300

Pity
Posted on February 29, 2024 by David M Willis

300 thoughts on “Pity”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    “oh this is where I came in”

    (yuk yuk)

    1. Ray

      Pity sex is still sex, I suppose……

      1. Fuzzy

        What I would have given for some pity sex back in highschool…

        1. Lysbeth

          But the consequences!!!!

        2. Mr. Random

          It’s leap day.
          There ARE no consequences!

        3. RoyanRannedos

          Not until the pics show up again on social media, but it’ll be four years until then!

        4. The Lurker

          Wait wait wait… isn’t leap day when we get to commit our Leap Day murders? I got mine done, and no one will ever find the body. Thank the Maker for this glorious day of vengeance that comes but once each 4 years. I thwarted all who came for me, and smote my nemesis. Remember, real life is for March 1st.

    2. SpaceDorf

      Or any sex at all .. ..

  2. Dave Van Domelen

    “If you’ve made six bad decisions, why not top it off with breakfast at Milliways?”

    1. Ana Chronistic

      Oft-quoted acquaintance: “What’s one more bad decision?”

  3. JD

    OH YEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

  4. Animedingo

    Dorothy honey no

    1. ktbear

      Dorothy honey, yes!

      1. BarerMender

        “Get that diiiiiick.” (Diiiiiiiiiiiiiii… echoes forever.)

      2. PedanticJerkass

        *facepalm* This meme is so banal.

        1. BarerMender

          I didn’t know there was a meme.

    2. Steelbright

      I’m having all the reactions of the three comments above simultaneously

      1. Loki

        Very yes.

        1. RoyanRannedos

          Dorothy, coming back like a computer virus.

    3. Adept

      Why not though?

  5. egon

    finally something’s happening

  6. june gloom

    This is going to go so badly. I can’t wait.

    1. Clif

      This is going so well that it’s only a matter of time before Willis jerks the rug from beneath out feet.

      Fixed that for you.

      1. Big Z

        This is the MIDDLE of the rug pool, with several characters tumbling comically in mid-air while they wait for gravity to realize something’s happening.

        1. David DeLaney

          we’ve seen this scene before, when they were all super SEMME agents, I think

      2. fridge_logic

        Willis set up this rug with no grip mat underneath, he’s basically hoping the characters kick the rug out from under themselves from just trying to walk on it.

        I mean, look at how Dorothy’s flailing right now. She’s a self destructive mess, I do want them to get back together, but not like this! Not like this!

    2. EmCaCo

      Your avatar is so hurfing CUTE what is this kitty from?

      1. Sparda

        Probably an OC? It was posted here: https://twitter.com/megueggu/status/1719857964956234007?s=19

      2. Adept

        And more over, how does one even use custom avatars here? Asking for me.

        1. Pizzasgood

          You just make an account at gravatar.com and upload an avatar there. After that, this and any other websites that use Gravatar will automatically show your avatar on your posts.

        2. Adept

          Cheers. I may have to try it.

      3. june gloom

        Yes, this is my OC, her name is Winter!

    3. Sharaku

      People are getting popcorn out over the strip BUT I’M getting popcorn out over the comment arguments over whether this is a eventually good thing, an obviously bad thing, how selfish/confused/in-serious-need-of-help Dorothy is, and whether or not Walky will just let his dick override his brain.

      1. Sharaku

        The answer is ‘Yes to all’.

        1. Rook

          This is college romance at its best.

      2. GholaHalleck

        I’m kind of hoping they do it just so Dotty can belt out Joyce’s name mid climax because holy hell that would be an amazing train wreck. No one’s getting out of that one.

        1. thejeff

          Whatever anyone thinks about Dorothy potentially crushing on Joyce, it’s far more obvious that she’s still hung up on Walky.

        2. David DeLaney

          especially when Walky involuntarily replies “Lucy!”
          and then there’s one of those comic-panel sequences
          Dorothy: …
          Walky: …
          Dorothy: wut
          Walky: wut WUT NAO

  7. HueSatLight

    William!

  8. sakamism

    THAT’S ALL SHE NEEDED TO HEAR

    If Walky rejects her again I’m gonna feel really bad for her lol

    1. True Survivor

      Yeah, I mean, Walky moved onto Amber in like 5 seconds, so its kind of hard for Walky to come up with an excuse here that isn’t solved with one phone call to Lucy.

      Also, Merry Leap Day!

    2. Thag Simmons

      Walky rejecting her (at least right now) is probably for the best.

      1. Vanessa

        Walky should never have run after her, this is the only possible outcome of that ill-fated impulse.

    3. Animedingo

      Walky is not her on the call boyfriend. Wanting Walky is her way of going backwards.

      1. BarerMender

        Or her way of finding a little comfort. Which she desperately needs.

        1. Vanessa

          And fun. Walky was fun, she had fun doing fun stuff like watching cartoons with Walky. It was self-loathing that forced her to break up with him. Like is a train wreck though.

        2. Steamweed

          ^^^ This here stuff.

    4. Dara

      I think she’s expecting that rejection, I think she’s kinda trying to call him on … something … and I think she wants that rejection. She wants a confirmation of some kind I think.

      1. Needfuldoer

        Ooh, good take.

      2. fridge_logic

        She’s got that bad decisions depression.

    5. AbacusWizard

      I think all she heard was “hookup.”

      1. Meagan

        Best comment

      2. Chris Phoenix

        The title of this strip should have been “hookup”

  9. Amós Batista

    Pathetic. Disappointed on Dorothy.

    1. Cauchemar

      Why? Sometimes people kiss their exes and sleep with them again. It happens. How is that fundamentally pathetic?

      1. Animedingo

        Shes not even considering what walky wants. Walky isnt even reciprocating.

        Shes back pedaling and hard.

        1. Vanessa

          Why else would Walky run after her right after being told she needed to bone some guy.

        2. Regret

          WTF? Because a friend is obviously suffering. OBVIOUSLY!

        3. Xujhan

          This seems like the obvious read to me too and I’m mildly alarmed that segments of the commentariat appear to disagree.

        4. fridge_logic

          There’s a non-zero portion of the comment section that doesn’t see how all the women around Dorothy saying she needs to get boned is basically him making fun of shallow commentators reducing a characters problems to: “horny”

          Dorothy’s problem is absolutely not that she needs to get boned, she definitely wants confort, and is seeking sexual/romantic contact. But that is absolutely not the root of the issue here, as pointed out by her remark on the last page about continuing to pursue her ambition to become the “Queen Sorceress of Capitalism.”

          A lot of how she’s throwing herself at Walky is outgrowth of her regret over leaving him to pursue a dream she now can’t hold onto. She’s trying to get back one of the best things she ever gave up while pursuing her dream.

        5. Amós Batista

          “saying she needs to get boned is basically him making fun of shallow commentators”
          him? Who? The author?

        6. Nicoleandmaggie

          From her perspective last time they talked about this he said he couldn’t be with her because he had a girlfriend. Now he’s run after her and said he doesn’t have one (or at least that’s what she heard even if he didn’t mean it that way). It’s an easy misunderstanding— I get her reaction.

      2. CrimsonStorm

        Not fundamentally at all but like, not what Dorothy needs right now probably (and not what Walky seems to be wanting either!).

        I wouldn’t go for “pathetic” but like “aw man Dorothy kissing Walky here is a dumb(ing) idea”. Entertaining for us though!

    2. Thag Simmons

      I’m sure she’d agree with that.

    3. anon

      well better to make a mistake in college rather than them both being 3 years into marriage (with other ppl) and a recent separation or so lol

  10. bootshivers

    Absolutely rapt with that guy in the matching hat/coat/scarf combo, the moustache is giving

    1. Thag Simmons

      Oh, that’s Leap Day William! I was wondering why that extra had an unusually extra character design, I’d forgotten it was Leap Day.

    2. RacingTurtle

      I think he might be someone called Leap Dave. Get the 30 Rock fans in here to check

      1. RacingTurtle

        Haha, Leap Dave. I’m glad I can’t edit, that’s hilarious to me

      2. Thag Simmons

        The 30 Rock Leap Day episode has a the Santa Clause parody where Jim Carrey plays Dave Williams, a man who gets turned into Leap Day William.

        1. RacingTurtle

          That’s why I misremembered the name! He really was a Dave. Thanks!

        2. Thomas

          I just learned that, coincidentally, musician Dave Williams of Drowning Pool had his birthday on February 29th. (Sadly, he died young.) I wonder if 30 Rock’s writers somehow knew that.

      3. HueSatLight

        Leap Dave Williams is the Leap Day movie about a guy (Dave Williams) who gets turned into Leap Day William, a la “The Santa Clause”. Leap Day William lives at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, and visits one day every four years to trade children’s tears for candy.

        1. HueSatLight

          What’s 30 rocks? I just love Leap Day and Leap Day William. Gonna pinch a bunch of kids and make them cry today. And then give them candy.

        2. a/snow/mous/e

          it’s shorthand for “30 pieces of rock candy”, which is the standard Leap Day William gift for followers at the 150-tear tier, I believe.

        3. Clif

          Also 30 Rocks is short for the TV show, 30 Rocks From the Sun.

    3. Alongcameaspider

      Maybe it’s because I was looking through the cards they revealed for the Fallout Magic the Gathering set earlier today but my immediate thought was his color scheme is the exact one for the Vault-tec jumpsuits from the series

      1. Dara

        Yeah I was gonna be all “Look, it takes some time for Vault Dwellers to catch up on their fashion sense, give the bloke some time!” but then it turned out to be a 30 Rock riff and whelp

        1. Taffy

          It was funnier when I didn’t know it was from an old sitcom.

        2. David DeLaney

          … 30 rock is an old sitcom now??

          –Dave, to me it’s so new I never got to see an episode, only the fallout at various times on SNL

        3. Nymph

          It ended about ten years ago, so yeah.

      2. Mr D

        As my comment bellow, yeah same.

      3. Drain

        Ditto

    4. Mr D phone posting

      Meanwhile my brain went immediately to “is that a vault dweller?”

      1. bootshivers

        SAME

        1. Aura

          Hard same, I’ve just been scrolling through the comments to find out who the dude with the snazzy vault-tec winter costume is, apparently I now have my answer. It seems that this Leap Dave Williams is a very dedicated Fallout fan! 😀

  11. shadowcell

    A/V hookup indeed

    1. Rose by Any Other Name

      Ha!

      I was gonna add a “that’s what she said” but honestly I didn’t think I could make it work.

      1. Mturtle7

        “…honestly I didn’t think I could make it work”

        That’s what SHE said!

  12. DailyBrad

    Dorothy is cute in that hat. Like, in general, but I do like this hat on her.

  13. Slartibeast Button, BIA

    Lucy is standing behind that tree, right?

    1. David DeLaney

      and Dina behind Lucy

      somehow

      1. Emperor Norton II

        For someone so into science, Dina sure tends to break the laws of physics.

        1. David DeLaney

          the _strong suggestions_ of phyics

          –Dave, Dina is immune to peer pressure. not to criticism though

        2. Clif

          While Amazigirl is immune to criticism but pays lip service to the strong suggestions of physics.

    2. DarkoNeko

      next page : Lucy looking on, giving a disappointed look

  14. Sirksome

    Why is there any debate? Walky you are definitely out of a relationship! And if somehow you’re not you should at least think you are.

    1. DailyBrad

      There’s debate because it hasn’t been explicitly stated. Like, I’d assume it was over if in his position, but there does remain some ambiguity, so I get why he doesn’t want to assume it just yet.

      1. Vanessa

        Lucy just snubbed him yet again. She dumped him.

        1. BorkBorkBork

          “We were on a break!!”

        2. TerribleTransit

          When she left in a huff, she probably dumped him.

          When she brushed him off with a “See you Wednesday”, she almost certainly dumped him.

          But neither of those things is absolutely, positively dumped. Sometimes couples going through a rough patch will do things like that and then patch things up afterward. You can argue that’s toxic, a huge red flag, something that indicates they really should break up regardless. Until one of them explicitly communicates to the other that the relationship is over, there remains the possibility, however remote, that the other person thinks the relationship is still ongoing. Lucy doesn’t strike me as the kind of person who would play a weird power game of trying to make Walky crawl back to her with a grand apology gesture or anything — she probably intends the relationship to be over. But the possibility that is not can still be paralyzing

        3. Aura

          My read is that Lucy’s deliberately not making it explicit to try to keep her options open. Giving herself time to think it over and decide if she wants to continue the relationship.

    2. Bash

      This is the guy that only knows a girl likes him if she kisses him.

      1. Devin

        Well at least he (probably) knows that Dorothy likes him!

    3. Nicoleandmaggie

      He needs to text her right now to either dump her or to clarify. OR he needs to tell Dorothy he’s not ready right now.

      1. Tan

        Walky: To be clear, we’re broken up, right?

        Lucy: *thumbs up emoji*

        (does it mean she agrees that they are broken up? Does it mean that the relationship is okay? WHO CAN SAY)

    4. Adam Black

      Lucy is stringing him along just like Bennifer just taught her with Asher.

      Everying Lucy does in a relationship is preplanned to match an idea in her head (from comic books) This is why walky needs to dump her.

      Shes only “sweet” in tightly formed paramaters, which will get less as less as things dont match an idea in sugercreamplum land

      ( and that had an unexpected kiss too, so shes shes really playing paint by numbers here )

      Walky needs to do an Asher. “a woman kissed me but I didnt kiss back becuase i dont know if we are togther. ” Face Lucy whether she wants to or not , and ask if they are fighting , or broken up.
      Let it be understand that NO answer , means they are broken up.

      If they are together he can still break up as shes stringing him along and giving him silent treatment.

      1. Taffy

        ?

  15. sdrainbow

    so it IS about telecom in the telecom sense, and not like, being a news anchor?

    WALKY I HAVE SO MUCH BAD NEWS ABOUT HOW MUCH MATH YOU SIGNED UP FOR

    1. KM

      Ok I assumed it was a degree like what I more commonly hear as “mass communications” (then you go on to do PR or advertising or so on) but now it sounds like a STEM telecoms engineering degree which is very different and.. Very mathy, yes… So which is it actually.

    2. Thag Simmons

      I actually feel like he might do pretty well for himself as an A/V guy.

      1. cbwroses

        When I think of A/V guys, all I think about is Yasper from The After Party…and I can kinda see Walky acting like Yasper.

        *Great show, btw. A murder happens at an after party and when the cop interviews people, they each tell their story in the style of a different movie genre. It’s on Apple TV.*

      2. Needfuldoer

        I wouldn’t trust him to neatly run cables and properly document them. Just look at his shoelaces!

        1. Taffy

          Yeah, but those are personal clothing. The cables are for work, it’s very different.

  16. Nathan

    OH OK I initially read that as “mostly about AN hookup” and spent several minutes trying to parse how the dialogue here made any sense.

    1. Animedingo

      Its ok I did too

  17. Sirksome

    Also no way I’d describe Lucy as easygoing or amicable. She put an unhealthy amount of pressure and expectation on Walky!

    1. Coatl

      He wanted to do things calmly and as time progressed it was clear that he was not convinced that there was anything, he did not say anything because he wanted to be really sure, but Lucy rushed things and adding Linda’s comments, brought this result.

      1. Vanessa

        True, but it is Wally’s habit to blame himself. A childhood survival technique.

    2. Mturtle7

      She’s about as easygoing and amicable and Becky is freewheeling and unflappable. Which is to say, they both put a lot of work into giving that impression to everybody, even when it isn’t actually true.

  18. Jess

    oh boy

  19. BBCC

    Hoo boy, this’ll be interesting to see where it goes!

  20. Stephen Bierce

    *plays “All The Young Dudes” from a passing car*

    1. David DeLaney

      is that the flipside of “All The Single Ladies”

    2. Lars

      Playing Where the Rubber meets the Road by Meat Loaf on a hacked Uke.

  21. RassilonTDavros

    WOOOOHOOOOOO

    This is definitely gonna blow up in Dorothy’s face, but I’m gonna enjoy it while it lasts.

    1. Rabid Rabbit

      Oh, I’m sure Walky will.

      Sorry/not sorry

      Especially since we know that Dorothy sw— you know what, I’m just going to stop now and plead “People who haven’t paid for the Slipshine shouldn’t get to find out what’s in it.”

      1. Bryy

        ……….. fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

        1. Rabid Rabbit

          Nice try, but it’s not that much of a spoiler that that happens. It’s kind of in the title.

      2. Taffy

        -allows. Enthusiastically.

  22. True Survivor

    What does ‘bursting from the sea’ mean? Is Willis calling Dorothy a whale?

    1. HueSatLight

      Leap Day William, Leap Day William bursting from the sea, will he bring his bucket of sweets for mom and pop and me?

      1. Vanessa

        Oh? I thought her libido was a Kraken that was just released.

      2. True Survivor

        That is a fun rhyme, and I was able to research it and find out its a reference to a sitcom called 30 Rock from that. Its a funny idea. Thank you.

        1. a/snow/mous/e

          also Leap Day William is the tall guy in the blue outfit in the background of panel 1

        2. David DeLaney

          “a sitcom called 30 Rock”

          –Dave, the USA truly has lost the last of its cultural glue now that network TV is the province solely of the grandparent generation. but of course now we have Taylor

  23. Bittersweet

    Walky dodging that kiss so hard his mouth flew up to damn near his cheekbone lol.

    I wanna know where this goes though, I feel so bad for self-destructing Dorothy 🙁

    1. Coatl

      Believe me, I honestly don’t know what to say about this, but I just know that that look on Dorothy…no.

    2. Schpoonman

      “Oh thank god I watched enough crappy anime growing up that I learned how to do this.”

  24. Jeremiah

    Walky is very relatable in a very sad way.

  25. Wraithy2773

    I really hope that Walky does recognize that Dorothy doesn’t need a bit of Tab A for her Slot B, but rather she needs to talk about stuff honestly and openly and without fear of judgement.

    It’s not impossible either, Walky’s known Dorothy for a fair amount of time by now, he’s well equipped to recognize when shit’s really off with her, and despite what hack writers might make you think, 18/19 year old men aren’t entirely consumed by hormones.

    1. Coatl

      Let’s hope that here is that opportunity for them to really talk, that look on Dorothy really reflects that nothing is okay.

    2. Bash

      Is that what she wants, though? She just kissed him.

      1. Vanessa

        They can talk after boning a couple of times. She will be more in the mood then. Right now if he rejects her again she will rip him and storm off to blow something up.

        1. Taffy

          It’s like how when you’ve just been out running in 80°F weather, you want to chug a 20oz bottle of ice-cold water! That way you’re nice and cooled off and ready for heavy lifting.

      2. John Campbell

        Sometimes it’s easier to kiss someone than to tell them that things are not okay and you really need some help.

    3. Vukodlak

      If Walky was consumed by hormones he’d have slept with Lucy.

  26. StClair

    So that was literally the only thing stopping her, huh

    1. Sirksome

      That wasn’t stopping her. That was stopping Walky. Him saying no is what stopped her.

  27. Schpoonman

    If I hadn’t smoked my entire Patreon account this would be another “Goddammit, here’s $5 so I can get ahead one day before I inevitably fall back to the main site” comic.

  28. Bryy

    Oh no. Oh nooooooooooooooooooo. Dotty is confusing empathy with catharsis.

    1. Coatl

      And Walky is being very careful with his words. On the one hand it’s good that she’s doing that, but that look on Dorohty…oh god, I know it’s too soon to ask for a change in her, but I hope she really listens to it and of course that Walky allows her to be clear about what what does it say.

  29. Ray

    Dorothy needs some dryer alternative…. but that doesn’t guarantee she won’t still be in the laundry room (during off-hours, of course – she’s not a COMPLETE freak)

    1. Taffy

      It’s actually Canon that she does it while other people are in there, just doing their laundry normally. Ol’ Dildo Dotty, they calls ‘er, and legend says that if you give her a shiny denarius right as she hits a climax, she’ll grant you valuable wisdom for your problems.

  30. Kelli217

    Yes. Dorothy needs to make some *good* bad decisions again.

    I mean, she decided not to go to Yale because she has friends at IU. And that was a good bad decision. But then Raidah got into her head and convinced her not to try to become POTUS. And that was a *bad* bad decision. (It was highly unlikely that she ever would have been elected to the office, but the effort to do so would have put her in the position to do a lot of things. Now she’s just aimless.) And it’s been more of the same since then.

    Getting down to bone town, like Becky was saying, with someone who’s just rebounding from a one-sided relationship… that’s finally getting back to the good bad decisions.

    1. Schpoonman

      This idea that the relationship was one-sided is so weird to me. Walky clearly feels a level of attachment to Lucy that’s some level beyond “Oh, yeah, she rooms with my friend.” It was unbalanced but why would Walky have confronted his parents or be metaphorically pulling back at all right now if he didn’t actually like Lucy?

      1. Derek

        he likes Lucy at least on a platonic level, but he never met her needs romantically. He likes her as a person and a friend, but was extremely hesitant to treat her as a romantic and sexual partner

        1. Schpoonman

          His hesitancy to me was largely based on his own poor self-esteem and trepidation at being the “experienced” half of a pair. I think he didn’t meet Lucy’s wants. Her actual needs in a romantic relationship haven’t been explored yet, and that’s something that does rub me a little wrong when discussing Lucy and Walky, how their initial energetic mismatch doesn’t mean they can’t work together.

          Of Walky’s LIs so far, only Amber has really met Walky’s energy. Dorothy recognized the mismatch between her and Walky and so tried to leverage it as a way to relax but her own issues compounded with his and so led to the both of them being worse off after the relationship. Lucy offers that same dynamic but at a healthier dose (now that Lucy’s manic NRE is gone) and more openly shares Walky’s interests.

        2. Taffy

          LI?

        3. Schpoonman

          Love Interest.

        4. Taffy

          Don’t call me names ?️??️

        5. a/snow/mous/e

          banks certainly do! haha capitalism joke

    2. Coatl

      It is obvious that there was no guarantee that Dorothy’s efforts would be immediate, she was sure that nothing would fail, but in the kidnapping incident, Dorothy was slowly breaking down as she saw Joyce being taken away and at the Halloween party she smiled. forced, it was the sign that she was not well.

      And oh surprise, Raidah comes to make everything worse (although many say she had a point, no, she only said that because she knows that Dorothy is Joyce’s friend, and the miserable coward thought it was right to fuck with a girl who wasn’t even involved in that lawsuit over Jacob)

      And now we’re here, on the one hand, it’s good to see that Walky is trying not to say something stupid, I just hope that at least Dorothy can be honest a little more.

    3. Bash

      It’s okay to have ambitions but Dorothy put herself under a massive amount of stress with the idea that everything she did would be scrutinized during a future presidential campaign. I think a more realistic, normal goal would help her relax and engage with life in a healthier way.

    4. HueSatLight

      Her goal isn’t get into any office and help people. It’s a very singular goal to get elected to president. Any office she’s in before she gets there will just be a launch pad for the next office.
      she’s 19, she should not be trying to become president. When she finally decides to stop trying to become president, it will be a good good decision.

      1. Mark

        Actually I would say that 19 is the perfect age to start trying to become President. It takes a long time and a lot of work to build national recognition as a sound leader and attract the attention of a party that wants to exploit it.

        1. HueSatLight

          a 19 year old who is trying to become president will never be a sound leader.

        2. Clif

          Based on what?

        3. Li

          Oh, you know how humans are, we just never have any growth and don’t change at all after 19 lol

  31. Vukodlak

    This is not surprising, she already told Walky. “When I look back at the time I was the happiest…” When she tried to get back together with him. I’m just glad she didn’t abduct him.

  32. Francoinblanco

    am I the only one who thinks that a Walky is treated like a glorified dildo?
    PS. Please dont make this a “we are on a break” chapter

    1. sakamism

      “Glorified dildo” is a bit harsh, it implies she’s just horny. I think she really wants to get back together with him romantically. Not for great reasons maybe, but still. I would rather say she’s trying to use him as a human security blanket, if anything

      1. Schpoonman

        Oh, damn, that’s it.

        1. David DeLaney

          so Lucy is appropriately named then

          –Dave, #damnyouWillis

        2. Schpoonman

          I thought sakamism was talking about Dorothy, who does want Walky a little bit as a human security blanket.

        3. David DeLaney

          yep, which means Dorothy is Linus and Lucy is, well, Lucy

    2. Devin

      I certainly don’t think so. Neither Lucy nor Dorothy just wanted him for sex. Lucy was looking for a relationship and had strong feelings for him, not just lust, and Dorothy was talking about happiness, not sexual fulfillment.

      I think not enough thought has been given by either of them for what Walky really wants, but glorified dildo is incorrect.

      1. Da Boy

        I dunno, the first they got together it was more about… well Netflix and Chill. Just some easy fun. The one who was actually developing a deeper relationship with him was Amber.

        1. thejeff

          It was a “for fun relationship”, with the emphasis on relationship. It’s not like they started by boning. That took awhile to happen.
          And the relationship definitely deepened. She fell in love with him, despite her best efforts to keep it light.

    3. Amós Batista

      by everyone?

  33. Blume

    He runs over to her to comfort her and starts self deprecating ? bad decision to go in for a kiss, but I’m really feeling bad for Dorothy here.

    1. Devin

      So is Dorothy

  34. cbwroses

    I kinda don’t want them to hookup while also really really wanting them to hookup.

  35. DashWallkick

    Dorothy really is coming apart isn’t she, woof. Breaking up with Walky to focus on her career was her biggest regret and she will do anything to get him back.

  36. cbwroses

    “We all get one shot, twice, Dorothy.”

  37. Suet

    gosh darn it

    Joyce has broken her streak of appearing in every leap day strip! At least Dorothy has as much appearances as her now.

    She’s ready, he’s not.

    1. Schpoonman

      Bottom link is broken. But I know exactly what strip you’re talking about and now I’m going to take a wild logical leap to this storyline ending with Walky and Lucy on the road to Bone Town, if not there.

      Also nothing Robin does will ever amuse me as much again as “I know Ted Cruz.”

  38. David DeLaney

    Dorothy, hun, no, that compliment WASN’T about YOU

    –Dave, even if it were it would need some serious adjustment first

    1. David DeLaney

      ’twas pity stayed his hand
      and moved her mouth

    2. Bash

      She doesn’t look flattered by Walky saying she is better. She kisses him when he says he’s no longer in a relationship. I don’t think accidental compliments have anything to do with it.

      1. Mark

        She looks exasperated. “Stop telling me I’m perfect! I know better!”

  39. aelfwine

    Everyone’s talking about Dorothy, but Walky should actually communicate with Lucy to clarify his relationship status, before discussing it with his horny needy ex.

    1. cbwroses

      She’s been keeping her distance. Hard to communicate like that. Also, I don’t think that was his intention in the first place, he just starting telling her about how he’s more pitiful than her so he obviously wouldn’t be coming to pity her.

      1. HueSatLight

        He did look Lucy in the eye and then avoid her going to class, the very first time he saw her this chapter.

        1. cbwroses

          He did not avoid her.
          He froze upon seeing her.
          She turned away from him.
          He then realized he forgot his bag, but we know he still showed up for class.
          He then spoke to her first, to which she politely responded and immediately walked away.

        2. HueSatLight

          eyeroll

        3. cbwroses

          ?

        4. Nymph

          That’s a literal scene-by-scene recreation of what happened though?

      2. Vanessa

        Lucy just made it crystal clear, for the second time, that she despises Walky. It would be the height of cowardice and wishful thinking for her to imagine she could string him along. They aren’t married, engaged, or even serious, they’ve just been holding hands for a week.

        1. cbwroses

          She does not despise him, cmon.

        2. Doopyboop

          I agree that she doesn’t despise him, but their parting words as a couple were Lucy saying “I love you, you don’t love me” “fuck you for being a coward” and “I deserve better” which… I mean, I think that’s pretty much solid as far as a break up goes. The words ‘break up’ weren’t used but the phrase “I deserve better” was and the way Lucy has reacted to him since makes it pretty clear to me that they are not on break. They’re not a couple anymore.

        3. Dr. Sharks

          I absolutely agree. That was completely unambiguous. I have to assume Walky only has doubts about it because he’s in denial or still processing it.

        4. DashWallkick

          This is unfair — walky has been very honest and loyal to his partners, he doesn’t know if he can salvage Lucy and she’s not saying “we’re broken up” and neither is he, so he doesn’t know what the rules are. “We were on a break” references go here.

          My guess for this arc is that Dorothy throws herself at him again, it fails because he doesn’t want to hurt Lucy with rebounding in this ambiguous ‘see you tomorrow’ state, and she limps home wounded, continuing to be the sin-eater for the comic as a whole.

        5. thejeff

          It’s funny because there are plenty of commenters here who aren’t sure.
          And Lucy herself said something about not being sure if she was there for Walky when she showed up to walk to class.

          I do agree that he’s not looking for an excuse, so the whole “we were on a break” plot isn’t likely to happen. Even if he was sure, I suspect he’d want to give it at least a little more time, rather than jumping right back into a relationship with Dorothy. Both to spare Lucy’s feelings and to process his own.

        6. Schpoonman

          It’s worth noting that he was hesitant to get with Amber because it was too soon for him after breaking up with Dorothy. She pushed through with “Up here, we can be garbage.”

        7. aelfwine

          Or “I deserve better” could mean “You should become better if you want to keep me”

        8. Doopyboop

          I think on its own it could absolutely mean that. But since the strip prior to that Lucy pointed out that she felt Walky didn’t love her the way she loves him, the way his parents treated her and Walky’s lack of defense for that, meant that in this case ‘I deserve better’ means ‘better isn’t you’.

        9. Blume

          When did she show that she despised Walky…? She even smiled at him. She didn’t do anything to indicate that she hates him.

        10. Mark

          Really? If I was in Walky’s place, I would figure that making any assumption is a mistake, and that if I care then I need to start the conversation.

          If that is despite, I’ve been despised by thousands of people over the years and never knew it.

      3. Mark

        TXT: “[Walky] So, are we broken up? Let’s talk.”

        How hard is that?

        1. Taffy

          It’s fucking impossible. None of these characters have cell phones.

        2. cbwroses

          It’s not especially hard, at least physically.
          The problem is that people tend to want to have such conversations in person, and since they were in person and she left so cleanly after his attempt at a conversation, he probably gets the impression that she doesn’t want to talk.
          Then there the fact that it’s dealing with emotions, which he’s worse at than math.
          Lastly, ideally, she would make that clear without any prompting from him since she’s the one upset enough to create this confused moment between them.
          But that’s an ideal situation and they’re inexperienced teenagers dealing with mostly new, and fresh, emotions so it’s not surprising that neither one of them is acting ideally (not like they ever did before).

    2. eskimolos

      I refuse to believe that Willis is looking to do anything that would remotely draw correlations between this comic and Friends, so having some ridiculous “we were on a break” event seems out the window purely by association.

      Walky and Lucy are broken up, the only reason Walky is holding onto Maybe is because it’s still very fresh for him and he doesn’t want to believe he’s torpedoed it.

    3. nicoleandmaggie

      Agreed! He can break up with Lucy for real via text right now if he prefers the certainty of Dorothy or he can text to clarify if he prefers Lucy but only if she wants him, or he can tell Dorothy he’s not yet ready for decisions. Or he can tell Dorothy that even if he’s free it’s not going to happen (but like, in a nicer way). Curious to see which option he picks!

  40. Essex

    i want dorothy and walky back together, but not like this.

    1. Coatl

      I know

      1. Clif

        What’s wrong with this? You were expecting Smarting of Age?

  41. reed

    WOW DOTTY AND YOU WANNA LECTURE JOYCE ABOUT HER AND JOE

    1. Vanessa

      Good point.

    2. cbwroses

      She wants to lecture Joyce because she believes Joe is a horndog who only cares about sex and that Joyce would not ba able to handle the inevitable fallout.

      This is not a good comparison to her wanting to be with Walky when he was with Lucy and possibly is still with Lucy.

      Her wanting Walky right now is a good comparison to when she wanted to lecture Joyce about trying to get with Jacob while he was with Raidah, tho.

  42. Blibdoolpoolp

    Ah some famous David Walkerton spinelessness, wishy washy to the core when it can be milked for comedic opportunity.

  43. BadRoad

    Walky you are definitely out of a relationship.

    1. CianM1301

      If he wasn’t before, he will be if Lucy ever discovers this.

  44. Dday

    She’s still worked up from all that non-sexual intimacy.

  45. TheCozburger

    “Something tells me ‘we were on a break’ isn’t a good enough excuse for cheating…”

    1. Clif

      Who do you imagine is on a break? Being on a break requires an agreement.

  46. Puppeteer Nessus

    Walky should change his major to gigolo

  47. GUIGUI

    The way Walky’s mouth appear in the last frame, is it supposed to be a kiss on the cheek?

    Cause while that’s affectionate, that’s not forcibly romantic either (at least according to my European standards)

    1. Da Boy

      I feel like it’s just a weird perspective and she is really kissing him on the lips

    2. Amelie Wikström

      Probably no really good way to draw them kissing and talking at the same time in profile without breaking Willis’ style entirely, but the device of “manga sidemouth” at least is commonly understood as an easy compromise of simplification and realism.

    3. Mark

      I read it pragmatically as a kiss on the cheek and emotionally as “you’re sweet — an idiot, but sweet. Thanks for trying to cheer me up.” Her eyes suggest she’s still in a bad mood and wants to wind up this conversation before it develops.

    4. Felian

      I read it as a dodged kiss, intended to go on his mouth but he moved aside. But i’m not sure, so i came to the comments….

      1. Clif

        Well there’s your mistake right there.

    5. Tan

      It was absolutely an attempt to kiss on the lips. Slightly unclear whether it was dodged or successful and kinda still talking around it, but yeah, no, she definitely went for the mouth.

  48. Arianod

    Hello Pity actually sounds like an interesting name for a toy franchise…

    1. Mr.Morningstar

      or a kinda grunge band name

    2. J.Gawain

      Whenever I read or hear “hello” followed by a two-syllable word, my mind immediately follows it up with “my old friend.”

      1. a/snow/mous/e

        hello kitty my old friend
        it’s time to meow with you again

  49. M!a

    “A fool… but an honest fool, he remains.”

    *adjusts pointy hat*

  50. DarkoNeko

    …oh my

  51. CianM1301

    Ah, we now get to the aforementioned “trystin'” in the chapter’s title.

  52. Da Boy

    Good thing Walky’s mother is not here, she’d be annoyingly overjoyed by this.

    1. AGV

      Until she learned that Dorothy’s Jewish at least

      1. Da Boy

        I wonder what would piss her off more, Jewish or Atheist?

        1. Yumi

          Honestly, I don’t think she’d particularly care about that. I could see her being in the mindset of “let’s not talk about that, so we can make sure we can buddy-buddy with religious people with connections,” but I don’t see her caring much about faith/lack thereof herself.

        2. Da Boy

          Good point, they have the right skin colour and social standing so Linda would love to hang out with them.

        3. cbwroses

          She met Dorothy and Dorothy’s parents before, so she probably already knows.

  53. Yeet

    goddammit dorothy
    I know you’re hurting but, like, come onnnn

  54. Vukodlak

    I’ve been thinking this over, and maybe this isn’t the worst idea. A few days ago (in-universe) when Dorothy went to try and get Walky back. It was because she decided to be “selfish” for once and do what would make her happy.

    She didn’t break up with him for her own sake. She was being “selfless” she had to get her grades back up sure. But rather then ask if Walky was fine if they spent less time together until she got her grades back up. She “freed” him so he could find a girl who could give him more attention. Dorothy has learned she has to be selfish sometimes for her own sake. Now Walky needs to learn the self-confidence that deserves someone like Dorothy.

    When Dorothy and Walky were together they made each other happy, and at 19 that’s enough.

    1. eskimolos

      I agree for the most part, especially I feel like they’re kind of OTP? Walky has been lowkey obsessed with Dorothy not just since near the beginning of the strip, but basically since the walkyverse IIRC, somewhat similar to Joe/Joyce in that Joe has been into Joyce since the walkyverse and it isn’t at all surprising that in an alternate timeline reboot these two couples would emerge as the canonical a-plot ships.

      So saying, the case for Walky/Amber is strong, and there’s still a chance for a comeback with Walky/Lucy. Nothing is certain in the dumbiverse, except that Mike is dead. (again)

    2. Yeet

      if they were both onboard and approaching it equally yeah
      right now it is at best going to be fun to watch from a distance, like an explosive

  55. milu

    Meanwhile, on planet Atheia… (nsfw) (unless your co-workers are cows, then it’s fine)

    It’s getting dionysiac over there!!! (Finally…!!)

    Anyways have a nice day, hug a puppy, be gay do crime ?

    1. Taffy

      I appreciate the hand-holding. Keeps it cute and fun.

      1. milu

        yesssss

  56. Taffy

    Hehehehehahahahahheheeeeeheeeheehooohhohohohohoho

  57. DEAD MEME

    I don’t know how this is gonna end, but I gotta respect Dorothy for taking a chance ?

  58. Holly

    Walky couldn’t be more passive or non-responsive to that kiss. His body language has not changed an iota from “I’m just standing here trying tot alk to you”, the awkwardness is immense.

  59. Hydrohead

    All is fair in love and war, and Dorothy is going after the territory she wants.

  60. J.Gawain

    I want to say Happy Leap Day to everyone, but that sounds boring, so let’s hop around synonyms to see what pops up. hmm… Cheerful is still boring. Jolly rings of Christmas. Jovial might a tiny bit as well. Oooh, I like that one.

    Ebullient Leap Day, everyone!

    1. Schpoonman

      I’m reading Murtagh right now and this comment is extremely timely.

    2. Bicycle Bill

      Besides being ‘Leap Day’, today is by custom also ‘Sadie Hawkins Day’, Al Kapp’s comic-strip take on ‘Bachelor’s Day’, an old Irish tradition that allowed women to propose marriage to their swains on Leap Year Day.

    3. David DeLaney

      happy 1461st!

  61. JBento

    I see a whole lot of people discussing on whether this is good for Dorothy, but nobody talking about whether this is good for WALKY.

    Which, by the way, it isn’t. Dorothy is a terrible, overbearing, control freak of a partner, who wants to unilaterally dictate the terms of her relationships.

    1. Taffy

      It’s one kiss, he’s fine.

      1. HueSatLight

        Maybe it will finally knock her off that pedestal, do some good for both of them.

    2. GoblinBagsSumo

      …Yeaaaaah, I just don’t see that. Dorothy is also in the process of changing to chase after what she wants in life and accepting things the way they are. Are you sure you’re not talking about BILLIE here?

      1. JBento

        No. Jennifer is a whooooole set of different issues.

        Dorothy is the one that, when she got together with Walky, set it as “just for fun” and then, when she decided she wanted it to be more than just for fun, immediately reset it to something else.

    3. Bicycle Bill

      I met a woman on eHarmony about a month ago.   We communicated for about two weeks before she finally reached out, figuratively grabbed me by my shoulders, and yanked me out of my ‘safe space’ – which was A Very Good Thing for me – literally demanding that I meet her and take her out on a date.  It’s coming up this weekend, and I think it’s going to be epic.

      So if it’s good for real people IRL, it’s got to be good for Walky in the Dumbiverse.

      1. cbwroses

        Good luck.

      2. JBento

        Counterpoint: What would’ve been good for you was if she’d asked you out on a date as an equal and potential partner, instead of ordering you like a subordinate.

        1. Taffy

          Why don’t we let the grown adult decide that instead of litigating other humans’ relationships?

      3. Schpoonman

        The different context is so ridiculously night and day between these two scenarios that while it’s good for you it’s clearly not good for Walky.

      4. Mark

        Best wishes!

    4. Mturtle7

      AS I’ve said before, Walky really needs to time to himself to figure out who he is, and how to use the spine he recently stole back from his mom. Getting back together with Dorothy is 100% the opposite of what he needs right now!

  62. Steamweed

    “Oh joy a leap year day. Irregular month conjugation. Whoever invented this nonsense oughtta be stabbed.”

    *whisperwhisper

    “Oh good news!”

    1. David DeLaney

      gang dance-off between the Julians and the Gregorians follows

      –Dave, with the astronomers and UNIXians standing off to each side smirking

      1. StClair

        *snap snap snap*

        1. David DeLaney

          it’s the Musical of the Spheres

  63. Odo

    Yes, I support this.

    Walky doesn’t need “easy going and amicable”. He is practically the definition of easy going and amicable. Dorothy, meanwhile, needs someone to help her relax and feel like she is allowed to change and have fun without abandoning who she is.

    1. nicoleandmaggie

      I think both Walky and Dorothy need people who really see them and not just an idealized version of them. Walky definitely doesn’t see Dorothy. I don’t know if she really sees him either. (Walky and Amber work on that level, but I’m not sure about that viability either…)

      1. Odo

        ehhh I don’t know. I don’t think it is helpful to have someone put you on a pedestal, but it can be really helpful to have someone who believes in you. Walky doesn’t thing that Dorothy will never fail, he just has boundless faith that she can pick herself up again.

        I think the main issue in there relationship was Walky’s low self-esteem. He never felt good enough for her and blamed himself for holding her back and taking up her time. On the other side was Dorothy’s issue of feeling responsible for everyone. She never felt like she could accept help from Walky.

  64. Username Taken

    This could blow up and be awkward now, but it’ll make for a funny story for Dorothy and Joyce to tell their kids one day.

  65. Aslan

    Heck yeah, bring on the mess

  66. egg egg

    I’m not the biggest Fallout fan but I do enjoy mr Blue and Yellow due to Fallout.

  67. Hof1991

    Leap day? Happy 40th birthday to Frederic. He’s well out of his indentures. https://youtu.be/BIVeK8q6D4k?si=RSHMs-mmyBJXXqps

    1. Hof1991

      Wrong song. Its the Paradox song where it becomes clear that a leap year birthday makes him an apprentice until he 84. https://youtu.be/XXhJKzI1u48?si=XL6MPsCrw-eY1pwU

  68. Kaiyalai

    Panel four internal monologue: let’s make some bad decisions.

  69. superglucose

    Yes.

    Now go home and *fuck* you two.

    1. a/snow/mous/e

      that can be read in two very different ways…

  70. Taffy

    Way I see it, fuck what Lucy wants or how this could affect her. She’s not here right now. She doesn’t even live in the same building.

    1. Wereg

      Definitely with you there. The vibes are set to “They’re broken up” so these two single individuals can kinda do what they want and no one can really judge ’em.

      1. Taffy

        Oh, I don’t even give a shit if they’re broken up or not. It’s more entertaining to me when the characters misbehave and do Bad Morality™, lately.

  71. Bicycle Bill

    When I was growing up, sixty-some years ago, there was a song with a lyric that ran something like, “A boy chases a girl until she catches him.”  I think that’s what we’re seeing here.

    1. Mark

      ISTR a line “I chased her until she caught me” but Google didn’t find it. The music was something like reggae or calypso.

      There’s plenty of other hits on those words….

  72. Jdorr

    Honestly good on Walky for remembering the “probably” and reacting accordingly

  73. Skellig

    You had better tag Dave Williams in this comic IMMEDIATELLY Willis!

  74. Adept

    Well, it seems the analysis of Dotty needing a good roll in the hay is proving accurate.

  75. ElderlyMarxist

    side character has an impressive moustache

  76. Plaaaaaa

    Walky has been cockblocked all weekend and still resists? He’s got more spine than he realizes.

  77. Cloud

    Suddenly slipshine?

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