197

Stability
Posted on January 31, 2013 by David M Willis

197 thoughts on “Stability”

  1. asdsadas

    Billie has a made terrible mistake

    1. Aizat

      I made that mistake before. Got home with a big black eye. The other guy on the other hand….

      1. Link

        Was he missing an eye?

        1. Warpshade

          No, he was missing an eye.

        2. Warpshade

          …And that is why you should focus on what you’re reading… “No, he was on the other hand.”, I mean.

    2. AckAckAck

      At least Billie is also fit and strong. Just like when she’s in Walky universe. Even when she’s up against super powered Sal at that time.

    3. Gordon Blvd

      looks to me as if Ruth is as “confused” about her feelings as Billie is………….lol

      1. Gordon Blvd

        OMG my icon is such a win =)

    4. Commander Clash

      Mistake or not I’m proud of her finally standing up to Ruth and seeming like she’s ready to go toe-to-toe. Ruth has been nothing but abusive to Billie. My friend in college had an RA like this. Finally my friend had enough and took it to the RA toe-to-toe. Finally result my buddy two black eyes and a broken nose, RA black eye and wired jaw. Both also had a quarter of their college credits revoked and a new RA was chosen after the other students had explained wha had happened.

      1. aqua

        i think the crazy part is that ruth hasn’t been nothing but abusive, she has also been overly friendly and bizarrely helpful. ie comming over and drinking with her, and pulling Dina out of the elevator to give Billie room.

  2. Jen Aside

    Then… they kiss.

    *makes smoochy noises*

    1. David Herbert

      What kind of girl do you think Ruth is?

      She’s going to drag Billie to her room first, and then kiss. Can’t let everyone know they like each other, it’ll damage her reputation.

      1. Aizat

        She likes it rough, I gather?

        1. Indrome

          She does. Very ruth.

    2. Cacturne

      bruuuuuuuuuh I’ve shipped Billie x Ruth forever

  3. Plasma Mongoose

    Here’s hoping for some hate-sex. 😀

    1. NCP19

      Not with that face being made I hope…

      1. Aizat

        Let’s hope not.

      2. Plasma Mongoose

        Only if Ruth gets to be the bottom.

        1. Yotomoe

          Ruth would never bottom. I’m surprised you’d even suggest such an asinine thing.

        2. Plasma Mongoose

          Not at all, you might be surprised by how many powerful leader types like being submissive in bed, hell a number of them enjoy being BDSM slaves and pay top-dollar for the privilege.

        3. Robbie C

          Plus we know that Billie likes it on top: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/02-choosing-my-religion/eyecontact/

        4. Plasma Mongoose

          Oh soo true that. 😀

        5. Josh

          Your gravatar has scarred me for life.

        6. Aizat

          Ruth is always on top. NO EXCUSES.

        7. Chaucer59

          You’ve got the wrong idea, son. Tips in the day-to-day world are more likely to be bottoms behind closed doors. They want to unwind, be tossed around and used.

        8. Chaucer59

          Grr. That’s “Tops” not “Tips.” Stupid phone.

        9. keltor

          Let’s just say I have a fair amount of experience with this, but no this is a total fallacy except with perhaps prostitutes.

          All the people I know who are BDSMers and in positions of power in their regular life are Tops in the community. Also the media always seems to prefer to put the woman as the Top when I’d say it’s at least in 2/3rds of straight couples it’s the male who’s the Top.

          Oddly the gay couples I know are all over the place with respect to roles.

        10. Toad

          I think the reason women are more frequently portrayed as tops is that showing a man beating on a woman, even consensually, gets pretty squicky pretty fast. Modern society has this idea that men can’t be raped, and are stronger than women, and a whole other array of things that are pretty unfortunate in and of themselves, but which all make it much more okay to portray female doms and male subs.

        11. David

          Women are portrayed as tops so you can see the boobies better when they bang.

        12. Chaucer59

          my experience supports what I said. I’ve been a top, a switch, and now–for twelve years–a bottom. You’re not looking far enough.

        13. vlademir1

          That’s an effect that isn’t that significant. Best statistics I’ve ever seen on it makes it 1% to 2% more likely to swing submissive, which isn’t even a full standard deviation gap.

    2. Blob Marley

      Your gravatar is truly perfect.

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        Danke! 🙂

    3. Tan

      I like how the progression of the first three comments’ predictions is “fight, kiss, hatesex”. Obviously, I am in the latter category.

    4. Indrome

      I don’t think that’s what she meant by “fucking stability”.

  4. Aizat

    “Don’t you ever touch me, Tubbs” It’s either that or it could be something that the shippers dream off.

    1. Cholma

      “Tubbs”? Does that make Ruth, “Crockett”? ;D

  5. otusasio451

    …Well, she’s dead. So, what’s Mike up to?

    1. Mkvenner

      I’ll give you two guesses.

      1. Azumango

        ….And a nickle.

    2. Doctor_Who

      His hips in YOUR MOM.

      Nah, just kidding. He’s wearing his pretty red wig and slamming Billie against a wall.

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        Ruth and Mike are the same person???

        1. Doctor_Who

          And now that image will never leave your head. Which is justice, because your scary-ass gravatar will never leave mine.

          Retribution!

        2. Dibullba

          Eh, I have seen worse.

        3. Harr0wed

          I love that gravatar!

        4. nothri

          Of course they are. Amazigirl is a master of disguise.

    3. Davriel

      His index finger

    4. Pinja

      Rotting in an unmarked grave hopefully

  6. Blob Marley

    Welp, you did ask for consistency.

    Hope you like boot-to-ass. It’s Ruth’s favorite game.

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Unfortunately Billie’s about to become the consistency of mince-meat.

      1. Yotomoe

        Ruth is going to pulverize Billie and then bake her into a pie. You know, for irony.

        1. AckAckAck

          Or Billie will pummel her into paste and decorate the wall with it. You know, for drama tag.

        2. Chaucer59

          Or Ruth will break down crying.

      2. Yotomoe

        Rather than her normal consistency of jell-o.

    2. Aizat

      I prefer boot-to-the-head.

      1. Blob Marley

        Nyah! Nyah!

        1. LuckyStar7

          People talking in movie shows
          People smoking in bed
          People voting Republican
          GIVE THEM A BOOT TO THE HEAD

  7. David Herbert

    “I’m the only friend you have. Now doesn’t that make you want to cry more?”

  8. Mkvenner

    Willis you are going somewhere with this right?

    1. NCP19

      Unless he decides Sal X Jason is enough shipping/sexing for now one would presume so.

  9. Michael Michael Motorcycle

    And now we know. And knowing is half the battle.

    1. Aizat

      G.I JOE?

      1. Yotomoe

        Joe’s the reason we’re in this predicament.

    2. GeekRyuu

      But I assume the other half is heavy ordinance of some sort? Cause, y’know, if you’re only going into battle with knowing, seems like it’ll be one short battle.

      1. Undrave

        The other half is red and blue laser never hitting anything alive.

      2. AsimovSideburns

        http://imgur.com/9nlJDma

        As you can see, the other half of the battle is evenly split between Red and Blue laser beams.

      3. HLY

        no one ever said it was half way to winning 😉

    3. LuckyStar7

      I thoght knowing WINS half the battle. 🙁

  10. The Sound Defense

    I don’t know where this is going and that intrigues me.

    1. The Sound Defense

      Actually I do have an idea of where this is going. Ruth talks about stepping up to the plate after her dad’s death, then makes Billie feel like shit for worrying about shit as trivial as not being popular anymore.

  11. Steven Fisher

    Bille asked, Ruth granted. This is Ruth being nice.

    1. Blob Marley

      Even when she’s being consistent she’s not consistent! AAAAAGGGHHHHHH!!!

  12. Ridureyu

    A boss? A bully? An enemy? A friend?

    Clearly, the answer is “A Pro Wrestler.”

    1. Aizat

      Or “A MMA Fighter”

      1. Yotomoe

        Or a new character for the Street Fighter Roster.

        1. cdot

          you people really know how to run with a joke

        2. Aizat

          Comes with the job.

        3. Dragon

          better than running with a knife… or from the law…

  13. alicemacher

    “K, thanks for clearing that up.”

  14. Count Dracula

    All those other people we saw in the hallway are probably just walking away whistling. There’s no way they’d want to get involved in drama of this caliber.

    1. Melvin Schlock

      Not without pulling a drama tag first.

  15. Davriel

    Now THAT’S the Ruth we know & love!

  16. Blade dog and destroyer

    And the answer is undertaker!

  17. Vabolo

    A bossy bully frenemy?

    1. Valdrax

      She’s always bugging her. Bugging and fussing and meddling. What’s her deal!

  18. Weiss

    now kiss

  19. Nexev

    I have a feeling Ruth just has incredible difficulty with confrontations.

  20. J42

    “WHAT ARE YOU TO ME?”
    “You know what I am. Say it. Out loud.”
    “You’re.. Ruthless.”

  21. Yotomoe

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBr1uSXKelM

    1. Yotomoe

      whoops. meant for that to be a reply to J42

  22. bunivasal

    I never noticed until yesterday that Billie is like twice as thick as some of the other girls. Anyway, I made up a baseball cheer about Ruth:

    Ruth, Ruth, she should bunt! Hitting’s hard and she’s a—

    They won’t let me finish.

    1. Blob Marley

      slowclap.gif

  23. Doom Shepherd

    My vote is that the hand gripping the shirt is some kind of a trigger, and something just got set off.

    This opinion is heavily influenced by the fact that I recently spent some time dealing with my SO’s having a full-on flashback to child abuse and the ensuing craziness. Good times.

    1. GeekRyuu

      Ye gods! Are they okay? They’re seeking help, right?

      1. Doom Shepherd

        Oh, a week in the local hospital’s psych ward helped. New meds (i told her she shouldn’t have gone off the old onescold turkey) and finally getting back into therapy, she’s much better now, and home.

    2. Pinja

      Yeah, triggering a bad memory is what I thought too.

      1. Gargamel

        “Oh, you think darkness is your ally. But you merely adopted the dark; I was born in it, moulded by it. I didn’t see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but BLINDING!”

  24. AckAckAck

    Yeah, in fiction most of those “hate-hate” relationship are played for tsundere effect. But tbh irl it will be very difficult to work with. No shipping here, just a woman with a shattered confidence looking for a validation and a woman that hate that kind of confidence.

    This will end in tears and pulled drama tag.

  25. alicemacher

    With apologies to Norah Jones:

    What are you to me?
    Oh tell me please, Ruthie
    Are you no more than a bongo,
    Or, depending on the sitch-
    -uation, a buddy?

    Now if my BMI should fall
    Will you, only then, call?
    Are we Penny and Aggie?
    If so–late or early?
    What are you to me?

    1. Makkabee

      Oh, Alice, how I adore thee.

      1. alicemacher

        Hurray! Someone got it. <3

  26. Bats

    KISS! Oh god please kiss. 😯

  27. schadetj

    Aaaand you’re fired.

    1. schadetj

      Well, I guess I’M fired.

      1. schadetj

        Shit, I liked this job.

        1. TK

          I hope you don’t think me too forward if I say ‘I love you’ for this response string…

  28. JebJeb

    That’s a quick way to get a crushed windpipe. Elbow right in the throat ain’t exactly comfortable.

  29. Aras Pabedinskas

    You know someone is angry when you see their gums, that is why people hate going to the dentist.
    Don’t worry, I’ll kick myself out.

  30. JimmyP424

    Angry hallway sex in 3, 2, 1…

  31. Kernanator

    People don’t want nice, they want consistency.

    1. Yotomoe

      What if you’re consistently nice?

      1. TK

        still not as desirable as nicely consistent. Kinda like poop.

        1. Narf

          Oh man, I hope you won’t think I’m too forward for saying I love you for that response. 😀 I quit smoking 8 days ago, and that’s honestly the first time I’ve laughed since then. You’re awesome.

  32. Jon P

    Those who picked Ruth/Billie in the poll were correct, because Billie is about to be boned like a fish.

    1. TK

      So, she is going to be ripped open and have her skeleton removed in preparation for being eaten? I am obviously not doing sex right.

      Actually, reading that back to myself, that DOES sound like a good hard sexing. 9_<

  33. oceanbeard

    I go to IU, and I’ve seen RA’s get fired for pretty trivial matters. Ruth, on the other hand, abuses her position and is completely psychotic. I have zero sympathy for her as a character. At this point she deserves whatever she gets.
    Or, we could just wait until she gets hit by a car. Again.

  34. sandbridgekid

    Charges in the Circuit Court of Indiana versus Ruth xxxxxx: Battery with intent to harm. Abduction with intent to harm. Aggrevated Criminal Assualt in the Second Degree. (I don’t know anything about Indiana law, but those would be the charges in Virginia, and that’s only the events in last panel. Next strip will get to see Willful Assault and Malicious Wounding.)

    1. Wack'd

      Lessick. Ruth Lessick.

    2. Commander Clash

      You forgot willful damage to personal property and theft when she stole and cut up that shirt of Billie’s

  35. Sporky

    Still trying to figure out what Ruth’s expressions in panels 1 and 3 mean…

    1. Frenchy

      A mix between anger and sadness I guess. That why she reacts violently.

  36. sandbridgekid

    Or wet, oily exhibitionist SEXY TIMES!!

  37. Farmer_10

    Well, this just got real.

  38. iggzy

    Now kiss?

  39. Tarpo

    Enemy it is then.. moving right along..

  40. lightsabermario

    You do not force Ruth, who has built up an ironclad reputation of being a cold and ruthless hardass, to express emotion or kindness in public. She wants nobody to know that she has a soft core under her shell. It’s pretty clear Ruth likes Billie, and her name-calling is a sort of pigtail-pulling, in a way that most won’t catch on. But the fact that Billie shared that moment with her when Ruth was emotionally vulnerable was supposed to be a secret, maybe even to Billie. To make a big scene out of nowhere in the middle of the hallway will erode her image. She has to beat Billie up now, just to protect her image, and besides, violence (and alcohol) are the only ways she knows how to cope with stress. She will be making big threats out in public, but if they get behind closed doors, who knows?

    One other added factor may be that this event is triggering something in her past that she is extremely sensitive about. If that is the case, then if they get behind closed doors, I bet we will find out what happened in Ruth’s past in Canada.

    1. Joe

      Here’s the thing, though:
      When Ruth made room for Billie in the elevator, she showed every single person in that elevator that she values Billie more than them. She’s already been more than simply kind to Billie in front of a large group of people.

    2. zerotkatama

      Cold and ruthless? I don’t get that, seeing as we saw last comic her being nice to two of her other charges. It seems it’s billie specifically that sets her off.

  41. Uniqueantique

    Either that, or Ruth just answered her question plain and simply.

  42. NinjaNick

    It’s on like Donkey Kong!

  43. Blue

    …is this going to end up a race between Ruth/Billie and Sal/Jason?

  44. Jelli

    At this point there is not a backstory in world sad enough for me to have one iota of sympathy for Ruth.

    1. MarkReed

      This.

    2. Valdrax

      Haha. I smell a challenge.

  45. Aesir

    And then they kiss

  46. Charles RB

    Well, you did ask, Billie

  47. Pinja

    Well this took an unpleasant turn : /

    1. Pinja

      $5 says Ruth cries

      1. james

        before or after the sex?

        1. Pinja

          Within the next 4 panels, so before unless they both secretly have Robin like speed.

  48. Notebooked

    That’s a pretty good expression in the third panel. She looks either like she’s working up the energy for violence or she’s genuinely concerned.
    If you want to look purely at what’s there, Billie talks big and demands respect without giving it and Ruth’s a violent psycho.
    Alternatively, Billie doesn’t know what to do, being out of her depth and without the support of her friends, and Ruth’s fighting to keep her position and the respect it entails, something she sorely needs in order to avoid looking vulnerable.
    Basically, none of them are sympathic! Or both of them!
    In any case, we’re heading up towards the Friday cliffhanger, so we’ll probably get something unexpected. Billie and Ruth kiss licky-style and Joe, having been let down by the cheerleader, comes in to find his greatest dreams come true.

    1. Notebooked

      I think this won’t end in violence, though. They’ve confronted each other publicly before, but they’ve usually gathered a crowd around them beforehand to see the prelude to the confrontation. It seems sort of late at night now, and if students woke up to see the R.A. just beating the crap out of some student without provokation, it’d probably get consequences.
      It’s interesting, though, that she says “what are you to me”, rather than “what are we doing” or similar. It implies that Billie already sees her as a friend, or at least potential friend, rather than immediate enemy.

      (Or not. R.A. stands for ‘Ruth Almighty’, after all.)

      1. AckAckAck

        I still thinking you and many other people put their interactions too highly. They are both bad influences clashing in the close proximity. Billie craving attention in an environment that require her to be more independence and self aware while Ruth is simply being rude to everyone to spend her emotional anger.

        Meeting Billie who fought her authority back, Ruth is like asshole lioness wanting to reassure her position in the herd. So when Billie ask her what Ruth really want from her she “blew up.”

        There are tsundere attitudes and there’s just plain rude. Ruth is the latter.

    2. Notebooked

      And I haven’t contemplated this: Oh my god what happened to Howard.
      Trampled during a Star Trek convention?

  49. james

    Now kiss.

  50. Zababcd

    Now Sal.

  51. Fes Works

    I’m sorry, but I had to draw a 5th panel: http://fesworks.tumblr.com/post/41937325333/i-just-say-this-update-on-david-willis-dumbing-of

    1. Reiku

      Nice, she looks like she pinching Billie’s stomach XD

    2. alicemacher

      Well done! *enthusiastic applause*

  52. Sailor_Arashi

    Now kiss!

  53. PureLionHeart

    Well that escalated quickly.

  54. Pinja

    Poor Billie, didn’t realise she was taking the transition to Uni so hard. How long has she been there now?

  55. Gargamel

    Billie asked the wrong question.

  56. KaiserKris

    The answer is kismesis, clearly.

    Ruth <3< Billie, forever. Violently.

  57. Jackson

    Man. Between Monday’s strip, yesterday’s, and now today’s, I just keep wanting to give Billie a big ol’ hug.

  58. Andrew

    shortly after this they went and had frosty chocolat milkshakes

  59. Dr.Z

    I wish someone would kick Ruth’s arse.

  60. Tenn

    “What, are you dense? Are you retarded or something? Who the hell do you think I am?

    I’m the goddamn Amazi-Girl.”

  61. Fata Morgana

    Now kiss.

  62. Doug Dean

    OK, the portrayal of RA’s and the general meteir of this comic is becoming unrealistic to the point of absurdity (and not the good kind). My interest in this comic is rapidly approaching zero as a limit.

    1. Doom Shepherd

      Because in Loopyland, Rose is representative of all RA’s. Door, butt, way out. Fill in the blanks.

      1. Jackson

        I think Doug’s point is not that the comic is maligning RA’s (it’s not), but that the notion of an RA getting away with this kind of behavior is patently ridiculous and unbelievable.

        1. Narf

          I think the notion of comparing a comic book world to real life is patently ridiculous and completely foolish – it’s not real life, it’s a fucking comic book.

  63. Heavensrun

    Okay, so, a lot of people are calling a kiss for the next comic. I’m gonna call that Joyce shows up during and her brain explodes.

    1. Led

      No no, Joyce and Ethan shows up and when they see the kiss Ethan is all like “Woah… I’m not gay anymore.” and Joyce is like “Wait what.”

  64. Valdrax

    Yeah, honestly. Just what kind of job security does she have?
    Or is she just secure that no one would dare snitch on her?

  65. gangler

    What am I to you? Am I a joke, your foe or your sister? What am I to you? Do you look down on me cause I’m younger?

    Do you think that I don’t comprehen’? I just wanted us to drink a little heineken. Last night was the most fun that I’ve ever had. I even liked it when we would get mad at one another.

  66. Krimson

    Definitely tsundere.

  67. Vinny

    Good, Im glad Billie standing up for herself, dont get stepped all over.

    1. madd

      I have a feeling she’s about to be stepped all over.

      Or kissed.

  68. Giblets

    feelspocalypse

  69. nimoy

    Awwww, Ruth can’t handle the feels that Billie makes her feel. “I feel vulnerable, oh noes, hate that feels, damn you for the feels!”

  70. Spectre

    Ruth must have some form of RA tenure. How else is she getting away with all of this?

    1. Heavensrun

      I have to assume that this is very abnormal for her. Something about Billie sets her off, one way or another, and she’s having trouble dealing with that. The others are indimidated by her, but she doesn’t menace them the same way.

      That said, I’m still expecting a kiss in the next comic. Or a hug followed by running away in tears, followed by Billie going THAT DIDN’T HELP!!! >8|

    2. Aeyt

      I think she mentioned in an earlier strip that she gets by with that iron grip because she has a good record of keeping her house in order. Nobody even wants to put a toe out of line for fear of her.

      I stole your face btw

      1. Random832

        o_O Did someone crack the gravatar code?

  71. nothri

    I keep looking for the girl that sacrificed her life to save a friend from a drunk driving collision. I see very little of her in DoA Ruth.

    1. Pinja

      Except we hardly know anything about DoA Ruth. We’ve seen a lot of her sure but do we really know her? No. We’ve just seen one facet of her personality with hints at more.

  72. roborat

    Wow, I really hope that elbow smash is into her chest, and not her throat, or else someone will be in the hospital soon.

  73. Ray

    All of Billie’s problems seem to be either Ruth-related or in her head. College isn’t so complicated. Go to class, do your homework, don’t forget to eat, sleep, and do your laundry.

    1. Pinja

      She’s only been at uni for what, less than two weeks? The culture shock alone is enough to be upsetting: Like she said, everything has changed and for her, it hasn’t been in a good way. And life is about more than just the necessary routine for continued living.

      People need more than just bread and water to live. She’s lonely and suffering from self-esteem problems and that shit at uni fucked me up for years. She’s also got possible sexual identity confusion which for someone who seems to want to fit in the world is a certain perceived way is probably upsetting.

      It’s also less noticeable since a) It’s often played for laughs and b) Billie tends to put on a brave face. She doesn’t show her distress and she doesn’t back-down. It’s one of the reasons I like her so much.

  74. LuckyStar7

    Billie: “What are you to me?”
    Ruth: “YOUR LESBIAN bongo!”

    1. BandGirl

      Me: *Claps*

  75. ridtom

    Mike hatefully approves this response.

    1. Random832

      So, wait. Did someone crack the gravatar code?

  76. Gamut

    This month of updates brought to you by Girls Making Angry Faces.

  77. Miles Dryden

    Now KISS!

  78. Aeyt

    I AM getting a bit tired of Ruth’s cranial/rectal inversion.

  79. Noel Schornhorst

    Y’know, I totally wasn’t into the shipping of these two as others had repeatedly mentioned, but I am convinced that these two should be making out as much as I wish Danny and Ethan were. 😛

  80. someguywithakatana

    … Well, that escalated quickly…

  81. John

    You showed weakness, Bille.

    Never show weakness.

  82. Potatamoto

    PLEASE just kiss!

    1. doodlebug

      they did!

  83. MerlinHurricane

    Is it supposed to be “our” problem in the first panel?

  84. Govir

    Is the first panel suppose to read “your problem” instead of “our problem”? I can kinda finagle “our problem” to make sense, but it reads awkwardly to me.

  85. madock345

    “Fucking Stability” Indeed.
    Maybe should have phrased that a little better, Billie.

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