Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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May 19, 2026

Worser

by David M Willis on April 18, 2019 at 12:01 am
  • 03 - Sometimes the Sky Was So Far Away
└ Tags: ruth, walky

Discussion (161) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    April 18, 2019 at 12:03 am | #

    “um… good talk, yo” *awkward fistbump motion*

    • Clif
      Clif
      April 18, 2019 at 12:27 am | #

      Maybe not, but I;m really not sure where we’re going here.

      • jeffepp
        jeffepp
        April 18, 2019 at 12:48 am | #

        Nether are they.

        • Deanatay
          Deanatay
          April 18, 2019 at 8:11 am | #

          Not sure if accidental misspelling or intentional reference to nether regions…

          butts, your input needed here.

  2. jeffepp
    jeffepp
    April 18, 2019 at 12:03 am | #

    Truce?

  3. MatthewTheLucky
    MatthewTheLucky
    April 18, 2019 at 12:04 am | #

    Well, that was… unnecessarily cutting, given what little interaction these two have had.

    • JetstreamGW
      JetstreamGW
      April 18, 2019 at 12:05 am | #

      I don’t think so. It expresses profound disappointment in both of them.

      They’re both pretty disappointing as people. Ruth is attempting to improve. Billie hasn’t hit a bottom hard enough yet.

      • Sunny
        Sunny
        April 18, 2019 at 5:44 am | #

        I’d say Billie is the bottom in her and Ruth’s relationship, so if there’s any hitting of bottoms there, I’m pretty sure Ruth’s the one hitting Billie’s bottom.

        • Nothri
          Nothri
          April 18, 2019 at 11:23 am | #

          ….in the metaphorical sense, or in the sense that they have a spanking fetish? Or both?

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            April 18, 2019 at 3:24 pm | #

            Both. Though I think they have more of a fighting/violence fetish.

            And I’m not sure Billie was always, or even mostly, playing the bottom. She’s fought back and turned the tables more than once.

            • das-g
              das-g
              April 18, 2019 at 5:57 pm | #

              So either Billie’s a switch, or the tables are.

              • Sunny
                Sunny
                April 30, 2019 at 10:11 pm | #

                It can at times be difficult to tell a bratty sub from a switch.

    • butts
      butts
      April 18, 2019 at 12:07 am | #

      i’m just not really sure where they interacted long enough for Ruth to have discerned that?

      • Regalli
        Regalli
        April 18, 2019 at 12:11 am | #

        They have four pages of shared-tag strips, apparently. But my loading’s awful so I can’t check them all.

    • Josh Spicer
      Josh Spicer
      April 18, 2019 at 8:23 am | #

      As said extensively down below, Walky came to Ruth as the RA to help Billie. That didn’t happen and now Walky has expressed repeated unhappiness and displeasure with Ruth as an RA and, generally, as a person.

      But he also knows Billie ain’t exactly a ball of sunshine, happiness, and freedom from issues.

    • Seregiel
      Seregiel
      April 18, 2019 at 3:56 pm | #

      I’m not sure he’s meaning the weight of that to be fully on Ruth. I think he’s also expressing his disappointment in Billie’s baseline.

  4. Yumi
    Yumi
    April 18, 2019 at 12:04 am | #

    But is Billie interested in “better”…

    • Danielle
      Danielle
      April 18, 2019 at 12:05 am | #

      THATS the question!

    • Yet_One_More_Idiot
      Yet_One_More_Idiot
      April 18, 2019 at 12:37 am | #

      “Dunno, they remind me of Better Days”

      No Walky, Better Days was a completely different webcomic that finished years ago. ;D

      • Yumi
        Yumi
        April 18, 2019 at 12:46 am | #

        You don’t understand how upset I am that I know that of which you speak.

        • Khyrin
          Khyrin
          April 18, 2019 at 3:57 am | #

          Jeeze. I thought that sounded familiar.

        • Yet_One_More_Idiot
          Yet_One_More_Idiot
          April 18, 2019 at 4:43 am | #

          Lol really? I really liked that comic.

          I was kinda sad when the sequel “Original Life” ran out of steam mid-storyline… >_>

      • Roborat
        Roborat
        April 18, 2019 at 2:40 pm | #

        I thought you were messing with us, so I had to go look that one up, as I had never heard of it, surprisingly. Just binged some of it, it is pretty good. Thanks for the new (to me) comic to read.

        • Yumi
          Yumi
          April 18, 2019 at 5:16 pm | #

          *screeching noises*

          (No, enjoy whatever you want. The author’s a major dick, in my opinion, and his dickishness seeps into the comic and I don’t know why I spent my time as a 14 year old hate-reading a furry webcomic, but. Yeah, I guess have fun with it.)

          • Roborat
            Roborat
            April 22, 2019 at 3:45 pm | #

            Note, that I said some of it, as in the first 10 or 15 pages or so. Normally I have trouble with furry comics, with some notable exceptions, (Precocious, among others), but I thought the characters were interesting. However, I have considered your opinion and if I get any bad vibes I will stop reading.

    • Pl0x
      Pl0x
      April 18, 2019 at 1:53 am | #

      Def not. She probably wanted a fellow drinker and partier, and then later someone just as depressed as she was. What “better” person would be interested in her anyway?

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        April 18, 2019 at 7:30 am | #

        She wanted someone she couldn’t ruin, because they were already ruined.

        • Pl0x
          Pl0x
          April 18, 2019 at 10:25 am | #

          Yeah…and, oh, apparently Ruth is Better now, and alcohol would ruin it. Alcohol that Billie won’t give up. Oops?

          • woobie
            woobie
            April 18, 2019 at 8:16 pm | #

            She’s helping Walky. Training up to better help Billie.

  5. shadowcell
    shadowcell
    April 18, 2019 at 12:04 am | #

    Dumbing of Age Book 9: Neat

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      April 18, 2019 at 1:39 am | #

      DoA Book 9: I Can Be Better

      • King Daniel
        King Daniel
        April 18, 2019 at 2:10 am | #

        Dumbing of Age Book IX: But I’m Not Ready to be Nostalgic

        • Opale
          Opale
          April 18, 2019 at 4:12 am | #

          Dumbing of Age book 9: I’d really prefer if you’d take these back

  6. ian livs
    ian livs
    April 18, 2019 at 12:04 am | #

    Ouch.

  7. Regalli
    Regalli
    April 18, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

    *Shoves both Walky and Billie into therapy*
    *Pause, consideration*
    *Shoves everyone into therapy*

    • Rabid Rabbit
      Rabid Rabbit
      April 18, 2019 at 12:09 am | #

      Not the same session though. That would just be unfair to the therapist.

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      April 18, 2019 at 12:09 am | #

      I just went down the entire list on the right side of this page for an exception, and the only one I could come up with was Jacob. And we probably just don’t know what his issue is yet.

      • Proxiehunter
        Proxiehunter
        April 18, 2019 at 12:16 am | #

        Shit taste in girlfriends.

      • Regalli
        Regalli
        April 18, 2019 at 12:16 am | #

        Sierra seems to be in pretty good shape, all things considered. Comfortable in her sexuality, supportive parents, and while there’s a lot of stressors in the hall Sierra doesn’t seem to be taking too much of it on herself. Still, never hurts to have check ins this close to midterms.

        • Doctor_Who
          Doctor_Who
          April 18, 2019 at 12:24 am | #

          Guess Sierra works. Unless the “no shoes” thing is due to some sort of bizarre phobia.

        • Delicious Taffy
          Delicious Taffy
          April 18, 2019 at 12:29 am | #

          She’s too healthy. I don’t trust it. In a few chapters, we’re gonna find out she has a secret spot in the park with like, a dead body she makes out with, or something. /s

          • Clif
            Clif
            April 18, 2019 at 12:38 am | #

            We haven’t seen the squirrel in a while.

            • Opus the Poet
              Opus the Poet
              April 18, 2019 at 1:14 am | #

              You think maybe Sierra went off the vegan bandwagon?

            • Slartibeast Button, BIA
              Slartibeast Button, BIA
              April 18, 2019 at 1:24 am | #

              I blame Momo.

              https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1485

              • King Daniel
                King Daniel
                April 18, 2019 at 2:05 am | #

                That strip is copyright 2009.

                Squirrel’s last tagged appearance was in 2014: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/02-i-was-a-teenage-churchmouse/crankier/

                So Momo is clearly blameless.

      • Terry
        Terry
        April 18, 2019 at 12:34 am | #

        Dina. Dina is well adjusted. She may be a bit unusual, but she owns it and is happy with who she is. How many people can say the same?

        • Clif
          Clif
          April 18, 2019 at 12:43 am | #

          Dina benefited from Amber’s practical advice. She may not need a traditional therapist but she could definitely use someone who could explain social interactions and cues in her own terms.

          • Needfuldoer
            Needfuldoer
            April 18, 2019 at 1:54 am | #

            So in her case, either a therapist or an anthropologist will do.

      • Nono
        Nono
        April 18, 2019 at 1:14 am | #

        Sarah’s alright. Horribly misanthropic, but otherwise? She’s doing ok.

      • Pseudoclasm
        Pseudoclasm
        April 18, 2019 at 1:52 pm | #

        Recovering sex addict.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      April 18, 2019 at 12:30 am | #

      From the main cast page? Yeah, I think most of them could benefit from it.

      Good luck getting some of them to say anything though.

      • Jamie
        Jamie
        April 18, 2019 at 12:37 am | #

        For those who read Questionable Content way back in the day, there was that moment when the therapist refused to take any more members of her client’s inner circle. Because the entire cast was starting to go.

        • Slartibeast Button, BIA
          Slartibeast Button, BIA
          April 18, 2019 at 1:03 am | #

          “‘Just go out and bang some dude’ is one of the phrases you will never hear a psychiatrist say. Other such phrases include ‘I think the heroin is doing you a lot of good,’ and ‘Jesus, no WONDER your mother never loved you.'”

          https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=809

          • Sunny
            Sunny
            April 18, 2019 at 6:42 am | #

            *clicks on a link*

            • Sunny
              Sunny
              April 18, 2019 at 6:43 am | #

              Aaand the second line got eaten by the html. That’ll teach me to use > and < when writing.

        • RicardtheDragoon
          RicardtheDragoon
          April 18, 2019 at 1:04 am | #

          I remember that! Not that I was reading it “back in the day”. I was going to find the strip in question, but I don’t want to end up re-reading QC for the 4th(?) time right now.

          • Masumi
            Masumi
            April 18, 2019 at 3:50 am | #

            I was like “oh, I know what you mean, but I’ll just read this one strip”. Two and a half hours later…

          • Roborat
            Roborat
            April 18, 2019 at 2:45 pm | #

            Only the fourth? pffft, amateur. (just kidding)

  8. butts
    butts
    April 18, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

    neat-o

  9. Schpoonman
    Schpoonman
    April 18, 2019 at 12:07 am | #

    Holy shit, Walky. That was brutal.

    • burntnorris
      burntnorris
      April 18, 2019 at 1:02 am | #

      Seriously, goddamn.

  10. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    April 18, 2019 at 12:07 am | #

    From Worst to First–Then back to Worst…

  11. Rabid Rabbit
    Rabid Rabbit
    April 18, 2019 at 12:10 am | #

    Huh. Expected better from Ruth, or expected the universe would find her someone better?

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      April 18, 2019 at 12:13 am | #

      Expected better from Ruth, I believe. Walky was furious with Ruth when the whole alcohol/suicide pact thing came to light earlier, since he had specifically gone to her asking her to help with Billie.

      • Marsh Maryrose
        Marsh Maryrose
        April 18, 2019 at 12:25 am | #

        “I trusted that lady to help, ‘cuz she was supposed to be the adult.”

        • King Daniel
          King Daniel
          April 18, 2019 at 12:29 am | #

          Yeah, I referenced that comic down below. Threw in another link as well so it’s (as of this comment) still awaiting moderation, but that was the first one I thought of.

          • Marsh Maryrose
            Marsh Maryrose
            April 18, 2019 at 12:40 am | #

            I keep thinking that in Leslie’s class, there might be some discussion of why a male freshman would refer to a female sophomore as “that lady,” presumably because she is so much older than him.

            • Clif
              Clif
              April 18, 2019 at 12:55 am | #

              Everyone is older than Walky, even if they’re not. It’s part of what defines him.

            • Norah
              Norah
              April 18, 2019 at 3:57 am | #

              I think Ruth might be a junior. She’s twenty, two years older than Walky. But wait a minute. He called her by a term that means an adult female. Other than “woman”, what else should he have called her? “Girl” wouldn’t have been appropriate.

            • thejeff
              thejeff
              April 18, 2019 at 7:37 am | #

              I assume in this case it had more to do with the authority position she’s in and thus the more adult role she has.

        • Heatth
          Heatth
          April 18, 2019 at 7:37 am | #

          Man, thanks for the link. Had completely forgotten about it, and that comic explain a lot about his relationship with Ruth.

    • Proxiehunter
      Proxiehunter
      April 18, 2019 at 12:18 am | #

      Expected Billie to deserve better instead of someone like Ruth being exactly as good as she deserved. I think this is one of those times when Walky’s thought process gets deceptively complex.

    • Slartibeast Button, BIA
      Slartibeast Button, BIA
      April 18, 2019 at 12:21 am | #

      Not the Ruth she deserves, but maybe the Ruth she needs right now…

  12. Kyrik Michalowski
    Kyrik Michalowski
    April 18, 2019 at 12:11 am | #

    Huh, this is not how I imagined this conversation going. Nor is it what I expected from Walky at all. I didn’t think he cared that much about Billie and Ruth’s relationship.

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      April 18, 2019 at 12:23 am | #

      Off the top of my head, these are the two most recent times Walky has expressed an opinion on Ruth/Billie:

      “Y’know, I was trying to be supportive in there, but really? Honestly? That R.A. pisses me off. When Billie crawled into my bed, I went to her. She was supposed to fix things. I trusted that lady to help, ‘cuz she was supposed to be the adult, but instead she was the source of the goshdanged problem.” – http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/04-it-all-returns/labcoats/

      “If you want something just as self-destructive [as alcohol] but legal, just invite Ruth.” – http://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/02-but-the-sun-still-shines/survey-2/

      • Kyrik Michalowski
        Kyrik Michalowski
        April 18, 2019 at 1:00 am | #

        Huh, fair enough. I guess I didn’t realize that Walky had his own thoughts on Ruth and that they were less than flattering. Thanks for the info.

      • Keulen
        Keulen
        April 18, 2019 at 1:41 am | #

        How do you manage to post two links without ending up in moderation hell?

        • Bagge
          Bagge
          April 18, 2019 at 2:13 am | #

          With SCIENCE!

          • Bagge
            Bagge
            April 18, 2019 at 2:14 am | #

            (Sorry, I’m just silly. As far as I know it’s not possible. My guess is that Willis was simply quick to moderate that post)

      • miz
        miz
        April 18, 2019 at 5:28 am | #

        Another relevant link, where Walky expressed these feelings to Ruth directly: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-8/03-faz-is-great/actualfactual/

  13. Bunk
    Bunk
    April 18, 2019 at 12:15 am | #

    Oof, I’ve been on the recieving end of a Neat like that. Not fun.

  14. Shiro
    Shiro
    April 18, 2019 at 12:16 am | #

    Walky’s like, okay then, do that and then I’ll believe you

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      April 18, 2019 at 2:12 am | #

      Yup. And given that last time he saw Billie she was completely plastered, he is not that impressed so far.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        April 18, 2019 at 7:41 am | #

        Not sure what Billie being completely plastered has to do with Ruth being better. Other than that Ruth’s getting better is why Billie was plastered – or at least why she was plastered there instead of with Ruth.

        • Bagge
          Bagge
          April 18, 2019 at 2:16 pm | #

          Walky came to Ruth for help when Billie was at her lowest point.

          He doesn’t think she has done a good job helping her.

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            April 18, 2019 at 5:22 pm | #

            Well, certainly that, but Billie getting completely plastered isn’t exactly new or necessarily tied to Ruth.

  15. Spruce Goose
    Spruce Goose
    April 18, 2019 at 12:17 am | #

    Sorry Walky. Billie is kinda trash. Caveat that Billie is also 18 and most 18 year olds are kinda trash because they’re still growing.

    I was trash at 18. I am better heading towards 30

    • Marsh Maryrose
      Marsh Maryrose
      April 18, 2019 at 12:43 am | #

      She may be trash, but she’s his like-a-bullying-sister trash.

    • RacingTurtle
      RacingTurtle
      April 18, 2019 at 12:55 am | #

      “You’re EXACTLY good enough for her, and that’s the problem.”

      Walky knows what a mess Billie is. He hoped she’d find someone that uplifts her in some way. Instead, she got alcoholic sexy suicide pact. (I say this as someone who loves Ruth & Billie, but I also kinda think Walky is right to hate Ruth.)

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        April 18, 2019 at 7:42 am | #

        And she’s got someone who is getting better and that’s driving her away. I’m not sure the problem here is Ruth.

        • RacingTurtle
          RacingTurtle
          April 19, 2019 at 1:37 am | #

          Billie’s problem is Billie. It was still Ruth’s responsibility not to be a part of that. (I’m glad she chose wrong, because…story! But so wrong.) Walky wanted Billie to have a supportive SO and a responsible, helpful RA. Instead, Billie got a terrible RA and a depressed, alcoholic SO and oops they’re the same person.

  16. Delicious Taffy
    Delicious Taffy
    April 18, 2019 at 12:17 am | #

    Oh, that last panel is relatable as hell.

  17. drs
    drs
    April 18, 2019 at 12:18 am | #

    “nostaligic”

  18. Slartibeast Button, BIA
    Slartibeast Button, BIA
    April 18, 2019 at 12:20 am | #

    We can make her better than she was. We have the technology.

    • Clif
      Clif
      April 18, 2019 at 12:32 am | #

      Stronger. Better. Faster. And with a larger femur collection.

      • Marsh Maryrose
        Marsh Maryrose
        April 18, 2019 at 12:47 am | #

        The Six Million Femur Woman.

        Wait, maybe that’s a little too close to the end of last Sunday’s GOT.

        • Slartibeast Button, BIA
          Slartibeast Button, BIA
          April 18, 2019 at 1:07 am | #

          And what do we say to the Goddess of Femurs?

          • Marsh Maryrose
            Marsh Maryrose
            April 18, 2019 at 10:55 pm | #

            We say (in Dothraki) “Femurs for the Femur Goddess!”

        • Khyrin
          Khyrin
          April 18, 2019 at 9:43 am | #

          That just puts the image of Ruth doing Derringer Meryl cosplay. Only with femurs instead of derringers.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      April 18, 2019 at 2:11 am | #

      Well… CARLA has the technology.

      And she would absolutely help.

  19. BarerMender
    BarerMender
    April 18, 2019 at 12:30 am | #

    Why, Walky? Why would you expect better? You get what you pay for, in this world.

    • Jamie
      Jamie
      April 18, 2019 at 12:44 am | #

      Ruth was the R.A. She had accepted this responsibility of being better.

      It’s a somewhat unreasonable and unfair responsibility, but it existed nonetheless, and it was reasonable of Walky to depend on it. It’s her job, and she’s being paid in room and board.

      • Bagge
        Bagge
        April 18, 2019 at 2:10 am | #

        Absolutely this!

        Which is one reason both Ruth and Walky agrees that it’s complete bullshit that Ruth is RA.

        Come to think of it… Billie has a NEW RA now. Maybe she can help.

      • Lone Duck
        Lone Duck
        April 18, 2019 at 6:31 am | #

        To be fair, she didn’t want the responsibility, it was pushed onto her, via her abusive grandpa. She was acting out in part, as an attempt to finally get fired. Now that she’s on meds, I guess she’s trying to do a less worser job.

  20. Aaron
    Aaron
    April 18, 2019 at 12:34 am | #

    Oh hell no, Ruth does not HAVE to be better for Billie. Ruth is getting help. Ruth is trying to be better for HERSELF, which is exactly what she should be doing right now. Billie needs to get better too before she loses Ruth, IMO.

    • Lingo
      Lingo
      April 18, 2019 at 12:47 am | #

      Word!

    • Spruce Goose
      Spruce Goose
      April 18, 2019 at 1:55 am | #

      This times infinity

    • Felgraf
      Felgraf
      April 18, 2019 at 2:40 am | #

      This is true!

      But it is not the whole of the truth. Because Ruth does have to be better due to her position as an RA.

      Which is in part what Walky is pissed . about, because he went to Ruth for help when he saw Billie was in dire straights, because that’s kind of her job.

      And he’s not entirely wrong to still be pretty upset with her, especially since it’s been.. what, two weeks?

  21. Leorale
    Leorale
    April 18, 2019 at 12:56 am | #

    I’m glad that Willis is representing the daily slog of getting better. (As in getting healthier from depression, but in Ruth’s case, also trying to change and live down her previous bad actions, too.)
    Getting healthier can be such constant, difficult, invisible work.
    I feel seen. Mad props to everyone on similar journeys.

  22. motorfirebox
    motorfirebox
    April 18, 2019 at 1:00 am | #

    Walky needs to wind his neck in. Billie was self-destructing just fine, well before she met Ruth. Ruth is a symptom, at worst an enabler of behavior that Billie will partake without any enabling at all.

  23. EvilMidnightLurker
    EvilMidnightLurker
    April 18, 2019 at 1:08 am | #

    Excuse me, I’m having objectivist furry flashbacks. 😫

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      April 18, 2019 at 1:32 am | #

      You what?

      • Pl0x
        Pl0x
        April 18, 2019 at 1:38 am | #

        Your avatar is creepy D:

        • Delicious Taffy
          Delicious Taffy
          April 18, 2019 at 1:57 am | #

          That’ll be Joyce getting startled by her Nobody, Ocyjex. If you’re not familiar with Kingdom Hearts metaphysics, I can elaborate.

          • oh no
            oh no
            April 18, 2019 at 2:51 am | #

            I was wondering what your ava was about, but I never got around to asking!

          • ShinyNeen
            ShinyNeen
            April 18, 2019 at 9:34 am | #

            I find it kind of hilarious that all the settings elements of Kingdom Hearts can be summarized as “metaphysics”. I’m sure it’s accurate, it’s just funny to hear it summarized so, uh, scientifically?

      • EvilMidnightLurker
        EvilMidnightLurker
        April 18, 2019 at 4:00 am | #

        The webcomic “Better Days.” The author went full Ayn Rand partway through it.

        • Khyrin
          Khyrin
          April 18, 2019 at 9:52 am | #

          Some would argue that happened in, like, chapter 4, when the mother sat down for a student-teacher conference with her son’s teacher, Miss Straw-Feminist Bedbutter, as the son turned every assignment into counter-propaganda to Miss Bedbutter’s agenda.

          Fisk wasn’t wrong, but propaganda cuts both ways.

  24. BBCC
    BBCC
    April 18, 2019 at 1:14 am | #

    Well, that’s about as painless as can be expected I guess.

  25. Treita
    Treita
    April 18, 2019 at 1:19 am | #

    I’m jealous. I’ve got severe depression, too, but I’m so bad at taking my meds that I think they’ve expired. I’d have to find the bottle first to find out.

  26. Darkoneko
    Darkoneko
    April 18, 2019 at 1:27 am | #

    Since when does Walky care lol

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      April 18, 2019 at 2:08 am | #

      About Billie?

      Since the entire comic, to varying degree of success and varying degree of ability to articulate it.

      http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/04-the-whiteboard-dong-bandit/firelitup/

  27. Pl0x
    Pl0x
    April 18, 2019 at 1:35 am | #

    Walky has unrealistic expectations. A girlfriend/RA can’t fix Billie’s depression and alcoholism. She didn’t even want to be fixed. It really depends mostly on her to improve herself. Lately she has had therapy appointments but never goes to them. Are YOU gonna try and persuade her, Walky?

    • Felgraf
      Felgraf
      April 18, 2019 at 2:41 am | #

      Perhaps, but it’s not entirely unrealistic to at least hope the RA won’t enter into a suicide pact with the person when you go to them for help.

      • Pl0x
        Pl0x
        April 18, 2019 at 10:16 am | #

        Eh, Billie did that of her own free will. RAs may have a position of authority, but they are only a couple years older than freshmen, so they’re not much wiser or anything.

        Related, Jason is only 22, which is much younger than I had thought. Which explains his lack of thinking when he did not back out from Sal. I wonder when will Walky find out about that. And what will his reaction be?

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          April 18, 2019 at 10:51 am | #

          Nonetheless, Walky went to the authority who’s supposed to help when Billie was in trouble and that authority was actually a large part of the problem, which led her to be unable to help.

          That’s one of the reasons relationships with the RA are forbidden.

        • Seregiel
          Seregiel
          April 18, 2019 at 4:04 pm | #

          Jealous his sister could do it and not himself, since he’ll blow a guy for free pizza and thought it was brilliant someone was getting ahead that way.

  28. Keulen
    Keulen
    April 18, 2019 at 1:42 am | #

    So does this mean Walky will go back to wearing those shoes again?

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      April 18, 2019 at 4:45 am | #

      I think it’s more likely that he’ll throw them away. This isn’t the first time it’s been indicated that Dorothy wanting to ‘pause’ their relationship has seriously messed him up on a few levels.

  29. Bagge
    Bagge
    April 18, 2019 at 2:06 am | #

    Walky tries to be a good brother…

    And it’s hard enough with SAL, who’s main problem is evil parents. With Billie it’s self destruction he has to worry about.

    • ShinyNeen
      ShinyNeen
      April 18, 2019 at 9:26 am | #

      I think Walky takes a lot of responsibility upon himself. He’s not good at actually doing things about it, and then he beats himself up about that, but he has high expectations for what he should do for the people he cares about.

      I really hope that trying harder with Sal will be rewarding for him, too.

  30. BenRG
    BenRG
    April 18, 2019 at 2:12 am | #

    What I think Walky is trying to say is that words and aspirations are easy; delivery is hard. Ruth should excuse him if he is only impressed after he sees concrete and lasting changes.

  31. Tacos
    Tacos
    April 18, 2019 at 3:47 am | #

    Neat™

  32. Eldritch Gentleman
    Eldritch Gentleman
    April 18, 2019 at 4:10 am | #

    Question is, can Billie be better.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      April 18, 2019 at 4:46 am | #

      I think she can; she’s demonstrated this on a few occasions. However, it’s motivating her to be better that’s going to be the difficult part.

  33. adjudicus
    adjudicus
    April 18, 2019 at 4:47 am | #

    Oh hey the name of the next storyline changed

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      April 18, 2019 at 11:49 am | #

      Not the first time – Book 6’s final chapter, “It All Returns, was originally titled “Returns to Nothing” for one example off the top of my head.

  34. Martin Smith
    Martin Smith
    April 18, 2019 at 5:04 am | #

    “Worser”, Ruth? Really?

    • Pl0x
      Pl0x
      April 18, 2019 at 9:12 am | #

      It’s archaic, but it’s a real word.

  35. Mishyana
    Mishyana
    April 18, 2019 at 7:02 am | #

    Not sure when Walky decided behaving like a relentless chode to nearly everyone in x radius began, but it’s not a good look.

    • Josh Spicer
      Josh Spicer
      April 18, 2019 at 8:18 am | #

      Really? It seems more like this is Walky being genuine, not a chode.

      Sure he still is socially awkward, but that hasn’t changed since the comic began.

      • Mishyana
        Mishyana
        April 18, 2019 at 2:35 pm | #

        I mean, those two things aren’t always mutually exclusive.

    • Cerberus
      Cerberus
      April 18, 2019 at 11:04 am | #

      To be fair to him, Ruth represents the possible first time he has internalized being failed by an adult. Like, his parents were and are awful, but he was largely shielded from that and lay on the outside of a lot of Sal’s problems with adults and the system.

      But for him, he had trusted those same things and so when he reached out to Ruth to help with Billie, trusting her to be the adult, instead (in his eyes) she slept with Billie and enabled some of her dangerous thought patterns and bad habits.

      So in his eyes, Ruth is the embodiment of adult betrayal who endangered his almost-sister at a time when he is feeling deeply protective of his little family.

      • Bagge
        Bagge
        April 18, 2019 at 2:19 pm | #

        Yup. And also a piece of him assigning some of his self-blame to Ruth. The best Walky could do to help Billie was to ask Ruth.

        That clearly wasn’t good enough – neither of them did good enough.

      • Mishyana
        Mishyana
        April 18, 2019 at 2:47 pm | #

        Mm, true. It’s not fair to lay that entirely on Ruth’s doorstep, but given recent events, maybe being ‘fair’ isn’t first on his list. Part of my assessment is his treatment of Joyce in the last couple strips too, which feels less ‘playful banter’ and more ‘god, try harder why don’t you’.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          April 18, 2019 at 3:22 pm | #

          It’s not fair, but it’s reasonable for him to see it that way. If she’d just failed that would be one thing, but she was tied directly to the problem.

          And it’s fair in the sense that this was a thing she should have been fired for. It’s more complicated than that, but it very often is and Ruth crossed a serious line.

  36. JBento
    JBento
    April 18, 2019 at 9:19 am | #

    “not good enough for Billie” can only be applied to a VERY limited set of the strip’s characters

  37. FacelessDeviant
    FacelessDeviant
    April 18, 2019 at 9:21 am | #

    Wanna turn that judgemental gaze inward for a second, Walky?

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      April 18, 2019 at 9:51 am | #

      In truth, I think that Walky is well aware of his own inadequacies. At worst, I think that he isn’t aware of all of them or he’s falling back on the ‘I am who I am’ excuse and claiming that he can’t change.

    • Schpoonman
      Schpoonman
      April 18, 2019 at 11:50 am | #

      Walky is not perfect, but struggling with learning how to study and his poor track record with Sal are a very far cry from suicide pact. Walky does have the moral high ground here.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      April 18, 2019 at 11:26 pm | #

      Does he have another way of looking at himself? I think Danny’s the only DOA guy who has been harder on himself, also arguably Joe.

  38. DahliaRose
    DahliaRose
    April 18, 2019 at 12:09 pm | #

    It really kills me sometimes how much Ruth loves Billie. <3 <3 <3 I few short days? ago she thought she could never be better then she was, now here she is saying she can be in response to what Walky said <3

  39. Tilt
    Tilt
    April 18, 2019 at 1:37 pm | #

    I… Kinda hate Walkie for this line. So far, one of Walkie’s biggest personal struggles has been that he isn’t picking up on college-level math as quickly as he’s used to and he’s handling that like a real dumpster fire. It isn’t even that he can’t do it, it’s that he barely even tries. He puts in next to no effort and then wallows in how he’s supposed to be the smart one.

    Ruth is a mentally ill, suicidal orphan who spent much of her life under the thumb of her physically and emotionally abusive grandfather and she is actually putting in effort towards self-improvement. She could have taken the easy out and not tried in therapy, fallen back on old ways and let her and Billie’s life go to hell. But, she didn’t. She is going to therapy. She is staying sober. She is taking her medicine. She’s doing what she needs to in order to be better for herself and for Billie and I really don’t think treating her so abrasively is justified. Especially after she just tried to give him help with his grades and extend a peace offering.

    • Tilt
      Tilt
      April 18, 2019 at 1:40 pm | #

      And I know I am always in Ruth’s corner lately. But I really relate with her struggle against mental illness and the effects of years of abuse. It’s hard to improve as a person when you struggle with self-hatred.

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      April 18, 2019 at 3:46 pm | #

      How much of that does Walky know?
      How much is he just worried about her effect on his near-sister Billie? He doesn’t know what she’s trying to do for Billie, he’s just seen Billie get caught up in the suicide pact.

      • Tilt
        Tilt
        April 18, 2019 at 3:59 pm | #

        Again, most people know the fallout of Ruth’s mental illness. I think I’ve mentioned that before. The fact that she’s been to therapy has been often spoken about in very public manner. And, regardless, he JUST had a lesson from Sal about looking deeper into other people’s motivations before jumping to the most convenient conclusion.

  40. Smooti
    Smooti
    April 18, 2019 at 2:23 pm | #

    Honestly? Go Walky. Yes we as the audience know how two way Ruth and Billies relationship was and how genuinely Ruth has already changed, but Walky has yet to see the full extent. He sees Ruth doing kind of better and Billie still… Billie-ing. So, “cool words, still don’t want you near my surrogate sister til I know it won’t go toxic again.” And I think from what perspective he has that’s a fair thing to say.

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      April 18, 2019 at 11:28 pm | #

      Right. Walky is frankly justified here. Not saying it doesn’t hurt, or that I don’t have compassion for Ruth, but she betrayed his trust, and was really damn unethical. You can recognize this and still recognize Ruth’s pain.

  41. Batz
    Batz
    April 18, 2019 at 8:20 pm | #

    Looks like real, positive strides toward recovery are underway.
    (Good thing there’s no such thing as a ‘Drama Tag’ in this more real-ish reality!)

  42. MatsuoTanuki
    MatsuoTanuki
    April 18, 2019 at 9:11 pm | #

    Ruth is already doing better.

  43. Smarties
    Smarties
    April 19, 2019 at 9:56 am | #

    Ruth has the most single minded and obnoxious fanbase at this point. Zero perspective or understanding towards any of the people who rightfully distrust or are critical towards someone they have every reason to be wary of.

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