Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

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May 5, 2026

Idyllic

by David M Willis on August 9, 2022 at 12:01 am
  • 05 – This Was Halloween

└ Tags: becky, dina, jennifer, ruth

Discussion (110) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. BBCC
    BBCC
    August 9, 2022 at 12:02 am | #

    Y’know, that’s probably one of the least awkward ‘wanna meet my parents’ talks that I’ve seen. XD

    • Clif
      Clif
      August 9, 2022 at 12:29 am | #

      I’ve had maybe four of those and not an awkward one in the bunch. So I dunno.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      August 10, 2022 at 12:06 am | #

      IRL, yeah, but in fiction? Those are always awkward. 😛

  2. ThunderNight
    ThunderNight
    August 9, 2022 at 12:02 am | #

    like, actually sacrifice or?

    • darkoneko
      darkoneko
      August 9, 2022 at 12:03 am | #

      “Yes.”

      • Clif
        Clif
        August 9, 2022 at 12:30 am | #

        It’s the best offer she’s had all night.

  3. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    August 9, 2022 at 12:02 am | #

    “Sacrifice? I demand REAL FEMURS”

  4. darkoneko
    darkoneko
    August 9, 2022 at 12:02 am | #

    uuuuhm. So much for your idea, Ruth

    • Rose by Any Other Name
      Rose by Any Other Name
      August 9, 2022 at 2:01 am | #

      Yeah seriously.
      Like, I already said stuff before about how Ruth is doing this stupid break up thing for all the wrong reasons.
      Billie here is just proving that point. At this point, regardless of what came before, they had something healthy and positive. And Ruth is about to blow it up for no good reason.
      … unless there’s some unexpected twist. Cause that never happens in this comic.

      • Mr.Morningstar
        Mr.Morningstar
        August 9, 2022 at 6:49 am | #

        eeeh

        i dunno about healthy tbh. Billie saying they can “act” Idyllic when Ruth wants Idyllic.

        They did not have a healthy relationship. Having good moments does not make those toxic co-dependent parts go away

      • Delavan
        Delavan
        August 9, 2022 at 10:08 am | #

        Originally I disagreed, and thought Billie wasn’t maturing out of the hate-love/self-destructive part of the relationship. But, honestly, this arc makes it seem more healthy and balanced than it has been. So, more likely, Ruth is having immense cognitive dissonance from being abused, and subconsciously self-destructing. Makes me sad, even if it isn’t surprising at this age.

        • DashWallkick
          DashWallkick
          August 9, 2022 at 11:09 am | #

          There’s no way that’s not what’s happening. She is happy and doesn’t think she deserves it and the harder she pushes the more Billie leans in and vice versa so she’s just going to tank the whole thing bc she’s not comfortable trying to be at peace. Poor fucking girl.

          • StClair
            StClair
            August 9, 2022 at 1:46 pm | #

            Happiness always ends. Always. So why not just skip ahead to the part where it goes, and avoid all of that dread and anticipation?

            • StClair
              StClair
              August 9, 2022 at 1:46 pm | #

              * where it does,
              (how did I mistype that? :p )

            • Anon200
              Anon200
              August 9, 2022 at 4:19 pm | #

              Using that logic, you could justify a healthy person committing suicide, just because they gonna die someday.

              • StClair
                StClair
                August 9, 2022 at 11:47 pm | #

                Yes, exactly.
                It’s pretty fucked up!

      • Sam
        Sam
        August 9, 2022 at 12:43 pm | #

        Eh. I still think Ruth is allowed to break up with her if she crossed her own lines of moral acceptability and cannot forgive herself for it. Because she clearly still harbors a lot of guilt about the fact she would have let her girlfriend die or even helped her do it. And a foundation filled with guilt can be very shaky.

        • Taellosse
          Taellosse
          August 9, 2022 at 1:15 pm | #

          ‘Course she’s “allowed” – but that doesn’t mean that choice is a healthy one, or “the right thing to do.”

          The fact is, making major decisions while still trying to achieve psychological equilibrium soon after not only significant trauma but also going on mood-altering medication and entering therapy for the first time isn’t especially wise. Especially if you feel compelled to conceal such decisions from your therapist until after it’s too late to be counseled on them.

          Even when the neurochemistry of depression is being chemically corrected, it doesn’t address the patterns of thought and self-image a person suffering the condition will have established. That’s why effective treatment usually includes therapy as well – because it takes work and guidance to retrain one’s brain and build healthier thought patterns – and until that work is done, trusting one’s own emotional instincts remains risky at best.

          • Joy
            Joy
            August 9, 2022 at 2:17 pm | #

            What a well-balanced take. I completely agree with you.

    • crow
      crow
      August 9, 2022 at 5:39 pm | #

      Unfortunately, Ruth wrote it in her bullet journal, so she has to do it today

  5. StClair
    StClair
    August 9, 2022 at 12:03 am | #

    Ruth’s internal monologue:
    “I know what I have to do, but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it.”

    • RassilonTDavros
      RassilonTDavros
      August 9, 2022 at 12:04 am | #

      That’s… actually very apropos, isn’t it.

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      August 9, 2022 at 12:04 am | #

      “And I know what I WANT to do, but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it more than three or four times tonight.”

      • The Oracle
        The Oracle
        August 9, 2022 at 12:29 am | #

        Three or four ain’t half bad.

    • Jahu
      Jahu
      August 9, 2022 at 12:07 am | #

      [golf clap]

    • foamy
      foamy
      August 9, 2022 at 1:28 pm | #

      Kill it, if you have to.

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      August 9, 2022 at 5:39 pm | #

      Fortunately I’m pretty sure that lightsaber she had isn’t real.

  6. Joe Moose
    Joe Moose
    August 9, 2022 at 12:03 am | #

    I’m getting serpent vs. Eve vibes here. [evilly tents fingers]

  7. The Wellerman
    The Wellerman
    August 9, 2022 at 12:04 am | #

    A dinosaur destroying the oh so holy site!?!?!

    HELL YEAH!!!! 🤘😈🤘 🦖

    *plays “Avarice” by David Fenn on hacked muzak*

  8. Cmasta1992
    Cmasta1992
    August 9, 2022 at 12:05 am | #

    Damn this is so brutal to watch play out. She’s really fell hard for Ruth and is about to be totally blindsided

    • Dara
      Dara
      August 9, 2022 at 12:16 am | #

      I know, it’s like, you know the train crashes and it crashes ugly and… omg, you know Mary is going to give herself credit, don’t you. Don’t you.

      No wonder she was smug back in current day. Christ what a monster.

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        August 9, 2022 at 4:20 am | #

        She’s been plenty smug this entire time.

        • Clif
          Clif
          August 9, 2022 at 10:14 am | #

          In her defense, it’s hard to be that self-righteous without being smug.

  9. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    August 9, 2022 at 12:05 am | #

    Well now we know the real reason they broke up. No one’s allowed to see Jennifer’s parents.

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      August 9, 2022 at 12:06 am | #

      Willis: “Shit, I don’t want to draw new characters, guess these two are having a horrible break-up.”

  10. Jahu
    Jahu
    August 9, 2022 at 12:06 am | #

    Love the giant DON’T literally hanging over this conversation

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      August 9, 2022 at 12:32 am | #

      Yup. Ruth’s planning to break up with Billie, and everything Billie suggests, Fundie Hell House is saying “DON’T.”

      Oh, hey, and the alt-text.

  11. newlland(Henryvolt)
    newlland(Henryvolt)
    August 9, 2022 at 12:10 am | #

    Dumbing of age book 12 : “How’d you like to sacrifice me on this Altar to cursed love?”

    • The Wellerman
      The Wellerman
      August 9, 2022 at 12:11 am | #

      OK that would just be fucking PERFECT 😈

      • newlland(Henryvolt)
        newlland(Henryvolt)
        August 9, 2022 at 1:44 am | #

        👌

  12. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    August 9, 2022 at 12:21 am | #

    This storyline feels like I’ve taken a deep breath and I cannot let it out.

    So much anticipation.

    • Clif
      Clif
      August 9, 2022 at 12:34 am | #

      And by anticipation, we mean bittersweet joy and dread.

    • StClair
      StClair
      August 9, 2022 at 12:50 am | #

      “SAY IT!”

  13. Suet
    Suet
    August 9, 2022 at 12:22 am | #

    *plays “Sacrifice” by Elton John on the Satan mannequin*

    “Don’t” what?

    • Clif
      Clif
      August 9, 2022 at 12:34 am | #

      Just don’t.

  14. Kravis
    Kravis
    August 9, 2022 at 12:25 am | #

    Sacrifice me… With your tongue!

    • Clif
      Clif
      August 9, 2022 at 12:41 am | #

      The genioglossus, the hyoglossus, the styloglossus, and the palatoglossus become ever more relevant.

      • milu
        milu
        August 9, 2022 at 5:51 am | #

        Meanwhile i’ll be warming up my damnyouwillus.

  15. LiterallyJustSomeGuy
    LiterallyJustSomeGuy
    August 9, 2022 at 12:41 am | #

    “I’m not sure *you’ve* met your parents” is an amazing response in this situation, and it hurts a little that it’s so fitting.

  16. michaelinasmeal
    michaelinasmeal
    August 9, 2022 at 12:46 am | #

    I mean usually someone does the stabbing in the relationship, but with lesbians you never know which one.

    • Nova
      Nova
      August 9, 2022 at 7:51 pm | #

      Unless they’re in a stone top/pillow princess situation usually it’s both of them as and when they please.

  17. King Daniel
    King Daniel
    August 9, 2022 at 1:00 am | #

    Huh, just realized that Ruth’s triple negative does, in fact, mean that she doesn’t want the Billingsworth parents to come visit after all.

    Not every day you see a triple negative.

    • Francoinblanco
      Francoinblanco
      August 9, 2022 at 1:57 am | #

      Quick Billie tell her your lovely grandpa died and its good to have someone by side at those hard time, oh and give her family heirloom – grandma neckacle and suprise her with tickets to niagara falls with hotelroom with view.

  18. Passchendaele
    Passchendaele
    August 9, 2022 at 1:12 am | #

    ruth no I want to see billie’s parents

    • Regalli
      Regalli
      August 9, 2022 at 1:26 am | #

      *Sigh* Someday.

      Someday.

      But not Halloween.

      • Passchendaele
        Passchendaele
        August 9, 2022 at 1:07 pm | #

        it’d be really funny if we almost see billie’s parents in the final doa strip, and then the comic ends

  19. Regalli
    Regalli
    August 9, 2022 at 1:26 am | #

    “If I asked, I could get at least one of them to visit.”

    Ow.

    Like we know what’s coming but also that says SO MUCH, once again, about the senior Billingsworths.

  20. Sneakystorms
    Sneakystorms
    August 9, 2022 at 1:35 am | #

    Huh, the tag is Billie instead of Jennifer in this one

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      August 9, 2022 at 1:45 am | #

      Proof that Billie and Jennifer are different people! Jennifer is Mike, I’m telling you!!!11!!

      • Clif
        Clif
        August 9, 2022 at 3:03 am | #

        You’ve convinced me.

    • Owlmirror
      Owlmirror
      August 9, 2022 at 3:48 am | #

      Yeah, and right after I pointed out that the tags of three strips said “billie” last strip, and they were changed to “jennifer” shortly thereafter.

      I think someone has some sort of weird caching thing going on in their brain.

      TBH, it happens to me as well.

    • Amós Batista
      Amós Batista
      August 9, 2022 at 8:56 am | #

      Willis have a cache bigger than Amazon and still have to change tags every day in all pages. Jesus bless him.

  21. Agentomega
    Agentomega
    August 9, 2022 at 1:45 am | #

    That triple negative tho

  22. shanunu
    shanunu
    August 9, 2022 at 1:58 am | #

    Oooooooh. So THAT’S why Jennifer is so upset

  23. C.T. Phipps
    C.T. Phipps
    August 9, 2022 at 2:12 am | #

    I wonder if Billie’s parents know she’s bi.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      August 9, 2022 at 2:30 am | #

      I wonder if Billie’s parents know that she exists

      • King Daniel
        King Daniel
        August 9, 2022 at 2:36 am | #

        I wonder if Billie’s parents know

        • Council
          Council
          August 9, 2022 at 2:38 am | #

          I wonder if Billie’s are parents

          • Needfuldoer
            Needfuldoer
            August 9, 2022 at 4:18 am | #

            I wonder if Billie’s

    • Fay
      Fay
      August 9, 2022 at 6:11 am | #

      Well, seeing as how she had a “thing” with Alice in highschool, they might be aware or suspect it. If they were ever actually around enough to see the two of them together, that is.

      • Alex
        Alex
        August 9, 2022 at 1:37 pm | #

        You are underestimating how often girlfriends get relegated to “just a couple of besties”.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          August 9, 2022 at 1:58 pm | #

          Not sure Jennifer figured out Alice was her girlfriend until well after the fact.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        August 9, 2022 at 1:57 pm | #

        I’ll bet Nina knew, but her parents probably didn’t.

  24. Bagge
    Bagge
    August 9, 2022 at 2:29 am | #

    She say the most romantic things

    • Clif
      Clif
      August 9, 2022 at 3:10 am | #

      And by romantic things we mean …

      No, actually I guess you do mean romantic things. Huh!

  25. Arianod
    Arianod
    August 9, 2022 at 3:14 am | #

    Ruth, please, read the sign >_<

    • Azhrei Vep
      Azhrei Vep
      August 9, 2022 at 7:11 am | #

      The sign knows what’s up. Let’s not hold its origins against it, and instead trust in its wisdom.

  26. Clif
    Clif
    August 9, 2022 at 3:17 am | #

    Come on Ruth. We know you can do this. Don’t be constrained by the future. You can navigate this and create a new and better timeline. Don’t make the same mistake this time through.

  27. TheStranger
    TheStranger
    August 9, 2022 at 3:26 am | #

    boy, there’s sure some “phrasing!” in that question.

    Like, that’s metaphorically what Ruth was planning to do in the FIRST place, innit? And now here’s Billie asking her if she wants to, only not metaphorically. Well, not THAT metaphor.

  28. Kyrik Michalowski
    Kyrik Michalowski
    August 9, 2022 at 3:37 am | #

    I know this is a dumb hope, especially since we’ve seen how things are in the present, but I wish to see Ruth and Billie together again. I’m hoping they can fix things between them and have a happy relationship at the end of the comic.

    Again, I know it is a dumb hope, but I’d like to believe they can have a happy and romantic relationship again one day.

    • C.T. Phipps
      C.T. Phipps
      August 9, 2022 at 7:24 am | #

      I would like them to break up but for the right reasons that they are terrible for one another and started abusively.

      • Alex
        Alex
        August 9, 2022 at 1:38 pm | #

        Isn’t that exactly why Ruth is planning to break up with her?

        • Anon200
          Anon200
          August 9, 2022 at 4:21 pm | #

          No Ruth is planning to break up cause she fears they will be in a unhealthy relationship eventually

          • C.T. Phipps
            C.T. Phipps
            August 9, 2022 at 8:58 pm | #

            Yes, she thinks they’re in a good place but no, they aren’t.

  29. Needfuldoer
    Needfuldoer
    August 9, 2022 at 4:17 am | #

    Uh-oh, here it comes…

  30. Amós Batista
    Amós Batista
    August 9, 2022 at 5:08 am | #

    Is “don’t” for Ruth or for Billie?

    • Clif
      Clif
      August 9, 2022 at 10:05 am | #

      Yes.

  31. Thomas
    Thomas
    August 9, 2022 at 6:29 am | #

    It’s official: I like Billie better than Jennifer. It’s because Billie dares to be vulnerable, while Jennifer tries to shut off every semblance of vulnerability.

    • Alex
      Alex
      August 9, 2022 at 1:35 pm | #

      Consider that Jennifer’s new friends knew who Kit Fisto was.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        August 9, 2022 at 2:04 pm | #

        Well, her new friends know that she knew who Kit Fisto was. They didn’t necessarily know and certainly don’t care.

        • Alex
          Alex
          August 9, 2022 at 3:51 pm | #

          My point isn’t that they cared, it’s that Jennifer may have shared her genuine nerdy interests with them even though it exposed her to mockery behind her back.

          • Keulen
            Keulen
            August 9, 2022 at 5:49 pm | #

            I’d rather have friends who don’t know about all my nerdy interests than friends who do know and make fun of me for it when I’m not around.

            Better yet of course would be friends who know my nerdy interests and don’t mock me for it when I’m not around.

            • thejeff
              thejeff
              August 9, 2022 at 8:36 pm | #

              True, but Alex’s point, which I agree with, is that Jennifer being willing to tell them suggests she’s in a better, more open, state. That they’re jerks taking advantage of that doesn’t change what it says about her.

  32. C.T. Phipps
    C.T. Phipps
    August 9, 2022 at 7:24 am | #

    Ruth: I wish to make this as traumatizing and horrifying as possible.

    • milu
      milu
      August 9, 2022 at 10:26 pm | #

      Willis: I wish to make this as traumatizing and horrifying as possible.

      Fixed that for you.

  33. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    August 9, 2022 at 7:41 am | #

    This sweet request seems the perfect excuse for a break up.

  34. ValdVin
    ValdVin
    August 9, 2022 at 8:05 am | #

    Okay, I’m already looking forward to Peter’s next costume change and the CRT Chamber of Horrors segment. But the situation with these two has also caught my attention.

    • Clif
      Clif
      August 9, 2022 at 10:10 am | #

      Sorry, but a rampaging dinosaur has already destroyed the next Chamber of Horrors set.

    • The Oracle
      The Oracle
      August 9, 2022 at 11:43 am | #

      Brain went for a stroll after reading “CRT Chamber” and I wound up with the Vita-Ray scene in Captain America.

  35. foducool
    foducool
    August 9, 2022 at 10:10 am | #

    *whispers softly*
    “don’t”

    • chuckroast
      chuckroast
      August 10, 2022 at 12:01 am | #

      “don’t you dare”

  36. Akane
    Akane
    August 9, 2022 at 10:14 am | #

    … Billie, what you asked was actually kinda concerning and raising hella red flags.

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      August 9, 2022 at 1:55 pm | #

      What part?
      The parents part doesn’t really – though given her parents, I suppose it could be.
      The “sacrifice” seems obviously metaphorical to me – prompted by the altar.

      • Akane
        Akane
        August 10, 2022 at 12:10 am | #

        Yes I meant the sacrifice bit to be honest. I have a trouble seeing it as metaphorical given the tragic love suicide pact thing they had going on, not going to lie.

  37. Jdorr
    Jdorr
    August 9, 2022 at 12:30 pm | #

    Oh this break up is going to Hurt

  38. Alex
    Alex
    August 9, 2022 at 1:33 pm | #

    Oh no Billie!

  39. Axel
    Axel
    August 9, 2022 at 3:49 pm | #

    that’s pretty hot but a little too on the nose billie

  40. Amós Batista
    Amós Batista
    August 9, 2022 at 8:13 pm | #

    We are in the endgame…

  41. anon
    anon
    August 10, 2022 at 12:00 am | #

    well, actually meeting the parents and telling them “yeah we only hate fuck/in a double suicide/lovers pact” would def be a way to nuke a relationship depending on how much the parents care

  42. Twig
    Twig
    August 10, 2022 at 12:33 am | #

    Why is the actually the cutest sweetest thing ever oh my gosh the breakup’s going to DESTROY me

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