Gain
Posted on September 21, 2025 by David M Willis


Tags: jennifer, walky

279 thoughts on “Gain”

  1. NGPZ

    now kiss

    1. JA

      NOT KITH!

      1. JA

        Now* goddammit no edit option

      2. Tatterhood

        Now Kit Fisto?

        1. Decidedly Orthogonal

          Now fist n’ kiss too.

        2. CianM1301

          In that order?

        3. Steamweed

          Sure. Aftercare is an important thing.

    2. jeffepp

      70s electric jazz guitar background music intensifies.

    3. anon

      Would be one person danny hasn’t gotten with (even tho jen tried lol)

    4. Allen Alberti

      I could ship this.

    5. Paradoxius

      Hard pivot to this being Walky’s post transition lesbian situationship. That’d be *way* worse than a throuple with Dorothy and Joyce!

    6. Sharizard

      Joyce does keep getting what she wants in this comic, so this ship may be an inevitability.

  2. Peng

    >:O IM NEVER IN DENIAL ABOUT ANYBODY

    1. Dara

      I love Billifer when she’s at her most Lucy Van Pelt and I feel she’s very Lucy Van Pelt here in the best way, particularly right there. 😀

      1. jeffepp

        “Of all the Lucy Van Pelts of the world, you’re the Lucy Van Peltiest.”

        1. Andy

          I think it’s Luciest Van Pelt, like attorneys general.

      2. Jeff K!

        Oh good gracious, you’re exactly right.
        Jennifer is Lucy Van Pelt almost to a T.

      3. Steamweed

        Who fills the role of Charlie Brown getting the football taken away at the last second so he falls flat on his back? Doesn’t seem Walky-ish nor Danny-ish.

        1. aSnowyEvening

          Ethan certainly seems to be experiencing some Good Grief with Mike being snatched from him.

        2. Needfuldoer

          I like to think Rerun finally let Charlie Brown kick the football in that one strip toward the end.

        3. Dara

          In this storyline? We’re looking right at him! It’s Walky. And he’s sad.

        4. Embe13

          some would argue joe, some may say ethan (has mike ripped away).
          but i would argue…..leslie.

        5. Embe13

          now the real quention, who is Snoopy?

          my vote wavers between joyce (fighting the red baron that is her fundie programing) and amber cause of her penchant for capes and helping people (also roofs)

        6. keithcurtis

          I’d lean toward Amber, if you include the rich inner (delusional?) fantasy life).

    2. Clif

      If you say it loudly enough, it might make it true.

      1. Steamweed

        Moar volyoom means moar trooth.

  3. QueenofSodor

    “really don’t think i need any pity” walky says right before dropping the most heartbreaking line ever

    1. Drainiest Drain

      This is my favorite part about walky

    2. Embe13

      yup cause he doesnt feel it is a situation to be pitied for, he wants comfort.

  4. Giguioto

    Where is that fellow commentator who drew fan-comic of Walky and Jennifer having a… uh… expererience when we need them?

    1. Justnobodyfqwl

      It was our Lord and Savior, the immortal and fair Yotomoe, right?

      1. pope suburban

        Who else? Yotomoe is doing the (porn) lord’s work in these here comments.

        1. pope suburban

          Hahahaha the Amber gravatar is sublime for this, I’m wheezing.

        2. Nymph

          That’s an Amazi-Girl gravatar, I think you’ll find.

        3. NGPZ

          yee, AG and Amber may share the same body but theyz different people

          AG don’t be making the fanficz, at least none that we know of XD

    2. Thag Simmons

      Here

    3. Rose by Any other Name

      “having a uh experience”

      **immediately imagines Walky and Jen fusing Steven Universe Style**

  5. Charlie

    We need to go more sicko. Walky and Jennifer need to have a really awkward but passionate “childhood friends” hookup

    1. Charlie

      Speaking from experience here!

      1. Megan

        high fives you

    2. John Campbell

      I’m imagining them lying around afterward:

      BILLIE: “We will never speak of this again.”

      WALKY: “Memory wiped. … We can do it again, though, right?”

      BILLIE: “Oh fuck yeah! Just don’t make it weird by talking about it.”

      1. GreyICE

        Given Jennifer’s bi status, she could really live the dream by getting a V with Sal.

        1. Mr D

          Being on a V relationship with twins is one of those things that is both deeply interesting and deeply disturbing.
          Roll 1d10+int modifier sanity damage.

    3. Justnobodyfqwl

      I think this is fantastic because it IS deeply wrong and has been frequently established as unfavorable and unpleasant by the characters. But there’s nothing ACTUALLY wrong with it, it’s entirely context and assigned meaning. It’s the perfect sickos mode material

    4. BarerMender

      Jennifer and Walkie? Even I am not that sick.

      1. Rose by Any other Name

        Agreed.
        … mostly because of the previous comic, where Walky said he’d eaten so many mcnuggets that he was basically a living sausage. That is NOT a good state to have sex in and will not end in a pleasant manner for anyone involved.

        1. Embe13

          urk! yeah he needs to hit the can before any attempt at a rebound

  6. Amara

    I wonder if Walky knew before Dorothy did, or if Joyce running in is what cinched it for him? As much as he teased them, he is actually observant to a degree.

    1. Doopyboop

      I have a feeling it’s more of an ‘in hindsight’ thing for him.

    2. JA

      I feel I remember Walky commenting on Dorothy having a thing for Joyce over a real-time decade ago.

    3. Megan

      everyone knew before Dorothy did

      1. Proxiehunter

        The time frame in which Joyce knew and Dorthy didn’t can be measured in hours at best. Minutes or even seconds are more likely.

        1. thejeff

          I kind of feel like everyone responding to Amara’s post means something different by “knew”. Like Walky joked about Joyce’s thing for Dorothy last semester. He certainly didn’t know they were actually together now before Dorothy did.
          He may have suspected he was just a substitute for Joyce after that first bedtime conversation about her watching, but that probably only became solid with hindsight after Joyce officially dumped him.

    4. Justnobodyfqwl

      You could make a serious argument that Walky might have been THE FIRST person in the entire comic to observe, understand, and acknowledge “hey, Joyce and Dorothy are clearly in love, right?”

    5. John Campbell

      Walky absolutely knew before Dorothy did. He’s actually very observant; he just covers up how sharp he is with obfuscating stupidity and plausible deniability.

      1. LordCastigator

        There’s also all the times much earlier in the comic where Walky kept dropping lines about things like “Joyce wanting to dive between Dorothy’s legs” and so on…

        ((On a side note, I tapped the “Comment” button trying to add to the comment chain, only to discover that it’s actually the “REPORT Comment” button! Sorry about that ? ))

        1. Embe13

          takes 10+ reports for it to flag, we’ve all accidently done so

        2. Amara

          I gave up on commenting one night a month or two ago cuz i kept fumbling and hitting report and was like alright that’s enough comment section from me now. I’m just trying to scroll here.

        3. Taffy

          I reported you on purpose just to do it.

  7. Rosicrucian

    Lucky for her, Alice is into people who are never in denial about anybody.

  8. Doopyboop

    You know, in a way, this has let Walky realize how Lucy felt with him. It’s different because I don’t think Walky was in denial about still being into Dorothy, but he DID date Lucy because she was “an available substitute”. Also, he put it into such good words here, he really didn’t deserve that. Poor guy.

    1. Dot

      I think it has really solidified for him how much he screwed up with Lucy, yeah

    2. Newlland(Henryvolt)

      Well in all fairness atleast things ended between in a way that wasn’t messy and allowed Lucy to end things on her own terms instead of just dropped like a bad habit for someone else.

    3. Nubetrasnochada

      I think he was still pining after Amber more than after Dorothy at the time.

      1. Rose by Any other Name

        Still low-key kinda hoping Walky and Amber try again at some point.
        I generally don’t like Walky much, but I found his relationship with Amber to be really intriguing, and I never felt like it got enough time to be fully explored.

        1. Steve C

          IDK. I enthusiastically shipped Amber and Walky up to the point where Amber decided to aim Dorothy at Joyce to free up Walky. I know that’s SOP for the S.S. Garbage Scowl. On the other hand, I want better for Walky.

        2. Yotomoe

          This is gonna sound bad but I honestly think doing some scumbag shit to get the guy you love is romantic in a weird way. Has not sunk my ship yet.

        3. GreyICE

          I mean she might have just been a trash golem. I wouldn’t ascribe evil motives to it. Well more evil than the ones she admitted to.

        4. Li

          I absolutely think the way she reacted when Booster asked her if that’s what she was doing by encouraging Dorothy to send that selfie was “what? oh no. oh NO.”

          I think even if it’s true (which is hard to say, because Amber is one of many characters who’s inclined to think the worst of herself, so even if she SAYS it’s true later, it won’t necessarily be true), it definitely was NOT a conscious motivation.

        5. Doopyboop

          Agreed.

  9. StClair

    Sure, Jan Jen.

    1. StClair

      It’s not like she still lives in my head rent-free, baka!

      1. Dot

        Oh you know that immediate “yes” she got from Ruth a while back is still rattling around in her brain.

        1. StClair

          Yes.

      2. The Queer Agenda [frog memes]

        All tsun, no dere. Dere is for dweebs.

  10. dinerkinetic

    this just straight up made me happy (I ship it oh no)

    1. Jernacious

      That would make them indeed straight.

  11. Dot

    >brings up Ruth unprompted
    >”im not in denial about anybody”

    1. Bryy

      Jennifer would be funny if she didn’t actually believe her own bullshit.

      1. IntangibleMatter

        That just makes her funnier

    2. IntangibleMatter

      sickos_hahahayes.png

  12. Newlland(Henryvolt)

    Walky: “Why does she want to be with me? It doesn’t make any sense, you of all people know that I’m just a weird detour you take before you find the person you want to be with.”

    In all honesty if I was Walky I’d start developing a complex tawords girls who tell me they love me after a short term of dating. I still remember how things went when Dorothy first said she loved him, (3 months ago or so in comic time) and how he didn’t believe her at first. I remember I didn’t believe her at first either, then I did start to believe and I would defend their relationship when anyone said they weren’t anything special, but now I’m starting to think I should have listened to my first instinct…Dorothy might be a liar.

    To be honest Walky’s rapidly fast developing love affairs keep getting him in trouble.

    1. Dot

      The worst feeling in the world is being the person girls fall fast for but never stick around for.

      1. C.T Phipps

        Walky needs to become a stunt man.

        *sings Unknown Stuntman*

        But the hardest thing I ever do
        Is watch my leading ladies
        Kiss some other guy while I’m bandaging my knee

    2. Switchchris

      Love is complicated. You can very much Love somebody without being In Love, one is the more intense version of the other. I do think that part of Dorothy did LOVE walky, but it never really left the puppy love phase and didn’t last long enough for either of them to really be In Love with eachother.

      To be In Love takes time, its when you know for sure you want to spend the rest of your life with a person.
      What Walky and Dorothy had was more of a extended college fling, they fucked eachother whenever they got stressed, they just put a label on it.

      1. Newlland(Henryvolt)

        Let’s really talk about it, things between them started because Dorothy wanted to date him for fun as a way to have a break from her stressed life schedule for her presidential ambitions and then she got attached. Then they broke up and she tried to get back with him after she started to give up her presidential ambition do to some inner conflict she was having, and then as mentioned the days before the recent events she got really intament with him as a way to sort out her feelings for Joyce.

        For Dorothy her relationship with Walky was an escape, for Walky though it became more but unfortunately that just means it was one sided.

        1. The Queer Agenda [frog memes]

          Dorothy at least loved the freedom he represented, in her mind. I think she caught feelings to some degree too, but I agree it wasn’t as much as he did. She might just be bad at parsing them (neurospicy), with how long it took her to notice WOMEN PRETTY, and how she seems to struggle with knowing what she wants when she can’t defer to a logic flow chart. (Can sorta relate.)

          Walky is so guarded when it comes to expressing anything seriously (and her so oblivious) that I’m not sure how much of his feelings she was ever truly aware of, though. There may have been some miscommunication, and Dorothy was trying to backpedal not only for herself, but thought it was what he’d want.

          It’ll be interesting to see how she does with Joyce.

        2. thejeff

          I don’t really think so. Dorothy didn’t really want to date him as a break. She wanted to date him, but tried to talk herself out of it at first, calling it “self-sabotage”. She put “just for fun” limits on it to try to keep herself from getting to involved (and probably to avoid another Danny situation, which was fresh on her mind), but she couldn’t keep to those limits because her feelings were involved. Walky did a better job of staying detached than she did.

          Walky also seemed to have moved on more than she did, though they both had moments in the first semester. I’m not at all convinced her first big move with Walky this semester (where she wound up throwing him at Lucy instead) was aimed at denying her feeling for Joyce, though by the time they actually got back together it clearly was.

        3. Zaxares

          While I think that Dorothy and Walky do genuinely love each other, I also agree with your assessment that, long-term, they are not really a good couple. Despite her recent mental break, I feel that Dorothy is still very much a person who wants to do “Great ThingsTM” with her life. Even if she ultimately gives up on wanting to be President, I feel like she’d still want to be in a position that impacts the world in a positive way. But that sort of life requires a great deal of sacrifices, and a partner who can really support you every step of the way.

          Walky is… not that. He very much wants a laid back life, a quiet, comfy existence spent doing the things he loves with the person he loves. Dorothy spending a lot of time away working on Big Important Things means she won’t be around a lot for him. But the biggest friction point between them is what we saw during the arc when Walky realized he was failing, and Dorothy made it her mission to pull him up. But if she’s going to do BIT, then she can’t be spending her time coaching and attending to the needs of someone else. Ultimately, that kind of relationship tends to breed resentment that one partner isn’t “pulling their weight”, and I think it would have eventually poisoned the love Dorothy and Walky had for each other.

    3. nadamás

      I don’t see how that make Dorothy a liar? A lot people say i love you prematurely in a relationship.

      1. Newlland(Henryvolt)

        She’d probably still claim she meant it.

        1. Nymph

          And she might have. It is possible to love someone and not end up with them. To love someone and hurt them with your own stupidity. It’s also possible to mean it and find out later you were wrong.

          I still don’t think “liar” is the right word for someone who says “I love you” in a relationship that doesn’t last.

        2. thejeff

          Yeah, at worst it means she was mistaking something closer to infatuation for “True Love” and that only if you’re defining “love” in a way that can only be known in retrospect.
          They also didn’t break up because they realized they weren’t in love, but because Dorothy was burning out. She still had feelings for him even afterwards.

        3. Nymph

          Exactly, yeah.

        4. Dot

          “Liar” is harsh for sure. With the benefit of hindsight it was the start of her being unfair to him and pushing and pulling but she couldn’t have known that at the time. Can’t fault her for jumping the gun.

        5. Nymph

          For sure.

  13. The Rev

    Alt text got to the joke before me

    1. Freemage

      I don’t follow the joke, there, actually. Explain it like I’m five? (Or like I’m 55, if it is something to do with the slang the kids are talkin these days.)

      1. APW

        There: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/loss

        1. Icalasari

          Doesn’t explain the Gain in place of Loss though. That part is… A touch confusing

        2. The Queer Agenda [frog memes]

          Holds out jug of laundry detergent: Is this Gain?

          (Read the first panel again for the joke, though.)

        3. Rose by Any other Name

          Jen said she’d gain 10 pounds if she ate a mcnuggest, so since the first unique word said names the comic, today’s comic is called Gain.
          As noted elsewhere in this reply thread, there is also a famous comic known as Loss.
          The Loss comic and this Gain comic have nothing to do with one another aside from having opposite names.

        4. Rose by Any other Name

          Oh, and apparently there is a subcatagory of Loss memes where you reverse the order of the panels and then ask “is this gain?”

          I was unfamiliar with that until another thread farther down, but that appears to be where the alt text comes from.

        5. Freemage

          Thanks for all that. I know meme-splanations are often a pain to give folks. I was familiar with Loss, but yeah, my brain just wasn’t grokking “Gain”.

        6. Rose by Any other Name

          Honestly, before this comment thread, I thought it was a joke about gym gains. It was only after the link to Loss above that I was like “oh, because this comic is called Gain. Huh.”

  14. Megan

    you know I was initially going to start shipping these two out of nothing but spite, but hey, if you wanna make my job easier, I’m all for it!

    1. Taffy

      Always nice when the author does most of the work.

  15. mindbleach

    … Dumbledore said calmly.

  16. Suet

    DoA this year is all about Denial.
    But those denials won’t last very long.

    now I won’t search for “is this gain” memes, lah

  17. C.T Phipps

    Walky likes sex just fine but he doesn’t want to be in a relationship and his experience with them so far has been getting jerked around massively.

    1. Erica

      He definitely wants to be in a relationship if it’s with Dorothy

      1. Clif

        We’ll see if thicc Dorothy works out.

      2. C.T Phipps

        I’m not sure because it’s Dorothy who turned their relationship from funsies to something serious.

        Despite being against the rules.

        Then dumped him.

        Then went back to him.

        Then dumped him again.

        1. deliverything

          Yes, their relationship was a mess. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want it back. Love cares not for logic.

  18. IntangibleMatter

    Aww, Walky, are you-

    WAIT THERE’S STILL A FAINT POSSIBILITY OF BILLIFER AND RUTH GETTING BACK TOGETHER?? HELL YEAH SICKOS STAY WINNING EVEN MORE

    1. Dot

      I’ve been biding my time for five years and I fully intend to be annoying as hell when those two finally make their way back to each other

      1. C.T Phipps

        Billy will only want to get back with Ruth when she’s in another relationship and Ruth with someone being worth being jealous over.

        1. Clif

          Probably.

          Dot, I would say “same,” but I figure I’m probably annoying enough that no-one would recognize the difference.

      2. True Survivor

        I really liked those two together. I know they were not healthy for each other, but I stories about tortured and often sad romances. For example, in RPG video games I always choose the romance option that goes tragically beautifully wrong. Why? I have no idea and refuse to engage in any level of introspection.

        1. Clif

          Probably for the best.

        2. Ray Radlein

          ? “The only really perfect love
          is one that gets away” ?

        3. StClair

          Another (fantasy) webcomic that I read years ago suggested that at least some elves might fetishize love affairs with humans or other mortals because they end. The theory was that no love between immortals can last forever; eventually, you will get bored and tired and fall out of love with each other. But if your lover dies, you can spend the rest of eternity pining after them (sincerely, performatively, or a little of both). Consider our own fascination with cherry blossoms and other ephemeral things…

        4. Rose by Any other Name

          I see someone else read Errant Story.
          Cheers.

        5. The Queer Agenda [frog memes]

          As long as you aren’t the author of Eat, Pray, Love, it’s probably fine to indulge.

        6. thejeff

          I think they were actually healthy for each other. Neither of them were healthy, but they made each other better.

        7. Dot

          It’s worth noting that when Ruth pulled the plug they actually had been getting to a pretty healthy place.

    2. John Campbell

      They’ve been my OTP since that one Roomies! strip. You know the one. This is what Danny took from us.

  19. FlamestAndLight

    A RIVER! IN EGYPT! A RIVER! IN EGYPT! A RIVER! IN EGYPT!

    this is what my partner does whenever someone’s in denial <3

  20. tim gueguen

    Just say no, Walky. You need some relationship break time.

    1. Dot

      Two break ups in one week is crazy work, he needs to become a monk for a little bit.

      1. Thag Simmons

        It’s tonsured Walky!

      2. Mr D

        He needs to go out to learn how to use wisdom to punch people 3 times in a second?

        1. deliverything

          He only managed once against Asher and hurt his hand in the process. Back then, he’d have appreciated Improved Unarmed Strike at the very least.
          Besides, he’s wiser than he pretends to be. Maybe it’d work?

  21. Nono

    Y’know I’m wondering what Sal is going to make of this.

    Jennifer is intuitive, but doesn’t care THAT much.

    1. Dot

      ? Yes she does.

      1. Dot

        If she didn’t really care all that much she would have knocked on the door, exchanged a couple words, and then left. She climbed into Wally’s bed, comisserating with him at a low point in his college life, because she cares about him.

        1. The Queer Agenda [frog memes]

          Think of how many nugget crumbs are probably in that bunk.

        2. thejeff

          I really want to see Jennifer give her usual breakup advice and Walky lean into it this time.

  22. Freezer

    Not sure if Walky’s being healthily cynical or unhealthily fatalistic.

    1. Clif

      You talk like they’re mutually exclusive.

      1. Odditude

        Well, one is healthy and the other is not 😛

    2. Jed!

      It’s unhealthy, but he’s a college freshman basically having his first breakup for the second time. He can be allowed some fatalism, as long as he gets over it.

  23. Smokeysis

    Here’s how Billie/Ruth can still win-

  24. Yotomoe

    After Popular demand here it is.
    A reupload of the colored pictures of the Walky/Billie NSFW Comic (unfinished)
    https://imgchest.com/p/qb4znodr34j (NSFW)

    1. Taffy

      Grazie.

    2. Cmasta1992

      My dreams at least exist somewhere

    3. Justnobodyfqwl

      Even better than I remembered. Bless you

    4. Clif

      Wowzer. Also you know Mike poked a tiny hole in all of them.

      Thank you for your fan-service!

      1. Freemage

        Nah, Mike’s a professional troll. He would’ve just found a way to include a message in one in the middle of the strip that says, “Guess which one I poked a hole in!”

        1. StClair

          and he might or might not have actually done it.
          or more than once!

    5. Steve

      Love these. You’re talented enough to start an original webcomic if you wanted to. And if you’ve already got one, great!

    6. Tawnee

      Magical.

    7. NGPZ

      <3 splendid as I remember it ^-^

      …

      I'll be in my bunk

    8. milu

      Yoto! Heya.
      I read the strip and immediately searched for your pseud in the comments haha 😉

      What a spinoff <3 and now all in colour?! Wow.

      1. Yotomoe

        Half in color! A solid half of it is still in the thumbnail phase (sorry!)

    9. Adeptus

      That was epic.

    10. deliverything

      I notice she mentioned a strict limit on the number of times he could say “butt”, yet didn’t specify a number unless the three raised fingers were that number (and not simply indicating that it was the third ground rule).
      Therefore, he presumably has two more uses of the butt word remaining. I’m kinda hoping he saves at least one for the end, then uses it in the afterglow just to be annoying.

    11. ThatDerpGuy

      A blessing from the GOAT

    12. Dare

      Yay, thank you! It was at least as good as I remembered!

  25. darkoneko

    …oh boy

  26. Erica

    This night be the most I’ve ever liked Billie. She actually seems like a good friend for the first time ever

    1. Ado

      Yeah. Really sweet of her, and having genuine social insight while still having social blindness, it’s a nice portrayal

  27. Cmasta1992

    Walky please have more respect for yourself

  28. Kyulen

    Walky deserves better than how Dorothy has treated him. I hope he finds someone better for him soon, and learns some more healthy coping mechanisms.

    1. Odo

      Lowkey curious about a Roz/Walky pairing

      1. Embe13

        i don’t know about roz, but for some reason i could se him and asma working well

        1. C.T Phipps

          If they can get past the fact he’s an avowed atheist.

  29. Zamperla

    Jennifers so good at denial she can be in denial about multiple people at the same time! Simultaneously!

  30. Brasca1

    Now we meet the most dreadful loser of them all. The Substitute!

  31. Ado

    I really like Walky’s role in DoA as being more down to earth but still experiencing troubles like everyone else, just processing them in different ways.

    1. anon

      “i refused to be traumatized”

  32. John Campbell

    :cues up the Beetles’ “Here Comes the Tsun”:

    1. Thag Simmons

      I hate but also love this pun

    2. Embe13

      “na na na nnananaa, nananana”

    3. Proxiehunter

      I see what you did dere.

  33. Li

    Very sweet. Also that last panel Walky is giving big Calvin & Hobbes energy, which as always is a compliment. Waterson is such a master cartoonist.

  34. biomanzilla

    I’d be fine if the rest of the comic was just every other character dating Walky as a stepping stone to their one true love.

    Well, not every character. He probably shouldn’t date Sal.

  35. Juanoku

    “Is that why you immediately mentioned Ruth?”
    “Shut up”

  36. Skater Girl

    Me: That fifth panel, but without the irony.

  37. Corey C.

    “Wheel of Rebounds, spin spin spin
    Show me the next girl whom I’ll stick it in.”

    1. Proxiehunter

      (wheel lands on a guy)

  38. Arianod

    Thank God for the Westermark effect

    1. StClair

      yeah, ask Becky how she feels about that. :\

    2. HueSatLight

      The magical effect that always and automatically applies no matter the age they met.

  39. anon

    don’t mind but hope we see more tony/sarah

  40. Shakes

    Jennifer continues to be my favourite simply because of her expressiveness.

  41. Fail Earnhardt

    I hate how much Walky reminds me of myself in college. I’m almost 30 and I still struggle with getting trapped as the perpetual backup friend/rebound. If you get hurt like this enough, you hit a point where allowing yourself emotional investment feels like stepping on a rake. This kind of loneliness is a slow-acting poison that will seep into all of your relationships if you let it.

  42. BadRoad

    Jennifer is never in deniable about anybody ELSE.

  43. ADLegend21

    and there it is. Another way Walky keeps getting done dirty.

  44. Jay

    Billie really knows when to show up when it counts and this scene is not helping joyce stocks.

    By poor boy is going to be so paranoid in every relationship going forward

  45. girls rule basically

    that’s a fun punchline. walks & jen are both so expressive in the last panel

  46. Myra V

    Yep, this is pretty much exactly what I expected from Walky in this situation. More of an excuse to make bad decisions rather than actually being hurt by the relationship ending. I’d say the kid needs more self confidence when it comes to relationships – but he’s only just awakened to the fact that sex is actually a thing a few months ago (in universe), so it’s hard to be too harsh on him.

    The relationship I really wish that he’d learn more from was his relationship with Lucy. They were good together, and he seemed genuinely put out when it ended – and I hope he’s able to find someone else who complements him that way. But for now, the only really interesting thing about how he’s handling this breakup is that he’s not really affected by this breakup.

    1. deliverything

      I think the main problem was that Lucy was trying to speedrun the relationship, but Walky wasn’t ready for that. If he’d had time to work through his issues, maybe it would’ve worked out? Regardless, they certainly could’ve worked as friends, but between Lucy’s horniness and trying to convince herself that sex requires love, against Walky’s not-being-ready-for-serious-commitment-until-issues-dealt-with… Well, it was fairly doomed, I think.
      There could be potential if they ever get back together, though, if Walky manages to work through his stuff first. Besides, Lucy might be more patient next time?

      1. Odo

        One of the things that really bugged me about the Walky/Lucy breakup is that nobody in the script ever challenged the narrative that they broke up because Walky screwed up.

        Lucy says “Fuck you I deserve better” and Walky being Walky goes “Yeah, that tracks. I am garbage who ruins everything”, and nobody ever says anything to him or Lucy or anyone else to the contrary.

        Like, Walky sure isn’t perfect, but he was pretty consistent throughout that entire relationship, and he always acted from a place of care.

        1. thejeff

          And that it really blew up because of her misread of the “I love that about you” comment. She was already more invested, but without that misunderstanding I think she could handled the difference better. Maybe long enough for him to catch up.

          As for no one else challenging it, I don’t think anyone else actually knew what went down? So it makes sense in world, but at the same time, that’s a narrative choice.

        2. Myra V

          Well, he did screw up – but it was a screw up that he both recognized that he messed up on, and something that he really could have learned from and grown from if Lucy had stepped back and actually helped him understand that he made a mistake – but that doesn’t make him garbage. It’s a moment that he really could have grown from and the relationship could have survived…

          If both he and Lucy were more mature people.

          And here, we’re right back to Walky doing what he does when an unstable relationship falls apart on him through no fault of his own. Again. He REALLY needs to get in a relationship that actually moves at his speed and that he can take his time growing into, not one that he feels he’s unworthy of (Dorothy and Amber, though the latter in a much more twisted manner) or that tries to push things too far too quickly (Lucy). And… none of the current cast fits the bill on that.

          Well, maybe he’ll find what he needs eventually, in the next… 80 years that it would take for them to get through their college years.

          Hm… Methinks the story might be a bit TOO dense for the time frame being covered… Give the kids some (in universe) time to breath!

        3. Odo

          His only screw up was not correcting the “I love you” mixup earlier… which came from a place of caring about Lucy and not wanting to hurt her. He and Lucy talked about it and once she realized he was still coming from a place of affection they were fine.

          The thing that really seems to have caused the break up is religious differences. Lucy has a kind of culty relationship with religion. Even if it isn’t as extreme as Toedad, she still thinks Walky is wrong for not worshiping GOD. But breaking up over religious differences doesn’t justify her getting pissy, so instead she grabs whatever other excuses are convenient.

          He didn’t screw up with his parents any more than Lucy did. He was upfront and honest about Linda’s racism, and actively encouraged Lucy not to engage. She was the one who decided it was important to make his mom like her, and actively promoted the whole Amber debacle.

          Lucy can realize she wants different things, and decide to break up. That is totally fair. “Fuck you I deserve better” is not and was an asshole way to break up.

        4. thejeff

          I don’t think it was the religion either. That just fed back into their relationship being one-sided.

        5. Li

          I don’t think Walky’s attitude about religion helped, but I think it was something Lucy would have looked past if not for everything else piling up.

          (Lucy doesn’t need a partner who’s also religious, but since her faith seems to be important to her, I do think she needs a partner who respects her faith.) (Similarly, I think it’s important for whoever Walky dates to be, if not equally atheistic, at least very casual about whatever faith they have.)

          (Like, it was NOT why they fought, but I do think each negative thing Walky said to her about church put a little more strain into Lucy’s smile, and I think she would have been hurt if he’d been completely honest with her and told her that standing between her and Becky while they sang along freaked him out and made him feel like she was in a cult.)

        6. Li

          I feel the need to clarify that I am not really cosigning Odo’s take on any of this, I just saw “I don’t think it was the religion either” and felt the need to say “yes but”.

          Absolutely agree, it was not the religious differences that caused them to break up, but I do think it was part of their overall incompatibility.

          Lucy had stars in her eyes about the idea of having her first real boyfriend (generally), and she had a big crush on Walky specifically, so she absolutely would have pushed through her disappointment and discomfort with his loud discomfort with her faith, but it was still a thing that sucked for both of them that they weren’t at all on the same page about it.

    2. Odo

      Walky is obviously hurt by the breakup. He is just doing the typical Walky thing and masking it behind humor.

      He has issues being sincere and vulnerable about this sort of thing, that doesn’t mean he lacks feelings.

      1. Myra V

        Well, I think he’s been preemptively guarding against that pain by convincing himself that he’s not worthy of being in a relationship. He did that with constantly talking about how Dorothy was too good for him, and with Amber by talking about how he was garbage going into the relationship. Lucy was the only relationship that he’s been in so far where he was willing to be vulnerable going into the relationship, and was the best match for him so far – something that is reflected by her ending the relationship being the one time that he was shown being legitimately hurt by the relationship ending.

        I’m hoping that he finds someone else that will give him the relationship that he needs right now – but I really don’t think any of the girls in the current cast can give him what he really needs from a relationship.

  47. Da Boy

    It would be weird, Jennifer is like the third Walkerton sibling XD

  48. kdmw

    That’s the part you object to Jennifer?

  49. Steamweed

    Panel 4: All the ouch; so feel. I feel for ya, Walky. (but, ya know, it’ll prolly happen)
    Panel 5: Yes, Jennifer, you are right, of course, totally right, no one could possibly say otherwise.

    (do i ship star wars 3: the return of the ruthifer? why, yes, yes i do.)

  50. SillyGoose

    Bit who is it you’re not in denial about, Ruth or Alice, or both?

    1. Yeet

      she’s in denial about everything and everyone

    2. DashWallkick

      She’s in denial about a mirror, that’s her whole deal.

    3. John Campbell

      Dorothy? Sal? Maybe Walky?

  51. Pat

    Thise middle panels are really well done.

  52. Josh

    This strip does make me worry for Joe. He might have Danny but I am not sure Joe is 1.) Good about talking feelings with another male and 2.) potentially having to see how good Sal and Danny are after he just told Joyce he is cool being the lesser side piece.

    1. Megan

      thats a deeply fucked up thing to call a poly relationship

      1. Amara

        It’s pretty obvious that Joe would consider himself as secondary to Dorothy in terms of Joyce’s affections, so he probably would think of himself as being a side piece to her main relationship.

        1. Megan

          1) no he doesn’t
          2) fuck off

        2. Amara

          Joe has been a big ball of anxiety and doubt for a while now. Even in the first weeks of this semester, he was focusing in on what Joyce would need and how he felt lacking to provide it.

          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2021/comic/book-11/05-as-long-as-its-free/absent/

          2) I’m not making an attack on polyamory or whatever. I just don’t think joe’s version of any poly relationship here would be anywhere close to healthy considering how high his pedestal for Joyce is. I’ve been Joe before in a similar ish situation, so I’m speaking from my own experience as well as applying my narration inspection goggles.

        3. Megan

          so do you spend all your free time patronizing people about their own oppression or am I just special?

        4. Amara

          For whatever it might be worth, I am sorry that my comments came across that way. It was not my intent to do so. I hope you have a good night =]

      2. Corey C.

        Joe and Joyce might be okay with a poly relationship, but Dorothy still thinks Joe is a scummy sexual predator and Joyce broke up with him, so finding out she’s still seeing him will definitely put a wedge in their relationship.

        1. Megan

          that doesnt change that calling someone asking for a polyamorous relationship “a lesser side piece” is objectively polyphobic. The rhetoric around Joe since him asking that from Joyce has been vile and bigoted, it is INSANE how people feel completely fine saying this shit

  53. Zahra

    The fact that lesbians keep gravitating towards Wally does imply he should transition if my personal experience has anything to say

    1. Li

      Dorothy and Amber and Lucy are not lesbians. Jennifer is also not a lesbian. Not really sure what you’re going for here, but uh.

      1. Li

        Like, trans Walky headcanons are good and valid but the bi erasure is a bummer. And Lucy is one of vanishingly few characters I don’t think has had any queer moments with anyone, though if I’m forgetting something I’m happy to be corrected.

        1. Nep

          ???

        2. NickG

          Does Starfire count?

        3. Proxiehunter

          Not only do I not recall any queer moments she once referred to Joyce as “a bisexual version of me” implying that she herself is not bisexual. All evidence suggests Lucy is one of the few straight people in the comic.

    2. Odo

      Zero lesbians have gravitated towards Walky.

      Dorothy is Bi. Jennifer is Bi (and also not necessarily interested in Walky that way at all). Amber is straight. Lucy is incredibly straight.

      1. Dot

        Becky likes him well enough.

      2. Sirksome

        Don’t trust gravitating not lesbians. Like how are they even doing that?

    3. Yotomoe

      I dunno I have basically only dated Bisexual women. It’s important to have things in common when you’re dating and I really like women and so do they!

  54. Ed Callahano

    Actually, a lot of guys Walky’s age would pay to have that problem. But under the pose Walky uses for a public personality, he has genuine emotional depth. Given the environment he grew up in, you can’t blame him for hiding it.

    1. Li

      Walky has quite a few of the earmarks of having been the “golden child”, yeah.

      Despite certain segments of the internet trying very hard to vilify these kids, it’s almost always just a different form of child abuse.

  55. Polar

    Not denying he’s an available substitute is CRAZY.

    1. Dot

      He’s not redheaded enough

      1. Megan

        the entire fandom already wants to forcefem the guy, some hair dye isnt that big of a leap

        1. Myra V

          I mean, I love me some trans rep – but between Carla, Maya (currently working through her gender issues), the one trans boy from Forest Hall, and Jocelyn, I don’t think we need another trans character in or adjacent to the main cast. Besides, despite having many, MANY issues, I haven’t seen anything indicating that Walky might be trans. At most, he might be gender apathetic, and that’s more because he doesn’t seem to have thought about gender than because he’s done some serious soul searching and figured out that’s what he is.

        2. Megan

          none of those characters are in the main cast. you couldnt even name two of them, and besides, theyre all secondary or tertiary cast.

          and besides all that, “we uave enough trans people” is never a true statement

        3. Reaver

          “I don’t think we need another trans character”

          What-

        4. Myra V

          OK, OK – I would love to see another trans character show up and be part of the main cast. Carla’s not exactly great rep for us trans women, and while Jocelyne is great, I can’t see her showing up more than occasionally. Maya isn’t great AND they rarely show up, and we only had that one cameo moment from the one trans man we’ve seen in the series. I would love to see a good trans character show up and join either the main cast or the immediate supporting cast (you know, same level as Jennifer, Ruth, and the others just outside the main circle).

          What I’m saying is that we have enough rep WITHOUT SHOEHORNING AN EXISTING CHARACTER INTO BEING TRANS. I mean, yeah, Girl Walky was fun in the short bit she showed up in, but I’m really not seeing any signs from Walky that he’s transgender. Turning him into a trans gal right now would feel like it came from left field, and wouldn’t really do anything to move things along.

          Of course, if he started with questioning some things and started exploring things (maybe after having something triggered with seeing the gender shenanigans that Dina is getting up to with Becky), I could see it working in time – but for right now, I’m going to say that I’m just not seeing Walky as being trans. At all.

        5. Proxiehunter

          I don’t feel like combing through all of Walky’s strips but it’s only slightly less out of left field than Joyce’s bisexuality. We can start though with his performative masculinity for example only owning one pair of shoes because he’s a guy (unsure of exact phrasing don’t feel like looking it up. Very old strip.)

        6. Myra V

          I mean, if we’re going that route, I can think of another character that embodies the hyper-masculine don’t talk about your feelings archetype that a lot of trans women go through… Weird as it sounds, I could see Joe going through a questioning phase (and possibly coming out as trans) after starting to explore his feelings with Joyce and coming to some realizations about things. Though, how he’d manage to be such a womanizer while dealing with gender dysphoria, I haven’t a clue – but you know, I’ve heard of stranger things happening.

        7. Taffy

          Joe, six years from now: “Hey there, good-lookin’. Wanna see mah downstairs mixup?”

        8. Taffy

          Who asked for shoehorning? Who asked for right now?

        9. Megan

          their name is fucking Malaya, you weirdo

        10. John Campbell

          No, I’m pretty sure their name is goddammit Malaya.

        11. nadamás

          I, how exactly is Carla “not great rep”?

        12. Myra V

          She has an abrasive personality and is extremely self-centered – if not full on narcissistic. True, we’re seeing a better side of her with her interactions with Charlie (a pairing that I’m quite enjoying) – but she hits a little TOO close to a lot of the negative stereotypes and negative talking points about transgender people for me to really see her as good representation of us.

        13. Megan

          well you see, Carla isn’t a manic pixie dream girl, she’s an actual human character with both positive and negative character traits, thus making her imperfect. us trans women are only allowed to be portrayed as flawless or else it’s “bad rep,” ESPECIALLY when that portrayal is written by another trans person.

        14. Amara

          Carla isn’t specifically created to be representation or whatever. She’s just her own person. Ultra car’s human form in the other universe, or just a normal teenage girl whose parents are basically bill gates or Steve Jobs.

          She’s one of my favorite characters in this entire comic. I adore her antics. I’d probably enjoy being friends with her IRL too. She’s great and she knows she’s great. I’m not sure what stereotypes you’ve been seeing, but confidence is not often included, far as I’ve seen. So honestly, in all of my own experiences and opinions, seeing Carla is actually v refreshing. Perhaps there’s some projection involved though.

        15. John Campbell

          I still find it very weird that Carla has parents who aren’t Joe and Rachel.

        16. Reaver

          Consider this… Carla’s not there to be representation… She’s there because she’s a great character and not every trans, autistic, gay, asexual or hypersexual character is there to be rep.

          Let them just be characters first and foremost.

        17. Proxiehunter

          Every time someone says that Willis should have a new character come out as trans.

        18. Taffy

          Oh, has the Trans Quota™ been filled?

        19. Sirksome

          Don’t trust trans quotas.

        20. Yumi

          Willis, I think you’re gonna have to trans Walky.

        21. wetmonstersmell

          The whole Dorothy/Danny pre-relationship thing gives me Someone Here Is Trans vibes, but I don’t know which of them it is.

        22. Dot

          As long as we can get transfem Danny too I am fine with redheaded transfem Walky.

        23. Proxiehunter

          I’m not disagreeing with you on Danny, I just feel that there’s less evidence there and more just vibes.

        24. Dot

          I don’t think there’s much hard evidence for either Danny or Walky, frankly! I’m just fonder of the one who reminds me more of egg!Dot

        25. Megan

          his entire character is that he lacks identity and purpose in life, if that’s not something estrogen can fix idk what is

        26. Sirksome

          If it never happens during the story’s lifetime I can easily see a Danny trans reveal being like a post college time skip book end for the character. That would be nice. I also personally think Danny leaked Joe’s do-list and stuff like that kinda feels like good egg behavior. Danny the good egg really does a lot of heavy lifting for the trans Danny agenda.

  56. Lysbeth

    Those two have incredible chemistry as friends but it would vanish in an INSTANT if they were into each other

    1. Throwatron

      even the characters see this, and i love that for them

  57. DashWallkick

    Thinking about the punchline too much and getting crosseyed.

  58. Stephen Nedland

    Whatever, in a couple of strips, Jennifer is gathering her clothes off the floor, and muttering, “goddammit”, softly to herself.

  59. Cmd1095

    Do really hope Walky finds someone good for him soon, his lovelife might have a lot of sexy funtimes in it but man the psychological damage it must be doing to him… he needs a good uncomplicated relationship that doesn’t get fucked up by drama

    1. Astariel

      Does such a thing exist in college?

      1. Big Z

        I know exactly two couples in my friend group who got together early in college, are married now, and had no big blowups or drama along the way.

        Out of approximately thirty people in that friend group.

        So… 15%?

        Granted, if we go by percentage of relationships rather than percentage of people, that number goes WAY down.

  60. Schol-R-LEA

    Toxic Yuri Status: uhm… Pearl and Greg sitting awkwardly next to each other trying not to pine over Rose Quartz?

    1. Proxiehunter

      Trying and failing.

    2. Megan

      wait is Dorothy the Rose in this scenario? I’m so confused but SO intrigued

      1. Proxiehunter

        Well, people do seem to think Dorthy committed war crimes.

        1. Megan

          ayyyyyyyyyy

  61. kludge

    wooooo okay I’m happy now, I got my walky angst where he identifies the pattern. perfect storyline, sickos rise up

  62. Astariel

    Last panel Jennifer looks like she’s about to devour someone’s soul.

  63. Rectilinear Propagation

    I wonder how long it will take for him to admit that this sucked (if he ever does).

    1. Dot

      It’s been a real shitty week for him all told.

  64. thumb

    I would never have put these two together, but this is just on the nose enough to happen.

  65. Matrix

    David Walkerton: Substitute Lover

  66. Olav

    Coming late to this party, but I just felt the need to say that Billy/Jennifer and Ruth was a dumpster fire of an unhealthy relationship. I am highly skeptical that there is any possibility of them being together in a healthy one. But, this is fiction, so I’m all in for Round 2!

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