Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for May 23, 2023

And there goes Piro!!! lol

The girls should have just let him go.. they came off a bit desperate.

So who is Bernice kidding? Of course it was a pic of both of them.. interpretive as it may be.

I wonder if Piro will now disappear for a while and kind of ghost the girls?

.

So will we ever see Nil’s painting?

No one knows

He comes and goes

And the baton has been passed in the metaphor rely. Exit Piro while Jack takes the stage. I’m sure Piro would have enjoyed yucking it up at the dunk tank with Luann but Bernice’s neediness was overwhelming. I could use some non-Bernice time myself.

It’s clear that all this interaction is too much for Piro. Plus, the interactions show that a lot of time has gone by since Piro last kissed Bernice. He’s seeing that she’s changed and that there may be no room for him, like he’s left out.

“I’m sure you’d prefer something quiet.” Bernice was trying to steer Piro away from Luann.

He’s making progress…it’s not a quick thing or a straight A to B road.

I’m guessing that Nils’ “painting” is just one or two squiggles on an otherwise blank canvas!!

Well this is typical Bernice, as soon as Luann suggests going to the dunk tank, Bern counters with doing something “quiet”. It seems that Bernice does have a bit of jealousy and competitiveness with Luann on so many things including potential romances.

Interesting that they are now with Jack, who was the last guy Bern was interested in but was fearful that he would hit it off with Luann instead to the point of having dreams about it and mistaking Jack for Tara at the start of the “Tara hiding in the Fuse” arc.

“Too bright this light,” says Piro (inside his head) and returns to his dark, dark cave.

It’s Bernice sounding desperate and Luann was trying to get away from her BBF.

I think they’re too immature for Piro’s taste. Too much yakking, etc.

Painful.

Maybe the fair has scalp stencils.

Honestly as an introvert I get it. I , for once, actually get berncie’s position as he bolts, but in this case it’s not disappearing for about a year and a half in universe time, he just.. dosen’t want to go look at your boyfriend you never told him about’s painting after pouring his soul out to a live audience.

Poor Piro, so overwhelmed with his new found acceptance, he just wants to go somewhere to have a good cry.

Who was it that once said “Enough of this cheeriness?” Oscar the Grouch?

I don’t blame Walt one bit. An “Outgoing cheery Bernice” is a bit unsettling.

Nice going, Bernice. You just a KILLED yet another potential friendship/relationship.

And right after Walt’s break-thru, triumphant public reading. NOW We may never know “who” Walt was really talking about in his speech.

But hey. It’s all good, Walt-Soon-To-Be-Piro-Again.

Bernie just did you (And Nil) a big, BIG, favor.

Now. You go and look up Dez.

She GETS you.

Piro has just relived a painful part of his life in public which may have been cathartic. Socializing in a light-hearted group would minimize the trauma of his life. Far from being jealous of Luann, I believe Bernice is aware of this, and wants to be part of it. Piro’s complex character is ever more apparent. He’s even drawn older.

It’s not clear if four people are starting to be too much for Piro or if he had an instinctive dislike/jealousy for Jack and doesn’t want to have him around. But I appreciate this realism in his deciding to going away without giving real explanations, I happened to witness similar things. Then, maybe he really has something urgent to do, but now he just seems to have reached his limit and wants to be alone for a bit. After all, he’s a traumatised and depressed person. Let’s hope now Luann follows Jack and goes to see the painting.

Seems odd he has to bug out as soon as Jack got there

Piro is 100% introvert. Bernice gets it, but she didn’t have the courage to ask him to get a Churro and coffee alone. Luann was just, um, ya.

Now we see that both Luann and Bernice clearly have designs on Piro! Bernice’s approaches him from her Mooney U., dorm R.E. days of a moody, reticent Piro. Luann’s invites him to stay in the here and now common ground of her as a fellow author and witty companion.

Piro pulls a Karma Chameleon! His moods “come and go, come and go.” — Culture Club — 1983

Maybe he just needs to use the restroom?

They need to understand that Piro has major emotional issues and probably isn’t into being social right now.

Whatever happened to Knute? Or Delta?

Thanks a lot ladies, you just scared off another one.

It’s too peoply out here

he has a date with Dez

He said, “I have to go.” Then he said, “..I need to be alone.” What the hell do you not understand about that?

Pedro prefers privacy while he squats on the pity pot because, like all of you, Pedro longs for the return of our Beloved Ann❤️Eiffel.. Besides, who wants to see a dopey painting of Fug and Ugly done by the Cyclops dork. Everyone, and The Count does mean everyone, including you, wants to see the Fantastic Ann❤️Eiffel exhibit and The Count does mean Exhibit, if you know what The Count means and The Count thinks you do. Ann❤️Eiffel… The Woman all men want and all women want to be like. We all ❤️Ann❤️Eiffel.

Frankly, girls, I’d steer clear of Nil. He has issues, and ones you’ll drive yourself crazy trying to fix. Look him up in five years and see if he’s worked through them himself.

Piro isn’t comfortable with Jack showing up. Yesterday Bernice said she didn’t notice “David” but clearly there are differences between Jack and Piro. I’ve seemed to notice that Piro seems to do OK when there is only one person to talk with. When there is a group to interact with he tends to pull away.

LuAnn time to move on with Jack and without Bernice.

So, Bernice, you HAVE seen Jack’s “buffness” (at least Nil’s interpretation of it,) with your glasses on. Does it measure up to what is shown on your “Bodice Ripper” covers, and/or, your dreams?

After today’s strip, I am unsure if Piro’s appearing in this arc is some sort of closure or the start of something new. But I will say that both Luann and Bernice came off as desparate.

I wonder if Piro thinks that " his light" Bernice is showing signs of not being quite as pedestal-worthy as he previously thought she was since she’s all dressed up in a hippy costume for another guy and is obviously sweet on the chiseled Jack and is calling herself Nil’s muse; plus she ghosted his letter that Luann brought him asking her to meet to catch up.

Maybe her keeping her options open for potential boyfriends and sort of boasting herself as the modern muse is an unexpected situation that triggered a panic attack given Piro claims his mother was sort of catting around aimlessly and ruined his life.

That or all the social interaction was too much for him being a shy introvert and he just hates crowds and wanted to leave cause it was giving him anxiety. I’d hope for his sake it’s that and not the fullblown panic attack one with the disappointment with Bernice.

Some types of broken can’t be fixed.

Luann wants to go yuck it up, laughing at people getting dunked. Bernice wants to go do something “quiet”…(?). Jack wants to go see an amateur painters’ interpretation of Renaissance lust. Let’s see, Piro, what sounds interesting to you? Answer – none of the above! He just wants some alone time. This brings up the question – which attitude is healthy, which is not? I don’t see anything wrong with wanting to escape the Fair venue. It’s crowded, the food is expensive, the bathrooms are gross – away away home for me!

tomorrow: the Artist revealed??

Piro, like me, is far on the intro side of the “vert” scale. From their comments, I’m guessing Gizmo Cat and Rheddmobile are there with me. For many of the people who say, “I’m an introvert”, I say, “no, you’re not.”

Poor Piro……..

he still has a thing for Bernice. but seeing her yack it up with jack, he took his leave.

Us loners can socialize great for a while, then the switch goes off in the head and we need to be alone

Too much stimuli.. triggers. I get it. Piro has the decency to remove himself.

“Yuck it up at the dunk booth…..”. Good one Luann….about as Piro-like as you can get (?)

Greta Garbo said “I don’t want to be alone. I want to be left alone.” But at the end of the day, that’s the same thing…

Bernice embodies everything that makes me dislike psych majors. (No, not all of them, but I encountered so many like this in school.) As soon as she started taking courses she started trying to control everyone and tell them what is best for them and what they need to do. Her “I’m sure he’d prefer something quiet” wasn’t kindness or consideration towards Piro, it was her deciding what he wanted instead of asking and acknowledging his own agency. Meanwhile she’s incapable of acknowledging or handling her own personal emotions and puts up constant barriers between herself and the reality of what she does. She needs to work on herself before she tries to work on anyone else.

The first read I thought he meant he HAD to go see the painting

Seems like Bernice is getting more action these days than luann! And why do girls always go for the troubled, dark dangerous types and leave safe, grounded, smart, responsible ones like me alone? We are always the “friend”

“Sure. All my best friends avoid me.”

Is that a tear?

Introverts get energy from being alone. Extroverts get energy from being around people. Piro is drained from being around people for over an hour. Even being around people one likes is still draining for introvert after a while.

Bernice is supposed to spend all day in Nil’s booth with his painting. She has no time to hang out with Piro today. Luann is free and she could spend time with Piro if he was interested.

Too many people all talking at once. I know how he feels.

Piro seems rather high maintenance to me. You are always walking on eggshells around him.

I don’t get why any guy would be interested in Bernice. I avoid people like her. Self absorbed!

Piro is an introvert and he just bared his soul to an entire audience. He’s most likely emotionally and physically drained. He does NEED to be alone for a while to recharge himself. Been there myself. I can only deal with people for short periods of time and then I need to “escape”.

Jack > Nil > Piro. Piro had it ROUGH, but one should NEVER allow a nasty past to turn you into a cold jerk. Heck! I’m TOO sweet even though I had a TBI that ANNIHILATED any future prospects for me!

Recently a teacher was fired for showing a picture of Michelangelo’s David to the the class

It’s weird how many people are saying Piro has changed, when today if anything marks a return to form for him. Remember in his past storyarcs “I gotta go” was basically his catchphrase. Every time Bernice ran into him he already had a foot out the door.

Coming off a little too strong will make a lot of guys run for the hills.

Will Piro drown his sorrows with zeppole,or will he choose corn dogs?

Not a good look Luann and Bernice.

Luann has learned nothing. Piro it not the type to “yuck it up” no matter how funny something is.

The other thing that’s weird about Bernice is how she acts like Luann is too clingy with her guy friends/boyfriends, but Bern herself cannot conceive of a person not wanting to have her (Bernice) around 24/7.

Some of us are more comfortable alone.

no-one’s noticed Bern’s vest is knitted from one of Piro’s old scarves?!

When he goes, he’s gone.

If he stays, he stays here.

The boy does what he wants to do.

He knows what he wants to do.

And I know I’m fakin’ it

I’m not really makin’ it.

Piro, eternal enigma!

LuAnn wants to see “it”. Piro feels not measured up to Jack so he left.

Song for Piro:

Billy Squier/In The Dark

Life isn’t easy from the singular side

Down in the hole some emotions are hard to hide

It’s your decision, it’s the chance that you take

It’s on your head, it’s a habit that’s hard to break

Do you need a friend, would you tell no lies

Would you take me in, are you lonely in the dark

In the dark

In the dark

In the dark

You never listen to the voices inside

They fill your ears as you run to a place to hide

You’re never sure if the illusion is real

You pinch yourself but the memories are all you feel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mZkMD7cDnk

Of course he’s an introvert. An d they’re all extroverts.

Piro is Gone With the Wind. Or maybe Blowing in the Wind. Whatever. Neither Bernie nor Luann has any hold on Walter Starr. And Jack, though by no means stupid, really has no idea what is transpiring….

how long until Piro reappears yet again?

Well, like a “true” friend, Luann was trying her hardest to blow Bern’s chance with Piro. If I was Bern, I would punch her in her big mouth.

Piro is off to off himself.