Ruthless
Posted on June 23, 2015 by David M Willis

295 thoughts on “Ruthless”

  1. Code

    Okay, I didn’t see that one coming.

    1. GlaceEx

      I know right?! This is just amazing! I almost had a heart attack after the last page, but thisthsi, well llet’s just say Willis is AMAZING! And I hope to one day write something as amazing as this! 😀

      1. Yet_One_More_Idiot

        Yeah! C’mon in Ruthie, join the partay! 😀 *hic*

  2. LiaHansen

    little do they know Ruth is already drunker than any of them

    1. Wack'd

      Nah. No squeans/boozles.

      1. Opus the Poet

        The only people I see without boozles are Ruth, Joyce, Becky, and Dina. Oh, and Sarah. I think that’s her scarf floating above Becky’s hair.

        1. nanoi

          sarahs like if she cant see me i wont get in trouble

        2. podian

          You forgot Amber – she’s on the panel, remember? 🙂

      2. Wire Segal

        Ruth is so drunk she has transcended squeans/boozles.

    2. JA

      I had an RA once that didn’t care if we drank in our dorms, so long as we kept quiet and didn’t go running around the halls. And if he caught you with alcohol, he’d take 10% of it and tell you to get better at hiding it.

      1. Athedia

        Do you realize how much paperwork alcohol violations cause? I am friends with a couple RA’s and most of them will only do something if it is blatant (door open, loud, alcohol left in middle of room or if there is a complaint). They already have to do paperwork for everything, it just isn’t worth it.

        1. Jordan

          It’s so true. Maybe I was just a lazy RA, but unless there were complaints or if it was REALLY obnoxious, I generally let my residents do as they wanted. There was so much stupid paperwork as it was that I didn’t want to make any more work for myself.

        2. Halloween Jack

          When I was an RA, I started out pretty strict about enforcing the rules because it was drilled into us during training how big of a deal the alcohol laws were and blah blah blah. Then I realized that the residence hall management absolutely did not have our backs and would fire RAs (thus leaving them homeless in the middle of the semester) for looking at them funny. The last week of spring semester (and my undergraduate career), I even passed out drinks after a stupid stunt that someone pulled, and my supervisor was like, “Wow, you’re lucky you graduate in a week”, and I was like, “Wow, you’re lucky I never went above you in the chain of command.”

      2. fogel

        My freshman “resident head” (master?) — an adult, not a student — drank way more than any of us and stayed in his apartment with his lady. We did what we wanted. Tho we didn’t go tooo far over the line too often.

        1. Rich

          Those are the type of RA/RH you really, really don’t want to disturb. Get cranky when they’re called out of their caves, they do.

    3. Yet_One_More_Idiot

      Maybe drunker than everyone else, not quite so immediately sure if drunker than Billie…

      This could still easily lead into a Slipshine very quickly. Either Ruth drags Billie out of the room and has angry-ish make-out sex with her, they make out drunkenly in front of everyone else, or there’s one great big Slipshine orgy in the offing.

      I vote C! xD

      1. Spencer

        Unless I’m mistaken, Willis has stated he’s never going to do drunk slipshines.

        1. timemonkey

          Didn’t he already do a Billie/Ruth one?

        2. Li

          And in it they were sober, is the idea. They have had drunk sex, but that’s not gonna ever be slip shine’d.

        3. Yet_One_More_Idiot

          No drunk slipshines? Aww…

          Still, that doesn’t completely preclude the possibility of a Slipshine orgy. It just mostly precludes it. (“Preclude” is a word that doesn’t get used enough in my book xD)

        4. Spencer

          Just go read It’s Walky!. That had orgies.

  3. Mr. Random

    Hi. How are ya?

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Hi-de-ho neighborinos.

      1. Wack'd

        Hello boobie.

      2. Meebo

        Dorm Improvement?

      3. Yet_One_More_Idiot

        That’s “Hi-diddly-ho, Neighbourinos!”

        Stupid sexy Flanders.

  4. Wack'd

    Nice to see Dina isn’t too distracted by her new experiment to keep the Ruth-fear simulation going.

    1. OrtyBortorty

      Her expression is very convincing.

  5. otusasio451

    Well, that didn’t last long.

  6. Plasma Mongoose

    Ruth, would you like to participate in a scientific experiment?

    1. LeslieBean4Shizzle

      Yes Ruth, do it. For Science.

      1. DarkoNeko

        Oh my.

      2. Yet_One_More_Idiot

        If it’s not all caps, you’re saying it wrong. xP

        FOR SCIENCE!

  7. Yotomoe

    Girls, this is no time to be staring at Billie’s rack.

    1. Wack'd

      They just want to make sure Ruth doesn’t find out her cup size.

      1. SDGlyph

        *slow clap*

    2. Rich

      It’s an admirable rack, but they’re looking at the only solo cup that’s still in sight.

      1. DarkoNeko

        Yeah, at first I thought a few of them ticked that Billie only called her “Ruth”, but… 😀

      2. fogel

        Cause RUTHLESS!! didn’t see the cups that are now behind backs. (Once did something like that in front of a pair of cops: “hm, if I do something ridiculously clumsy and stupid to hide the bottles that will make me invisible, right?”)

      3. fogel

        So if a college kid drank from something other than a red solo, would that make their booze invisible?

      4. fogel

        Hide In Plain Sight. A guy in my freshman dorm kept a pot plant on his desk. People asked him what kind of plant it was; he told them; no one believed him–they really thought he was joking, because no one would really keep a pot plant on his desk, right? Maybe Joyce’s Drunks should learn to copy Billie: she’s the only one who doesn’t look guilty as sin. (Don’t pharmacies sell something to mask boozles?)

        1. Shade

          To be fair, Billy knows for a fact that Ruth drinks as much, if not more than her. She doesn’t look guilty because she knows she’s just as guilty.

        2. Rich

          That works okay on city kids, maybe. Anyone who’s ever had to deal with people trying to grow the stuff in your cornfields will spot it on sight at any useful point in the growth cycle.

      5. Rycan

        Oh, I see – staring at the only girl not acting guilty as hell (besides Amber), because that will really help them out here.

        1. Commenter

          “Everybody act naturally!”

    3. newllend(henryvolt)

      There is ALWAYS time for that when your drunk.

      1. Rich

        The boobs or the last container of unconsumed alcohol?

        1. JustCheetoDust

          Yes.

        2. Someone

          If your boobs contain unconsumed alcohol, you should probably see a doctor

      2. AgentKeen

        Strangely, none of the drunk guys are staring at her rack.

    4. Aeron

      Well that’s, like, your opinion, man.

      1. Wire Segal

        Your avatar makes this 10x better.

    5. Willoughby Chase

      They’re looking at a storm in a d-cup.

    6. SonicBlueRanger

      Everytime’s a good time to stare a Billie’s Rack.

      1. Rich

        Is the theory that she’s taken to not wearing pants in an attempt to distract attention from her chest, then?

        1. fogel

          Maybe she just likes going bare bottomed?

  8. Cattleprod

    You called her by her actual name! Conspiracy!

    1. Wack'd

      BILLUMINATI CONFIRMED

      1. jpic89

        …you know what, I’m not even angry. That was just impressive.

        1. Yet_One_More_Idiot

          Well there was a possi-billie-ty that someone would say it sooner or later.

  9. Kris

    On a first name basis with Ruth eh Bille? Something fishy’s going on there.

    1. LouisvilleRobin

      Other than the fact that we, the audience, know somethings going on, what’s suspicious about her calling Ruth by her name. Didn’t she introduce herself at some point as Ruth?

      1. Wack'd

        Because she really should be as terrified as the rest of them and thus refer to her as Ruthless.

        1. Disloyal Subject

          Well, her open conflicts with and criticisms of Ruth would seem to suggest she’d gotten over that phase.

        2. HMRC4EVR

          That’s true, but I’m having to guess after Billie’s been on a guided tour of Ruth’s Happiest Places to Visit, faking shock and surprise while drunk would be hard to pull off.

          Plus I think Billie is honestly surprised Ruth is out of her room and joining a societal gathering that didn’t include the harvesting of femurs.

        3. Kryss LaBryn

          “Ruth is out of her room and joining a societal gathering that we hope didn’t include the harvesting of femurs.”

          Fixed that for ya. 😉

  10. Stephen Bierce

    Isn’t the whole point of asking a rhetorical question demanding a verbal reply of one sort or another?

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Was that question about rhetorical questions a rhetorical question?

      1. thomas0comer

        Will this comment spiral off into an endless chain of rhetoricality?

        1. Wire Segal

          Will someone reply to thomas’s comment?

        2. Disloyal Subject

          Would anyone really perpetuate this silly little thread on purpose?

        3. Opus the Poet

          I like pie!

        4. neeks

          Rhetorically?

        5. Yet_One_More_Idiot

          Yes

        6. Wire Segal

          Opus whai

        7. Opus the Poet

          And vanilla yogurt!

        8. Rycan

          Thank you. And now I want pie.

        9. Opus the Poet

          With vanilla yogurt?

      2. SineSileo

        Would you really ask something like that? Is there REALLY a point in rhetorically questioning a rhetoric question about rhetoric questions?

        1. jpic89

          Is that rhetorical?

        2. kamisori

          What do you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical question?

        3. Opus the Poet

          No punchline!

        4. Clif

          +1 Internet

    2. Yarrr

      Grammatically, there is nothing wrong with responding to a rhetorical question.

      1. Kryss LaBryn

        What if you answer that question with another question?

  11. Chinoy Industries, Ltd.

    Okay, what?

  12. That Damn Rat

    Looking at Joyce and Dotty’s faces, did Billie just give the game away?

    1. thomas0comer

      I think they’re looking at her either because she’s the one who provided alcohol or because she didn’t react as adversely as everybody else did. I think everybody already knew her proper name was Ruth.

    2. Pat

      Billie didn’t hide her cup. Everybody else’s is gone.

      1. LouisvilleRobin

        I think Pat’s right. Billie forgot that she wasn’t suppose to drink around Ruth and failed to hide her cup.

        1. Rich

          Forgot. Yeah. That’s it. Headed for a stern talking to back in Ruth’s room, she is.

          Going to laugh if it turns out Billie and Ruth set this whole thing up to put the fear of the Ruth into the dorm and discourage underage drinking a bit.

        2. fogel

          Billie is become Ruth’s agent provocateur and narc? Harsh!

        3. fogel

          Actually, how can RUTH possibly think/hope that Billie isn’t going to out their relationship?

        4. Rich

          Billie’s a pretty experienced drinker. Going by the original party with Ryan, she functions quite well when drunk, and certainly can think clearly. If anything, I think she’s less likely to blow their cover now than when she’s sober and giddy from a post-sexy time dopamine high (eg the Go Leafs jersey incident).

        5. fogel

          I still don’t understand why she moved ALL of her clothes to Ruth’s room.

  13. shadowcell

    and that was the day all of the femurs died

    1. JessWitt

      Never femur-get.

    2. Wack'd

      bye bye miss femurican pie

    3. cesium133

      A long long time ago
      I can still remember how
      Becky told me not to change.
      And I had to make my stand
      To find a good, nice husband,
      And I thought I found one I could arrange.

      But he turned out not so nice
      Now other guys make me think twice
      Bad news I’d acknowledge,
      Becky’s out of college.

      Then Becky threw me a party
      But all the people drank a forty
      And Ruthless let herself inside
      The day the femurs died.

      (I suck at parody-writing.)

      1. Twilightomens

        I love you.

      2. Arian

        On the contrary. That’s great. 🙂

      3. kamisori

        That…was awesome. And you did that with some pretty crazy rhyming words…pretty impressive

  14. Specter177

    Did Walky and Ethan EAT the cups?

    1. poppaboo2electricboogaloo

      Holy crap that’s just what I was thinking. I wasn’t sure when I saw Walky’s hand behind his back, but that could just be him hiding quickly hiding Dorothy’s cup.

      HOW DO YOU SWALLOW A WHOLE PLASTIC CUP!?

      1. MM

        In a different universe, he managed to lick a shirt dry. Walky’s got skills, yo.

        1. Tacos

          Meanwhile, in this universe, all he’s managed so far is drunkenly lick Dorothy’s finger.

        2. fogel

          “All”? In the middle of a party?

        3. Rycan

          And hide paper in his mouf.

      2. Wack'd

        Between that and his test grades his metabolism isn’t gonna make it out of the semester alive.

      3. fogel

        Walky can fit an entire bag of Nachitos or box of nuggets in his mouth.

    2. Rich

      They’re behind their backs, just like Dorothy’s.

    3. Jordan

      Yes. Yes they did.

  15. Sam

    Are the guys waiting for Ruth’s permission before they gulp down the sip they just took?

    1. Rich

      SWALLOW, YOU FOOLS!

      1. Wack'd

        But then they get even drunker.

    2. timemonkey

      They shoved their cups in their mouths.

  16. Kernanator

    Quick, escape out the window!

    1. Rich

      Amber readies her grappling hook, then remembers she hasn’t done anything wrong.

    2. Sam

      Multiple ppl escaping through the window will only add all of them to Billy’s list of AmaziGirl alter-egos.

      1. Rich

        Confusingly, Sal chooses this moment to enter through the window.

    3. Rycan

      And Sal’s day takes a turn for the worse again when half of Reed Hall lands on top of her when she’s partway up the building.

  17. Litch Opus the Poet

    Yay Ruth is removing femurs again. That happens in my universe too

  18. caesaria82

    lolllll at the bubbles over everyone. That visual cracks me up.

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      It’s the bubbles of nothing that make it really something.

  19. grantimusmax

    Dumbing of Age is drawn before a live studio audience.

    1. Someone

      Willis: Will everybody stop staring over my shoulder! Its really distracting!

      1. Karen Lynn

        Audience: No.

      2. fogel

        How long have you known Everybody?

  20. JessWitt

    Looks like Walky stuffed his cup into his mouth.

    1. grantimusmax

      Walky’s mouth of holding is legendary.

  21. SineSileo

    I love how all the guys just take a sip and stay quiet.

    That said, Billie’s just obviously shown at least part of her hand, so… let’s see how that poker face works tomorrow!

    1. timemonkey

      They didn’t take a sip, they stuck the cups in their mouths.

      1. DarkoNeko

        if they did, their hand wouldn’t be behind their back.

        1. timemonkey

          Why not?

          Okay, you’re probably right and I was very tired when I wrote the above but I shall stick by my theory till proven wrong.

        2. Rich

          I’ve heard that line somewhere before…quote from a Flat Earther, maybe? Or a Moon Landing Denier?

        3. Trolldrool

          Where do you think they’re holding the booze?

  22. -Sentinel-

    Heh, the hovertext was funnier than the strip.

  23. newllend(henryvolt)

    Ya you pretty much can but really Ruth you see all this, all this is YOUR fault.

  24. gkheyf

    it took me a few re-reads and 3 guesses to realize that they’re staring at billie’s cup cuz she’s the only one who didn’t hide it between panels 1 and 3

  25. John

    Um, Amber isn’t tagged, actually.

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Oh the irony…

    2. Jason

      That’s what I was gonna say!

      1. Jason

        And NOW it’s there….

    3. Tacos

      She is now.

  26. Blue

    Given the order of the panels, I still haven’t decided whether they’re reacting to Billie’s nonreaction or to Ruth seeming to ask permission to come in.

    1. LiaHansen

      first one

    2. Catullus

      In panel three, they’re reacting to Billie’s failure to conceal her solo cup.

      1. Rich

        That. Hence the looks of horror.

  27. LiaHansen

    i like how the guys all thought hiding all their drink in their left cheek would be less conspicuous than just swallowing it

    1. Captain Batson

      They each had a mouthfull of boozeyliquids when Ruth came in, and didn’t swallow.

    2. timemonkey

      Shoved the cup in too most likely.

      1. Spencer

        I sincerely doubt any of them could hide an entire plastic cup in their mouths. It’s more likely, given that all of three of them were taking a drink when the girls screamed, that they haven’t swallowed their drink yet and are hiding their cups behind their back.

        1. timemonkey

          Oh, you think it’s plastic? I was assuming paper, and we already know Walky eats paper.

        2. LiaHansen

          nah man, those are Alcoholic Beverage Red Plastic Party Cups ™

    3. The Churro

      I think the bubbles are more conspicuous than that.

  28. Joey

    Am I the only one desperately trying to find that tiny bit of Amber mentioned in the Alt Text?

    1. Disloyal Subject

      No, but I eventually gave up in favor of checking the comments. Evidently so did you, at least temporarily.

    2. DarkoNeko

      I tried, to no avail.

    3. Joe

      I think it’s a ploy to get us to look at everyone’s crotch.

  29. Bagge

    Awwww, look how Becky is hiding (behind Dorothy, no less).

  30. Tacos

    Because of the hover text I’m gonna be spending the next 20 minutes trying to find where exactly is Amber aren’t I? Damn you Willis.

  31. Catullus

    I may or may not have spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to actually find Amber in panels one and three…

    1. Bagge

      She’s behind Waldo

    2. Catullus

      Wait, Amber’s tagged now. BACK TO THE SEARCH!

      1. Someone

        Its important to stretch before searching for Amber.

  32. nanoi

    skerw u i do what i want

  33. Tim m

    Am I missing something? Amber isn’t tagged?

    1. Tim m

      Okay she is now.

    2. -Sentinel-

      First tag. Alphabetical order.

      1. -Sentinel-

        Ninja’d.

        1. Rich

          Rick?

  34. JessWitt

    What’s with all these bubbles in the room? I did NOT authorize a bubble blower in this dorm!

    1. nanoi

      but we paid 20 bucks for this thing

    2. Rich

      No one is actually drunk. The dorm is just haunted by the ghost of Don Ho.

      1. JessWitt

        Don Ho’s an IU alumnus?!

        1. Rich

          No, but are you really surprised that he wound up haunting the place after seeing how the afterlife is run in Beetlejuice?

      2. fogel

        Dude…how many current first years know about tiny bubbles?

        1. nanoi

          more than you think

  35. AgentKeen

    Nice try, alt-text, but the tags have let it slip… Amber is actually Dorothy!

  36. LiaHansen

    I gonna be sad when this party ends and everyone stops being in the same room together

  37. Twilightomens

    Looking really hard for Amber’s hip.

    1. Heavensrun

      Little line between Danny’s legs.

      1. Twilightomens

        Is it now!

      2. DarkoNeko

        …you made making a saucy comment very tempting.

      3. fogel

        Dang! Twilightomens and Darkoneko have set a good example of decorum and self-restraint. What are these comments coming to??

  38. sps48

    Don’t be srprised, Ruth. Billie can’t stop drinking for her self; she can’t for you, either.
    She needs help, and she might be one who is beyond help (but don’t give up!)

    1. Disloyal Subject

      They gave up on giving up awhile ago, though. Now they’re just riding the doom spiral.

  39. Megatron

    Rhetorical questions are an important part of every despot’s toolbox. I often ask Starscream how he wants to die, for example.

    1. StClair

      The rhetorical part is because he can’t, right?

      1. Megatron

        Well, neither can I so it’s all even. Besides, I’m happy to kill whoever is hosting Starscream’s ghost. It gives me double satisfaction.

  40. poppaboo2electricboogaloo

    Jeez Billie ain’t wastin’ no time, she already dropped her pants!

  41. JeremiahTheBulldog

    I’m sure implicating 8 or more unpredictable young people with illegal activities will work out according to plan.

  42. Romanticide

    Somehow I think not hiding the glass is a better idea, act normally, discretely drink away the evidence and hope your drunkness doesn’t show much XD

    1. Rich

      If it works like any of the schools I attended when I was still young enough to care, the key is getting the alcohol down, or dumped in a plant, or poured in a sink, or whatever. Booze in a cup is hard to deny. Booze in yours system is plausibly deniable, and getting a the police to drag over a breathalyzer usually requires “apocalyptic frat party of doom” levels of public drunkenness.

      1. Random832

        Yeah but they have to actually prove that what’s in the cup is alcohol – sure, they can smell it, but they can smell it on your breath too.

        1. Tacos

          As far as we know, Billie only had one flask with her and most of these guys seem like lightweights so there’s probably not a lot alcohol in their drinks or alcohol smell on their breathes that it’d be noticeable.

        2. fogel

          Vodka….

        3. Rich

          My preferred drink back in the day, largely for that reason.

        4. fogel

          You were indeed wise beyond your years. 🙂

      2. Bicycle Bill

        In Wisconsin anyway, most campus Gestapo police/protective services have access to their own PBTs (Preliminary Breath Test devices) and can write a citation/take a subject into custody based on that alone.  Don’t forget that a charge of ‘underage drinking’ does not require a certain level of alcohol in the bloodstream, which is the real reason for the Breathalyzer, blood, or urine tests — if you’re under 21, technically ANY amount of alcohol in you is verboten and can get you busted.

        1. Rich

          Ah, Wisconsin is one of those states, isn’t it? My home just has a “no buying” law. You can drink all you want, and you can even be served legally in private residences under parental supervision. Our school cops don’t have PBTs, not worth the money out of their budget.

          Not that I’ve cared personally in thirty-ish years, but it’s fun to listen to the kids complain. 🙂

    2. feli

      Yea, I’m with Rich on this one.

      We had a party with alcohol on one school trip (all underage). The teacher noticed something was off (well, wasn’t so hard xD) and searched the room. We had disposed of the drinks and bottles, so he had to let us get off with a warning although some people were obviously drunk.

  43. Rich

    That is a decidedly nonthreatening Ruth there, at least by her standards.

  44. Captain Napalm

    I was right? She really is joining the party. ^.^

  45. SamBC

    Why does Walky appear to have a very full mouth? Did he eat the cup?

    1. Disloyal Subject

      I believe he finished the glass all at once in surprise, and swallowing hasn’t yet occurred to him.

      1. Kryss LaBryn

        Or Danny or Ethan; everyone who had a cup to their mouth when Ruth walked in suddenly has very full cheeks and no cup and (that I can see) no hands behind their backs.

        That is a very short-term solution, lol.

  46. brionl

    Man, that’s a lot of boozles.

  47. Ryan

    I like how, in panel 1, the women are all exclaiming while the men are all still drinking.

  48. m2iCodeJockey

    “Ruthless?!”
    Yep. That was the record-scratch scene.

  49. DarkoNeko

    That’s adorable. sorta.

    So I was right, she came because she was bored ^^

    1. DarkoNeko

      Ruth be all
      “Oh, right, I’m supposed to berate people about alcohol”

    2. BenRG

      Maybe she’ll start nagging Billie about being out late in such a stereotypical ‘girlfriend’ way that you need to be either brain-dead or Joyce to miss the implications!

      1. DarkoNeko

        Personally, i’m more linking that to the scene where Ruth barged into Billie’s room to watch Volleyball, out of the blue.

        Rather than bored, well, she is lonely.

        1. Rich

          Both, maybe. At least she seems to have gotten past her earlier depression.

  50. Rutee

    Oh god, Billie’s just buzzed enough to not call her Ruthless X3

  51. Rheios

    Oh – I totally thought they were staring at Billie because she said Ruth and not Ruthless. But then I noticed she was the only one that DIDN’T hide her cup so they could all be looking at that too.

    1. feli

      Dorothy, Joyce and Dina are the ones looking at it. I believe they are too shocked or drunk (in Dorothys case) to notice what Billie said. Their main thought are probably “OH SHIT SHE’S GONNA GET US KILLED AND THEN EXPELLED – HIDE THE BOOZE!” 😀

      I’m curious who of the guys will spill first. Haha. (I made a pun.)

  52. Aeron

    TIIINY BUBBLEEES…

  53. Well_Played

    Dammit Billie get into character!!

  54. Idon'tcarenomore

    Ruth is being surprisingly subdued for busting a dorm party? So is she or is she not…maybe she really is just bored. But, somehow I kinda doubt that.
    Hide the booze, hide the femurs. And for God’s sake guys, swallow.

    As for Joyce, what is with her arms positioning, they’ve been like that for awhile, drying her nails?

    As for Ruthless arriving, is there seriously anyone following DoA who did not see this coming…like about when Becky said ‘lets have a party’.

    1. Captain Batson

      Maybe she came here to boardgame!

    2. fogel

      Joyce’s arms/hands: kind of like Envy Adams on stage ….except that her arms are covered…

      1. fogel

        And most of her hands

  55. Wafflebob

    Why aren’t Becky and Dina next to each other? they have more tests to run.

  56. NinjaNick

    The more, the merrier…

  57. Professor Fate

    Everybody sing!
    “Every party needs a pooper,
    that’s why we invited you,
    party pooper, party pooper.”

    Well, she did invite herself, but still …

  58. Ruthmore

    …aaand everyone was expelled.

    LE FIN

  59. Flimsyfishy

    Even Dina is looking at the cup.

  60. BenRG

    Now… Based purely upon the direction of Joyce and Dorothy ‘s gazes in panel 3, I suspect that they’re going to do something spontaneous in an attempt to protect Billie. This is ironic because, of course, she doesn’t need it.

    Anyway, I think that Joyce is going to try to ‘destroy the evidence’ by chugging Billie’s whole cup. She’s going to end up falling-down drunk, suffering with with alcohol poisoning and possibility in a compromising position with one of her friends.

    1. Narf

      I think you are incorrect

    2. Rycan

      If that were the case, Willis should just rename the comic ‘PTSD’.

      1. Rich

        Pretty Terrible School Days?

        Ah, I said the words! “Nice boat” flashback incoming…

  61. Author X

    Oh no, what will happen if the RA finds out Billie has alcohol in the dorm??

  62. TinPanAli

    Either Walky is hiding it behind his back, or he inhaled the red cup.

    And I know which one I’m going to believe.

  63. fogel

    Danny’s taller than Ethan?

    1. The Churro

      Suffice to say all the headcanons need to be rewritten.
      if (Danny.height > Ethan.height)
      {
      mind.isBlown = true;
      throw new UniverseException("I thought Ethan was supposed to be the tallest?");
      }

      1. OnyxIdol

        Is that a property with a lower case first character i see? Shame on you, sir or madam, shame on you.

        1. Li

          Camel case is preferred for a lot of programming languages. Though apparently underscores are more easily readable.

        2. TheChurro

          As Li said, camelcase. And anything is better than T.A.ing and seeing people put colons and spaces and the like in project names.

    2. Nono

      I think it’s perspective – Danny’s closer to the edge of the ‘screen’ as compared to Ethan.

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

      At level ground, Ethan is clearly taller.

    3. Kamino Neko

      If Danny’s taller, he can’t be the uke!

      1. Oz

        You seriously need to be introduced to the world of tall ukes and small semes.

  64. Willoughby Chase

    I’m forever blowing bubbles! Pretty bubbles everywhere!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr_DTozbH8E

    I’m not drunk at all!

  65. fogel

    Does anyone know the species of bird that is the first to start singing in the morning in my neighborhood?

    1. DarkoNeko

      cocks do.

    2. Kryss LaBryn

      In mine it’s the crows. All two thousand or so of them. At five am.

      Failing that it might be an American robin, if you’re in North America; they start pretty early.

      The crows at 5 am still beat the sea lions at 5 am I had in one place, at least. Good lord.

    3. fogel

      Not cock crowing or crows cawing. Could be robin’s for all I know. Being up at 4 am when the first birds here start their day isn’t something I’m used to. By 5:00 there’s an amazing multi-part chorus.
      ‘re sea-lions, I’m torn. OTOH I know that they can be hella obnoxious, but OTOH if they woke you up then you must of been living hella close to the ocean.

  66. Spencer

    *Furiously searches for Amber*

  67. Rycan

    Hmm, on re-reading, it seems like panel 2 is Ruth temporarily dropping her act in front of Billie (well, part of her act), before she remembers that they’re mot alone.

    Or that’s just wild speculation. But what else am I supposed to do here?

    1. DarkoNeko

      I sympathise with Ruth here.
      She’s feeling lonely (kinda like when she came watch Volleyball in Billie’s room, out of the blue)
      …she has no idea how to be nice to people.

      Also what reaction did she expect with the way she acted with most of the cast up to now ? XD

      1. DarkoNeko

        aand it wasn’t supposed to be posted as an answer.

      2. Rich

        Even RAs sometimes like some company, and they do tend to get excluded a lot. Hard being an authority figure sometimes.

        1. DarkoNeko

          Of course ! But it’s even harder when your first motion was to push everyone away with a pitchfork.

        2. Rich

          Fair point. Her pickup technique with Billie seems to have worked out surprisingly well, all things considered.

  68. Kim

    These two group shots are among the most beautiful shots I’ve seen in DoA! I love them both! Real Good ^_^

  69. BenRG

    Just a thought: Does Ruth know about her nickname or is she silently wondering where the hell ‘Ruthless’ came from?

    1. Bagge

      I think she’s pretty proud of it.

    2. Lord Stoneheart

      Seems pretty proud of it to me. http://www.dumbingofage.com/2010/comic/book-1/01-move-in-day/training/

      1. Bicycle Bill

        Apropos of nothing, it is interesting to look back at the early strips and, by comparing Ruth, Billie, or Joyce from then to their characters as drawn today today, be able to see how much Willis’ drawing style has gradually changed over the past five years.

    3. Rich

      She owns it.

      Have to wonder what her parents were thinking of when they named her. Was it the Biblical Ruth (which means, variously, friend/companion/vision of beauty) or the word ruth (a feeling of pity, distress, or grief)? Willis wordgame there?

      1. AgentKeen

        If not explicitly for being from the Bible, maybe just because it would’ve been a common name in a Christian community (and Joseph and Daniel, for that matter)?

        1. Rich

          Ruth the name (as opposed to ruth the word) is of Hebrew origin, like many popular “Christian” names. They’re almost all ultimately drawn from some Biblical character or another, whether that’s the deliberate intent or not.

      2. BenRG

        It’s a rare thing these days for people to name a child based on the meaning of the name. Usually it’s on the basis of ‘oh, that’s a nice sounding name’. Or ‘He/she looks like a…” I, for example, was named for my mother’s favourite TV stars at the time. I remind myself constantly that it could have been a million times worse.

        1. Rich

          Maybe. Could be a generational thing, I guess. My circle of friends includes a few random sounds-good names, many that are based on relatives, and about the same number that were selected for meaning. I don’t know anyone whose name has a recognized meaning that doesn’t know what that meaning is, though. Even if they were named for great aunt Amy or whatever, the parents or the kid did so after looking up what it meant.

        2. Kryss LaBryn

          We did consider meaning before choosing the names of both our kids, but they both were historical names rather than, like, Tiffany or Brittany or whatever (who, yeah, I guess would be old enough to vote now, weird). But we also chose names that, while not common, at least didn’t sound weird to current ears.

  70. feli

    An’ everyone’s like “oh shit hide the alc” … except for Billie, who would more suspicious without xD

  71. Lulu

    Now all of them are wondering if they are so intoxinated that Ruth seems kinda nice.

    Alcohol makes everything nice.

  72. Benjy

    I still can’t see Amber’s hip.

    1. BenRG

      Me neither; I suspect that Willis is pulling out collective legs.

      1. StrawGirl

        I’m wondering if he originally drew her bottom half and then layered people over it to the point that you can’t see it anymore, but he still drew it, so it’s still there?

        1. David M Willis

          I drew Amber last.

        2. Benjy

          Oh! I found her! http://www.thedrum.com/uploads/drum_basic_article/97639/main_images/WheresWallyAtWembley_6.jpg

        3. Benjy

          (really wishes she could find where someone had once told someone else how to do the linky thing with words thingy)

        4. CJ

          Do it as follows,money use angle brackets in place of the round ones:
          (a href=”pasteLinkHere”) Text you want to be shown (/a)

          Testing my statement
          (a href=”dict.leo.org”)English-German- Translation site Leo(/a)
          Real link below:
          English-German- Translation site Leo

        5. CJ

          Right, I forgot something.
          The link must start with http://
          <(a href="http://dict.leo.org&quot;)now really links to English-German- Translation site Leo (/a)
          now really links to English-German- Translation site Leo

        6. Benjy

          Thank you for having mercy on me.

        7. Rabid Rabbit

          It took me five seconds to find him.

          I’m honestly not sure how.

        8. Kryss LaBryn

          Don’t see her but I found Waldo pretty quickly.

  73. Superdud

    Why did Walky put his hands behind his back when he’s got no cup to hide there? (Since he obviously put it in his mouth.)

    1. BenRG

      Actually, I don’t think that he ate any cups. He put the whole contents into his mouth an there is now an empty cup behind his back. “Drink, what drink?”

      1. DarkoNeko

        Both Danny and Ethan have something suspicious in their mouth, as well.

        1. BenRG

          Frankly, this does not bode well. I’m not sure if any of those guys can handle the concentrated cleaning solution that Billie has been handling in that sudden quantity.

        2. DarkoNeko

          Oh it’s pretty diluted I’m sure.

        3. HMRC4EVR

          Ben I asked this a few weeks ago, but forgot to follow up (duh) but do you use the same ID at FF.N?

        4. DarkoNeko

          I have no idea what FF.N is, if it’s me you’re asking.

        5. HMRC4EVR

          sorry, that was directed at BenRG.

        6. Rabid Rabbit

          Oh, they both wish they had something suspicious in their mouths, all right. Hurr hurr hurr. If you get what I mean. And I think you do.

          (Their penises. By “something suspicious” I mean their penises. Each the other’s, that is, not their own.)

  74. Vangeln

    ‘And whoever I want, like Billie.’

  75. Marc in MN

    Ruthless: “I have one question. What kind of dorm room is filled with rambunctious yahoos and hot jazz music at 1:00 AM?!”

    1. Kryss LaBryn

      What kind of dorm room isn’t filled with rambunctious yahoos and hot jazz music at 1:00 AM?!

  76. Crumplepunch

    Buncha drippies and hifters in here.

    1. Kryss LaBryn

      Goddamned hifters.

    2. Catullus

      Why, I’ll bet they all read the Hi-Times!

  77. Les

    For some reason I’m picturing Jack Nicholson poking his head through the door…”Wendy, I’m home!”

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