Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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July 9, 2026

Secret nerd

by David M Willis on February 9, 2020 at 12:01 am
  • 02 - To Remind You of My Love
└ Tags: jennifer, kit fisto, lucy, ruth, star wars, wookieepedia

Discussion (156) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Suet
    Suet
    February 9, 2020 at 12:04 am | #

    One of us! One of us! Billie’s a nerd! One of us!

    • ktbear
      ktbear
      February 9, 2020 at 12:05 am | #

      Wow, well done Suet. How’d you DO that??

      • King Daniel
        King Daniel
        February 9, 2020 at 12:07 am | #

        Suet’s got chops.

      • Suet
        Suet
        February 9, 2020 at 9:50 am | #

        Well, with all this Kit Fisto, I even forgot myself.

        Also, spacing out into next day while watching Freaks

    • Mr D
      Mr D
      February 9, 2020 at 12:06 am | #

      WE ACCEPT HER! WE ACCEPT HER
      GOOBLE GOBBLE GOOBLE GOBBLE!

      • StClair
        StClair
        February 9, 2020 at 1:23 am | #

        someone with the rest of the ref, very nice.

  2. Nono
    Nono
    February 9, 2020 at 12:04 am | #

    That room transfer clerk is gonna have a visitor soon.

    • clif
      clif
      February 9, 2020 at 2:05 am | #

      Mike?

  3. Slartibeast Button, BIA
    Slartibeast Button, BIA
    February 9, 2020 at 12:04 am | #

    Not to be confused with Jabba’s butler guy.

    • Delicious Taffy
      Delicious Taffy
      February 9, 2020 at 12:08 am | #

      That’s Clavicus Vile.

      • LeslieBean4shizzle
        LeslieBean4shizzle
        February 9, 2020 at 12:20 am | #

        I would make some sort of snooty joke about you knowing the name of Jabba’s butler guy…
        BUT…
        Earlier this evening, I was talking to someone who’d seen the last two episodes of the Witcher on Netflix (at that point, I hadn’t) and they mentioned “the mage guy with a sword”
        And I was like “Vilgeforte’s in the show?!”

        • MatthewTheLucky
          MatthewTheLucky
          February 9, 2020 at 2:59 am | #

          Your snooty joke would be ruined by the fact that his comment was intentionally wrong- Vile is a Daedric Prince from Elder Scrolls, not a Star Wars character.

          • LeslieBean4shizzle
            LeslieBean4shizzle
            February 9, 2020 at 11:56 pm | #

            Ha!
            Shows what I fuckin’ know about Star Wars. :p
            … or the Elder Scrolls for that matter.

      • Regalli
        Regalli
        February 9, 2020 at 12:34 am | #

        So the Jedi are followers of Jyggalag, right?

        • King Daniel
          King Daniel
          February 9, 2020 at 12:57 am | #

          Jyggalag’s a little too absolute for most of the Jedi, I imagine.

        • Lokitsu
          Lokitsu
          February 9, 2020 at 9:51 am | #

          The final trilogy would have been 100% more awesome with Sheogorath in it.

          • King Daniel
            King Daniel
            February 9, 2020 at 2:03 pm | #

            Cheese for everyone! Wait, scratch that. Cheese for no one.

      • RacingTurtle
        RacingTurtle
        February 9, 2020 at 12:44 am | #

        Freaked me out a little the first time I ran into his talking dog right outside Jabba’s palace, not gonna lie

        • He Who Abides
          He Who Abides
          February 9, 2020 at 1:50 am | #

          You mean Creeper, right?

          • King Daniel
            King Daniel
            February 9, 2020 at 2:14 am | #

            Creeper, Barbas, they’re all the same.

            • Reltzik
              Reltzik
              February 9, 2020 at 5:20 am | #

              It doesn’t really matter any more, since he got the axe.

              • MatthewTheLucky
                MatthewTheLucky
                February 9, 2020 at 4:58 pm | #

                That is objectively the wrong choice.

                • Reltzik
                  Reltzik
                  February 9, 2020 at 7:16 pm | #

                  There’s a limited quest log, no ability to delete quests, and the dog quest gets stuck in your log without you getting a say in it unless you don’t ever want to go near that town ever and you get stuck with a companion in a dungeon which is always the worst-case scenario in that game. It’s the ONLY choice.

                  … yes, I actually managed to run into a cap on how many quests could be in the journal.

                • He Who Abides
                  He Who Abides
                  February 9, 2020 at 10:55 pm | #

                  Um . . . I always thought having an essential companion that didn’t eat up either your companion or pet slot was a good thing?

                  Then again, I played an Argonian Atromancer who wanted as many bodies around as lizardly (it’s a word, shut up) possible, so I might be biased on this one.

                • Reltzik
                  Reltzik
                  February 10, 2020 at 3:12 am | #

                  Given that every companion in the game is dead set on interposing itself between my enemies and my power attacks / arrows / firebolts at the worst possible moment? It’s definitely not.

                • Reltzik
                  Reltzik
                  February 10, 2020 at 3:17 am | #

                  … except casters like Esberen, who the ONE TIME I let my guard down around him participated in a fight against a dragon attacking a village. And by “participated” I mean he fireballed the dragon while it was grounded and half of Riverwood was clustered around it right where they would get hurt and agroed by the fireball.

                  I hate the companion AI in that game so much…

                • King Daniel
                  King Daniel
                  February 10, 2020 at 9:31 am | #

                  Might just be a difference between the original and the Special Edition – or just different play styles, especially since I’m into roleplaying as my character – but I’m currently several hundred hours into the game myself (finally got the game myself several months back, after having been limited to vicariously living through Let’s Plays for years), and I haven’t had too much trouble with companions. Barbas was a little annoying, but not enough to be worth giving up the Masque for.

  4. King Daniel
    King Daniel
    February 9, 2020 at 12:04 am | #

    dorkuses

  5. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    February 9, 2020 at 12:04 am | #

    Somewhere, Walky’s probably cracking such a big smile right about now.

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      February 9, 2020 at 12:07 am | #

      Well yeah, he’s on verse 28 of Fleshballs, it’s the best verse.

  6. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    February 9, 2020 at 12:04 am | #

    I got drunk the night my Jedi got out of Jabba’s
    And I had to go and find him in the sand
    But before I got to the Sarlacc in my land speeder–

    • ValdVin
      ValdVin
      February 9, 2020 at 12:06 am | #

      It sounds like you may have written the perfect country and western sci-fi song.

      • Abel Undercity
        Abel Undercity
        February 9, 2020 at 4:38 am | #

        It actually times out pretty well to The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.

        • Geneseepaws
          Geneseepaws
          February 9, 2020 at 7:23 am | #

          “Lives on a mountaintop on Tattooine.
          In his youth, he once rescued a queen.
          Trained Anakin when he was just a teen,
          but couldn’t stop him from becoming a machine.
          Obieeeeee-Wan Kenobieeee
          stinked up the vile frontier.“ **

          ** Not my work. Belongs to Luke Ski

  7. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    February 9, 2020 at 12:05 am | #

    I bet Billie already has a lightsaber color picked out for herself, if pressed.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      February 9, 2020 at 12:09 am | #

      Kit Fisto’s is green, I’m just saying. 😉

    • Happilychaotic
      Happilychaotic
      February 9, 2020 at 3:24 pm | #

      Billie: “There are no Star Wars nerds here” *does a Jedí hand wawe*

      • Happilychaotic
        Happilychaotic
        February 9, 2020 at 3:25 pm | #

        Oops, that was meant to be a reply for a comment below.

  8. Lily
    Lily
    February 9, 2020 at 12:05 am | #

    Strangely sweet

  9. ValdVin
    ValdVin
    February 9, 2020 at 12:05 am | #

    Not a nerd anymore? Billie, that’s not how it works.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      February 9, 2020 at 12:05 am | #

      She’s in denial.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        February 9, 2020 at 12:06 am | #

        “You’re posting too quickly. Slow down.”

        YoU’rE pOsTiNg ToO qUiCkLy. SlOw DoWn.

        You’re not my robot supervisor!

        • ValdVin
          ValdVin
          February 9, 2020 at 12:09 am | #

          If I were you I’d take that as a challenge.

          • BBCC
            BBCC
            February 9, 2020 at 12:10 am | #

            IKR?

    • Nono
      Nono
      February 9, 2020 at 12:22 am | #

      I mean, sometimes your passion for things just fade over time. I was a really big gamer when I was younger, and while I still like video games and will occasionally nerd out about them, I just don’t have the time or attention span to play them for days on end anymore.

      Similarly, sometimes you just realize you don’t like the stuff you used to anymore, or things have changed a lot in modern days if you’re into tech stuff.

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        February 9, 2020 at 8:21 am | #

        That’s what retrocomputing is for! I still can’t get used to the new control panel in Windows 10 (thankfully the old one is still there), but I still know 90s Apple desktops inside and out.

        But yeah, I’m with you on gaming. The only new games I’ve gotten excited bout for the last fe years have been nostalgia trip cash-ins like the remastered Spyro and Crash Bandicoot games. (I wish they’d hurry up and release CTR: Nitro Fueled on PC…) I picked up a Vive, but mostly for racing and golf sims. But I did finally get a PS3 and Gran Turismo 5, and my soft modded PS2 keeps me busy.

        • Deanatay
          Deanatay
          February 9, 2020 at 10:46 am | #

          GOG is my best place on the internets right now. Recently downloaded Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri – ah, my youth.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        February 9, 2020 at 6:17 pm | #

        Sometimes, sure, but then she tries to pass it off as a joke, which makes me think it’s more denial.

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      February 9, 2020 at 12:28 pm | #

      Out of curiousity, ValdVin, why didn’t you use the frame with the stars in Lucy’s eyes? I mean, I guess Nash’s smile is a big plus for this one…

    • Happilychaotic
      Happilychaotic
      February 9, 2020 at 3:26 pm | #

      Billie: “There are no Star Wars nerds here” *does a Jedí hand wawe*

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        February 9, 2020 at 6:17 pm | #

        I would have died and died happy.

        Which is why it didn’t happen – Willis is gonna kill us with misery.

  10. BBCC
    BBCC
    February 9, 2020 at 12:05 am | #

    Too late, Billie. The jig was up as soon as you knew Kit’s name. Just knowing him might get a pass – lots of movies only people liked him. But knowing his name requires familiarity with either the Legends or the Disney EU and so. Yeah. Busted.

    And god I love all three of these kids.

    • Regalli
      Regalli
      February 9, 2020 at 12:28 am | #

      Billie has totally read 72k of slow burn courtly romance/pining fic involving Jedi angst and secret romance. It’s why she was so on board with secretly dating Ruth.

      This is canon now, you can’t convince me otherwise.

      • Meagan
        Meagan
        February 9, 2020 at 1:11 am | #

        I mean, one can get through 72k in a weekend if “necessary.” Even a day perhaps, if one is a high schooler with no other responsibilities.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        February 9, 2020 at 1:33 am | #

        That’s literally just him and Aayla. They were both interested but well…Jedi. They called it off because of that but their relationship was considered very close and the fandom DEFINITELY has fic that would match that.

        • MatthewTheLucky
          MatthewTheLucky
          February 9, 2020 at 3:02 am | #

          27 fics on Ao3, as of the time of this posting.

          (Yes, this is a challenge. Y’all know who you are.)

          • BBCC
            BBCC
            February 9, 2020 at 3:12 am | #

            Probably more on FF.Net. That’s the fic archive I hung out on at the time.

            …Shut up, I was 12.

            • BBCC
              BBCC
              February 9, 2020 at 3:15 am | #

              NVM, there’s only 23 there. I checked. At least, 23 with them as the main pair.

              • Spriteless Girl
                Spriteless Girl
                February 9, 2020 at 8:24 am | #

                Was that cartoon before or after the great porn purge?

                • BBCC
                  BBCC
                  February 9, 2020 at 12:10 pm | #

                  Started in 2008. So…unsure?

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      February 9, 2020 at 2:51 am | #

      Denying it by mentioning Wookieepedia makes it even more clear that Billie is a Star Wars nerd.

      • Abel Undercity
        Abel Undercity
        February 9, 2020 at 4:39 am | #

        Wookieepedia was the final nail.

    • Fire_Daws
      Fire_Daws
      February 9, 2020 at 8:58 am | #

      Meh, I was more of a fan of Luminara Unduli myself.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        February 9, 2020 at 12:16 pm | #

        I liked both of them.

  11. Passchendaele
    Passchendaele
    February 9, 2020 at 12:06 am | #

    relationship over, too nerdy

  12. purblebirb
    purblebirb
    February 9, 2020 at 12:08 am | #

    Ruth’s smile is priceless

    • Lokitsu
      Lokitsu
      February 9, 2020 at 1:14 am | #

      Not true- Billie’s going to pay dearly.

      • Yugnat
        Yugnat
        February 9, 2020 at 5:37 am | #

        Can agree to both of these comments.

  13. abysswatcher1993
    abysswatcher1993
    February 9, 2020 at 12:16 am | #

    Everyone is a nerd of something even if they deny it. There’s sports nerds, anime nerds, art nerds, history nerds, philosophy nerds, economics nerds, science nerds, comic books nerds, tabletop games nerds, weapons nerds, animation nerds, etc.

    A person that isn’t a nerd of something would be a bland person, and there’s no human that has no interests, even if they try to be hipsters that pretend to be ironic instead of confesing they like stuff in a sincere way.

    • abysswatcher1993
      abysswatcher1993
      February 9, 2020 at 12:18 am | #

      Even someone who dislikes super hero movies would still be a nerd of classic cinema, and the most obnoxious cool kid would have watched every episode of Stranger Things.

    • drs
      drs
      February 9, 2020 at 12:24 am | #

      Some depressed and parent-type people I know seem a lot less nerdy, which is to say passionate about anything, than they used to be.

      • Deanatay
        Deanatay
        February 9, 2020 at 10:20 am | #

        Is it possible to be a ‘parenting nerd’? From how some parents talk about ‘little tricks’ of diaper changing and tantrum management, I believe it must be a thing.

    • LeslieBean4shizzle
      LeslieBean4shizzle
      February 9, 2020 at 12:47 am | #

      It’s funny you should mention “economics nerds”. That phrase was one of the base elements of one of my major romantic leads.

      The above makes more sense if you are aware that my non-day job is writing LGBT+poly romance novels. And that the protagonist of my main series is a bi woman whose main male romantic lead can be described as an economics nerd.

    • BarerMender
      BarerMender
      February 9, 2020 at 10:38 am | #

      I still regard “nerd” as an insult and refuse to own it. I’m a history buff, thank you very much.

  14. GlaceEx
    GlaceEx
    February 9, 2020 at 12:17 am | #

    They better not have Ruth break up with Billie after all this, I will be pissed.

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      February 9, 2020 at 12:26 am | #

      Look, Ruth clearly says Billie is too much of a dork for her, the evidence is clear

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      February 9, 2020 at 8:23 am | #

      99% sure Ruth’s just ribbing her.

  15. FaerwenofValenwood
    FaerwenofValenwood
    February 9, 2020 at 12:23 am | #

    Lucy’s face in the last panel is a gift.

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      February 9, 2020 at 10:21 am | #

      RUTH’s face in the last panel is a gift!

  16. Dara
    Dara
    February 9, 2020 at 12:26 am | #

    STORYTIME

    When I was in grad school at the University of Kentucky, I was working part-time at a couple of radio stations, neither of which were UK’s then-classical-music public radio station, WUKY.

    And that was a shame, of course, because to me this spells wookiee. But being too busy counting fruit fly genomes I never quite managed to make up an ID bumper riffing on that, much less get some friend to quietly insert it into the rotation without telling anyone so it would go on the air by surprise. But I did work out a few scripts, all of which went something like:

    [wookiee roar]

    [wookiee-like voice shouting] “WOOKIEE RADIO!”

    [Carrie Fisher] “Would somebody get this walking carpet out of my way?!”

    [Blaster SFX]

    [Announcer, for legal compliance] Ninety One Point Three F. M., W. U. K. Y. — Lexington.

    Not doing this is pretty much my only major regret from grad school.

    • StClair
      StClair
      February 9, 2020 at 1:26 am | #

      I approve of this unrealized dream.

    • Bicycle Bill
      Bicycle Bill
      February 9, 2020 at 2:02 am | #

      Give ’em time … it will happen.

  17. Valerie
    Valerie
    February 9, 2020 at 12:36 am | #

    I thought last strip’s “she left me” was a euphemism for Billie’s friend dying, but I guess not? Was this the friend that she dated, so she “left” her as in they broke up?

    • RacingTurtle
      RacingTurtle
      February 9, 2020 at 12:45 am | #

      Yeah, it was probably Alice.

      • Ron again
        Ron again
        February 9, 2020 at 4:10 am | #

        It was definitely alice, but I’m not sure about breaking up as friends or lovers.

        Billie was rather surprised to be dating “a girl” (Ruth). I got the idea she only recently found out that she can be attracted to women. On the other hand, reading back now, Alice did mention she thought she “loved” Billie in this strip and Walky mentions drama as being sexually transmittable between the two…

        Any ideas?

        • Ron again
          Ron again
          February 9, 2020 at 4:13 am | #

          Messed up the tags again… I meant this strip.

          • RowenMorland
            RowenMorland
            February 9, 2020 at 5:50 am | #

            Probably the same setup she was doing with Ruth prior to having an actual date and having Becky underline it for her. She is just very “bi-the way” and didn’t count the physical and attraction stuff as dating a girl if it didn’t have romantic and/or social stuff explicitly tagged on.

            • RowenMorland
              RowenMorland
              February 9, 2020 at 6:30 am | #

              Also, I’m not going to try and tag it but Walky’s last panel comment a few strips later (dramahurricane) indicates he thinks Alice and Billie were sleeping together.

              • thejeff
                thejeff
                February 9, 2020 at 9:23 am | #

                I’m pretty sure that Alice was dating Billie while Billie was just having sex with her best friend. While taking her to parties to get blitzed and bang boys.

                Not exactly a healthy relationship.

                • RowenMorland
                  RowenMorland
                  February 9, 2020 at 1:22 pm | #

                  Very plausible with what we know.

                • LeslieBean4shizzle
                  LeslieBean4shizzle
                  February 9, 2020 at 1:37 pm | #

                  Yeah.
                  If two bi girls intend to bang boys together, it is much healthier to establish the relationship firmly first.

        • BarerMender
          BarerMender
          February 9, 2020 at 10:45 am | #

          We knew early on Billie could go for women. Remember her drunkenly attempting to kiss Sal and falling on her face? Or her telling Joyce she’d rather swing with Walky’s sister than with Walky? Also, Becky mentioned to Billie she’d heard Billie had kissed a girl in high school and Billie didn’t deny it, but only wondered how Becky knew.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          February 9, 2020 at 11:53 am | #

          Billie has some messed up ideas about it, likely tied to her cheerleader/status issues. She was long emphatic about not being queer or gay or bisexual. She’s normal, not like that. As the same time, she’s always been open about her attraction, she just passed it off as something everyone does.

          I doubt Alice liked that attitude much, but she was too besotted (and young) to object much.

    • Paul McCubbrey
      Paul McCubbrey
      February 9, 2020 at 12:48 am | #

      Yeah. I’m like 99% sure it’s the girl she talked to before vomiting on Walky’s McNuggets.

  18. Tacos
    Tacos
    February 9, 2020 at 12:39 am | #

    *ahem*… NERD!!!

    • Lawzlo
      Lawzlo
      February 9, 2020 at 3:08 am | #

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZVdR19E5mU

  19. JetstreamGW
    JetstreamGW
    February 9, 2020 at 12:45 am | #

    Hahahahah, suffer.

  20. Dana
    Dana
    February 9, 2020 at 12:54 am | #

    Uh oh, Lucy’s got a project. 🙂

  21. Bagge
    Bagge
    February 9, 2020 at 12:55 am | #

    Ruth’s smiles continue to be the best things ever

  22. PB
    PB
    February 9, 2020 at 1:00 am | #

    This whole strip is now my favorite thing ever.

  23. Icalasari
    Icalasari
    February 9, 2020 at 1:09 am | #

    Meanwhile, in the dumpster where Mike’s broken body was left…

    • Lokitsu
      Lokitsu
      February 9, 2020 at 1:16 am | #

      Who is this Mike you keep speaking of?

      • Bicycle Bill
        Bicycle Bill
        February 9, 2020 at 2:00 am | #

        “Who is this Mike of which you keep speaking?”
        Fixed it for you …. one should never end a sentence with a preposition.

        • SuperZero
          SuperZero
          February 9, 2020 at 2:12 am | #

          of whom*

        • SDGlyph
          SDGlyph
          February 9, 2020 at 7:06 am | #

          Precisely the sort of pedantic nonsense up with which we should not put. 🙂

          • Masumi
            Masumi
            February 9, 2020 at 8:06 am | #

            *slow clap*

        • BarerMender
          BarerMender
          February 9, 2020 at 10:53 am | #

          Someone once suggested we not end sentences with prepositions because they didn’t do it in Latin, and it became an iron-clad rule among people who don’t know all that much English. By which I mean high-school English teachers. Fuck em. End with prepositions. Split your infinitives. We don’t speak Latin here. And, yeah, I omit the apostrophe on “em” because there’s a good chance it’s not a contraction of “them” but a holdover from the OE “hem”.

      • clif
        clif
        February 9, 2020 at 2:01 am | #

        Ask your mom.

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      February 9, 2020 at 2:55 am | #

      I’m assuming Mike’s either in a hospital somewhere or he’s going to just show up with only a few minor cuts and bruises somehow.

      • Agemegos
        Agemegos
        February 9, 2020 at 5:14 am | #

        I reckon that Mike has kidnapped the Evil Dads, and is holding them in durance in a dry well, probably in the basement of a derelict house.

      • FacelessDeviant
        FacelessDeviant
        February 9, 2020 at 5:22 am | #

        Or maybe unscathed, as it turns out HE really has super powers such as flight!
        And boning peoples moms.
        For a nickel.

        • RowenMorland
          RowenMorland
          February 9, 2020 at 1:28 pm | #

          Mike is the only one with super powers, like Dr. Manhattan.

  24. Zatar
    Zatar
    February 9, 2020 at 1:16 am | #

    SECRET NERD

  25. Josh Spicer
    Josh Spicer
    February 9, 2020 at 1:17 am | #

    This…this is adorable.

  26. He Who Abides
    He Who Abides
    February 9, 2020 at 1:58 am | #

    Well, Billie, I’m pretty sure that Lucy’s up for a romance now if things don’t work out with Ruth.

    On an unrelated note, my facial stitches are out, and the DermaBond used to hold my scar together has started flaking off. Yay! I can chew (and talk) again!

    • BarerMender
      BarerMender
      February 9, 2020 at 10:55 am | #

      Congrats. Glad you’re better.

      • He Who Abides
        He Who Abides
        February 9, 2020 at 4:57 pm | #

        Thanks.

  27. Bicycle Bill
    Bicycle Bill
    February 9, 2020 at 1:58 am | #

    Cheerleading (and the popularity/prestige one enjoyed because of it) fades over time, but nerd-dom lasts forever.  So let your nerd flag fly, high and proud!!

  28. clif
    clif
    February 9, 2020 at 1:59 am | #

    Ruth is enjoying this way too much.

  29. Chaucer59
    Chaucer59
    February 9, 2020 at 2:00 am | #

    Shitty comment, Ruth.

  30. BenRG
    BenRG
    February 9, 2020 at 3:10 am | #

    I’m not sure if it’s legal for Ruth to be enjoying Billie’s dilemma this much. Still, she doesn’t mind; she loves all of her girlfriend, especially the nerdy bits!

  31. Arianod
    Arianod
    February 9, 2020 at 3:23 am | #

    Who would have guessed that Billie’s fluster at being outed as a nerd would be the thing that would cure Ruth’s depression.

  32. Hazel
    Hazel
    February 9, 2020 at 4:10 am | #

    Lucy’s joy is the best

    • Hazel
      Hazel
      February 9, 2020 at 4:12 am | #

      Billy’s nerdness was the mentos to Lucy’s joy cola, causing an explosion of pure happiness.

  33. Shane
    Shane
    February 9, 2020 at 4:43 am | #

    Correctly using two ee’s in “wookieepedia” in her speech bubble utterly sealed her fate.

    • Lieutenant Dan
      Lieutenant Dan
      February 9, 2020 at 9:02 am | #

      Checking for the correct number of e’s in “Wookieepedia” sealed my fate.

      • LeslieBean4shizzle
        LeslieBean4shizzle
        February 9, 2020 at 1:42 pm | #

        **raises eyebrow**
        Is “sealing” one’s “fate” a new euphemism I’m unaware of?

  34. Reltzik
    Reltzik
    February 9, 2020 at 4:44 am | #

    I called Panel 5 Ruth.

    … I mean, I said it as a joke, but so did Ruth, so it still counts.

  35. Reltzik
    Reltzik
    February 9, 2020 at 5:22 am | #

    Three details I noticed about this sequence.

    1) Billie has not sworn any of these girls to secrecy.
    2) Lucy knows Walky and might want to gush to him.
    3) Run.

    • DarkoNeko
      DarkoNeko
      February 9, 2020 at 6:10 am | #

      why wouldn’t Walky know about it ?

      • Reltzik
        Reltzik
        February 9, 2020 at 7:08 am | #

        Maybe he does and maybe he doesn’t. Quite the dilemma. So let’s take the dilemma by the horns.

        If Walky DOESN’T know, and he finds out through Lucy? RUN.

        If Walky DOES know, he also knows a hundred other similar things. And will tell Lucy when prompted. RUN.

        Either way? RUN.

  36. Jay
    Jay
    February 9, 2020 at 5:35 am | #

    God this page made me hate her even more. Fucking personal space people

    • Zee
      Zee
      February 9, 2020 at 7:34 am | #

      I was waiting for the comment that says this strip somehow confirms Lucy as the antichrist

      • BarerMender
        BarerMender
        February 9, 2020 at 10:57 am | #

        Fuckin’ Lucy.

      • clif
        clif
        February 9, 2020 at 11:18 am | #

        Anyone with that much joy must be evil, right?

        On the other hand , college students don’t actually deserve personal space. Otherwise we wouldn’t cram them together into dorm rooms.

      • Sam
        Sam
        February 9, 2020 at 2:03 pm | #

        Physical affection out of joy and to which Billie herself is not protesting against is apparently a crime. Don’t ever touch or speak to anyone with actual joy in your heart because that is always guaranteed to be disrespectful and not even remotely up to individual preference that can be communicated with words and it is still disrespectful even when said person is not in fact doing anything to stop you or even acknowledging it as something bothering them. It is absolutely always a personal space invasion to even consider touching someone ever.

        • BBCC
          BBCC
          February 9, 2020 at 2:10 pm | #

          I do think Billie looks uncomfortable and is trying to get her to stop by going into denial about actually being a nerd – but that could also just be her being uncomfortable someone’s actually acknowledging her as a nerd. Regardless, Lucy probably should let her go.

          It’s the same thing with Joyce – it’s sweetly intentioned and well meaning and it is cute but they do also have an issue with touching without consent and sometimes making people uncomfortable or annoying them.

          • Sam
            Sam
            February 9, 2020 at 8:09 pm | #

            Billie, to me, seems more uncomfortable with being verbally acknowledged as a nerd – she argues against what she says, but makes no physical movement to try to get her to let go and doesn’t tell her to let go either. Hell, in the last panel even, she tries to change topics, but still does nothing about the fact that Lucy seems to have quite literally koala-hugged her.

            Also, I even went back in strips to see if she had ever been touched by Joyce or Lucy and responded negatively based on the physical contact itself before and her negative reaction has again, mostly been in response to words she doesn’t want to hear. I don’t think she overly cares very much about physical contact and while it would partially be Lucy’s responsibility to pick up on if Billie didn’t want touched very obviously, it would also be Billie’s responsibility to communicate too.

            Like, I don’t think you always have to ask if it is okay to touch someone, you just have to also be aware enough to stop if it obviously makes them uncomfortable, and I don’t think Billie is uncomfortable from the contact so much as the emotional vulnerability that comes with accepting she is a nerd actually.

            • BBCC
              BBCC
              February 9, 2020 at 10:52 pm | #

              I feel like Billie is uncomfortable to an extent with contact – like telling Joyce ‘leave some room for Jesus. A very FAT Jesus.’ She hasn’t said that to Lucy yet, but she and Lucy also don’t know each other very well yet, so I feel like, at least at the early point, Lucy should have asked ‘Are you cool with hugs?’. Especially since things like outright rejecting things like hugs can be hard. There’s a lot of cultural pressure not to do things like that.

      • Jay
        Jay
        February 9, 2020 at 6:11 pm | #

        O no, Lucy’s just too nice.

        I just really don’t like overly bubbly people.

  37. DarkoNeko
    DarkoNeko
    February 9, 2020 at 6:09 am | #

    sorry Ruth, Billie got a new girlfriend now

  38. Geneseepaws
    Geneseepaws
    February 9, 2020 at 7:11 am | #

    “I mean Wikipedia. Shit.”
    Pinpoint pupils. On the pupil, recently schooled. Don’t lie unless you can keep it up.

  39. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    February 9, 2020 at 7:17 am | #

    This means that Billie and Lucy cohabit is going to become good and with mutual respect?

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      February 9, 2020 at 10:26 am | #

      Possibly, in the long term. In the short term, Billie will have to deal with the fact that she lives with someone who knows some of her darkest secrets and doesn’t want to keep (or, indeed, sees the necessity of keeping) them secret. That will probably lead to lots of arguments and Lucy inadvertently and unknowingly making Billie feel very insecure and bitter.

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      February 9, 2020 at 11:47 am | #

      Also, Billie may have to endure more gleeful Secret Nerd hugs from her new BFF5evah.

      Or, maybe just the one, lasting for a looooong time. Like, years.

      Seriously, Lucy’s not letting go.

  40. Sporky
    Sporky
    February 9, 2020 at 8:17 am | #

    Easy on the glomping there, Lucy, this isn’t an anime con in 2005!

  41. SpaceshipPilot
    SpaceshipPilot
    February 9, 2020 at 8:29 am | #

    All I remember about Kit is that he had a droid named R6, and he had an apprentice who got murderized by General Grievous.

  42. Deanatay
    Deanatay
    February 9, 2020 at 10:40 am | #

    “Y-you can get off, now.”

    “NOPE! Sorry. Permanently attached, now.”

  43. ValdVin
    ValdVin
    February 9, 2020 at 10:59 am | #

    I remember comments in this space re “What is the measure of a nerd?”

    Welp, Kit Fisto seals it.

    I mean, I’ve seen less than half of the Star Wars movies, and even I know that the line is not “Luke, I am your father”.

  44. ziggy78eog
    ziggy78eog
    February 9, 2020 at 11:38 am | #

    You should have stopped at the DUI, Billie; now, there is no going back.

  45. Queezle
    Queezle
    February 9, 2020 at 12:11 pm | #

    that is actually kind of cute

  46. Merle
    Merle
    February 9, 2020 at 2:36 pm | #

    At least Billie had great taste in characters to nerd out over. Kit Fisto is the coolest! (With the worst name)

  47. Leadsynth
    Leadsynth
    February 9, 2020 at 2:52 pm | #

    I know this has been going on for a few strips now, but I’m just here to say that Ruth wearing Billie’s shirt is a nice touch.

    • Jay
      Jay
      February 9, 2020 at 6:12 pm | #

      I never noticed that

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      February 9, 2020 at 6:48 pm | #

      Ruth commented earlier about her shirt having vomit on it.

  48. Happilychaotic
    Happilychaotic
    February 9, 2020 at 2:55 pm | #

    Aw, Lucy is so happy! 😀

    And it’s interesting how Billie is more comfortable with her self-loathing than with her nerdiness.

    Also, Ruth’s reaction is gold.

CHOOSE A SIDE, NO COWARDS

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

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David M Willis!
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 12min
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Sal and Danny saw you from across the room and enjoy your vibe.
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 6h
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 6h
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Then they came for the sarcastic people and I was like oh great that's exactly what we need right now well done to all concerned.
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tfw you have things to do
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yep James Gunn made a Superman film
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so i got photos of the makeship dina plushie proto and honestly it looks 100% perfect except sidebar the hood can pull off the head, like a real hoodie which is something i didn't even consider should i leave that as an option, or tell them to sew the hood to the top of the head
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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
And then there were four
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daylight
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