Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
RSS
‹
›
  • Home
  • About/Read before posting
  • Archive↓
    • by calendar
  • Cast
  • Store↓
    • Main Store (books and stuff)
    • T-shirts
  • Patreon↓
    • Patreon (regular)
    • Patreon (NSFW)
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
what're they gonna do, fire me
First Previous Random 191Comments Share Next Latest
Reddit Digg Facebook MySpace Delicious Stumbleupon Buzz Up! Mixx Technorati Google Bookmarks Yahoo Bookmarks Yahoo MyWeb Windows Live Propeller FriendFeed Newsvine Xanga LinkedIn Blinklist Twitter
Discover more Hiveworks comics
Real Science Adventures
Brian Clevinger
Spin off stories and other adventures from the world of Atomic Robo!
Devil's Candy
Rem, Bikkuri
A lush fantasy about boy genius Kazu Decker, the girl he constructed for his 9th grade science project, and the world of devils and monsters they live in.
The Mash
L.F. Garcia, Danigami
In a world shrouded in mystery and threatened by great evil,a young mummy prince will use his new life to unite with other monster children to save it.
Lighter Than Heir
Melissa Albino
A young Volant woman joins the military in an effort to upstage her war-hero father.
El Goonish Shive
Dan Shive
WARNING: This comic often ignores the Laws of Physics
Tove
Severin
The end of the world is coming, and Tove doesn't want to be a hero, but SOMEONE has to look after her little brother.
Helvetica
J.N. Wiedle
This story follows Helvetica's quest to uncover who he was in life, his existential crises, and his struggle to to make death worth living.
Stand Still, Stay Silent
Minna Sundberg
A few generations after the end of the world, a small, poorly financed research crew is sent out to rediscover whatever is left of the forbidden old world in the south.
The Din
Karin (Karrey)
The Din changed the world, mankind & its technology. Gregg Emilio dreams of flying in a sky that hasn't carried airplanes in a century.
Empowered
Adam Warren
A sexy superhero comedy (except when it isn't) about the never-ending struggles of a plucky but very unlucky young superheroine.
Witchy
Ariel Slamet Ries
In the witch kingdom Hyalin, the strength of your magic is determined by the length of your hair.
No Need for Bushido
Suburban Samurai, J W Kovell
The flash of a blade, the clash of steel! A runaway princess and her samurai companion navigate a fractured country on the brink of war.
Wilde Life
Pascalle Lepas
Oscar decided to rent an old haunted house, and that's when things got weird...
Dumbing of Age
David M Willis
Joyce has been homeschooled her entire life until now, when she's suddenly a freshman in college! Things don't go well.
Knights Errant
J.R. Doyle
Wilfrid's humble quest for revenge becomes bigger and bloodier by the day.
Manly Guys Doing Manly Things
Kelly Turnbull
A weekly comic celebrating the finer things in life. Like manly men, lumberjacks, and time traveling special ops agents.
Go Get a Roomie
Clover
Experience the queer journey of an upbeat hippie and the friendships she makes along the way! A tale of self-discovery and love of many forms.
The Glass Scientists
Sage (S.H.) Cotugno
A gaslamp fantasy comic about the life and times of a ragtag group of mad scientists and their enigmatic leader, Dr. Henry Jekyll.
Monster Pulse
Magnolia Porter Siddell
Four kids run afoul of a creepy secret organization's experiments, which turn their body parts into fighting monsters. Part sentimental coming-of-age story, part monster-training shonen manga, with just a bit of sci-fi body horror.
Girl Genius
Phil Foglio, Kaja Foglio
In a time when the Industrial Revolution has become an all-out war, Mad Science rules the World...with mixed success.
Sam & Fuzzy
Sam Logan
Troubled by gangster rodents, lovesick vampire stalkers, or confused ninja assassins? Don't panic! Sam and Fuzzy are here to help. (For a reasonable fee.)
Wychwood
Varethane
When Tiara's pyrokinesis is finally noticed, she is captured by a magical research organization for study. If she cooperates, she could be helping to save humanity from a dire threat - but can she trust them?
Awkward Zombie
Katie Tiedrich
Gags and goofs about videogames and the things that happen in them.
Little Red & Wolf
Aoi Maneki
Delve into the daily lives of two famous fairytale characters, and their adventures in this big weird world we all live in.
Peritale
Mari Costa
A fairy godmother with no magic tries her best to successfully fulfill a Fairytale and win the respect of her peers.
Starhammer
J.N. Monk, Harry Bogosian
A teen girl inherits a powerful alien artifact and proceeds to make a series of increasingly poor decisions
Never Satisfied
Taylor Robin
Lucy Marlowe, a magician's apprentice, competes against other apprentices for an important, magical, Goverment Job.
Jailbird
Charlie Davis
An all-ages comic about a recently escaped prisoner's struggle to understand the outside world, and vice-versa. Also, a magic cape!
Guilded Age
T Campbell, John Waltrip, Florence Machina
Welcome to the saga of the working-class adventurer! Enjoy the complete story with new annotations daily!
Spinnerette
Krazy Krow, Rocio Zucchi, Pablo Rey
When a lab accident gives Heather Brown spider powers and six arms, she does what any midwest comic geek would do: Become Ohio's #3 superhero!
Demon Street
Aliza Layne
Two kids explore a world full of monsters and magic trying to find their way home again. But when home has been stolen from you, where do you go to get it back?
Cyanide & Happiness
Explosm
Satire, dark humor and surreal humor.
Star Trip
Gisele Weaver
Jas is a human taken from her home planet on a trip across the galaxy she will never forget.
Elephant Town
Danielle Corsetto
The long, slow tale of Kris, Paul, Berto and Mirando, four people who live in the same creaky old house, but don't know each other. New chapter updates every 2 months.
Laws and Sausages
Zach Weinersmith
Your cartoon guide to the American governement!
[un]Divine
Ayme
A highschool senior thought giving up his soul for a demon was a good idea. It wasn't.
Anarchy Dreamers
Emily Ree
Sparkly undead kids fight society's worst Nightmares in this pastel-punk urban fantasy coming-of-age!
Sufficiently Remarkable
Maki Naro
Two young women living in Brooklyn discover that you're always coming of age.
Atomic Robo
Brian Clevinger, Scott Wegener
The robot punches monsters and bad robots and one time he was a cowboy.
Heroes of Thantopolis
Izzy Strontium Hall
A living boy fights to save the City of the Dead.
Sister Claire
Yamino
In the troubled aftermath of a great war between Witches and her fellow Nuns, novice Sister Claire just wants a purpose.
Between Failures
Jackie Wohlenhaus
The low stakes adventures of an assorted group of 20 somethings trapped in the declining years of American retail. They are naughty and say lots of swears.
Parisa
Ellen K
Two friends, Nolan and Gwen, take it upon themselves to escort the amnesiac spirit Lelief across the world of Parisa.
Demon's Mirror
Harry Bogosian
Based loosely off of "The Snow Queen", a story by Hans Christian Andersen, we see things take a different turn as the demons become central characters, and the side characters stick around. Yup, that's the only differences. Enjoy!
The Hunter of Insania
Aoi Maneki
Wiol Alkko sells fake magical objects to those desperate for cures. When he tries to scam a real witch, she curses him: within a year, Wiol must learn and respect magic, or succumb to corruption of body and mind.
Nerf Now!!
Josué Pereira
A cute webcomic about fanservice, video games, and... love. Mostly video games, though.
Ozzie the Vampire
Eric Lide
Ozzie and her best friend Kimmy are your average everyday normal art students – except one is an immortal vampire with superpowers and the other possesses a magic talking grimoire. Also they have to save their town from a demonic invasion.
Novae
KaiJu
A historical romance with a touch magic and a dash of astronomy. It chronicles the romantic adventures of Sulvain, a sweet tempered necromancer and Raziol, a passionate 17th century astronomer.
The Sanity Circus
Windy
Magic, monsters and mysteries await in the odd city of Sanity. It's up to Attley and a colorful group of characters to find out just what is going on.
Ghost Junk Sickness
Studio CARTRIDGE, Laura Lee
Two hunters try to survive and end up being pushed to pursue a deadly bounty dubbed "The Ghost".
BOOKMARK
Click "Tag Page" to bookmark a page. When you return to the site, click "Goto Tag" to continue where you left off.
Goto TagClear Tag


BUFFER WATCH Comics are currently drawn and uploaded through:

July 10, 2026

Future

by David M Willis on March 3, 2017 at 12:01 am
  • 03 - The Thing I Was Before
└ Tags: chloe, jennifer, ruth

Discussion (191) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    March 3, 2017 at 12:04 am | #

    Bring a spoon. Pudding will be served.

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      March 3, 2017 at 12:10 am | #

      In Indiana, Pudding serves you.

      • Passchendaele
        Passchendaele
        March 3, 2017 at 12:12 am | #

        In the best way possible: cold.

        • Lokitsu
          Lokitsu
          March 3, 2017 at 12:32 am | #

          With sprinkles.

          • TachyonCode
            TachyonCode
            March 3, 2017 at 7:42 am | #

            So, is it rice pudding, or…?

    • TheAnonymousGuy
      TheAnonymousGuy
      March 3, 2017 at 12:41 am | #

      Not sure 8 rounds of seven minutes in heaven can prepare her for that meeting. Hopefully everyone has a brain in their skull for once and simply makes sure she’s mentally sound before officially relieving her of her R.A duties and sending her back to her wing for some R&R.

      • Reltzik
        Reltzik
        March 3, 2017 at 2:21 am | #

        Yahbut, it’s not Seven Minutes In Heaven.

        They’re not in a closet.

        • Yumi
          Yumi
          March 3, 2017 at 7:40 am | #

          Not anymore they’re not.

          • Clif
            Clif
            March 3, 2017 at 8:05 am | #

            Also, it’s not a sure thing she’s being relieved, just probable.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          March 3, 2017 at 9:13 am | #

          Well of course not. There are no more closets. Becky nuked them.

    • Fangirlfrankenstein
      Fangirlfrankenstein
      March 3, 2017 at 10:51 pm | #

      Where’s The Spoon Theory, and go?

  2. Emperor Daniel
    Emperor Daniel
    March 3, 2017 at 12:04 am | #

    Dun dun dunnnn!

    • C.T. Phipps
      C.T. Phipps
      March 3, 2017 at 12:11 am | #

      “So, when can you come back to work, Ruth?”

      “What?”

      “Next week too soon? I mean, I’d love you back now but…”

      “What? But I broke all the rules!”

      “We had a kidnapping attempt last week and a politician is presently squatting in our Women’s Studies professor’s home. This? This is nothing.”

      • Cerberus
        Cerberus
        March 3, 2017 at 12:41 am | #

        “Ironically enough, even factoring all this in, you’re still our best RA.”
        “But… how?!?”
        “You really don’t want to know. Now if you excuse me I need to put out a fire on the third floor. No. A literal fire.”

        • Reltzik
          Reltzik
          March 3, 2017 at 2:23 am | #

          “But not the one on the fifth floor. That’s now a load-bearing fire. I have no clue how but…. fucking crazy engineering students…”

          • Schpoonman
            Schpoonman
            March 3, 2017 at 3:37 pm | #

            Lemme see if I have this right. You’re talking about engineering students starting a fire, and doing something in the process to make it so that if the fire goes out, the building collapses? …HOW?

            • thejeff
              thejeff
              March 3, 2017 at 3:54 pm | #

              with SCIENCE!

            • Reltzik
              Reltzik
              March 3, 2017 at 4:11 pm | #

              I’m imagining it involved dares and jello shots.

              • Reltzik
                Reltzik
                March 3, 2017 at 4:29 pm | #

                …. and possibly an indoors hot-air baloon.

            • Emperor Norton II
              Emperor Norton II
              March 5, 2017 at 3:16 pm | #

              We’re talking about engineering -students-. How can this -not- happen?

        • Rukduk
          Rukduk
          March 3, 2017 at 2:24 am | #

          “We also caught a Russian spy, had an outbreak of bubonic plague, caught one of the RAs selling weed to their charges, discovered a sweat shop of elves making fake Nike shoes, and had an English literature professor and a student duel each other with rapiers.”
          “The fuck?”
          “I’m honestly expecting someone to become the host to an alien hive mind or for a portal to hell to open up. I’m pretty sure this school is built on cursed land”
          (from outside) “Holy shit! I think I just found a Native American burial site!”
          “Why does everything happen here?”

          • Reltzik
            Reltzik
            March 3, 2017 at 2:46 am | #

            “Well, actually, we’ve got an alien who looks like Dexter from that cartoon? Only he’s backwards? Anyhow he’s flying around on a giant tarantual-shaped flying mecha and demanding that we bring him half our freshman class so he can gloat and reveal their secrets.”

            “Wut.”

            “Yeah, he said something about mere continuity not being able to contain him. I think. He was cackling a lot.”

            • Clif
              Clif
              March 3, 2017 at 8:07 am | #

              Is that a giant monkey climbing the tower?

            • Ntrovert
              Ntrovert
              March 3, 2017 at 8:12 am | #

              … Not to mention that group two floors up that seems to have some kind of party going every night with those weird chants and the pig’s blood.

              And who is this Cthulhu anyway?

              • Emperor Daniel
                Emperor Daniel
                March 3, 2017 at 4:08 pm | #

                “Oh, and then there’s Steve. We don’t talk about Steve.”

      • TheAnonymousGuy
        TheAnonymousGuy
        March 3, 2017 at 12:43 am | #

        Don’t forget an on campus shooter? and a student going around pretending to be a superhero.

        • C.T. Phipps
          C.T. Phipps
          March 3, 2017 at 1:02 am | #

          “Also, we have a squatting homeless girl in our rooms.”

          “We can’t…”

          “Which we’re allowing because she could sue us for poor security and not calling the cops earlier. Do whatever she asks. Frankly, we have free tuition and accomadations as a bribe to hush her up but she hasn’t asked for it yet. She’s just looming around us, hoping we’ll up the offer. Clever girl.”

        • Clif
          Clif
          March 3, 2017 at 8:08 am | #

          Pretending?

          • begbert2
            begbert2
            March 3, 2017 at 10:48 am | #

            Yes – but under the costume there’s another costume. It’s the ultimate disguise!

      • Cathy Garrett
        Cathy Garrett
        March 4, 2017 at 12:46 pm | #

        Worst thing to happen my first freshman semester at IUB was the 9/11 attacks.

        Yeah, top that, suckers.

  3. AnvilPro
    AnvilPro
    March 3, 2017 at 12:05 am | #

    Make out right across from Mary’s room, so she can’t leave without facing her sins.

    • Carms
      Carms
      March 3, 2017 at 12:05 am | #

      On roller-skates :p

    • inqntrol
      inqntrol
      March 3, 2017 at 12:06 am | #

      She’ll have to jump through the window if she wants to out of her room.

    • Some1
      Some1
      March 3, 2017 at 12:09 am | #

      Billy has power over Mary and a reason for revenge…I’m sure she will be completely mature about this.

    • Fart Captor
      Fart Captor
      March 3, 2017 at 12:44 am | #

      Yes

    • LWS
      LWS
      March 3, 2017 at 7:33 am | #

      My thoughts exactly, although they should bang on the door and wait until they have an audience before progressing. Make sure there’s plenty of tongue action and some light groping to really make Mary twitch. And be sure to block the doorway so she can’t get past them but can’t close the door on them either! She’d curl up like the Wicked Witch: “I’m melting!”

  4. Danni
    Danni
    March 3, 2017 at 12:05 am | #

    trying to remember if i ever wore overalls

    • Bluewind
      Bluewind
      March 3, 2017 at 12:37 am | #

      If you haven’t, buy a pair that fits you well when you can. There have lots of pockets and they are good for when you have a project or don’t need to look dressy. They are easy to sneak layers under in the winter. If you have small hips and no ass (like one of my dad’s friends) you don’t have to worry about your belt failing or being uncomfortably tight. Being baggy they can be great for bloating (naturally or from big meals) or pregnancy as long as you are careful how you take them off. And let’s not forget that if you have boobs, the buckles will bring attention to them. They aren’t an everyday thing though (especially for people who aren’t use to straps on their shoulders), but they do come in handy.

      • Anders
        Anders
        March 3, 2017 at 2:21 am | #

        Looks like someone’s in the pocket of Big Overall.

        • Khyrin
          Khyrin
          March 3, 2017 at 7:32 am | #

          The one on the front, right?

        • Bluewind
          Bluewind
          March 3, 2017 at 10:01 am | #

          Lol! I haven’t worn overalls in a few years because I got too big for the 2 I owned and never replaced them, but I loved them when I had them. When I was younger, I had a sweater with Mickey bending over and looking at you through his legs that I loved because when warn with my overalls, all you could see was his ass poking out of the top XD

    • Smiling Cat
      Smiling Cat
      March 3, 2017 at 5:27 am | #

      I could never wear overalls. I’m a guy and I find them INCREDIBLY attractive on women. It would confuse my penis.

      • MatsuoTanuki
        MatsuoTanuki
        March 3, 2017 at 12:07 pm | #

        I too find women attractive in them, especially if they overall-shorts worn over leggings.

        • Smiling Cat
          Smiling Cat
          March 3, 2017 at 12:49 pm | #

          God yes.

    • Kamino Neko
      Kamino Neko
      March 3, 2017 at 2:33 pm | #

      Did you live in the 80s, or were you a girl in the 90s? Then yes.

  5. Bagge
    Bagge
    March 3, 2017 at 12:05 am | #

    Despite everything I’m glad they can finally be open with their relationsip. Making out in the hallway seems like a hour well spent to me.

    Heh, it sounds like Chloe is setting up a parlor scene. “I first became aware of the mysterious events when I found a dick drawn on my door…”

    At the very least, she is not gathering “everyone” in order to tell Ruth she is fired and have to go home. There will be an attempt at a solution. Maybe even a good one.

    • C.T. Phipps
      C.T. Phipps
      March 3, 2017 at 12:09 am | #

      I imagine Ruth isn’t fired at all because Puddinghead seems to have a real love for her. I wonder if we’re going to find out, Days of Our Lives style, she was Ruth’s teenage mother.

      • Emperor Daniel
        Emperor Daniel
        March 3, 2017 at 12:10 am | #

        Ruth’s parents are both dead.

        • Passchendaele
          Passchendaele
          March 3, 2017 at 12:17 am | #

          Yeah, they died in a car crash with a drunk driver involved. It is possible Ruth’s parents adopted her, but that’s highly unlikely (and something I would be more likely to write. *shivers*). Chloe’s treating Ruth with respect because Ruth was still one of the most effectivd RAs in the school, and Chloe knows how screwed up Ruth’s life has been. So Chloe’s being friendly and giving Ruth some space, which is one of the better options in this case.

          • Sageress
            Sageress
            March 3, 2017 at 1:29 pm | #

            Okay but how SHITTY must the other RA’s be that Ruth is one of the best.

            Like, I can’t think of any situation where the shit Ruth did would fly unless the other RA’s are like, starting cults or using students as furniture or shit.

            • Passchendaele
              Passchendaele
              March 3, 2017 at 2:44 pm | #

              Well, I mean, Chloe basically said that Ruth was the only RA who had her stuff together, and Ruth did once say that she does run an effective and quiet hall. As such, it could be concluded that Ruth, despite being authoritarian and not informing the college of her own abuses of power, is among the more competent of RAs, or at least the best at hiding all of her problems. The other RAs might be tame in comparison, but far more blatantly unstable and unreliable. Or using students as furniture, that too. 😛

              • thejeff
                thejeff
                March 3, 2017 at 3:51 pm | #

                The general assumption is that she’s best at hiding the problems. She said early on that she “ran a tight ship” and “they loved her upstairs”. The implication to me was always that even if she didn’t handle things the best way, to say the least, she kept them from bothering Chloe and the other administrators. Quite possibly the others are constantly hassling them for things they should be able to handle on their own. Our only other example is the boys wing – “Trek marathon’s on. Later.”

                Ruth has done some good things: handling Blaine was above and beyond the call, for example.

                • Sageress
                  Sageress
                  March 3, 2017 at 5:12 pm | #

                  I guess I’m just in disbelief, then. I remember all of *my* RA’s being… *significantly* better than Ruth. Like, doing all the shit she did and more.

                  I’m also… skeptical that nobody’s ever complained about her being a, to quote the cinematic masterwork, “HUUUGE BIITCH”.

        • Rukduk
          Rukduk
          March 3, 2017 at 12:17 am | #

          Unless, sudden twist, she and her brother were actually adopted the entire time.
          …
          Naw that would be too soap opera esque. We’re already dangerously close to being a Tella Novella as it is.

          • Amazi-Stool
            Amazi-Stool
            March 3, 2017 at 3:55 pm | #

            “dangerously close”

            “Dangerously Chloe”?

        • C.T. Phipps
          C.T. Phipps
          March 3, 2017 at 12:57 am | #

          Well obviously Ruth THINKS her mother is dead.

          • Clif
            Clif
            March 3, 2017 at 8:13 am | #

            She saw the truck with her own eyes.

            • C.T. Phipps
              C.T. Phipps
              March 3, 2017 at 9:03 am | #

              yep, it was impressive how Puddinghead managed to survive.

              • Passchendaele
                Passchendaele
                March 3, 2017 at 3:49 pm | #

                You are aware that:

                a. Ruth is Canadian
                b. She and Chloe look almost nothing alike
                c. Ruth was involved in the accident that killed her parents, why in the hell would they lie to her about her parents.
                d. Dude, seriously.

  6. Nono
    Nono
    March 3, 2017 at 12:05 am | #

    PDA: Pudding Death Assembly.

    • Clif
      Clif
      March 3, 2017 at 8:13 am | #

      Some pudding required,

  7. LynziGraye
    LynziGraye
    March 3, 2017 at 12:06 am | #

    Aww, that crooked little sort-of smile on Ruth in panel 1.

    • Illjwamh
      Illjwamh
      March 3, 2017 at 8:53 am | #

      That was the first thing to draw my eye. I like it when Ruth is happy.

  8. nothri
    nothri
    March 3, 2017 at 12:07 am | #

    Grab your mattress, drag it into the hall, and stuff Marie inside of it so you can literally make out on top of her for an hour.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      March 3, 2017 at 12:19 am | #

      Marie is the bizarre forced fusion between Mary and Marcie.

      What homeworld thinks of fusion indeed.

      (I kid, I kid, but seriously, her name is Mary. XD)

      • Emperor Daniel
        Emperor Daniel
        March 3, 2017 at 12:28 am | #

        Gah, now you’re making me picture what a forced-fusion of Mary and Marcie would even look like…

        • BBCC
          BBCC
          March 3, 2017 at 12:33 am | #

          My work here is done. 🙂

  9. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    March 3, 2017 at 12:07 am | #

    *plays Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” on the hacked Muzak*

    • Stephen Bierce
      Stephen Bierce
      March 3, 2017 at 12:12 am | #

      Disco Till You Die.

  10. C.T. Phipps
    C.T. Phipps
    March 3, 2017 at 12:08 am | #

    I love Ruth’s story truly and am enjoying seeing a realistic depiction of depression with a actual ray of hope at the end. However, I can’t help but feel like something was lost in the swerve into this topic as I was very interested in the follow up of the fact Ruth, despite her better qualities, was a vicious bully who scared as well as abused her position. Here, Puddinghead’s unwavering support of Ruth is nice for the depression storyline but utterly ignores the darker side of Ruth’s struggle. That she hurt people to make herself feel anything at all.

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      March 3, 2017 at 12:15 am | #

      I suspect we’ll pick up that loose thread when they all talk about Ruth keeping her position or not.

      • Clif
        Clif
        March 3, 2017 at 8:17 am | #

        If no-one complained about her being a bully, then they don’t know.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      March 3, 2017 at 12:19 am | #

      Meeting hasn’t happened yet.

      Even when it does, Chloe may not know the whole thing – she knows Ruth slapped a sharpie dick on Mary’s face, but that could be played off as roughhousing – she’d need to hear the full extent of what Ruth did to know how bad it was, in a way she can’t ignore.

      I’m sure Rachel would fill her in.

      • Clif
        Clif
        March 3, 2017 at 8:21 am | #

        If Mary had complained about it then Ruth would have been asked about it before now. Mary didn’t complain about it because of Ruth’s confidence it wouldn’t matter.

        • BBCC
          BBCC
          March 3, 2017 at 11:36 am | #

          Ruth already told Chloe she slapped someone – didn’t give a name, but Chloe knows it happened.

  11. Plasma Mongoose
    Plasma Mongoose
    March 3, 2017 at 12:09 am | #

    Did you recently change your avatar by adding facial hair or did this happen ages ago and I only just noticed.

    • UltraKyrie
      UltraKyrie
      March 3, 2017 at 12:11 am | #

      He did it a bit after his twins were born IIRC

      • Jhon
        Jhon
        March 5, 2017 at 1:41 am | #

        Huh?
        The twins are well over a year old now.
        The new avatar appeared this week.

    • nothri
      nothri
      March 3, 2017 at 12:16 am | #

      Speaking of which, Mongoose, your avatar is looking a little different as well…

      (I kid. I kid.)

      • Plasma Mongoose
        Plasma Mongoose
        March 3, 2017 at 12:21 am | #

        I still change it, just not as often anymore.

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      March 3, 2017 at 3:43 pm | #

      I miss Willis’ old ‘thumbs-up’ avatar. That cheeky grin really went well with some of his angrier comments. Sometimes it seemed like it wasn’t his thumbs he wanted to hold up. 😉

  12. Passchendaele
    Passchendaele
    March 3, 2017 at 12:09 am | #

    Good to make the most of the minutes that you still have. Keep on loving, you two!

    (oh god, nobody better be watching with a camera in hand, or watching at all. I hope Joyce’s Sermon-barrier(tm) works for an hour or so.)

    • Passchendaele
      Passchendaele
      March 3, 2017 at 12:22 am | #

      Also, I’m still betting the new RA is Joyce.

      • Just A. Thinker
        Just A. Thinker
        March 3, 2017 at 12:33 am | #

        I highly doubt that they’d appoint Joyce as the RA. She’s expressed no interest in the position, she’s demonstrated few leadership qualities that would make her stand out to most of the residents of the floor, she’s a freshman (it’d be unfair to put that much additional work on her, especially without her asking for it). Dorothy is the most responsible choice out of the people who want the job, although Roz might be more popular.

  13. Wack'd
    Wack'd
    March 3, 2017 at 12:12 am | #

    Calling it: new RA is Asma.

  14. Vx
    Vx
    March 3, 2017 at 12:12 am | #

    Prediction is that Ruth keeps her job, but gets Dorothy as an assistant RA.

    Sappy reminder that she has people that care about her, and doesn’t have to face everything alone, etc.

    • N0083rP00F
      N0083rP00F
      March 3, 2017 at 12:59 pm | #

      That may actually be a good administrative decision with both playing to their strengths and no one person has to deal with all the drama that is constantly percolating here … percolating? ….. dang I need a coffee.

  15. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    March 3, 2017 at 12:13 am | #

    Giga pudding, giga pudding

    • JessWitt
      JessWitt
      March 3, 2017 at 12:27 am | #

      Thanks DoA commenters for this lovely cultural lesson.

    • vlademir1
      vlademir1
      March 3, 2017 at 12:46 am | #

      I see yer Japanese commercial and counter with: Her Divine Pudding

      Vairyo, A O
      A Hom Va Ya Ray

      ;D

      • OnyxIdol
        OnyxIdol
        March 3, 2017 at 4:28 am | #

        Nice.

  16. John
    John
    March 3, 2017 at 12:14 am | #

    “Carry on,” sounds like approval to me. Go extremely public displays of affection! (Preferably right in front of Mary.)

  17. Bagge
    Bagge
    March 3, 2017 at 12:15 am | #

    I’m calling it. Chloe will make Billy RA. Just look at her track record.
    – Did RA work while Ruth was out of commission
    – Helped Ruth doing RA work while they were dating
    – Did a lot to save Ruth from killing herself.
    – Kept Mary at bay
    – Tried to sort out the Roz/Dorothy situation
    – Gave Becky her room
    – Has done a lot to keep Joyce stable.

    IF Ruth was right before, and Chloe is willing to have pragmatic solutions rather than by-the-book-solutions, then Billie would be a good fit… if Chloe herself keeps an eye on Billie’s alcoholism.

    • Thevoiceoftreason
      Thevoiceoftreason
      March 3, 2017 at 12:16 am | #

      I second.

    • Just A. Thinker
      Just A. Thinker
      March 3, 2017 at 12:37 am | #

      Replacing an alcoholic, depressed and suicidal RA with an equally alcoholic, slightly less depressed, slightly less suicidal RA who hasn’t asked for the job, has shown no sighs of responsibility, and would probably decline the job out of a concern for Ruth (who might feel bad about Billie getting the job)… the idea is absolutely absurd, almost as much so as a republican congresswoman squatting in the house of a lesbian gender studies professor during a campaign.

      • Rukduk
        Rukduk
        March 3, 2017 at 2:11 am | #

        So, in other words, perfectly logical within this comic’s universe?

        • Rukduk
          Rukduk
          March 3, 2017 at 2:12 am | #

          Note: I cannot read sarcasm or irony without some form of sequential aid.

    • Hellespont
      Hellespont
      March 3, 2017 at 12:38 am | #

      That would be cool, wouldn’t Billy have to apply first though?

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      March 3, 2017 at 2:28 am | #

      I’ve said before that Billie would be an awesome RA, and that the position would be good for her.

      But I don’t think Chloe’s on the ball enough to know one tenth of that.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      March 3, 2017 at 3:02 am | #

      That wouldn’t resolve the conflict of interest problem, though. Either one of them has to move to another floor or neither of them can be the RA. (They could also end their relationship, but that’s not enforceable and the school can’t ask that.)

      • Historyman68
        Historyman68
        March 3, 2017 at 7:32 am | #

        Haven’t you heard? Conflicts of interest aren’t a problem any more! Nobody in politics cares (as long as they’re in your party)!

    • ValdVin
      ValdVin
      March 3, 2017 at 4:06 am | #

      I don’t know if it would happen.

      However, it would give Billie a social ladder to climb, which she’s been in search of since being disqualified as an IU cheerleader. (I’m not saying that would factor into Chloe’s decision. Just that it would be a facet of the outcome.)

    • hof1991
      hof1991
      March 3, 2017 at 9:03 am | #

      Puddin isn’t inviting Billie down for a meeting. It’s going to be binary. Ruth is fired or not (probably under some kind of probation).

  18. Thevoiceoftreason
    Thevoiceoftreason
    March 3, 2017 at 12:15 am | #

    They should arrive at her office naked and glowing with post coital bliss. That would make it super awkward when she announces the decision was for Ruth to keep her job.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      March 3, 2017 at 12:26 am | #

      Go Leafs!

  19. Leorale
    Leorale
    March 3, 2017 at 12:19 am | #

    For a moment I was afraid that “everyone” might include ‘sir’, as he’s Ruth’s family support, except that he’s abusive. But, iirc, sir is not allowed on campus. He’s not gonna be there, right?

    • Cerberus
      Cerberus
      March 3, 2017 at 12:21 am | #

      I wouldn’t see any reason for him to be called given that Ruth is a legal adult. So, it’s probably just going to be Chloe and the “forces downstairs”.

      • Leorale
        Leorale
        March 3, 2017 at 12:31 am | #

        Willis has written two physically-abusive patriarchs, who both arrived without warning, so that’s why it occurred to me. But you’re right, plus I hope the school would be more sensitive than that, plus don’t think Willis would like “surprise! abusive patriarch” to be his style.
        I would like to continue not meeting sir.

        • Cerberus
          Cerberus
          March 3, 2017 at 12:42 am | #

          Abusive Patriarchs are the worst surprise party ever.

          • Rukduk
            Rukduk
            March 3, 2017 at 2:09 am | #

            Yeah, there’s just nothing quite like having your emotionally abusive father with undiagnosed mental issues who’s been out of your life for two years more or less forcing your mother to start the divorce process because of feet dragging on his end crashing your high school graduation celebration.
            …
            Sorry, I was projecting a bit there.

            • Cerberus
              Cerberus
              March 3, 2017 at 11:36 am | #

              Or changing his email address so he can avoid the block you put on his email address to beg you to consider reparative therapy again and throw slurs at you…

              … which sure would be bad of “sir” to do, yes… Ok, yeah, projecting too.

              Also *appropriate gesture of support* for that shitty HS graduation “surprise”. Worries about abusive family members “crashing” is why I’m not publicizing any information on where or when my wedding will be and only telling people I trust never to post it publicly on their facebooks.

              • Rukduk
                Rukduk
                March 3, 2017 at 12:23 pm | #

                *reciprocal gesture of support* I hope the wedding goes well for you and your fiancé. Also, I hope preparations for it aren’t stressing either of you out two much.

    • Schpoonman
      Schpoonman
      March 3, 2017 at 12:21 am | #

      It’s Blaine that’s not allowed on campus. “Sir” was Ruth’s caretaker in Canada.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        March 3, 2017 at 12:24 am | #

        Ruth heavily implied her grandfather is not allowed on campus.

        • UltraKyrie
          UltraKyrie
          March 3, 2017 at 12:28 am | #

          When was that? (Not doubting, just curious)

          • BBCC
            BBCC
            March 3, 2017 at 12:32 am | #

            When she was confronting Blaine, she said ‘I don’t care [that Blaine is her father]. If you’re not on the [approved family member] list, you’re not allowed in the building. Believe me, just being related doesn’t earn you anything.”

            The ‘believe me’ part implies that she has personal experience with this, and the only relative we know of for that is Sir. Howard is clearly allowed in the building.

            • CJ
              CJ
              March 3, 2017 at 1:29 am | #

              Don’t think this means Sir is not allowed on campus. If there was a restraining order, she would’ve reacted differently when he called.

              • BBCC
                BBCC
                March 3, 2017 at 1:54 am | #

                I don’t think there’s a restraining order, just that he’s not allowed on campus. All that takes is him making an ass of himself.

                Also, emotional abuse is fully capable of knocking fear into folks even if you can’t legally be near them. That’s why they often come with ‘do not contact’ clauses.

            • Darastrix
              Darastrix
              March 3, 2017 at 2:37 am | #

              It could also be a “believe me, because I’ve dealt with/seen student housing deal with this sort of things before” because this isn’t her first year as an RA. Or a “believe me, this has blocked entry even for people who a resident wanted to come, so you sure as hell aren’t getting pass” (like, say, if her controlling, abusive grandfather demanded veto power over what relatives she put on her approved family member list – even though that wouldn’t necessarily prevent them from meeting her elsewhere)

              And even if she were vaguely referring to her grandfather, in that case, it was about relatives not being automatically entitled to come into the dorm. You don’t have to be on an approved family list to be on the campus in general.

              • BBCC
                BBCC
                March 3, 2017 at 11:18 am | #

                She seemed pretty personally invested in it, which is why I think it refers to her grandfather. And while she only said he wouldn’t be allowed in the building, Chloe is asking to meet in the building, so he definitely wouldn’t be allowed in.

      • Eukie
        Eukie
        March 3, 2017 at 5:45 am | #

        Unlikely, since Ruth and Howard moved to the US after their parents died to live with their grandfather, so presumably he was their caretaker in the US.

        • Schpoonman
          Schpoonman
          March 3, 2017 at 3:30 pm | #

          Oops, I forgot that detail.

    • Killjoy
      Killjoy
      March 3, 2017 at 2:28 pm | #

      Most universities have privacy policies limited what they can share regarding the students, which apply even to parents unless the student is a legal minor.

  20. Rukduk
    Rukduk
    March 3, 2017 at 12:19 am | #

    And so the world passes.

  21. Fart Captor
    Fart Captor
    March 3, 2017 at 12:20 am | #

    :3

  22. Keulan
    Keulan
    March 3, 2017 at 12:25 am | #

    Yeah, Chloe’s “carry on” made me think of this song, for some reason.

    • MatsuoTanuki
      MatsuoTanuki
      March 3, 2017 at 1:32 am | #

      Same here…

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      March 3, 2017 at 2:32 am | #

      Made me think of this one, actually. (Warning, depressing)

      • SunshineTheif
        SunshineTheif
        March 3, 2017 at 3:21 am | #

        Huh, it made me think of that song by fun.

  23. Tan
    Tan
    March 3, 2017 at 12:27 am | #

    I’m assuming ‘everyone’ will include the girl Billie is switching room assignments with and her new roommate as she moves to another floor not under Ruth’s purview, thus allowing Ruth and Billie’s relationship to continue without conflict of interest.

    I mean, there’s no need to gather ‘everyone’ to tell Ruth she’s canned. If Ruth were straight-up canned, everything that happens after as far as new RA is largely none of her business. Chloe could just tell her she’s canned, tell her how long she has to clear out, then separately go meet with everyone else as regards the next step.

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      March 3, 2017 at 9:24 am | #

      I’m pretty sure “Everyone” here is whoever it is that actually gets to decide if Ruth is fired. Chloe said earlier that it wasn’t only up to her.

      • Tan
        Tan
        March 3, 2017 at 7:30 pm | #

        That’d be Chloe’s bosses. Unlikely that they’d meet Ruth face-to-face. Possible, certainly, if they haven’t made up their minds yet, but the more likely case is that Chloe gave them a report, and they gave Chloe a directive to carry out.

  24. Fart Captor
    Fart Captor
    March 3, 2017 at 12:32 am | #

    Soon, all the preparations will be complete, and Chloe will be ready to perform the dark ritual that will summon forth Ruth’s replacement. If Ruth is able to slay her in single combat, she gets to stay on as RA.

  25. Hellespont
    Hellespont
    March 3, 2017 at 12:34 am | #

    Oh, ominous obscuring followed by making out. My kind of strip.

  26. Shiro
    Shiro
    March 3, 2017 at 12:54 am | #

    So…that “carry on” definitely gives them carte blanche for the hallway makeouts, right?

  27. StClair
    StClair
    March 3, 2017 at 12:57 am | #

    I’m actually curious what Billie was going to say.

    Also, Ruth’s eyebrow and crooked smile in that panel is “totes adorbs”.

  28. Cerberus
    Cerberus
    March 3, 2017 at 12:57 am | #

    Comic Reactions:

    Panel 1: 😀 All the happiness for this panel. Cause, yeah, this is partially what I wanted to see happening. Billie speaking up about what she wants on an equal footing to Ruth even if it’s just a brief respite from the impending chaos they are all facing to disappear into a moment of certainty and comfort.

    And it’s also just a beautiful moment. Ruth being able to smile back at her as Billie leans her head on her shoulder. The tender request. The subtle Fun Home Musical reference.

    It’s… genuinely sweet in a way that the Ruth/Billie dynamic has not really had the space to be that reliably owing to both of their mental illnesses.

    Panel 2: And moment ruined.

    Panel 3: Oof, the call in by the bosses. Never fun. Especially with the uncertainty of what exactly you’re going to be dealing with in the meeting and knowing it is likely going to be bad.

    Great for anxiety too. I’ve had plenty of these in the past and I’m sure I’ll be getting some more in the near future as I don’t think my boss much likes how much I’ve been advocating on behalf of my trans students and especially on behalf of the student who got sexually assaulted. Especially since he knows someone reported him to HR (wasn’t actually me, but I’m the prime suspect because I’ve openly spoken up about disagreeing with his handling of the situation) and so is looking for retaliation.

    Panel 4-5: A fair interpretation. After all, it is a moment between them and if Ruth was a shoe-in for returning to the job, it’s likely that the relationship would be heavily frowned upon…

    That said, I imagine Chloe understands that relationships and feelings aren’t exactly things you can turn off in an instant and that removing a major coping strategy of someone who nearly committed suicide isn’t great. So it’s possible the solution that will be proposed will involve shuffling some folks around to remove the power dynamic and put Ruth under a much tighter leash.

    Panel 6: But no matter the situation, I’m glad that Billie and Ruth can be fully out now as themselves in this relationship. Because that additional stress of a closet was not doing the recovery of either any favors. And I think that openness is going to give them a much better chance of rebooting healthier as a couple than it would be if Chloe had disapproved them into hiding again.

    I dunno, I’m kind of rooting for these two to harvest something positive and healthy out of the wreckage of the codependent mess they had crafted previously.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      March 3, 2017 at 1:11 am | #

      Agreed. The past is ugly and the future is scary, but right here, right now they can have a beautiful relationship moment. And they have moved far away from their initial abusive dynamic.

    • vlademir1
      vlademir1
      March 3, 2017 at 1:15 am | #

      I may be wrong, I often have been in predicting Willis’ narrative direction before, but I strongly suspect that Chloe is going to keep Ruth in the position and force her to take on some underlings or a co-RA to help handle the day to day stress of running of the floor while she gets herself back in order.

      • Cerberus
        Cerberus
        March 3, 2017 at 1:46 am | #

        I’ve honestly been suspecting the same. Especially since everyone seems so certain that Ruth will be fired, but it would seem so counter to so many storylines to have her removed from the dorms.

      • BenRG
        BenRG
        March 3, 2017 at 2:58 am | #

        FWIW, I first proposed a while back that Chloe and the other managers may choose to create a fictitious role for Ruth to keep her in the dorms and partially funded by the College whilst the actual RA duties fall on her ‘deputies’.

        It might actually be interesting to see if Dorothy and Roz can work together as a team or if their incompatible personalities lead inevitably to conflict!

        • Rukduk
          Rukduk
          March 3, 2017 at 5:02 pm | #

          I feel a sitcom starting!

    • Rukduk
      Rukduk
      March 3, 2017 at 2:04 am | #

      *Sympathy by light internet contact for panel 3 reaction* I’m sorry to hear that boss is still a) in his position b) trying to get at you. Also, as to the rest of this comic, it smells like Chloe’s pulling a little paperwork shuffle here. Either swapping Billie with someone in a different hall (unlikely due to storyline purposes), putting Ruth on some sort of probationary status, or giving this hall someone like say Sydney Yuss as the de jure RA while having Dorothy act as the de facto RA. I say this mainly because a) Dorothy, and Billie to an extent, have shown themselves capable of being RA material b) legally or by college policy Chloe might be required to have a sophmore or higher be RA and c) this hall has been able to keep itself together for about three or four days (I think) without an official, functional RA through a combination of great hallmate compatibility (sans Mary) and someone (aka Billie) keeping the only real troublemaker (Mary) in line.

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      March 3, 2017 at 2:37 am | #

      I’m reading Ruth’s reaction to the summons differently.

      She’s not dreading it. She’s already moved on to acceptance. Hell she was at acceptance before she got hospitalized, and then when she got meds and Chloe was visiting, and now when she’s back. She’s consistently at acceptance. This isn’t something she’s dreading, it’s just a step in chucking her old normal in the bin and moving on to find the new normal.

    • ValdVin
      ValdVin
      March 3, 2017 at 5:18 am | #

      “The subtle Fun Home Musical reference.”

      I read the book when new, then heard a few of the songs. And Judy Kuhn has been a favorite of mine since Chess. I gotta see this show and delve into the OCR.

      • Cerberus
        Cerberus
        March 3, 2017 at 1:11 pm | #

        It’s totally worth seeing live if you get a chance!

    • Gesc
      Gesc
      March 3, 2017 at 12:16 pm | #

      The fact the status of their relationship isn’t even worth discussing is awesome to me, as we’re seeing that they will power through whatever happens. Together.

  29. vlademir1
    vlademir1
    March 3, 2017 at 1:03 am | #

    So we’re about to meet our ‘unknown evil”….

    I strongly suspect that the unknown evil will take the form of two or three assistants who already reside on the floor to aid Ruth in her core RA duties with possibly one tasked with forcing her to take care of herself. No points for anyone guessing who I mean here.

  30. Iron
    Iron
    March 3, 2017 at 1:23 am | #

    What’s a PDA in this context?

    • pjeseb
      pjeseb
      March 3, 2017 at 1:27 am | #

      Public Display of Affection.

      Although now that I think about it, I’m not sure if “public” really fits in this case, since it happened inside Ruth’s room in the dorm…

      • Rex Vivat
        Rex Vivat
        March 3, 2017 at 1:09 pm | #

        With the door open, it’s still public. Remember, a naked person behind an unobstructed window can still end in a public indecency charge.

  31. CJ
    CJ
    March 3, 2017 at 1:24 am | #

    Public display of affection

  32. RogueParasol
    RogueParasol
    March 3, 2017 at 1:30 am | #

    Meeeeeehh…I know I’m being a paranoid asshole, but I’m not as enamored with the “let’s go make out in the hallway” conclusion to this strip. On the one hand, I’m all for Ruth and Billie getting to be open and affectionate whenever they want instead of having to hide it and add that stress to their lives. And getting time for “them” before whatever meeting they might face is something I desperately want for them.

    On the other hand, and really, I KNOW I’m being paranoid, this also has a shadow of slipping back into their old habits of avoiding complications by focussing on physical distraction. Billie was going to say something emotional, they were going to openly and privately communicate for basically the first time since Ruth got sent away. That’s good! But, as soon as it got awkward, they dropped that and went for a physical “distraction.” That’s one way they avoided their problems before. And they’re going to do it in the middle of a hallway where Ruth just had to face some heavy disapproval from her residents, which could backfire. It’s a human response, certainly, I get why they’re doing it, I don’t mean to imply that they are bad people for wanting a distraction. It just…doesn’t seem like an entirely healthy decision.

    • RogueParasol
      RogueParasol
      March 3, 2017 at 1:39 am | #

      I also realize this might just be a bit of the “tone” thing that I sometimes have problems with in DoA: a serious topic cut off or interrupted at the end of a strip by a quippy joke or banter. It can be a bit jarring.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      March 3, 2017 at 4:33 am | #

      This may be me but I interpreted that last panel as Ruth and Billie being sarcastic to each other as a way of coping with what is about to happen.

      • Clif
        Clif
        March 3, 2017 at 7:59 am | #

        Same here.

      • RogueParasol
        RogueParasol
        March 3, 2017 at 2:06 pm | #

        Also entirely possible. I’m having the same trouble with this strip that I was having with some of the Robin strips: is this comic humor to break the dark mood? Self-aware sarcasm on the part of the characters? Neither, and we the audience should be detecting questionable choices behind what WOULD be humor in a different universe? The fluctuation in tone leaves just too many options.

  33. Liliet
    Liliet
    March 3, 2017 at 1:42 am | #

    so uh there’s no way Ruth’s getting fired is there
    like
    the dramatic irony speaks against it

    • Eyebrow
      Eyebrow
      March 3, 2017 at 7:12 am | #

      If Ruth is not getting fired, it makes sense to reduce her stress. Move her to a different floor as RA. Swap other floor in to Ruth’s room. Billie now free to have open and non-power-dynamic relationship with Ruth by running upstairs.
      Ruth gets someone responsible as assistant who will keep an eye on her emotional state. New RA or Dorothy is to keep an eye on Billie. All solved.

  34. Remmington Steele
    Remmington Steele
    March 3, 2017 at 2:18 am | #

    Hopefully not this sort of pudding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-3u32P3a7o

  35. BenRG
    BenRG
    March 3, 2017 at 2:23 am | #

    That’s a curious phrasing from Chloe: “We should have everyone by then”. I’m guessing that that includes the Dean but I’m also wondering if the investigation into the incident also merged into looking into Mary and Carla’s feud and how it impacted on Ruth personally.

    Mary could quite possibly be in serious trouble if she has been determined to have a pattern of hateful and manipulative behaviour.

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      March 3, 2017 at 2:39 am | #

      That, or they decided that the final test is to see whether Dorothy and Roz can best Ruth in the ring of whatever-martial-arts-Ruth-does.

      • DonDueed
        DonDueed
        March 3, 2017 at 6:09 am | #

        Six femurs enter, two femurs leave.

    • Andy
      Andy
      March 3, 2017 at 8:57 am | #

      Or her replacement: Sydney Yus.

    • hof1991
      hof1991
      March 3, 2017 at 9:11 am | #

      Everyone. Certainly legal. Also likely the RA she is switching with. Can’t see assistant RAs, since that isn’t a thing. Moving Billie to another floor would work, but Puddin didn’t ask for a meeting with Billie and has no real power to force her to move. Ruth is an employee. Puddin can set conditions on her remaining so. Moving to a fresh start on another floor is the condition.

  36. Reltzik
    Reltzik
    March 3, 2017 at 2:42 am | #

    You know, for a long time I was thinking that Willis was teasing or subverting almost every Walkyverse relationship. Walky-Joyce, Mike-Amber, Robin-Leslie, Billie-Danny, Danny-Joyce, Joe-Sarah, Jason-Sal…

    But then I realized that these two goofballs hooked up in both ‘verses and it’s not just a fling and it’s not just a shiptease.

    ….. oh, and I think Walky-Dorothy was a backstory-thing in Walkyverse? Maybe?

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      March 3, 2017 at 2:54 am | #

      Yeah; IIRC, Dorothy was Walky’s ex in the Walkyverse and was so obsessed with “the path not taken” that she ended up going postal (the Head Alien’s interference may or may not have been an aggravating factor). She attacked his wedding to Joyce and kidnapped him, trying to convince him to take her instead.

    • Greenygal
      Greenygal
      March 3, 2017 at 4:01 am | #

      Both Ruth/Billie and Dorothy/Walky make sense as revisitations of previous relationships; they were both retroactive continuity inserts created well after events had moved on and made further development of them impossible. (Dorothy/Walky didn’t even happen in the main timeline; Walky just had a crush.) So in this universe they get a chance to be really explored.

  37. Bicycle Bill
    Bicycle Bill
    March 3, 2017 at 3:45 am | #

    Baseball players and felons both get “three strikes” before they’re out.  And the phrase “Carry on” means to 1) continue doing what you had been engaged in before an interruption (as in the military; when an officer enters a room and the room is called to attention, the officer will usually give the order to “carry on”) or 2) to persevere in the face of adversity (as in “Keep Calm and Carry On”).

    It may also mean to engage in monkeyshines, but I highly doubt that it is being used in that sense at this time… 🙂

    So I’m calling it now.  Ruth is in for a surprise; she will find that she still has her RA position, although she will be under closer scrutiny — a ‘supervised probation’, if you will — from Puddin’head Chloe or others from further up the chain of command within the Housing Office.

  38. JessWitt
    JessWitt
    March 3, 2017 at 4:06 am | #

    Everyone? Wonder who else will be attending the meeting.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      March 3, 2017 at 5:04 am | #

      My guess? The Dean of Students definitely and possibly some other high-rankers in administration. However, I’m also expecting Dorothy and Roz and possibly Mary and Carla.

      I think that Carla (to her horror), Dorothy and Roz are going to be appointed Ruth’s ‘deputies’. The official decision will be that Ruth’s breakdown was caused by ‘over-work’ and that she needs to give most of her responsibilities to her ‘deputies’; this arrangement to be reviewed at the end of the term based on whether Ruth has finished her out-patients alcohol rehab and depression treatment program.

      Meanwhile, Mary will be told that she needs to make more of an effort to avoid confrontation in future. She will also be reminded that IU is an inclusive school and, even if she has a problem with someone’s lifestyle or biology that doesn’t affect school policy. Mary will realise that she’s just been told “Strike One” and will probably simmer down for a while (although she’ll doubtless be plotting an undetectable revenge).

  39. JasonAW3
    JasonAW3
    March 3, 2017 at 7:30 am | #

    Somehow, I suspect that we’re in for a bit of a surprise. I don’t think Ruth is going to actually lose her RA position.

    Bear in mind, (Hey! That’s a grizzly thought!) how everyone in the dorm kind of came together and we’re concerned about her? She had made a MAJOR impact on the other students with her presence as well as her absence. Things did not go wild without her, primarily, BECAUSE of her!

    Getting rid of someone with THAT much influence over the majority of the students of the dorm would be very short sighted, and more than a bit stupid. Of course, this IS a college bureaucracy, so they’ll likely not only, fire her, ban her from the college, but also arrest her for vagrancy! People running colleges can be both very unimaginative, as well as very short sighted.

  40. Tom T.
    Tom T.
    March 3, 2017 at 7:33 am | #

    It seems clear enough that Ruth keeps the job. My guess is that it will be with Mary appointed as a deputy. This is a drama strip, after all.

    • Guairdean Beatha
      Guairdean Beatha
      March 3, 2017 at 9:50 am | #

      What if it’s the other way around?

      • Greenygal
        Greenygal
        March 3, 2017 at 11:16 am | #

        Even if either is proposed, it seems very unlikely to happen. Either Mary says “uh, I appreciate that you thought of me, but no” or Billie does as threatened and reports that Mary blackmailed Ruth into the hospital, with the entire floor backing the story. Whatever might or might not happen to Mary in the wake of that, pretty sure it wouldn’t be assigning her to work with her blackmail victim to be RA for a floor that hates her.

  41. Guairdean Beatha
    Guairdean Beatha
    March 3, 2017 at 9:52 am | #

    Making out in the hallway could be a positive move. If they sold tickets, they could make enough off of the boys to pay for at least a semester.

    • Scar Man!!!
      Scar Man!!!
      March 3, 2017 at 1:06 pm | #

      but is it worth the water bill?

  42. Gesc
    Gesc
    March 3, 2017 at 12:13 pm | #

    She’s keeping the job.

    I’m calling it right now.

  43. Arianod
    Arianod
    March 3, 2017 at 12:40 pm | #

    Why does this woman’s hair like one of those fancy ice cream lollies.

    • Arianod
      Arianod
      March 3, 2017 at 3:43 pm | #

      *look like

  44. Scar Man!!!
    Scar Man!!!
    March 3, 2017 at 1:06 pm | #

    1) Any couple making out in the hallway, especially on purpose instead of spontaneously, is just really inappropriate.

    2) Unless those two are exhibitionists, why on Earth would they want to do that?

    • Scar Man!!!
      Scar Man!!!
      March 3, 2017 at 1:09 pm | #

      to clarify, not against disney-style kissing or even a quick surreptitious butt squeeze in public, but tongue is too far

    • Guairdean Beatha
      Guairdean Beatha
      March 3, 2017 at 1:45 pm | #

      They wouldn’t. It’s called “gallows humor” and is strictly a way to ease tension. Curling up together in private is both a viable, and likely, option. However, I’m betting on a little more social interaction from some of their friends, and I little more anti-social interaction from a couple of others.

    • Fart Captor
      Fart Captor
      March 3, 2017 at 2:34 pm | #

      I think the main reason is probably to celebrate the fact that they no longer have to hide their relationship anymore, now that Mary can’t blackmail therm, and (they assume) Ruth is already going to be fired.

      Spiting Mary might be another reason.

      • Scar Man!!!
        Scar Man!!!
        March 4, 2017 at 12:06 am | #

        and, on a darker note, spiting the sex-repulsed asexual who outed them loudly to everyone

        • Scar Man!!!
          Scar Man!!!
          March 4, 2017 at 12:07 am | #

          by which i mean Carla

        • Fart Captor
          Fart Captor
          March 4, 2017 at 1:00 am | #

          Except Carla wouldn’t really mind that much. Especially because of how much Mary would hate it, but remember she was totally on board with “managing the courtship of cute two queer ladies” before she found out what else was going on.

          • Scar Man!!!
            Scar Man!!!
            March 4, 2017 at 6:31 pm | #

            i was thinking more of them exploiting the “fluids are gross” angle like she was in Shortpacked, but you make a good point, FC

      • Scar Man!!!
        Scar Man!!!
        March 4, 2017 at 12:07 am | #

        what’s the point of spiting her? she’s already full of spite 90% of the time

  45. t_wanderer
    t_wanderer
    March 3, 2017 at 9:43 pm | #

    Why is “everyone” stressed? Are Roz and Dorothy going to be waiting as well?

  46. Fangirlfrankenstein
    Fangirlfrankenstein
    March 3, 2017 at 10:48 pm | #

    O.o I just caught up, and this is greets me?!

So...

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
CONVENTION APPEARANCES


September 13/14, 2025 - Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Maryland

©2010-2025 Dumbing of Age | Powered by WordPress with ComicPress | Subscribe: RSS | Privacy Policy | Back to Top ↑