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Something up beat and poppy! You can't spell "slaughter" without "laughter" after all!

12 (18.5%)

Slayer. Why is this even a question?

28 (43.1%)

New Age Spathe Ham Electronica

4 (6.2%)

Dubstep, Drop the bass and dropkick someone's soul.

8 (12.3%)

I would tell you what band I'd go on a rampage to, but you'd have never heard of them. Pleb.

8 (12.3%)

Dora should just calm down and visualize whirled peas till she feels better.

5 (7.7%)

Total Members Voted: 62

Voting closed: 30 Aug 2014, 02:49

[plusorminus]

Sure.  She has admitted she has a rivalry with her brother, but only because he lives an easy life and she can't stand it.  Of the hand full of times they've been shown together in the comic, how many were her threatening to do harm to him?  The majority that I can remember.  If anyone has been toxic in the brother-sister relationship it's been her.  Yeah, he's acted like a scum bag to women, but not to his sister.  If anything, she needs to go have a long talk with her dad about how he treats women because her brother does the same. 

How long did she fuck with Marten's mind while they were in a relationship?  It finally took him having enough of it to break it off with her.  She threatened Faye into going to therapy and it took Faye doing the same thing to get Dora to do it.  Marigold is barely more then spank bank material to her since she acts more like a dirty old man around her then her own girlfriend.  Lets face it, Faye is the only one really able to call her on her shit because Faye is the only one that could and would be more violent the Dora, but at least Faye has made an honest attempt (in the comics I've read) to fix her shit.  Is Dora even going to therapy anymore? 

I admit, it's only a comic character, but Dora is written in such a way that she can't stand it when other people are happy.

I pretty much vehemently disagree with your entire analysis on Dora.

But I'm genuinely puzzled on the bolded. She has found out that her brother, who seriously hurt Faye once before, has now attempted out of whatever selfish, fucked-up reasons, to interpose himself between Faye and Angus. Sven probably doesn't know about the issue with the possibility of long-distance, but he damn sure knows that Faye has been seeing someone for a very long time. Dora, knowing about the precariousness of the situation and about Faye and Sven's history, is understandably pissed.

I think to suggest she's toxic and has stopped her therapy is very short-sighted. And to suggest that she never likes to see anyone happy is just ... weird. She was wrong in much of her relationship with Marten, I'll grant you that. They were ill-suited and she had major emotional problems. It happens. But they are now friends. There is nothing that suggests she is anything but extremely happy with Tai. She has barely mentioned Marigold, and not at all since Marigold started seeing Dale, so not sure what the "spank bank" comments mean.

Sven has swanned around being a major dickhead most of his life and feeling like "Hey, I'm cute, young, and rich so why the fuck not"? Why not ask where his intern, who seemed other than Dora and Faye, to get Sven to see what a shitstain he often was? Why not ask what fucked-upness has taken place in Sven that he not only decides to "win" the girl from her boyfriend, but gets pissed because he thinks he deserved some sort of stupid "The Notebook"-like ending?

Dora is probably realizing that she is getting to a better place, via therapy, her relationship with Tai, the rebuilding of her friendship with Marten, and the continuing success of her business. Now she realizes Sven is probably never going to change. He is always going to carry himself like the Golden Boy, throwing tantrums when he doesn't feel he's getting his due. I'd cut him off, too.

[Method of Madness]

Wait, that doesn't make sense!  An object in orbit can only be seen at dawn and dusk, otherwise its either in the earth's shadow or is overwhelmed by the sun.  Unless it's big and far away like the moon...

Yeah, but Hanners's dad is really good at science.

[plusorminus]

My thoughts exactly.  Dora's just being dramatic and making it all about her, which is extremely annoying.

Er, no. This is her brother, not some stranger on the street who sassed Faye. She's telling her parents precisely because it's not super easy to just cut off a member of your family. She's allowed to have a last straw, too. This could be it.

I'm sort of weirded out by the Dora hate on this board.

[Jazzmaster]

My thoughts exactly.  Dora's just being dramatic and making it all about her, which is extremely annoying.

Er, no. This is her brother, not some stranger on the street who sassed Faye. She's telling her parents precisely because it's not super easy to just cut off a member of your family. She's allowed to have a last straw, too. This could be it.

I'm sort of weirded out by the Dora hate on this board.

I have siblings of my own and sometimes they do stupid things.  When they do stupid things I don't act out about it, I don't get incredibly angry, and I certainly don't make any declarations involving the removal of "toxic people" from my life, when they do kinda-shitty things out of nowhere, to other people.  Of course it works both ways; I've never had a sibling get totally angry with me and threaten to cut me out of their life because I did something dumb.

When is the last time Dora and Sven had any serious interaction with each other?  It'd be one thing if he was constantly around her and doing "toxic" things to her and others, but that's not what is going on at all.  Really, they've just been doing their own thing for quite a while now, and been fairly separated.  What does Dora have to be so damn insecure about in the first place, when she's already running a solid business of her own and has a steady, loving girlfriend?  Has something else been going on that's yet to be revealed in the comic, perhaps?  Perhaps the business not doing so well, or her relationship with Tai is rocky, at least something sensible that's not "my brother is kind of an idiot and I feel the need to make everything he does into something that affects me personally somehow"?

I don't hate Dora, but I cannot, for the life of me, wrap my head around why she's acting this way.  I can't.

[creatureshock]

Er, no. This is her brother, not some stranger on the street who sassed Faye. She's telling her parents precisely because it's not super easy to just cut off a member of your family. She's allowed to have a last straw, too. This could be it.

I'm sort of weirded out by the Dora hate on this board.

The only reason I have an issue with Dora is because she sticks herself into situations she has no business in.  And this is one of them.  She needs to let Sven and Faye be.  She is going to cause a shitstorm that will hit Faye, Angus, Marten, and probably Steve and Cosette will probably get a bit of splatter as well.  Faye is going to be pissed at both Sven and Dora.  Sven is probably going to do something stupid.  And Marten will end up dealing with all of it plus Dora's shit because Tai will be asking him for advice on how to keep her calm.

[plusorminus]

I have siblings of my own and sometimes they do stupid things.  When they do stupid things I don't act out about it, I don't get incredibly angry, and I certainly don't make any declarations involving the removal of "toxic people" from my life, when they do kinda-shitty things out of nowhere, to other people.  Of course it works both ways; I've never had a sibling get totally angry with me and threaten to cut me out of their life because I did something dumb.

My dad cheated on my mother continuously throughout their marriage. Because of her religious beliefs, she turned a blind eye. When I turned 18, I'd had it. I cut him off and told his parents, my grandparents, I was done with him. I told my mother that she was a grown woman and could do what she pleased, but I was done watching my father act like an asshole. I've not talked to or seen him in 5 years. My mother just left him this year.

By your analysis, I was making it "all about me" because hey, my father didn't do anything to me, so what was my beef? I don't accept that, sorry. Sven is Dora's brother. It's a small town. She has to deal with him. It's likely that because they are both out of the house, when Dora comes over, they extend the invite to Sven, as well. She doesn't want to deal with him. He's proven himself to be a selfish asshole.

Also, this could very well affect Dora's business. Faye is her assistant manager. She was already losing focus because of worrying about the Angus stuff. If Sven presses the issue, it could cause a complete meltdown with Faye, which could adversely affect CoD. So to say that this doesn't affect her because Sven didn't do anything to her doesn't wash with me.

What does Dora have to be so damn insecure about in the first place, when she's already running a solid business of her own and has a steady, loving girlfriend?  Has something else been going on that's yet to be revealed in the comic, perhaps?  Perhaps the business not doing so well, or her relationship with Tai is rocky, at least something sensible that's not "my brother is kind of an idiot and I feel the need to make everything he does into something that affects me personally somehow"?

I don't hate Dora, but I cannot, for the life of me, wrap my head around why she's acting this way.  I can't.

Maybe this is the disconnect. I don't read "insecure" in this. Dora knows how hurt Faye was by Sven's selfishness in the past. It's very likely that if Faye had not been in therapy at that time, she might have pulled up stakes and left town after that. She is hearing that Sven is disrespecting and disregarding Faye's relationship, which has the possibility of becoming very turbulent if Angus gets the gig, for his own selfish reasons. Can't she be acting this way because she gave Sven the benefit of the doubt with Faye after he fucked the blonde country singer and now he's proven that he hasn't learned a damn thing?

The only reason I have an issue with Dora is because she sticks herself into situations she has no business in.  And this is one of them.  She needs to let Sven and Faye be.  She is going to cause a shitstorm that will hit Faye, Angus, Marten, and probably Steve and Cosette will probably get a bit of splatter as well.  Faye is going to be pissed at both Sven and Dora.  Sven is probably going to do something stupid.  And Marten will end up dealing with all of it plus Dora's shit because Tai will be asking him for advice on how to keep her calm.

I still maintain that this is her business because Faye is an integral part of the growth of CoD. Would Dora be able to run it without her? Not effectively. She's already on edge because she has no idea what will happen if Angus gets the job and what this will mean for their relationship. The Sven stuff has the very real possibility of throwing Faye into a tailspin. We all saw Faye tuning Angus out when he was talking strategy for his callback. This could go very bad, very quickly. Faye really liked Sven. It would not surprise me if she had been beginning to fall in love with him. This whole screwed-up romcom junk might stir up a lot of dormant feelings that could make Faye unstable and not only would that be a tragedy for Dora personally to see a friend being shoved into an emotional meltdown due to her brother, but it could have disastrous effects on the business. Suppose because of this Sven shit Faye starts being an ass to Penny? Or Cosette? Or Hannelore, god forbid, or Dale, and one or all of them quits?

And, sorry, but these are adults. Faye is very good about not dealing with any shit she doesn't want to deal with. Marten needs to grow a pair, though I will concede that I don't know why Dora's telling him this, unless she subconsciously wants him to talk her out of it.

So, yes, I can admit that she probably should have kept this to herself, but I'm not onboard with the "this doesn't concern Dora" argument.

[Smallest]

Is her anger really justified anyway? Yeah Sven did wrong her friend, but I'm pretty sure Faye can handle that on her own. He didn't do anything to her directly.

My thoughts exactly.  Dora's just being dramatic and making it all about her, which is extremely annoying.

Yeah. Cutting toxic people out of your life is good, but what did he do other than have bad judgement with Faye (which Faye can deal with herself, and he just said a stupid thing, it's not something I'd call 'toxic' even to Faye)? I mean, he had an easier life than her, sure, and banged her friends, but those aren't really 'TIME TO DENOUNCE YOU AND CUT YOU OUT' properties. If she doesn't like being around him she doesn't have to, but cutting someone out of your life generally means more than not spending time with.

[creatureshock]

I still maintain that this is her business because Faye is an integral part of the growth of CoD. Would Dora be able to run it without her? Not effectively. She's already on edge because she has no idea what will happen if Angus gets the job and what this will mean for their relationship. The Sven stuff has the very real possibility of throwing Faye into a tailspin. We all saw Faye tuning Angus out when he was talking strategy for his callback. This could go very bad, very quickly. Faye really liked Sven. It would not surprise me if she had been beginning to fall in love with him. This whole screwed-up romcom junk might stir up a lot of dormant feelings that could make Faye unstable and not only would that be a tragedy for Dora personally to see a friend being shoved into an emotional meltdown due to her brother, but it could have disastrous effects on the business. Suppose because of this Sven shit Faye starts being an ass to Penny? Or Cosette? Or Hannelore, god forbid, or Dale, and one or all of them quits?

Then she is doing a piss poor job of running a company if one employee leaving or starting shit with others, which she does on a near constant basis, will ruin her business.  Sara left, Raven left, the business went out without them.  Hell, it took Hannelore going over the books and showing Dora she was making money to get Dora to calm down about the business.  At this point, if anyone but Hannelore is doing the books for CoD, then the business is fucked. 

I think you are reading it wrong that Faye is just now falling for Angus, I think that happened a long time ago.  If Faye liking Sven at one point, which she clearly does not now and she only treated him as a fuck buddy then, screws up her relationship with Angus then that is on them.  Angus is a stronger guy then I think Marten ever was.  He put up with Faye's shit for the longest time and still kept coming back.  He has a chance now to do something he has dreamed of, and I think Faye needs to put on her big girl panties and be happy for him and do what she needs to to see this relationship further if that is what she wants. 

And, sorry, but these are adults. Faye is very good about not dealing with any shit she doesn't want to deal with. Marten needs to grow a pair, though I will concede that I don't know why Dora's telling him this, unless she subconsciously wants him to talk her out of it.

So, yes, I can admit that she probably should have kept this to herself, but I'm not onboard with the "this doesn't concern Dora" argument.

Yeah, they are adults and this is some jr high school bullshit.  You don't go around announcing to the world why you are doing something, you just fucking do it.  If you don't want to be treated like a 14 year old, you don't act like one.  Adults do not need to justify their actions, they just do it and deal with the consequences.  Dora is trying to justify what she is doing.  I'm honestly half surprised either Marten or Faye are friends with Dora after all the shit she pulled on them.  At least with Faye she was/is/will-always-be fucked up but she admitted it and did something about it.  Dora had to be pushed into it  and I still don't think she admits she needs to be an adult and accept her ownership of her problems.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, Sven is a fuck up but he has never, ever purposefully hurt her.  Did her "friends" in school hurt her because they wanted Sven?  Yes, but that's not on Sven.  That's on her "friends".  Not Sven's.  Not Dora's.  Not Marteen's.  Not Faye's. 

[creatureshock]

Yeah. Cutting toxic people out of your life is good, but what did he do other than have bad judgement with Faye (which Faye can deal with herself, and he just said a stupid thing, it's not something I'd call 'toxic' even to Faye)? I mean, he had an easier life than her, sure, and banged her friends, but those aren't really 'TIME TO DENOUNCE YOU AND CUT YOU OUT' properties. If she doesn't like being around him she doesn't have to, but cutting someone out of your life generally means more than not spending time with.

Shit, they don't spend time together as is.  When was the last time they were shown hanging out together?  I think that is a failing of both of them and I think they'd get over a lot of their bullshit if they actually just hung out and talked shit over.

[Jazzmaster]

My dad cheated on my mother continuously throughout their marriage. Because of her religious beliefs, she turned a blind eye. When I turned 18, I'd had it. I cut him off and told his parents, my grandparents, I was done with him. I told my mother that she was a grown woman and could do what she pleased, but I was done watching my father act like an asshole. I've not talked to or seen him in 5 years. My mother just left him this year.

By your analysis, I was making it "all about me" because hey, my father didn't do anything to me, so what was my beef? I don't accept that, sorry. Sven is Dora's brother. It's a small town. She has to deal with him. It's likely that because they are both out of the house, when Dora comes over, they extend the invite to Sven, as well. She doesn't want to deal with him. He's proven himself to be a selfish asshole.

I naively went through most of my life believing that my parents divorced because my dad was the asshole and my mom was just a victim of it.  Only recently did I start to figure out that ultimately they divorced because they both did some shit wrong and weren't really compatible with each other, and I felt that siding with one over the other or cutting either of them out of my life was pretty pointless.  Bad behavior is never excusable, but for me it's really about realizing that sometimes, one person acts shitty to another person who doesn't really deserve it, but most of the time (from what I've seen), two people can act terrible to each other because the person they're with is not really who they're supposed to be with - I speak from experience.  And I'm NOT trying to tell you to feel or not to feel a certain way about your father, I'm just letting you know where I come from personally. 

Also, this could very well affect Dora's business. Faye is her assistant manager. She was already losing focus because of worrying about the Angus stuff. If Sven presses the issue, it could cause a complete meltdown with Faye, which could adversely affect CoD. So to say that this doesn't affect her because Sven didn't do anything to her doesn't wash with me.

Here's the thing though: you're talking about things that COULD happen, not things that have actually happened.  Maybe if what you just said went down, I could see Dora being pissed off.  But none of it happened, and Faye already disclosed to Marten that although she was annoyed by Sven's behavior, she's resolved to let him "stew in his own juices".  I interpret that as meaning that Sven's behavior isn't going to affect Faye's performance at CoD in any significant way. 

On the other hand, right now Dora's just being very strange and introducing even more drama.  What she's currently doing isn't actually improving the situation for herself or anybody else.  Even Marten seemed a little concerned and confused with how she's acting, which is to be expected because he has no idea what she's really talking about.  Maybe if she elaborates on it at some point it'll make more sense to people in the comic as well as us readers.

Maybe this is the disconnect. I don't read "insecure" in this. Dora knows how hurt Faye was by Sven's selfishness in the past. It's very likely that if Faye had not been in therapy at that time, she might have pulled up stakes and left town after that. She is hearing that Sven is disrespecting and disregarding Faye's relationship, which has the possibility of becoming very turbulent if Angus gets the gig, for his own selfish reasons. Can't she be acting this way because she gave Sven the benefit of the doubt with Faye after he fucked the blonde country singer and now he's proven that he hasn't learned a damn thing?

Other forumers suggested her behavior is a product of her past with Sven, and it felt like they were suggesting it has to do with her feeling jealous and angry at him for being able to reap so much reward from seemingly so little work.  That's where the 'insecure' bit came from, but maybe it's the wrong word.

Can't she be acting this way because she gave Sven the benefit of the doubt with Faye after he fucked the blonde country singer and now he's proven that he hasn't learned a damn thing?

She can do whatever she wants.  But my two cents is that Sven is Sven and it isn't his job to "prove himself" to anybody.  Likewise, Dora is free to choose to not associate with him if she truly finds his behavior so appalling, but I hope she realizes it might've been a mistake to expect him to change somehow, as expecting anyone to change is not really something any of us can do.

[Nyithra]

Yeah we've definitely had little to no Sven and Dora interaction for a while, and unless they have been speaking or spending time together 'off-camera' so to speak, they simply haven't seen much of each other for quite a while. While Dora has a right to be angry with Sven over his actions and how they might affect Faye, avoiding him completely and cutting him out of her life seems like an overreaction.

[plusorminus]

Then she is doing a piss poor job of running a company if one employee leaving or starting shit with others, which she does on a near constant basis, will ruin her business.  Sara left, Raven left, the business went out without them.  Hell, it took Hannelore going over the books and showing Dora she was making money to get Dora to calm down about the business.  At this point, if anyone but Hannelore is doing the books for CoD, then the business is fucked.

Neither Sara nor Raven were Dora's assistant manager. Dora was able to loosen the reins in part because of Hanners' discoveries, but she was also cognizant that she was running herself into the ground and opted to delegate. Even fearing that Faye might rub others the wrong way, she bumped her up to A.M. because she was aware that Faye would be the best person for that job. I don't think Penny would be as effective a manager, Hannelore definitely wouldn't, and Cosette, probably not, but who knows. Raven was flaky and Sara is someone people barely remember. Faye would be a loss and a detriment.

I think you are reading it wrong that Faye is just now falling for Angus, I think that happened a long time ago.

Did I write Angus? I meant Sven. I think Faye was close to falling for Sven during their arrangement which is why she said it would be finito if he slept with someone else and why she took things so hard when they ended.

If Faye liking Sven at one point, which she clearly does not now and she only treated him as a fuck buddy then, screws up her relationship with Angus then that is on them.  Angus is a stronger guy then I think Marten ever was.  He put up with Faye's shit for the longest time and still kept coming back.  He has a chance now to do something he has dreamed of, and I think Faye needs to put on her big girl panties and be happy for him and do what she needs to to see this relationship further if that is what she wants.

I can't argue with that. I do think that it's a little unfair, though, because Faye for all intents and purposes has been civil to Sven. She didn't ask for him to dump his shit on her. I think it's understandable if she is a little shaken. I would consider the matter closed if not for the comic where she tunes out Angus and jumps down his throat when he senses she's not being completely forthcoming about her day. That seems like foreshadowing of big problems.

Yeah, they are adults and this is some jr high school bullshit.  You don't go around announcing to the world why you are doing something, you just fucking do it.  If you don't want to be treated like a 14 year old, you don't act like one.  Adults do not need to justify their actions, they just do it and deal with the consequences.

Yeah, not sure why she felt the need to tell Marten. I can understand not telling Faye, but why Marten or anyone? If anything, I think Dora would have been better going to Marten's mom if she had to tell someone, or Tai.

I'm honestly half surprised either Marten or Faye are friends with Dora after all the shit she pulled on them.

... And you lost me again. Pardon? They're friends with her because Dora is a human being and she's made mistakes. Is being insecure now some sort of capital offense punishable by death of all your friendships and people thinking you're an asshole forever? She wrecked what was a decent thing with Marten. She put strain on her relationship with Faye. What do you want? A hair shirt.

At least with Faye she was/is/will-always-be fucked up but she admitted it and did something about it.  Dora had to be pushed into it  and I still don't think she admits she needs to be an adult and accept her ownership of her problems.

You're seriously telling me that a woman who is running a successful business in her 20s is not being an "adult"? And pardon, but was Dora frogmarched into a therapist's office? I was under the impression that she went under her own power, is working on things, did not blow a gasket during that rough patch with Tai, and is generally trying to live her life.

I just feel that Dora's never going to do anything "good enough" for a lot of people on this forum. She fucked up. Everyone in this comic has fucked up. But Dora seems to be the only one who gets hit upside the head with mistakes made years ago.

I naively went through most of my life believing that my parents divorced because my dad was the asshole and my mom was just a victim of it.  Only recently did I start to figure out that ultimately they divorced because they both did some shit wrong and weren't really compatible with each other, and I felt that siding with one over the other or cutting either of them out of my life was pretty pointless.  Bad behavior is never excusable, but for me it's really about realizing that sometimes, one person acts shitty to another person who doesn't really deserve it, but most of the time (from what I've seen), two people can act terrible to each other because the person they're with is not really who they're supposed to be with - I speak from experience.  And I'm NOT trying to tell you to feel or not to feel a certain way about your father, I'm just letting you know where I come from personally. 

I hear you, and I agree. I can tell you 100 percent that my father was a manipulative, abusive, dickwad and because of the religion my mother chose to follow, she was his lapdog. But I do agree with you that very rarely in a relationship are both person's hands clean. This is why I was never super upset about the Dora/Marten breakup. They both, at different times, did not very advisable things. Marten, by all accounts, placed Faye above Dora when he insisted Dora move in with him and Faye rather than him moving out with Dora. Dora's insecurities ran rampant. She seems very happy with Tai, so I think Dora has the capacity to be in a relationship with someone if she feels she was that person's "first choice," which has issues of its own.

Here's the thing though: you're talking about things that COULD happen, not things that have actually happened.  Maybe if what you just said went down, I could see Dora being pissed off.  But none of it happened, and Faye already disclosed to Marten that although she was annoyed by Sven's behavior, she's resolved to let him "stew in his own juices".  I interpret that as meaning that Sven's behavior isn't going to affect Faye's performance at CoD in any significant way.

On the other hand, right now Dora's just being very strange and introducing even more drama.  What she's currently doing isn't actually improving the situation for herself or anybody else.  Even Marten seemed a little concerned and confused with how she's acting, which is to be expected because he has no idea what she's really talking about.  Maybe if she elaborates on it at some point it'll make more sense to people in the comic as well as us readers.

OK, but I'm sure you can see how that applies to your argument, as well? In other words, Dora right now is doing nothing but talking, but you and others have already assumed that it's going to be a problem for Faye, et. al. Why? Tomorrow's comic could have Dora swearing Marten to secrecy with Faye because she wants to handle it. Or she could tell Faye "Hey I heard about Sven, and I know you'll deal with it as you see fit but I've had it with his shit and I'm not dealing with him anymore. Did you show Dale how we grind the coffee beans?"

This whole thing just reminds me of how, when Dora found out Jim told Sam not to tell her he was out on a date, everyone just knew Dora was going to go nuclear on his ass, and what happened was that she gently, but firmly, told him that she didn't appreciate being kept in the dark and to just be upfront with her next time. The end.

It bothers me that Dora has made a lot of strides and gets cut no slack, ever. No other character gets this level of vitriol. It also reminds me of that strip where Penny talks about how when a guy dumps a girl, his default often is "She was crazy!" instead of "I was an asshole and she reacted to that so I'm going to slander her now instead of taking responsibility." Dora made mistakes and is not that person anymore, but it's like people are defaulting to the "She's crazy!" argument.

[Storel]

While Dora has a right to be angry with Sven over his actions and how they might affect Faye, avoiding him completely and cutting him out of her life seems like an overreaction.

Dora is prone to overreacting, though, as we saw all through her relationship with Marten. Looks like Shitstorm Dora is about to make landfall...

[Is it cold in here?]

Is Dora even going to therapy anymore? 

We don't know either way. I wonder if she talked to her therapist before jumping to this conclusion.

[Indicible]

"[Sven] was not used to be a sub and treated like one, and she did."

I don't think it was about being a sub, it was about being put in his place: not some golden boy, but a man that regularly acts like an arse. He pushed, she pushed back, he was not used to it. That was something he was not accustomed to and something that gave him a connection with Faye he did not have with other women.

As for Dora, yes, I think she is overreacting. I am just not certain she deserves all the hate she is getting.

[creatureshock]

The problem I am having is that this is just a more extreme version of the shit she put Marten and Faye through when Dora and Marten were going out.  She hasn't learned shit from it.  She put Marten through hell, tried to get him to move out on Faye and all because she is insecure.  I see this as nothing more then her being insecure and causing another shitstorm because people weren't looking at her.  She is going to continue to announce that she wants nothing to do with Sven without talking to Faye until something happens and Faye has to put Dora in her place.  I can honestly see Angus being told this by Dora and it causing shit between him and Faye, shit that doesn't need to happen but will because Dora is being a child about this shit.  I can honestly only hope that it doesn't fuck up Angus and Faye's relationship because it's probably the closest thing to a healthy relationship either one has been in.  And I worry that if Tai gets wind of this, which she will, she will say something to Dora and cause the shitstorm to go to category 2, thus fucking up the most healthy relationship Dora has been in probably ever.

[J]

i'm guessing that dora hasn't talked this idea over with dr. cue-ball yet...

[Loki]

So how about Deathbot 9000? That guy is sure a asshole, yo.

[creatureshock]

Is Dora even going to therapy anymore? 

We don't know either way. I wonder if she talked to her therapist before jumping to this conclusion.

Dora strikes me as someone that would take bits and pieces of therapy and make decisions on it because it fits what she wants to begin with.

[plusorminus]

The problem I am having is that this is just a more extreme version of the shit she put Marten and Faye through when Dora and Marten were going out.  She hasn't learned shit from it.  She put Marten through hell, tried to get him to move out on Faye and all because she is insecure.  I see this as nothing more then her being insecure and causing another shitstorm because people weren't looking at her.  She is going to continue to announce that she wants nothing to do with Sven without talking to Faye until something happens and Faye has to put Dora in her place.  I can honestly see Angus being told this by Dora and it causing shit between him and Faye, shit that doesn't need to happen but will because Dora is being a child about this shit.  I can honestly only hope that it doesn't fuck up Angus and Faye's relationship because it's probably the closest thing to a healthy relationship either one has been in.  And I worry that if Tai gets wind of this, which she will, she will say something to Dora and cause the shitstorm to go to category 2, thus fucking up the most healthy relationship Dora has been in probably ever.

I'm seriously not sure where you're even getting this from other than an obvious hate-on for Dora. Dora and Marten had been going out upwards of two years. She pointed out that maybe they should take the next step and live together. When Marten balked, she didn't tell him to go fuck himself like I and a lot of other people would have done. She said okay, fine, if Faye's okay with it, and moved in with them and was a good roommate.

And what the fuck? If Dora wanted to tattle to Angus, she could've done all of that by now. What is more likely to happen is Dale overhearing something, telling Marigold, Marigold telling Angus, and it getting out of proportion that way. Or Hanners telling Marigold and it getting back to Angus. But of course that could have been avoided if Faye had just told Angus about it to begin with.

You hate Dora and you're pretty much misconstruing everything she has done to justify this bizarre rage you have against her. So I'll really feel a bit bad for you when and if Dora just goes on about her business just without talking to Sven, and Faye, who lied to her boyfriend and is keeping him in the dark has to deal with her shit - or does Faye get a pass for being not-Dora?

[Is it cold in here?]

Faye threatened Dora to get her into therapy.

Creatureshock, have you by any chance had a Dora-like person in your life damaging it?

[creatureshock]

Faye threatened Dora to get her into therapy.

Creatureshock, have you by any chance had a Dora-like person in your life damaging it?

No, but I have seen it happen to others.  And I hate it when I see people not learn from their mistakes, which I think Dora does and I see a bit learning experience coming up for her.

[Loki]

You hate Dora and you're pretty much misconstruing everything she has done to justify this bizarre rage you have against her.

No need to throw words like "bizarre" 'round. We are all people here, with different views and experiences, and I feel words like this tend to devalue the point of view of the other person.

Of course, we let worse slide, but just as a reminder, this forum at least pretends to be a friendly place, so let's be friendly to each other, mkay?

[creatureshock]

I'm seriously not sure where you're even getting this from other than an obvious hate-on for Dora. Dora and Marten had been going out upwards of two years. She pointed out that maybe they should take the next step and live together. When Marten balked, she didn't tell him to go fuck himself like I and a lot of other people would have done. She said okay, fine, if Faye's okay with it, and moved in with them and was a good roommate.

Yeah, she was six shades of passive-aggressive over it.  She moved in with them, hit on Faye openly while still wanting him to move out on her.  If I remember right, she flipped her shit when she found out someone hit on Marten while they were together and Marten didn't run to her telling her he was sorry.  There was a comic about how he couldn't cheat on her because he was so worried about it and she still gave him shit after that.

And what the fuck? If Dora wanted to tattle to Angus, she could've done all of that by now. What is more likely to happen is Dale overhearing something, telling Marigold, Marigold telling Angus, and it getting out of proportion that way. Or Hanners telling Marigold and it getting back to Angus. But of course that could have been avoided if Faye had just told Angus about it to begin with.

Those are all likely possibilities.  And if anyone is should get the ultimate blame for it, it's Cosette for going to Dora.  But, and I still stick to this, Dora is starting a shitstorm and ultimately she doesn't need to.  She needs to shut up, stop talking to her brother, and be done with it. 

You hate Dora and you're pretty much misconstruing everything she has done to justify this bizarre rage you have against her. So I'll really feel a bit bad for you when and if Dora just goes on about her business just without talking to Sven, and Faye, who lied to her boyfriend and is keeping him in the dark has to deal with her shit - or does Faye get a pass for being not-Dora?

Then you must see yourself in Dora and are doing everything you can to see her as the good person in this.  As for for Faye, I don't even know if she has had a chance to talk to Angus over this, but if she hasn't, then Dora and everyone else needs to give her the chance to talk about it.  I believe Cosette (or whoever that was that told Dora) needed to keep her mouth shut and not stir the pot.  If there is anyone I dislike, it's her.  But if Faye doesn't talk to Angus about it, then it's on Faye and she deserves what she gets. 

[creatureshock]

No need to throw words like "bizarre" 'round. We are all people here, with different views and experiences, and I feel words like this tend to devalue the point of view of the other person.

Of course, we let worse slide, but just as a reminder, this forum at least pretends to be a friendly place, so let's be friendly to each other, mkay?

No, it's cool.  If bizarre is the worst thing I get called today, I'll have done good.  Hell, I don't even consider bizarre a bad thing, more like a badge to be proud of.

[idontunderstand]

Naw, Dora's not a bad person. That whole sibling rivalry business can be a lot tougher than a lost of people realize. Something must have prompted this reaction from her though. Before I see what, I have no opinion on her reaction.

[Kugai]

This is not Dora

And this will not end well.





ALL HANDS, RED ALERT!!!

[plusorminus]

Yeah, she was six shades of passive-aggressive over it.  She moved in with them, hit on Faye openly while still wanting him to move out on her.  If I remember right, she flipped her shit when she found out someone hit on Marten while they were together and Marten didn't run to her telling her he was sorry.  There was a comic about how he couldn't cheat on her because he was so worried about it and she still gave him shit after that.

Yes, that someone was Cosette, who is now Dora's employee. Dora acknowledged she was unreasonable over it, and she was. I hate how she tried to trap Marten. Their relationship was not a great one in many ways. I don't think Dora should have pursued Marten. I think her relationship with Tai is working because Dora needs the security of knowing she was the "first pick."

I genuinely don't remember Dora being passive-aggressive over the living situation. I vaguely remember her being a little like "...OK, you're my boyfriend but you refuse to move out on your platonic friend to live with me? ... Alrighty then." But I thought that they all were getting along.

Those are all likely possibilities.  And if anyone is should get the ultimate blame for it, it's Cosette for going to Dora.  But, and I still stick to this, Dora is starting a shitstorm and ultimately she doesn't need to.  She needs to shut up, stop talking to her brother, and be done with it.

Agreed on Cosette. The thing is, that we've literally jumped from emergency wine to Cosette telling Dora, to this. We have no idea what has happened in the intervening time. Maybe Dora did talk to her therapist. Hell, maybe she talked to Sven and told him she was done with him and is presenting Martin with a fait accompli.

Then you must see yourself in Dora and are doing everything you can to see her as the good person in this.  As for for Faye, I don't even know if she has had a chance to talk to Angus over this, but if she hasn't, then Dora and everyone else needs to give her the chance to talk about it.  I believe Cosette (or whoever that was that told Dora) needed to keep her mouth shut and not stir the pot.  If there is anyone I dislike, it's her.  But if Faye doesn't talk to Angus about it, then it's on Faye and she deserves what she gets.

She had an opening to talk about it and decided to lie and jump down Angus's throat when he tried to press the issue

I'm not a Dora fan, actually. She sort of lost me when she threatened Faye's job when she thought she caught her and Marten in a "compromising position." I thought that was horrific. Being jealous and petty is one thing, but threatening someone's livelihood over your own insecurities is beyond the pale. I certainly don't see myself in Dora.

But even with characters I don't like, I try to give credit where it's due. She's getting therapy. Ok, she was threatened, but honestly she could have told Faye to hit the bricks. She's in a healthy, happy relationship. She didn't go around trying to sniff out dirt, it came to her. She's trying to run her business, hang with her girlfriend, and be there for her friends. She has at least admitted to her mistakes, unlike Sven, who even after Steve of all people pointed out what a dick he was being, seemed to genuinely not know what the big deal was.

And Loki's right - I don't have the right to attack you or your opinions and I apologize. You obviously have reasons for feeling as you do, and you've  perfect right to those feelings.

I think I will bow out of this now because one strip at the start of the week really isn't telling us much. You could very well be right and Dora could be heading for meltdown, in which case I'd need her to separate all of this from business matters and to leave Faye out of it and not badger her about why she had to hear it from Cosette and not her. And yes, if she's serious about cutting off Sven, she needs to tell her parents, inform him, and get on with her life.

[creatureshock]

I think I will bow out of this now because one strip at the start of the week really isn't telling us much. You could very well be right and Dora could be heading for meltdown, in which case I'd need her to separate all of this from business matters and to leave Faye out of it and not badger her about why she had to hear it from Cosette and not her. And yes, if she's serious about cutting off Sven, she needs to tell her parents, inform him, and get on with her life.

Honestly, I think that is the only thing she needs to do.  Sven has a right to know and to know why, and her parents have a right to know as well.  I think everyone else is just going to cause trouble if they know.

And Loki's right - I don't have the right to attack you or your opinions and I apologize. You obviously have reasons for feeling as you do, and you've  perfect right to those feelings.

Eh?  Bizarre is not an insult.  Not even close, so don't worry about it one bit.  I've worked in IT too long and been called much worse during performance reviews where I got large raises.  I know I'm a shitheaded dipshit with a side of dumbass.  Doesn't  bother me one bit.  And hey, you have your opinions as well, long as we both realize we aren't going to agree, we will be fine.  This universe would be way too boring if everyone has the same opinions.

[NilsO]

The only reason I have an issue with Dora is because she sticks herself into situations she has no business in.  And this is one of them.  She needs to let Sven and Faye be.  She is going to cause a shitstorm that will hit Faye, Angus, Marten, and probably Steve and Cosette will probably get a bit of splatter as well.  Faye is going to be pissed at both Sven and Dora.  Sven is probably going to do something stupid.  And Marten will end up dealing with all of it plus Dora's shit because Tai will be asking him for advice on how to keep her calm.

Good analysis. Sven is an idiot, but Dora should not cut him off. Instead, she should try to help him overcome his infantile behavior. The "Svenectomy" she is planning can never end well. I am afraid Dora will cause severe physical damage to Sven (including perhaps castration and penectomy), but I rather hope she will come to her senses.

EDIT: The lifeline is perhaps Marten, he may be able to talk some sense into Dora.

[Blackjoker]

I'll throw my jesters hat in the ring and comment that I am concerned about Doras behavior. The reason for that is more that the degree of happy she has now is...odd. I doubt Dora is bipolar, if only because were she still in therapy it would have been noticed by now so the level she is at seems bizarre. Also, saying that Dora is being childish for explaining what she's doing, she isn't going around screaming it, Marten asked, she told him. Issues aside she probably does view him as a close friend. I think Dora does have some issues, and the relationship stuff wasn't good, but ultimately I think that this might be a final straw situation for her, and if it is, fine.

I would also point out that I find the way Svens personality changed...odd to say the least. It seems like a major social regression on his part and it didn't really feel right.

Edit: Ok, I think I better figured out how to phrase my concerns. I am worried that Dora is considering Sven to be the source of her problems, hence the huge level of happy that seems to be unnerving those around her. I could be wrong, and hope I am, but if that is the case...that could be a problem. Especialyl because the crash afterwards will be much harder, and will probably be hardest on Tai and those closest to Dora.

[GarandMarine]

This is not Dora

And this will not end well.





ALL HANDS, RED ALERT!!!

[FunkyTuba]

The Dora Train fairly often hits Overreaction Junction and gets derailed at Snittsville. She pretty much always gets back on track and learns a little something, usually with friends and therapist helping.

The Sven Express can be a cause of this, but it has also been caused by the Marten Local or the Jim Special when they were running on the same tracks.

I guess what I'm saying is that Dora has a core strength that is often belied by her initial reactions to things.

That said, I wouldn't want to date her and maybe not work for her. She (and her circle of friends)  have had to deal with a lot of BS she herself generates.

Sven's finally found out that he can't be interested only in his own happiness to get what he wants. How does an asshole become less of an asshole? The first step for Sven is to figure out that he needs to put Faye's interests above his own. Dora is in a position to either help or hurt this process... Not sure what actual impact "cutting Sven out of her life" will have.

[Roboduck]

She had an opening to talk about it and decided to lie and jump down Angus's throat when he tried to press the issue

I'm honestly not seeing the lie here. Faye just chose not to tell Angus about the whole mess, and good for her.

Imagine that conversation: "Angus, remember my former friends-with-benefits who I kinda had feelings for except he cheated on me? He just told me he loves me, just when I'm already pretty freaked about you possibly moving away."

Come on, what should the guy even do with this? If Faye considers the matter closed - I assume she does, from her talk with Marten - why dump this whole mess on Angus just when he's excited over his dream job?

[Blackjoker]

She had an opening to talk about it and decided to lie and jump down Angus's throat when he tried to press the issue

I'm honestly not seeing the lie here. Faye just chose not to tell Angus about the whole mess, and good for her.

Imagine that conversation: "Angus, remember my former friends-with-benefits who I kinda had feelings for except he cheated on me? He just told me he loves me, just when I'm already pretty freaked about you possibly moving away."

Come on, what should the guy even do with this? If Faye considers the matter closed - I assume she does, from her talk with Marten - why dump this whole mess on Angus just when he's excited over his dream job?

I kind of have to agree here. At best it might make Angus uneasy about the move because he'd worry about Sven trying something or just that the distance might be an issue for Faye, especially with problems that she has had before. At worst it might make Angus a bundle of nerves or make him irritated and wanting to go yell at Sven or something similar. It might not go anywhere near as bad as either of those, but Faye also might have just needed time to clear her head on things. She even kind of hinted to Marten that she may have some feelings for Sven, not necessarily romantic just that apparently Sven is quite attractive and might have been very good in bed, so that is not a good combination with her issues and with her concerns about the move Angus is making. But she was an adult, she calmed herself down, talked to some friends that weren't likely to explode or cause other problems, and decided to just let Sven stew in his own juices since she explained the position clearly and it was not incumbent on her to do anything else.

[cesariojpn]

I don't like creepy Dora......okay, not goth creepy, just behavior creepy Dora.

We don't know either way. I wonder if she talked to her therapist before jumping to this conclusion.

I think she went cheap and used this:

[sitnspin]

I really fail to see where some of you are getting "shit storm" from this? She decided to cut some on out of her life who is not conducive to her emotional well-being. She's not done anything to stir up shit between Angus and Faye. She is just making a decion to get rid of a emotionally crippling from her life. I don't see this as a reaction to this incident specifically, it is a decision that has been years in the making. Personally, I think it's the rihjtbmove. Biological family doesn't mean anything. She has no obligation to keep him around her just because he is her brother. I say good for her, cut him out if he is, even unintentionally, hampering her mental health.

[TinPenguin]

Dora is more like Sven than she realises. She too lets her feelings build up inside her without taking any steps to release the pressure, and when they are finally catalysed, the reaction blows up in someone's face.

[Jazzmaster]

OK, but I'm sure you can see how that applies to your argument, as well? In other words, Dora right now is doing nothing but talking, but you and others have already assumed that it's going to be a problem for Faye, et. al. Why? Tomorrow's comic could have Dora swearing Marten to secrecy with Faye because she wants to handle it. Or she could tell Faye "Hey I heard about Sven, and I know you'll deal with it as you see fit but I've had it with his shit and I'm not dealing with him anymore. Did you show Dale how we grind the coffee beans?"

Good point.  I hope that's all she does, in any event.

It bothers me that Dora has made a lot of strides and gets cut no slack, ever. No other character gets this level of vitriol.

You sure about that?  Marten gets shit on by this board all the time.  We're only one strip into the week, on page two, and I already saw a couple comments about him needing to "grow a pair", which is interesting because he hasn't even said anything this week to warrant that at all.  People seem to dig up things they hate about characters they don't like whenever they possibly can; we only notice it as much when it's about the character we favor/relate to/sympathize with.

It also reminds me of that strip where Penny talks about how when a guy dumps a girl, his default often is "She was crazy!" instead of "I was an asshole and she reacted to that so I'm going to slander her now instead of taking responsibility." Dora made mistakes and is not that person anymore, but it's like people are defaulting to the "She's crazy!" argument.

I'm honestly only commenting on it because I disagree with her current behavior.  I've got nothing personal against her character, I just don't really care for the way she's acting right now.

[rschill]

Is this what it's going to take for Sven to learn what being a serial asshat actually gets you?  That there are things you can't smooth your way out of?

Also, if someone hurts and manipulates your friends, do you have an obligation to your friends to not have them around?

[Loki]

Also, if someone hurts and manipulates your friends, do you have an obligation to your friends to not have them around?

While this is an interesting question, it doesn't enter into this. As far as I can see, Dora has decided to cut Sven from her life for her *own* sake - whether justifiably so or not.

Anyone want to argue anout Veronica Vance, like in old times? No? Thought so.

[techkid]

I can understand why Dora is making this decision, but I think this is a huge jumping of conclusions that she's taking part in.

I mean, yes, he basically dumped his emotions all over Faye at what amounts to be a terrible time, and no decent person would press the point like Sven did. He is an ass for that, and Faye's emotional smackdown is fully justified.

But Dora is reacting on third-hand news, at best. Her past issues with Sven will never heal (hell, does anyone's?), but to completely disregard him without talking to him about it first is a bit much.

If he had tried to pull some sort of emotional manipulation,

(click to show/hide)

such as threatening suicide to "win" her love

then he'd be exactly as much of a dick to deserve no mercy, but (thus far, at least) he hasn't. They really need to talk it out and fix their shit.

[Thrillho]

Nick Cave's "Murder Ballads", obviously.

My least favourite Cave album by so far it's not even funny.

[TheEvilDog]

I really fail to see where some of you are getting "shit storm" from this? She decided to cut some on out of her life who is not conducive to her emotional well-being. She's not done anything to stir up shit between Angus and Faye. She is just making a decion to get rid of a emotionally crippling from her life. I don't see this as a reaction to this incident specifically, it is a decision that has been years in the making. Personally, I think it's the rihjtbmove. Biological family doesn't mean anything. She has no obligation to keep him around her just because he is her brother. I say good for her, cut him out if he is, even unintentionally, hampering her mental health.

I would presume it's from what we've seen of her past behaviour. Dora is a reactive person with a tendency to never look before she leaps.

Now don't get me wrong, she has the right germ of an idea, cutting a toxic person out of your life is very healthy. But the problem here seems to be that Dora hasn't talked to anyone about it before acting on that information. Bear in mind as well that Dora heard this from Cosette, who heard from Steve, who got stuck talking to Sven. That's hardly direct from the horse's mouth and yet, here we have Dora, essentially going off guns blazing. And you see, that's Dora's problem, she's a very rash and reckless person who reacts at a provocation and that in itself is not very healthy. And it's that behaviour that people are getting the idea of a perfect shitstorm a-coming.

To be honest, I don't think anyone would be saying anything if Dora made an appointment with her therapist to discuss this, or if she even said something to someone, like "I think I've just realised how toxic my brother is and I need to get away from him." But instead, we're seeing this instead.

[FunkyTuba]

It's the "I've got a secret" parade followed by smugly talking about it that smells like shitstorm seed crystals to me.

Good for drama, bad for emotional progress, Good for comics.

[Somnus Eternus]

My thoughts exactly.  Dora's just being dramatic and making it all about her, which is extremely annoying.

Er, no. This is her brother, not some stranger on the street who sassed Faye. She's telling her parents precisely because it's not super easy to just cut off a member of your family. She's allowed to have a last straw, too. This could be it.

I'm sort of weirded out by the Dora hate on this board.

I have siblings of my own and sometimes they do stupid things.  When they do stupid things I don't act out about it, I don't get incredibly angry, and I certainly don't make any declarations involving the removal of "toxic people" from my life, when they do kinda-shitty things out of nowhere, to other people.

I don't hate Dora, but I cannot, for the life of me, wrap my head around why she's acting this way.  I can't.

I can.  I have a younger brother with whom my relationship has always been borderline abusive.  If he did something that could potentially have a toxic effect on one of my friends' lives, it'd probably be the last straw for me, too. 

It's about perspective.  For some people, siblings are family, and you put up with their crap because they're family even when they're dumb because family always sticks together, etc, etc, etc.  It sounds like you might fall into that category.  For other people, those siblings have caused damage beyond repair and you're just keeping them around out of a sense of duty to the family, nevermind the damage they're causing to your life.

You're not obligated to keep someone in your life just because you have blood ties.  And sometimes, cutting them out without a word is more effective in the long run (and short term) than trying to talk to them, because sometimes talking to them is counter-productive.  It happens.  It's a real thing.  Your siblings are people, too.

[Blackjoker]

If Dora is just cutting Sven out of her life because this was the final straw and she realized that he was a source of stress and that his behavior had hit the last wall, fine. What concerns me is that Doras behavior seems to be unnerving others, including people that she has been close to for a while (IE Marten). Hence my earlier comment that I'm worried that Dora might be viewing Sven as the source of all or at least many of the problems in her life, and if that is the case then the crash following the happy is going to be an issue unless he somehow truly is the source of all her problems.

[cesium133]

Sometimes there are people in your life that you just have to tell to fuck off. Not saying that's the case here, but yeah... I have a half-sister that I haven't talked to in three years, and I'm fine if it lasts for life.

[Smallest]

Yeah. Cutting toxic people out of your life is good, but what did he do other than have bad judgement with Faye (which Faye can deal with herself, and he just said a stupid thing, it's not something I'd call 'toxic' even to Faye)? I mean, he had an easier life than her, sure, and banged her friends, but those aren't really 'TIME TO DENOUNCE YOU AND CUT YOU OUT' properties. If she doesn't like being around him she doesn't have to, but cutting someone out of your life generally means more than not spending time with.

Shit, they don't spend time together as is.  When was the last time they were shown hanging out together?  I think that is a failing of both of them and I think they'd get over a lot of their bullshit if they actually just hung out and talked shit over.

I don't think anyone answered this so anyway- pretty sure it was when she was living with him because she broke up with Marten and had nowhere to live.

(click to show/hide)

ETA- While I think that the above's a pretty big point to make in the 'who is more toxic' argument, I am not trying to imply that toxic people cannot occasionally do a nice thing (f'ex, my best friend's inarguably toxic father provided her a place to stay for a couple weeks). I do not think the Sven/Dora dynamic is anything like that one, though. And while interesting, I don't think calling Dora toxic really solves whether her actions are justified/if Sven is.

I'm not sure whether spending time together would fix their issues- my brother and I get along much better now that we only talk/see each other 2-4 times a year- although on the other hand I'm a 'COMMUNICATE DAMMIT' type, so I feel like I should agree with you. Either way, while I think there are many cases where cutting someone out of your life, family or not, is justified, I don't really think this is one based on anything we've seen.

I can understand why Dora is making this decision, but I think this is a huge jumping of conclusions that she's taking part in.

I mean, yes, he basically dumped his emotions all over Faye at what amounts to be a terrible time, and no decent person would press the point like Sven did. He is an ass for that, and Faye's emotional smackdown is fully justified.

But Dora is reacting on third-hand news, at best. Her past issues with Sven will never heal (hell, does anyone's?), but to completely disregard him without talking to him about it first is a bit much.

If he had tried to pull some sort of emotional manipulation,

(click to show/hide)

such as threatening suicide to "win" her love

then he'd be exactly as much of a dick to deserve no mercy, but (thus far, at least) he hasn't. They really need to talk it out and fix their shit.

Also this.

[plusorminus]

It's the "I've got a secret" parade followed by smugly talking about it that smells like shitstorm seed crystals to me.

Good for drama, bad for emotional progress, Good for comics.

I'm not so sure about the first thing. Faye's there. She could just not want to be all "Hey, so Cosette told me that my brother told Steve he wanted you to run away with him and to hell with Angus. Discuss?" I was almost certain after the strip where we saw Cosette spilling the beans that the next strip was going to have Dora coming over to Marten and Faye's apartment demanding to know what happened. I was relieved that didn't happen. Until proven otherwise, I'm going to assume Dora's put on a chipper face to not scare the newbie and to keep Faye out of the blowback.

You're not obligated to keep someone in your life just because you have blood ties.  And sometimes, cutting them out without a word is more effective in the long run (and short term) than trying to talk to them, because sometimes talking to them is counter-productive.  It happens.  It's a real thing.  Your siblings are people, too.

Exactly. I'm a bit surprised how the talk on the board was how strange Sven was acting and no one seems to think that perhaps there has been some off-screen stuff Sven has been doing that Dora has been dealing with and this is just the straw that broke the camel's back. If you say there's no evidence of that, cool, but there was no evidence either that Sven was going to profess love to Faye and ask her to dump her boyfriend. And yet ... it happened. My suspicion is that whatever got Sven to Ultimate Douchebag Point has been going on, offscreen, for awhile now. Maybe Dora thought he was handling things and now she finds this out, and she realizes "Okay ... dude is nearly 30. He's not going to change and I'm tired of this."

If Dora is just cutting Sven out of her life because this was the final straw and she realized that he was a source of stress and that his behavior had hit the last wall, fine. What concerns me is that Doras behavior seems to be unnerving others, including people that she has been close to for a while (IE Marten). Hence my earlier comment that I'm worried that Dora might be viewing Sven as the source of all or at least many of the problems in her life, and if that is the case then the crash following the happy is going to be an issue unless he somehow truly is the source of all her problems.

That's fair. If this is something along the lines of Dora hearing about this and deciding "OMG, that's it! My life would be amazeballs without Sven!" then yes, that's not a problem per se because she might, in fact, be right about that, but deciding that on a dime might not be in her best interest.

My concern is the belief that somehow Dora orchestrated all of this to get attention focused on her when she's actually not the one who instigated this. Now, again, all bets are off if she a) Berates Faye for not telling Angus or goads her into telling him or b) Loudly proclaims that she's soverydone with Sven and doesn't actually cut him off and keep it moving. Just like with the Cosette stuff in the beginning - she was wrong to try to trap Marten into a lie, but she isn't the one who instigated getting that intelligence. It just happened, and she dealt badly with it. She didn't routinely interrogate Marten on what coeds might have flirted with him that day. She leaves Sven to his own devices. She wasn't happy about the FWB stuff with Faye but stayed out of it until Sven went over the line and did something hurtful. And even then, Dora should not have hit him and he was right to call her out for that. But she wasn't the one checking up every five minutes on their relationship status. Faye told her what happened and she reacted.

I sort of think Dora would be the most mellow person in the strip if people didn't tell her stuff!