Dumbing of Age Book Eleven

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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September 28, 2023

Reassess

by David M Willis on February 14, 2014 at 12:01 am
  • 01 - The Only Dope For Me Is You

└ Tags: jennifer, ruth

Discussion (444) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Dorsilus
    Dorsilus
    February 14, 2014 at 12:01 am | #

    DAMMIT FEELINGS

    • Jen Aside
      Jen Aside
      February 14, 2014 at 12:02 am | #

      YEAH, NO ONE EVER GOT DRUNK AND NARROWLY AVOIDED DEATH BY TRUCK, EH??

      • Maveric1984
        Maveric1984
        February 14, 2014 at 12:34 am | #

        Trucks only exist in this universe to be ridden on by superheroes.

        • Jen Aside
          Jen Aside
          February 14, 2014 at 4:22 am | #

          Freight means nothing!

      • Cass
        Cass
        February 14, 2014 at 7:36 am | #

        Ruth just took a truck to the heart!

        • laurenh
          laurenh
          February 15, 2014 at 3:57 am | #

          Truck to the heart, and you’re to blame…

    • Justin
      Justin
      February 14, 2014 at 1:53 pm | #

      Dagnabbit Willis!

  2. Xerxes93
    Xerxes93
    February 14, 2014 at 12:01 am | #

    u monster

    • qka
      qka
      February 14, 2014 at 12:49 am | #

      Billie is greedy

      • Xerxes93
        Xerxes93
        February 14, 2014 at 1:09 am | #

        I was referring to Willis, but sure Billie too.

      • diploducks
        diploducks
        February 15, 2014 at 12:06 am | #

        Yeah the way she mentally and physically abused someone into forming a codependent relationship with her and then yanked that relationship away the first chance she got was really selfish.

        • Parnifia the Bastard
          Parnifia the Bastard
          February 20, 2014 at 6:16 am | #

          Well, when ya say it like THAT…

    • das-g
      das-g
      February 14, 2014 at 6:57 pm | #

      for science!

  3. otusasio451
    otusasio451
    February 14, 2014 at 12:01 am | #

    …Well, I’m depressed. Anyone up for a long cry?

    • Chris
      Chris
      February 14, 2014 at 12:02 am | #

      Let us weep.

      • sps48
        sps48
        February 14, 2014 at 12:10 am | #

        Tear.

      • The Weird One
        The Weird One
        February 14, 2014 at 12:33 am | #

        Yes. Weep for me. Your sorrow will be my nourishment. Cry into my cup, so your tears mingle with mine and those of all who read this arc. The water and salt shall mix together in a maelstrom of emotion, a typhoon of loss and love lost, a whirlpool of vulnerability!

        In our sadness, through our tears, we shall truly become as one.

        • otusasio451
          otusasio451
          February 14, 2014 at 12:41 am | #

          Yes. Let us engage in…the sobbening.

          • The Weird One
            The Weird One
            February 14, 2014 at 12:48 am | #

            Let our souls merge through despair and desperation. Let our hearts grow heavy with the pain of this outcome. Let the sobbening overtake your senses, salty and wet, yet sweet in its acceptance and comfort.

            Now, my children, say the words with me, that this pact may be forever sealed. Say the words with me, so that the Sobbening may truly commence…

            “DAMN YOU, WILLIS!”

            • lejwocky
              lejwocky
              February 14, 2014 at 1:07 am | #

              HASA DIGA WILLIS!

            • Tucker
              Tucker
              February 14, 2014 at 3:16 am | #

              Dem avatars 😐

              • Allcool-dontcare
                Allcool-dontcare
                February 14, 2014 at 11:51 pm | #

                Them capoldies

            • maarvarq
              maarvarq
              February 14, 2014 at 7:48 am | #

              A million voices cry out and will not be silenced, suddenly or otherwise, “DAMN YOU, WILLIS!”

        • Tenn
          Tenn
          February 14, 2014 at 1:12 pm | #

          I read that in the voice of “Hedy” It’s Hedley! Lamarr.

        • Dr. Paul
          Dr. Paul
          February 15, 2014 at 8:13 am | #

          You know, you didn’t have to go through all that work. There are rehydration drinks that are mostly salt and water. Any pharmacy has them.

          • Dr. Paul
            Dr. Paul
            February 15, 2014 at 8:16 am | #

            And that got posted in the wrong place. It would have been funny after The Wierd One’s post and a good use the the knowledge I learned sitting here after last nights food poisioning but noooo. DAM YOU WILLIS’S WEB DESIGNER!

    • EvilPenguin
      EvilPenguin
      February 14, 2014 at 1:08 am | #

      :'(

    • Opus the Poet
      Opus the Poet
      February 14, 2014 at 2:45 am | #

      :’P

    • Dibullba
      Dibullba
      February 14, 2014 at 10:26 am | #

      Liquid shame ;_;

    • Pat
      Pat
      February 14, 2014 at 12:30 pm | #

      Always!

  4. TheOthin
    TheOthin
    February 14, 2014 at 12:01 am | #

    RUTH

    • gka
      gka
      February 14, 2014 at 4:54 am | #

      … literally means, “mercy.”

      Hiyyyyoooo

  5. Sageress
    Sageress
    February 14, 2014 at 12:01 am | #

    Truly the day of Romance.

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      February 14, 2014 at 12:09 am | #

      Today’s comic was brought to you by Kleenex®.

  6. Wonder Wig
    Wonder Wig
    February 14, 2014 at 12:01 am | #

    You we’re the chosen one!

    • otusasio451
      otusasio451
      February 14, 2014 at 12:02 am | #

      It was said that you would DESTROY the Sith, not JOIN them!

      • Mr. Random
        Mr. Random
        February 14, 2014 at 12:05 am | #

        The prophecy foretold a rebalancing.
        After the freat rejoicing of teo days ago, something would have to fall.

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      February 14, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

      “Right now I feel more like the frozen one”
      *falls face first into snow*
      (points for whoever gets my refference)

      • Wonder Wig
        Wonder Wig
        February 14, 2014 at 12:07 am | #

        ArticUNO, ZapDOS, MolTRES

      • Safgaftsa
        Safgaftsa
        February 14, 2014 at 12:09 am | #

        Someone could use pants.

        • Yotomoe
          Yotomoe
          February 14, 2014 at 12:14 am | #

          I love that more than one person remembers this one obscure line from a movie released 14 years ago.

          • The Weird One
            The Weird One
            February 14, 2014 at 12:34 am | #

            Slowking is the damn BOSS.

          • Arbiter Sands
            Arbiter Sands
            February 14, 2014 at 8:46 am | #

            I still remember laughing my butt off at that line. Most memorable part of the movie, in all seriousness. Just, the tone, the timing. It was comedy gold.

    • Subject HORNET
      Subject HORNET
      February 14, 2014 at 7:59 pm | #

      You were her only hope…
      *cry*

  7. rhelmot
    rhelmot
    February 14, 2014 at 12:01 am | #

    DAMNIT NO STOP RUINING EVERYTHING

    • Megatron
      Megatron
      February 14, 2014 at 1:47 am | #

      NO HE’S DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT!

      David Willis is the best fleshling.

      • Farmer_10
        Farmer_10
        February 14, 2014 at 5:53 am | #

        WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW, MACHINE!!! ALL YOUR FEELINGS ARE ARTIFICIAL!!!

        • Subject HORNET
          Subject HORNET
          February 14, 2014 at 8:01 pm | #

          He knows a brilliant storyteller when he sees one 🙂

  8. Foxhack
    Foxhack
    February 14, 2014 at 12:01 am | #

    Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay Valentines sucks.

  9. Yotsuyasan
    Yotsuyasan
    February 14, 2014 at 12:01 am | #

    Damn it, Billie. Wrong answer! Now please, for the love of Glob, go after her and apologize!

    • Jackson
      Jackson
      February 14, 2014 at 12:05 am | #

      Seriously. Even Danny wouldn’t Billie this up this badly.

      • Yotsuyasan
        Yotsuyasan
        February 14, 2014 at 12:09 am | #

        Well, with Dan finally gaining self awareness, someone needs to be the new go-to term for such things, I guess.

        • Kevin
          Kevin
          February 14, 2014 at 8:45 am | #

          How is Amber telling him the truth “self-awareness”?

          • Suitora
            Suitora
            February 14, 2014 at 11:36 am | #

            Danny’s reaction after her telling the truth is him gaining self-awareness. He fully admitted he Danned things up in this comic: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/01-the-only-dope-for-me-is-you/broken/.

          • Yotsuyasan
            Yotsuyasan
            February 14, 2014 at 3:34 pm | #

            She didn’t tell him the truth! He noticed it for himself! He could have just obliviously not noticed her mask had slipped, and continued on in ignorance. In fact, when he did notice she was Amber, she wasn’t even confident enough in that fact to confirm it. :p

            More serious answer, as Suitora already indicated, it was more his (a) putting everything together once he had that one (admittedly rather large) piece of information, and (b) how he reacted to it once he did have it figured out that shows Dan’s recent growth away from Danning Billieing things up.

          • John
            John
            February 14, 2014 at 4:55 pm | #

            When shown the fully-assembled puzzle, Danny is capable of seeing the picture!

            • Jen Aside
              Jen Aside
              February 14, 2014 at 6:13 pm | #

              I don’t think it was fully assembled [“Your father…?”], but maybe all the edge pieces are together now

  10. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    February 14, 2014 at 12:01 am | #

    Admit it Willis, you spared her from truck death because it was too quick and you wanted her to suffer more.

    • LiaHansen
      LiaHansen
      February 14, 2014 at 12:03 am | #

      But what if she still got hit by a car? By a certain person who has been drowning their sorrows in alcohol? If you see what I’m saying?

      • Yotomoe
        Yotomoe
        February 14, 2014 at 12:05 am | #

        I see what you’re saying. Danny did it.

        • Doctor_Who
          Doctor_Who
          February 14, 2014 at 12:06 am | #

          DAMN YOU WILCOX

      • Mr. Random
        Mr. Random
        February 14, 2014 at 12:07 am | #

        I… Actully wouldn’t put it past him to have a character get injured. Probably break a leg. Although i think it would probably be Walky for some reason.

        • Count Dracula
          Count Dracula
          February 14, 2014 at 12:16 am | #

          …did we ever see Faz leave campus?

        • David Willis
          David M Willis
          February 14, 2014 at 12:17 am | #

          Considering the speed at which this strip moves, I’d be drawing them in a cast for the rest of my life. So probably not. It’s sort of the same reason nobody’s gonna die. The strip would be stuck in the mourning period for, like, years. It’d be awful.

          • LiaHansen
            LiaHansen
            February 14, 2014 at 12:21 am | #

            That is actually very reassuring

            • Just Cheeto Dust
              Just Cheeto Dust
              February 14, 2014 at 12:29 am | #

              Indeed, in spite of the fact that so many will disregard the explanation in comments for future strips.

              • taekwondogirl
                taekwondogirl
                February 14, 2014 at 11:34 am | #

                Well the problem is not everyone reads all the comments for every strip. Even someone devoted like myself sometimes just completely skips the comments some days for whatever reason unrelated to the comic. It’s not like these answers exist anywhere else, and how are any new readers expected to find these things out?

          • Trrebi981
            Trrebi981
            February 14, 2014 at 1:10 am | #

            I feel peace, covering my previous sadness.

          • Jen Aside
            Jen Aside
            February 14, 2014 at 4:25 am | #

            Not even a “your great-aunt Emma who hated you died, we’re gonna make you attend the funeral the weekend you had huge-ass plans”?

          • Kevin
            Kevin
            February 14, 2014 at 8:36 am | #

            Not if Blaine died, amirite? *rimshot*

            • EEWWW
              EEWWW
              February 14, 2014 at 2:43 pm | #

              If a bear Blaines in the woods, would anyone mourn? Okay, that didn’t work out so well. But, if a bear, squatting in the woods, were to be really upset about being interrupted and killed Blaine, would anyone mourn? I think not. But we might enjoy a panel a day of Blaine trying to drag himself to civilization to get help… then failing… because he got run over by a truck. *hehehe* I really need to get back on my meds.

          • BigDrahma
            BigDrahma
            February 14, 2014 at 11:53 am | #

            So, like Funky Cancercancer?

          • Sambo
            Sambo
            February 14, 2014 at 4:36 pm | #

            Yeah, this comic has been going since september 2010, and it hasn’t even been a month in comic time. I mean, it started when school starts, and the leaves haven’t even started to change (as seen here: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/01-the-only-dope-for-me-is-you/wordplay/ ).

            So broken arms, which take months to heal, would last for about a decade of our time 😀

            • Sambo
              Sambo
              February 19, 2014 at 10:45 pm | #

              I checked, and this is the third week since the story started (the 4th weekend). Each chapter is a day, except in two cases where there are time lapses, listed below:

              http://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/04-time-keeps-on-slippin/year/

              http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/03-answers-in-hennessy/too-long/

  11. Helmet
    Helmet
    February 14, 2014 at 12:01 am | #

    WELP

  12. Deathjavu
    Deathjavu
    February 14, 2014 at 12:02 am | #

    Billie, you have fucked up real bad this time. You have dug a hole that is going to take a long time and a lot of effort to get out of.

    Now excuse me while I go forget your fuckups with alcohol of my own.

    • chuckroast
      chuckroast
      February 14, 2014 at 12:52 am | #

      Why doesn’t anyone learn from Billie’s example? Alcohol isn’t the answer!

      • Deathjavu
        Deathjavu
        February 14, 2014 at 1:14 am | #

        hurf durf it is a solution though /oldjokes

        also it’s delicious

      • Deathjavu
        Deathjavu
        February 14, 2014 at 1:29 am | #

        Also it’s fucking valentines day, I literally cannot think of a dsay where I would more like to drink

        except new years, I guess? maybe? not even, since I hang out with friends on new years and that’s fun drunk or sober.

  13. JebJeb
    JebJeb
    February 14, 2014 at 12:02 am | #

    The hover text made my night.

    • Just Cheeto Dust
      Just Cheeto Dust
      February 14, 2014 at 12:12 am | #

      Eh, it’s just ripping off Shortpacked!

      • Jackson
        Jackson
        February 14, 2014 at 1:32 am | #

        Now that you say it, this whole comic looks like a ripoff of Shortpacked!.

        • Keroshino
          Keroshino
          February 14, 2014 at 1:44 am | #

          Dammit, David Willis….stop ripping-off David Willis!!!

          • Jackson
            Jackson
            February 14, 2014 at 2:08 am | #

            Seriously, the art looks like the Shortpacked!s of the last few years, and half the characters are blatant copies where he didn’t even bother to change the name.

            Although I guess the creator of Shortpacked! is copying him right back. I hear he did a porn, too.

            • Jen Aside
              Jen Aside
              February 14, 2014 at 4:26 am | #

              BOTH of them are ripping off It’s Walky!, which ripped off Roomies!

              …THEFT ALL THE WAY DOWN

  14. David Herbert
    David Herbert
    February 14, 2014 at 12:02 am | #

    “And I want my cheerleader outfit back.”

    • John
      John
      February 14, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

      Ruth will be so cute in it!

    • David
      David
      February 14, 2014 at 5:32 am | #

      No, she doesn’t. That’s the problem. There is no point looking the grift horse in the mouth: she has no other purpose or meaning for it. It’s going to be a lot harder for Billie to earn that outfit now as she now has to do the heavy lifting for both of them. And she does not really have much of an option not earning it.

      • Ocbrad1
        Ocbrad1
        February 14, 2014 at 9:23 am | #

        “Grift horse.” +1 for your cleverness.

  15. Spectre
    Spectre
    February 14, 2014 at 12:02 am | #

    “‘I’m not hurting anybody’? Wow. Talk about oblivious.” -Dan

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      February 14, 2014 at 12:03 am | #

      “She really doesn’t understand people, does she?” -Dina

      • LiaHansen
        LiaHansen
        February 14, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

        “But man, Billie, lying to her like that. Dick move.” -Mike

        • Spectre
          Spectre
          February 14, 2014 at 12:06 am | #

          “Hurting someone like that… unfathomable. Who could be so cruel?” – Blaine

          • Doctor_Who
            Doctor_Who
            February 14, 2014 at 12:07 am | #

            “Faz would not do her unless asked very nicely” – Great Faz

            • Jay Eff
              Jay Eff
              February 14, 2014 at 12:10 am | #

              “You’ve got to make it up to her, Billie.
              I know!
              Take her shoe shopping!”
              – Sierra

              • sps48
                sps48
                February 14, 2014 at 12:12 am | #

                That’s what you get for drinking!”
                -Mary

              • shadowcell
                shadowcell
                February 14, 2014 at 12:13 am | #

                “Yikes! I probably wouldn’t sleep with her.”
                -Daisy

            • -Sentinel-
              -Sentinel-
              February 14, 2014 at 12:10 am | #

              “Yeah, these two have some serious issues.” -Amber

              • Jen Aside
                Jen Aside
                February 14, 2014 at 12:13 am | #

                “Mmmrow” – Mike’s cat

                • -Sentinel-
                  -Sentinel-
                  February 14, 2014 at 12:14 am | #

                  “DAMN YOU, BILLIE!” – Willis

                • Plasma Mongoose
                  Plasma Mongoose
                  February 14, 2014 at 12:38 am | #

                  “Looks like I picked the wrong week to to not to quit drinking” – Billie

                • Leonou
                  Leonou
                  February 14, 2014 at 2:17 am | #

                  “How could you break your promise to take care of my sister ? Betrayer !” – Howard

              • Marc in MN
                Marc in MN
                February 14, 2014 at 12:13 am | #

                Haha! I think the Amber quote is the winner. 😉

            • LiaHansen
              LiaHansen
              February 14, 2014 at 12:11 am | #

              “This is hilarious!” -The author of Dexter and Monkey Master

              • Gamaran Sepudomyn
                Gamaran Sepudomyn
                February 14, 2014 at 11:15 am | #

                “What sort of cruel person would do that to someone? I mean, I wouldn’t.” -“Dexter”

                Trying to reverse Head Alien’s self-awareness is hard.

            • Coco
              Coco
              February 14, 2014 at 2:56 am | #

              Faz picks up Billie on the rebound!

          • Absolom
            Absolom
            February 14, 2014 at 12:12 am | #

            “You’re not hurting anyone… but yourself.” -Ethan

            • saltchocolate
              saltchocolate
              February 14, 2014 at 1:55 am | #

              “You’re hurting Jesus, Billie. He wants you to reach out and take his hand, and walk the sober path with him . . . and Ruth.” — Joyce

              • Jen Aside
                Jen Aside
                February 14, 2014 at 4:32 am | #

                “Hello?! ‘It’s the rain’?! I am friggin’ SHAKESPEARE.” – Walky

          • Tenn
            Tenn
            February 14, 2014 at 1:17 pm | #

            I laughed out loud at the Blaine quote.

  16. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    February 14, 2014 at 12:02 am | #

    Help Me Billingsworth. You are my only hope.

  17. Quatoria
    Quatoria
    February 14, 2014 at 12:02 am | #

    “What are we doing tonight, Brain?” “The same thing we do every night – getting our heart broken by Dumbing of Age.” “Narf.” 🙁

    • Opus the Poet
      Opus the Poet
      February 14, 2014 at 12:07 am | #

      +1! 😛

    • MM
      MM
      February 14, 2014 at 12:12 am | #

      Aaaaand we have a new ad slogan!

    • Marc in MN
      Marc in MN
      February 14, 2014 at 12:23 am | #

      Are you pondering what I’m pondering?

      • John
        John
        February 14, 2014 at 12:50 am | #

        I think so, Brain, but where are we going to find two bisexual alcoholic tsunderes and a cheerleader uniform this time of night?

        … Oh, right.

        • Ocbrad1
          Ocbrad1
          February 14, 2014 at 9:24 am | #

          +1 😀

    • Regalli
      Regalli
      February 14, 2014 at 11:14 am | #

      This entire comment thread is EXCELLENT.

  18. Miao
    Miao
    February 14, 2014 at 12:02 am | #

    I’m sick of this liiiiiife

    I just wanna screeaaaaaaaaaaam

    HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN TO ME

  19. Bob
    Bob
    February 14, 2014 at 12:03 am | #

    So….Ruth’s drunken stupor begins in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

  20. Vael
    Vael
    February 14, 2014 at 12:03 am | #

    Ouch, my feelings. AND AT 12 DAMNIT.

  21. Kernanator
    Kernanator
    February 14, 2014 at 12:03 am | #

    This is either the least appropriate strip for Valentine’s Day, or the most appropriate.

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      February 14, 2014 at 12:07 am | #

      This epitomizes everything Valentines Day stands for.

      • Kernanator
        Kernanator
        February 14, 2014 at 12:14 am | #

        What, being told you have a massive problem, denying everything, and causing the only person who is emotionally attached to you to storm out with angry tears?

        • Plasma Mongoose
          Plasma Mongoose
          February 14, 2014 at 12:22 am | #

          Sounds like the perfect set-up the a Valentine’s Day Massacre to me.

          • The Weird One
            The Weird One
            February 14, 2014 at 12:37 am | #

            It just sounds like a regular Valentine’s Day to me, honestly.

            … I’ll just be over there, crying in the corner.

          • HMRC4EVR
            HMRC4EVR
            February 14, 2014 at 12:25 pm | #

            You know Plas it’s a shame Brooksie can’t sit down with this pair and help them get this worked out. But I don’t think the campus is anywhere near the store.

            • John
              John
              February 14, 2014 at 5:03 pm | #

              Megatainment’s out in like Kansas I think.

      • Jen Aside
        Jen Aside
        February 14, 2014 at 12:14 am | #

        with less of the requisite martyrdom [as in, actually being killed]

  22. John
    John
    February 14, 2014 at 12:03 am | #

    Billie. Quit fucking up.

    • Leonou
      Leonou
      February 14, 2014 at 2:22 am | #

      Wait, I thought the whole point was that we wanted her to fuck (Ruth) up ?

      • Hylleddin
        Hylleddin
        February 14, 2014 at 1:02 pm | #

        No, we wanted to her to fuck up, down, and sideways. Which oddly, isn’t actually supposed to include fucking up.

      • John
        John
        February 14, 2014 at 5:01 pm | #

        I hope for the sake of anyone you might have ever been with that you understand the difference between “fucking” and “fucking up”.

        Seriously, though, I don’t even really care if they bang. (It’d just go on Slipshine where I can’t justify the price of the subscription anyway.) But I liked the vibe they had going yesterday (in-comic yesterday), and I want to see them get back to that.

  23. Mr. Random
    Mr. Random
    February 14, 2014 at 12:03 am | #

    Really? C’mon Billie, i thought you were smarter than that.

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      February 14, 2014 at 12:08 am | #

      It’s the glasses, isn’t it.

    • Heavensrun
      Heavensrun
      February 14, 2014 at 12:09 am | #

      You…Haven’t really been paying attention to the strip, have you?

      • Mr. Random
        Mr. Random
        February 14, 2014 at 12:15 am | #

        She’s a problem solver. A leader, the alpha-bongo.
        And above all impulsive.
        But not realizing what you’re doing is hurting Ruth.
        Not only that but going on the offensive.
        Here.
        When Ruth essentially gave her a tentative second chance, despite a feeling of utter betrayal?
        I thought she was smarter than that.

        • Count Dracula
          Count Dracula
          February 14, 2014 at 12:18 am | #

          You’re saying what Billie thinks of herself. In reality, Billie is just a regular, run-of-the-mill bongo.

          • Mr. Random
            Mr. Random
            February 14, 2014 at 4:25 am | #

            She’s shown that she can actually think quickly, resolve tension, and actually help people when she sets her mind to it. And yes, this is all in addition to, not despite, being a huge bongo.

            • Shadlyn
              Shadlyn
              February 14, 2014 at 6:23 am | #

              True. But she’s also insecure-masking-as-overconfident and defensive…which means going on the offensive when called out is going to be automatic, and none of those wonderful, take-the-time-to-think-it-through traits get a chance.

          • Kevin
            Kevin
            February 14, 2014 at 8:50 am | #

            Billie goes through a lot of effort to help people. Run-of-the-mill bongo wouldn’t have bothered setting up Walky and Dorothy (I just realized you can bastardize their names to “Dorky” which is so awesome), hiding Ruth in the closest, chasing after Amber’s abusive dad,

          • fit-to-freak
            fit-to-freak
            February 14, 2014 at 10:21 am | #

            man, i’ve never actually met a ‘run-of-the-mill bongo’.

            but i sure have heard a lot of people apply it to girls who are into stereotypically feminine activities and don’t make being nice their number one priority.

            just sayin’

            • Kryss LaBryn
              Kryss LaBryn
              February 14, 2014 at 12:09 pm | #

              I knew an actual, real, honest-to-god bongo once. She volunteered (along with me and a whole lot of others) at the local little theatre group, and had very firm ideas of who was worth her time (actors) and who wasn’t (techies). If you weren’t a major actor or the director, she not only wouldn’t talk to you, if you said hi when you passed her in the hallway she would COMPLETELY ignore you. No response, no eye contact, nothing. Unless you had something actually important to say to her (and unless you WERE someone she considered important you really didn’t) she wouldn’t even acknowledge your existence.

              Her daughter tended to sort of lean in that direction as well (although not to the same extent, thankfully), and had a really good singing voice and tended to get the leads in the annual big musical because of it. I stopped hating her and just felt really sorry for her, though, after she came in second in the local music festival. She’d performed really well and was honestly just out-done, and that year the judges gave the top award to the best singer instead of to her anyways (her mum was very influential), and when she went to sit down again with her mum, her mum wouldn’t even look at her. Coming in second was a *failure*. The poor girl was pretty much in tears.

              They kept this woman around because the one valuable trait she had was that she was EXCELLENT at getting donations and support out of the local businesses; but she wasn’t invited to any of the after-show parties.

              TRULY a bongo.

              • fit-to-freak
                fit-to-freak
                February 14, 2014 at 1:23 pm | #

                Nah, I mean I’m not saying women are never bad people or mean or whatever. I just think there’s a sort anger/smugness people get from calling a women a bongo, fictional character or otherwise. Even more when the woman enjoys things like cheerleading, makeup, etc. (there other similarly terrible words for women who don’t)
                I dunno it just makes me kinda uncomfortable. Like, why is Billie a bongo? Like why toss that word out there? It’s just…weird

                • fit-to-freak
                  fit-to-freak
                  February 14, 2014 at 1:26 pm | #

                  On that same note, what made you wanna share this story of this chick you really hate? I mean, I know it was in response to my comment but… why? This isn’t accusation, I honestly am interested in your answer.

      • Yotomoe
        Yotomoe
        February 14, 2014 at 12:17 am | #

        The title should have tipped you off.

  24. Caffienated
    Caffienated
    February 14, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

    Going down with the ship. I weep

  25. Rani
    Rani
    February 14, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

    STOP DANNING IT UP BILLIE.

    STOP BILLIEING IT UP BILLIE.

    GOD DAMMIT BILLIE.

    • Kevin
      Kevin
      February 14, 2014 at 8:51 am | #

      “People have been using my name to mean ‘make a small mistake’?”

      “…

      …yes.”

  26. Lou
    Lou
    February 14, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

    Welp, I’ve got a bottle of tequila and this comic. That’s my v-day.

  27. GoogerGeiger
    GoogerGeiger
    February 14, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

    Ruth Emo Mode engage.

  28. Regalli
    Regalli
    February 14, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

    Oh DAMMIT Billie!

    Angst: The best Valentine’s Day present ever.

  29. timemonkey
    timemonkey
    February 14, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

    And Ruth was never seen again.

  30. CollyWolly
    CollyWolly
    February 14, 2014 at 12:05 am | #

    Yet another reminder that the Willis giveth, and the Willis, he taketh away.

  31. AgentKeen
    AgentKeen
    February 14, 2014 at 12:05 am | #

    Wait, so is the DoA alt-text the answer to the Shortpacked! alt-text?!?!

  32. Vincent
    Vincent
    February 14, 2014 at 12:05 am | #

    Fffffffuuu….

  33. licoricepencil
    licoricepencil
    February 14, 2014 at 12:05 am | #

    Denial is apparently not just a river in Egypt

    • Mr. Random
      Mr. Random
      February 14, 2014 at 12:09 am | #

      Although I hear Depression is a popular name everywhere.

  34. Raine
    Raine
    February 14, 2014 at 12:05 am | #

    Happy Valentines Willis.

    You glorious sunnavabongo.

  35. arank11
    arank11
    February 14, 2014 at 12:06 am | #

    I read this, and I was thoroughly upset. Damn you, Willis!
    However, I read the latest Shortpacked immediately after…
    THANK YOU, WILLIS!!!

  36. Porglezomp
    Porglezomp
    February 14, 2014 at 12:06 am | #

    You know there was a much better response Billy, you didn’t have to ruin it.

  37. Plasma Mongoose
    Plasma Mongoose
    February 14, 2014 at 12:06 am | #

    Billie’s no Obi-Wan Kanobi, that’s for certain.

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      February 14, 2014 at 12:11 am | #

      She’s not even an Admiral Akbar. She’s barely a Jar-Jar at this point.

      • xKiv
        xKiv
        February 14, 2014 at 9:35 pm | #

        Hey! Listen! Jar-jar is a genius!

        • Roborat
          Roborat
          February 18, 2014 at 3:41 pm | #

          I loved that website. “Summon giant fish”, still love that line.

  38. Count Dracula
    Count Dracula
    February 14, 2014 at 12:06 am | #

    Hey, at least she’s being honest now.

  39. Minder
    Minder
    February 14, 2014 at 12:06 am | #

    I spend all week trying to pinpoint why exactly I just can’t get behind these two as a couple, and then Willis does me the service of spelling it right out in blunt fashion

    • shadowcell
      shadowcell
      February 14, 2014 at 12:10 am | #

      i know right? it’s like how you can’t really have an anti-war movie that really works as one, because the audience will always be sufficiently far removed from all the horror and awfulness that it’ll be entertaining on some level, so even if they leave with the intellectual understanding that what they saw was bad, they won’t feel it on a visceral, emotional level.

      • Minder
        Minder
        February 14, 2014 at 12:27 am | #

        I didn’t mean my response as emotional, really. I say this as a reader who likes Ruth very much as a character and Billie next to none, but coming away from this strip my first reaction is thinking that Billie really ought to fucking book it away from this trainwreck in the works as fast as possible. For her own safety.

        • shadowcell
          shadowcell
          February 14, 2014 at 1:31 am | #

          oh, yes, absolutely.

          what i meant is that a lot of people seem to look at the massive trainwreck that is Ruth and Billie’s relationship and even if intellectually they have no choice but to conclude that it’s a trainwreck, they still don’t fully accept it. after all, Ruth is the same person who singled out Billie for two? weeks of pointless torture just as a weird expression of something like affection i guess, so just imagine what she’ll do now that she’s angry and hurt. it is absolutely dangerous for Billie to be around all this. Ruth needs help of the professional sort.

          but like the anti-war film that can’t really be anti-war, a comic that involves as dysfunctional a relationship as this is always going to have an entertainment factor to it that makes it that much harder to see how horrible it is.

          • John
            John
            February 14, 2014 at 3:34 am | #

            It’s worth remembering that Billie threw the first punch. Neither of these girls are innocent, and I think they deserve each other. Both the good and the bad.

            • shadowcell
              shadowcell
              February 14, 2014 at 4:14 am | #

              and of course, Billie threw the first punch after being provoked by Ruth, which is also worth remembering

              so yeah, i guess they’re both horrible people! hooray

              • John
                John
                February 14, 2014 at 4:11 pm | #

                The first time Billie and Ruth got into it, Billie was the one who escalated it from a confrontation (and a confrontation mostly about Billie not wanting to be told what to do, at that) to a fight. All Ruth did was call Billie’s bluff.

                Ruth’s been the aggressor in their fights since, but Billie’s the one who started it. And the whole thing has just been a pissing match because Billie was used to being the alpha bongo in her little high school pack, and thought she could challenge Ruth’s position here in the big leagues. Since the chat in Ruth’s room during the fire alarm, Billie seems to have settled down, content to be Ruth’s beta, and they’ve been getting along fine with that resolved. (The alcoholism and lust are separate issues.)

                • shadowcell
                  shadowcell
                  February 14, 2014 at 5:08 pm | #

                  So…Billie is the one who provoked Billie into actually taking a swing at Ruth, and Ruth literally daring her to do it–and I do mean literally daring her to do it, rather than, say, ignoring her or brushing her off like someone who isn’t looking for a fight to assert her position of power like she’s Kim Jong-un–has nothing to do with it.

                  Gotcha.

                • John
                  John
                  February 15, 2014 at 1:34 am | #

                  Yes, Billie is entirely responsible for Billie deciding to challenge Ruth’s authority, and for Billie deciding to threaten Ruth with violence, and for Billie actually taking a swing at Ruth when Ruth called her bluff. They were Billie’s decisions, Billie’s actions, Billie’s sole responsibility.

                  “I dare ya,” is not a mind control spell. It does not absolve Billie of responsibility for Billie’s violent and aggressive actions. Billie could at any time have backed down and accepted the loss of face that would have involved, and that would have confirmed Ruth’s authority just as well. But Billie decided – all by herself, no one else in her head making decisions for her, ‘cept maybe Jack Daniels – that she was going to fight Ruth instead.

                  That Billie got her ass handed to her doesn’t absolve her of her responsibility for starting the fight, either.

            • David
              David
              February 14, 2014 at 5:37 am | #

              More like Billie quaffed the first punch to come her way.

            • Jen
              Jen
              February 14, 2014 at 8:32 am | #

              John, I’d have to disagree. No one deserves abuse, regardless of how messed up they are. If someone is that dysfunctional, they should be alone, not in a relationship.

              • Kevin
                Kevin
                February 14, 2014 at 8:58 am | #

                Keep in mind abuse was happening when Ruth didn’t realize what she wanted (she tells Billie that they learned that Ruth likes girls “together”). Neither of them is abusing the other at this point. The only one getting abused is the ol’ whiskey bottle, and she likes it

                • Minder
                  Minder
                  February 14, 2014 at 11:43 am | #

                  No. “My only hope was you” is an incredibly manipulative, emotionally abusive thing to say, even if Ruth didn’t intend it that way. If Billie tries to stay in this for the long haul she is going to be destroyed.

            • Minder
              Minder
              February 14, 2014 at 12:05 pm | #

              Okay, so, note that every time Billie has punched Ruth (or threatened to), it’s because she was explicitly pushed. The first time, Ruth gave her permission and even goaded her on because she knew she was capable of protecting herself. The second time, Billie was pushed over the edge after Ruth repeatedly threatened her with harassment and extortion. Remember that time Amber punched Blaine in the face? That really awesome time when she punched him in his asshole face? Blaine didn’t actually hit Amber first, but nobody is saying he didn’t deserve it because he was being a threatening asshole and Amber wanted him to leave. Ruth, much as I love her, has done pretty much the same to Billie since the day they met. She’s been every type of abusive toward Billie, and, despite the fact that Billie is really sort of an asshole, she doesn’t deserve that. Nobody deserves that.

              It was wrong of Billie to lie about quitting alcohol, yes, but that doesn’t make it her fault if Ruth goes off the deep end again.

              • Minder
                Minder
                February 14, 2014 at 12:07 pm | #

                *ETA: For clarification, when I say “Nobody deserves that,” I am actually saying “Nobody but Blaine deserves that.”

  40. shadowcell
    shadowcell
    February 14, 2014 at 12:06 am | #

    “guess i’ll just have to go break all the femurs or something”

  41. hoovy_woopeans
    hoovy_woopeans
    February 14, 2014 at 12:07 am | #

    chapter title reference? “The only hope for me was you”

    • Valerie
      Valerie
      February 14, 2014 at 1:00 am | #

      I didn’t even catch that until you said it. Thanks!

      • hoovy_woopeans
        hoovy_woopeans
        February 14, 2014 at 1:27 am | #

        confirmed by willis as well. Truly my genius is unparalleled.

  42. Rimshoot
    Rimshoot
    February 14, 2014 at 12:08 am | #

    As a former drunk, I can tell you that no one person is your only hope. You are your only hope. Putting faith in another drunk is a recipe for relapse. I know first hand.

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      February 14, 2014 at 12:58 am | #

      This makes perfect sense. (And congrats on your recovery.)

  43. Scott
    Scott
    February 14, 2014 at 12:08 am | #

    Dave whyyyy

  44. Syclamoth
    Syclamoth
    February 14, 2014 at 12:08 am | #

    Would you look at that, Billie is the new Dan!

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      February 14, 2014 at 12:12 am | #

      Noone will ever replace Danny’s special place in my heart.

    • MM
      MM
      February 14, 2014 at 12:14 am | #

      By the end of this strip, everyone’s name will have become a verb synonymous with “messed up.”

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      February 14, 2014 at 12:17 am | #

      Billie needs to drop that Idiot Ball already.

      • Coco
        Coco
        February 14, 2014 at 2:52 am | #

        She has sticky fingers. They won’t even let go of the bottle.

  45. Marc in MN
    Marc in MN
    February 14, 2014 at 12:08 am | #

    Yeah, that’s the route you shouldn’t have taken Billie.

  46. MM
    MM
    February 14, 2014 at 12:09 am | #

    Wow. That is one hell of a guilt trip, Ruth.

    • Yotsuyasan
      Yotsuyasan
      February 14, 2014 at 12:39 am | #

      It is, but it is one that Billie brought on herself. Whose idea was it to quit drinking together? Not Ruth’s. Billie’s. So, even if it isn’t the best idea on Ruth’s part to have put her faith in another active alcoholic to be her support in quitting drinking, Billie invited her to do so.

      They both have done wrong things here. (And I’m not even including little things like breaking & entering and theft…) But this current situation is largely because of Billie’s dishonesty.

      Not that it makes it any better, but I at least think we can all agree that Billie’s dishonesty wasn’t malicious. She was lying to herself as much as anyone else, and she was doing it out of habit, not out of a desire to hurt anyone. It’s a habit connected with her drinking, and one she needs to break just as much. And the first step will be…

      DAMN IT, BILLIE! FOLLOW RUTH AND APOLOGIZE! Then the two of you need to have a long and open conversation about both of your failings, and what can be done to try and overcome them.

      (Please, Willis?)

      • Coco
        Coco
        February 14, 2014 at 2:51 am | #

        Nope.avi

      • Thejesterking
        Thejesterking
        February 14, 2014 at 5:08 pm | #

        Or tackle her to the ground and go at it lick style!

        (Please, Willis?)

      • Kateface
        Kateface
        February 14, 2014 at 5:21 pm | #

        Holy moley NOPE.

        NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE

        nopeoctopus.jpg

        No one brings on manipulation and abuse onto themselves.

    • BlackIo
      BlackIo
      February 14, 2014 at 5:57 am | #

      Boy, this brings back some fun memories.

      • BlackIo
        BlackIo
        February 14, 2014 at 5:59 am | #

        Hm. That was supposed to be a response to the strip in general. Oh well.

  47. jaimehlers
    jaimehlers
    February 14, 2014 at 12:09 am | #

    Dammit, Billie, that’s the kind of stupid statement that gets you into trouble every time.

  48. sps48
    sps48
    February 14, 2014 at 12:09 am | #

    Ruth had better not use Billie’s drinking as an excuse to resume.

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      February 14, 2014 at 1:00 am | #

      It seems almost inevitable that she will.

    • Rex Hondo
      Rex Hondo
      February 14, 2014 at 1:54 am | #

      Considering that there, at the end, she just shoved all responsibility for any future shitty life decisions off onto Billie, yeah, she’s going to be halfway though a six-pack before the first panel of tomorrow’s strip.

  49. Link
    Link
    February 14, 2014 at 12:10 am | #

    *Slowclap* Good work, Willis. Excellent timing.

  50. The Meek Ninja
    The Meek Ninja
    February 14, 2014 at 12:11 am | #

    Dammit Billie, get out of my Gravatar and go make things better with Ruth!

    • Yotsuyasan
      Yotsuyasan
      February 14, 2014 at 12:41 am | #

      Just have your Gravatar give a heartfelt apology to mine. Mine will still be pissed off as all hell, but maybe it will start to help lay a new foundation.

      • Leonou
        Leonou
        February 14, 2014 at 3:00 am | #

        Then Kiss !

        Ouch … now My avatar hurts.

        • Drunken Nordmann
          Drunken Nordmann
          February 14, 2014 at 1:48 pm | #

          Heh.

        • Jen Aside
          Jen Aside
          February 14, 2014 at 6:16 pm | #

          You got it, dude

  51. Ridureyu
    Ridureyu
    February 14, 2014 at 12:11 am | #

    And now she is going to crash her car in a truck while saying, “Reassess that!”

  52. Just Here
    Just Here
    February 14, 2014 at 12:12 am | #

    Well… crap.

    “I’m fine now” is probably one of the biggest and most frequently told lies. Any addiction is hard to kick forever. Trust me, I know.

    Billie, you done fucked up bad. You threw away someone caring for you for the bottle. The thing about the bottle is, there’s always a bottom to the bottle. If you’re lucky, there’s not a bottom to someone caring for you because you fill it up with caring of your own. Go after her, and admit you need help too.

    • Nono
      Nono
      February 14, 2014 at 12:49 am | #

      It’s definitely a two-way street, too. Ruth is heaping a huge and sudden amount of responsibility onto Billie with, ‘My ONLY hope was YOU.” It’s a huge guilt trip onto someone already, well, not recovering from addiction and being guilty about it.

      Did Billie sign up for this? Sure, and she has major problems she’s refusing to acknowledge. But Ruth isn’t that much better, and she needs to find some support that will let her be able to stand on her own. She was already making good progress with staying sober four days running, let’s just hope she doesn’t let Billie push her off the wagon.

  53. miilkshake
    miilkshake
    February 14, 2014 at 12:12 am | #

    Hm. That’s not fair.

  54. Mr. Random
    Mr. Random
    February 14, 2014 at 12:12 am | #

    Ruth hates herself, Billie is impulsive. Ruth relied on Billie to help her, help her through this stage. Billie is impulsive. As much as I KNOW Billie is a complete ass right now, I can’t help but think that Ruth’s heart picked the wrong person. I blame Willis.

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      February 14, 2014 at 12:18 am | #

      Typical, blaaaaaame the writer….. 😛

    • nothri
      nothri
      February 14, 2014 at 12:22 am | #

      Or at least put too much on her. I’m still pissed at Billie, and that self-righteous “Well, I didn’t need to keep my promise in the first place!” line doesn’t make that any better. But Ruth…placing all your hope for success on one person, let alone someone as….ummm…someone like Billie, is a recipe for failure. Worse, its the sort of trap your brain works out for itself to suck you back into addiction, a condition for success you’ve basically set up as a landmine on the road to your recover. Also, and I hope I’m wrong about this, it sounds like emotional blackmail, as in “Now you’ll see how fucked up I get and it’ll all be your fault”. Which is also fucked.

      • StClair
        StClair
        February 14, 2014 at 12:54 am | #

        Agreed, to all of the above.

      • BlackIo
        BlackIo
        February 14, 2014 at 9:44 am | #

        To be fair, it’s not like Ruth had a lot of options outside of, well, actual counselling. Other than Billie, the only person she has any kind of relationship with is her brother, and she’s deliberately been keeping him insulated from her emotional problems.

        But it’s important to note that she didn’t actually choose to confide in Billie. The alcohol abuse and depression were something Ruth kept safely locked up in her room – something she had no intention of letting anybody else find out about. Then Billie accidentally stumbled onto Ruth’s secret, and then decided to get directly involved – and stay involved – despite the fact that Ruth initially didn’t even want her help.

        Thing is, once you go from being alone and keeping all of your problems bottled up to suddenly having a person who’s checking on you every day and knows what you’re going through – of course you’re going to fixate on them. They literally are the one thing keeping you from sinking back into depression.

        In hindsight, it feels like Ruth spent a lot of this arc trying to express how much that relationship and that support meant to her, and Billie repeatedly missing the significance of those actions because she’s too wrapped in her own guilt. “You were my only hope” is a lousy parting shot, but I think it’s also about as succinctly as Ruth can express why this whole situation hurts so badly to somebody who – let’s face it – still doesn’t seem to get it.

  55. chris73
    chris73
    February 14, 2014 at 12:13 am | #

    “My only hope was you” Am I the only one hearing alarm bells go off?

    • MM
      MM
      February 14, 2014 at 12:15 am | #

      Nope. Though I’m hoping against hope she’s just being overdramatic.

      • Coco
        Coco
        February 14, 2014 at 2:50 am | #

        And then Ruth goes out driving while distressed, and swerves to not hit someone else, and gets killed in this universe too.

        • rajit
          rajit
          February 14, 2014 at 9:53 am | #

          Which universe did she die in D:

          • nothri
            nothri
            February 14, 2014 at 10:27 am | #

            SPOILERS:

            Walkverse. She died real early. Danny (are you really surprised) got drunk and was driving around; Ruth was following him in her car; Danny was about to get into an accident with a truck so Ruth kinda bumped his car out of the way and got mowed over for her trouble.

            • fit-to-freak
              fit-to-freak
              February 14, 2014 at 10:35 am | #

              …she pushed a car?

              • John
                John
                February 14, 2014 at 4:45 pm | #

                The Mary gravatar makes this comment look wonderfully skeptical.

                (With her car.)

              • nothri
                nothri
                February 14, 2014 at 9:40 pm | #

                SPOILERS:

                As in she was driving in her own car and sped up alongside Danny and rammed into him to force him off the road and out of the path of the truck, and in the process crashed right into the truck herself.

    • fudo81
      fudo81
      February 14, 2014 at 2:37 pm | #

      relax, no one’s gonna die: see word of God above.

  56. nothri
    nothri
    February 14, 2014 at 12:13 am | #

    That awkward moment when everyone in the party rolls a one for their Intelligence AND Diplomacy checks and makes the situation worse.

    • madock345
      madock345
      February 14, 2014 at 12:28 am | #

      Looks like a 1 on Wisdom as well.

      To think this whole thing could have been avoided if Ruth hadn’t put so many ranks in Perception.

    • Absolom
      Absolom
      February 14, 2014 at 12:31 am | #

      It didn’t help that there was an aura being emitted from the cheerleader uniform. If only they had a mage or sorcerer to “detect magic.” They might have ditched it before this veritable train wreck.

    • Rex Hondo
      Rex Hondo
      February 14, 2014 at 1:56 am | #

      To be fair, there were a lot of shitty rolls for everybody during character creation.

      • nothri
        nothri
        February 14, 2014 at 10:28 am | #

        That’s what happens when you assign a million character flaws in order to beef up that one skill you really liked (I’m mixing my gaming metaphors here, but what the hell?).

        • John
          John
          February 14, 2014 at 2:59 pm | #

          Basically everyone except Dorothy and Sierra seems to have made the mistake of believing that taking Shitty Parents is a good deal for the build points it gives you.

          Billie seems to have dumped everything else and spent the points she got from Shitty Parents, Criminal Record, and Addiction (Alcohol) on ranks of Attractive and Resources, and a few points in Athletics.

          Ruth took Shitty Parents, Traumatic Past, Addiction (Alcohol), and Vulnerabilty (Trucks), and for some reason seems to have spent all the points that didn’t go into Position of Authority on Close Combat (Judo).

          Amber took Shitty Parents at max ranks and Traumatic Past like five times plus Enemy and the Secret Identity complication, which is why Amazi-Girl is such a machine. She’s got like twice anyone else’s BP just from the flaws. That’s also why she couldn’t tell Danny her real identity… she didn’t have enough XP to buy off the complication until after she beat Blaine down.

          Danny took Oblivious as well as a rank in Shitty Parents, but I don’t know what the hell he spent the BP on. Int maybe, but Oblivious keeps him from using it effectively most of the time?

          Most of Sal’s points went into Attractive, Charisma, and the bike. And Language (ASL) for some reason. I think she was colluding with Marcie when they were building their characters. Walky picked up Attractive too, but assumed that’d let him dump all his social skills and buff Int instead. (Though to be fair it seems to be working for him.)

          Joe of course has ranks in Attractive, and buffed Cha and Perform (Sex).

          • Jen Aside
            Jen Aside
            February 14, 2014 at 6:17 pm | #

            Danny rolled all 1s.

          • Deathjavu
            Deathjavu
            February 14, 2014 at 7:04 pm | #

            Dorothy, of course, just grinds low level homework, studying, and reporting all day, hence her nearly universally high stats (int/cha/wis/dex) even without taking shitty parents/trauma.

            Grinding always works.

  57. Baker
    Baker
    February 14, 2014 at 12:14 am | #

    Good work Willis. Did you also crush all romantic spirit for Sweetest Day?
    I think I actually respect that holiday even less than Valentines day.

  58. Raibean
    Raibean
    February 14, 2014 at 12:15 am | #

    I recovered from self-harm, and it helps to have other people in the same boat as you but like
    I can’t help my friends when they’re triggered because talking about wanting to self-harm triggers me and hinders my recovery
    like
    We all know this ship has issues and Ruth hinging her own recovery on Billie’s is a serious problem

  59. Aaron
    Aaron
    February 14, 2014 at 12:15 am | #

    So wait, I’m not the only one who thinks Ruth has a really severe problem? Like, she really needs intense therapy.

    • Just Cheeto Dust
      Just Cheeto Dust
      February 14, 2014 at 12:53 am | #

      The avatar of Rodney Dangerfield delivering his best line in Caddyshack kind of undercuts that message.

      • Yotsuyasan
        Yotsuyasan
        February 14, 2014 at 12:54 am | #

        I tell ya’, no respect!

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      February 14, 2014 at 1:05 am | #

      Nope, I think everyone is right there with you!

    • timemonkey
      timemonkey
      February 14, 2014 at 7:07 am | #

      Half the cast needs intense therapy.

      • Cybersnark
        Cybersnark
        February 14, 2014 at 9:21 am | #

        Provided by Mike.

  60. newllend
    newllend
    February 14, 2014 at 12:17 am | #

    What the hell are you doing Billie go AFTER her.

    • Maveric1984
      Maveric1984
      February 14, 2014 at 12:21 am | #

      Knowing Willis, tomorrow’s comic is going to focus on someone else.

      Considering we haven’t seen him in a while, my money is on Mike. It would be a rather fitting jump I think.

      • newllend
        newllend
        February 14, 2014 at 12:32 am | #

        Oh come on Willis isn’t that much of a…..that basterd

      • UnspeakableAnger
        UnspeakableAnger
        February 14, 2014 at 8:45 am | #

        Yeah… Amber’s mom might still be around campus.

  61. Plasma Mongoose
    Plasma Mongoose
    February 14, 2014 at 12:20 am | #

    For his next trick, Willis will turn Good Friday into Worse Friday Ever! 😀

    • Rex Hondo
      Rex Hondo
      February 14, 2014 at 1:58 am | #

      The Good Friday strip is just going to be a single panel of Historical Jesus on the cross, speaking those very three words.

      • Plasma Mongoose
        Plasma Mongoose
        February 14, 2014 at 2:33 am | #

        +1ed

      • nothri
        nothri
        February 14, 2014 at 10:29 am | #

        In the voice of comic book guy, I hope.

  62. AJBulldis
    AJBulldis
    February 14, 2014 at 12:20 am | #

    Billie you are in denial! And Ruth that was just a teeny bit dramatic.

  63. Glacirus
    Glacirus
    February 14, 2014 at 12:23 am | #

    I’m…I’m honestly surprised. There was attempted rationalization instead of instant-drama running away and crying…I…I can’t tell if I’m more saddened, or slightly cushioned from the inevitable panels of tears we will undoubtedly get.

    I’m also taking all bets. How many xN strips of crying will we see, where N = the panels of kissing we got just before this. I’m guessing 2xN minimum.

  64. MrSmiley
    MrSmiley
    February 14, 2014 at 12:23 am | #

    REASSES.
    the door isn’t locked!!

  65. Plasma Mongoose
    Plasma Mongoose
    February 14, 2014 at 12:25 am | #

    This looks like a job for the Drama Llama!

  66. Nena
    Nena
    February 14, 2014 at 12:31 am | #

    This is not healthy, no. Man, those late teens early twenties are rough stuff. I would not want to go back to that. Welllll, maybe have the body. But not the mind. Oh nosireebob.

  67. Alex Stritar
    Alex Stritar
    February 14, 2014 at 12:31 am | #

    Damn you Willis. I was already sad that I’d be alone on V day, but at least I was used to it. I don’t want more heart break.

  68. xain
    xain
    February 14, 2014 at 12:32 am | #

    Billie you arn’t even danning this up. Danny screws up because he dosn’t have all the information. Billie you on the other-hand know exactly what you did and are making things worse so bravo for making Danny look better in hindsight

    • Alex Stritar
      Alex Stritar
      February 14, 2014 at 3:54 am | #

      So now we’ll refer to it as Billieing it up?

      • Hylleddin
        Hylleddin
        February 14, 2014 at 1:13 pm | #

        That is what people seem to be doing.

  69. Kernanator
    Kernanator
    February 14, 2014 at 12:33 am | #

    STAB. EVERYTHING.

    • Valerie
      Valerie
      February 14, 2014 at 1:25 am | #

      Your gravatar makes this so great.

  70. vlademir1
    vlademir1
    February 14, 2014 at 12:33 am | #

    Ice King: You blew it, man.
    Zuko: That’s rough, buddy.

    • Yotsuyasan
      Yotsuyasan
      February 14, 2014 at 12:44 am | #

      Damn it, does that mean that Cinnamon Bun is going to get Ruth, too? Guy needs to stop hogging all the cute, fiery red heads.

  71. Arkadi
    Arkadi
    February 14, 2014 at 12:35 am | #

    I thought it was “dope”, not “hope”. Yayyy emotional blackmail!

  72. CRtwenty
    CRtwenty
    February 14, 2014 at 12:42 am | #

    Well hopefully this will slow down Ruth’s yandere tendencies.

  73. Kevin
    Kevin
    February 14, 2014 at 12:43 am | #

    Why does today suck so much?

    • Yotsuyasan
      Yotsuyasan
      February 14, 2014 at 12:45 am | #

      Happy Valentine’s Day.

      (Damn you, Willis!)

    • WaveRocker
      WaveRocker
      February 14, 2014 at 1:11 am | #

      Have hope! Today just started

      • Kevin
        Kevin
        February 14, 2014 at 9:05 am | #

        The week worked out that Valentine’s day started sucking on Monday.

      • Kevin
        Kevin
        February 25, 2014 at 6:17 am | #

        I know no one will ever read this reply, but man did V-day go badly.

  74. Undrave
    Undrave
    February 14, 2014 at 12:47 am | #

    Billie makes for a terrible Wizard.

    • WaveRocker
      WaveRocker
      February 14, 2014 at 1:12 am | #

      I know right? I’ll bet she doesn’t even know one spell!

      • Gamaran Sepudomyn
        Gamaran Sepudomyn
        February 14, 2014 at 12:49 pm | #

        She’d spell it absolutely Wizzard.

  75. Yotsuyasan
    Yotsuyasan
    February 14, 2014 at 12:50 am | #

    You know, I’m starting to wonder if somehow Willis has a deal where he makes a nickel every time someone says, “Damn you, Willis!” in his comments, and that is how he makes a living. It would explain a lot…

    • The Candyman
      The Candyman
      February 14, 2014 at 8:13 am | #

      The porn is just him getting greedy.

  76. Cathy Garrett
    Cathy Garrett
    February 14, 2014 at 12:52 am | #

    Nope. Still hating Ruthless. Anything that little ball of anger and spite gets, she brought on herself.

    • WaveRocker
      WaveRocker
      February 14, 2014 at 1:10 am | #

      I’m not saying it’s an excuse for everything with her, but keep in mind that her parents died when she was younger. That kind of trauma can lead to changes in a person

  77. EvergreenFir
    EvergreenFir
    February 14, 2014 at 1:03 am | #

    Love Ruth, but it’s stupid to rely on one person you just met.

    • nothri
      nothri
      February 14, 2014 at 10:36 am | #

      As I said elsewhere, I’m pretty sure that was a deliberate fly in the anointment. One thing addicts (and really anyone who does and does not want to accomplish a thing) will do is invent terms and conditions for their own recovery (“okay, in order for this to work I’ll need this to happen…”). That’s the brain’s way of making ultimate recovery less likely- it gives it a wat to satisfy the urge to try to get better while providing an easy excuse in returning to the pattern of behavior it knows and is comfortable with.

      • BlackIo
        BlackIo
        February 14, 2014 at 11:53 am | #

        Except (1) she doesn’t exactly have a lot of choice at the moment, and (2) she isn’t so much dumping responsibility on Billie so much as clearly stating the reality of their current relationship.

        I don’t see this as an addiction behavior, but a depression one. Yes, Billie shouldn’t have to be Ruth’s only source of hope, and ultimately, escaping a severe depression to live a semi-normal lifestyle means growing beyond that to cultivate a wide range of relationships and activities that keep you from retreating back into your head.

        But you can’t just wave a magic wand and make that happen. You have to start somewhere and then claw your way back up to normality, even if it is just that one person who’s willing to take a chance on you.

        • fit-to-freak
          fit-to-freak
          February 14, 2014 at 1:32 pm | #

          No, but realistically, it isn’t fair or good for Billie and Ruth to try and claw there way up on each other. It just means they’re both gonna fall down.
          Honestly? I’m thinking on campus therapy.
          Ruth’s an RA (or whatever) right? Chances are she even has the numbers and pamphlets she’s supposed to use if she sees this happening with someone else. I say they sit down and call those numbers.

          • BlackIo
            BlackIo
            February 14, 2014 at 3:46 pm | #

            Which would be great if either of them had enough perspective or humility to go down this route yet. But Billie doesn’t think she has a problem, and Ruth strikes me as far too guarded about her issues to willingly sit around discussing them with a group of strangers – especially with that added social stigma that mental health issues like depression carry.

  78. Kladeos
    Kladeos
    February 14, 2014 at 1:03 am | #

    :C

    • Trrebi981
      Trrebi981
      February 14, 2014 at 1:08 am | #

      NOOOOOOOooooooooooooo!

      • Coco
        Coco
        February 14, 2014 at 2:45 am | #

        Yessssss!

  79. Pro_Ice
    Pro_Ice
    February 14, 2014 at 1:04 am | #

    Dammit Willis.
    I feel for Ruth. :[

    • Pro_Ice
      Pro_Ice
      February 14, 2014 at 1:05 am | #

      Also: goddamit Billie.

  80. Falco&Superchunk
    Falco&Superchunk
    February 14, 2014 at 1:06 am | #

    Billie Dan-ed it up this time

    • Keroshino
      Keroshino
      February 14, 2014 at 1:38 am | #

      Billie-ing is worse than “Dan-ing” at this point!

  81. John
    John
    February 14, 2014 at 1:14 am | #

    Y’know, I think Ruth’s fucking up, too. Not the way Billie is, but… more of a tactical error. Instead of storming off hurt and betrayed here, she should be going on the offensive. “This was your idea, Billie, and if I’m going to do it, you damn well are, too!” That’s the point of having a partner for things like this, right? She keeps you on the wagon, you keep her on it? Billie’s actually been holding up her half of that deal; it’s Ruth who hasn’t.

    • fit-to-freak
      fit-to-freak
      February 14, 2014 at 9:49 am | #

      That’s…actually a really interesting point. I mean I don’t think they should be relying on each other in the first place but still.

    • fit-to-freak
      fit-to-freak
      February 14, 2014 at 9:52 am | #

      Idk. Breaking an addiction is rough- particularly going cold turkey. Like, I can’t really be mad at Billie, a college freshman, for not kicking the habit immediately. I think she meant when she said she was going to stop. But there are completely independent adults in support groups, who struggle and relapse (and thats not a diss or anything, it’s an incredibly hard thing to do).

  82. Jesse
    Jesse
    February 14, 2014 at 1:17 am | #

    I have no strong feelings one way or the other.

  83. Flare
    Flare
    February 14, 2014 at 1:21 am | #

    *looks at hovertext*

    NO WILLIS IT IS NOT HAPPY

    • saltchocolate
      saltchocolate
      February 14, 2014 at 2:02 am | #

      Damn you, Willis! (I know it’s redundant at this point, since I got here so late tonight, but the hovertext sent me over the edge!)

      • Coco
        Coco
        February 14, 2014 at 2:45 am | #

        -holds out a wine glass- Let me drink your tears. They make me stronger. ♥

  84. Seraph6496
    Seraph6496
    February 14, 2014 at 1:27 am | #

    Hmm… normally my little chant goes “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT kiss kiss” but it seems that it was reversed this time

  85. Ben
    Ben
    February 14, 2014 at 1:30 am | #

    I don’t mean to sound like a dick, but ha! Somebody having it harder on Valentines Day than the single guy score!

    Also, damn you Willis for swamping this ship as fast as you built it.

  86. Deathjavu
    Deathjavu
    February 14, 2014 at 1:32 am | #

    Just remembered that Billie HAS passed out in her own room

    as well as ruth’s closet

    and at parties

    …yeah, billie has no room to talk about passing out.

  87. Keroshino
    Keroshino
    February 14, 2014 at 1:40 am | #

    Damn you Billie….DAMN YOU!!!

  88. Jaxx Sentinel
    Jaxx Sentinel
    February 14, 2014 at 1:41 am | #

    I don’t know why, but I’m just expecting some bad decisions on both parties now ..I also want to make a reference to the deep passionate relationship between Ruth and trucks, but I feel its gonna be said eventually anyway

    • Rex Hondo
      Rex Hondo
      February 14, 2014 at 2:01 am | #

      Ruth and Optimus Prime Perform a Sex

      • Plasma Mongoose
        Plasma Mongoose
        February 14, 2014 at 2:32 am | #

        What we readers need is for the next comic to be a happier one, like for example “Dina Performs A T-Rex”

        • Farmer_10
          Farmer_10
          February 14, 2014 at 5:58 am | #

          I don’t think even Dina could fix this. “Dina and Riley perform a T-rex with special guest-star Lucy” that should do the trick.

        • Cybersnark
          Cybersnark
          February 14, 2014 at 9:24 am | #

          Didn’t we already see that on a poster?

          Okay, it looked more like a velociraptor, but the intent was there.

          • Farmer_10
            Farmer_10
            February 14, 2014 at 11:30 am | #

            That’s in the past, Cybersnark. Stop living in the past.

            • John
              John
              February 15, 2014 at 1:03 am | #

              But that’s where all the T-Rexes are!

  89. RED
    RED
    February 14, 2014 at 1:43 am | #

    i should have seen this coming…it is Willis we’re talking about here….

  90. Rosicrucian
    Rosicrucian
    February 14, 2014 at 1:48 am | #

    Oh Billie, why did you have to make it worse by totally Billie-ing the situation?

  91. Idon'tcarenomore
    Idon'tcarenomore
    February 14, 2014 at 1:49 am | #

    Billie is an alcoholic. Alcoholics lie…to everyone….to anyone….to themselves. Alcoholics don’t know how bad other people hurt.

    I was married to one. I know.

    Ruth is an alcoholic. Trusting another alcoholic was her second mistake.
    Her first is, “I’m going to go get drunk, and it’s all your fault. You’re my only hope”

    My heart hurts for both of them. Especially Ruth.
    Happy Valetine’s Day.

  92. Avery
    Avery
    February 14, 2014 at 1:51 am | #

    Too be fair, Ruth is a violent person with major issues, so I really hope Billie finds someone better.

    • Gargamel
      Gargamel
      February 14, 2014 at 2:04 am | #

      +1
      Not that Billie’s much better.

    • John
      John
      February 14, 2014 at 3:56 am | #

      Who isn’t?

      Billie threw the first punch.

      Amber just beat the unholy hell out of her father, a while back she stabbed another girl with a knife, and her hobby is finding people she can justify beating up.

      Sal attempted to rob a convenience store with a knife.

      Sarah punched another girl in the face just for talking to Joyce.

      Joyce hired a guy to beat up her date for thoughtcrime, and then joined in.

      Mike’s the guy Joyce hired to beat up her date.

      The others are generally less violent, but they’ve still got enough issues to stock a periodicals department.

      I guess Sierra seems nice and fairly issue-free, but what’d she ever do to you that you want to stick her with Billie?

      • Jaxx Sentinel
        Jaxx Sentinel
        February 14, 2014 at 9:14 pm | #

        okay, does anyone, besides me , want to know exactly ‘why’ Sal went to rob the store in the first place? Cause acting out is one thing, but there had to be a specific event leading up to that moment .

        • Mr K
          Mr K
          February 14, 2014 at 11:07 pm | #

          Marcie convinced her.

  93. Kiggy
    Kiggy
    February 14, 2014 at 2:02 am | #

    Well, crap

  94. SilverArrowArtemis
    SilverArrowArtemis
    February 14, 2014 at 2:02 am | #

    Happy Valentine’s Day! I got you a sunken ship. Hope you like it! X)

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      February 14, 2014 at 2:30 am | #

      Sunken ships: The perfect addition to any aquarium. ^_^

      • KingMabel
        KingMabel
        February 14, 2014 at 10:42 am | #

        My aquarium filled with the tears of upset shippers!

        Mostly mine!

        • Plasma Mongoose
          Plasma Mongoose
          February 14, 2014 at 5:44 pm | #

          I hope you don’t keep any fresh water fish in there then.

  95. Locke
    Locke
    February 14, 2014 at 2:30 am | #

    Hey
    Hey Billy
    You have a proooooobleeeeeeem

    I mean, if this isn’t enough to point it out to you, I’m guessing the next step will literally be a giant blinking neon sign.

  96. moby
    moby
    February 14, 2014 at 2:35 am | #

    Drunk together, sober together, Billie!

  97. Coco
    Coco
    February 14, 2014 at 2:41 am | #

    Happy Valentines Day. ♥

  98. Volkai
    Volkai
    February 14, 2014 at 2:43 am | #

    Awwww crap.

  99. ninja_jesus
    ninja_jesus
    February 14, 2014 at 2:46 am | #

    *ahem*

    YOU BLEW IT!

  100. Drakey
    Drakey
    February 14, 2014 at 2:47 am | #

    Huh. My first genuine DAMN YOU WILLIS!

    • Gaiash
      Gaiash
      February 14, 2014 at 5:17 am | #

      Same.

  101. Jeeves
    Jeeves
    February 14, 2014 at 2:53 am | #

    Dang. I figured Billie would get all defensive and stick her foot in it, but wow.

  102. TrueVCU
    TrueVCU
    February 14, 2014 at 3:33 am | #

    All together now: DAMN YOU WILLIS

  103. BrokenTusk
    BrokenTusk
    February 14, 2014 at 3:44 am | #

    I guess you could say Billie got a little bit…Ruth-less
    (there is a special spot in hell for me)

  104. Deathjavu
    Deathjavu
    February 14, 2014 at 3:59 am | #

    silly iwllis, i don’t celebrate valentines day

    i celebrate hatetines day, which is celebrated with alcohol and scowls

    the best part is that hatentines day can live every day in your heart, if you just hate hard enough

    forutnately the world provides me a neverending dstream of awful events nad people to hate!

    • Jen Aside
      Jen Aside
      February 14, 2014 at 4:22 am | #

      I thought it was Valenpains Day, where everything is misery

  105. Dave
    Dave
    February 14, 2014 at 4:13 am | #

    Billie, lies and betrayal ARE hurting people. -_-

  106. gka
    gka
    February 14, 2014 at 4:56 am | #

    And there’s the truck.

    WHAM

    splat

  107. Gaiash
    Gaiash
    February 14, 2014 at 5:16 am | #

    WILLIS!!
    *shakes fist at the air*

    • Gaiash
      Gaiash
      February 14, 2014 at 6:54 am | #

      Damning Willis aside this is all Billie’s fault. She was the one who suggested they both give up together so for her to not only go back on her word but say it doesn’t matter is really selfish even if she is “better now”.

      Damn you again Willis for having a very good reason for this!

      • Random832
        Random832
        February 14, 2014 at 2:52 pm | #

        But it was the only way she could think of to help Ruth – and it _worked_, and Ruth’s objection is irrelevant since Billie does not, to our knowledge, have any access to a car, sober or drunk, on campus. Her point stands, that her drinking is less harmful to herself than Ruth’s was.

        • John
          John
          February 14, 2014 at 4:28 pm | #

          Y’know, it’d crossed my mind a couple of times to wonder why, with all her family’s money, Billie doesn’t seem to have a car. I only just realized that it’s probably because, after her summer adventures, Billie probably doesn’t even have a license anymore.

        • Gaiash
          Gaiash
          February 14, 2014 at 7:11 pm | #

          That isn’t the issue here. The issue is that Ruth is quitting because she has motivation to now because Billie was meant to be going through it with her. That’s why I said even if she is better now that doesn’t make Billie’s actions any less selfish.

          • Random832
            Random832
            February 14, 2014 at 9:11 pm | #

            You’re not convincing me that the problem isn’t that she got caught.

  108. Ace
    Ace
    February 14, 2014 at 5:29 am | #

    Wow, I was not expecting this. As much as people hate Danny for no reason, what Billie is doing is far, far worse. I really expected her to at least apologise and express, y’know, regret over breaking a promise and lying to Ruth about something important. But nope. Ruth is probably better off without her if she’s too immature to accept responsibility

    • fit-to-freak
      fit-to-freak
      February 14, 2014 at 9:54 am | #

      Okay, but…she is immature. Billie’s what, 18? I think she’s ashamed and hurt and frustrated and so she acted stupid, but this setup was kinda doomed from the beginning.

    • Pjotroos
      Pjotroos
      February 14, 2014 at 12:09 pm | #

      That’s what I was saying. Danny messed up because of the stuff he didn’t understand but he didn’t actually stab anyone in the back like that.

      • fit-to-freak
        fit-to-freak
        February 14, 2014 at 1:37 pm | #

        She relapsed! Man, fighting an addicting is really really hard…I’d be shocked if she didn’t relapse, this isn’t exactly professional rehab, you guys.
        Billie shouldn’t have yelled at Ruth, obviously, but I honestly think its unfair to say she stabbed her in the back. Cut her some slack.

        • takashid
          takashid
          February 14, 2014 at 2:59 pm | #

          Billie did not relapse. There’s a reason that when Ruth asks her if she ever actually tried to quit she just looks at the floor guiltily and says nothing. Go back to the previous strip and look at Willis’s comments, and you will see that he confirms that Billie never actually tried to quit at all and even her “three days sober” was a lie.

          So whats happening here is not “Billie relapsed, then lied about it and Ruth is mad now that she’s found out” its “Billie lied to Ruth when she promised her they would get sober together and has actually been drinking behind her back the entire time, lying to Ruth every step of the way”

          So yes, Billie stabbed her in the back. She lied to and manipulated Ruth and never once held up her end of the bargain.

    • Andiemus
      Andiemus
      February 14, 2014 at 4:24 pm | #

      Whoa whoa whoa, what Ruth is doing is SO much worse than what Billie did. Relapsing once is nowhere near threatening to go and push the OD limit because YOU FAILED ME Miss not-a-professional-who-I-arbitrarily-pushed-the-responsibility-for-my-entire-wellbeing-on.

      • John
        John
        February 14, 2014 at 4:32 pm | #

        Billie voluntarily assumed that responsibility. The whole cold-turkey pact was her idea.

        Where Ruth’s screwing up is that she took on responsibility for keeping Billie sober at the same time, and she hasn’t been doing it.

  109. Triniking
    Triniking
    February 14, 2014 at 5:33 am | #

    These Ruth tears; they burn.

  110. CianM1301
    CianM1301
    February 14, 2014 at 5:52 am | #

    God Dammit Billie! You Danny’d it up!

    • Yotsuyasan
      Yotsuyasan
      February 14, 2014 at 8:46 am | #

      I think, given the fact that Danny’s actually become self-aware recently, the term is officially changing to, “Billied it up.”

      • CianM1301
        CianM1301
        February 14, 2014 at 12:58 pm | #

        Fair enough.
        God Dammit, Billie! You Billied it up!

  111. maxlines
    maxlines
    February 14, 2014 at 6:21 am | #

    Yeah, like hanging all your hopes on one person was going to end well.

  112. Tufto
    Tufto
    February 14, 2014 at 6:30 am | #

    DAMN YOU WILLIS.

  113. I don't know what to put here.
    I don't know what to put here.
    February 14, 2014 at 7:08 am | #

    DAMN YOU, BRUCE WILLIS!
    YOU WEREN’T EVEN TRYING IN THAT MOVIE!
    Oh shit wait

    • Roborat
      Roborat
      February 14, 2014 at 3:56 pm | #

      I was going to ask which movie, then I realized it was ALL OF THEM.

  114. Andrew
    Andrew
    February 14, 2014 at 7:30 am | #

    Happy Valentines day, have your heart broken xD

  115. Pinja
    Pinja
    February 14, 2014 at 7:32 am | #

    I have confidence in Billie’s ability to make this up to Ruth after she has had time to think about it. As we have seen in recent comics she is decisive, clever, well meaning and a good peacemaker.

    • Drunken Nordmann
      Drunken Nordmann
      February 14, 2014 at 2:04 pm | #

      Your gravatar makes me think you’re being sarcastic.

  116. Yet-One-More-Idiot
    Yet-One-More-Idiot
    February 14, 2014 at 8:43 am | #

    DAMN YOU WILLIS! Stop making me feel all my feels!

    …and Billie, don’t be an idiot! Say something BLOODY RIGHT before Ruth can get out that door!

    (Screw this Valentine’s Day, I didn’t need this…and yet I can’t stop reading this comic. xD)

  117. UnspeakableAnger
    UnspeakableAnger
    February 14, 2014 at 8:53 am | #

    Hm. Sad. Not up to a “Damn you, Willis” level, yet.

    Kind of a little disappointed in Ruth, but only a little. She was looking for something solid to stand on in Walkieverse, and found it after at least one disaster, though it was very expensive for her in the end.

    Billie’s response didn’t surprise me much. I like her, but she’s not standing on anything other than her own whims. Not much solid ground there. She’s a good kid at heart though, so hopefully she’ll find her surface and grow up.

    • Andiemus
      Andiemus
      February 14, 2014 at 4:21 pm | #

      BILLIE needs to grow up? Not Miss “If I drink myself to death it’s all your fault”?

  118. asmcint
    asmcint
    February 14, 2014 at 8:56 am | #

    I warned you. Now I must start screaming “DAMN YOU WILLIS!” for all eternity.

    • The Weird One
      The Weird One
      February 14, 2014 at 10:20 am | #

      “A lone voice continues its journey through the universe, constantly shrieking its message of pain and love mingled into a single, agonized cry. As the cosmos shifts about it, eons pass. Entire civilizations are born and die on many glorious star systems, children grow old, conquerors rise to power and are cast down. Whole galaxies are created and snuffed out, as the single voice travels on. But there is only so much energy that can be used in the universe, and eventually it must vanish. And soon after it, matter must follow. Eventually this, too, comes to pass. And in the resulting void, only the voice exists. With a final, keening cry, it expands, evolves. It ascends beyond the confines of its mortal shell of flesh and bone, and becomes pure energy, pure pain. It envelops the void, and gives birth to new energy reactions. Atoms and particles are formed from the maelstrom of feelings. Nebulas form. And a new universe is born.

      And in this new universe, living beings develop as well. And although they may never come to hear it, every single atom of their existence vibrates to a very singular tune. Every single one of their quarks screams in unison;

      “DAMN YOU, WILLIS!””

      Not as good as the first one, I think. Maybe I went a bit over the top here. And before you ask, yes, I am following you, and no, I’m not going to stop anytime soon.

      • asmcint
        asmcint
        February 14, 2014 at 10:25 am | #

        I don’t care, this is utterly brilliant.

        • asmcint
          asmcint
          February 14, 2014 at 10:26 am | #

          Also… DAMN YOU, WILLIS!

  119. Florian
    Florian
    February 14, 2014 at 9:30 am | #

    Jennifer Billingsworth you better run after her, or I will find a way to enter this comic universe and kick your alcoholic butt.

  120. t00lishness
    t00lishness
    February 14, 2014 at 9:44 am | #

    God damn it, Willis. I’m drunk as all god damn fuck (yet I can still type coherent sentences, woo!)

    This… Augh. I’m seeing my favorite ship sail out on the H.M.S. Failure get struck by a small iceberg named Reality and yet, even though there’s but a small gash in the hull, I see that ship sinking slowly, and hoping it eventually makes it to port.

    Man, I know everyone who writes has a bit of reality mixed in. What the fuck happened to you? Don’t have to explain, just idle wondering. I just get the sense (I’ve watched this comic for a while), some things hit pretty close to home. Regardless, like I said, no explanation necessary, just being honest when I say what I did. Please keep making feelgasms like you do. You’re fantastic.

  121. Alexx
    Alexx
    February 14, 2014 at 9:58 am | #

    AAAHhhhhhh nooo no no….wrong answer Billie. Oy.

  122. Charles Phipps
    Charles Phipps
    February 14, 2014 at 10:17 am | #

    Billy is better off this way, and so is Ruth. You can’t put that sort of pressure on another person.

    Especially in a relationship.

  123. TSB
    TSB
    February 14, 2014 at 10:20 am | #

    I hope they spend some time apart, or at least at a dispassionate emotional distance, and get their heads on straight. They both need to be in a place where they can’t rationalize or lie or stake their recoveries on conditionals anymore.

    I’m really, really glad Willis included this sequence. I had a family member who was an addict. I wasn’t the one who spent the most time with him or tried to help him, but we talked about it sometimes, and the rationalizations and lies and defensive self-righteousness… nailed it. It’s… I dunno… refreshing to see Willis showing what it’s like. Cathartic, I guess. I know we all wanted them to immediately recover with the power of love and have sloppy lesbian makeouts that would only be ruined by the acrid taste of detox puke, but I’m grateful for this story.

    I know people saying “damn you, Willis” are showing deep appreciation in their own way, but I gotta seriously say it. I know there are many people who tell stories about addiction, but I’m glad Willis is one of them. This is important. Thank you.

  124. Spik
    Spik
    February 14, 2014 at 10:29 am | #

    FUCK NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

  125. nothri
    nothri
    February 14, 2014 at 10:40 am | #

    So at this point is it safe to say that the verb “Billie-ing” mean “to make an assertion of well-being or superiority in defiance of known facts and situations”?

    • Andiemus
      Andiemus
      February 14, 2014 at 4:19 pm | #

      And Ruth-ing to mean “blaming other people for your own shortcomings” or should that be Blain-ing? Yeah, I went there.

      • nothri
        nothri
        February 14, 2014 at 9:52 pm | #

        I thought “Ruthing” was “to scare the shit out of people as part of a mating dance you completely fucked up”.

  126. Eukie
    Eukie
    February 14, 2014 at 10:51 am | #

    Willis has had me at the edge of my seat the whole week, and it’s still not over. Tomorrow’s strip could be Billie trying to make things right again (unlikely) or the focus could switch to some other characters (more likely) – or it could be something completely different altogether (who knows?) – but since I can’t know for certain, I’ll be clicking the “new comic” button tomorrow like a rat in a Skinner box, desperate to know how it turns out.

    • BlackIo
      BlackIo
      February 14, 2014 at 11:17 am | #

      Yeah, this has been a pretty grueling sequence, but in a good way. Probably the first time in about 15 years of reading webcomics that I’ve found myself counting down the hours until the next part posts.

      There’s apparently three more days left in the current storyline, so my guess is that we’re getting one more strip of how Billie reacts to all of this but no resolution. On the plus side, Ruth’s showing up again in a month and a half.

  127. Mr K
    Mr K
    February 14, 2014 at 11:27 am | #

    Billie, you should find a more quiet, less moody girlfriend. I bet Marcie is secretly a lesbian.

    • John
      John
      February 14, 2014 at 4:36 pm | #

      “Secretly”? Have you seen Jen Aside’s gravatar?

  128. JayeRyane
    JayeRyane
    February 14, 2014 at 11:35 am | #

    Though Ruth, that is fucking emotional blackmail. You didn’t live up to my expectations so now I have nothing left therefore making anything I do all your fault.

  129. Elliot-Chatham
    Elliot-Chatham
    February 14, 2014 at 11:38 am | #

    Wait what car tree when

    • Elliot-Chatham
      Elliot-Chatham
      February 14, 2014 at 11:39 am | #

      I ‘might’ have missed a few strips.

      • BlackIo
        BlackIo
        February 14, 2014 at 11:50 am | #

        Here you go.

  130. Clif
    Clif
    February 14, 2014 at 11:44 am | #

    >My only hope was you.

    No, there is one other.

    • Maveric1984
      Maveric1984
      February 14, 2014 at 3:13 pm | #

      Billie has a twin sister? Or would it be a brother?

      • nothri
        nothri
        February 14, 2014 at 9:56 pm | #

        Walkerton. The force is strong with him.

        By which I mean he’s the only dude in this series in a steady, healthy relationship that has managed to get some so far.

  131. masterofbones
    masterofbones
    February 14, 2014 at 11:56 am | #

    And people hate danny more than Billie why? At least he tries to be a good person….

    • clodia
      clodia
      February 14, 2014 at 12:56 pm | #

      Because they find Danny annoying. Billie is wrongheaded and hurtful, but she doesn’t grate on the nerves the way Danny can. Apparently stupidity is worse than lack of consideration and lying.

    • Ikaru
      Ikaru
      February 14, 2014 at 3:06 pm | #

      Billie doesn’t try to be a bad person you know. It isn’t like she did anything for anything other than selfish reasons, she wasn’t doing it to hurt Ruth after all. Ruth is the one being emotionally blackmaily here. She just told Billie that if she kills herself it is Billies fault. NOT nice.

      • masterofbones
        masterofbones
        February 14, 2014 at 8:45 pm | #

        billie doesn’t try to be a bad person, but she doesn’t try to be a good person either. She just tries to get what she wants. And I didn’t get the idea that Ruth was blaming a possible suicide on Billie, it seemed more like she was saying she had been using Billie for stability only to be betrayed. Not blackmail, just a feeling of abandonment.

    • nothri
      nothri
      February 14, 2014 at 10:09 pm | #

      Well, for one I don’t agree with your interpretation of Billie. She has issues with social standing, but she isn’t shallow the way some characters in other series (who’s name starts with an M and ends with a “aya”) are. She’s genuinely tried to help and given advice to people in trouble several times in the series. Whether any of that advice is GOOD advice is debatable, I’ll grant you.

      What it comes down to is empathy. I empathize with Billie. I don’t with Danny. Not yet, anyway. The fact that Billie is a much more flawed character than Danny with some much more serious struggles going on in her life (well, until recently, anyway) helps. When I see her trying to do the right thing, I want her to succeed that much more because she’s coming from a lower place than Danny is. When she succeeds I feel that much more happy for her victory. There’s nothing wrong with Danny, really. I just don’t know enough about him to empathize as much, as the level of obliviousness he demonstrates grate on my nerves, especially when it leads to disasters like the Blaine incident. I’m prepared to like him more when his background gets fleshed out or when he has to deal with higher level problems/decisions (like the Blaine incident) than he has through most of the story.

  132. Red Robot
    Red Robot
    February 14, 2014 at 12:19 pm | #

    Those tears! I just had to go and do an inventory of strips where people are crying. There are not as many as one would expect, but I fear we may see many more in the future.
    Amber does most of the crying, but as far as I am concerned the Oscar for this category goes to Ruth. Her tears have a certain understated yet expressive quality that goes straight to my feels. Today, they are almost as painful to see as they were back in “Broop broop broop”.
    Here’s the inventory of tears, BTW.

    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2010/comic/book-1/01-move-in-day/gay/
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/05-saturdays-all-right-for-slighting/choice/
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/05-saturdays-all-right-for-slighting/paid/
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/01-if-the-shoes-split/pie/
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/03-answers-in-hennessy/broopbroopbroop/
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/03-answers-in-hennessy/needle/
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/rage/
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/shockingreveal/
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/alwaysopen/
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-4/01-the-only-dope-for-me-is-you/coercing/
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-4/01-the-only-dope-for-me-is-you/happy/
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-4/01-the-only-dope-for-me-is-you/flee/
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-4/01-the-only-dope-for-me-is-you/weirdo/
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/01-the-only-dope-for-me-is-you/freezeup/
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/01-the-only-dope-for-me-is-you/down/
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/01-the-only-dope-for-me-is-you/taste/
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/01-the-only-dope-for-me-is-you/reassess/

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      February 14, 2014 at 7:33 pm | #

      …this was a sad way to spend your Valentine’s Day.

  133. Cragalanch
    Cragalanch
    February 14, 2014 at 12:22 pm | #

    Gentlemen, it’s been an honor shipping with you http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iHsx1cvACkY

  134. demoneater
    demoneater
    February 14, 2014 at 12:30 pm | #

    https://soundcloud.com/brazzabelle/what-is-love-brazzabelle

  135. Aaron Bourque
    Aaron Bourque
    February 14, 2014 at 12:41 pm | #

    Is this supposed to make me feel something like sympathy?

  136. Johnny Z
    Johnny Z
    February 14, 2014 at 1:07 pm | #

    Blaming other people for not living up to your standards, when will folks learn you can’t live for other people?

  137. alicemacher
    alicemacher
    February 14, 2014 at 1:19 pm | #

    While I do like me some girl/girl romance, I’m neither surprised nor upset at Billie/Ruth not happening at this juncture. Neither of them is emotionally equipped to handle a relationship yet, and the fact that (as is so easy to forget with the comic’s pacing) they’ve only known each other two to three weeks only complicates it further. I think the best they can hope to be, for some time to come, is friends. And even that isn’t likely to happen unless Billie recognizes that, yes, she does have a drinking problem (not to mention a trustworthiness problem). Nor unless Ruth recognizes that “You were my only hope” is neither an objectively true nor a healthy assumption.

    Also, this sequence brings to mind one of the problems with “buddy system” approaches to recovery. (AA and associated 12-step programs make it worse by encouraging the belief that individuals are”powerless” to take responsibility for their recovery.) Chronic alcohol abuse, be it in the form of psychological dependency or outright physiological addiction, is a disorder, an illness. And at the levels Ruth and Billie are experiencing it, supervision by a qualified health professional is necessary to treat it. If they individually see such a person about it on campus–it’d be covered by their student health insurance–they have a much better chance of staying sober. And if they can do that, they have a better chance in turn of rebuilding mutual trust and at least renewing their friendship. Beyond that…it’s too early for anyone who isn’t Willis to know.

    • nothri
      nothri
      February 14, 2014 at 10:10 pm | #

      +1 for petty all of the points you just made.

  138. Tenn
    Tenn
    February 14, 2014 at 1:35 pm | #

    Going on the defensive, Billie? Really? You’re going to have to work SOOOOOOOOO hard to earn anything resembling a happy ending after this.

    • Andiemus
      Andiemus
      February 14, 2014 at 4:17 pm | #

      The happiest ending Billie should hope for is Ruth checking into a rehab clinic.

  139. Chii of Asgard
    Chii of Asgard
    February 14, 2014 at 1:41 pm | #

    Wow, this page couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time… a young woman, local to me, just recently killed six people in a drunk-driving accident where she got on TWO freeways going the wrong way. She had a prior DUI, and had in fact just gotten her license reinstated because she had just turned 21. (Her prior occurred when she was 16…) This comic in particular just hit me in the gut, never mind all the emotions and feels Ruth is going through. Not feeling too sorry for Billie, though.

  140. King_Crimson
    King_Crimson
    February 14, 2014 at 1:52 pm | #

    dammit. i just spent the entire morning catching up now im enraptured and now i have to wait. why did this comic have to be so interesting?

  141. FlyingFish
    FlyingFish
    February 14, 2014 at 2:10 pm | #

    Two things. First, seconding everyone who thinks Billie totally screwed this up, from the decision to keep drinking to her non-apology just now.

    But second, Ruth’s response makes me glad the relationship was torpedoed in ten seconds. No healthy romance can operate when one is depending on the other, and the other only, to keep from collapsing into a pile of self-destruction. The one providing the support will start to feel trapped, because the alternative to staying with the supported FOREVER is to permit their figurative (or literal) demise. And the supported one will likewise feel obligated to stay with the supporter, because she owes her (and because she fears her fate if she leaves). The result: bitterness, fear, dependence, anything but actual love.

    • Ikaru
      Ikaru
      February 14, 2014 at 3:03 pm | #

      I totally agree. That kind of dependency and passive aggression is NOT healthy.

  142. OmegaDez
    OmegaDez
    February 14, 2014 at 2:21 pm | #

    Well, that was a bummer.

  143. Emoroffle
    Emoroffle
    February 14, 2014 at 2:25 pm | #

    All the hugs Ruth, all of the hugs.

  144. Hotsauce
    Hotsauce
    February 14, 2014 at 2:40 pm | #

    An emotionally manipulative alcoholic? Who’s ever heard of such a thing!?

    • Andiemus
      Andiemus
      February 14, 2014 at 4:16 pm | #

      You forgot ducking responsibility and blaming others for their own shortcomings.

  145. fudo81
    fudo81
    February 14, 2014 at 2:50 pm | #

    I’ve never been particularly fond of Billie (unlike MANY readers, to my surprise), but this is pushing her dangerously close to “least favorite character”.

    Well, there’s always Blaine and Faz but… close.

    • Ikaru
      Ikaru
      February 14, 2014 at 3:02 pm | #

      Well….it isn’t very….’good’ of Ruth to push her entire life on Billie like this. “My only hope was you”?! What the fuck. No, it is not ok to make anyone else responsible for your sanity/life/stability. Billie is not a bad person, she is not healthy, and she is irresponsible, but you make it sound like she intentionally tried to screw over Ruth. So she lied about drinking, SO WHAT. She didn’t know Ruth was going to be suicidal over it. It was wrong of her, but I heavily doubt she did it out of spite.

      • fudo81
        fudo81
        February 14, 2014 at 4:14 pm | #

        Yes, it is not “very good” but, as many people above have observed, it was all Billie’s idea. And I very much disagree with “SO WHAT”. It is shitty of Billie; not just the lying per se, but the way she’s trying to justify it in this strip. I would still think so even if Ruth wasn’t going to be suicidal about this – and in fact, I’m not so sure she will be. Sure, “you were my only hope” is quite a dramatic thing to say, but I’m hoping she’s saying that more to make Billie feel guilty (which she totally is) than anything else.

    • Andiemus
      Andiemus
      February 14, 2014 at 4:15 pm | #

      Oh yeah, because god forbid Ruth take any personal responsibility for her own problems. No, it’s all Billie’s fault she’s a dysfunctional mess that can’t salvage her own self-worth.

      • fudo81
        fudo81
        February 14, 2014 at 5:36 pm | #

        I’m not hating Billie because of Ruth’s problems. Ruth would have issues also without Billie – hell, she might even be dead if not for her. I’m just not willing to forgive Billie’s behavior here. She’s in no position to act like that; she’s guilty and she knows it, yet she doesn’t even try apologizing and chooses “stupidly defensive” instead.

        • nothri
          nothri
          February 14, 2014 at 10:20 pm | #

          She can’t admit she fucked up. Can’t admit that about Ruth. Can’t admit that about the DUI. She’s supposed to be better than everyone else. She doesn’t make mistakes. She’s a cheerleader, she the top of the social pyramid. She doesn’t mess up, she’s stronger than everyone else. She’s the alpha bongo, she solves everyone else’s problems and has none of her own.

          What I’m now curious about is WHY that’s so important. Why does she feel that she HAS to be above the “nerds” and the “normals”? What in her mind does it mean about herself if she doesn’t measure up to her own self-imposed need for superiority? What is it about her life that demands she meet her own criteria? Who is she trying to impress? Who’s attention is she looking for?

          And then it occurs to me that her parents never came to visit.

          • fudo81
            fudo81
            February 15, 2014 at 4:07 am | #

            you pretty much described why I never liked her in the first place. Yes, I also think much of this comes from her lousy parents.

  146. tbo
    tbo
    February 14, 2014 at 2:50 pm | #

    Maybe it’s the way that Billie taking an interest in Ruth sort of came out of left field (imo), but this week has felt a little melodramatic to me.

  147. MLBlue
    MLBlue
    February 14, 2014 at 3:33 pm | #

    Wow, I felt like I wanted to bawl about Amber, now this strip makes me want to bawl again. Damn these feels. Oh and I flipped the bird to your alt text, happy valentines indeed. :p

  148. Roborat
    Roborat
    February 14, 2014 at 3:59 pm | #

    Well, I was hoping Billie would confess to backsliding and somehow salvage the relationship, but she managed to make things even worse. I remain optimistic however that this will lead to some introspection and personal growth on her part, and they will eventually manage to get back together, so it will all be for the best in the long run.
    .
    .
    .

    Then I remember who the author is, and I have to admit I have no idea where this is going to go, but I am sure I will enjoy the ride.

  149. Andiemus
    Andiemus
    February 14, 2014 at 4:13 pm | #

    Well, Ruth, you have hit on what we like to call the problem.

  150. Kugai
    Kugai
    February 14, 2014 at 5:18 pm | #

    Aaaaah frakit!!!

  151. Taigan
    Taigan
    February 14, 2014 at 6:24 pm | #

    I sympathize with Ruth in the situation, butI am a little reminded of the last scene from the old episode of Titus “deprogramming Erin”

    “You mean because I started drinking you gave up on life? Erin, I love you, and I’m sorry… But that’s crap!”

    Not quite the same situation here, but seriously, Ruth needs to get inboard with the idea that Billie IS a deceitful alchoholic and while anger is a perfectly justified reaction, it’s more productive to turn it into a “you couldn’t even go one week?!” Guilt trip.

    • Heavensrun
      Heavensrun
      February 15, 2014 at 5:08 pm | #

      Ruth is struggling with severe depression and self esteem issues, exacerbated by her alcoholism. Billie was, for a brief shining moment, her light in the dark, the thing that made her feel like she could escape her own inner torment.

      These things aren’t about what’s productive. When you’re depressed, you -know- it isn’t productive, that’s part of the problem. Because you can’t just -stop- being depressed through force of will. But the unproductive nature of depression just makes you -more- depressed.

      Ruth is trapped in a cycle of hating who she is, failing to be anything else, and hating herself more for that. It’s hard to escape from something like that.

    • Heavensrun
      Heavensrun
      February 15, 2014 at 5:09 pm | #

      And guilt trips aren’t productive.

  152. Rideps
    Rideps
    February 14, 2014 at 8:11 pm | #

    … All of the “Damn you Willis.”

    All of it.

  153. Austin Powers
    Austin Powers
    February 14, 2014 at 8:16 pm | #

    when are we going to go back to the happy 🙁

  154. Betty Anne
    Betty Anne
    February 14, 2014 at 8:20 pm | #

    Yeah, not feeling the sympathy for Billie anymore, and I completely feel for Ruth. My uncle was killed by a drunk driver when I was five (he was walking well along the shoulder, nowhere near traffic) and a wonderful artist peer of mine was killed by a drunk driver when I was in college. (She was 19; her 12 and 9 year old siblings were killed along with her – they were out Christmas shopping, the drunk crossed the center line and they weren’t able to get out of his way, and her parents lost all three of their children two days after Christmas as a result.) The drunks walked away “fine” in both instances.

    Alcoholics/drunks like Billie, who don’t understand why they’re “not hurting anyone ‘now,'” piss me off beyond belief.

    • Cliff
      Cliff
      February 14, 2014 at 9:05 pm | #

      I see what you’re getting at, and drunk driving is by no means ok, but that doesn’t mean you should stop drinking. Just don’t drive when you do. It’s one thing to drink so much that you’re passing out in your room by yourself. And it’s another thing to drink so much it impairs your driving. The latter amount is a much safer amount than the former. Drinking to the point where driving is dangerous is perfectly fine, just DON’T drive. Yes, Billie drinks a lot. And yea, she bent a truck around a tree, and that was a stupid decision. But she’s kinda right. She isn’t hurting anyone anymore. She made one bad decision. Doesn’t mean she needs to swear off alcohol. She just needs to not drive when she drinks.

      • ninja_jesus
        ninja_jesus
        February 14, 2014 at 11:08 pm | #

        I see what you’re getting at, and drunk driving is by no means ok, but that doesn’t mean you should stop drinking; just don’t drive when you do.

        Easier said than done. When your judgment is impaired from drinking, unless you have others around you who can make sober decisions, then there’s a chance that this would never cross your mind, or that you would make justifications to yourself or others about your decision to drive drunk. Rather than saying “it’s okay to drink as long as you don’t drive”, I am of the opinion that if you plan to go anywhere outside of where you can safely drink, and you have to make the return trip by yourself, then don’t drink.

        It’s one thing to drink so much that you’re passing out in your room by yourself, and it’s another thing to drink so much it impairs your driving; the latter amount is a much safer amount than the former.

        The implication you’re unknowingly making here when you use the phrase “impairs your driving” is that the person who’s drinking is already planning to get behind the wheel or has already made the decision to drive while drunk. To drink enough that it impairs your driving not only puts yourself in danger, it puts other drivers or pedestrians in danger as well. This isn’t safer in any means than drinking to the point of blacking out.

        Drinking to the point where driving is dangerous is perfectly fine, just DON’T drive.

        Once again, easier said than done if you’re out drinking somewhere and you don’t have anyone sober around to help you make good decisions. I think that if you have to drive anywhere, or if you don’t have a designated driver, then don’t drink at all, even at the cost of a good time.

        Yes, Billie drinks a lot, and yeah, she bent a truck around a tree, and that was a stupid decision, but she’s kind of right. She isn’t hurting anyone anymore. She made one bad decision, but it doesn’t mean she needs to swear off alcohol; she just needs to not drive when she drinks.

        Ultimately, it’s not the drinking that’s hurting others, but her poor choices. Her choice to drink and break the promise she made has hurt Ruth, her choice to argue about breaking that promise has hurt Ruth, and the fact that she couldn’t go three days without drinking means that she does have a drinking problem. Billie is an alcoholic, but alcoholism is not her true problem. It is merely a symptom of a larger issue she holds within her heart, one that hasn’t been touched upon yet; I think that the absence of her parents, who did not show up for Freshmen Family Weekend, plays a key part in this.

  155. SacremPyrobolum
    SacremPyrobolum
    February 14, 2014 at 8:21 pm | #

    Damnit, this has been a bad week for shippers.

    First Ryuko turns out to be Satsuki’s sister and now this drama.

    Ah well, at least there’s always Nonon…

  156. Izzy
    Izzy
    February 14, 2014 at 9:09 pm | #

    Calmmmm Ruth ;-; STAY CALM

  157. RandomNameGen
    RandomNameGen
    February 14, 2014 at 9:22 pm | #

    DumbingOfAge theme in a nutshell: Teens with ridiculous amounts of emotional baggage entering dating scene way too late, and then overreacting to everything. EVERYTHING. Did you think things would be happily ever after? NOPE! Let’s OVERREACT!
    Next up, Amber Overreacts to super nice Danny genuinely caring about her. Followed by Amber overreacting to a perfectly justifiable smack down she laid out on her scumbaggodad.

  158. Aegon01
    Aegon01
    February 14, 2014 at 9:36 pm | #

    “Well, the girl I kissed once right before nearly dying/getting expelled for alcohol promised she would quit drinking with me and then it turns out she didn’t, after she kissed me back.

    Better go kill myself.”

    • nothri
      nothri
      February 14, 2014 at 10:30 pm | #

      Yes, because being a recovering alcoholic in a relationship with someone who refuses to stop drinking and is willing to lie to you about it sounds like an excellent basis for a relationship that no one should ever have any qualms about getting into ever.

      Also, I don’t think that’s a suicide threat. I think that’s a “I feel fucking betrayed because you said you would help me and I believed you and now I feel crushed and hopeless” statement.

      • Aegon01
        Aegon01
        February 15, 2014 at 4:39 pm | #

        What Ruth is doing is making her happiness (or worst case scenario, her will to live) dependent on someone else’s actions. Someone she KNOWS is a spoiled fuckup. No matter how you slice it, it’s a pretty shitty thing to do.

  159. chris73
    chris73
    February 14, 2014 at 9:51 pm | #

    Billie dodged a bullet

  160. Psycoticfart
    Psycoticfart
    February 14, 2014 at 10:09 pm | #

    you see, mister willis, this is why i have trust issues. you give us the much expected bille x ruth, then you shatter it into a million pieces

  161. nothri
    nothri
    February 14, 2014 at 10:40 pm | #

    I’m picturing a scene in which Billie stumbles from her room the next morning exhausted from crying all night, and stumbles into Walky, and in a moment of weakness tells him the whole story. Walkerton in turn tells her what he did with his evening. Then offers to give her advice.

    Then Billie starts screaming, and never stops. Ever.

  162. DragonStryk72
    DragonStryk72
    February 15, 2014 at 6:16 am | #

    Actually, as the son of a recovering alcoholic, Ruth’s kind of got a good deal of blame here, it’s not all on Billie. You can’t hinge your whole sobriety on a single person, you just can’t, no matter how much you care about them, or they care about you and support you.

    Putting that on anyone is just daring them to fail you, and it WILL happen sooner or later. Yeah, Billie made a mistake. Now let’s stack that single mistake against every horrible thing Ruth has done to her with little to no provocation, and see where the score sits…. Yeah, Ruth definitely owes her some understanding here.

  163. Timni
    Timni
    February 17, 2014 at 2:46 am | #

    Do ALL webcomic artist like to make one’s heart wrench from anguish? Because I think it’s a trend…

  164. milk experiment
    milk experiment
    February 17, 2014 at 3:35 am | #

    Yep, staying away from this comic for a few days before V-Day was definitely a good call. 🙁

  165. Lucius Nomicon
    Lucius Nomicon
    August 22, 2015 at 1:39 pm | #

    I’m gonna assume you don’t know spanish and go ahead and say this: Sos un hijo de puta, Willis. Y te amo.

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