166

The spot
Posted on July 6, 2021 by David M Willis

166 thoughts on “The spot”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    /is now wondering if this has always applied

    1. Ana Chronistic

      /also wondering if those gift cards are what Linda sent

      1. Regalli

        That one was Amazon, I think, which she used to buy a used 3DS for Mario Karting with friends.

        There have probably been care packages since then. Or that was for Christmas.

        1. Yumi

          I thought the gift card from that strip was to a nearby mall, and Sal used it at a game store. But I’m not sure why I think that.

        2. Regalli

          Could be! The one thing I feel confident in is that that gift card was used, for the 3DS.

        3. Thag Simmons

          It was a Prepaid Credit Card

        4. Regalli

          Hoo boy, Mrs. Wilcox. Hoo boy.

          Now Iā€™m sad Walky never acquired that human skull to engrave marital scripture on. Or at least a decent replica.

        5. DudeMyDadOwnsaDealership

          Danny didn’t learn all that codependent reasoning all by himself…

      2. Steamweed

        And why Sal carries them around with her.

        1. Thag Simmons

          so she can exchange them for goods and services

        2. He Who Abides

          WOOHOO!

        3. Rectilinear Propagation

          I had to start doing this when I got gift cards because I would never remember to take them with me otherwise. I’d get home from shopping at Target only to remember I had a Target gift card I could have used.

          So now they just go directly into the wallet.

      3. BBCC

        Willis commented on patreon that the gift cards are all signed to ‘Sally’. Almost certainly Linda, yeah.

        1. Schpoonman

          I hate her so fucking much.

        2. Cmd1095

          let’s be honest though, on the shitty-parent scale of this comic, Linda doesn’t even come close to the worst. Hell I don’t think she even breaks the top 5 anymore

        3. Ari

          In approximate order of Yikes: Ross, Blaine, Joyce’s mom, Ruth’s grandfather, both of Billie’s parents, *then* maybe Linda? Joe’s dad might be above her somewhere too

        4. DudeMyDadOwnsaDealership

          Speaking of Linda, how far did that lawsuit with Carol Brown’s church go? Did she drop it and go back to things that go somewhere, or is Walky’s inheritance going to be really small ’cause back then Momma really had to win ’em *all?*

    2. bcb

      Many universities and/or departments have rules that instructors (or specifically TAs) aren’t allowed to tell students whether or not to drop a class. My first time reading through the series, that page jumped out on me as a “maybe IU is different than any school I’ve worked at, or else Jason is doing something he isn’t allowed to do.”

      Of course that was before I got to the chapter where Jason and Sal go at it, which is a bigger offense.

  2. ADLegend21

    What a gal.

    1. Doctor_Who

      Smoke her a kipper, she’ll be back for breakfast.

      1. Clif

        Wait till she finds that the bike has a built in horn that play’s Desperado.

  3. Doctor_Who

    A win for Sal. She can’t return to the local Target anyway.

    She tried drinking in front of it instead of the WalMart once, and someone brought her out a wine and cheese menu.

    1. Kyrik Michalowski

      I wish loitering and drinking alcohol outside Target would get me a wine and cheese menu.

      1. Clif

        No wine and cheesed. Just the menu.

        1. Demoted Oblivious

          That would cheese me so much I might even start to whine.

  4. Jade

    This is so adorable.

  5. Proto_Eevee

    Is this the story where they get together? Because I hope it is

    1. Proto_Eevee

      My brain will think this whenever they are both in the same strip

      1. Suzi

        I vary wildly between wanting them just to be best friends and wanting them to become a thing.

        1. Jenn

          Same. On the one hand, “Awwww twoo wuv!” On the other hand, we really need more close, male/female friendships without romantic implications in media. I think with these two, I actually lean toward wanting them to be close friends (but not more). We’ll see where things go, though, I guess.

        2. StClair

          We need more close friendships without people trying to make them “more”, period.
          A relationship without sex is not inferior, incomplete, merely an intermediate step, etc.

          (as long-time readers know, this is one of my big beefs/peeves with fandom in general.)

        3. Nono

          I prefer Joyce/Joe and Sal/Danny both as friends, honestly. Honestly of the current cast, the only ones I wouldn’t mind seeing as a long-term relationship goal is Dorothy/Walky. Maybe Becky/Dina but I think Becky needs to go through her growing pains first in regards to sexuality.

        4. Moonie

          Thatā€™s funny because the one pairing Iā€™m not a huge fan of is Dorothy Walky

        5. Regalli

          Iā€™m on board with either scenario, but this particular interactionā€™s so Danny With A Crush Making A Big Gesture that Iā€™m leaning towards ā€˜shipā€™ right now.

          Finally, heā€™s done one that he DIDNā€™T immediately proceed to screw up (ā€˜stupid Yale,ā€™ the entire hospital scene) or accidentally wade into a minefield with (trying to kiss Amber when she described dissociating during the car chase, where he was missing a lot of key information and even AmbG didnā€™t seem to fully get until then just how separate they were.)

          Still, so long as we get Danny and Sal interacting in this particularly sweet bantery way, Iā€™m happy.

        6. Needfuldoer

          Agreed. This Danny and Sal work completely differently from Walkyverse Danny and Sal, so I hope they break the “no rehashing old continuity relationships” rule.

        7. BBCC

          Well, that rule only exists for ships where Willis can’t find a new angle or way to see them, as a way to avoid retreading old ground. Ships that were underdeveloped or have new angles like Robin and Leslie or Ruth and Billie are allowed.

        8. Nono

          Let’s not forget his terrible talk with Ethan at the hospital.

        9. Regalli

          ā€˜The entire hospital scene,ā€™ yeah, because I couldnā€™t come up with a single quote for how repeatedly he screwed up there.

    2. Kim

      Seems so! I mean, the first Sal thing in this storyline was about frustrated sexual/romantic feelings (toward unavailible Asher). And each subsequent scene with her has been about other people hooking up or starting relationships (first her brother, then a previous sexual partner). Adding to the flames of her romntic frustration. And the, as if on que, enter Danny!
      Very neatly constructed! šŸ™‚ (and also I ship it, soā€¦ maybe reading to much into it)

    3. spriteless auntie

      They do bring out the best in each other. Plus drama potential if Danny meets with Jason and learns something that brings his judgemental streak out.

  6. Thag Simmons

    Gotta say, she works fast, I’m impressed.

  7. Wagstaff

    Well, at least she’ll save money on gas….

  8. BBCC

    Yeah, okay, paying him back with gift cards so she doesn’t feel indebted is a very Sal thing to do.

    1. Kyrik Michalowski

      Indeed, but maybe she’ll learn to ease up around Danny.

      1. Doctor_Who

        There’s a Tumblr post about Dragon Ball Z where Vegeta’s relationship to Bulma is described as “He met a woman who wasn’t intimidated by him and he had no coping mechanism except to marry her”.

        I kinda feel like Sal/Danny is a little like that inverted. Sal is a bundle of spiky defense mechanisms and Danny is Too Damn Nice.

        It’s like watching a porcupine battle a bag of marshmallows.

        1. Steelbright

          This image is hilariously adorable.

        2. drs

          I salute your metaphor.

        3. DudeMyDadOwnsaDealership

          His parents aren’t going to like Sal the way they approved of Dorothy. That’s certain…

    2. Regalli

      Yep. But still a degree of trust that sheā€™ll take the bike, even if she pays for it (for one thing, she gave him the cards without asking how much he paid – even if the Target cards donā€™t quite cover it, I think she recognizes Danny wouldnā€™t make a big deal about the difference in cost vs payment.)

      1. DailyBrad

        Yeah, I don’t think she’d do this with someone who isn’t a trusted person.

        I also feel like Danny’s the kind of person who by now would be pretty fine with it since it’s just such a Sal move.

        1. Regalli

          Agreed to both. Danny knows Salā€™s prickly and tries the whole loner thing, even if sheā€™s opening up. She still took the bike, which is a win in the Grand Gestures of Giftgiving book, plus he got some Target giftcards.

          (This is how you know Danny probably has a crush: his big impulsive actions are usually romantic ones. But this time, he didnā€™t immediately stick his foot in his mouth while he was doing it!)

        2. BBCC

          Pretty much. They’re very cute.

    3. Rabisch

      Dunno. I think Walky would di the same.

  9. RassilonTDavros

    Don’cha just love it when the ship you carefully planned and then abandoned like 20 years ago suddenly develops again organically?

    1. Keulen

      Especially since Sal and Danny in DoA seem to have a much more healthy thing going on than their other universe counterparts did.

  10. Opus the Poet

    Well it wasn’t like she was ever going to get to spend those gift cards.

  11. JetstreamGW

    One day I hope the world finally comes to the realization that it’s possible to buy someone a gift and expect nothing in return.

    And that it’s okay for nothing to be done in return.

    1. Demoted Oblivious

      Agreed. I mean, expressing gratitude is nice, but I haven’t ever been disappointed by a baby’s reaction to a surprise present either. And even surprising adults anonymously can net you delightful reactions.

  12. Shitbird

    So cute

  13. Kyrik Michalowski

    Oh Sal, believe it or not sometimes, very rarely, people just do things to be nice. Not to own you or make you feel indebted, just to make you happy.

    That being said, I do find the idea of her trading Target gift cards in exchange for a bike pretty hilarious.

    1. HeySo

      “Oh Sal, believe it or not sometimes, very rarely, people just do things to be nice. Not to own you or make you feel indebted, just to make you happy.”

      I dunno, that sounds an awful lot like fake news liberal propaganda, to me.. ?

      1. DudeMyDadOwnsaDealership

        It’s also Danny. Good Ol’ codependent Danny who wants his future firstborn to be someone the neighbors will call a “Good Egg.”

  14. Stephen Bierce

    Now we can call him Tammy.

  15. Josh Spicer

    Ah yes, the Joe and Joyce method of avoiding romantic situations.

    Cheese it it’s the feds.

  16. newlland(Henryvolt)

    Sal: So it’s a gift?
    Danny: It’s a gift.
    Sal:…Sorry still can’t believe it.

  17. Emperor Norton II

    Plot twist: All the Target gift cards are used, and have somewhere between 39 and 84 cents left on them.

  18. Julez

    ……You know I’m still wondering what the hell happened to her motorcycle.

    1. Regalli

      Weā€™ll probably find out some time between now and 2037.

      Probably.

      1. Demoted Oblivious

        Fie! Away with you foul optimist!

      2. Jamie

        Before or after we learn how Billie and Ruth broke up?

        1. Ray Radlein

          It was when Ruth bet Billie she couldn’t eat a motorcycle

  19. newlland(Henryvolt)

    Is it ironic I keep seeing ads for E-bikes pop up on this sight.

    1. JessWitt

      About as ironic as rain on your wedding day.

      1. Needfuldoer

        It’s the monetization we all have to endure.

        1. Clif

          We hate it, but it’s every link you click on that traces out who you are.

      2. JBento

        And what are all these spoons doing here?

        1. HeySo

          Don’t judge me. Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you, okay?

  20. Cholma

    Don’t look a gift card in the mouth, Danny!

    1. Jamie

      A gift card with a mouth raises many questions, all with unwanted answers.

      1. Cholma

        Which is a good reason to not look in that mouth! šŸ˜€

    2. DudeMyDadOwnsaDealership

      Even though Sal just did.

  21. Opus the Poet

    Since nobody else seems to have noticed, Willis drew the bike with the drivetrain on the wrong side. The chain and sprockets go on the right side of the bike. There used to be a valid engineering reason for this back in the middle to end of the XX Century, but now it’s for no better reason than backwards compatibility.

    1. Jenn

      But… they are on the right side of the bike. We’re facing the left side. Look at the back wheel and notice that there are no sprockets, and there’s no chain between them on this side, either. We can really only assume them to be on the other side of the bike, even if we can’t see them.

      1. Emperor Norton II

        I think he means the drivetrain at the pedals.

        And that drivetrain does look to be on the wrong side.

      2. Wizard

        That definitely looks like a chainring on the left side of the crank. In fairness, bikes are tricky to draw, and this is the kind of detail that only bugs a small subset of the typical audience.

    2. Demoted Oblivious

      Depending on the validity of these sources the reason may still be valid depending on the bike (maybe?). Earlier mountings for drive trains were screw threaded, so chain went on the right tighten the mechanism while peddaling. IIRC sprockets now mount to the wheel with a toothed/notched interface, so it shouldn’t matter which way the chain pulls.

      1. Bicycle Bill

        It’s like Opus said.Ā Ā Pedaling action tightened the rear cog/freewheel to the rear wheel, and by the time they went to a splined connector, tradition was just too much to overcome … sort of like why we always mount horses ā€“ and motorcycles, and bicycles ā€“ from the left (it’s because mounted soldiers wore their saber/sword on the left, and you wouldn’t get your leg tangled in it if mounting from the right, that’s why).

        So nuts to that. Only time in the last 50-plus years I’ve seen a chain on the LEFT side of the bike, it was a timing/sync chain between the front and rear crank arms of a tandem bicycle. Willis got the crank arms on Sal’s bicycle on the wrong side. End of story.

        Now, if that’s all we’ve got to nitpick over in what ā€” ten frakkin’ years or more of this storyline? ā€” I’m gonna overlook it.

        1. Demoted Oblivious

          Agreed. The comment wasn’t about disputing Opus. Curiousity drove me to look-up the ‘engineering reasons’ for a right side chain drive.

          But this is the wild wild web and respectful discourse is not allowed (RFC1337), I am compelled to point out in universe DyW is Gyallahwehd, and so any changes must be by design. So there, you silly person, clearly it cannot be a mistake. Your father was a hampster and your mother smelled of elder berries.

        2. Jhon

          Gyallahwehd? Google and I are ignorant.

        3. Demoted Oblivious

          God Allah Yahweh but all mixed together like the big mess they’ve made.

        4. HeySo

          Huh? “we” do what, now? While I never saw a clear preference (and certainly no social impetus) on any of those three, there was definitely an overall tendency to favor mounting a bike, motorbike, or horse from its right side [or, more accurately, a strong tendency to lead on the left side, which then led to remounting from the right]. I’d assume you mean that’s a favored approach in a more formal, militaristic setting? Or perhaps you meant from our left, rather than the left of the object in question?

          In any case, you’re comparing mechanical elements (based on cultural elements) to purely cultural elements- that makes for a bit of a rough comparison. And, speaking as someone who spent a lot of time with bikes growing up, I think Opus already nailed the heart of present considerations: It’s mostly a matter of standardization, now. Basically, even if it becomes mechanically possible to do things a different way, if there’s no reason to, it’s better to stick to a formula that’s easier to work with (even if not for parts, then at least for service technicians). That’s going to play a lot more into things than any lingering adherence to tradition, on this kind of matter.

        5. HeySo

          Since it reads a bit more firm in retrospect, please note that the tone of the first section was meant to be playful/teasing.

  22. Steelbright

    This is actually really adorable.

  23. DailyBrad

    Panel 4 is so cute.

    I am glad Sal wears the helmet. She’s not stupid, and more responsible than people give her credit for. Her hair looks super pretty with it, honestly.

    I get where Sal is coming from, though. Sal’s used to people lording stuff over her, that she owes them. Linda, especially. I think this is a good compromise.

    1. Demoted Oblivious

      Indeed. It would be rather hypocritical of her not to wear a helmet, considering the crap she gives AmaziGirl about risking getting people killed for being reckless.

    2. BBCC

      I think the only time we saw her ride without one is when she and Danny went riding and that was

      A) By word of Willis, so we could see her facial expressions and

      B) Sal had just been upset by Marcie refusing to believe her so.

  24. AntJ

    I’m an adult! Please! You can’t buy me, hot dog man!

    1. Schpoonman

      Is that a reference to Threw It On The Ground?

      1. AntJ

        what else?

  25. He Who Abides

    Sal, some people are just trying to make you happy. No strings.

    (Also, need to make sure a certain someone gets her phone reactivated, “nappy” should not be popping up in my autocorrect)

    1. Demoted Oblivious

      Is that a short sleep or a diaper? Also, you can reset autocorrect in your keyboard settings. (at least on most ‘droids. Dunno about ios gear)

      1. zee

        It’s also a derogatory way to describe afro hair, which makes it kind of funny that it popped up talking about sal

        1. He Who Abides

          Is it still derogatory if the person using it to describe her own hair is black? Because that’s what this was (according to her) about.

  26. Nayann Martineli

    And then Sal rode off, into the sunset, on a bike that most definitely belongs to her.

  27. Steelbright

    Though this actually reminds me, a little bit backwards-ly, of a friend who had a crush on me in middle school and invited me to the middle school dance (which cost like $8) and I was embarrassed that he had a crush on me (and as a girl I didn’t want to be beholden to patriarchal tropes lol) and didn’t want to let him pay for my ticket, and so he followed me around attempting to stuff a bunch of dollar bills in my backpack whenever I wasn’t looking.

    The dynamic isn’t quite that…but it’s close.

    1. Sam

      That is adorable. He really tried his best to make sure you could afford the ticket to go ‘on your own’ even if his methods were. Not the most effective if you know that’s something he tried to do.

      1. Steelbright

        You know in one way it was. At the time it was pretty annoying. I think it was more about him wanting it to be a date and me not being sure about that. TL;DR in middle school I think I broke his heart, we survived to become close friends who occasionally guest-star in each other’s polycules. Which, tbh, is a plotline that would very much fit into a Willis story. Maybe that’s why I love these comics so dang much hahaha

  28. Nono

    It’s almost weird to see Danny without something on his head now.

  29. JessWitt

    So Sal always has gift cards on her? Did she owe someone one time, never paid them back, got guilty, and carries gift cards to prevent that guilt from growing?

    1. BenRG

      “Stay here Whitebread! Stay right here!” ((Sal rushes off. Ten minutes later, she’s back with a shoebox full of gift cards)) “That should come t’ about $200! Now, the bike is mine fair and square!”

      “Actually, the helmet came with the…” ((Sal snatches the helmet off of Danny’s head before he can finish))

    2. Demoted Oblivious

      Way back in the day, Linda sent presents for Walky, Billie, Sal, and Dorothy. Sal’s gift was the smallest, and may have been just gift cards with no thought behind them.

  30. Spencer

    This is something Iā€™ve been wanting to write about for a while now and looking for the right time to do it, and with Danny now engaging in puns, the most evolved power of bisexuality, I think itā€™s time I lay my cards on the table.

    Danny is, singularly, the most affirming bisexual character Iā€™ve read about in my life.

    The great big question of Bisexual Representation is a precarious one, because the only thing everyone can agree on is that itā€™s lacking. Itā€™s only in the last decade weā€™ve seen significant strides in Queer representation after realizing what a mess itā€™s been, and for bi characters thatā€™s manifested in a particular way: as a result of decades of media running with bisexuality as a phase, where the character was just gay in college and then got over it, thereā€™s been a more concentrated effort towards showing bi characters in same-sex relationships. A bi character may start with a partner of a different gender, but the story ends with the same.

    To be clear, I donā€™t resent this. The reality is that bisexual representation in media is in such a place where actively avoiding a lot of the worst, most objectified readings of bisexuality means youā€™ve already got a leg up. Thereā€™s a particularly hated conversation to have about the nature of bisexual representation and how hardline insistence on what is or isnā€™t ā€œgood representationā€ is, in itself, an expression of biphobia, but when it comes to one Danny Wilcox I feel the question of who he needs to date tends to overpower what actually matters.

    Danny is not bisexual in service of finding a boyfriend, Danny is bisexual so he can find himself.

    In the rush for trying to make up for the last several decades of shitass bi representation, a lot of bi characters exclusively focus on their relationships, and while romance drama has been a major focus (because itā€™s DoA and I am here for the juicy, juicy drama), the main fixture of Dannyā€™s journey from denial into ultimate acceptance was Danny himself.

    In between his crumbling relationship with Amber that he desperately tried to keep together and his burgeoning feelings for Ethan that eventually crashed and burned, what ultimately got the lionā€™s share of focus was how Danny himself processed his feelings. In the early years of the comic he was inundated not just in his identity as his Wifeā€™s Husband but in extremely heteronormative values that dictated how he needed to think and act. He needed to be straight because not being straight is abnormal, and Danny had no aspirations beyond being a partner, until one day heā€™s blindsided by a well chinned hunk landing on top of him and suddenly starts grappling with feelings that, inherently, destroy that normalcy he craved for so long until he eventually realizes that normalcy was keeping him in a painful lockstep for his whole life.

    I need to be as clear as possible on this: Dannyā€™s discovery of his sexuality was about him more than it had anything to do with who he was going to smooch, and I have literally never seen this elsewhere in my life.

    Oh sure, Dannyā€™s thirst for Ethanā€™s manly chest was there. Of course it was, you kinda canā€™t write a story about getting smacked in the face by new feelings if those new feelings arenā€™t, you know, felt, but what Danny felt was shame as a result of both these new feelings and how they made him some kind of aberrant and, in particular to Dannyā€™s views on monogamy, unfaithful. Itā€™s not until Amber breaks it off with him that he finally finds the resolve to confess his feelings to Ethan, and those feelings werenā€™t that he was in love, itā€™s that he wanted to go down on Ethanā€™s dick. I guess thatā€™s a little tawdry, but I feel the emphasis that Danny is overwhelmingly physically attracted to another man, that he wants to have sex with a person heā€™s understood his whole life he is never supposed to consider in any way, that was a moment where Danny took ownership of his feelings. He was bisexual, he wanted to have sex with men, he had the capacity to fall in love with a man, and all of those feelings were both new and within him all along.

    One of the more frustrating realities of the great big talk of bisexual representation is that, almost uniformly, it focuses on romance. A bi character is only a good bi character if thereā€™s visual, textual confirmation of their bisexuality. A bi dude is only really bi as long as he dates a dude, and heā€™s only good, non-problematic representation if he sticks with that dude.

    And while Iā€™ve been dealing with this particular junkyard for so long Iā€™ve finally realized the actual answer is that we stop getting up in each otherā€™s sandwiches and just let bi characters exist and engage with their sexuality in whatever manner is fitting to them, I had Danny showing me how this shit is supposed to be done.

    Dannyā€™s bi, Dannyā€™s got his ukulele, Dannyā€™s a good egg, and most importantly heā€™s Danny, and I love him with all my heart.

    1. StClair

      *applauds*

    2. Rabid Rabbit

      I would like to note that, from my perspective as a somewhat oblivious straight white cis male, much the same applies to Carla. She’s just there, she happens to be trans, except when Mary’s being Mary, no one gives a fuck.

      And while I understand the need for trans stories and bi stories and gay stories that are all about that particular feature of a person’s character, because God knows they’ve been wiped out of stories forever, and I understand why readers need characters they can identify with going through the same sort of things they do, I really appreciate stories where diverse characters are just… there. Because surely that’s what we’re working towards, when it’s just an aspect of their overall character that doesn’t need to be harped upon any more than we need to be told over and over that such-and-such a guy is straight, or whatever.

      But of course, I’m an oblivious straight white cis male, so I acknowledge that I might actually just be trying to find reasons to not have to focus on all those… things I don’t get and they’re kind of icky so do we really have to talk about them? :p :p :p

      1. Demoted Oblivious

        Hey now! I thought it was well established that I was the Oblivious white cisheteroishmael.

        1. King Daniel

          Youā€™ve been…demoted.

        2. Demoted Oblivious

          You, you, you…. (sigh)…. you’re right.

          ?

        3. Schpoonman

          Djentlemen, please. There’s room for all us.

      2. Opus the Poet

        The problem with writing Carla in a story that is mostly about relationships is deciding who Carla will be attracted to in-comic, if anybody. Not that she’s trans, but who she is attracted to. I mean it is already firmly established that she’s trans, but her romantic situation is what is important to the story. Otherwise she’s just a flag waving to attract attention abut how inclusive the comic is.

        1. Spencer

          Say sike right now.

          Like I talked about this shit in my bigass essay right above you and then this post happens.

        2. thejeff

          Sure, if you were writing a relationship story about Carla, but that’s not what’s happening here. While there’s a lot of relationship drama in DoA, because there tends to be a lot of relationship drama in college kids lives, there’s also a lot of other drama going on, so Carla has other hooks she can hang her importance to the story on.

        3. Thag Simmons

          Not really?

      3. Steelbright

        I think it’s important to have both. We need stories that go into those intense personal details of identity stories, and we need stories where people are just people who happen to be trans, or bi, or any number of qualities, and it doesn’t become a big issue because it doesn’t have to.

    3. Nono

      I will note that Drew started bi puns first, maybe Danny has been taking lessons.

    4. Regalli

      I love how, since Dannyā€™s realization and the AmbG breakup, heā€™s let himself focus on connecting more to who he is and what he wants (to be a good egg, primarily.) As you said, he defined himself at the start of the comic EXCLUSIVELY in relation to his girlfriend – which caused Dorothy to break up with him, and made him a pain to watch. Even with AG, he was still thinking of himself in the Lois Lane role.

      In a lot of ways, realizing he was bi through Ethan (who was off the table due to mutual consideration for Amberā€™s feelings) was the best thing that could have happened, because instead of jumping straight into dating the new crush he had time for self-discovery and learning to play the ukulele.

    5. Demoted Oblivious

      Enlightening someone’s perspective is a gift, and you have been very giving today. Thank you for sharing this Spencer.

    6. Devin

      Yes, absolutely! My favorite parts about Danny’s character development have been when he hasn’t been trying to deal with a relationship, because the way he’s been approaching relationships has been so unhealthy. He’s been needing to pay more attention to himself, and it feels to me like his bi journey has been in service to that.

      I hadn’t been thinking of this in terms of representation, but you’re so right, and this was really nice to read.

  31. Bagge

    I can’t wait to see how Sal will make the bike look cool.

    1. Needfuldoer

      She’ll appear with it in-frame.

      Maybe add pegs to the back axle so she can bring Wonderbread along on her next blowing-off-steam ride.

  32. Ohmsford

    This is perfect! Now Danny can use them to pay off those nice men who called him and helped ‘fix’ his computer!

  33. Freya

    Sal is very relatable. I’ve always felt very insecure about gifts because they’ve always felt like I’m now in debt to a person and must reciprocate in some fashion.

  34. Rabisch

    Sal accepted the gift, even though she repaid Danny with Very Valuable giftcards (seriously Sal?) that doesn’t change the fact. She will remember his nice gesture, perhaps this will help her feel happier and heal the wound that her (probable) loss of her bike has clearly caused to her. Danny is a great friend ā™”.

  35. Megan Rivera

    Sal with curly hair gives me SO MUCH LIFE

    1. Jhon

      Sal’s hair deserves a tag of its own.

  36. Eldritchy

    Aww that’s cute

  37. BenRG

    Technically, Sal, Linda bought the bike as she’s the one who gets you those gift cards. Still, I do think that we’ve learned something about Sal and how deeply she fears the idea of someone ‘owning’ her.

    1. BBCC

      If Linda had sent her those cards in cash form and Sal spent the cash on the bike, Linda has not bought the bike. Same principle here.

      1. Delicious Taffy

        That’s probably not how Linda would view it. I wouldn’t put it past her to take credit for buying everything Sal ever buys that’s remotely nice, on the grounds of “I gave birth to you”.

        1. BBCC

          Linda sucks so probably.

    2. Demoted Oblivious

      That’s exactly the kind of bullshit argument an emotionally toxic person like Linda would make to keep Sal under her thumb. (not saying that’s your motivation here Ben, but the argument is BS. My employer doesn’t feed my kids, I do). What Sal may not realize is that there are related elements in the behaviour of not being able to just accept the gift from Danny. Sal seems to have internalized Linda’s “presents have strings attached” but isn’t willing to use that mentality to behave towards others as such. (i.e. Sal isn’t willing to /give/ with strings attached, she is giving only without strings) At the same time, since Sal couldn’t bring herself to use her mom’s gift cards for anything up till now well… I’m gonna read this more as a gift exchange between friends than as a bike purchase. And if this is what it takes for Sal to feel free of the cards and of any internal misplaced sense of debt for Danny’s gift, then she got two birds with one stone. There may be a veritable treasure trove of stuff to unpack from this exchange but I just don’t have it today. Sal deserves a therapist and/or friends who can help her sort out this crap with Linda though.

    3. C.T. Phipps

      I imagine that’s how Linda would see it.

      Mind you, Linda also stole money from Sal and undoubtedly never returned it and spent it herself.

      1. thejeff

        Likely spent it for Sal – possibly towards covering the boarding school expenses.
        Which is often acceptable dealing with children’s money to some degree, but so much not in this case.

        1. C.T. Phipps

          Specifically, she stole it from Sal’s charity. Which is like robbing someone’s money they raised for UNISEF or the Girl Scout’s.

        2. Demoted Oblivious

          Jesus christ! When did this happen? (i don’t remember it from the comic)

        3. Thag Simmons

          She did in fact, hate her forever

        4. Demoted Oblivious

          Thank you for the link. I regret asking. I didn’t need the reminder of how awful parents can be. They are people after all.

    4. Schpoonman

      No, fuck Linda.

  38. Gash

    Ah, seems like Sal is kinda like a cat.
    How? Well: “you don’t own me” then immediately fucks off.

    1. BenRG

      The cat comparison will be complete if, this evening. Sal just walks into Danny’s room (in front of Joe), sits on Danny’s couch next to him and, acting as if it’s her room, asks what he’s doing for dinner and what he’s watching on his laptop.

      1. Geneseepaws

        I really hope she doesnā€™t sit in the keyboard. This is how analogies are imperfect.

        1. Demoted Oblivious

          No, but if Sal sits in Danny’s lap, she may put her face in the laptop screen and then turn around rubbing her ass across Danny’s face and now I need to get @Yotomoe’s attention and cross my fingers.

  39. Kim

    Kinda surprised that Sal would wear a bike helmet, actually!

    1. cbwroses

      Why? She wore a motorcycle helmet and she also wears protection for roller derby (though thatā€™s probably required). Besides, what sheā€™ll most likely do right now is jump some stairs.

  40. Keulen

    Ok this is adorable. And it’s making me ship them even more.

  41. ValdVin

    Is this some sort of magical helmet which fits Danny snugly, and yet also fits Sal thick, lustrous, manageable, other-shampoo-bottle-adjectives hair?

    1. MacareuxMoine

      Modern helmets can be adjusted on the fly.

      I’m more perplexed by the fact that Sal managed to unbuckle it in an surprise attack without disturbing Danny’s Scarf at all.

  42. Biblioholic93

    Not that its in any way similar to anything he even suggested but I recently discovered this song and her last words just make Leslie Gore play in my head now.

    https://youtu.be/JDUjeR01wnU You don’t own meee

  43. Juanoku

    Something tells me she isn’t done paying him back, but really? Target gift cards?

  44. Amos Batista

    Ok, where’s Joe to slap Danny, and tell him to stop to be so dumb?
    Really? Flowers? Bike? Danny, you better go back real life, man.

    1. Spencer

      Joe is taking notes for when he asks Joyce out.

    2. zee

      Yeah cuz sal hates it, clearly /s

  45. darkoneko

    Is this the sound of a heart melting ?

  46. Ryek Hvek

    Danny’s line in the last panel should’ve been “Is this Canadian Tire Money?”

    1. Thag Simmons

      Look it doesn’t work unless you actually pay them.

  47. Friendly Frankenstein

    …I got nuthin except that this is adorable. Seeing Sal get to be adorable is nice. And I like that it’s on her own terms

  48. Romanticide

    Well Danny, you got to be Sal official personal shopper, and she liked the selection so you did good.

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