236

Pay up
Posted on July 4, 2015 by David M Willis

236 thoughts on “Pay up”

  1. Jen Aside

    Becky: “Well, just you remember Matthew 6:24, though!”
    Joyce: “You can TOO serve God AND Arby’s!”

    (idk that may have sounded better in my head)

    1. Jen Aside

      Put something special in you this weekend, America: some Arbys, some cocaine, scotch, random schlongs. It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters.

      1. boomwolf

        You kinda turned into Owl Man at the end there.

        1. StClair

          https://twitter.com/nihilist_arbys

        2. JetstreamGW

          How do you not know of Nihilist Arby’s!?

        3. qka

          Twitter suggests the strangest things to follow.

      2. claudewicked

        The lights above Arby’s

      3. thebombzen

        I’m half expecting Jon Stewart to pop up with “Brought to you by Arby’s: Still service a sorry excuse for food.”

        1. thebombzen

          Serving*
          Wow. Lack of editing is painfully embarrassing.

        2. Yet_One_More_Idiot

          …does nobody in America eat at McDonalds? Just curious, it’s the biggest fast food chain in the UK and many other countries. xD

        3. Vincent

          alot of americans eat at McD’s… but we avoid mentioning it, as we’re all ashamed of it.

        4. Deanatay

          We’re familiar with it… just, it’s got a bit of a bad rep here, after the whole Michael Moore thing. Most Americans don’t like to admit they eat there. But they do.

        5. Yet_One_More_Idiot

          Ahhh, that explains the “secret shame”ness of McDonalds in the US. Whereas over here, nobody gives a shit about Michael Moore and so we continue to eat more McD’s than any other fast food. Then again, the only other burger fast food we have is Burger King, so… (there are other types of fast food too, like many pizza firms and fried chicken companies – and Subway – but only McDonalds and Burger King really do teh burger)

        6. Opus the Poet

          Well. that and labor laws are vastly different in the UK and a lotta the shit McD’s gets away with in the US either can’t happen or is immaterial in the UK, specifically health insurance for workers. You guys have NHS, we have employer-paid health insurance, except a lot of places (not just McD’s) just don’t bother to provide insurance for most of the people actually making the stuff that makes them money.

        7. Eric

          Doners or currywurst or fish and chips are your fast food! What the hell is wrong with you!

        8. Yet_One_More_Idiot

          We have lots of traditionally English foods – the ones you mentioned, also steak and kidney pies, toad in the hole, Yorkshire puddings, pease pottage, etc etc…

          But when it comes to fast food companies, the biggest selling one in the UK is McDonalds (and has been since I think about the 70s). Don’t forget, most kebab shops and fish and chip shops are independently owned, not national companies. 🙂

        9. Alan Lafond

          You have no Wendy’s locations? I feel for you. I can’t imagine living somewhere that does not have Wendy’s as an option. Especially if the only other choices are Burger King or McDonald’s. BK is okay, but not great, and McDonald’s isn’t even an option. The last time I ate anything from there was over half my life ago. IIRC, I was 19.

        10. AgentKeen

          Apparently, Subway has more locations in the US, but McDonald’s makes more money.

        11. Plasma Mongoose

          Because I never liked the secret sauce in McD’s burgers, I only rarely go to McDonalds except maybe for a breakfast meal when going on trips or if I feel like a cone.

        12. Roborat

          You mean the thousand island dressing?

  2. Maveric1984

    You know, the boyfriend with the collection of femurs

    1. Aeron

      Oh, the nice one! Good for you!

    2. thebombzen

      Collection of females*

    3. Roborat

      I thought you said lemurs, and I was wondering where she kept them.

  3. Stephen R. Bierce

    Horsey or not?

    1. David M Willis

      She said Arby’s Sauce!

      1. sps48

        IKR? It’s like asking if Pepsi is okay!

        1. AtomsOrSystems

          Pepsi will never be okay.

        2. NobodyImportant

          But Arby’s serves Pepsi products.

        3. AgentKeen

          Which means Mountain Dew.

          Why would anyone drink cola?

        4. Kamino Neko

          Right. Pepsi is more than OK. Pepsi is mandatory. Coke is an abomination against all that is holy.

        5. Yet_One_More_Idiot

          You wash your mouth out young lady….with Coca Cola!

          Ironically, I often see people asking in restaurants for a Pepsi and being told “we only serve Coca Cola here”, ‘cos it’s the more commonly stocked drink. ;D

        6. Finix

          Pepsi: the official soda of “I’m sorry, we don’t serve Coke, is Pepsi ok?”

      2. fogel

        Yes, but best is to mix Arby’s and Horsey.

        1. David M Willis

          no

        2. Opus the Poet

          Te gustibus non disputandum est.

        3. Lumin

          That’s ‘De gustibus…’, not ‘Te’.

        4. Adj

          With this comment, I’ve never been more devoted to a webcomic/webartist fandom than I am right now.

    2. vlademir1

      Just looking at it in panel 4 that should be obvious, it’s red not green or blue.

      1. lightsabermario

        It’s white and gold!

        1. sps48

          Blue and black!

        2. Betty Anne

          The blue and black Power Ranger is my favorite. :3

  4. Rutee

    Oh. Billie. You’re amazing. You know even Joyce is going to figure this one out REALLY quick.

    Also, Ruth is going to object, right up until she undresses you.

    1. Aeron

      She’s going to continue to object. She likes objection sex.

      1. nothri

        Its sad to see Billie objectified in this manner.

  5. brumagem

    The first of many references to Nihilist Arby’s

    1. Flipz

      Wait, is Nihilist Arbys a thing?

      1. Jen Aside

        Officially, nothing to do with arby’s. Unofficially, everything is nothing.

        https://twitter.com/nihilist_arbys

        1. Screwball

          ” Nihilist Arby’s ‏@nihilist_arbys 3h3 hours ago

          Today, celebrate a crumbling empire by shoveling fistfuls of Arbys meat into your bloated face and then drunkenly blowing off your toe.”

          I don’t know what balance of laughing & trying to help I would have. Alright, that’s a lie, I’d roll over laughing. Daniel the Human would probably help, but I recon he’d burst out laughing once the meatsack isn’t gonna bleed to death…

  6. Kris

    Two packets of Mcdonalds honey mustard! Double or nothing!

    1. boomwolf

      I see your honey mustard, and raise you three packets of soy sauce from Panda Express.

      1. ninja_jesus

        I see your Panda Express soy sauce, and raise you 4 packets of KFC margarine.

        1. brionl

          Did you ever read the ingredients of a packet of KFC “Honey Sauce”? It’s mostly corn syrup, with sugar, and a little honey flavoring.

        2. sps48

          Killjoy

        3. Yet_One_More_Idiot

          I see and raise you all a dozen KFC wetwipes. They’re lemony fresh and surprisingly tasty! 😛

        4. Skizz

          I see all your bids with a takedown trump of A packet of Fire sauce from Taco Bell

        5. Roborat

          I am sorry, but you are not allowed to use my toilet.

  7. MeghanTheWorldEater

    Nihilist much alt text?

    1. Jen Aside

      Draw the blinds. shut out the sun. Cry. The pile of meat has been on the table for weeks. Just eat it & go back to bed. Arbys: edible.

      1. MeghanTheWorldEater

        I’ve honest considered getting a twitter on a few occasions just to follow nihilist arby’s

        1. Jen Aside

          You could just bookmark it? Or not, it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters. Not even Arby’s.

        2. MeghanTheWorldEater

          and now you see why I never followed through

    2. Bermuda

      Oh god, there’s hover text? Do I have to start from the beginning now?

      1. Solenoid

        Yes. Or no. It doesn’t matter.

      2. Lord Stoneheart

        Hover text first started appearing sometime in February 2013 I believe. In that scene where Billie tells Daisy about how Ruth kissed her.

        1. Amazistool

          Damn-You-Willis however added hover text to one former strip retroactively.

          I could link to it, but that would somehow spoil the fun!

      3. nothri

        Yes. The beginning of Roomies.

  8. Plasma Mongoose

    Oh boy…

  9. Yumi

    The hover text sounds like a Nightvale ad.

    1. caesaria82

      I was gonna say! All hail the glow cloud!

      1. Lamia

        The glow cloud does not need your webcomic references. The glow cloud is above pop culture. 😉

        1. MrZombieScordo

          ALL HAIL

  10. Doctor_Who

    Joyce: “Arby’s sauce? Then I owe you change. Here”

    Becky: “A nickel? Score! That dude Mike said he can get me laid for this much, if I’m not too picky.”

    1. Jen Aside

      Becky as Mike’s understudy is surprisingly… I actually want to see this? =o

      1. user 18

        I laughed more at this than the comic

      2. saki

        Me too =0

      3. MM

        She might actually manage to break him with her enthusiasm.

  11. Cattleprod

    I’m… honestly not sure if the Arby’s sauce thing is a joke. It doesn’t seem TOO implausible that Willis would consider it as good as money.

    1. Doctor_Who

      Alas, until Patreon starts allowing us to directly pay in fast food, the process will remain inefficient.

      1. MeghanTheWorldEater

        What we need is for Patreon and Instacart to merge.

    2. BenRG

      Parts of Joyce and Becky’s psyches are still thirteen years old. Something as innocent and childish as this is in-character for them.

      1. Cybersnark

        Also, they’re college students.

        I have bartered for change to do laundry.

    3. Deanatay

      They’re college students. You’d be surprised what they value as currency.

      1. Hielario

        As a college student, i agree. A good drying rack can do wonders for your social position there.

    4. Darkoneko

      Well, seeing who they are, they’d never bet actal money on things.

  12. Taigan

    Dammit. The nearest Arby’s is a 40 minute drive away. And I don’t have a car.

    1. Opus the Poet

      But if you ride a bike the deleterious effects of the “food” at Arby’s will be burned from your system leaving only the desired effects behind. And yes, I’m proselytizing. Have you heard the good news about Lady Ghisallo? 😀

      1. Bicycle Bill

        You realize, Opus, that I am probably the only person here who understands that reference?

        1. Opus the Poet

          😀

        2. Opus the Poet

          As long as one person gets the joke.

      2. neeks

        “‘eat’ at ‘arby’s'” – opus the poet, probably

    2. Amazistool

      Oh, there’s no arbys around you? Boo hoo. You’ll die on the side of the highway based on your litany of bad decisions. Bye. (Fart sound)

  13. Flipz

    *Waits eagerly for more Becky/Sal shenanigans*

  14. Confuzor

    Is it just me or is there some kind of odd filter or fuzz over Billie in the last panel?

    1. Maveric1984

      Nah, your monitor is just dirty

      1. Roborat

        Stop licking your monitor.

  15. LadySol

    What’s up with Billie’s hair in the last panel?

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Ponytail?

      1. LadySol

        No see, it’s the wrong color all of the sudden while none of the rest of her has changed shade…

  16. caesaria82

    Oh Billie, your self-denial is making me sad. You don’t have to tell people WHO you’re dating, but it’s sad that you can’t/don’t want to tell them it’s a girl 🙁

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      She didn’t want to freak Joyce out any further I’m guessing.

      1. caesaria82

        I doubt that would have made a difference to Joyce at this point lol.

        1. Cybersnark

          It would’ve lost her the bet.

    2. redsquirrel

      I’m not sure if it’s that, or that giving the wrong gender just makes it easier to hide it since they’ll be looking for a guy instead of a girl.

      1. caesaria82

        That’s actually a good point, I hadn’t thought of that! Still, Billie doesn’t neccessarily strike me as a person brimming with bi pride. She’s been evasive about her sexuality before, I think? I mean, I understand her, I wasn’t particularly out and proud at her age either (I mean, I was out, but like, to 4 people lol). But, y’know? I wish I had been! Is all I’m saying.

        1. Kraken

          Yeah I think it’s more for hiding that she’s shacking up with Ruth rather than hiding her attraction to women.

          I dunno how Billie feels about her sexuality or bisexuality in general. She’s often mentioned her attraction to women and men, has had 2 significant relationships with women (well a teenage girl and a woman) and has shown a lot of sexual attraction towards men. On the other hand, some of the language she’s used about it makes me think she doesn’t think of her bisexuality as a orientation in and of itself, but just something all people engage in. For example, I’m not sure if she corrects Becky when she called her a lesbian because she would consider herself bisexual which is a norm or because she thinks ‘being attracted to girls sometimes’ is a norm.

          I do feel like she doesn’t hide that attraction, though, even if she doesn’t think it’s a permanent part of her identity.

          Feel free to correct me (and forgive me) if any of that language was incorrect or insensitive. I hope I got my meaning across. >_>

        2. thejeff

          Interestingly, while she appears to have had sex with guys or at least talks about it, she hasn’t done so, as far as we know since coming to college. Nothing on screen or even strongly implied. The only two actual relationships we know of have been with women – Alice and now Ruth.
          Bisexual and homoromantic? Or is what we’ve seen just not been the full story?

        3. m2iCodeJockey

          Her high school girlfriend has been seen at this school. It was implied they were a known couple that ended at Billie’s DUI crash. The girlfriend simply stopped talking to Billie at that point because Billie made her feel unsafe.

          A couple weeks ago, Joyce jumped to the conclusion Billie has been dating guy and Billie simply didn’t set her straight. I think this is the first time Billie lied about it being a guy.

  17. Taigan

    Also, Billie really needs to learn how to lie without taking a swig.

    1. John

      Billie needs to learn how to breathe without taking a swig.

      1. Agemegos

        Appropriate avatar is appropriate.

    2. jy3

      Hopefully sometime before Poker Night.

  18. Bagge

    I love how they in the second panel for a moment move away from heartwarming tragedy to a sitcom routine. That’s the Becky and Joyce we know and love.

    Heh, they DID continue that discussion. “What if it is a GIIIIIIIRLFRIEND, eh, eh?”

    Billie steps up and does the right thing. Billie is awesome. So is you who called it yesterday

    Sal is now rooming with Becky. This is awesome on so many levels.

    (fast forward)
    “An just who the hell is you?”
    “I’m Becky’s father as you can see by my toe-like appearance. I’m here to bring my daughter to a correction camp.”
    “You are, are you. Let’s see if I can match Ruthless’ record in throwing abusive shitholes down the hallway.”

    1. Jen Aside

      I like the fast-forward idea, but unfortunately I feel like Sal would do that to Becky first after one too many failures to let Sal sleep in

      (which is, one is too many)

    2. Cerberus

      Helpful thing yes, but now Billie is going to be very very doomed when the NRE wears off and Ruth and Billie’s relationship explodes into tiny pointy shrapnel. It’s also going to mean Billie is going to be even more invested in trying to force them to work even if they really start not working in the future because she’s going to be even more invested in the idea that she doesn’t really have a home at the moment…

      But in the short term, yay for everyone having a bed to sleep in.

      1. Bagge

        Honestly, sabotaging their relationship and risking being exposed seem to be part of Ruth’s and Billie’s mating calls. This is just the last in a string of problematic decisions. Just look how Ruth decided to have a semi public date with Billie.

    3. Bagge

      Having Becky move away takes heat of Sarah – she is in much less risk of getting in trouble if Becky doesn’t actually live in her room.

      It is more likely to put heat on Billie and Ruth and get them in trouble for all kinds of dark secrets. It also means Billie can’t move back to her room on the drop of the hat, which means higher risk of exposing her and Ruth’s relationship. So, despite her attitude, inviting Becky is a real costly thing for Billie to do – but she still does it. I’m impressed

      1. Deanatay

        Although, to be honest, she is rather drunk right now. She may regret this decision with the cold, harsh dawn of sobriety.

        1. Amazistool

          She already decided to never do that sobriety thing again.

      2. Spencer

        Billie can be a crude person, but her previous actions show that she’s pretty active about helping out when she can, and she feels really happy when she does. I think she really does, in a way, have a need to be useful and needed by people. Of course she can just casually give up her room to the teenage runaway. It’s not like she’s using it. What, risk of expulsion? Eh, it’ll work out.

        1. Darkoneko

          Lead cheerleader, problem solve.

    4. John

      Does it count as calling it if I suggested it but didn’t think she’d actually do it?

      1. Bagge

        Close enough. You can have a small internet.

        1. Kryss LaBryn

          Have an AOL.

        2. Roborat

          But you only get dial up.

  19. Jazz Hands

    The subtext here reminds me of a Night Vale segment.

    1. Lamia

      The number of different canon AUs to the ‘verse are practically a Night Vale episode all on their own.

      “Here’s something interesting, listeners. Individuals of the Walky-verse appear to be leading lives in several co-existing universes narrated by a single, heart-wrenching artist. More on this… uh, these stories, as they develop.”

    2. Usayasha

      I knew I couldn’t have been the only one. Methinks that Willis is in the Welcome to Night Vale fandom, or at least listens to the show when he can. That level of Night Vale is difficult to pull off accidentally.

      1. MrZombieScordo

        it’s from nihilist arby’s, not nightvale.

        1. Opus the Poet

          Are you sure they aren’t cross-pollinating?

  20. Tofusmith

    Because moving in full-time with someone you’re dating for two days definitely never turns problematic…

    1. Cerberus

      Yup, that’ll blow up spectacularly when the NRE fades, but in the meantime, it’s quiet… much like the point in a movie right before the monster attacks.

      1. Bagge

        Billie and Ruth’s relationship as a monster movie. Yeah, it works

    2. John

      Billie and Ruth’s relationship has been problematic from the moment they laid eyes on each other.

      1. Bagge

        …and fists

      2. -Sentinel-

        Still a better love story than Twilight.

        1. Opus the Poet

          Dude, MLP FiM is a better love story than Twilight. Check that it’s 3 better love stories than Twilight.

        2. Bagge

          and it’s not even a love story for the most part (well, not a “romantic love” story. It’s most definitely a “friendship love” story)

        3. Gamaran Sepudomyn

          Battlebots is a better love story than Twilight. Seriously, a story doesn’t even need any love in it to be a better love story than Twilight.

        4. Captain Batson

          It’s got a few love stories in there. Matilda and Cranky, Shining Armor and Cadence, and sprinklings of Twilight and Flash Sentry.

        5. Cybersnark

          Though to be fair, Rarity/Blue Blood is still a better love story than Twilight.

          At least Rarity got the hell out of there.

        6. -Sentinel-

          Don’t forget Applejack/Rainbow Dash. 😛

        7. Roborat

          A telephone book is a better love story than Twilight.

    3. neeks

      isn’t “moving in on the second date” a lesbian stereotype? i seem to remember that being a thing.

      1. -Sentinel-

        There’s actually a Wikipedia article on “U-Haul lesbian”.

    4. Em

      It’s a fucking terrible idea.

      But I think Billie’s main motivation is making sure Ruth doesn’t commit suicide.

  21. Microbialtea

    We understand the “lights above Arby’s” game. Invaders from another world. Ladies and gentlemen, the future is here, and it’s about a hundred feet above the Arby’s.

  22. Romanticide

    Becky really wanted to use that packet of Arby’s, it’s beyond price xD

  23. 6Qubed

    y’know I don’t think I’ve ever had arby’s

    1. a4lbi

      You’re not missing much.

      1. AgentKeen

        I do enjoy the potato cakes.

    2. Madock345

      The Ruben is pretty good.

    3. fogel

      I used to get the 5 for $5 deal and share them with my dogs. They loved that!

    4. Opus the Poet

      It’s decent food for fast food, and reasonable in price.

    5. Deanatay

      They have great shakes? 😀

  24. AgentKeen

    Eat at Arby’s.

    1. JessWitt

      I’d rather dumpster dive.

      1. Roborat

        Same thing.

  25. Plasma Mongoose

    The only thing I heard about Arby’s sauce is that after you used a condom, you put in some Arby’s sauce to kill off the sperm inside.

    1. That Damn Rat

      That’s pretty meaningless sperm pretty much die in response to almost everything, they’re cellular weaklings.

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        It apparently is meant to prevent sperm-jacking.

        1. Agemegos

          So use sriracha.

        2. Plasma Mongoose

          But it’s the wrong colour…

        3. Agemegos

          Consider it warning coloration.

    2. Darkoneko

      wtf.

  26. M-M

    New Relationship Energy + Uhaul syndrome + alcoholic lesbian suicide pact + nihilist Arby’s = a truck wreck in a cymbal factory

    1. Opus the Poet

      Plate factory next door as well.

    2. Darkoneko

      let’s not talk about truck wrecks and Ruth in the same sentence <<;

  27. Lamia

    …goodness, I never read the comic early enough to be able to read ALL the comments. o__O (for now, I suppose.) But oh dear, Joyce. You poor summer child.

    1. Lamia

      (a comment that seems more sarcastic than I’d intended when paired with THAT gravatar…)

  28. brionl

    Man, I love me some Arby’s Chicken Cordon Bleu sammich. Unfortunately, the nearest Arby’s is around 30 miles from here, plus it’s across a toll-bridge.
    Bacon Cheddar Melt is another guilty pleasure.
    At one time I worked at a Burger King that was about 2 lots down from an Arby’s and across the street from a Carl’s Jr. I’m surprised I didn’t gain about 50 lbs. That was when I still had a Walky-type metabolism. Those days are long gone though.

  29. JessWitt

    Um, the tag says Sarah’s in the comic instead of Joyce.

  30. saki

    So I had to look up Arby’s because I never heard of it and I’m pretty sure my cholesterol just went up just looking at the first image on their homepage.

    More importantly, that’s real nice of Billie but also real stupid and real not-forward-thinking. Well at least I’m pretty sure we can count on Sal to be cool with this.

    1. Jen Aside

      should I tell you about the Meat Mountain

      1. saki

        Oh GOD.

        1. insomniac

          This seems to be how a lot of otherplacians react to American food.

        2. Gamaran Sepudomyn

          That’s not food.

        3. saki

          It is the greasy bodily incarnation of gluttony ._.

        4. Cybersnark

          https://theconservativetreehouse.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/fma-gluttony.jpg

    2. Darkoneko

      Wow, that looks GROSS.

  31. Mr. Mendo

    Oh, Joyce is gonna owe her A LOT of sauce before this is all over! 😉

  32. Bob

    Drinking is bad and if you drink you are bad.
    But Gamblin is is ok by Jesus.

  33. Jess

    I work at Arby’s 😀

    On the other hand, I’m surprised that Sal’s ‘garden of eden’ sleeping style hasn’t been brought up in the comments yet.
    Becky’s gonna get an eyeful. lol.

    1. BenRG

      Despite her attempts to be outrageous, Becky is as repressed and conservative as Joyce. She’ll be shocked and thrilled at Sal’s daring and will wish she had the guts to do the same.

      1. Agemegos

        Also, she doesn’t own any jammies.

      2. saki

        Becky actually already knows about this habit of Sal’s. Which doesn’t mean she won’t be thrilled. ;3

        1. Screwball

          I don’t think it’s sunk into Becky’s brain that she’ll be sharing the room with Micky-Mouse-wardrobe Sal. Might be interesting when she works that out/sees it in person…

          On a side note, anyone else notice that when this started, Billie could never catch Sal in the room since she was almost never there. Now, weeks later, It’s Sal that’s left in the room alone (till Becky gets there), with billie actually moved out…

        2. Bagge

          It’s not lost on Sal…

  34. MM

    When Joyce realizes this means Becky’s going to be living with Sal, she’s probably going to beg Becky to trade sleeping arrangements again.

  35. Idon'tcarenomore

    Billie did a good thing, for Becky and Joyce. Might be a major mistake for her.

    Maybe she isn’t so much on coming out about her bi-life, or maybe she has been covering for Ruth: depends on what the admin. would think about the RA sharing her bed.

    If she and Ruth implode, Billie would just walk in to her old room, and tell Becky she is evicted, and to go back to Joyce’s room. I think.
    If Sal doesn’t throw her butt out first.

  36. Dr. Smart

    Is it weird I just realized that a friend of mine is sort of in a similar position to Becky right now… She got kicked out of her family’s house, and is living with me and my roommate who is her boyfriend/constant antagonizer, he refused to put her on the lease so she technically is not supposed to be here and we can’t let the landlord know… and I am really worried about her even though she is working on her plan for moving out. my roommate is kicking her out after next week so…

  37. Chris

    that alt text sounds like something you’d here in wtnv

  38. Megatron

    Heck, Becky may have the place to herself most nights given Sal’s comings and goings.

  39. Freezer

    Becky’s Gaydar game is strong!

    1. notlegato

      i bet she just assumes it of everyone until otherwise proven, haha.

      1. Trisha

        why the hell not? Straight folks do it all the time.

    2. Lord Stoneheart

      Well that and Joyce told Becky that Billie has done it with a girl before. (Which she knows because Walky made an offhand comment about it).

  40. Jackson

    Well, that got resolved quickly.

    I mean the problem of sleeping arrangements. The problem of Becky’s continuing feelings for Joyce is decidedly not resolved.

    Also, now I want Arby’s.

  41. Nightsbridge

    Seriously speaking though . . . Billie should probably have discussed this with Sal. Sal would likely have said yes, but still.

    1. Darkoneko

      Billie spent like a week to manage to meet Sal and have her roommate agreement signed so… 😀

    2. Pinja

      Eh, given previous characterisation Sal wouldn’t have a problem with it and would be a little hypocritical if she did.

      That said Sal might unknowingly blab something or just dislike some of Becky’s personal habits ¬___¬

  42. BenRG

    What I really appreciate about this strip is that it illustrates just how strong is the relationship between Joyce and Becky. Neither want the other to have to live with having the second best and both are instinctively generous to eachother. It just reminds us that love does not have to be romantic to be strong and true!

    PREDICTION: Sal is going to be so wrapped up in her own life that she’ll not immediately notice the change, beyond a nagging feeling that she thought her roomie was ‘Billie’, not ‘Becky’.

    1. Opus the Poet

      No, Sal grew up with Billie so she’s going to notice when Becky moves in.

      1. Gangler

        I’m not sure she did?

        Walky and Billie have certainly established a sibling bond, but Sal must’ve been like ten or something when she was booted from the family.

        A lot depends on when exactly Billie became a figure in the Walkerton Household. Sal might have only known Billie for a few years or Billie might not even have shown up until Sal was already gone.

        Certainly so far Sal hasn’t expressed a lot of familiarity towards Billie. When Billie mentioned that The Walkertons consider her their daughter this seemed to be news to Sal, and a bitter pill to swallow for obvious reasons.

        1. Li

          Billie was seen playing with them in a flashback. They were all like four or so.

          Same flashback where Marcie and Sal met, actually! Billie wanted to be the princess so Sal, who wasn’t actually playing with Walky and Billie at the time, got drafted in to be Walky’s villain. She tried to make the slide tower her evil base but Marcie was already occupying it.

          And she didn’t get booted until after the convenience store robbery, so she was 13-14.

          I don’t think Sal was ever as close to Billie as Wally though. And Billie presently doesn’t really treat Sal like a lifelong friend.

        2. drs

          Early strips: Billie went to grade school with Walky, and by extension, Sal. Sal’s been gone for 5 years, so from like age 13. I think there are later strips about Billie and Walky taking baths together (as small kids), could be wrong. OTOH Billie knew Sal had been away but not why (that she held up two convenience stores) and I don’t remember anyone snarking about Billie not writing Sal in Catholic school, unlike Walky not doing so.

          OTOH while Billie and Sal may not be *close*, I think we can say they’re *familiar*, and Sal would definitely notice swapping Billie for a perky redhead.

        3. BenRG

          Unless, due to incompatible schedules and lifestyles, Becky is always out when Sal’s in the room and Sal is always out or asleep when Becky is in the room. Depending on how it’s written, such a scenario could be dragged out for weeks in-universe with poor Sal getting ever more weirded out by mounting evidence that someone else is using her dorm.

          “Hey! Amazogal!”

          “Amazi-Girl!”

          “Whatever! I think someone’s kidnapped my room-mate and is trying to steal her life!”

        4. Spencer

          *Cut to Becky sitting alone in the middle of the room, covered by a white sheet.*

          “Where’s mah roommate?”

          “Are you mad? I am your roommate.”

        5. Gangler

          Amazigirl: Somebody’s kidnapped Becky?

          Sal: Who’s Becky?

          Amazigirl: She’s your roommate isn’t she?

          Sal: This plot runs deep! She’s already gotten to you!

        6. Kamino Neko

          but Sal must’ve been like ten or something when she was booted from the family.

          Where on earth did you get that idea?

          She was 13 when she had her run-in with Amber. We don’t know for sure that this is the final incident that got her shipped off to Catholic school, but we do know it happened before then.

        7. Kamino Neko

          Also, you know, ’10’ is still more than half the life of an 18 year old.

  43. Arianod

    Yeah, but what does Sarah think of this? That’s what I want to hear.

    1. newllend(henryvolt)

      I think she doesn’t give a shit as long as becky’s not in their room and she doesn’t take get any trouble for this.

      1. Lord Stoneheart

        http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/03-the-butterflies-fly-away/painful/
        Seeing this strip and the one right after it makes me think Sarah cares at least a little about Becky. As in she wants her in a more sustainable healthy situation. And not living out on the streets.

  44. Willoughby Chase

    Billie’s nose just grew a millimeter or two.

    1. Roborat

      She keeps that up, and it might be of use to Ruth.

  45. Jimmy

    I’m so glad Willis introduced me to the Nihilist Arby’s Twitter account. For those of you on Twitter search for it. It’s hilarious!

  46. Darkoneko

    …this worked out better than expected.

  47. EmbraceEvil

    I forget to thank you before for introducing me to Nihilist Arbys

  48. Cedric Y. Berman

    Where is Jessica Hyde?

  49. Gangler

    I’m not so sure about bringing Sal in on this. Just in her interactions with Becky it hasn’t really seemed like Sal in on the level.

    1. Darkoneko

      it’s gonna be bad (good) the next time Billie get into an argument with Ruth and has to go sleep in her own room.

  50. timemonkey

    I’m begining to suspect that Willis lives on a diet that would make me vomit continuously.

    1. Darkoneko

      He feeds on the reader’s emotions.

  51. nothri

    Sarah: Ha! I was totally right!

    Dina: Have you not previously said that Billie is a horrible person? Does this not contradict your statement, thereby negating your triumph.

    Sarah: Hey, just because I got one wrong doesn’t…wait, how do you ever know about that?

    Dina: The walls here are thinner than you think. If I am very silent, the sounds seem to go on to forever…

  52. LordHaw

    Bleah!! Arby’s is horrible.

    1. Amazistool

      Tonight, why not try our succulent roast bullshit piled high atop our artesian crap with a side of garbage? Arbys: nothing matters

  53. The Great Gazoo

    Joyce is gambling? Nice! Another square on my DoA bingo card!

  54. man beep

    This is a great strip and calls for some Nihilist Arby’s.

    “Draw the blinds. shut out the sun. Cry. The pile of meat has been on the table for weeks. Just eat it & go back to bed. Arbys: edible.”

    (https://twitter.com/nihilist_arbys/status/616274334085181440?lang=en)

  55. Jorb

    I can’t wait for the eventual “you owe me a pack of Arby’s sauce” 4 books later.

    1. Pinja

      Becky will be dead by then 🙁

      1. saki

        Wait, what?

  56. Childe

    The alt-text for this one read REALLY creepily to me, because I’m listening to “Welcome to Nightvale” podcasts in the background while I do stuff online, and Cecil just so happened to be talking about the lights in the night sky above the Arby’s at the moment when I read the alt-text.

  57. showler

    Isn’t someone eventually going to notice that, despite having moved in with her “boyfriend”, Billie continues to shower in their dorm? And be seen early and late in the hallways?

    1. Lord Stoneheart

      While I’m not familiar with Indiana University’s dorms, I was under the impression that there is male wing, and a female wing on this floor. (So Walky and Billie live in separate wings but the same floor). If this is the case it wouldn’t be too odd for Billie to continue to shower in the same bathroom. Though I could be way off the mark, in which case disregard this answer.

  58. Volkai

    Damnit hovertext, now I’m hungry for Arby’s but it’s 3:33AM after the fourth of July and there are no 24-hour Arby’s in reasonable proximity.

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