142

Take-aways
Posted on February 23, 2020 by David M Willis

142 thoughts on “Take-aways”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    Toenail: more nail than has been drawin in 27 years of Walkyverse

    1. He Who Abides

      You mean aside from Ross’s chin, right?

      1. Lys

        I think his chin is a second, smaller toe

        1. He Who Abides

          His chin’s the nail, and the rest of his head’s the toe.

    2. nobodybasically

      I just checked. It’s a little over 22 years old.

  2. ian livs

    Aww, hugs! And another great Sarah moment.

    1. saltchocolate

      I have always loved Sarah. For the record. She used to be my avatar!

      1. Lieutenant Dan

        Username checks out.

    2. Wizard

      Sarah: getting shit done.

    3. Lokitsu

      Sarah just had a mom moment.

  3. Suet

    *remembers the booger comic in Walky* I’m good.

    But Joyce still feeling better in the near future? Still uncertain.

    1. Suet

      So Joyce hated Demon? Fair enough.

  4. ValdVin

    Sarah willingly joining in on a hug?

    I am not (that) drunk. Am I seeing things?

    1. deathjavu

      No, that’s why she said “Okay, FINE” after being heavily pressured – what do you mean, no one said anything to her about hugging?

      1. ValdVin

        Huh.

        On further review, Sarah did more initiating in the only other hug I remember her: https://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/04-it-all-returns/better-4/ (and the next strip).

        I guess around Joyce she lets out more soft caramel friendliness which she usually inside that hard candy (?) shell.

        1. Deanatay

          Sarah likes hugs.

          Sarah will never ADMIT she likes hugs.

    2. Felix

      ‘t was a tactic to get close enough to pull off the great nail heist of the century! All as planned.

      1. Kyoulkoa

        It was me plan, I planned it.

  5. Nono

    Sarah has learned that as much fun as grumping may be, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet, get the caring done, so you can move on with your day.

  6. Doctor_Who

    The food vanishes after panel one, I’m just gonna assume that Sarah casually chucked it into the distance same as the toenail.

    1. Leorale

      She could’ve handed it off to Joyce between panels, before hugging her. Typically Willis draws a transfer like that. If this scene continues tomorrow, we’ll see if Joyce recieved it, but it’s a good moment to cut away. So bushes it is.

      1. Rose by Any Other Name

        Has anyone else completely forgotten what Joyce was eating?
        Just me?
        I mean, I could go look it up, but I got stuff ta do.

        1. BBCC

          Stacked rice bowl. Easily separated for her convenience.

        2. Shade

          But still technically touching each other which is the bit she’s struggling with.

      2. Furthurdead

        We can see both of Joyce’s hands in Panel 5. Since one of Dorothy’s hands are obscured it is possible that she is holding it, but I personally subscribe to the yeet theory.

    2. Owlmirror

      Could be that Sarah just casually handed the food off to Dorothy. “Joyce will eat if Dorothy feeds her. Another problem sorted.”

    3. abacuswizard

      Things happen… *between* panels??

      [ surprisedpikachu.jpg ]

    4. a/snow/mous/e

      Maybe she put it in her coat pocket?

    5. Tacos

      It was put into hammerspace.

  7. Kyrik Michalowski

    I hope people appreciate how much Sarah actually cares about Joyce. It’s a very sisterly love and I approve of it.

    Even if Joyce does drive me crazy.

    1. Fire_Daws

      Appropriate Gravatar is appropriate.

      1. He Who Abides

        Claireface is not appropriate, though.

        1. hueloovoo

          Claire face is ALWAYS appropriate.

        2. He Who Abides

          Not that Claireface, though. The one with her eyes all sparkly, from when she’s hoping Veronica and Jim hit it off, seems like a better fit here.

        3. Fire_Daws

          Problem with that one is it’s got half Tai’s face in it when I try to crop it (yes, I’ve tried to add it to my collection). This one is from slightly later in that story arc.

        4. He Who Abides

          Oh yeah, their heads are touching in that panel. Well, at least you tried.

          Still hoping to see an appropriate moment for Stoned Claireface.

        5. Kyoulkoa

          Claireface https://imgur.com/a/w4CY2yB

  8. timemonkey

    Sarah is best.

  9. DarkoNeko

    Sarah comes and save the day…well, about 10 min of it.

    1. DarkoNeko

      I like Dotty’s face on the last panel a lot.

  10. Stephen Bierce

    I’d rather be a hammer than a nail…

    1. Marsh Maryrose

      Sometimes you’re the steppy thing
      Sometimes you’re the nail

    2. AntJ

      especially if it’s Chekhov’s metaphorical toenail

  11. Hoboturtle

    Joyce Sarah

    1. Hoboturtle

      Shit. Wouldn’t let me put the diamond in

      1. abysswatcher1993

        Moirallegiance?! A fellow Homestuck?!

        1. Kensou

          IT KEEPS HAPPENING

        2. Kyoulkoa

          I warned you about those stairs bro

        3. Hoboturtle

          Guilty

      2. Khyrin

        “Sarah♦Joyce”

        Like so? ALT+4 on the num pad produces the ♦, assuming this doesn’t get et.

  12. Vangeln

    Will toedad be discarded like that toenail?

    1. Icalasari

      Nah. His face will just rot off, revealing it to have just been a giant decaying toenail the entire time. Then he’ll be hospitalized for a few weeks while a new, healthy nail face grows in and he becomes a loving, non bigot father

      1. Meagan

        This could be the beginning of a great crack fic

  13. deathjavu

    Yes, Sarah, pretend reluctance in giving a hug that no one had specifically asked for. It’s adorable, even if it’s not convincing in any way.

  14. Regalli

    I’m glad that, a scant few days after asking for Joyce to get hugs, she has gotten two. (Now all we need is a Joyce/Becky Mutual Comfort And Fear Hug and a Jocelyne/Joyce Mom’s Shit, But At Least I Have An Awesome Sister Hug and we’ll have the complete set!)

  15. Bob

    When ever i find myself in these situations my morbid curiosity takes over and I MUST hold the nail, scab or what ever.
    I think its something primal.

    1. Zaxares

      I used to have a similar fascination with my baby teeth when they came out. A sort of “I can’t believe this thing used to be in me!” feeling.

  16. Diane

    Sarah is my favorite, best sister, she knows Joyce’s thought process and knows how to override needed issues.

  17. T Campbell

    “Ask, it doesn’t get done” and “You have to learn to respect other people’s boundaries” are both correct. Understanding human life means embracing a lot of ambiguity, sometimes.

    1. deathjavu

      Context: It matters! ™

      1. DudeMyDadOwnsaDealership

        Hell yeah….

  18. Juanoku

    Nails are a foreign concept to your artstyle

  19. DailyBrad

    Big Sister.

  20. BBCC

    Sarah, joining a hug and getting rid of the gross dead toenail?

    Damn, she REALLY wants Joyce to feel better. She’s a good big sister.

    Although, I feel ‘ask, it doesn’t get done’ is REALLY not a lesson you should reinforce for Joyce. Just…no.

    1. TERRY

      However, “know your audience” is useful. Get to know the people you care for and do the things that you know to show your love for them. Sarah found Joyce’s love language. It just so happens that it matches up with Sarah’s own need for efficiency.

      1. BBCC

        This is a valid point but given Joyce already sucks at boundaries, I feel this is a bad idea to reinforce.

  21. HeinousActsZX

    There’s a lot to be said for a friend who knows you well enough to know exactly how and when you need to be pushed.

  22. Norah

    Is there somewhere to go to complain about the ads? Tonight I’m getting 2 or even 3 NRA ads on the page. When I “X” them out and choose “not interested” the come right back. I even tried clearing history and cookies, and they still come back.

    1. Fogel

      I’m getting Bergdorf Goodman.

      1. clif

        Home Depot here. Better than the soft-porn-manga ads I’m getting on a few of the other web comics I follow.

  23. Fire_Daws

    Sarah Clinton. Problem Solver.

  24. DT

    “Goalposts move with stress levels”
    RE-LA-TA-BLE.

  25. pienapp1e

    i love sarah’s sweatshirt with the purple and the trees! beautiful idea! and that sarah joined the hug 🙂 and joyce and dorothy’s discussion!

    1. Moon

      god youre right that is a sweet hoodie

    2. Happilychaotic

      I was thinking the same!

  26. Shiro

    Sarah’s the kind of big sister Joyce really needs in her life

    1. Hazel

      Aside from Jocelyn, the big sister she doesn’t know she has.

  27. Jonah Sanville

    was half expecting the toenail to have a tag

    1. Needfuldoer

      It kind of was one, does that count?

  28. Pocky

    Sarah’s like a big sister right now, and I love it.

  29. Lingo

    Who are you and what have you done with the real Sarah?

    1. clif

      She was kidnapped and replaced by the head Alain, hiding behind the scenes as usual in this universe.

      1. clif

        In our universe HA introduced autocorrect.

        1. Roborat

          But it always substitutes the worst possible word for the situation.

  30. Shade

    Goalposts move with stress levels.

    Ain’t that the truth.

    1. Agemegos

      Stress levels rise with moving goalposts, IME.

      1. Kamino Neko

        Stress rises when other people move the goal posts you’re supposed to aim for.

        When stress rises, the goal posts you set for yourself move to compensate.

  31. He Who Abides

    Gotta love how Sarah’s pretending to be reluctant about hugging Joyce and Dorothy.

    You can’t fight it, Sarah. You officially care now.

  32. Carms

    Big sister :3

  33. abysswatcher1993

    Okay, Sarah brings another way of being a moral person besides Dorothy’s “ask”. Sometimes you don’t have time to ask questions, so you have to go on instinct to solve problems that appear immediately. Getting shit done requires integri-Okay, not that kind of integrity.

    I just hope Joyce decides to take the appropriate course of action after learning from the rational Dorothy and the impulsive Sarah.

    1. abysswatcher1993

      But seriously if we classified morality systems: Dorothy/utilitarianism, Sarah/cynicism, Becky/pragmatism, Dina/positivism, Joe/ethical hedonism, Mike/misanthropy, Walky/absurdism, Joyce/existentialism, Jason/realism, Sal/anarchy, Amber/social darwinism? Amber is hard to know because she is a psychological mess.

      1. Adam Black

        and that Amber has multiple contradicting systems keeps her that way ,
        But at least one of them is Empathy

    2. thumb

      Ain’t nothing impulsive about Sarah. This is the behaviour of someone who has made the conscious decision to care.

  34. Chaucer59

    Sarah’s going to make one damned fine lawyer/judge/Supreme Court Justice.

    1. abysswatcher1993

      Like Bat Simpson. Yes, he became a judge of the Supreme Court.

  35. Tacos

    Look at Sarah pretending not to care.

  36. Meagan

    I love Dorothy and Joyce’s facial expressions in panel two. Joyce is like, “aw, Sarah being sweet while transparently covering it up.” And Dorothy is more bemused “this person is pretending to not like hugs while initiating a hug with me, does not compute.” I feel like this accurately but subtly conveys their different relationships to her.

  37. DrWattson

    It took me too long to realize the roller coaster metaphor in the last panel was a callback to the flashback from the start of the storyline at Six Flags or Cedar Point or whatever midwest theme park that was.

    1. ElectricBlue

      Ohh I totally wouldn’t have put that together, good catch!

  38. Kensou

    i imagine if Joyce has ever visited Six Flags Great America (I remember her visiting a park with Becky’s family, but I keep thinking they went to a Disney one), the Whizzer is her favorite coaster. The American Eagle might place first instead, but given its height and speed, I wonder.

    Also, Sarah is now forgiven for her pizza and cake-hoarding.

    1. ElectricBlue

      Yep, it was Six Flags – you were probably thinking of Disney because of the knockoff Elsa doll though: https://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-10/02-to-remind-you-of-my-love/princess-2/

      Side note: I thought that scene was gonna take a lot longer to find but apparently Joyce and Becky have only been in one strip together since that flashback??

  39. Romanticide

    Sarah woke up really effective this morning. And she certainly has taken to an art knowing were she can push Joyce to get things done and rip bandaids without completely overhelm her.

  40. ElectricBlue

    Sarah is being extremely Sarah in this strip and I’m so here for it. Efficiently getting shit done that no one else wants to do, check. Voluntarily providing emotional support while making it known that she is not enjoying it, check. Being an awesome big sister to Joyce, big ol’ check (>* ◡ *<)

  41. TemperaryObsessor

    I guess sometimes its okay to tattle and sometimes it isn’t.

  42. Foxhack

    As the very antisocial grumpy friend in a majority of my circles, I relate to Sarah.

  43. auroki

    Coveted Hug from Sarah aquired!

  44. BenRG

    It’s strips like this that make it hard to remember that Sarah isn’t Joyce’s foster mom.

  45. Keulen

    This strip is one of my favorite Sarah moments.

    1. Kelibath

      Same <3

  46. clif

    It’s true. The morality rides that go upside down are the most interesting.

  47. Shane

    “You might have confidently gotten the situation resolved which needed resolving, b-but you didn’t ask textbook perfectly which Joyce just admitted would have failed!”

    Let this be a lesson for taking assertive and effective action for your future presidency.

  48. Bicycle Bill

    Look at it this way, Joyce — with one less toenail you will need 10% less toenail polish.
    And since it was the big toe (larger nail), you’ll probably use even less than that.

  49. Bagge

    Sarah ain’t no Dorothy, but she’s getting results.

    Which must hurt for Dorothy.

    1. Josh Spicer

      Dorothy isn’t really a mother as much as she wants to be. She’s a concerned older sister who offers advise while Sarah is the mother who knows what’s best and gets shit done.

      1. Bagge

        and Joyce needs both

        1. Bagge

          and, yes Becky. Joyce also needs her wacky-best-friend-forever to keep things interesting

  50. Megan Rivera

    SARAH!! Look at how she just takes care of business so matter of factly. Like, she knows Joyce is distressed and just swoops in like a hawk to fix it. That’s so sweet. I love her even more now.

  51. Kelibath

    “You can only see nails in my drawing style if they’re dead”

    What does this imply about Ross’s arc, hrmmm? o.0

    1. Sombrero

      Ross is a zombie?

  52. Happilychaotic

    Sarah is a proper Big Sister! <³ aww 🙂

    Also, nice callback to Becky's and Joyce's childhood trip to the amusement park.

  53. Wraithy2773

    Oh, Billie really should check up on Ruth right about now. The Leafs just… well…

    One of the weird, minor rules in NHL Hockey that almost never comes up is that the home team has to have, on staff for each game, an Emergency Goalie, in case either team’s starting and back-up goalie gets injured. Usually just some guy that’s in-town and an amateur, he gets comp’d for his presence by getting to watch the game for free.

    …tonight, halfway through the game, the visiting Carolina Hurricanes had both of their goalies injured, and had to take advantage of this rule, bringing in a 42 year old guy employed by the Toronto Maple Leafs as a Zamboni driver to play goalie for them and defend a 3-1 Carolina lead.

    Carolina beat the Maple Leafs 6-3.

    There’s “losing badly” and then there’s “losing badly to a guy on your payroll who hasn’t played professional hockey in decades”…

    1. Plain Marie

      Woo! Canes!

    2. ValdVin

      I know! Usually it can make the news when the Emergency Backup Goalie merely has to sit on the bench because the starter leaves and the standard backup goalie gets on the ice.

    3. Bicycle Bill

      According to a report I read, the guy was 42-year-old David Ayres, and the highest level hockey he ever played was something called “Junior B” — so I don’t know if he’s even a professional; just a skilled amateur who’s available if needed.

      1. Roborat

        And they were impressed enough with him that they took him for their next game as well.

  54. Rabisch

    Sarah has finally accepted her role as a substitute mother for everyone, especially for Joyce. This is really sweet ♡♡♡♡♡.

  55. Jay

    Sarah is the best Dorm Mother now that she seems to have accepted the role.

  56. Needfuldoer

    The morality takeaways don’t go upside-down, Joyce!

  57. jawsomemama

    My takeaway probably shouldn’t be jealousy… Sarah finds a fitted hoodie that actually covers her wrists?! that’s a tall girl gold mine.

  58. brionl

    Joyce is now going to have to burn that sock.

    1. HeatherJean

      And the shoe. And the foot….

    2. Valdrax

      From experience, there’s usually some blood still… liquid under there, so that sock is definitely stained since she didn’t wash up the area.

      1. Agemegos

        I’ve had some come off after healing up completely underneath.

      2. Needfuldoer

        Hydrogen peroxide will get rid of a little blood stain.

        Or she could use THE POWER OF OXI CLEAN! THE STAIN SPECIALIST! It’s basically instant hydrogen peroxide, thanks to its active ingredient: sodium percarbonate.)
        (RIP Billy Mays)

  59. Kravis

    C’mon, Sarah.
    That’s littering.

    Very gross, disgusting littering.

  60. nightshade

    now she needs to get an antibacterial gell or ointment or shell get a fungus that never goes away …….

    Do you know since Joyce is trying ot be a grade school/junior high teacher of some sort what’s she going to do with a bunch of snotty bleeding gross gooey kids? I have a few teacher relatives and the stories they tell…. (like the poor girl whos first period started in the middle of her 7th grade oral report in front of her science class )

    unless you take a medicine that can kill your liver for 3 months….

    this nail polish stuff that you put on for a week and then have to peel it off your self for 8 weeks

    or they surgically make it where the toenail doesn’t regrow …..

    Last time i tried to do something I couldn’t use option1 option didn’t work and was hella messy and we were discussing option 3 ..

    1. nightshade

      bleh move the first line under the 2nd paragrahp … .

  61. Chris

    DoA Book 10: Oh, Are We Doing Hugs Now? Okay, Fine.

  62. zellgato

    Honestly. Sarah-the-big-sis is my favorite in this Universe.

    ..though I feel like she’s gonna end up murdering someone for Joyce at some point now. More than any of the other characters, I feel like she’d actually do it, and ultimately be fine with it after a while.

  63. Sporky

    Joyce’s face in that last panel. She loves Sarah [weeps]

  64. Laurel Raven

    I’m now oddly disappointed that Joyce’s toenail didn’t get a tag…

  65. Roborat

    Sarah is the bestest big sister.

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