331

Arch-nemmy
Posted on May 17, 2025 by David M Willis

331 thoughts on “Arch-nemmy”

  1. shadowcell

    fast forward thirty years and for some reason becky is dorothy’s running mate

    1. Thag Simmons

      Let’s be real Becky would be the face and Dorothy would be like her trusted advisor

      1. GholaHalleck

        Dina would be the Face, Becky her VP goofy sidekick, Dottie would do all the paperwork.

        1. Clif

          Saruyama and MacIntyre in [floating year]
          Vote for the Velociraptor

        2. Tessea

          Joyce as the press secretary and Ruth and Jennifer as the leads of their secret service. A lot of femurs would be victimized over time.

        3. Deanatay

          Joyce as CJ Cregg? I could see that.

          Becks would make a good Bartlett – energetic, charismatic, religious, snarky.

          Ok, DoA to West Wing, looks like I’m doing this….

          Dotty is Leo, the secret power behind the throne.
          Amber is Toby, introverted and intense.
          Roz as VP (you dont give the VP to a friend, you give it to an annoying rival you need on your side for now.)
          Walky is Sam.
          Ethan is Josh.
          Dina is Abbey – nonpolitical, but fiercely defensive of The Pres.

        4. RedWarlock

          Dorothy would make a great secretary of state.

    2. Ray Radlein

      Thirty years is almost all of Willis’ current buffer, I think

  2. AnonGrouch

    I stand corrected.

    1. Clif

      I recommend sitting corrected. It’s much less tiring in the long run.

      1. AnonGrouch

        I like standing. Keeps my blood pressure higher and ready for action. Also it let’s me pace corrected. Gotta get in those steps!

        1. DJTsurugi

          frankly, I’m just glad they’re talking, I knew Becky wouldn’t pull her schtick if she saw Dorothy was actually upset. also the offer of hugs, if I didn’t know Willis wrote this in advance I’d think he was giving us a win. ~<3

        2. AnonGrouch

          Positive moment is positive yes.

      2. Yet_One_More_Idiot

        I’d prefer reclining corrected, personally. ^^

      3. Tesset

        I think usually running requires standing, not sitting.

    2. M!a

      …did you have a list to port? ?

      1. Erik

        I thought it listed to starboard…

  3. Charles Phipps

    Dorothy needs to sleep with Amazi-Girl.

    1. Charles Phipps

      Walky can date Amber.

      1. HueSatLight

        Strip over, perfect ending reached early.

    2. EpochFlame

      pretty sure sal’s taken

      1. Fiiiiilo

        Jennifer is that you?

    3. DJTsurugi

      Dorothy and Sal!? ~<3

  4. Longshot97

    Oh, Dorothy…

    It’s hard, when someone earnestly reaches out to comfort you, and all you can do is numbly acknowledge their efforts. It would feel terrible, but you don’t feel anything. Which should make you feel even more terrible. But you don’t.

    1. StClair

      “But later, you will. And you’ll remember this.”

  5. BBCC

    D’awwww! Becky is so sweet – she knows you sometimes have to drop the bit

    1. Steamweed

      “Don’t tell anyone I broke character. Gotta rep, y’know.”

    2. Derek

      the real question is why she was insisting on keeping up “the bit” for so long

      1. GholaHalleck

        Because change bad. Change means dad dies and friends are hostages and Dina turns into a twunk and starts growing feathers.

        Poking dotty is a stable part of her day that she can latch onto while things are swirling around her.

        1. Nadamás

          And because she thinks it’s funny, which I agree with.

        2. AnonGrouch

          Do enlighten me. Why is it funny. It seems meanspirited 9/10.

        3. Nadamás

          It find it funny because it is ridiculous and not mean to be taken seriously and nobody is harmed in any way.

        4. AnonGrouch

          ‘it is ridiculous’ is just describing the word funny not why you find it funny. The rest of your sentence is just an explanation of ‘what you think is a fair justification for the ‘joke’. So thanks for answering but didn’t really help me understand your perspective much.

        5. Nadamás

          Well I doesn’t any other way to explain it to you so I guess that’s that.

        6. Clif

          “How Many Psychologists Does It Take … to Explain a Joke?” Many, it turns out. – Giovanni Sabato writing in Scientific American.

        7. Risky

          The funny part is you are being ridiculous but not funny, and you don’t even know what that means, apparently.

        8. PhyrexianRogue

          Humor is weird like that, and can be very hard to explain. A lot of comedy is based on the unexpected, or (saying) things that demonstrably aren’t true, this is somewhat similar.

          It’s mean only when do you take it as serious, but for things like this there’s supposed to be an (unspoken) understanding that it obviously isn’t.

        9. Regret

          No, things can be funny without being ridiculous. They can also be absurd, surreal, or unexpected.

        10. Amara

          Mean and funny aren’t necessarily exclusive.

        11. Shade

          I have never once found thought she was serious.

      2. Meagan

        Yeah I’m with you.

      3. Risky

        Because it serves a purpose, it helps assuage her feelings about Dotty replacing her in Joyce’s life. She’s jealous so she acts jealous. And she has more right to be jealous than she ever knew. But she’s not going to kick her while she’s clearly down, especially because of their past conversations, but also because that’s not who she is. Becky sees Dotty as above her so she punches up at her, but Dotty is clearly very low right now, and Becky isn’t using the opportunity to punch down.

        Hopefully Dina’s raptor sense tingles (or Becky uses her previously demonstrated stealth communication techniques to summon her) and Becky and Dina hug Dotty until she calms down, if that’s what she needs. Warms up, calms down, reboots, whatever she needs. Goes to sleep, maybe. Depending on the timing, Joyce might even be home soon, which might also help. She did seem worried about D as she was leaving.

        1. justin8448

          Yeah, I see it this way – Becky did have reasons to be jealous of Dorothy when they first met, and there’s a good chance that Bekcy didn’t have a lot of capacity to deal with that jealousy in healthy way at the time.

          So which would be better? To secretly nurse that jealousy, and have it potentially undermine many of her most important relationships at crucial times? Or to turn her jealousy into a performance art that everyone knows isn’t entirely serious?

          Neither is a perfect way of dealing with jealousy. But the latter is probably much better for everyone.

      4. zee

        Because you gotta commit to the bit, till the day you die. You lay your life down for the bit. Only drop the bit for emergencies, like this one

        1. Nadamás

          The bit is love the bit is life.

        2. thejeff

          “We live for the bit. We die for the bit.”

      5. Darwin

        I mean this storyline may explain it – real but un-endorsed emotions masked as a bit, because she’s picking up some of what’s actually going on between the two and is actually broken up about it.

  6. StClair

    This is good.

  7. ZombieKyrik

    Becky is being surprisingly helpful right now, but how would she react to Joyce, and Dorothy, sharing an intimate moment?

    1. Thag Simmons

      I think it would hurt her, but I think she would try to rise to the occasion.

      1. Fiiiiilo

        To add onto this, I think any hurt she from learning about it would manifest itself over the course of a few days (in the comic).

      2. thejeff

        If it was working for Joyce and Dorothy (and assuming any concerns about cheating were out of the way), she’d sublimate any hurt and jealousy into the bit. She’d tease them mercilessly to cope with it.

        But again, like here, she’d drop that if they were hurting.

    2. Risky

      She’d be jealous. Probably guilty about the jealousy too. Luckily she has someone to help her work through those feelings.

    3. Needfuldoer

      The “nemesis” thing will stop being a bit at that point.

    4. ValdVin

      I am not surprised at Becky’s sincerity. She can be sassy and brassy on the outside, often, but on the inside she’s gold.

  8. V98

    Becky really does feel like everyone in her life is just five seconds away from jumping off a bridge. Poor girl. Survivor’s guilt sucks.

    1. RassilonTDavros

      Yyyyeppp.

    2. Ed Callahan

      Well, her mother committed suicide, her father was murdered in the course of his second attempt to kidnap Becky, which was part of a plant to kidnap her friends to blackmail Amber. That also resulted in Mike being fatally injured in a brawl with Amber’s father. And don’t forget various threats to Joyce. And that was just last year

  9. Opus the Poet

    Becky admits it was a bit, and they aren’t real enemies

    1. AnonGrouch

      Eeeeh, I think she and Dorothy are both ‘letting a lot of the genuine hostility in the past’ slide in recognition of her growing up as a person here.

      1. Thag Simmons

        My read is that the point of the bit is as an outlet for that.

        Becky has some complex feelings about Dorothy and her relationship with Joyce and playing heel is a way for her to let those out in a way that hopefully doesn’t actually hurt Dorothy.

        1. Meagan

          Projecting my own experience onto Dorothy, and based on some things from the actual comic, I do think it hurts her. I know I have find it incredibly emotionally exhausting when someone regularly antagonizes me “for fun.” (Or, ‘but it’s just a joke haha.”)

        2. Thag Simmons

          I’m sure it does still sting, and I think most people would have told Becky to knock it off by now. Dorothy is more patient and gracious than most

        3. PhyrexianRogue

          Very much depends on the individual and the joke. People are complicated, things that are considered fine or fun between some persons might be unwanted between others. Plenty of friend groups do things between them that would make me uncomfortable (which is why I’m not part of those groups), but that doesn’t make it a bad thing for them to do between each other.

          It’s almost impossible to judge such behavior on individual merits or outside perspective, it really depends on how the individuals engaged feel about it. For you it would be exhausting, but Dorothy seems to be perfectly fine with the pretend nemesis bit (even played along at times iirc).

          I think this is one of the first times Dorothy has been unhappy during the it, and Becky immediately dropped it. Presumably because the ‘not with you’ part could be taken as if being ‘nemeses’ was why Dorothy wouldn’t want to talk with her.

        4. CJ

          I don‘t really read Dorothy being ok with the constant needling. She‘s just bad at drawing boundaries in complicated close relationships.
          As they share a room, she doesn’t even have to option to walk out if it’s too much.

        5. zee

          I think that’s just your projection. Dotty has never once indicated that it hurt

        6. AnonGrouch

          I think your read is pretty spot on Thag Simmons. But I do also think that Becky ‘meant it more in the past than she does now.’ And I think Dorothy generally recognizes at least part of what Becky was going through enough to give her that pass. But I also think that even that recognition from Dorothy was a more recent development and therefore I say it is dynamic. I think Dorothy feels the need to take more punches than is possibly health in part due to her original goal in life but hasn’t really updated to a more sane/healthy/reasonable level of ‘letting people take the mic out of her’. Over all I think the Becky Dorothy dynamic is an evolving one and it’s been a good side arc for both of them as characters/people. Today’s (and yesterday’s in hindsight) strip is a good example of that evolution.

      2. Nadamás

        No, it is what opus said.

    2. Tawnee

      that quote about telling a lie often enough that i’m not going to quote exactly for obvious reasons.

    3. Nadamás

      Sometimes you gotta spell it out for the people in the back.

      1. MeghanTheDreamCrusher

        Spelling it out won’t do anything for me cause I can’t read

    4. Vanessa Pinter

      That’s nice for her but Dorothy has actual feelings that were battered and bruised. Becky has big abuser energy sometimes which I’m sure she learned from her dad, but it sure is a lot easier for the perp to say it was just a joke. Meanwhile the victim is still hurt and the perp hasn’t actually made amends.
      Of course Dorothy can’t express any of this since she doesn’t want to make Becky feel bad.

      1. Wraithy2773

        Dorothy’s previously indicated pretty clearly that she’s well aware that the whole “nemesis” thing was just play-acting.

        I fully appreciate Becky dropping all pretense and communicating it unambiguously here, of course, Dorothy’s going through shit and its worth being open and clear in case paranoid thoughts are seeping in. But the reason why Becky hasn’t said it outright before was because she got the sense from Dorothy that joke was mutually understood. I’m sure that if Dorothy had acted actually offended before now, Becky would’ve dropped the act.

        1. Rowan

          Dorothy has also indicated not enjoying the bit, which has not been enough for Becky to stop it

      2. Nadamás

        She also might not express any of this because it is not true and your own weird narrow interpretation doesn’t align with what actually happens in the strip. Please stop using the abusive in a situation where it doesn’t belong, it is pretty insensitive.

      3. Thag Simmons

        Becky is at worst overfamiliar and abrasive. Definitely behaviour that would get on your nerves, but calling it abusive is a wild overstatement

        1. DailyBrad

          Yeah, “abusive” is definitely not even slightly applicable here.

          It’s not like the comic hasn’t explored even sympathetic characters engaging in unsympathetic behavior, including verbal abuse. Amber was VERY out of line towards the end of her relationship with Danny, for example, which was a major reason for her ending it. Naturally, Ruth and Billie/Jennifer have also been shown both with toxic behavior and redeeming qualities, for another example.

          Virtually the only thing I could think of with Becky that’s remotely like Ross is both of them being resistant to change, and even that manifests very differently, in his case, by exerting control, something we’ve never really seen Becky do, which suggests to me that she takes after her mother significantly more than just in her appearance.

          I’m not saying Becky couldn’t be potentially toxic in some capacities, like we’ve seen a suggestion in the past during one of her church trips with Lucy that Becky seemingly harbors hope that Dina may eventually become Christian, too, but I mean, we also have seen Dina similarly hope Becky becomes an atheist like her. Neither one of them is engaging in manipulative behavior to try to force that outcome, but if Becky was going to exhibit abuse like her father, that’d almost certainly be where the story would go with it, to try to exert control in that area. That’s the only plausible avenue we’ve been presented so far for such an escalation.

      4. Freemage

        Please link to a couple of strips that make your case that Becky has ‘abuser energy’, or that she’s been constantly ripping down Dorothy. Mainly because I’d really, really like to know what strip it is that you’ve been reading.

        1. Nadamás

          Some people here had awakened the ability to see into parallel dimensions and sometimes they get a bit confused we should be patient.

      5. Meagan

        Thank you; I mentioned this above about being on the receiving end of “it’s just a joke” antagonism and how exhausting it is – often more exhausting than something that unambiguously crosses a line, because other people also tell you to just “not take it so seriously.”

        1. Nadamás

          Sorry that happened to you but you should try to separate your personal bad experiences from the comic since those two situations are very different. Dorothy isn’t being harmed in any way and once again she doesn’t care.

        2. AnonGrouch

          Um… No. Politely, back off. The entire point and joy of a comic and discussing a comic with others is that it is a VERY personal act that we relate our very personal experiences, opinions, and thoughts onto it. Meagan was sharing their own life experience and how it relates to their own perception of the situation. Telling someone else to ‘separate it from the comic’ is basically telling them to shut up and not bring it up as if it is relevant to the discussion. You are free to make your own assumptions and assertions of what Dorothy feels and thinks (as you do in that very line) based on your own experiences/opinions. But so is Meagan.

        3. Nadamás

          One can certainly relate to stuff that happens in a story that are in common with their experiences and use to make analysis , I does that myself thanks you very much, but that is a different thing from actively projecting those experiences in a part of a story where it doesn’t fit, and that muffles your view of what is actually happening.

        4. AnonGrouch

          Yeaaaah except for that bit where you are blatantly projecting what you think Dorothy’s internal feelings are and using that as an excuse to basically ‘tell someone how to interact with the comic/forum’??? Don’t do it, it isn’t neighborly or particularly in good etiquette for a forum.

          If you don’t see it that way or feel like you don’t care, that’s fine but I definitely will probably be pretty antagonistic in the future if that is the case and start assuming you are generally in bad faith (which I am currently am not doing because benefit of the doubt is the right call for this sort of stuff.)

        5. Nadamás

          Well fell free to do so and I will return the favor because you are putting a bunch of stuff in mouth and I don’t appreciate it.

        6. Svankensen

          Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. A lot of people see Becky’s past behaviour as harmful. Specially people that have lived something similar. You don’t. That’s on you.

        7. Nadamás

          I could also day that I and others don’t see it as harmful and they do and that is on them if you wanna go there.

        8. Freemage

          Here’s the thing–trauma can provide insight, but it can also provide blinders. If you read your personal trauma into others’ situations without any appreciation for the fact that they are not you, then you run the risk of doing damage, yourself.

          In the case of a comic like this, note that most of Becky’s defenders have been utterly unphased by her current demeanor, while her detractors have expressed varying levels of surprise. This would suggest that her conduct, and the consequences of that conduct, have never been as bad as the latter group has been insisting. (The other option would be to accuse Willis of bad or inconsistent characterization–but generally, again, that would lead to more people being surprised by the current conversation than actually are.)

        9. zee

          That’s all well and good but it crosses a line when someone is projecting their own experiences to call a teenage abuse survivor an abuser, when Becky is no where near that. That’s not cool, at all

        10. Nadamás

          Thanks you! I don’t know how that is so hard to understand.

        11. AnonGrouch

          Meagan never said those words so it’s irrelevant to my critique. of Nadamas’ behavior.

        12. zee

          No they just said “thank you” to and endorsed the comment calling Becky an abuser, while supporting it with their own experiences. Which is close enough for me

        13. Nadamás

          Btw I regret nothing I said and still believe it wholeheartedly ?

      6. zee

        No, she doesn’t. She’s literally always been chill about it because she knows it’s a bit. “Abuser energy” is a genuinely insane thing to say. Get out

        1. zee

          Like, reported bc that’s genuinely disgusting wtf. “This teenage victim of mental and physical abuse who grew up in a cult is actually abusive bc shes annoying and commits too hard to the bit bc she is only just now being taught what boundaries are”.

  10. apricot

    really feeling for dorothy right now

  11. NGPZ

    hug hug hug hug hug hug o3o

    1. spriteless aunty

      *steals a hug*

  12. Laura

    *Again, plays “Someone Like You” on the hacked laptop…*

  13. Yotomoe

    Becky, it’s not a good bit if only one of you is in on it and is unilaterally enjoying it. That’s called being a dick.

    1. AnonGrouch

      This ^

      Also I hope you have a wonderful day Yotomoe.

    2. Nadamás

      Dorothy literally just said that she is in on it, she knows Bakcy doesn’t meant any of it’s and that she is a good friend, she has shown that she doesn’t mind.

      1. AnonGrouch

        I think the truth is way more dynamic than that on this issue. Dorothy and Becky have both changed a lot in a short amount of time.

        1. Thag Simmons

          Eh, I think it settled into “Becky is playing her insecurities into an exaggerated joke” and Dorothy recognized what was going on within a few days of knowing her.

      2. DailyBrad

        Yeah, she’s acknowledged it’s a bit repeatedly. Sometimes with annoyance, sometimes with mild amusement, but usually just kind of taking it as Becky being a bit cage about being vulnerable with people. Like, keep in mind, Becky was guarded with Leslie, too, or Becky not wanting Joyce to know she lost her virginity at first. (Granted, Becky and her were fighting at the time, but I don’t think it was just about potential I-told-you-sos).

        I think that Dorothy would prefer to not deal with the bit, generally, and just earnestly acknowledge being friends, but it doesn’t typically seem to bug her outside of it sometimes complicating things when the two are trying to deal with Joyce in some way.

        1. thejeff

          Basically this. Dorothy knows it’s a bit and doesn’t really enjoy it, but it’s not a huge deal for her.
          It’s a character flaw for Becky to push it anyway, but a fairly minor one. Part of her emotional armor. Akin to her needling Joyce to get her to make faces.

      3. Yotomoe

        Understanding something is a bit and enjoying it are two different things. I see “being *in* on the bit” as…reciprocating the bit. Feeding into the bit. Joining the bit. If Becky is doing the bit and dorothy just says “yeah yeah ok” and Becky continues it for her own amusement, she’s being a dick.

        1. Meagan

          ^Have my upvote^

        2. Nadamás

          “Being in on the bit” literally just mean knowing the bit exist. Becky would be a dick if Dorothy went to her and told her “Hey the nemesis bit is making me uncomfortable and fell bad could you stop” of similar and she keep doing it. Dorothy ha snot done that or anything similar so I don’t think Becky is anything but a harmless jester.

        3. Yotomoe

          Dorothy isn’t participating in the bit. The “joke” of the bit is that Becky antagonizes Dorothy. At best Dorothy seems indifferent to the bit. At Worst Dorothy has found it annoying. Becky continues to do the bit cuz Becky finds it fun, regardless of whether or not Dorothy enjoys the bit or not. Dorothy is not participating in the Bit. It’s moreso happening TO her rather than WITH her.
          One thing I’ve learned in my life is if you constantly make a joke and you’re the only one laughing, then maybe it’s a joke you’re better off not making.

        4. Nadamás

          I don’t have anything else to add to this, I already made my fellings clear I would just copy paste my previous comment.

        5. Risky

          Hm, seems like Dorothy has participated it in before. Is that not the case? She’s not now but clearly it’s not happening now.

        6. Fuzzy

          I don’t remember her ever participating. The most I remember is her acknowledging the bit. But maybe someone else remembers and can provide a link for us?

        7. Anna

          No, Dorothy hasn’t really participated in it – for some reason Becky’s just kept insisting that Dorothy must hate her and/or see her as a rival.

        8. deliverything

          So, I decided to dig through the archives and determine how Dorothy feels about this whole thing, for the sake of multiple threads on this page; posting it here instead of elsewhere in the comment section for no particular reason. Hopefully this comment won’t get blocked for having too many links…
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/03-the-butterflies-fly-away/rivalry/ (seems to be the first mention of their “rivalry”)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/03-the-butterflies-fly-away/truce/ (the only other rivalry-related strip I found prior to Becky telling Dorothy she’d been made Robin DeSanto’s campaign manager, and it’s about making a temporary truce)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/03-sometimes-the-sky-was-so-far-away/pinata/ (after telling Dorothy about the campaign manager job, Becky claims Dorothy finally, finally hates her, and attempts to continue basking in this victory despite Dorothy’s evident lack of hate — while she’d been upset at the revelation at first (she’d been optimistically thinking, two strips prior, that her hard work and dedication might earn her an entry-level position by the time she’s 23, then learned Becky just fell into one without really trying), she never bore a grudge toward Becky for it)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-10/01-birthday-pursuit/nemesis-3/ (Becky again claims they’re enemies, Dorothy again denies it (citing their history of going to each other for advice as counter-evidence); Becky restricting Dorothy’s pizza choices seems to be the first on-panel time their supposed enmity has gone beyond words… if she actually did more than simply claim she would)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-11/01-this-bright-millennium/groove/ (another case of claimed and disputed enmity, this time punctuated with Becky’s coat on the floor and Dorothy picking it up; the following strip ends with Becky “rooting for” Dorothy getting accepted to Yale, with the implication that she’s trying to get rid of her)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-11/01-this-bright-millennium/maskin/ (Becky has the clichéd idea of dividing their shared room with masking tape)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-11/01-this-bright-millennium/bff/ (Dorothy helpfully summarises their supposed rivalry, as she sees it)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-11/02-look-straight-ahead/backasswards/ (Becky and Dorothy briefly discuss their respective political prospects and related matters, but click through to the following strip to find how, about five and a half years of strips after the rivalry was first mentioned, Becky finally discovered a way to get Dorothy to lose her cool (momentarily, that is))
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-11/02-look-straight-ahead/blackboards/ (Becky attempts to make the subject of whether Joyce needs glasses into a contest)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2021/comic/book-11/02-look-straight-ahead/attempts/ (Dorothy gets empathetic at Becky, who asks why she can’t be petty; Becky rallies back to being competitive in the following strip)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2021/comic/book-11/02-look-straight-ahead/burst-3/ (Dorothy encourages Becky to help Joyce cope with her medical examination)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2021/comic/book-11/02-look-straight-ahead/dorothyzero/ (Becky deflects Dorothy’s advice by returning the topic to their rivalry)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2021/comic/book-11/04-hompk/peacedonut/ (Peace donut. The following strip includes Becky attempting to explain how this gift was not actually an act of friendship; Dorothy plays into the rivalry by their evident friendship was the consequence of her sustained manipulations, evil genius style)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2021/comic/book-11/04-hompk/prettyday/ (Becky deliberately lets an opportunity slide)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2021/comic/book-11/05-as-long-as-its-free/pile-2/ (introduction of the Pile of Lesbos; the following strip helps clarify their friendship (frenemyship?) somewhat)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2021/comic/book-11/05-as-long-as-its-free/facebookinvite/ (more on Dorothy’s opinion of Becky’s untidiness)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2021/comic/book-12/01-sister-christian/shallowgrave/ (rival team-up! More on this in the following strip)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2022/comic/book-12/04-dont-stop-billie-ving/judgyjudgy/ (Becky attempts to make a deal; Dorothy unsuccessfully attempts to alter it)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2022/comic/book-12/04-dont-stop-billie-ving/archnemesis/ (Yet another disputed claim of enmity)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2022/comic/book-12/04-dont-stop-billie-ving/kablooey/ (a mere two strips after the previous link, they’re on the same mental wavelength with regard to Joyce and medication)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2023/comic/book-13/02-turning-saints-into-the-sea/logicholes/ (more on Yale, and reasons not)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2024/comic/book-14/04-for-me-it-was-tuesday/radcollegemischiefstuff/ (Becky’s acting resentful of Joyce having had a night out with Dorothy but not with her)
          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/book-15/03-me-and-who-you-say-i-was-yesterday/radchickemergency/ (after Dorothy starts realising she’s maybe not a Kinsey 0, Becky unintentionally compounds her musings in a more Becky-like way than she’d likely have achieved intentionally)

          There were a few other brief mentions, but this seems to be all the important ones. And most of the unimportant ones, probably. I maybe overdid it a little here… Anyway, while Dorothy may have found it a little tiresome at times, she only seemed ever to actually be annoyed twice, and one of those was when Becky ruined her own joke. For roommates, that’s a pretty good track record.

          Just to add: I can certainly understand how many people would find the fake rivalry unpleasant if they had to deal with it themselves; I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to stand it. But Dorothy seems to deal with it just fine.

        9. Yumi

          I think this does a good job of showing how it was *mostly* a joke– there were a few moments, generally involving Dorothy’s closeness with Joyce, where Becky seemed more actually opposed to Dorothy. Also, early on, I think Dorothy was confused about what was going on, and I think the balance of actual jealousy/dislike to play on Becky’s part was higher; as she got to know Dorothy, she started to actually like her for her, but the stuff with Joyce is still kind of a sore spot (jealousy trigger) for her.

        10. Thag Simmons

          The line between being funny and being a dick is thin and context dependant

          Dorothy clearly isn’t that bothered, but she’s not exactly an enthusiastic participant either. It’s something she can tolerate, but she would still probably prefer Becky stop

        11. thejeff

          Which you can see as being a dick if you want, but on the scale of dicks, it’s a pretty low one, given the “clearly isn’t that bothered” part.

        12. Freemage

          Actually, go up and look at a lot of the strips in deliverything’s mega-post, a couple above yours, Thag Simmons. In several of those, Dorothy’s facial expressions consist of amused side-eyes, smug victory faces, and so on. Even earlier on, she’s more confused than annoyed.

    3. GholaHalleck

      Its like her high school friendship with Joe! Only with four boobs instead of three!

      1. Nadamás

        What does that even mean??

        1. GholaHalleck

          Joe and Dotty’s HS relationship was caustic, Joe possibly thought it was Banter but Dottie didn’t.

          Becky and Dotty’s relationship is fake caustic, with them both aware its Banter.

          Becky and Dotty both have two boobs. So four boob.

          Joe WAS a boob. Singular. So three boob.

    4. Kyulen

      Same. Becky’s “arch-enemies with Dorothy” bit has never really seemed funny to me. It always has seemed more mean-spirited. Of course I don’t know how Dorothy feels about it, but I wouldn’t like someone who acted that way towards me, even if they thought it was just joking.

      1. thejeff

        And I think that’s a lot why people react so strongly to it. “I wouldn’t like someone who acted that way towards me”. But to hold that against Becky, you also have to assume she’d continue it, even if Dorothy was reacting badly to it.

        1. Freemage

          And Dorothy is clearly NOT reacting badly to it, either in the moment or afterwards. If anything, she enjoys reminding Becky that they are friends, specifically because it DOES play into the ‘rivalry’, by proving Becky wrong. She doesn’t initiate, but she absolutely participates, just in a very meta fashion.

    5. Andy

      The failure mode of clever is asshole. Becky goes up to that line. But if she thought she was actually hurting Dorothy she would stop. Especially if she thought it was affecting her mental health. She has too much person experience of that.

    6. DashWallkick

      Dorothy *is* in on it. You can literally see her deliberately ignore the attempts to cause more friction and Becky rolls with it. They’re friends, they just pretend not to be because it gives Becks comfortable distance she needs.

  14. Schpoonman

    The whole monkey paw curled? Oh geez, oh fuck.

    1. Steamweed

      I think the middle finger was uncurled again. But it ain’t giving a wish…

      1. MeghanTheDreamCrusher

        The middle finger coming out is when the monkey makes its wish

        1. M!a

          Most likely, to get its friggin paw back.

      2. Wraithy2773

        I really feel for Dorothy here, because I’ve been in that place before. Hell, might be a bit in there now.

        Not the “suddenly realized I’m bi for my best friend who’s off banging someone I’ve disliked for years”, of course. But being in that place where you kinda do need to ask for help, but you’ve built yourself up so much internally as either not needing help or not wanting to admit you need help or stuff like that.

        You feel like you’re at war with yourself, one part demanding action, the other part saying “no, no, we can’t do that, we’re building our entire mindset on not doing that!”, and even when you know that’s the shit that’s going on, its tough to just fucking push through that barrier and actually do what you know you should do.

        Blegh. Its not a fun feeling, obviously…

        1. Wraithy2773

          …this was supposed to be new comment, not a reply. *kicks comment system that really could be less ambiguous and goes to repost*

        2. Schpoonman

          I think this is the first time this has happened to me on this site, this was fun!

        3. Yumi

          One time I posted a comment with some heavy personal stuff in it in relation to the comic, and I got a reply in the wrong place under it; the commenter was very sorry it ended up there, but I also found it pretty humorous and thought it lightened the mood.

  15. True Survivor

    Do you think if you use a monkey’s paw to make a wish that would be objectively terrible, the paw twists the wish to have highly beneficial unintended consequences or does it just grant the wish in such a way that the outcome is even worse than what you asked for?

    1. StClair

      Trying to outwit the DM cursed artifact is a good way to get extra screwed, just out of spite.

      1. Meagan

        Agreed, but what if someone is “evil” and truly wants that terrible thing to happen?

        1. Risky

          The first wish is for money, and someone they love is mangled by a machine and dies, granting them money. The second is for that person to return, and there is a knock at the door. The third wish is whispered in a panic, and there is no one there when the door opens. In theory the third wish may have had no negative consequences. The second may have created a zombie or a ghost, horribly mangled. The first consequence was grisly death. If someone is evil, what would they do differently? Wish for the world to end? The paw might just end their world by killing them, or maybe just destroy everything they hold dear while leaving the rest of the world intact. Wish for their grandpa to die so they can get the life insurance? Grandpa kills himself, invalidating the life insurance. Or grandpa had already changed his beneficiary, or grandpa has a heart attack and is pronounced dead but then has a miraculous but medically possible recovery when someone trips and accidentally elbow slams him in the ribs. What do you think?

        2. Steamweed

          Former English teacher here. Some of my students got _way_ too much into discussing what happened with the second and third wishes. And how they should have instead worded those wishes.

        3. Steamweed

          It supposedly gives you the opposite of whatever you really want. Destiny, fate, karma, etc, smacks you upside the head. Whatever is personally the worst outcome of your wish.

    2. HueSatLight

      Worse. The monkey’s paw is adversarial. it cannot be manipulated like the guard who can only tell falsehoods.

    3. James

      Honestly the Monkey’s Paw didn’t really twist the wishes in the original story, it just took a straight line to granting them that the people making the wishes didn’t anticipate.

      You could, theoretically, be perfectly fine as long as you worded your wishes very carefully. Even if assuming you could do so without access to trial and error is definitely the kind of hubris that results in getting turbo-cursed.

      1. Shade

        I’m just remembering that Treehouse of Horror episode where Homer used the last wish on the monkey’s paw for a turkey sandwich and it was the most detail wish of the episode and the best the paw could do was make the turkey a “little” dry.

    4. Thag Simmons

      Monkey’s Paws in my experience tend towards malevolence, so if you give them a wish that is already straightforwardly bad they might just grant it as given.

  16. IntangibleMatter

    Dorothy is still looking like a point-and-click protagonist today, she’s not doing well

    1. Schpoonman

      Reminds me of the first thing H. Jon Benjamin does to get into character for Bob: Slouch his shoulders.

  17. Doopyboop

    I can’t believe Becky just threatened to hurl Dorothy off a cliff and piss on her as she falls.

    1. GholaHalleck

      don’t promise Dottie a good time now.

    2. Yotomoe

      It’s a pretty difficult shot all things considered. I’d be more impressed than insulted.

      1. Clif

        I somehow feel I could manage both.

        1. Thag Simmons

          well the first one is both not particularly impressive and a necessary prerequisite to the second

        2. zee

          That depends on whether god gave you a hose or a tap, bc one of those is significantly easier

        3. Yumi

          Becky has a tap, but she bought an STP device for this exact purpose. She even paid for the rush shipping.

  18. Charles Phipps

    Dorothy: I feel about your joking hazing the same way as I felt about Joe calling me a lesbian.

    Becky: I mean you’d make an awesome one.

    Dorothy: AHHHHHHHH

    1. Nadamás

      She explicitly does not tho. I don’t know if you are joking but the lesbian thing was a big part of why she felt so strongly against Joe, which she just does not fell for Becky or any of her antics.

      1. Charles Phipps

        I feel like thats literally the punchline?

        1. Nadamás

          The punchline to what?

        2. Clif

          The joke.

  19. Dot

    Becky spells out what many seem to not understand: she does not hate Dorothy, her jealousy was always exaggerated, and that she is probably the best person Dorothy could possibly be talking to about what she’s going through. Will Dorothy apply that information? It would be a good decision, so chances aren’t looking great!

    1. GholaHalleck

      Becky might not be the best one to hear Dorothy’s new found change in sexuality at the moment though.

      What with her current “WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT’S FLUID?!” panic episode.

      the best one to help her figure out how to still be friends with Joyce while wanting to be a mantis in her pantis? Sure, But the rest of the issue could put them BOTH in vaporlock.

      1. DailyBrad

        You bring up a fantastic point, actually. I think that Becky’s ongoing issue with orientation identity is a much more pressing issue than it specifically being Joyce. I hadn’t even considered that until your comment, and damn, I’m thinking that’s going to wind up being part of this story by the time it’s all said and done.

        1. Meagan

          Yeah I hadn’t thought of that either and it all suddenly seems to be clicking into place.

        2. GholaHalleck

          I REALLY want Willis to explore Becky more, she’s got a lot of really interesting threads for content and conflict.

        3. Yumi

          This is why Becky is one of my favorite characters; she’s really interesting.

    2. Shakes

      I think some people just can’t put themselves in the minds of characters and see from their point of view.

      Like, there’s always someone saying “Why is character doing [THING WITH UNINTENDED BAD CONSEQUENCE?]” in the comments seemingly not understanding that the character lacks vital knowledge they have.

      1. Clif

        One source is an inability to track and allow for what a character does and doesn’t know. Another source is projecting their own experiences onto the characters whether the same circumstances are present or not. And then some people are simply unable to make inferences from reasonable clues.

        Of course, if some of us didn’t have wrong opinions, what would the rest of us have to make fun of?

        By wrong opinions I mean those which differ from my own or course.

        1. Shakes

          I find most opinions in this comment section not so much “wrong” as “baffingly serious to the point of moral grandstanding”.

      2. DailyBrad

        Right, and sometimes, that they have reasons to gravitate towards a negative choice that ties into their experiences, etc.

    3. Steamweed

      This comic ain’t titled “Good Deciding of Age”. 😛

  20. Dante

    Yay! She verbalized this!!

    No, I mean with full sincerity, I’m so glad she broke character sdgsdj it’s the mature, kind decision, and it’s a good sign of how Becky’s mental health has gotten steadier. Dorothy needs the hugs and looks like she’d accept them too :33

    1. veggiemail

      Clear and open communication, you love to see it!

      1. Jon S.

        Yes. But don’t get used to it.

  21. Steamweed

    Canary and Harley, in the alley.

    1. Raven

      I understand that reference!

      1. Steamweed

        Ah! I see you, too, are a person of culture and refinement! <3

  22. TheFungus

    I was gonna say the difference between a bully and a teasing friend is that the latter is still a friend, they might be an asshole or curmudgeon but they’ll always have your back in the end, a lot of people mistake Becky for the first but Dotty has always been a friend they’re sitcom nemesis it’s how she shows affection without being sincere. But then all that kinda got spelled out right here on the page.

    1. StClair

      We also saw how she did this to her best friend Joyce – poke her to get “funny” reactions. (Which I did not like.)
      It’s good to have confirmation that she recognizes there are times when this is not appropriate.

  23. EtchJetty

    i feel like “dont worry dorothy, joyce loves you more than anyone on the planet” IS THE WRONG TACK HERE AJHSFDNKASDGKJADSFGHSDG

    im explosion one million years rn. this comic man ??????????

    1. Shade

      Well to be fair Becky don’t know that.

  24. Pocky

    I’m glad they are finally havin the talk

    how long til she blurts what she wanted to do with Joyce?

    1. Steamweed

      I’m hoping that eventually Dotty does open up and tell Becky, eventually Becky understands and accepts, and they both have a newer, more authentic bond over mutual Joyce-lusting. Possibly with Becky resuming her humor and being “Ah ha you are my arch nemmy of secret plans” in public and Dotty being “hey sshhh not so loud!” But I’m realistic enough to know we ain’t going in that direction.

  25. Mym

    What if Becky secretly ships them harder than I do

    1. DailyBrad

      Not impossible, but I think her and Dina were early supporters of Joe and Joyce being a thing and have pretty much given that their blessing. Not mutually exclusive necessarily, but he definitely won them over earlier than he did Dorothy or Sarah. It probably helps that they had certain contexts those two lacked, like Dina would have been aware of a lot of Joe and Amber’s humanizing interactions, likely, for example.

    2. Thag Simmons

      I would be very surprised if that was the case

    3. Wraithy2773

      I doubt it, honestly. I think Becky just has too much baggage in her own unrequited feelings towards Joyce for her to be rooting for Joyce to get with any other woman. It’d stop being “Joyce can’t love me because she’s not attracted to women”, which while painful, is at least a hard barrier that can’t be blamed on anyone.

      And yeah, Becky’s very much in love with Dina and that is wonderful and happy and all of that, but I doubt she’s at the point where she’s over her whole life-long love of Joyce either…

  26. Max

    The turkey’s a little dry.
    When you’re finished with the monkey’s paw, I’d be happy to take it off your hands.

    1. NGPZ

      Dorothy should really go for a midnight snack!

      honestly would do her good to treat herself to some cheesecake

      or at least some graham crackers and milk

  27. ian livs

    I’m glad Becky has clearly communicated this. Whether Dorothy was aware before or not, it’s good to reiterate it plainly when she’s clearly in a bad mental place.

    Also, “arch-nemmy” is adorable and I’m gonna call my work “nemesis” this from now on. He’s gonna “hate” it

  28. DailyBrad

    I anticipated something like this yesterday, but I wasn’t expecting the phrasing to even be the same, “bit” and all.

    I wonder if Dorothy will tell her. I sort of am going to call my shot and say that, if she does, Becky might joke that *she* got to kiss Joyce and seal the deal, but I also could see if she doesn’t do that, and instead maybe jokes that Joyce is the Typhoid Mary of sapphic feelings, clearly.

  29. Raven

    Didn’t really feel like a bit, Becky

    1. Nadamás

      Well, it is. Whatever you fell it was it’s irrelevant.

      1. aelfwine

        In that case, “Well it wasn’t. And whatever Becky claims it was is irrelevant.”

        1. Bittersweet

          Except it was and Dorothy repeatedly acknowledged it was, Becky has repeatedly said/hinted it was, and Dorothy even played into it at points?

        2. Taffy

          Look, you have to stop understanding the comic. It makes stupid people very upset.

    2. Justnobodyfqwl

      I like this thing DOA commenters do where, when a character turns to the camera and makes their subtext text, they still address the character like they’re real in order to say they don’t believe that.

    3. zee

      Nah it really did

    4. DashWallkick

      As I said yesterday, there were always peeks behind the veil. Remember “didja get into Yale yet? Tell me if you do, fingers crossed, rootin for ya.”

      1. thejeff

        Well of course that was part of the bit. Rooting for her to leave, right?

    5. Astariel

      It really did feel like a bit. Because it was.

  30. TheKelliestKelly

    The alt text has me dying. This is why I still visit the site every day even though I see the comic early on Patreon

    1. Schpoonman

      Alt text is one of webcomics’ greatest strengths as a medium and seeing artists like Willis use it so expertly is inspiring.

      1. Nadamás

        Your mom is one of webcomics greatest strengths.

        1. Schpoonman

          Gesundheit.

        2. Proxiehunter

          For a nickle.

    2. Steamweed

      Good times to revisit the old stuff.

  31. Reltzik

    …. so I’m confused. Is this the frenemies trope, or is it the opposite of the frenemies trope?

    1. Clif

      Both.

    2. yak

      they’re arch-nemmys, it’s right in the title.

    3. Steamweed

      Arch-nemmy is a sub-trope of the main frenemies trope. Keep in mind this one is moderated by the enemy compassion veneer. The troping is mostly on Becky’s part; Dotty doesn’t reciprocate (yet).

    4. DashWallkick

      Yes.

  32. HueSatLight

    Dorothy: “ok… I can’t stop thinking about how Leslie’s name is Leslie Bean, like ‘lesbian’. And Dina’s name is Dina Saruyama, like Dina-Saur. Other Rachel’s last name is Moore, like more Rachel. Mary was dating Peter Paul, like Peter Paul and Mary. Do you think… do you think maybe we’re not real, and are all this is just for the amusement of some twisted cosmic beings?”

    1. Meagan

      Hell yes.

    2. Clif

      “Do you think… do you think maybe we’re not real, and are all this is just for the amusement of some twisted cosmic beings?”

      Tell me, what do you know of quantum physics, surreal numbers or human history?

      1. MeghanTheDreamCrusher

        So I’d never heard of surreal numbers, and googled it hoping it would make me go “oh wow” or just freak out or something. Instead I was reminded why I nearly flunked math

      2. HueSatLight

        I know quantum is a favorite word of woo peddlers.

        1. Clif

          The way the universe works on a fundamental level is too absurd to be real. Or at least that’s what I’m implying.

        2. Steamweed

          One set of mathematics shows that square roots of negative numbers can’t exist.

          One set of mathematics is entirely based on square roots of negative numbers.

          Guess which one the universe seems to prefer. 😀

        3. HueSatLight

          There’s probably countless possible sets of mathematics. More intuitive or earlier formulated doesn’t mean we should expect it to more accurately describe reality.

        4. Steamweed

          Oh, definitely there are countless (i.e., infinite) possible sets of mathematics. Mathe-magician acquaintance of mine tells me so.

        5. HueSatLight

          that’s woo. is what I’m saying explicitly.

        6. Taffy

          There is no such thing as woo. You’re being swindled.

        7. HueSatLight

          yes, exactly.

        8. Taffy

          Woah.

        9. thejeff

          And yet quantum mechanics works. It’s fundamentally too weird to understand, but predictions made with the math work.
          There are definitely people who peddle woo wrapped in quantum mechanical language, but the physics itself is solid.

        10. HueSatLight

          didn’t say it didn’t work. “too absurd to be real” is woo. “fundamentally too weird to understand” is quitter talk when looking at something counterintuitive.

    3. Steamweed

      Fourth Wall Pantheistic Multiple-ego Solipsism (FWPMS) comes to DoA.

    4. Wereg

      Dorothy achieving CHIM isn’t on my bingo card, but I’d be delighted if it happened

  33. Wraithy2773

    I really feel for Dorothy here, because I’ve been in that place before. Hell, might be a bit in there now.

    Not the “suddenly realized I’m bi for my best friend who’s off banging someone I’ve disliked for years”, of course. But being in that place where you kinda do need to ask for help, but you’ve built yourself up so much internally as either not needing help or not wanting to admit you need help or stuff like that.

    You feel like you’re at war with yourself, one part demanding action, the other part saying “no, no, we can’t do that, we’re building our entire mindset on not doing that!”, and even when you know that’s the shit that’s going on, its tough to just fucking push through that barrier and actually do what you know you should do.

    Blegh. Its not a fun feeling, obviously…

    (reposting because it was originally in a reply to someone because this comment software can be weirdly confusing at times)

  34. not someone else

    Oh thank god.

    This is the only thing I ever wanted to see for Becky’s character: yes, she is in fact capable of completely dropping the act when it’s important, even to someone she has a couple of actual reasons to dislike and not just her girlfriend or bestie-for-ev-sties.

    I am now a fan.

    1. not someone else

      I know a lot of people guessed this because it was very reasonable to extrapolate, but like. In this comic I feel like I can’t take anything at all for granted.

  35. Li

    Accidentally crystallized my feelings on the “Becky’s doing a bit” thing in a reply to DailyBread on yesterday’s comments, might as well re-post it here:

    I don’t think it’s completely serious, but I don’t think it’s completely a joke, either. I think Becky’s doing that thing where you express genuine feelings with a veil of humor, because it doesn’t feel socially acceptable to express the feelings directly.

    More specifically, in Becky’s case, I think she was hecka jealous of Dorothy, jealous of Dorothy’s closeness to Joyce, even though she (I assume, we may yet find out differently) didn’t actually think Dorothy was anything but straight — and that she knew it wasn’t fair to be jealous of Dorothy, and that expressing jealousy directly would do nothing but make everyone (Joyce included) and everything uncomfortable and awkward.

    So, jokes and bits and trying, inside, to push the jealousy down and get over it without ever letting it become a real problem for Joyce or Dorothy. Fake it ’til you make it, but in this case it’s more like “keep pretending like this rivalry is 100% a joke until it’s true”.

    Or at least, I think that was the goal. How well it worked? YMMV, obviously.

    1. Leon

      Her antagonism is a bit but it’s a cover for real sadness that hasn’t been gotten over one bit (this was only like a day ago) and I’d say the jealously has only intensified as time has gone on observing Dorothy/Joyce. She pretty much outright said Dorothy was sexually threatening to her and that was only implicit before. This is why I think it’s optimistic to think Becky would be immediately cool with this development or already knows about it like other characters do.

    2. Dante

      Yotomoe got it, for me.

      Because while I do think Becky’s motivations are nuanced, and yeah Dorothy gets why would she be like this… Yeah it’s just. It’s just not very funny if it’s a monologue instead of a back and forth, yanno? So I’m very glad tonight’s strip has her lowering the mask: I think Becky can be a great friend to her friends!! When he shows it.

      Which is almost all of the time (being a good friend, that’s it)… Except when the bit gets in the way (which in Dorothy’s case is basically always except when shit’s too real. In which case Becky does back off, like tonight. It just really wish it wasn’t such a rare thing with Dorothy, y’know?

  36. Yotomoe

    I am often rude and cruel to my friends as a joke but usually if I sense they’re not laughing along with me I pull back. Also I tend to also accept any ribs they send back at me jovially. As well as a healthy dose of self deprecating humor here and there. The reason Becky’s humor style rubs me the wrong way is because she’s just sorta unilaterally pretending to not like Dorothy and Dorothy doesn’t seem to be…participating. She just has to accept that Becky is gonna pretend to be mean to her instead of engaging with her in a normal fashion. At BEST it means Becky will more often than not just not be fun to talk to, because a conversation where one party is pretending to not like the other is kinda limiting, inherently. And Annoying.

    I don’t know what Dorothy is thinking or how she feels about Becky’s Joke. But having been on the receiving and delivery end of both I’ll just say. It can very easily be very unappealing. Like even if the bit wasn’t antagonistic and Becky decided “My gimmick is I’m gonna pretend I’ve never heard of the internet” and everytime Dorothy asked her about youtube or something Becky was like “what’s a youtube? is it some kinda personalized tv?” you’d be like “ok I don’t really wanna talk to her anymore, we’re not having a real conversation.”

    1. HueSatLight

      It’s immature of her, something she needs to work on. Knowing when to let a joke go. Walky’s got to work on it too.

      1. Yotomoe

        I concur. That’s sorta my read. Becky acknowledging it was always just a bit is fine. Unsurprising even. But intentional or not it just seemed like nobody was ever laughing along with it. Knowing when to drop the mask and be real someone is a good thing to learn. And I’m FINE with Becky being bad at that. But I’m also not gonna sit here and pretend like I don’t think it’s a character flaw.

        1. HueSatLight

          Thinking about this last night, I no longer see Walky and Jennifer together. Because while Dorothy is a people pleaser who so far hasn’t said “could you give it a rest” to Becky, Jennifer makes it clear to Walky that she does not enjoy his teasing and it seems to encourage him.
          It’d be so refreshing if Dorothy said here, “let’s just not go back to it ever.”

        2. Yumi

          In regards to Jennifer and Walky, I think k it’s also worth noting that it’s not like she’s nice to Walky herself. She’s often mean in ways that certainly don’t seem like jokes, while he responds in a teasing way that frustrates her. It’s reasonable for either not to want to hang out with the other now, but Jennifer seems pretty “can dish it out but can’t take it” in their relationship.

        3. thejeff

          Big older sibling, annoying younger sibling energy.

        4. Nadamás

          Well she would if she’s actually minded, which she doesn’t.

        5. Li

          I do think there’s a tendency (because we are only human, tbqh) to project onto these characters. Because we (general “we”) are tired of Becky’s schtick and would be hurt by it if we were in Dorothy’s place, there’s a tendency to assume that’s how she’s feeling, too, and that she must not be objecting for a different reason (like being too much of a people-pleaser).

          IDK where I fall on the spectrum for this one, personally. I’m not sure we’ve seen enough data from Dorothy to actually know whether Dorothy minds.

          But I kind of feel like if she really minded, she would’ve broken by now, the way she’s snapped at Jennifer a few times.

        6. zee

          I mean pointing it out as a character flaw is fine, as long as you’re not literally calling her an abuser lol

        7. thejeff

          I think “character flaw” is the right way to think about it, but it’s commonly taken here as much worse than that. (Or alternately as completely fine and healthy behavior, which also isn’t true.)

          I don’t think it’s quite meant as a joke though. It’s a bit, but it’s part of Becky’s suite of defense mechanisms rather than just an attempt to be funny for no real reason.

    2. 3oranges

      Also maybe worth remembering that Dorothy has learned not to take it personally, but the “bony poindexters” at the start seemed like a real insult, to the point where Walky commented that she deserved a punch. Becky hasn’t been very nice to Dorothy. She knows this too, as per these last two comics.

      1. StClair

        Agreed.

      2. Sirksome

        I often think of this moment when the “it’s just a bit” debate comes up.

        https://www.dumbingofage.com/2021/comic/book-12/01-sister-christian/usurper/

        Becky has said some genuinely mean and/or manipulative things to Dorothy. When Dorothy doesn’t participate because it’s honestly not in her nature to, it doesn’t feel as playful, even if Dorothy says she knows it’s a joke.

        1. Nadamás

          Calling this manipulative is really over selling.

        2. zee

          Mean is understandable but this is about as “manipulative” as literally any teenager trying to get their friends to join them on something

      3. Daibhid C

        Oh, yes, I’m pretty sure Becky genuinely considered Dorothy her implacable rival for Joyce when they first met

        It’s almost like the characters have … developed? Is there even a two-word phrase for that?

        1. 3oranges

          Of course they’ve developed but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to look where they started. To the contrary, that helps tell you how they’ve developed, and how they might develop more. I’m hoping this is a step in that rather than a one-off moment.

    3. Kyulen

      You’ve articulated much better than me a lot of why I’ve never really cared for Becky’s bit with Dorothy.

    4. Daibhid C

      I’m not sure what “participating” looks like in this context. Like, should Dorothy pretend she also thinks Becky’s her nemesis? So when Becky accidentally goes too far and Dorothy is upset, it’s not clear if she’s still doing the bit or not?

      To my mind, Dorothy saying “I realise you are going to continue to call me your nemesis and I refuse to take it seriously because I know we’re friends. (And also I know that this winds you up far more than your bit winds me up.)” is participating.

      There’s an Arthur, King of Time and Space strip where Guenevere tries to wind Lancelot up by questioning something in the Bible, and Lancelot responds with a scholarly explanation of how that passage has been interpreted over the years. Guenevere storms off saying “You’re no fun! You don’t tease back!” and the last panel is Lancelot smiling to himself and saying “Don’t I?” Dorothy’s approach to Becky has always sort of reminded me of Lancelot here.

      1. Bittersweet

        Yeah, that’s how I’ve always read their interactions too.

        1. Freemage

          Well, sure, it’s easy to read them that way, if you’re including Dorothy’s facial expressions. To perceive just how sinister Becky is, you first have to completely ignore any implication to the contrary.

  37. Corey C.

    I was hoping this would happen- that Becky finally admits that she considers Dorothy a friend and not merely a rival. They DO live together and haven’t made each other’s lives Hell. But I do understand that Dorothy is still cautious to tell her that she’s developed a crush on Joyce because Becky tried kissing Joyce and got firmly rejected whereas Joyce was… less close minded about hooking up with Dotty… even though BOTH girls were dating someone. I am still expecting Becky to literally slap Dorothy if she confesses what she feels/did, but there does now seem like a better chance of Becky hugging Dotty and assuring her it’ll be okay since she was in the same boat a few months ago… though Becky was single at the time…

  38. darkoneko

    Or, you could just stop doing the bit, Becky.

    1. Taffy

      The bit is canonically fine.

  39. Kyulen

    I have to admit I’ve never really found Becky’s “arch-enemy with Dorothy” bit funny, and I’d rather she just drop it entirely.

  40. Woop de doop

    Lotta people take this comic too seriously. It should make you feel things but in the end it’s still fiction; it’s a comic strip that someone thought up in their head and then made little drawings on the computer, and it shouldn’t make you so angry or offended or hurt. So much that you’re arguing and yelling about it with strangers. If it does, they’re probably taking it too seriously and not enjoying it anymore. And so why read it at all? Take a break. Cool off and do something you actually like.

    Just a suggestion lmao. And i’m speaking from personal experience.

    1. Fuzzy

      It’d probably be the best thing to do, but unfortunately, making this suggestion is akin to when someone’s really mad and you tell them to calm down. 99.99% of the time it will just make them more upset.

    2. Zamperla

      Alas. A lot of folks do this. I read a lot of manga and like to check the comments of online places about and *whew*.

      Without even getting into ‘well what if this character was actually exactly like a real person who I’m really mad at IRL’, epidemic out there

    3. zee

      I indulge in engaging with the brain rotting bad takes in the comments on the weekend sometimes. As a treat. A spicy treat

      1. Nadamás

        I do it because I hate myself and have self control issues.

        1. zee

          If you’re still on twitter I recommend putting a time limit on it with the parental lock settings on your phone. No more than half an hour. Does wonders for your health. Same goes for anything else that’s an unhealthy timesink

        2. Nadamás

          I only really check Twitter for a few minutes every other hour to see those I follow, sometimes I get sink into the for you tab for longer and usually regret it. (Incidentally I don’t know how to use a parental lock on my phone).

        3. Taffy

          Ask your parents.

        4. Nadamás

          They also don’t know how to do that.

        5. zee

          If you’re on Android it’s pretty easy to find in your settings. Usually with digital wellbeing. If you’re on iPhone that is strange alien technology and I cannot help you

  41. Dorjojoe

    This has a bit of clipadip going on but I could also see it flipadoping if the convo keeps solidio.

  42. aSnowyEvening

    Oh wow. It was a bit? I’m relieved, I cringed on some level every time Becky made this “joke”. I got disappointed reading that last panel. I know, I know, she is college-aged and has some maturing to do. I don’t expect her to be perfect, all characters, and indeed people, have their flaws. I just wanna be a big sister and tell her “it’s not worth it to keep that joke up. You of all people should know that someone can just suddenly not be here – would you really be okay with pretending this conversation never happened?”

    1. Fuzzy

      Becky should 100% drop the bit forever in my opinion, but part of why she’s talking about going back to the bit is because she wants to convince both of them that Dorothy will be okay. The bit is off because Dorothy isn’t okay, so if the bit starts again, it’s because Dorothy’s back to normal. She said it BECAUSE she’s so afraid of people suddenly not being there any more.

    2. Bash

      I know it was framed as a “bit”, but I always thought there was some real resentment underlying it. Maybe she’ll ease up after this heart-to-heart.

    3. zee

      It’s a punchline, if the last panel is saying something silly it’s probably not meant to be taken into serious consideration

      1. Fuzzy

        You can read it that way if you’d like. I’m happy with my interpretation which falls in line with the character’s previously established personality.

  43. SocietyPilled

    My father once did a “bit” just like Becky, where he would squeeze on the end of my nose slightly, and then withdrawal his hand while saying “got your nose”, implying that he committed an act of theft against me.

    This was especially problematic because as we know, losing your nose could cause you to die from blood loss or infection, and by adding the extra component where he also holds his thumb between his two fingers, to emulate the appearance of actually having “got” my nose, he took away any interpretation of this being a mere joke, showing he was indeed willing to use deception to convince me I was experiencing a medical emergency.

    I still haven’t forgiven him for this, and I imagine Dorothy will never forgive Becky. As she shouldn’t.

    1. Now

      I’m with you, sibling of misfortune. #IStandOnMyNose #ItStillHurts

  44. The Queer Agenda [frog memes]

    Aww, this is a heartwarming moment, even if getting to it sucked for them. Becky’s behavior can be cringe, but any true animosity she might have felt towards Dotty is long gone. She’s been through a lot and is nearly always masking. She only recently gained the freedom to express a whole lot of personality. She doesn’t have Joyce’s extra impediment, but probably still had to catch up on social norms that their peers who weren’t raised in a cult learned younger. Becky isn’t perfect, but does pretty well, considering.

  45. Grant

    god i want somebody to make something that just dives headfirst into the maelstrom of “the catastrophic fallout that would ensue if dorothy and becky had sex” but i really really don’t want to do it myself because writing is hard.

  46. Taigan

    “I… think I’m in love with Joyce.”
    “Oh, honey, join the club! We got t-shirts!”

    1. ValdVin

      Hah!

  47. Tessea

    Thank you, Becky!!! This is exactly what I wanted to see from her. She’s a gremlin, but she does know how to be a good friend.

    I think Dorothy really does need a hug right now, even if she doesn’t explain why.

  48. Morhek

    “I’m standing here in my underwear while a girl tells me it’ll be okay. Is this my lesbian life now? Even more disappointing than my heterosexual life?”

  49. Lee

    The monkey paw did not in fact curl, because this is exactly what I meant when I said that.

  50. spriteless aunty

    Becky, pleas, you’re even making not doing your bit about your bit. Please stop it. You need a second coping mechanism. gah.

  51. Florence

    This debate about Becky’s bit seems in comic to for now not matter but personally I will always bristle at it bc for years I have had to deal with different people getting way too comfortable making this exact kind of joke even as I am clearly not returning the energy

  52. Willoughby Chase

    I can see Dotty in a three piece suit, crisp white Brooks shirt and black tie.

    How about she and dino being the Blues Sisters?

  53. Zamperla

    I love Becky so, so dearly. How exactly do you handle your second friendship after the most important girl you were friends with you were TOO close with in a way thats a lot to process after it’s all gone wierd? And also when its someone whos going to try and Minor Leauge Mom at you if you let her, while you’re on a rebellious streak?

    Rivals.

    1. Zamperla

      Also I hope she keeps it up forever and never drops it. I hope there is a flash-future where she is still doing this and they are middle aged, and knowing Willis there isnt a crankshaft-funky winkerbean timeline collapse joke in the strip but there is in the alt-text.

      I think all characters should get more obnoxious, and be more selfish people, also.

      1. Nadamás

        Exactly! You get it!

        1. Zamperla

          Becky specifically should get to do whatever she wants. Also Carla.

  54. Dollie87

    Does it feel to anyone else that Willis was reading the comments yesterday and finally threw his hands up and added this comic specifically to clarify that both Becky and Dorothy know that it’s a bit?

    1. David M Willis

      No, I wrote and uploaded this strip eight months ago.

      Deleting 365 strips, inserting a new strip, and then renaming and reuploading and retagging and rehovertexting those 365 strips is a task that would probably take a week.

      1. zee

        Also it’s not like people weren’t making these comments a year ago :/. People have been irrationally hateful to Becky since her reintroduction pre timeskip

        1. Strain of Thought

          Ehhh… look, I get that it’s *supposed* to be a bit, but like… one of the ways abusers justify their abuse is to constantly claim that’s it’s just a joke. It’s never been a good look for Becky to be constantly deliberately antagonizing other people, and it never will be. I’m not saying Becky is lying in today’s strip… but I feel like putting up with Becky’s hurtful bit that Becky uses to cope with immense loss and trauma and unresolved negative emotions is just another unreasonable burden that Dorothy has taken on to herself in the belief that she can be a perfect, universally accommodating person who is all things to fulfill all people’s needs.

        2. thejeff

          Abusers justify abuse by claiming it’s just a joke because people actually do joke. That doesn’t make all jokes abuse.

          If it was canon that Dorothy really was hurt by this and only putting up with it because of sympathy for Becky’s trauma, then I’d agree with you, but I don’t think that’s true. I think this is at most occasionally annoying for Dorothy and that doesn’t qualify as abuse.

          That Becky is dropping it and admitting it’s a bit in response to Dorothy being upset over other things, not as a defense to being accused of being mean or abusive, goes a long way to reassure me she’s not malicious here.

      2. HueSatLight

        Wouldn’t it be more fun to delete 365 strips, fork the story based on an insert strip reacting to the comments, and have 0 strips in the buffer?

      3. Charles Phipps

        Wow, Willis, the effort you went to in order to deal with fans is amazing.

        🙂

    2. DashWallkick

      The natural flow of the story has a lot of moments where the comic exists as a setup to the events that are coming in the following comic. I feel like I’ve been reading the words “did he write this in response to comments?” for like a decade.

      1. Taffy

        It’s an odd response, to me. Like, you figured out where the story was going, why can’t you just be happy about that instead of turning into PvP?

  55. zee

    Becky’s my favorite character now fuck all yall

    1. Nadamás

      Same. I will fight anyone who ever says she is a bad person or friend again.

      1. Icalasari

        Yeah, she is definitely a good person. Just not the right one for talking about this problem with, which Dorothy recognized

        1. Icalasari

          Adding on as a few strips ago I said she is 100% a chaos goblin:

          It’s because she is finding herself and who she truly is, now that her dad and his homophobia is gone. As such, she takes bigger risks and is impulsive. Part of her chaos is that she uses bits to deal with emotional pain – You rarely see her react with anger, bitterness, etc.

          As such, if she found out Joyce was “Willing to be gay with Dotty but not [her]”? She might ramp up the Arch Nemesis bit a LOT and let what Dorothy told her slip by accident

          She’s a good person, but a horrible choice because she plays the role of Chaos Goblin when it comes to emotional pain, and as such is, in effect, a Chaos Goblin because she has a LOT of emotional pain she is still sorting through. Adding to that is… Not going to be good

  56. Suet

    When what is over? Nothing’s truly over *blasts Daughtry*

    don’t go champing at the bit now, yeh

  57. Seralyna

    I don’t envy willis having to put out a strip like literally once a year to kinda bluntly clarify that dorothy and becky are friends, and this silly joke is one they are both in on. There are like four of these and still people project their own opinions on how *they* would feel about becky doing it onto dorothy

    1. Nadamás

      It is very obnoxious.

    2. AnonGrouch

      They are friends, but is Becky a particularly good friend to Dorothy specifically? Until this comic I’d argue it was neutral at best given her incremental improvement. It sure didn’t start that way and each one of ‘those four of these’ has been gradually a better interaction than the last.

      1. Seralyna

        Dorothy and becky were not particularly close for a while, prior to the roomate situation their relationship was entirely as a way to occasionally give becky a goofy, lighthearted gag to set up to lighten the tone.
        “Becky pretends she has an arch-nemesis, its the Perfect girl who never makes any enemies and tries to be nice to everyone”

        After the roomate situation, the story has started recognising their relationship as an actual one to explore deeply. Since then we’ve had Becky finding out about Yale, dorothy talking about becky’s aversion to change. Aside from that, they have just generally been pretty chill roomates.

        My go to example is this one imo. Becky is still playing into her joke because it takes an Actual Serious situation to get her to break character, but dorothy makes it clear she appreciates this gesture of friendship
        https://www.dumbingofage.com/2021/comic/book-11/04-hompk/fattening/

        Its been a gradual process because people don’t start out instantly friends, but i dont think at any point was their relationship ever negative.

        1. DailyBrad

          Yeah, Dorothy’s plenty capable of being playful about it back, even if it hasn’t come up a lot.

      2. Nadamás

        Yes.

    3. Zamperla

      Reeaaalll. People really went ‘well I should definitely judge this as if it were ME and how I would feel and EXACTLY how I should feel and also Dorothy would definitely never express these problems this whole time ever, and willis would not inform us about HOW she feels’. Like.

      Would he really give up…..

      1. Zamperla

        …tellin us about the drama.

  58. Nadamás

    If anyone else is already exhausted with Becky discussion, you can just comment here whatever unrelated stuff, anything fun you can think of

  59. Taffy

    I can’t believe Becky just dove through the ceiling with a 3-meter-long katana and impaled Dorothy while she was praying.

    1. Yumi

      Yeah, it’s weird that Dorothy was praying. What’s up with that?

      1. NGPZ

        It could also be meditation, who knows :p

        1. Taffy

          Either way, she dropped her White Materia.

      2. Charles Phipps

        She’s been brainwashed into joining the Head Alien cult.

    2. HueSatLight

      odachi? o-odachi?

  60. Kyulen

    Sorry to test this here, but I’m using a new computer and I want to see if everything works.

    1. NGPZ

      no worries, I’m so happy for you ^^

  61. Farmer_10

    Oh, shit. This dynamic is about to get a little toxic. Becky can sympathize with Dotty discovering her sexuality and being attracted to Joyce. Joyce seeming to RECIPROCATE that attraction is a whole different beast. No matter how happy she is with Dina, I don’t think we’ve had a moment where Becky ever expressed she’s fully gotten over Joyce.

  62. anon

    imagine if this took a sharp turn and ended up leading to dorothy/becky/dina all along XD

  63. Essex

    wow, almost a full strip where i enjoyed becky as a character, that hasnt been true since the evil dads storyline

    1. Nadamás

      ?

    2. Zamperla

      Should we throw a parade.

      1. Nadamás

        And give them a little trophy so they fell extra special ?

  64. Insanenoodlyguy

    Kiss her Dorothy. Kiss her now and ruin everything for everyone.

  65. Throwatron

    alt-text for this comic is too real. we all actually are asking for it

    1. Bryy

      This entire arc is gonna be midnight isn’t it? We’re getting three months of nighttime.

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