Dumbing of Age Book Eleven

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'yeah we're here for your hell house, but just to edge each other into climax'
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November 23, 2023

Slickest

by David M Willis on July 29, 2022 at 12:01 am
  • 05 – This Was Halloween

└ Tags: becky, dina, jennifer, mary, ruth

Discussion (95) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    July 29, 2022 at 12:03 am | #

    Ruth Maou: gets power from human fear

    • Ana Chronistic
      Ana Chronistic
      July 29, 2022 at 12:04 am | #

      Mary’s Hell House: LGBT abortion single payer UBI

      Mary: “THIS IS THE FUTURE LIBERALS WANT”

      Becky: “Hell House, more like HELL YEAH House!!!”

      Mary: 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

      • Amelie Wikström
        Amelie Wikström
        July 29, 2022 at 5:36 am | #

        *Everybody laughs at Mary and her works*

        Mary: “Yes, keep giving of your time to God and me heathen losers, there’s no such thing as negative attention”

      • JBento
        JBento
        July 29, 2022 at 6:23 am | #

        This is just like when Republicans go on about Democrats wanting to destroy capitalism and everybody was like, “Fuck, how I wish that were true”, isn’t it?

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          July 29, 2022 at 8:22 am | #

          If only. In reality, only a tiny percentage would be on board. If you hang out in leftist circles, it might seem that way, but that’s hardly a representative sample of the population.

          That kind of rhetoric works for Republicans and probably is a good part of why the public doesn’t support Democrats nearly as much as they like Democratic policies.

          • Stanistani
            Stanistani
            July 29, 2022 at 1:28 pm | #

            I remember, a couple of decades ago, explaining to a guy with three jobs and two children how petroleum subsidies worked. “You mean my tax dollars go to billion-dollar oil companies?”

            “Yeah.”

            He became a socialist that week.

            • Joy
              Joy
              July 29, 2022 at 2:53 pm | #

              You did good work! :3

            • Ana Chronistic
              Ana Chronistic
              July 29, 2022 at 11:59 pm | #

              Nice!

  2. The Wellerman
    The Wellerman
    July 29, 2022 at 12:03 am | #

    Whatever is in that Hell House, I hope Dina tears it all up like a Tyrannosaurus! 🦖

    • Puppeteer Nessus
      Puppeteer Nessus
      July 29, 2022 at 12:07 am | #

      A few years ago a comic series was released called “Godzilla in Hell.”

      He did well for himself and they were relieved to see him go, I suspect.

      • The Wellerman
        The Wellerman
        July 29, 2022 at 12:10 am | #

        OK i just HAVE to play this now! 🤩

        *plays “Bio-Wars” from Godzilla Best Songs on hacked muzak*

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      July 29, 2022 at 1:06 am | #

      Probably more like finding the thousand nonsensical things in it.

  3. Nono
    Nono
    July 29, 2022 at 12:04 am | #

    Don’t be silly Jennifer.

    You guys are never gonna graduate.

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      July 29, 2022 at 12:07 am | #

      What’s inside Mary’s Hell House: scientific proof that they’ve actually been in college for 12 years now, with no end in sight.

      Mary: THIS is The Bad Place!

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        July 29, 2022 at 12:23 am | #

        Maybe Mary has actually discovered the secret that IU is a purgatory viewed by extra dimensional beings who take wry amusement at the struggles of thier fictitious lives. She’s peered past the 4th wall to the truth.

      • The Wellerman
        The Wellerman
        July 29, 2022 at 12:46 am | #

        Oh come on Doctor. You know as well as I do that time doesn’t really work that way.

        It’s more like a ball of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey… stuff.

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      July 29, 2022 at 1:30 am | #

      Does it count if she drinks out of a graduated beaker?

  4. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    July 29, 2022 at 12:05 am | #

    Mary’s haunted house: Unironically the perfect place to destroy your relationship!

    • Sirksome
      Sirksome
      July 29, 2022 at 12:06 am | #

      I guess this answers the question of why Mary knows what went down on Halloween. She probably witnessed it first hand.

      • Proxiehunter
        Proxiehunter
        July 29, 2022 at 12:54 am | #

        At some level she probably caused it.

  5. True Survivor
    True Survivor
    July 29, 2022 at 12:05 am | #

    D’Awwwwwww. They are so cute together … in a weird slightly (very) disturbing fashion.

  6. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    July 29, 2022 at 12:06 am | #

    *plays Bruce Springsteen’s “Tunnel of Love” on the hacked Muzak*

    • The Wellerman
      The Wellerman
      July 29, 2022 at 12:07 am | #

      Link please?

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        July 29, 2022 at 2:35 am | #

        As requested:

        https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9d/Link_%28Hyrule_Historia%29.png

        • milu
          milu
          July 29, 2022 at 4:27 am | #

          Omggg
          You managed to be all at once silly, devious, and legitimately helpful

          I have no words

      • The Oracle
        The Oracle
        July 29, 2022 at 10:28 am | #

        Breath of the Wild Link has a stellar amount of character and personality to him, if you haven’t checked him out yet. He’s also pretty easy on the eyes, if you haven’t “checked him out” yet.

  7. UrsulaDavina
    UrsulaDavina
    July 29, 2022 at 12:07 am | #

    So i read I initially read it as Hell horse so I am imaging a Hell horse..

    • Orson Smelles
      Orson Smelles
      July 29, 2022 at 10:05 am | #

      Blucifer may be of interest to you…

    • Wizard
      Wizard
      July 29, 2022 at 9:56 pm | #

      How’s this?

  8. lia
    lia
    July 29, 2022 at 12:09 am | #

    aw ;_;

  9. Suet
    Suet
    July 29, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

    Alright, but you’re gonna miss out on pizza! If there‘s any!

    • lily
      lily
      July 29, 2022 at 3:12 am | #

      lol would it really be skipping the party (unless tehy break up at the end/middle of it) since dina and becky going in too means they’ll prolly go through it and then go to sarah/joyce’s party afterwards lol

  10. Dara
    Dara
    July 29, 2022 at 12:13 am | #

    willis

    WILLIS

    you monster

  11. AbacusWizard
    AbacusWizard
    July 29, 2022 at 12:16 am | #

    I am excited for hell house

  12. RassilonTDavros
    RassilonTDavros
    July 29, 2022 at 12:22 am | #

    This is going to be either hysterical or heartbreaking. Possibly both.

    • Amós Batista
      Amós Batista
      July 29, 2022 at 11:08 am | #

      This entire moment is going to be ugly, I guess.
      I wish Becky and Dina leave this place soon, but they should passed through this Halloween better than RuLlie.

  13. Wraithy2773
    Wraithy2773
    July 29, 2022 at 12:37 am | #

    Dang it, who spilled all this gasoline on my pile of dried logs! Inconsiderate jerks like that really tick me off, let me put this box of oily rags down on top so I can have a smoke to calm down…

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      July 29, 2022 at 12:50 am | #

      Where can I store this crate of nitroglycerin, then?

      • Reltzik
        Reltzik
        July 29, 2022 at 1:33 am | #

        That stuff’s kinda dangerous, so let’s put this box of fireworks between it and the flammables. There! Now everything’s safe!

        • Amelie Wikström
          Amelie Wikström
          July 29, 2022 at 5:40 am | #

          I’ll play Bowie’s “Putting out fire with gasoline” on a loud volume here, since nothing dramatically ironic should happen in real life!

  14. StClair
    StClair
    July 29, 2022 at 12:43 am | #

    Ruth, you’re a bad liar.

  15. thakoru
    thakoru
    July 29, 2022 at 12:44 am | #

    I *almost* feel bad for Mary. Almost. She probably put a lot of effort into this, and got FOUR WHOLE PEOPLE to show up – she’s probably thinking, “Wow, people actually listened to me! Maybe I’m starting to get some actual respect around here!” But of course they’re all strictly to laugh at her and her thing.

    Now that I think about it, I think “almost feeling sorry for her” is more or less how I generally feel about Mary. She seems like a very lonely person who spends more time than not angry and bitter, and I almost pity her for that, but then I remember that she has literally no one to blame but herself, and I go back to feeling pure schadenfreude whenever she gets dunked on.

    • Meagan
      Meagan
      July 29, 2022 at 1:02 am | #

      Surely she has other people to blame besides herself? I presume she grew up with the beliefs she espouses, or some form thereof. And yeah we can say that now that she’s living away from her family she can develop her own beliefs like Joyce and Becky, but that’s an individual journey.

      • The Oracle
        The Oracle
        July 29, 2022 at 1:09 am | #

        Until she grows some curiosity and starts to learn how to act like a person, yes, it’s still her own fault she’s Like This. There are definitely circumstances, but clearly she’s not interested in looking beyond them.

      • King Daniel
        King Daniel
        July 29, 2022 at 1:17 am | #

        According to Willis’s last word on the subject, Mary’s parents are pretty decent people, and they’re very disappointed with how Mary has turned out.

        • The Oracle
          The Oracle
          July 29, 2022 at 2:07 am | #

          Sometimes a parent can do everything in their power to raise a kid right, and the kid will still turn out to be a complete dingus.

    • Daibhid C
      Daibhid C
      July 29, 2022 at 5:29 am | #

      I mean, as I understand it (from American media, they’re not a thing over here), if you set up a Hell House, your target audience isn’t exactly people who agree with what you’re saying

      • The Oracle
        The Oracle
        July 29, 2022 at 5:45 am | #

        The entire point is to be as much of a nuisance and pest as possible, so that when people have had enough you can put on some fake tears and say “Look how mean they’re being to meeeee!”. I’m not exaggerating and it’s public knowledge.

        • Amelie Wikström
          Amelie Wikström
          July 29, 2022 at 6:08 am | #

          Yeah, the comic has talked plainly in the past about how sects like Mary’s and Becky’s train you to do that sort of thing with every part of your life in order to alienate the secular (i.e. not-your-sect) world and make you isolated while also instilling a sense of righteous superiority and persecution. Or, I think it was in the comic itself, could have been Willis posting.

        • JBento
          JBento
          July 29, 2022 at 6:32 am | #

          “Do you even know what the word “persecution” means, boy?”
          “Yeah, it means you don’t do what I think is right.”
          https://somethingpositive.net/comic/holy-ghost-stories-pt-7/

    • Amelie Wikström
      Amelie Wikström
      July 29, 2022 at 5:47 am | #

      If Mary didn’t spend all her time being bitter and lonely she might start noticing other people instead of thinking they are a faceless herd of godless beasts headed for hell and she’s so much better than them, and then where would she be?

      I mentioned this above, but I really think Mary feels everybody turning up to laugh at her is a success because she doesn’t know how, or doesn’t care about other people enough, to distinguish between good and bad attention.

  16. The Oracle
    The Oracle
    July 29, 2022 at 12:45 am | #

    Uh, Billie, she tried to express genuine love like 20 minutes ago and you kept being a dink about it. Yes, I do remember strips that happened before this one, you can’t fool me.

    • Francoinblanco
      Francoinblanco
      July 29, 2022 at 1:58 am | #

      Is it possible to learn this power?

      • The Oracle
        The Oracle
        July 29, 2022 at 2:06 am | #

        Not…from a Jedi.

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      July 29, 2022 at 8:29 am | #

      Of course, she was also plotting to break up with her at the time, so it’s all a bit more confused than that.

      • The Oracle
        The Oracle
        July 29, 2022 at 10:25 am | #

        I think it’s pretty straightforward, what I said. Billie actively sucks, no matter how hot she is and no matter what weird plans Ruth has in store. I like ’em better split up.

  17. Twig
    Twig
    July 29, 2022 at 12:50 am | #

    GOD that felt entirely too sweet this is gonna HURT

  18. not someone else
    not someone else
    July 29, 2022 at 12:50 am | #

    Yeah, it’s all the more irritating that she has real human motives for being a douche and could choose not to be at any time. She’s even capable of not being a douche for long enough to get a commission from Sarah, but nah, even with the little we see her she’s a complex character.

  19. Reltzik
    Reltzik
    July 29, 2022 at 12:52 am | #

    Absolutely nothing could possibly go wrong with Ruth’s plan, and I unreservedly endorse it.

    • Clif
      Clif
      July 29, 2022 at 1:27 am | #

      I say there, where’s the popcorn?

  20. BBCC
    BBCC
    July 29, 2022 at 1:26 am | #

    Normally I’d say Ruth and Billie are about to have a fun night but they’re really really not.

    • Amós Batista
      Amós Batista
      July 29, 2022 at 4:18 am | #

      Willis had told us this in the alt text.

  21. Needfuldoer
    Needfuldoer
    July 29, 2022 at 2:38 am | #

    Uh-oh… Ruth’s going to rip off the bandage and the scab’s coming with it.

  22. Laura
    Laura
    July 29, 2022 at 2:49 am | #

    *Plays “You’re No Good” on the hacked muzak (complete with foot-stomping rhythm line):
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV0PYUG7yOk

    Plays “You Don’t Own Me,” by Lesley Gore after that:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e166LIQ5nSg

  23. anon
    anon
    July 29, 2022 at 3:06 am | #

    lol too bad mike’s still not around to take a pic of mary and photoshop out the thumbs down of the 666 and post it online everywhere lol(well anyone else can do so as well)

    • kgy121
      kgy121
      July 29, 2022 at 3:27 am | #

      Yep, here’s one.

      https://i.imgur.com/AANu6KR.png

      • The Wellerman
        The Wellerman
        July 29, 2022 at 11:56 pm | #

        LOL

  24. Akane
    Akane
    July 29, 2022 at 4:04 am | #

    I really don’t understand this. She throws any tenderness back into Ruth’s face with disgust and contempt but then pulls this?!

    • hazel
      hazel
      July 29, 2022 at 4:11 am | #

      Ruth is also doing the same thing here, so safe to say it’s been consentual bullying that is falling apart. Ruth’s TELLING Billie they thrive on hate. Billie is genuine, Ruth bristles, and Billie follows it with a knowing joke.

      • Akane
        Akane
        July 29, 2022 at 4:25 am | #

        True though this also came after the attempt by Ruth, when she said she loves Billie in these words, blowing up in her face.

      • Daibhid C
        Daibhid C
        July 29, 2022 at 5:31 am | #

        Okay, I read it that Billie was, in fact, saying it to piss Ruth off (the “look how very sincere and innocent I’m being” panel), but I officially stopped trying to understand Billie and Ruth’s relationship a while back, so I’m probably wrong.

      • Devin
        Devin
        July 29, 2022 at 3:12 pm | #

        That’s just a restating of their well-established dynamic in general. It seems to me that Billie is not being genuine here, that this is a mocking reference to Ruth’s attempt at earnest affection.

    • Amelie Wikström
      Amelie Wikström
      July 29, 2022 at 6:02 am | #

      They both seem to think the way to act in a non-dysfunctional relationship is just to do either what they’re used to but ironically, or do the opposite of that, at random? They got a lot to figure out. That they probably won’t by breaking up.

      • Devin
        Devin
        July 29, 2022 at 3:13 pm | #

        I’m skeptical that they figured it out by what we saw after the timeskip.

  25. Pongles
    Pongles
    July 29, 2022 at 4:17 am | #

    Nope, I was wrong.

  26. darkoneko
    darkoneko
    July 29, 2022 at 4:51 am | #

    yep, it hurts knowing how That is gonna end

  27. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    July 29, 2022 at 5:55 am | #

    Go to see Mary’s thing seems some.sort of really bad punishment that could traumatised you for life, or at least ruin your afternoon. I’m hoping the thing is so ridiculously serious to become incredibly funny to see.

  28. JBento
    JBento
    July 29, 2022 at 6:34 am | #

    Super-healthy dynamic, these two.

  29. Juanoku
    Juanoku
    July 29, 2022 at 6:39 am | #

    I hate that i love them

  30. thumb
    thumb
    July 29, 2022 at 7:23 am | #

    And this is why Jennifer’s so pissed off now. She was so into that relationship that she was starting to be genuine. And then Ruth breaks up with her. “For her own good”. That’s devastating.

    • The Oracle
      The Oracle
      July 29, 2022 at 8:34 am | #

      Hm, maybe she shoulda cleaned up her act sooner then, how sad for her. 💅

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        July 29, 2022 at 11:06 am | #

        Wouldn’t have mattered because that’s not why Ruth’s breaking up with her.

        • The Oracle
          The Oracle
          July 29, 2022 at 12:11 pm | #

          I’d have more sympathy for her if she wasn’t such a toxic asshole. I’m not arguing with you in two separate threads about the exact same thing though.

    • Fuzzy
      Fuzzy
      July 29, 2022 at 11:56 am | #

      I mean to be fair she wasn’t being genuine like thirty minutes ago so this is a pretty recent idea of hers, it seems.

  31. Wereg
    Wereg
    July 29, 2022 at 11:51 am | #

    Man, the more this shows how their relationship evolved, the more sense Jennifer’s HARD turn makes to me. I’m still kinda reeling from the revelation that this was like… a week after the kidnapping.

  32. the jighole man
    the jighole man
    July 29, 2022 at 12:03 pm | #

    lets not pass judgement just yet.
    this is all leadup to the thing that made ruth have her second thoughts.
    the badaboom that make us all say “oh, that’s why she left” hasn’t even happened yet.
    it probably won’t happen for another 2-3 ruth/billie episodes.
    (so maybe about 2-8 pages if you include the possible becky/dina/dorothy/joyce pages)

    • The Oracle
      The Oracle
      July 29, 2022 at 12:13 pm | #

      I thought the comments section was here so we could collectively pass judgement before we even knew there was something to judge? That’s the vibe I’ve picked up.

      • the jighole man
        the jighole man
        July 29, 2022 at 8:01 pm | #

        such is the way of most comment sections.

  33. Greylurker
    Greylurker
    July 29, 2022 at 12:09 pm | #

    whatever happened here is why Mary is now lurking in shadows isn’t it

    • The Oracle
      The Oracle
      July 29, 2022 at 12:12 pm | #

      Mary came out the womb lurkin’.

    • Bryy
      Bryy
      July 30, 2022 at 2:48 am | #

      Yeah. Now Mary’s words to Billie have a much more contextual tone in…. context.

      “You got off easy” seems very much less like a casual snide remark AND 100% like “I scared your girlfriend straight”. Which, given how Mary seems to have reveled in that statement (the one she actually did say)…. good god, Mary, get a life. You broke them up. Good for you. What more do you want?

      Narrator: we all know what Mary wants.

  34. Keulen
    Keulen
    July 29, 2022 at 1:04 pm | #

    Surely they can go to Mary’s dumb thing, then go to Sarah’s party.

    • The Oracle
      The Oracle
      July 29, 2022 at 2:22 pm | #

      Mary’s so unbelievably fucking exhausting that they’re gonna pass out on the way out of the common room.

  35. Bryy
    Bryy
    July 30, 2022 at 2:44 am | #

    oh fuck

    Mary actually DOES THINK SHE SCARED RUTH STRAIGHT, doesn’t she?

  36. Steelbright
    Steelbright
    July 30, 2022 at 4:37 am | #

    I reaaaalllly should’ve expected this, but i’m getting a lot more understanding of post-time-skip Jennifer right now

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