She’s probably aware that Walky’s friend group is also now her only friend group (I’m spite of Sarah) because the girls in her hall openly and clearly prefer Jennifer, she’s probably just trying not to cause drama in the group.
she just comes off as polite to me. it’d be more trolling if she happened to join someone right afterwards and like “hey babe we still on for lunch later?” or so but even as a friend idk how many ppl could do that quickly/last minute haha
Politely setting expectations and asserting boundaries. She’s not trying to get a rise out of anybody like a troll, she’s doing them both a favor and reducing the likelihood of stupid teen drama, of which frankly she has previously been too great a source.
(Also, ugh, sorry I accidentally reported your comment while trying to hit “reply”. This UI is not my favorite.)
That would be more true if she hadn’t herself stated she was uncertain where this relationship was right now. She seems certain right now and is not just ‘setting boundaries’, she’s doing so vaguely. A more mature person would say ‘hey, we’re done, see you Wednesday.’ This is still very much potentially in the realms of ‘Walky fucked up and he is the only one who made mistakes’ behavior.
Bash
She looks a bit manic in the last panel. I think she’s unsure of where the relationship is and unsure of how to act right now.
Jeremiah
I don’t see any mania in her expression? That just look like a normal Lucy face to me.
Bash
It might be by imagination but her eyes seem a bit… wild somehow? I admit I could be misreading this.
lyzyrdwyzyrd
As a person with bipolar — no. Lucy is not manic. That’s not what manic eyes look like.
Manic eyes look like someone on hard drugs.
She’s proud of herself for setting a firm boundary with Wwlky, when she has a personal history, it seems, of being a doormat.
Bash
I didn’t mean medically diagnosable mania, I meant the behavior where someone is upset so they’re a bit high-energy and all over the place. Like when Joyce was having problems with Ethan so she was obsessing over getting Jacob with Sarah. Sarah says “you seem a bit manic” and I think most people understand what she means.
zee
It’s your imagination. That’s a neutral smile, Lucy just has big eyes
Taffy
What, you don’t see the horns and angry eyebrows and little French moustache?
thejeff
I wouldn’t say “manic”, but I agree there’s something off about it. Likely just a bit of strain. This isn’t as easy as she wants it to seem.
rowanmikaio
It came across to me as “proud of herself for stating clearly what she currently expects from Walky” even though she didn’t really make it clear for Walky in the most important sense.
Laura
Either that or it’s a secret crafty smile at turning the tables on Walky. Maybe she’s playing “hard to get”. Perhaps she’s enjoying having HIM pursuing HER for a change.
Mark
Except that he isn’t, yet. They’re still playing “after you my dear Alphonse.” He wants her to say it’s okay; she wants him to say whether he really wants her in his life. Because if you ask, the answer could be the one you don’t want to hear.
Seven
Sorry, I clicked Report accidentally :(((
Taffy
Reporting you on purpose because it’s always funny to me.
Azhrei Vep
Reported for reporting, because you can take the nerd out of WoW, but you apparently can’t take the WoW out of the nerd.
Taffy
Joke’s on you, punk. I reported myself 20 minutes before you could get to me.
zee
You guys don’t have to apologize every time. It takes like five people for it to even do anything. It’s not automated, willis can tell the difference between a genuine report and fat thumbing
Taffy
Let ’em, it’s funny.
Jon
The typical Willis “wild eyes” indicator is a line under the eyes on a character who’s smiling. That’s not an absolute rule, but it HAS been remarkably consistent art choice.
Uly
Or maybe she’s taking a break while she thinks about things and thinks Walky is on the same page as her.
Believe me, it’s what I most want to see, and it’s obvious that they also have a lot to clarify.
morleuca
I would love more Walky/Dorothy drama….is….is “drama” a euphemism? I feel like it’s a euphemism.
Nicoleandmaggie
I don’t want that either! Though I have appreciated how the last storyline really made it clear that Walky doesn’t really see Dorothy clearly, reinforcing to me how it wasn’t headed towards being a long term match. (I don’t think in their current states they can have “drama” without causing actual drama.)
As long as Walky doesn’t try to do something intense, I guess things could be fixed.
Mark
And as long as he doesn’t do anything it won’t be.
Yotomoe
True, but by that same merit I don’t know if their friendship was strong enough that she’d find it worth saving either. Kinda goes both ways in that regard.
Sirksome
I think you make a good point actually. I just realized a major factor in their “friendship” was Lucy pining for Walky. That’s what motivated her to even spend time with him. Without that are they actually even friends to begin with? And that actually is a tinge messed up.
Arillius
Yeah, Lucy did the toxic thing that is typically expected of dudes. She befriended someone with the full intention of dating them.
Bash
She had a crush on him but didn’t know how to ask him out. So she just spent time with him and dropped hints.
Yotomoe
Yeah it’s kinda uncharitable to call that behavior toxic. If you like someone you get to know them. Hang out with them. Become friends and then maybe once you feel you’re close you ask them out. Like sure it’d be NICE if you only had crushes on people you were already friends with but it doesn’t always happen in that order.
Bash
Yoto I can’t reply to your comment correctly, so I hope it gets to the correct place.
It would be problematic if she decided that Walky (or all men) were the problem because he did not pick up on her vague signals. Or if she decided the friendship was wasted effort if he did not want to date her.
If being flirty friends with a crush was bad, I struggle to see how anyone could get into relationships. Lucy wasn’t exactly subtle about her intentions. She spent time with him and flirted with him in the hopes he would ask her out. She didn’t disarm him “we’re just friends” and then get mad when he interpretted that literally.
Mark
Still not getting why this is toxic. I think friendship is the foundation of all positive personal relationships.
Perhaps you refer to pretending friendship?
thejeff
Yeah, that is not the actual toxic thing. There is a toxic thing that looks like that, but making friends with someone you’re attracted to is not it.
Arillius
From the beginning, Lucy only had one intent. To date Walky. To approach him saying ‘hey, lets me friends’ when that is not when she wants is in fact toxic. We know that this is how she thinks because a week later she got mad at Walky for being honest about how he’s not in love with her after a WEEK. That means that she has been viewing every day of their friendship as time he should have been falling for her.
That is a false narrative she created and than got angry at him for.
It is okay to want to be friends with someone you also want to date, but it is not okay to do so with only the intention of dating them and making you love them during that time. That is toxic and that is what Lucy did.
Yotomoe
Ok but real talk. What do you do if you meet someone you want to date? Sure you can just ask them out and hope that your base level attractiveness is enough to pull them in. But like…isn’t it normal to try to hang out and get closer to someone you wanna date before you ask them out? Like even if you’re initiating contact BECAUSE you want to date them, you’re still taking it slow and putting in the effort so you’re not just going “you’re hot, wanna date?” You’re not OWED affection but I’ve also heard the “How can you like me, we barely know each other.” How do you approach someone you wanna date but aren’t super close with?
It’ll probably just be awkward for a little while. If Walky and Amber are back on good terms after how THEIR thing ended, I don’t see how he and Lucy can’t get along.
Yotomoe
(I still want Walky n Amber to get back together tbf)
Kyrik Michalowski
Walky×Amber is great; I would prefer Walky×Dorothy, but I like both of them.
RassilonTDavros
“I like both of them”
That’d be an… interesting polycule.
spriteless aunty
Amber could mentor Dorothy in the way of Garbage. I mean she tried that one time when Dorothy hanged out and video gamed. But Dorothy could improve at garbage.
260 thoughts on “Hug”
Ana Chronistic
Math: where they learn to put 2 and 2 together
…
idk, I can’t brain bc work wants us working four hours of overtime every day and I busted a gut laughing at them
Icalasari
1+1=2
But Walky – Lucy = Sadness
RassilonTDavros
That’s as many as four hours.
And that’s terrible.
David DeLaney
TWO-forty minutes!
–Dave, Lex Luthor _aspires_ to be so evil
H3xx
Always Act your Wage and demand payment for any work you do for them.
Decidedly Orthogonal
Overtime: because business can’t afford to pay better and hire more people, so they’ll pay 50-100% more to get us at our absolute least effective.
Animedingo
Surprisingly mature
Given it’s Lucy
Thag Simmons
They’re both still performing above expectations, honestly.
furubatsu
She’s probably aware that Walky’s friend group is also now her only friend group (I’m spite of Sarah) because the girls in her hall openly and clearly prefer Jennifer, she’s probably just trying not to cause drama in the group.
Sirksome
Lucy must be trolling him now. I approve.
Reltzik
Also, Willis is trolling us.
Doctor_Who
Forever and always.
anon
she just comes off as polite to me. it’d be more trolling if she happened to join someone right afterwards and like “hey babe we still on for lunch later?” or so but even as a friend idk how many ppl could do that quickly/last minute haha
JR
Politely setting expectations and asserting boundaries. She’s not trying to get a rise out of anybody like a troll, she’s doing them both a favor and reducing the likelihood of stupid teen drama, of which frankly she has previously been too great a source.
(Also, ugh, sorry I accidentally reported your comment while trying to hit “reply”. This UI is not my favorite.)
Arillius
That would be more true if she hadn’t herself stated she was uncertain where this relationship was right now. She seems certain right now and is not just ‘setting boundaries’, she’s doing so vaguely. A more mature person would say ‘hey, we’re done, see you Wednesday.’ This is still very much potentially in the realms of ‘Walky fucked up and he is the only one who made mistakes’ behavior.
Bash
She looks a bit manic in the last panel. I think she’s unsure of where the relationship is and unsure of how to act right now.
Jeremiah
I don’t see any mania in her expression? That just look like a normal Lucy face to me.
Bash
It might be by imagination but her eyes seem a bit… wild somehow? I admit I could be misreading this.
lyzyrdwyzyrd
As a person with bipolar — no. Lucy is not manic. That’s not what manic eyes look like.
Manic eyes look like someone on hard drugs.
She’s proud of herself for setting a firm boundary with Wwlky, when she has a personal history, it seems, of being a doormat.
Bash
I didn’t mean medically diagnosable mania, I meant the behavior where someone is upset so they’re a bit high-energy and all over the place. Like when Joyce was having problems with Ethan so she was obsessing over getting Jacob with Sarah. Sarah says “you seem a bit manic” and I think most people understand what she means.
zee
It’s your imagination. That’s a neutral smile, Lucy just has big eyes
Taffy
What, you don’t see the horns and angry eyebrows and little French moustache?
thejeff
I wouldn’t say “manic”, but I agree there’s something off about it. Likely just a bit of strain. This isn’t as easy as she wants it to seem.
rowanmikaio
It came across to me as “proud of herself for stating clearly what she currently expects from Walky” even though she didn’t really make it clear for Walky in the most important sense.
Laura
Either that or it’s a secret crafty smile at turning the tables on Walky. Maybe she’s playing “hard to get”. Perhaps she’s enjoying having HIM pursuing HER for a change.
Mark
Except that he isn’t, yet. They’re still playing “after you my dear Alphonse.” He wants her to say it’s okay; she wants him to say whether he really wants her in his life. Because if you ask, the answer could be the one you don’t want to hear.
Seven
Sorry, I clicked Report accidentally :(((
Taffy
Reporting you on purpose because it’s always funny to me.
Azhrei Vep
Reported for reporting, because you can take the nerd out of WoW, but you apparently can’t take the WoW out of the nerd.
Taffy
Joke’s on you, punk. I reported myself 20 minutes before you could get to me.
zee
You guys don’t have to apologize every time. It takes like five people for it to even do anything. It’s not automated, willis can tell the difference between a genuine report and fat thumbing
Taffy
Let ’em, it’s funny.
Jon
The typical Willis “wild eyes” indicator is a line under the eyes on a character who’s smiling. That’s not an absolute rule, but it HAS been remarkably consistent art choice.
Uly
Or maybe she’s taking a break while she thinks about things and thinks Walky is on the same page as her.
Mark
I read it as “I’m okay now, but it’s your move.”
Mturtle7
I read it less as a troll and more as a very determined act of friendzoning. Which is fair!
HueSatLight
See you Wednesday.
C yOu [Next] GAwain’s day.
C O N GA
She’s calling him a conga.
Yumi
I missed Becky’s “Joyce!” at first, so it just seemed like Joyce was singling Becky out for unknown reasons.
Jo_cubstar
Me too!
Yotomoe
I can’t imagine that somehow not being passive aggressive. Either against everyone who isn’t Becky or just against Becky.
True Survivor
Alas, the cold shoulder.
anon
it’s pretty friendly for a cold shoulder unless it’s her version of it
cbwroses
She was friendlier with Sarah, so yeah, I’d call that her a cold shoulder.
Azhrei Vep
The shoulder seems lukewarm at worst.
Mturtle7
I mean, it IS January in Indiana, and they’re standing outside. I’m pretty everyone’s shoulder is cold at this point.
HueSatLight
I look forward to not having Lucy + Walky drama for 5-6 months.
Dara
Hm, zero sarcasm detected. That can only mean you broke my sarcasm detector by overloading it. I’ve got to build in some sort of failsafe for that.
HueSatLight
I’m getting my hopes up. Way way up.
clif
I too am wanting more Walky/Dorothy drama.
Coatl
Believe me, it’s what I most want to see, and it’s obvious that they also have a lot to clarify.
morleuca
I would love more Walky/Dorothy drama….is….is “drama” a euphemism? I feel like it’s a euphemism.
Nicoleandmaggie
I don’t want that either! Though I have appreciated how the last storyline really made it clear that Walky doesn’t really see Dorothy clearly, reinforcing to me how it wasn’t headed towards being a long term match. (I don’t think in their current states they can have “drama” without causing actual drama.)
Yotomoe
Let’s stay friends but actually you don’t really stay friends. I know that feel.
Sirksome
How fucked would that be if they stopped being friends because of a week long relationship?
Thag Simmons
Kinda fucked, but in an entirely normal and precedented way.
Yotomoe
Not very. People stop being friends for all kind of reasons. A breakup is honestly one of the better ones.
Sirksome
True, but I don’t think their romance ever got to the point of irreconcilable grievances. Ultimately they were just on two different wavelengths.
Coatl
As long as Walky doesn’t try to do something intense, I guess things could be fixed.
Mark
And as long as he doesn’t do anything it won’t be.
Yotomoe
True, but by that same merit I don’t know if their friendship was strong enough that she’d find it worth saving either. Kinda goes both ways in that regard.
Sirksome
I think you make a good point actually. I just realized a major factor in their “friendship” was Lucy pining for Walky. That’s what motivated her to even spend time with him. Without that are they actually even friends to begin with? And that actually is a tinge messed up.
Arillius
Yeah, Lucy did the toxic thing that is typically expected of dudes. She befriended someone with the full intention of dating them.
Bash
She had a crush on him but didn’t know how to ask him out. So she just spent time with him and dropped hints.
Yotomoe
Yeah it’s kinda uncharitable to call that behavior toxic. If you like someone you get to know them. Hang out with them. Become friends and then maybe once you feel you’re close you ask them out. Like sure it’d be NICE if you only had crushes on people you were already friends with but it doesn’t always happen in that order.
Bash
Yoto I can’t reply to your comment correctly, so I hope it gets to the correct place.
It would be problematic if she decided that Walky (or all men) were the problem because he did not pick up on her vague signals. Or if she decided the friendship was wasted effort if he did not want to date her.
If being flirty friends with a crush was bad, I struggle to see how anyone could get into relationships. Lucy wasn’t exactly subtle about her intentions. She spent time with him and flirted with him in the hopes he would ask her out. She didn’t disarm him “we’re just friends” and then get mad when he interpretted that literally.
Mark
Still not getting why this is toxic. I think friendship is the foundation of all positive personal relationships.
Perhaps you refer to pretending friendship?
thejeff
Yeah, that is not the actual toxic thing. There is a toxic thing that looks like that, but making friends with someone you’re attracted to is not it.
Arillius
From the beginning, Lucy only had one intent. To date Walky. To approach him saying ‘hey, lets me friends’ when that is not when she wants is in fact toxic. We know that this is how she thinks because a week later she got mad at Walky for being honest about how he’s not in love with her after a WEEK. That means that she has been viewing every day of their friendship as time he should have been falling for her.
That is a false narrative she created and than got angry at him for.
It is okay to want to be friends with someone you also want to date, but it is not okay to do so with only the intention of dating them and making you love them during that time. That is toxic and that is what Lucy did.
Yotomoe
Ok but real talk. What do you do if you meet someone you want to date? Sure you can just ask them out and hope that your base level attractiveness is enough to pull them in. But like…isn’t it normal to try to hang out and get closer to someone you wanna date before you ask them out? Like even if you’re initiating contact BECAUSE you want to date them, you’re still taking it slow and putting in the effort so you’re not just going “you’re hot, wanna date?” You’re not OWED affection but I’ve also heard the “How can you like me, we barely know each other.” How do you approach someone you wanna date but aren’t super close with?
sakamism
It’ll probably just be awkward for a little while. If Walky and Amber are back on good terms after how THEIR thing ended, I don’t see how he and Lucy can’t get along.
Yotomoe
(I still want Walky n Amber to get back together tbf)
Kyrik Michalowski
Walky×Amber is great; I would prefer Walky×Dorothy, but I like both of them.
RassilonTDavros
“I like both of them”
That’d be an… interesting polycule.
spriteless aunty
Amber could mentor Dorothy in the way of Garbage. I mean she tried that one time when Dorothy hanged out and video gamed. But Dorothy could improve at garbage.
Coatl
More than a mentor, she could be the older sister Dorothy needs.