantha Johnson
              May 20, 2019 at 1:57 pm | # | Reply

              True. i like amber I’m rooting for her and want her to heal and be better abd i think a good friend like Walky can help

            • BarerMender
              BarerMender
              May 20, 2019 at 5:40 pm | # | Reply

              Or Joyce with a knuckle sandwich for Ross.

            • Seregiel
              Seregiel
              May 21, 2019 at 4:22 pm | # | Reply

              I needed to say something because I am so upset that I have written and rewritten messages for over 24 hrs. I’m just going to vaguely summarize with probably out of order thoughts to get it off my chest because I’m that upset with BOTH sides of the spectrum. At the societal level that’s the correct response, but as a spouse that has been victimized by my husband’s UNTREATABLE mental problems there is so much theoretical presumptions in that defense that I am livid. Not everything goes away with a doctor, medication and therapy, but there are truly a lot of things to fear for in some circumstances. That is life as you pointed out and can happen with “sane” persons but they weren’t calling out all illness – just Amber’s which can be violent both to herself and others. Suicidal people totes need love, but not all people can handle that emotional drain and you also need self care. In a good headspace she ignored Walky’s want for consequence and continued to change his grade and you think they aren’t right in assuming she’d bring out his worse? Goofing off and hiding from the problems was the date of the day. That ignores the fact she’s literally been told to go get some help but dismissed it because she thinks she’s untreatable. That she hates part of herself and finds herself a monster but channels it into a physical altercation creating solution and sees that as a better her. Depression glasses are a bitch and not a fault you are in control of, but culpability and responsibility are different. Intentions and actualities are too and collateral happens a lot in certain types of illness even if you have a lot of compassionate and understanding. Walky might not be at risk from that side to the manner in which you were defending, but Danny was sure downwind of a lot of harmful reactions. Amber deserves compassion, and I’m not saying getting help is exclusive to being loveable and romantically involved because she should absolutely have both in her life if she can handle it. But making the observation that’s a shit ton for an 18 yr old already struggling with certain college aspects to deal with is on the money. Saying she probably shouldn’t restart something new again until she examined what happened with Danny is super fair and part of anyone’s learning when things go that bad.

              I’m on year 3 of my husband’s health problems and I’m still learning ways to manage because sometimes you do end up the warden when things get that damn bad. No it is not the majority of mental health issues that have this – but it happens. And it sucks trying to leave that place when culpability and responsibility has regained because no one decent actually wants to be a keeper. They just want that loving partnership and worrying about the next time is tolerable but can hurt so damn bad some nights

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      May 20, 2019 at 1:41 am | # | Reply

      Every interaction with Lucy and Walky makes me ship them more.

      • Samantha Johnson
        Samantha Johnson
        May 20, 2019 at 1:44 am | # | Reply

        Me tooooooo I want it to make them happy and because they are so cute but also to spite his parents.

  24. abysswatcher1993
    abysswatcher1993
    May 20, 2019 at 1:24 am | # | Reply

    I don’t know about the bisexual part, but Joyce’s mind would get blown if she discovers you can like men and women.
    Joyce: “Wait, so hypothetically I can marry Dorothy and not being gay?”
    Lucy: “That isn’t what I meant.”

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      May 20, 2019 at 1:45 am | # | Reply

      Joyce has already had that realization, though I don’t think she’s dwelled on it much. It did come up with Billie mentioning being bi, and pointing out that Joyce kept checking out her boobs.

      • Dr. T
        Dr. T
        May 20, 2019 at 10:13 pm | # | Reply

        When did that happen?

        • DailyBrad
          DailyBrad
          May 20, 2019 at 11:06 pm | # | Reply

          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/03-answers-in-hennessy/inevitable/

          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/03-answers-in-hennessy/curiosity/

          I remembered wrong in that, oh yeah, Billie, like Danny, was ignorant of the term bisexual, but yeah, something like that. I could swear they’ve had a similar situation another time, too, but this is what I could find with a brief search.

  25. Samantha Johnson
    Samantha Johnson
    May 20, 2019 at 1:36 am | # | Reply

    Also I mean can you blame Lucy for making this mistake? Shes probably heard from billy about Joyce’s obsessive fangirling over other girls. No one would be wierd thinking Joyce had a crush on Sal she swoons over how hott and cool she is and wants to brush her hair and ride on the back of her motorcycle and even started wearing her clothes. And she even spent like ten minutes basically saying how attractive and perfect Dorothy is.

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      May 20, 2019 at 1:48 am | # | Reply

      There’s also the fact that when Lucy met Joyce and asked her about Walky, Joyce started talking about Dorothy pretty quick. I can see how she might think Joyce is bi from her limited interaction and knowledge of her so far.

    • Shane Wegner
      Shane Wegner
      May 20, 2019 at 4:56 am | # | Reply

      Calling herself the Lesbian Love Sleuth did zero favors to misconceptions in this area.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        May 20, 2019 at 7:04 am | # | Reply

        Forget to point out just once that “lesbian” modifies “love” in that phrase and see what happens.

  26. Tacos
    Tacos
    May 20, 2019 at 1:39 am | # | Reply

    It’s fine if Joyce did that. This reality sucks anyways.

  27. BenRG
    BenRG
    May 20, 2019 at 2:09 am | # | Reply

    Walky, watch your turn of phrase! You nearly broke poor Lucy!

    I do think that Lucy deserves some sort of recognition for her one-line summary of Joyce!

  28. Bunnyfufu
    Bunnyfufu
    May 20, 2019 at 2:52 am | # | Reply

    waaymin…….

  29. JessWitt
    JessWitt
    May 20, 2019 at 3:33 am | # | Reply

    So Lucy *is* aware of her doppelgänger.

    But to consider Joyce bisexual, lol.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      May 20, 2019 at 4:00 am | # | Reply

      Yep. they met when Lucy came to the wing to try to find out how to get Billie to come to the movie, which ended up with Joyce thinking Lucy was imitating her to tease her, though I think Joyce figured out pretty quick Lucy is just pretty earnest.

      • JessWitt
        JessWitt
        May 20, 2019 at 7:06 am | # | Reply

        Oh yeah I recall their encounter. I was eagerly awaiting it.

        It’s nice of Joyce to know there’s a kindred eager spirit on campus.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      May 20, 2019 at 4:54 am | # | Reply

      Joyce’s behaviour is ambiguous, IMO at least. She may not have any wish to be bisexual but she does behave in a way that would make others wonder.

      • Charlotte
        Charlotte
        May 20, 2019 at 9:35 am | # | Reply

        What has she done in Lucy’s presence that would make you (and Lucy) say that?

        (I hate when every instance of being nice — to a person of any gender — is interpreted as sexual interest. The person may just be friendly. You can also think someone is cool and amazing and admire them without having any sexual interest in them btw.)

        • BenRG
          BenRG
          May 20, 2019 at 10:10 am | # | Reply

          Saying that Walky’s attractive smell is from someone called ‘Dorothy’.

          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/02-but-the-sun-still-shines/offbase/

          • Charlotte
            Charlotte
            May 20, 2019 at 10:51 am | # | Reply

            Fair enough. I’d forgotten that.

            But barring that, my point stands…

            • Makkabee
              Makkabee
              May 20, 2019 at 6:50 pm | # | Reply

              “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?”

              • Council
                Council
                May 21, 2019 at 3:07 am | # | Reply

                Savage

  30. tirachokko
    tirachokko
    May 20, 2019 at 3:53 am | # | Reply

    I don’t think Joyce would implode at this point at being called bi tbh, but also I do think she’s the kind of person for whom friendly, non-sexual, same sex skinship is still normal

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      May 20, 2019 at 5:00 am | # | Reply

      You’re not making me Google “skinship”. I’m not falling for this again. Every time I look up a word I encounter in these comments, I wind up wanting to carve patterns in my ass with a dremel out of aimless frustration.

      • Chrissy
        Chrissy
        May 20, 2019 at 7:27 am | # | Reply

        ‘kinship’

      • Reltzik
        Reltzik
        May 20, 2019 at 9:08 am | # | Reply

        So, wait, you mean if I were to use words like “vagitus” or “penistone” or “cockchafer” you WOULDN’T eventually be driven mad by the curiosity and look them up anyway?

        • Marsh Maryrose
          Marsh Maryrose
          May 20, 2019 at 12:30 pm | # | Reply

          I am that sort of person, and I did, and all I can say is, wow!

      • Tan
        Tan
        May 20, 2019 at 12:10 pm | # | Reply

        Friendship (or parent-child bonding) involving physical (nonsexual) intimacy, i.e. skin contact. Holding hands, cuddling, bathing together. The term itself involves English words borrowed into Japanese and then stolen back into English via anime culture.

      • tirachokko
        tirachokko
        May 21, 2019 at 7:52 pm | # | Reply

        lol I totally forgot it is now nsfw yikes, sorry

        • tirachokko
          tirachokko
          May 21, 2019 at 7:55 pm | # | Reply

          wait no, I just checked, google is p safe for this, hey. Very clean, ty korean culture bleeding into america

  31. Sunny
    Sunny
    May 20, 2019 at 4:18 am | # | Reply

    I think this is likely to be the most adoreable strip that does not have Dina in it.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      May 20, 2019 at 4:53 am | # | Reply

      I’m genuinely surprised that Lucy isn’t saying “squeak” in panel 5!

      • ValdVin
        ValdVin
        May 20, 2019 at 10:01 am | # | Reply

        We got yer adorable squeak right here.

        https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3868

  32. Abbefaria
    Abbefaria
    May 20, 2019 at 4:24 am | # | Reply

    “She’d collapse into herself and absorb all reality” I’m calling it a “Joyce Hole” and there is nothing you can do to stop me!

    • 3oranges
      3oranges
      May 20, 2019 at 5:59 am | # | Reply

      Not a Brown Hole?

      • JessWitt
        JessWitt
        May 20, 2019 at 7:07 am | # | Reply

        Eww.

      • Delicious Taffy
        Delicious Taffy
        May 20, 2019 at 7:16 am | # | Reply

        Goin’ downtown with the big brown.

  33. Shane Wegner
    Shane Wegner
    May 20, 2019 at 4:59 am | # | Reply

    “Walky is touching me and technically saying he loves me! H-how did things randomly go so well!?”

    • Miri
      Miri
      May 20, 2019 at 5:14 am | # | Reply

      “Did I find a move? If I ask Billie will she laugh at me?”

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      May 20, 2019 at 7:29 am | # | Reply

      I’m pretty sure that if anyone asked, Lucy would have forgotten that the subject of the discussion is Joyce.

  34. ziggy78eog
    ziggy78eog
    May 20, 2019 at 9:58 am | # | Reply

    Lucy could tell that description to Becky…and…on second thought, do not do that; the exact same thing would happen.

  35. SonicBlueRanger
    SonicBlueRanger
    May 20, 2019 at 10:07 am | # | Reply

    Why does Joyce keep giving off this vibe that she likes the ladies. XD

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      May 20, 2019 at 10:11 am | # | Reply

      Mostly it’s the ‘no boundaries’ thing. With females, at least, Joyce has absolutely no contact and personal space taboos. This makes her seem to be attracted to those girls whom she deeply likes or admires.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        May 20, 2019 at 2:34 pm | # | Reply

        She’s said in canon that growing up with Becky crushing on her as her best friend may have given her a skewed sense of what close platonic female friendships are like.

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      May 20, 2019 at 10:31 am | # | Reply

      Also, she has very little previous exposure to euphemisms, so she doesn’t know how not to say stuff that people will misinterpret.

    • autogatos
      autogatos
      June 7, 2019 at 4:34 pm | # | Reply

      Personally I’m wondering if she actually might be a little bi and just doesn’t realize/is suppressing it because of her upbringing.

      That whole “Not sure if I want to be like you/admire you or am attracted to you” thing is basically how my girl-crushes always manifested. I always dismissed them as just “confusing platonic feelings of admiration with attraction” I think in part because society conditioned me to ignore them (and it was easy to because they were less frequent than my crushes on men). From what I’ve heard, this is not an uncommon situation. I have a number of female friends who have mostly or only dated/married men and realized pretty late that they’re bi.

  36. Zee
    Zee
    May 20, 2019 at 10:32 am | # | Reply

    That last panel,,,,, Lucy’s face..,.,.,,hhhhhhng my HEART

  37. TheFlamingonator
    TheFlamingonator
    May 20, 2019 at 11:18 am | # | Reply

    *cough* cantspellbilewithoutbi *cough*

    • TheFlamingonator
      TheFlamingonator
      May 20, 2019 at 11:20 am | # | Reply

      dang, *bible

  38. Bee
    Bee
    May 20, 2019 at 12:56 pm | # | Reply

    She does seem to have a thing for tough girls.

  39. DarkoNeko
    DarkoNeko
    May 20, 2019 at 1:00 pm | # | Reply

    3rd panel for postérity

  40. kilgaen
    kilgaen
    May 21, 2019 at 8:28 am | # | Reply

    . . . not incorrect.

  41. Griffin Raynor
    Griffin Raynor
    May 26, 2019 at 1:54 am | # | Reply

    See Lucy thinks so too, I’m not projecting! Unless Lucy is projecting. Hmm.

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