Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

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June 1, 2026

Lonely

by David M Willis on April 29, 2019 at 12:01 am
  • 03 - Sometimes the Sky Was So Far Away
└ Tags: carla, lucy, ruth

Discussion (101) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    April 29, 2019 at 12:05 am | #

    “I’m here because I… had to shave my cat”

    “WHAT, and what cat”

    “did you want company or not”

    “…yes”

    • Ana Chronistic
      Ana Chronistic
      April 29, 2019 at 12:07 am | #

      I feel like I should have a good Switch joke (other than WOO that Carla has one) but I know like two games for it, and Splatoon doesn’t seem jokeworthy here

      • Surgoshan
        Surgoshan
        April 29, 2019 at 6:54 am | #

        Switch? Yeah right. No way Carla’s not a top.

        • Ana Chronistic
          Ana Chronistic
          April 29, 2019 at 10:14 am | #

          “Buy a trans friend a Switch” is totally a thing

          (and we did, though bc she wanted one, not bc memes)

          • emmavoid
            emmavoid
            April 29, 2019 at 10:01 pm | #

            Every trans friend deserves a Switch

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      April 29, 2019 at 12:07 am | #

      My stock excuse is “I think I left the cat running.”

      • LookingIn
        LookingIn
        April 29, 2019 at 3:57 am | #

        Once you get their motors running it’s tough to get away from them until they stop…

        seriously, there’s nothing that makes you want to stay put more than a purring cat.

      • AustSakuraKyzor
        AustSakuraKyzor
        April 29, 2019 at 9:36 am | #

        “But Persona 5 isn’t even ON the switch”

        • Ana Chronistic
          Ana Chronistic
          April 29, 2019 at 10:16 am | #

          Joker’s coming, close enough?

    • Marsh Maryrose
      Marsh Maryrose
      April 29, 2019 at 12:15 am | #

      “I’m here because I didn’t have anything better to do.”

      • clif
        clif
        April 29, 2019 at 12:52 am | #

        That would make a nice gravestone.

  2. ValdVin
    ValdVin
    April 29, 2019 at 12:05 am | #

    “Buy it or not” is the most Carla thing I’ve ever heard.

    • JessWitt
      JessWitt
      April 29, 2019 at 1:20 am | #

      For me, I can’t see her without thinking “Out of my way, you vaginal discharge!”

  3. Sporky
    Sporky
    April 29, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

    So is this what the whole Billie-Lucy rivalry was setting up? Pretty interesting and also not as horrible as I had imagined

    • Schpoonman
      Schpoonman
      April 29, 2019 at 12:09 am | #

      Billie mostly makes any relationship in which she’s involved (business, personal, romantic) pretty toxic, but Lucy is a very powerful panacea.

  4. Shiro
    Shiro
    April 29, 2019 at 12:08 am | #

    Carla is a god damn delight

    • butts
      butts
      April 29, 2019 at 12:15 am | #

      Hell fucking yeah she is

  5. Thores
    Thores
    April 29, 2019 at 12:08 am | #

    Is this the first Switch we’ve seen in DoA? The sliding timeline advances!

    • Sam
      Sam
      April 29, 2019 at 12:12 am | #

      It is not. Danny and Joe were seen playing with one before.

    • Schpoonman
      Schpoonman
      April 29, 2019 at 12:12 am | #

      Second or third. Willis posted a link back to when Joyce went to church with Jacob, when Danny and Joe pulled an all-nighter playing some Mario game.

      There was also an appearance in a Patreon strip ages ago right after Odyssey came out. Dina dismissed Walky until he mentioned he had just possessed a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Dina then took the Switch and ejected Walky.

    • UniqueSnowflake2
      UniqueSnowflake2
      April 29, 2019 at 12:42 am | #

      Switch.

      Jimmy Smits

      • StClair
        StClair
        April 29, 2019 at 11:23 pm | #

        My mother loved that movie.

  6. BBCC
    BBCC
    April 29, 2019 at 12:08 am | #

    Awwwww, Carla came to play video games are her friend’s!

  7. Nono
    Nono
    April 29, 2019 at 12:09 am | #

    Do dorm rooms normally have TVs? When I went to school there was usually just a big one in the common area and maybe a games space.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      April 29, 2019 at 12:11 am | #

      I dunno if they normally do, but Billie and Sal’s (well, Sal and Malaya’s now) had one.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        April 29, 2019 at 12:12 am | #

        So did Danny and Joe iirc.

        • Nono
          Nono
          April 29, 2019 at 12:14 am | #

          Meredith too, since Howard was trying to get HBO on there.

          • BBCC
            BBCC
            April 29, 2019 at 12:35 am | #

            Plus, apparently, Carla.

            • Hoodiecrow
              Hoodiecrow
              April 29, 2019 at 1:38 am | #

              We don’t know for sure that Carla had a TV, only that it is broken.

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      April 29, 2019 at 12:12 am | #

      We had to bring our own. TVs are cheap now though, maybe nowadays some dorms just have them in the rooms.

    • Sam
      Sam
      April 29, 2019 at 12:16 am | #

      Even if it doesn’t normally, some people can likely afford one they can bring along of their own accord.

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        April 29, 2019 at 2:08 am | #

        You can get 32″ smart TVs for under $150 brand new these days. Refurbs, used TVs, and off brands are even more affordable.

    • Marsh Maryrose
      Marsh Maryrose
      April 29, 2019 at 1:10 am | #

      I’m under the impression that most dorm rooms nowadays have a cable connection, but I’m also under the impression that most college-age kids only watch an actual TV when they’re back at their parents’ house, or in a sports bar.

      (I did try to watch tonight’s GOT on my tablet. It was not a particularly satisfying experience, but then it’s been a long time since I was a college-age kid.)

      • Knayt
        Knayt
        April 29, 2019 at 9:18 am | #

        College students and young adults of comparable age use TVs, the devices, relatively often. TV as a synonym for cable/satellite service, not so much. It’s almost like Netflix being maybe 10% the cost (routinely less given splitting arrangements) and students and age cohort already having the internet and all its free content cuts into that pretty dramatically.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      April 29, 2019 at 1:56 am | #

      They do if you bring one. New TVs are cheaper than ever, and there’s always hand-me-downs and the used market.

      Some colleges are even wired for cable with a limited number of channels, like a hotel. Sometimes they even have their own on-campus public access station. If you don’t get cable, you can always hook up a laptop, streaming box, or antenna.

    • Ana Chronistic
      Ana Chronistic
      April 29, 2019 at 2:17 pm | #

      I haven’t been in a while, but p sure any dorm-provided TV would be inferior to whatever any student brings on their own

      it’s not like colleges get hotel money or anything

  8. Danielle
    Danielle
    April 29, 2019 at 12:09 am | #

    fulfilling it is!

  9. HeinousActsZX
    HeinousActsZX
    April 29, 2019 at 12:12 am | #

    I also main ROB! Good taste, Carla!

  10. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    April 29, 2019 at 12:12 am | #

    *plays J.D. Souther’s “You’re Only Lonely” on the hacked Muzak*

    • Stephen Bierce
      Stephen Bierce
      April 29, 2019 at 12:13 am | #

      Don’t you ever be ashamed…

      • Marsh Maryrose
        Marsh Maryrose
        April 29, 2019 at 12:26 am | #

        Huh. I was kind of expecting to hear the Motels (“only the lonely can play”). Too cliched, maybe.

    • ValdVin
      ValdVin
      April 29, 2019 at 12:16 am | #

      How about we have J.D. Souther and James Taylor’s “Her Town Too” at hand? (Yeah, the genders will have to change.) The way this Billie/Ruth thing is going we may need it soon.

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      April 29, 2019 at 1:22 am | #

      I was thinking of “Ask the Lonely” by Journey, but that’s good too.

    • Ethics Gradient
      Ethics Gradient
      April 29, 2019 at 8:18 am | #

      Yes – Owner of a Lonely Heart

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVOuYquXuuc

    • Ethics Gradient
      Ethics Gradient
      April 29, 2019 at 8:23 am | #

      Give Ruth a Chevvie and …

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdhkaPZtQF4

  11. Foxhack
    Foxhack
    April 29, 2019 at 12:12 am | #

    Oh so THAT’S the kind of friendship Carla has with Lucy: “I’ll annoy you ’cause I like you.”

    Honestly I find that very relatable, as long as Carla doesn’t overstep her bounds.

    • Matthew Davis
      Matthew Davis
      April 29, 2019 at 12:17 am | #

      To be fair, she did warn Lucy this was one of the two possibilities for friendship with her.

      • DailyBrad
        DailyBrad
        April 29, 2019 at 12:38 am | #

        Yeah, and Lucy seemed fine with it. Besides, she roomed with Malaya. Carla would have to bring out the big guns at this point to pester her much.

  12. Schpoonman
    Schpoonman
    April 29, 2019 at 12:15 am | #

    If Dorothy is a perfect cinnamon roll, Lucy is a chocolate version.

    I’ve been brainstorming one for a while, and I think brownie batter as the binder won’t clash with the chocolate in a way cinnamon sugar would. If I can ever power through whatever keeps me from baking more at home I’ll provide an update.

    • Stephen Bierce
      Stephen Bierce
      April 29, 2019 at 12:19 am | #

      I wonder if the word you’re looking for might be saccotino.

      • Schpoonman
        Schpoonman
        April 29, 2019 at 12:36 am | #

        No, that’s not quite what I me–

        Is that chocolate-stuffed puff pastry?

        Ahem. Anyway, I really mean the form of a cinnamon roll, but with distinct chocolate flavorings. Instead of a snickerdoodle, a chocolate cookie with peanut butter chips. Does that make sense?

        • Lala
          Lala
          April 29, 2019 at 2:03 am | #

          My local Walmart sells Hot Chocolate Rolls, where instead of cinnamon between the layers its chocolatey.

        • Ethics Gradient
          Ethics Gradient
          April 29, 2019 at 8:25 am | #

          Go for a pain au chocolat made en France.

          That sweet, melt in the mouth pastry … accept no substitutes!

  13. Matthew Davis
    Matthew Davis
    April 29, 2019 at 12:18 am | #

    So this being Willis, what’s Lucy’s damage? She really didn’t have any in Shortpacked that I grokked, but everybody we follow seems to be broken in one way or another so there has to be something.

    • MatthewTheLucky
      MatthewTheLucky
      April 29, 2019 at 12:21 am | #

      She’s desperate enough for social contact that she’s in this situation.

    • Marsh Maryrose
      Marsh Maryrose
      April 29, 2019 at 1:32 am | #

      She is kind of Ethan-like in that, when it comes to interacting with other people, her go-to is references to her own particular subset of nerd culture, and when that doesn’t work (as it often doesn’t) it takes some effort for her to connect.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      April 29, 2019 at 2:15 am | #

      Basically similar to Joyce – A lack of awareness of social and behavioural boundaries but not so extreme.

    • Ana Chronistic
      Ana Chronistic
      April 29, 2019 at 2:19 pm | #

      She thought that she was popular but Billie revealed that she was simply the most interesting option at the time, now… not so much

      Kind of an identity crisis (haven’t had one of THOSE lately, nope ::=_=::)

  14. StClair
    StClair
    April 29, 2019 at 12:21 am | #

    Lucy is a good egg.

    • Meagan
      Meagan
      April 29, 2019 at 6:04 am | #

      Get her and Danny in a room together and eggy goodness will be…um….like a fluffy omelette.

  15. Bagge
    Bagge
    April 29, 2019 at 12:36 am | #

    No, I agree with Ruth. She shouldn’t enter Billie’s room, whatever her room mate says.

    Of course, it wouldn’t even ding the top ten on their list of gross overstepping of bounds, and at this point I think Billie expects it.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      April 29, 2019 at 12:39 am | #

      I’m inclined to agree, though then again, I don’t know if Billie expects to hear from Ruth again or not.

      I know the popular consensus at this point is that Ruth is the “good guy” of the relationship, but yeah, no, this is a team effort of bad. Just, various shades.

      • daredaemon
        daredaemon
        April 29, 2019 at 5:25 am | #

        The difference between Ruth and Billie is that Ruth is trying to get better.

        Doesn’t mean she doesn’t make plenty mistakes along the way, but that’s a heck of a lot better than not trying at all.

        • Charlotte
          Charlotte
          April 29, 2019 at 8:23 am | #

          Agree with this!

          I also agree with Bagge that it’d be better if Ruth left, though. Lucy is being very sweet, but I think it’ll be weird for Billie to come back to her room to find that her (ex?-)girlfriend has bonded with the roommate she dislikes.
          (Billie is wrong in not liking Lucy imo — I think Lucy is great — but that isn’t the point here.)

    • Catman
      Catman
      April 29, 2019 at 2:38 am | #

      Yeah, she probably shouldn’t, but given their relationship it’s not too bad. In fact, their whole relationship exists because of breaking into the other’s room without permission.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      April 29, 2019 at 10:46 am | #

      I mean, it feels like a factor in the ethical conundrum should be that this is the day after Billie picked Ruth’s lock.

      http://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/02-but-the-sun-still-shines/fightsandlights/

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        April 29, 2019 at 2:51 pm | #

        Well sure. They changed the locks. Her collection of keys wasn’t good anymore. What else could she do?

  16. sunflowerofice
    sunflowerofice
    April 29, 2019 at 12:37 am | #

    When you have turned off your emotions so long any emotion becomes a massively confusing series of events.

  17. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    April 29, 2019 at 12:46 am | #

    I am glad Lucy and Carla are buds, even if Carla obviously has to be herself and not admit she’s there to hang out. Gotta keep that (im)plausible deniability up to keep the feels away.

    • Meagan
      Meagan
      April 29, 2019 at 6:06 am | #

      Carla and Sarah are similar in this way.
      Some people seem to find it endearing. In person, I find it very annoying when people do this. Always having to put people’s statements through a translator if what they really mean is a lot of work.

  18. Lia47
    Lia47
    April 29, 2019 at 12:59 am | #

    aaaa lucy is popular and ruth is a fucking weirdo i love

  19. Keulen
    Keulen
    April 29, 2019 at 1:18 am | #

    Dumbing of Age Book 9: So This Is What Lonely Feels Like

    • ktbear
      ktbear
      April 29, 2019 at 3:41 am | #

      Dumbing of Age Book 9: Look, buy it or not.

  20. JessWitt
    JessWitt
    April 29, 2019 at 1:24 am | #

    I’m comfortable maining Roy – as in the fiery swordsclone and not the shade-wearing monster turtle.

    (Also whoops I forgot Danny and Joe had the Switch first).

    • ShinyNeen
      ShinyNeen
      April 29, 2019 at 9:04 am | #

      Hey, nice! Roy was my boy in Melee, too. Sucked that he fell off the roster for nearly 2 games, even if it made sense. But hey, now I main Kirby! Love that little puffball!

  21. DarkoNeko
    DarkoNeko
    April 29, 2019 at 1:45 am | #

    Speechless at Lucy. She’s good at this.

  22. abysswatcher1993
    abysswatcher1993
    April 29, 2019 at 1:48 am | #

    A rational fangirl, a depressed RA and a narcisist tech genius spend the next two hours watching Love, Death and Robots and complain about the Homestuck Epilogues even if Ruth has no idea what Homestuck is.

    • WikiDreamer
      WikiDreamer
      April 29, 2019 at 9:34 am | #

      Head cannon accepted.

  23. C.T Phipps
    C.T Phipps
    April 29, 2019 at 2:01 am | #

    I hope Ruth regains her love of violence from the drugs. A pacifist Ruth is not a Ruth at all.

    • Hoodiecrow
      Hoodiecrow
      April 29, 2019 at 4:44 am | #

      Just because she isn’t ruthless, it doesn’t mean she’s less of a Ruth.

    • Meagan
      Meagan
      April 29, 2019 at 6:07 am | #

      I think the violence was also a way for her to repress things though

  24. BarerMender
    BarerMender
    April 29, 2019 at 2:02 am | #

    I’m sure “carla mains ROB in smash” means something to the cognoscenti, but it looks like word hash to me.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      April 29, 2019 at 2:25 am | #

      Translation: “Carla’s favorite character to play as in Super Smash Bros. is ROB the Robot.”

      • BarerMender
        BarerMender
        April 29, 2019 at 2:49 am | #

        Hey! English! Thanks.

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          April 29, 2019 at 5:21 am | #

          De nada.

  25. BarerMender
    BarerMender
    April 29, 2019 at 2:06 am | #

    I’m thrilled to have a story about Ruth. I love Ruth so much. More than Amber maybe.

  26. Jacques Cornelius Parrot
    Jacques Cornelius Parrot
    April 29, 2019 at 2:12 am | #

    The fact that she mains ROB confirms that Carla is an S tier DoA character

    • ShinyNeen
      ShinyNeen
      April 29, 2019 at 9:05 am | #

      ROB is in-character and excellent taste!

  27. BenRG
    BenRG
    April 29, 2019 at 2:13 am | #

    It looks like Lucy is going for the ‘Perfect Cinnamon Roll’ award for this chapter! She is sweet, kind and genuinely nice, isn’t she? She’s also perceptive to see through Carla’s defence mechanisms so easily.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      April 29, 2019 at 11:48 pm | #

      Lucy is a perfect cookie.

  28. CoMa
    CoMa
    April 29, 2019 at 3:03 am | #

    This honestly makes me really happy for Lucy. Her going out (or now, inviting in) and talking with people, and not shutting off after how her dorm-mates ignored her (and her opinion) lately.
    I needed a comic like this today 🙂

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      April 29, 2019 at 5:10 am | #

      Given that Carla has clearly decided that Lucy is ‘hers’, it is possible that her vengeance on the Forrest Hall fangirls will be swift, terrible and utterly ridiculous. Could the Forrest/Read Prank Wars be about to begin?

  29. Eldritch Gentleman
    Eldritch Gentleman
    April 29, 2019 at 6:25 am | #

    Lucy is an incarnated version of a hug and headpat.

  30. Ethics Gradient
    Ethics Gradient
    April 29, 2019 at 8:30 am | #

    Princess Aura:
    Look! Water is leaking from her eyes.

    The Emperor Ming:
    It’s what they call tears, it’s a sign of their weakness.

    So Ruth is no longer Ming the Merciless!

    • abysswatcher1993
      abysswatcher1993
      April 29, 2019 at 12:40 pm | #

      When was she a stereotype of evil Chinese people in space? Well, Ming was made caucasian in a modern version, so Ruth can still fight against Flash Gordon.

  31. BenRG
    BenRG
    April 29, 2019 at 8:54 am | #

    Ruth is… a mess. Healing is going to be a long, long thing for her, isn’t it?

    • Eldritch Gentleman
      Eldritch Gentleman
      April 29, 2019 at 5:13 pm | #

      She took the first step which is the most important thing. Let’s just hope nothing trips her up resulting in her going back to the start line.

  32. Delicious Taffy
    Delicious Taffy
    April 29, 2019 at 12:42 pm | #

    Kirby is the only acceptable main.

    • showler
      showler
      April 29, 2019 at 5:43 pm | #

      In the end, after all things, there is only…Kirby.

      • Chris Phoenix
        Chris Phoenix
        April 30, 2019 at 12:55 am | #

        In the end, even Bombadil would fall…

  33. Treita
    Treita
    May 15, 2019 at 1:49 am | #

    ROB is pretty bad ass with a skilled player. I prefer Samus/Marth

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