98

Arrived
Posted on July 24, 2019 by David M Willis

98 thoughts on “Arrived”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    no lie, Ruth is me when my co-worker asks me for something

    like

    I thought you wanted me to speak but ok

    1. ian livs

      Mood. I have a couple coworkers like that, and it’s… fun

      1. Jess

        narrator: it was not fun

      2. Jago

        I have a few friends like that and one’s habit is a bit more excusable, but I point it out every time regardless, just a little louder. Though, idk if I could do that with coworkers. Politeness and all.

        1. keithcurtis

          I interrupt loudly with, “Excuse me, I’m talking!”. But only if A) they do it habitually, or B) I am answering a question they just asked. Got zero patience for that kind of rudeness.

    2. Dave

      I’ve got one who, if he asks a question, you have exactly 0.25 seconds to reply before he snaps at you to spit out the answer. “Fun”.

    3. Needfuldoer

      “You do think I’m beautiful, don’t you, Charlie Brown? You didn’t answer me right away. You had to think about it first, didn’t you. If you really thought I was beautiful, you would have spoken right up! I know when I’ve been insulted! I know when I’ve been insulted!”

      – Lucy Van Pelt, A Charlie Brown Christmas

    4. Zee

      Same when my mother in law asks me something. If I’m lucky I can get an “um I-” out

  2. Doctor_Who

    Oh good, Jason can see her too.

    I was worried for a second that Billie had gone beyond the point of Pink Elephants and started seeing Ginger Canadians.

    1. Juanoku

      That’s what a suicide pact with your kinda girlfriend will get ya

    2. Walky_Talky

      As long as you’re not seeing Pink Ginger Canadian Elephants, there’s still hope.

  3. BBCC

    Well, at least she hasn’t had the chance to order anything yet.

    Now let’s see how long these two can chat before it turns into a dumpster fire.

    1. Nono

      Ruth seems fine. Any dumpster firing will probably all be on Billie.

    2. Dark

      Implying it isn’t already?

      1. ShinyNeen

        So, 7 panels at most then.

      2. BBCC

        This is building the fire. It hasn’t kicked off quite yet.

        1. Clif

          Yep.

  4. ValdVin

    “Cumberbatch!”

    Surprised she didn’t go with one of the variants, like Bumbershoot Cabbagepatch.

    1. C

      Fun game: Ask Siri or google questions about Benadryl Candysnatch, etc, and see how far it’ll let you go.

      1. ValdVin

        There are plenty here, thanks to an Australian newspaper.

        https://i.imgur.com/Zs23wTJ.jpg

      2. Marsh Maryrose

        Good ol’ Benkenobi Bandersnatch!

    2. Delicious Taffy

      Bonegristle Koalablast

      1. Clif

        He was really good in Hemlock Jones.

  5. C.T Phipps

    I actually think Ruth’s presence here is a bad sign. Nothing she can say would be good here.

    1. AntJ

      But it will probably make Billie realize she can’t go on boozin’ and keep Ruth safe simultaneously, which should work out for the better?

      1. C.T Phipps

        Well I am still of the opinion that Billie seems to think they’ve broken up.

        But that’s a point of contention.

        So from Billie’s perspective, Ruth is stalking.

    2. Seregiel

      She did just show up according to the bar tender. She could have seen Billie and walked over not intending to order anything

    3. Zee

      I mean, it’s a restaurant. She could have just gone there for lunch and wanted to order a soda or something

  6. DailyBrad

    I’m glad to see Billie is still keenly worried about Ruth’s well-being in not wanting her to drink, but I wish she could apply some of that concern to herself as well.

    I know this is easier said than done, though.

    1. Romanticide

      I find it very normal to see people trying harder for others to be okay than themselves, and very refreshing when fiction portrays it if I am honest.

  7. Kyrik Michalowski

    “Like some kinda crazy control freak.” Or like a girlfriend you have been ignoring and refusing to communicate with. Seriously Billie, you didn’t even break up with her if that was your plan. Where in all this do you have the right to worry about Ruth considering your actions?

    1. C.T Phipps

      I think at least some people believe they’re broken up.

      1. Marsh Maryrose

        I think Billie is distancing herself from Ruth because she thinks that she (Billie) is inevitably headed for the bottom and she doesn’t want to drag Ruth down with her.

        Those two could probably each use a good dose of Garbage Roof. Except it wouldn’t be safe for either one of them up there in their current state of mind.

        1. Clif

          Well Billie doesn’t want to drag Ruth down, but she herself isn’t on the way to the bottom because she, herself, doesn’t really have a problem.

        2. thejeff

          Billie’s level of denial varies. On some level she thinks she’s poison and will ruin anything she touches – that’s why she could be with Ruth, they were both already damaged, so she couldn’t hurt her. That is pretty clearly tied to why she drinks.
          I don’t think she quite realizes how dependent on the alcohol she is, despite knowing some of her other problems.

  8. butts

    jesus christ billie get help

    1. Delicious Taffy

      Be patient, Jason’s coming back shortly with her drink.

      1. Clif

        Jason is always helpful. Because of him Sal got tutoring from Danny and after Walky turned to Jason for help, just look at the way his past grades improved.

      2. fire_daws

        Appropriate Gravatar is appropriate.

  9. C

    Fun game: Ask Siri or google questions about Benadryl Candysnatch, etc, and see how far it’ll let you go.

    1. C

      This was supposed to be a reply but I am bad at this. It’s reposted where it should be. Ignore this!

  10. Jess

    CUMBERBATCH

    Okay, Billie, don’t screw this up…

    (Not that I know how that lofty goal might be reached, or what exactly I want out of this encounter. Only that I want it to go well for once.)

    1. TemporalShrew

      I mean, she’s *already* managed to screw it up by basically calling Ruth a lunatic stalker before she can get a proper thought out, but…

      1. Juanoku

        Were you expecting something else from miss and mrs. “I wanna die, but only with you”?

  11. etherealdesiign

    really hoping this moment is heralding some sort of constructive dialogue between these two wonderful idiots and not heralding the imminent collapse of their relationship like a neutron star

    i give each possibility roughly even odds

    1. Solenoid

      They spiral in toward each other, forming a narrative singularity from which even a “Damn you, Willis!” cannot escape.

      1. Clif

        But no “Damn you Willis!”‘s would violate the laws of physics.

    2. Needfuldoer

      Honestly, I hope it’s the latter at this point. Ruth is making significant progress and deserves better.

    3. Zee

      Why not both? Constructive dialogue leading to the mutual decision to end the relationship. I want more same sex relationships as much as the next gay, but Ruth really does not need billies…billiness, if you get what I’m saying. A relationship like this, with another addict could genuinely harm her progress

      1. thejeff

        Maybe so, but I like them together. I liked them when Ruth was the one who was worse off and Billie stuck with her and helped her through that. I’d like to Billie get better and I’d like Ruth to help her through it.

        Wouldn’t be the advice I’d give to a real life couple, but in fiction …

  12. Pocky

    I mean; you’re you’re probably right, but let a girl finish a sentence dammit.

  13. Viktoria

    I am SHOCKED and APPALLED at Billie here. You do NOT refer to Bluebell Candyfloss like that. She might be a journalist, but come on, have some self-respect.

    1. Dean

      Seriously, it shows a deep lack of respect for Bensonhurst Cumblebum.

      1. Needfuldoer

        It’s more fun if you’ve been hearing Benadryl Cabbagepatch as Jason’s voice actor.

  14. tirachokko

    it’s tiME TO B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-BREAK UP
    firm
    fast
    lezdo iiiiiiiiit

  15. Yotomoe

    I guess in her own way that at least shows she cares.

  16. Valerie

    Every time Benedict Cumberbatch comes up, I think of that SNL skit where Leslie Jones says, “I’m one of your Cumber-bongoes!”

    That’s probably going to be filtered, but y’all know what I mean.

  17. Delicious Taffy

    Billie, chill the fuck out. Like, just settle your ass down, it’s not as dire as all that. This girl is so goddamn high-strung, I’m getting secondhand anxiety.

    1. Kat

      “But I’m a cheerleader. Drama is what we do.”
      -Billie, probably.

      1. Delicious Taffy

        Her face is so active, I’m worried the muscles will give out.

  18. Keulen

    Billie, you could try letting Ruth actually explain why she’s there.

    1. abysswatcher1993

      Yeah, but that would take away the one constant in all Billies from Walkyverse to DoA: Billie is jerk that jumps to conclusions in a condescending and self serving way. That is as constant Carla’s narcisism and Linda being a horrible parent.

      1. Michelle J. Caboose

        Yeah, but at least Carla’s version of narcissism is hilarious and fun. Or maybe fun and hilarious. Hilarifun? Funlarious?

  19. Tan

    Hypocrisy, thy name is Jennifer.

  20. abysswatcher1993

    Just a few days ago you tried to convince Ruth to drink again, you idiot.

    1. Delicious Taffy

      Shh, don’t tell her.

    2. DailyBrad

      You can fault her for plenty, but she has a right to be concerned thinking Ruth is drinking again after Ruth blew up on her about it.

      1. thejeff

        And to be honest, Billie breaking up with her is something that might lead her to relapse. Along with staying with Billie as she goes out drinking, sadly.

    3. thejeff

      I don’t think she did really. Or at least not intentionally. She doesn’t get it. She thinks she can go on drinking and even bring Ruth out with her and it’ll be okay because she won’t let Ruth drink, so everything will be fine.
      She doesn’t understand how dangerous that temptation is or what level of risk she’s exposing Ruth to. Combined with massive amounts of denial of her own problems and wishful thinking about Ruth getting “cured”.

      But her intentions are good, as we see here.

      1. Inahc

        Well said.

  21. TemporalShrew

    Billie, can you please say something that will make me *like* you for just one strip, for once?

  22. Bagge

    This is a really messed up kind of heartwarming.

    …par for the course for their relationship, in other words.

    1. Clif

      I ship it.

  23. Juanoku

    This is awkwardly adorably weird

  24. Shane Wegner

    Ruth’s simplest explanation for being there is “I wanted pizza(and or subs)”.

    But like I said yesterday, RA’s can’t just see students doing something illegal (underage drinking) and then not report it, that makes the college complicit. Well, they can. But if it ever comes up they did, they can be removed for cause, especially if they’re already on thin ice for one or more legitimate concerns.

    Called it on Billie’s “I’m the victim (of stalking) here)”.

    1. BBCC

      I mean, banging your charges and drinking underage all day (not to mention threatening and hitting your charges) are also cause for dismissal, but Grampus managed to bribe his way around that because he wants Ruth as an RA.

    2. Nono

      Do RAs have jurisdiction over students who aren’t in their wing? Billie is part of Forest Quad now, so I don’t know if Ruth has any actual power over her more than any other person in Read.

      1. SillyGoose

        The whole point of relocating Billie to Forest Quad was that she would not, so I’m gonna guess no.

      2. Marsh Maryrose

        She’s still an employee of IU. So she might have a legal obligation to report an IU student’s underage drinking if she were aware of it, regardless of where the student resides. (I’m sure that in the real world, no RA would actually do that unless there were serious circumstances involved.)

    3. thejeff

      In theory, sure. Given Ruth’s history of getting smashed with Billie, I’m not sure seeing her drinking even registers on the scale of rules violations.

      And “stalking” is a bit extreme for your (maybe ex?) girlfriend coming to the bar to talk to you. (Now if it was Ruth in the Groucho nose and glasses disguise earlier, then maybe there’s a case.)

      1. Clif

        If I said Ruth’s tag had been retroactively added to that strip, would you go back and check? No? Oh, well.

        1. Marsh Maryrose

          Did you know the word “gullible” isn’t in the dictionary?

  25. CMasta

    I’m on Team Ruth Snitches on the Fake ID and continues her life without Billie.

    1. Juanoku

      I am very angry now, but i respect your opinion
      Because it kinda makes sense but also she would probably kill herself soooo…

  26. Rabisch

    Nice to see how much Billie cares about Ruth. Just thought that Ruth could start drinking again totally scared Billie and then makes her smile with relief

    1. thejeff

      Yeah, screwed up as she is, that’s nice.

  27. hof1991

    Billie has “alcoholic” in her student file. She is breaking a couple laws. An employee of the school is watching her. Ruth has several options here. But it might lead to Billie being expelled or forced into counseling. But, like most underaged college kids, so won’t face any consequences, except a couple wasted years.

    1. Clif

      I’m reasonably sure that Ruth didn’t go to where she knew Billie would be for the purpose of getting Billie expelled.

  28. Aprion

    just keep digging that hole Billie. just keep digging.

  29. Bagge

    Poor Billie looks so relieved in the last panel. She’s really, really afraid of Ruth drinking 🙁

    1. Cerberus

      She cares a lot, but not enough to actually face her problems and get help, probably because of a lot of shitty messages she’s received from her family about that.

      1. Bagge

        She thinks she can’t stop drinking, and she thinks that if she stays with Ruth that will prevent Ruth from stop drinking.

        🙁

      2. thejeff

        I’m not sure it’s quite “not enough”, just that she can’t see that way out. It’s not a matter of how much she cares, but of her blindness to the real problems.

        Like many, she doesn’t think she can be helped and thus the best thing to do is drive away those she cares about so she can’t hurt them. Being with Ruth was okay when Ruth was at the bottom because she couldn’t make it worse, but with Ruth getting better she’s seeing that she’s now a threat to her.

        1. Bagge

          Exactly like that.

          Billie thinks she is not good enough for Ruth, in the worst way possible.

    2. Nono

      Maybe if she’s so afraid of Ruth drinking, she shouldn’t try to get Ruth to drink.

      1. Bagge

        She doesn’t any longer, not since Ruth laid it out for her.

        That’s why Billie broke up with her, so that her own drinking won’t be Ruth’s problem.

        It’s…. not a perfect solution, but it’s a very Billie solution.

  30. PB

    Glad to see Billie is putting Ruth’s recovery first, given that that was her mistake last time.

    1. Juanoku

      Well she immediately fucked it up afterwards, but i get your point

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