258

Incident
Posted on November 29, 2014 by David M Willis

258 thoughts on “Incident”

  1. AHR

    I’ve done what Dorothy has done quite a few times.

    1. Doctor_Who

      Loved an idiot?
      Caused an incident?
      Forgotten to put anything on your salad but lettuce?

      1. Zaphod Beeblebrox

        I put everything on my salad BUT lettuce. Or carrots. Or anything that didn’t come from something made of meat.

        1. SgtWadeyWilson

          How many Pan-Galactic Gargleblasters did you have before you decided that was a salad? My chimichangas are more salad-esque!

        2. Calaveth

          Chimichangas are the best salads.

        3. TheSuicidalGiraffe

          Well if it isn’t the Merc with a Mouth…

          DAMN IT I CANT REMEMBER ANY OF THE OTHER NICKNAMES!, help me out here people

        4. JacHunter

          Honestly, you’ve covered the only one that really matters…

        5. SpinoGuy

          The Regenerating Degenerate!

        6. fogel

          You should visit Germany. Sausage is a vegetable there. And they have BIER.

        7. NotPiffany

          And good bread as far as the eye can see.

        8. ZORK

          I didn’t knew that Germany is known for having good bread yet, even though I am German. I mean, the Bier and Wurst thing, sure, but bread? That’s cool to know though.

          Anyway, I just wanted to say that I was just eating baguettes, and the whole comment debate about Dorothy’s salad just reminded me that I wanted to eat some cherry tomatoes to them.

        9. Rowen Morland

          Is Wurst thing the best thing?

        10. ZORK

          Depends on the kind of Wurst.
          Germany has plenty of different kinds of sausages.

      2. Ahighfunctioningsociopath

        yes.
        Also, she put something on her salad. Her fork.

      3. AgentKeen

        See, I don’t generally like dressing on salad, but just lettuce is weird.

        1. Kelly

          dressing takes salad from “meh” to “terrible” in 5 seconds flat. A very few sweet vinaigrettes can be good in certain cases.

        2. Thomas64

          Or do the European thing: oil and vinegar.

        3. Kelly

          eh *wiggles hand*

        4. Marisa Mockery

          And red onions. And garlic. And capers. And salt. And pepper. And green onions….yeah, pretty much anything XD

        5. Oberon

          I agree 100%. I like vegetables, I don’t need to drown them in some kind of sauce in order to enjoy them. And I also don’t need said sauce hiding any wilty bits, because I expect my salad to be just as high in quality as my entree.

          My wife tells this story about me ordering a salad. It goes kinda like this:
          ME: And I’ll have the *whatever I decided on* salad, dry.
          Wait staff: Would you like vinegar and oil?
          ME: No thanks, just dry.
          Wait staff: Would you like lemon juice?
          ME: No thanks, just dry.
          Wait staff: Would you like salt and pepper?
          ME: No thanks, just dry.

          That happened on our first date, and has repeated itself enough times that we now laugh about it when it happens. The wait staff doesn’t mean to offend, they are just trying to offer me some options. It’s just that the options I enjoy are leafy greens (no iceberg, I have absolutely no use for that lettuce) and a few mixed garden veggies. Dry.

        6. Dirk Strider's Splinter Hopeself

          So what, do you and your date enjoy
          DRY HUMOR?

        7. JacHunter

          Ha ha haaaaano.

          *cocks shotgun*

        8. Darth Cariss

          I feel you like you are my salad-soulmate. I’ve endured so many years of people insisting I put some kind of dressing on my salad…

        9. Disloyal Subject

          If your salad is ‘meh’ right off the bat, you need to step it up a little with fresher, juicier greens.
          I’ve had the occasional pleasant vinaigrette, but most aren’t even tolerable. If I must have dressing, I swear by Caesar.

        10. TachyonCode

          I’ll dress on salad in a pinch, but I really prefer to stand on carpet while changing clothes…

      4. AHR

        Did that whole “I’m not mad at you I should have realized this because you are X” schtick.

        1. Yotomoe

          I feel I’m the kinda person who’d try to throw that back at ya cuz I’m not a fan of passive aggressive-y things. I’m a baby!

        2. Tunaro

          That sorta thing would just fly over my head if someone tried it on me. Sarcasm does not work on me. For me, but not on me.

      5. MrSirk

        Non discript lettuce meal was the daily special.

        1. Barf Ninjason

          Maybe it’s like, crispy Jell-O

        2. NotPiffany

          *shudder*

        3. Disloyal Subject

          I need to make that now, if only to horrify everyone I know who legitimately likes Jell-O.

      6. John

        She’s still doing better than Walky, Becky, and Joyce, who between the three of them had nothing but Walky’s empty glass and Joyce’s creemee.

    2. Camachri

      Eaten salad?

    3. Barf Ninjason

      …sat down where someone just farted and started eating?

    4. Yet_One_More_Idiot

      Dorothy’s well aware that she’s in love with an idiot? She says that like she WASN’T well aware of it before? 😛

    5. Atlantic Salmon

      Reassert your control of the relationship using an insult?

  2. Hoboturtle

    Crisis averted?

    1. Tunaro

      Please, this’s Walky. Give him like two strips and Dorry’ll try to throttle him with her fork.

      1. Just Here

        No, she’ll carve his heart out with a spoon.

        1. M-M

          and cancel Christmas!

        2. Nightsbridge

          She already has his heart. He just doesn’t want to tell her, so when she does it it’ll be an accident.

  3. Khaner

    Stop being so cute.
    Both of you.

    1. Ikaru

      No, never, I say! They must have all of the cutes. Except Amber’s alternate self’s hams have them.

      1. GamaranSepudomyn

        Undead cutes?

  4. Jen Aside

    “WHICH IDIOT??? …oh wait”

    1. John

      “Where is this idiot!? Is it that dork you dated before?! I’ll fight him for you!”

      “Q.E.D.”

      1. Vangeln

        “I’ll break his knees!”

        1. JWLM

          Actually, Ruth has already volunteered to reclaim Danny’s femurs, so I think that Walky’s offer would be superfluous.

        2. Disloyal Subject

          Well, even if the femurs are removed, the patella could still be shattered.

    2. Gadgeteer Smashwidget

      I am guilty of saying this.

  5. Camachri

    Dorothy, what is it with you and dating idiots? Do you have a type?

    1. Carriethedragon

      A few years ago, I came to the (perhaps unfortunate) realization that I have a type. It’s not a physical type, though. It’s an emotional type. And it is “charismatic-yet-antisocial, emotionally-inept intellectual.”

      1. Leorale

        Like, nerds? I’ve dated solely nerds for years, and this type has been working out really well for me!

        1. GamaranSepudomyn

          Huh, I interpreted that as “supervillains”.

        2. John

          As Helen Narbon has demonstrated, sometimes the only difference is access to death rays.

        3. SgtWadeyWilson

          New Christmas list:

          Chimichangas

          Death Ray

          Evil Lair

          Chimichangas

        4. Arkadi

          I know! Ò_Ó I mean, it’s 2014 and where’s my death ray!?

        5. Opus the Poet

          Death rays are vastly overrated as a weapon. What I want is something that will kill cars without harming the people inside and can be carried and used while riding a bicycle. Get to work on THAT, evil geniuses.

        6. Jen Aside

          sounds like you want an EMP

        7. Knightsky

          Here you go:

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HgejSCHRi8

      2. David Alexander McDonald

        Oh, good god, you just described me. And I hate to point this out to you, but there are clones of you *everywhere*.

        Mind you, I do rather defy the emotionally inept part of that description, though mainly by subterfuge — I utilise my English birth and upbringing to place distance between myself and everyone else. Unfortunately, the ability to be suavely aloof then brings out the emotional pole-vaulters (oh god, I just heard the sound of a million commenters crying out in unison “something something EUPHEMISM ha haaaa!”)

        1. Doxkid

          Gonna need to tip three fedoras for this one, boys.

        2. Thasvaddef

          Hey I utilise my English birth and upbringing to place distance between myself and everyone else!

          And aren’t most pole vaulters quite emotional? I mean, the difference between success and failure is getting 1% higher, and you have to do it in front of a huge crowd. That would make you pretty emotional.

      3. StudentX

        That’s the most accurate description of me I’ve heard in a long time.

      4. Stara

        Haha, sounds like me (but I’m a chick). Take an MBTI test for a lark? While Myers-Briggs isn’t an accurate representation of a person, it can be a fun, casual assessment tool (so long as you throw results out the window when someone says “sure, but I don’t feel like that’s me”).

        (I have a sister who, after finding out I return INTP, is dedicated to the concept of me as an unemotional robot. Ironically, she doesn’t think she can be wrong because her result as an INFJ receives a lot of backing as being emotionally adept and good with people)

      5. TsunamiJane

        Oh shoot. I think I have the same unfortunate attraction.

  6. MrSirk

    Well at least she knows that.

  7. -Sentinel-

    I’m wondering, is Dorothy a vegan? She strikes me as the type.

    1. David M Willis

      She is not, she just prefers to eat healthy in general.

      1. Camachri

        Well, nobody’s perfect.

        1. la6ue mous

          If only she were unattentive to her foods’ nutritional values, she’d be perfect!

        2. Mr Ak

          I know you mean that sarcastically, but damn if that isn’t an attractive quality (in moderation).

        3. anonymous

          I’m not sure I do mean that sarcastically, actually, at least not the way you’re taking it.
          What I mean is that vegan-ness is not a quality I personally would describe as perfect, and I would probably value a person’s decision to ignore nutritional values over a person’s decision to be a vegan. I just cannot put myself in the mindset of a person who chooses to be a vegan for any reason other than severe allergies.

        4. la6ue mous snow angel

          (Or other medical reasons.)

      2. Twilightomens

        Hi Willis!

      3. tinfoil theory

        She likes to eat healthy; so the salad is some kind of penance?

        1. Opus the Poet

          Light lunch to avoid the Freshman 15.

    2. la6ue mous

      Probably.

      1. la6ue mous

        Never mind.

    3. David

      Actually, she does not strike me like the type. Vegetarian: could well be. Just read up any report on the way meat gets produced and you basically have the options to raise and slaughter your own cattle or not eat the crap on the shelves or, God beware, the fast food outlets.

      But vegan? That requires some sort of religious zeal that she’s religious about not having.

      1. -Sentinel-

        You hardly need religion to have very strong ideals and values. In fact, I suspect (with no evidence whatsoever) that agnostics and atheists are overrepresented among vegan/vegetarian Westerners.

        1. Barf Ninjason

          Ohhhhhhhh, you can be an atheist with religious zeal just fine

        2. gwalla

          Kinda hard to be a zealous agnostic, but atheist? Pretty common.

        3. StClair

          If I felt like being more confrontational, I could be.

          “I don’t have all the answers, and guess what? Neither do you. We’re all groping in the dark and trying to guess at an infinite we couldn’t possibly comprehend with our tiny mortal minds.”

        4. StClair

          “P.S.: If you think you have it all figured out, you’re wrong.“

        5. The Phantom's Belch

          Your Joyce gravitar made those comments all the more worthwhile. 😉

      2. Jen Aside

        or a severe dairy allergy

      3. drs

        I’m not vegetarian… but I know that egg-laying chickens and milk-producing cows can be kept in pretty bad conditions as well. Like, there’s no clear way of buying an ethically produced egg, other than visiting the farm in detail yourself. Probably also takes lots of grain to keep up the high egg and milk production rates, which means feeding potential human food to livestock and the resulting ecological inefficiency. And then there’s the saturated fat content (or the tastelessness of skim milk.) So animal welfare, ecology, and health concerns can all provide a reasonable if not convincing case for being vegan (with B12 supplements.)

    4. leadsynth

      They’ve all had Galasso’s pizza, and I’m pretty sure it has cheese. Cheeeeeeeese

  8. auo> 3^J35 +-j05

    She must be DOTTY.
    *rimshot*

    1. la6ue mous snow angel

      People go by Dotty, right? That’s a thing?

      1. gwalla

        It is, in fact, an accepted nickname for “Dorothy”. My aunt, for one (though she prefers her middle name for some reason, hmm…)

        1. butting

          “My name is Princess Angelina-Contessa-Louisa-Franchesca-Banana-Fana-Bo-Besca The Third, but you can call me Dot. But not Dotty. Call me Dotty and you die.”

        2. Roborat

          Ah, one of my favourite running jokes in Animaniacs.

  9. meghantheworldeater

    Well that went much better than expected…but should we expect it to stay that way? O.O

  10. Ikaru

    Aw, that is sort of adorable.

  11. Gate of Seven Ores

    Idiots call other idiots idiots to elude the idiot tag.

    1. Gate of Seven Ores

      Wunderbar. I have achieved Ruth! Ruth is best girl.

      1. Yotsuyasan

        Yes, she is.

        1. barefootbiker

          Your gravatar makes that seem extremely creepy. Then again, your gravatar makes just about anything seem extremely creepy.

        2. Yotsuyasan

          Well, y’all have only yourselves to blame. I presented three options — including another lovely Ruth option — and this is the one that the community at large here chose by a wide majority. (We’ll just ignore any blame that might be tossed by way by making this an option in the first place…)

          And yes, it also occurred to me as I was posting my above comment that there was a horrible juxtaposition going on with my Gravatar… Ah well… I guess I’ll just have to get used to the joy of disturbing people! Mwa ha ha ha ha!

        3. Yotsuyasan

          (Er… that should be, “tossed my way by…”)

        4. Clif

          The joy of disturbing people (including ourselves) was kind of the whole point of voting for it. It’s brilliant.

      2. -Sentinel-

        How do you get your gravatar to change, anyway? I’ve always had Mike and I’m not a huge fan of him.

        1. Barf Ninjason

          Dunno the normal way, but if you sign in with a different email address it assigns that one a different gravatar; I forgot which one I’d signed in with previously and thus serendipitously escaped from having Sarah

        2. Kelly

          You can go to gravatar.com and set up whatever you like.

          Also, with a number of email providers (including gmail I know) you can put youremail+anything@domain.com and anything sent to it will get to you at youremail@domain.com

          Some crap sites will do not allow “+” but they are out of spec. This wordpress install is fine with it though.

        3. Kelly

          and here is me with just kelly.clowers at gmail.com

          (usually I use kelly.clowers+account at gmail.com)

        4. TexasDex

          You can get a custom avatar by signing up for Gravatar using the “Get a Gravatar” link next to the NAME field, or just going to gravatar.com. It can apply on any site that integrates with Gravatar, not just DoA.

        5. Thomas64

          At the bottom of this page, where you can enter comments, click on the “Get a Gravatar” link next to the NAME field, and follow the instructions. There you can upload an image of your own choosing.
          If you want one of the standard avatars, just not a random one but a specific one, you’ll have to download the one you want first and then upload it to the Gravatar site.

        6. Clif

          Also, how can one not be a huge fan of Mike?

  12. Yotomoe

    Hell hath no placidity as a woman indifferent.

    1. MrSirk

      It’s the only way to counter pure idiocy.

      1. nothri

        Nonsense. Shotguns are quite effective.

  13. AgentKeen

    Actually, Joyce is just afraid she’ll end up in a love triangle after Becky falls for Dorothy, and she always wanted her first love triangle to be strictly heterosexual, with a sparkly vampire and shirtless werewolf.

    1. kelticat

      She should mix it up and get into a love triangle with a shirtless vampire and a sparkly werewolf.

      1. Dorje Sylas

        Was this or was this not a sub-plot on Buffy at one point? I feel like it could have been near the end.

        1. MsSchiff

          No, the sparkly werewolf was in love with the witch who turned out to be a lesbian in love with a Wiccan. And there were TWO occasionally shirtless vampires.

          And then things got weird.

    2. zmm

      I feel like Joyce would’ve been anti Twilight too though..
      what with being anti everything else prior to college

      1. Allen Tor

        Actually, if I recall correctly Twilight is her favorite movie.

        1. Kelly

          Indeed it is

        2. Disloyal Subject

          Well.
          That’s horrifying.

  14. JessWitt

    Walky is more like Dorothy’s lovefool.

  15. Sye

    This reminds me so much of my relationship.

    I have been in Walky’s position more times than I can count.

  16. Varius

    Three people have non-black eyes: Joyce (blue), Ruth (green), and Mary (brown).

    Why?

    1. Yotsuyasan

      Well, with Joyce it is to allow for the big huge puppy dog eyes. With Ruth, it’s ’cause Ruth’s awesome, so there.

      With Mary… Well, maybe her eyes are the same color as feces as a consequence of always giving everybody the stink eye?

    2. Kodra

      There’s actually a bunch in the background cast. Other Rachel has really striking purple eyes.

      1. JessWitt

        Her eyes are blue but her hair is purple.

      2. -Sentinel-

        I think Other Rachel’s eyes are more scary than anything.

      3. Barf Ninjason

        Other Rachel looks like one of the villagers from Spongebob

    3. JWLM

      Actually, that’s not quite true: Joycelyn has blue eyes (just like Joyce), and I *think* that Howie has green eyes (just like Ruth.)

    4. chisci

      As for a reason, I figure the Watsonian reason is because like 55% of the world’s population has dark brown eyes and a good chunk of the cast are (at least partially) part of racial minorities that seldom have eyes that are not dark brown. And for the white characters with black eyes, note that Ruth did too until Billie looked at them, so the color of other’s irises is just something the characters haven’t noticed for themselves.

      The Doylist reason is that black dots are how Willis has drawn regular eyes for like 15 years

      1. JWLM

        That’s what I thought, too, until I went back and looked. I was surprised to see Ruth’s eyes turned green earlier in that arc — they’re green in the strip where Ruth pukes on Billie’s lap, for instance

  17. Idon'tcarenomore

    And there is that statement of love again. She loves an idiot… an admits it… to him.
    Will next panel show Walky disappearing thru the first door with clouds of dust coming off his feet?
    Or under the table flat on his back passed out from fear?

    Or will he decide he has to come forward and say while it’s been fun, he’s not in love with her in that way and run? He should I think.

    1. Carriethedragon

      Uh, but he does love her? He kinda admitted that to Becky, four strips ago. Emotionally stunted as he may be, he clearly has real feelings for Dorothy. Though, I have to admit, I’m biased. I adore DorothyxWalky.

  18. zmm

    She handled that whole hting very well

    1. JessWitt

      Think of it as practice for her future presidential term.

  19. Ray

    Yay!!! More slipshine!!!

  20. Aurora

    Daaaaawww, I actually feel like this might work out after all. Fingers crossed for Willis to not break my fuzzy feels about these two

    1. Lanval

      I’m not usually one to moralize about characters, but this is the first time I’ve actually hoped Dorothy and Walky split.

      I mean, Walky said some dumb stuff but he’s was sort of being himself and being a bit awkward about admitting to emotions. Dorothy meanwhile threw it on him while recognizing that he wasn’t the most comfortable with emotions (her pointing it out is what prompted Walky’s rambling about cartoons) then stormed out in such a way Walky thought he was dumped.

      I should be optimistic about the next strip, but if only Walky is the one who admits he is wrong here then I’m a bit disappointed and I’m more skeptical about whether it’ll work out with them/it’s a good relationship.

  21. Ailorn

    I’ve missed Dorothy. Too much of the other characters.

    1. Disloyal Subject

      There is no ‘too much,’ only ‘not enough.’

  22. Zagreus

    “You’re such an idiot for not immediately replying ‘I love you too’ after I sprung a radical change in the nature of our relationship on you with no warning or context.”

    Yeesh, Dorothy, condescending much?

    1. Nope!

      More like he’s an idiot for responding way too quick and making light of her sincerity.

    2. Carriethedragon

      I don’t think that’s why she called him an idiot. She didn’t expect him to say it back, though she wanted him to. The really idiotic thing he did was to say it in a way that completely invalidated it. Also, yeah, they said their relationship was for fun, but feelings change, and I think it’s best to be honest about it.

      1. Zagreus

        Whether she realized it or not, Dorothy was attempting to manipulate Walky into either blurting out his feelings when he wasn’t emotionally ready to discuss them openly or refuse to answer, whereby she would condescendingly reply that it’s okay, he doesn’t have to answer yet because She Knows How These Things Work So Much Better Than Him. And she STILL doesn’t respect him enough to apologize for it even after she’s had time to cool down, instead treating WALKY like he’s the one completely in the wrong! How is that justified?

        1. brumagem

          That just sound asinine to me. Dorothy said how she felt because she wanted to tell him how she felt. She didn’t want to rock the boat too much so she stressed that the feeling didn’t -have- to be mutual.

          The only reason Dorothy might want to manipulate Walky into reciprocating her affections would be to feed her own ego. But the thing is she doesn’t need that ego boost. She’s already headstrong, independent and so goal driven it’s not worth the possible fallout.

        2. Zagreus

          Exactly. She doesn’t NEED that ego boost, so it was really assholeish of her to drop that on Walky with no warning, and in public no less. Really, Walky been getting far more crap from the commenters here than he deserves considering the situation he was put into.

        3. brumagem

          My point being she didn’t do it because she wanted to hurt him. She literally said she loved him because *gasp* she loves him. Definitely rash and a bit shortsighted on her part, but as Willis has said before, it’s -Dumbing- of Age, not Everyone Is Smart and Makes Good Decisions Age

          Also, Walky did kind of take Dorothy’s feelings and threw them over his shoulder just to avoid a little moment of awkward.

        4. David

          “Gee, that was easy. I thought that I’d have to extort it out of you”.

          Take your pick: is she being serious here? But not being manipulative? Or is she the only one allowed to make jokes about this issue because she’s clever enough for that and Walky an idiot? And she is not being condescending?

          Don’t take me wrong: all in all Dorothy is pretty ok, but regarding this issue she’s still on shithead road.

        5. Pantheon the Mantheon

          The difference was that her joke didn’t essentially mitigate and take meaning from the sentiment. She says I love you. He says it back. Her joke is based around how quickly he responded considering the typical response to that statement. HIS joke basically said ” what you just said is now meaningless, you’re welcome. I dont blame Walky for this because i think that was a basic coping reflex to defend against heart break, but i also believe some cumulative mistakes have been made throughout the relationship that led to this point. None of those; however, involved Dotty trying to manipulate him.

        6. Jen Aside

          She was playing to the stereotypes: Men hate the L-word (“lesbians”?). Walky returned it against expectation, to her surprise, and THAT is what she was joking about, if I’m reading this correctly.

        7. Chubsius

          Dorothy doesn’t really scheme like that. Her purpose is to be the reasonable and emotionally mature member of the group who sometimes gets sucked into wacky hijinks. She is Lisa Simpson. She is literally Lisa Simpson.

      2. Lanval

        I agree with the latter bit (Feelings change and being up front is good. This is definitely true) but Dorothy recognizes Walky is awkward about admitting to feelings, yet she suddenly tells him that she loves him in front of one of her friends and he says it back without blinking. Fair enough, but still a bit of a faux pas.

        She then points out to him that he is normally about his feelings but admitted to love her here without much hesistation at all. That will make someone who is awkward about admitting to feelings very awkward and so Walky says that he doesn’t like to make a big show of things because that only makes things awkward and dramatic so he might as well just say he loves her back.

        She then storms off dramatically.

        Walky didn’t say things perfect and is awkward, Dorothy is uptight and likes everything to be done properly. Neither is an awful person for what happened but I’d say both owe apologies. Now Dorothy comes off a bit rude for telling Walky that he messed up because he is an idiot rather than apologizing.

        1. Zagreus

          Yeah, I was willing to buy the “they’re both in the wrong” idea until I saw Dorothy’s “dating an idiot” line. Now I’m less sure. If Dorothy doesn’t admit that she’s at fault then my respect for her is going to go WAY down.

        2. Lanval

          Ehn, she’s a bit arrogant and has very clear and unrealistic idea of how things should go. I mean, most people coming into their first year of Uni are so it can be forgiven in my eyes.

          I don’t mind that and overall her character is awesome but it’ll feel wierd if this isn’t acknowledged as a part of her character or, more likely, if she doesn’t recognize it then I’m wary of how long Dorothy/Walky will last.

        3. David

          You cannot “forgive” something that is just unfurling.

        4. MrSirk

          Not trying to defend Dorothy, but Walky is an idiot. He at least needs to learn some situational awareness before he says things. This isn’t the first time he’s said something stupid or insensitive. I get it’s a new relationship and they’re both going to make mistakes, but I still think Walky needs to learn something from this. He could’ve handled that situation way better than he did. And I think we can give Dorothy some credit here I’m sure she knows she’s not completely innocent in this

        5. Lanval

          Sorry about that Carrie, I was still writing when Zagreus posted. If you want to focus on replying to them, go ahead. I sort of popped in uninvited.

    3. AndromedaRage

      She probably thinks he’s an idiot because he of what he said afterwards. “I love you too’ because it’s the appropriate thing to say” is pretty dumb. He couldve also said that was too serious since they agreed it would be a short term relationship. You know, give an honest response rather than what was done.

    4. Rutee

      Stop being as emotionally dense as Walky. Their relationship is temporary, but that doesn’t change that they can love each other and then part ways.

      1. Zagreus

        What kind of love is it where you can clearly and definitively say that there’s a point where it will stop? Where one of them is just going to LEAVE after a certain amount of time, rendering all their time together pointless from the moment it begins?

        Look. I understand casual relationships. I understand having a relationship built on physical attraction and warm fuzzies over long-lasting commitment. Whatever floats your boat. But you do NOT bring out the L-word for a relationship you expect to end unless you’re really, really self-centered.

        1. Kelly

          It doesn’t render anything pointless.

          Indeed, being happy together with someone, in any form, love or otherwise, is never pointless (except in the sense that nothing in all existence really has an point, shit just happens. But that’s not the issue here)

          And love of course has many definitions and many of them could include the idea expecting it to end.

          In general, I don’t see either of them as “wrong” in this. Certain things could have been handled better on one side or the other or both perhaps but that is the nature of things. But that doesn’t mean anyone is wrong, or an asshole.

        2. Kelly

          Ah, keep forgetting to put my email back.
          There we go.

        3. Zagreus

          Do we have a term in our society for “I love you romantically and I desire you physically as well but I don’t see us in a long term relationship”? No? Then Dorothy’s being unfair to Walky, expecting him to have a decisive answer to a question he can’t fully understand. Hell, even I can’t understand what the hell Dorothy meant by that!

        4. Thomas64

          Well, yeah. Like, is she still planning to go to Yale? Her “I love you” raises some big questions.
          Then again, Walky is a grownup, and it’s up to him to ask those questions. The way he’s all nervous and weirded out makes it clear that he really wants the relationship to continue, but I can understand Dorothy being annoyed that while she can read him like a book, he’s having such trouble thinking straight.

        5. Leonou

          “Do we have a term in our society for “I love you romantically and I desire you physically as well but I don’t see us in a long term relationship”?”
          Isn’t that basically the definition of “Summer Love” ?
          Or any romantic relationship in a Situation where one or two of the protagonists will be forced to move away in a near future and they both know that they might not be able to make the sacrifices required to maintain the relationship after that ?

          Dorothy realises it was Her mistake for bringing the subject, because she knew how obtuse Walky is whenever it comes to feelings. But that doesn’t change the fact that Walky reacted like an Idiot.

        6. fogel

          EG, Davan & Branwyn in Something Positive. (RH hit that out of the park.)

        7. fogel

          “Carrie”by Joni Mitchell?

        8. Rutee

          4 years isn’t a long term relationship? It’s just not permanent. She said from the start it’s temporary. Yeah, she should explain to Walky, but it’s not because this shit is actually difficult, it’s because our society pushes concepts like one true love 4eva too hard.

        9. Jen Aside

          It’s totally possible to be in love with someone for a “set” amount of time. It’s usually an external factor like “during school”/”spring break” or “visa expiring” rather than “I plan to only be with you for four years and then we’re done.” It’s also possible to realize you are totally in love with someone completely incompatible with your lifestyle, like a workaholic + a slacker, and while dates are fun, actually living together would be misery.

          Also, why NOT just have a fun relationship to figure out what you DO like in a person, even if you figure out that your “fun” person is (not) exactly what you wanted? How ELSE will you know?

        10. Zagreus

          You can date for fun. You can date without feeling like you have to be with this person for the rest of your life. You can date to find out what you like in a person. But how can you date someone and say you love them while also bald-facedly telling them that you’re going to leave, thereby rendering it pointless? “I love you and I want you to love me back – until my transfer to Yale kicks in at which point I will drop you like a hot potato.” It’s remarkably callous for Dorothy.

        11. Jen Aside

          “I love you, but know that I plan to transfer to Yale, at which point if we’re still together, we’ll have to decide whether a long-distance relationship will work, or if you want to try to come with me.”

          or

          “I’ve decided that I love you more than Yale.”

          or even just deciding that people are 100% worthy of love and being loved, regardless of how long you’ll be around… *awkward memories of having seen Premonition flooding back*

        12. Jen Aside

          PHENOMENON, sorry

          knew I shoulda used my Google-fu

    5. nothri

      Oh, you are one to talk. At least Dorothy doesn’t drive women insane with the sound of his drums and send them into a mad frenzy in which they rip men apart with their bare hands! Isn’t that right, Zagreus? AKA incarnation of Dionysus, god of wine and madness in ancient Greece?? Face it, dude, you are totally a dick!

      (And you can blame this entirely on me being a writer who does way too much research per story and a lot of time to kill on wikipedia.)

      1. Zagreus

        Heh heh…Actually, I got this name from a Doctor Who audio drama. Didn’t know there was an actual historical context to it. Interesting.

        1. ninja_jesus

          I was gonna say, don’t you have a head to sit inside of somewhere? 😛

        2. Yotsuyasan

          Zagreus sits inside your head
          Zagreus lives among the dead
          Zagreus sees you in your bed
          And eats you when you’re sleeping

          Zagreus at the end of days
          Zagreus lies all other ways
          Zagreus comes when time’s a maze
          And all of history’s weeping

          Zagreus taking time apart.
          Zagreus fears the hero heart.
          Zagreus seeks the final part.
          The reward that he is reaping.

          Zagreus sings when all is lost
          Zagreus takes all those he’s crossed
          Zagreus wins and all is cost
          The hero’s hearts he’s keeping.

          Zagreus seeks the hero’s ship
          Zagreus needs the web to rip
          Zagreus sups time at a drip
          And life aside, he’s sweeping.

        3. fogel

          Whoa!!! What is that?

        4. Bill

          It has something to do with Doctor Who.  Do a Google search for “Zagreus poem”.

        5. Yotsuyasan

          It is a poem from a 40th anniversary audio play produced by Big Finish, starring the Eighth Doctor, but also featuring pretty much every actor from the show who, at the time, was also working with Big Finish on their audio plays — although mostly in other rolls. (It makes sense in context.)

  23. Dorje Sylas

    Who’s the more foolish? The fool or the fool who loves the fool?

    Trick question, a Wookie is never foolish.

    1. Itama

      But Sylas… No one worries about calling a [b]Jethen[/b] or a [b]Boyce[/b] foolish…

      1. Itama

        damn you, html….

  24. Nono

    Dorothy’s phrasing in the last panel sounds vaguely passive-aggressive though. Some emotional detachment to her words while she lets Walky stew in his guilt.

    Or I could be misreading it.

    1. Em

      I think she’s being passive aggressive. I think they’re gonna fight.

  25. Charlie Spencer

    But does Dorothy know that as a heterosexual, an idiot is pretty much her only option?

    1. David

      She could have a sex change and date Joyce. That would at least be a different idiot.

    2. John

      heterosexual human

  26. Bagge

    I am also very good at rationalizing things.

  27. Zane

    Is that a MST3K joke in the alt text?

    1. -Sentinel-

      I know the term “dull surprise” from TV Tropes, but they tend to borrow lots of terms from other places.

      1. -Sentinel-

        *delves into TV Tropes*

        Oh and look at that, it turns out they DO attribute this term to Mystery Science Theater.

        *miraculously escapes TV Tropes in less than 2 minutes*

        1. Barf Ninjason

          Way to avert the trope

        2. Kelly

          Dang, that is impressive. Teach me your ways of escape, master!

        3. fogel

          3 Mikes in a row interacting that way is SPOOKY: it’s like an army of Mike-clones.

      2. gwalla

        It’s originally from MST3k (describing Kathy Ireland’s reaction to everything in “Alien from L.A.”), though popularly adopted by Transformers fans in reference to how Pat Lee drew every character’s reaction to anything.

  28. LS

    For some reason, I’m suddenly aware that Walky’s eyes are just black dots. The longer I look at them the more they look like the soulless, button-eyes of an old doll.

    I don’t know why this is the first time this has occurred to me in the years I’ve been reading this comic.

    1. Rutee

      It hadn’t occured to me til reading other commenters mention similar. It still really doesn’t.

    2. Glynvel

      You know the thing about Walky, he’s got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll’s eyes.

      1. insomniac

        http://www.dumbingofage.com/2011/comic/book-2/01-pajama-jeans/sharks/

    3. -Sentinel-

      As far as I know, only Joyce and Ruth have an identifiable eye color.

      1. John

        Joyce and her father and sister, Ruth, Mary, Penny, Other Rachel, Conquest… there may be other minor characters that I forget.

        Several characters – Billie, Sarah, Dina, Ethan, Sierra, Agatha… – have black eyes but visible sclera. I have to assume that their eye color is actually black, or at least very dark brown.

  29. Coco

    I’m pretty sure not all guys are like Walky.

    1. ninja_jesus

      Don’t you mean “not all men”? 😛

      1. JWLM

        #yesallmen

  30. brumagem

    Oh Dorothy. You betray yourself. “I’m -in- love with you” is so much more than just “I love you”

    1. Kelly

      Some people may see it that way. Others do not.

    2. Swoop

      what’s the difference?

      1. brumagem

        In my experience, plain love means you care about someone. You can love your parents, your friends, your boyfriend, God, whoever, but “in love” denotes a deep romantic love.

        1. Swoop

          So what’s the difference between romantic love and the love you have for your family and friends? Is it just a sex thing?

    3. Bill

      The way some people throw the ‘l-word’ (“love”) around it’s hard to tell any more.  To me, anyway, the word carries a hell of a lot of baggage and when you say it you’d better mean it.  “I love you” or “I’m in love with you” is not just some sort of toss-away phrase like “have a nice day”.

  31. Frost Magi

    Hey guys, I’m new to DoA but I’ve been reading it for about a year now.

    I also don’t like the whole “I’m dating an idiot” thing either. It makes it seem to me like Dorothy WANTS the relationship to end rather than progressing and having more fun which is not right at all to do. Now, with how the relationship stands, I think that Walky actually deserves better than Dorothy. I doubt anyone here actually ships this, but Walky could dtae Joyce and it would work out. They already argue with each other like a married couple so why not right?

    1. Pantheon the Mantheon

      Sir/Madam, all i can say is: Read Its Walky

      1. Kelly

        And the follow up. And buy the pay strips, it is worth it.

        1. Thomas64

          Sure, read all those comics, but read them for entertainment (they are fun), don’t read them to get answers about DoA. See http://www.dumbingofage.com/about/, item #5.

        2. fogel

          Yes, but: Frost Magi shipped Walky and Joyce as married from their interactions in DoA. Either info is leaking across universes or FM is some kind of multiverse psychic.

        3. Thomas64

          Or he just happened to notice the link to Joyce & Walky! on the main DoA page. The one with the picture of Walky kissing a happy-looking Joyce.
          It’s not exactly a secret that DoA is a different continuity, but it’s not necessarily super obvious either, so I figured pointing out the FAQ might be in order.

        4. Frost Magi

          tbh, I didn’t notice the Walky and Joyce thing. It’s just that they already argue with each other a lot and kind of like an old married couple would so I would think that they could work.

          And fogel you’re awesome XD

    2. tinfoil theory

      She loves Walky, really. She just doesn’t expect him to follow her to Yale.

      1. John

        Danny would have been following her to Yale. Walky could go to Yale with her. Subtle but important difference.

  32. Sam

    I think Dorothy is eating Calvin’s mom’s cooking

  33. Chris

    9 years and a kid who’s 7 years old together is proof that beautiful, strong, intelligent women can love well-hung idiots in reality.

    I brag. In truth, she’s only beautiful and intelligent, but I could bench-press her.

  34. nothri

    Walky is an idiot, what neither Dorothy or I care. We ship it.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCeFbK-WEVE

    (I wasn’t waiting for an excuse play that! You can’t prove a thing!)

  35. Jason

    Dorothy, I recommend not using that word. I called my wife an idiot two days ago, and she’s still not talking to me.

    1. Yotsuyasan

      That’s because you mixed up who gets to call who an idiot in that situation. We must never refer to our female overlords by that term, while they have carte blanche to use it against us.

      1. Stara

        Aw man dudes, that’s not cool (unless y’all are “whatever/who cares?” about the binary distribution). My boyfriend and I don’t hesitate to make an equal distribution of playful offenses. So I’ve been the idiot and he’s been the idiot before (though actually, we tend to use “dim bulb” more often).

        1. Yotsuyasan

          In serious situations, my honest belief is complete equality between the sexes. But in humorous and/or flippant situations (which includes the above post) I’m all about the superiority of our female overloards! 😀

      2. Jen Aside

        you mean “I-word Privileges”?

    2. JWLM

      You can always call your parter an idiot. You had just better not *mean* it.

  36. Jesse

    Someone photoshop Dorothy’s head in panel 3 onto a Pat Lee drawing.

    1. Yotsuyasan

      I’m no Photoshop expert, so you have to deal with my mad Paint skills! Also, I’ve no bloody idea why you’d want such a thing. That being said… here you go!

      http://i.imgur.com/TZxyEcH.jpg

      (Source.)

  37. David Alexander McDonald

    I feel Dorothy’s pain, having done precisely this on more than occasion. Sadly, it never ends well. Although the idiot half of the mix can usually escape with little but confusion to show for it.

  38. Kelly

    Man, I really do not get the Dorothy hate OR the Walky hate that has been going around.

    1. Tenn

      I’m thinking it’s repurposed Danny hate. Same kind of misrepresentation of characters’ actions and motives.

  39. Ed Rhodes

    Well good. The first step in solving a problem is identifying it.

    1. SgtWadeyWilson

      Is the second step violence, chimichangas, or breaking the fourth wall? I can never remember which comes first.

      1. JWLM

        None of the comes “first”. The next step is breaking the fourth chimichanga with violence.

        1. Kelly

          Now I want a chimichanga

  40. Leonou

    She’s doing it !
    She’s giving him the “I’m not mad, I’m just disapointed”-mom talk ! Which make sense since Walky insists acting like a little kid.

  41. Guy

    Men=idiots. As a man I have to ask why this even needs to be said?

  42. Historyman68

    Dorothy’s “I’m in love with an idiot” face is the same as joyce’s “eating ice cream” face. Minus the tongue.

  43. Arkadi

    Tch! Way to deprive us of DRAMA, Joyce :c

  44. PSadlon

    Walky can deal with that. Right now he might even agree.

  45. Chrissy

    Dorothy is so self-aware that in a few months, she’s going to realize she’s in a comic strip.

    1. MeHael

      And that Wade Wilson is the only man for her.

  46. Nagash1959

    And there goes any hope of me having respect for Dorothy again any time soon.

    She is the one using a childish double standard and baiting Walky to give the “right” answers.

    She is the one passing judgment on him for voicing an adult opinion in a non-abrasive way that doesn’t dismiss her feelings.

    She is the one that brought it up in the first place.

    And I for the life of me can’t get how people are defending her over this.

  47. caramelundqueer

    You know I honestly feel in the grand scheme of things this relationship will serve a very important purpose for both of these two. Walky will be forced to grow up a bit. Dorothy will get more of an idea of what she wants from her personal life and what her expectations are from a romantic partner. I honestly feel in terms of character development this relationship serves a very important purpose. But oh my GOD I am just so not into these two as a couple. At all. AT ALL. But I think that might have something to do with this whole relationship dynamic (man child/type A overachiever) being something I’ve been over for years now. I get that opposites do attract (at least that’s what TV/romantic comedies want me to believe) but I would so much rather see these two with people they actually have some compatibility with. I mean take away physical attraction and take away Walky’s support of Dorothy’s future political goals (a good and important thing obviously) and I just don’t get it. Why is this so serious? Why is she in love at this point? I just can’t make myself buy into it.

    1. la6ue mous

      She’s right that she loves him, but it’s in the way a kid loves a puppy. He’s cute and loyal. That doesn’t mean he’s in her best romantic interests.

      1. caramelundqueer

        Something this storyline is making me very aware of is just how young Dorothy is. She’s going about all of this in a very teenage way. I think because she’s (usually) so level headed we all forget she’s only 18 and an 18 year old who has taken herself very very seriously for a very long time. I think this is the first real primarily passion driven relationship of her life. I don’t get the vibe the sparks were ever this strong with Danny considering how easy it was for her to drop him and move on and I think she’s making the mistake of equating passion with being in love. I don’t want to be disrespectful of someone’s feelings but I just can’t take a declaration of love after 1 month of dating made in the spur of the moment seriously. I can’t buy that she’s really in love or that she even fully grasps what she was saying when she just blurted it out like that and then went off to pout when things didn’t immediately go her way. I can buy that she thinks she’s in love. I can buy that he thinks he is. Maybe that’s good enough? I don’t freaking know. But I look at this and I just think: Dorothy you’re more similar to Joyce than you probably ever thought. But idk…I guess I can tell myself that she genuinely loves him. She loves him in the way a teenager loves the first person that really gets to them and makes their hormones rage. He loves her in that way too. Decades from now they’ll both look back on each other fondly (I hope). But do I believe they have long term potential? Not really, no. Are they each others best options long term? Hmm I doubt it. They were the best options for each other in the beginning semester of their freshman year of college. Give them time to actually see what else a campus has to offer and I’m sure they’d easily find people they’d like just as much if not more.

    2. la6uɐ mous

      However, it’s a good thing that Dorothy thinks she’s in love. Not being soulmates doesn’t mean they should break up prematurely either. Losing Dorothy now would be as devastating to Walky as it was to Danny, although Walky would probably internalize his despair rather than express it. When Walky gains a little more independence, the relationship can end peaceably. At this point in Walky’s development, the relationship is vital.

      1. caramelundqueer

        I agree with that. The relationship definitely serves a purpose and should get to run its course. It’s agonizingly slow drawn out course. But hey enduring this is just the price I choose to pay to enjoy the overall story this comic is telling.

  48. chris73

    I’d like to see Walky man up and take umbrage at what Dorothy just said but of course he won’t, he’ll just take it and be glad the relationships back on track

    He won’t notice he’s been more or less neutered though

  49. theKOT

    I couldn’t be in a relationship that didn’t feature mutual respect. I don’t like the
    walky much so I kind of agree with Dorothy but in that case I just would leave the relationship. Love makes a person do stupid stuff I guess XD

  50. Frost Magi

    So uh… can we acknowledge Danny x Ethan? I mean that’s not what this strip is about but I wanna get off them for a sec.

    I predict that Danny and Ethan will be together soon. Joyce will be with Walky, Dorothy will date Amber and Sierra will be with Mike. Joe will be forever alone. The cosmic forces of my multiverse psychic power have told me this will be so. Then in another universe, Dorothy, Joyce, Billie, Ruth and Dina are in a 5-way.

    The cosmic forces have been very gracious to me today.

    1. barefootbiker

      Poor Joe. 🙁 And in this universe, he doesn’t even have a father-figure relationship with a robot who was once a car to keep him tethered to existence.

  51. Lord Geovanni

    Kawaii desu ni

    1. Jen Aside

      “it’s in cute”?

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