Hair
Posted on February 27, 2017 by David M Willis

259 thoughts on “Hair”

  1. AnvilPro

    Shocking twist: Nobody really cares.

    1. TheAnonymousGuy

      except marry, and nobody cares about marry

      1. neeks

        there’s something horrid about Mary

        1. miados

          there’s nothing about mary

        2. 3oranges

          Mary crosses her arms and turns up her mouth. There is nothing about her – existence and non-existence warping together on every side. Dreams and reality alike fall away into an aura that is not just darkness, the failure of light, but absence, the failure of space and time. At its edges the world lenses to reveal glimpses of something beyond, faintly echoing the laughter of demons and weeping of angels.

        3. neeks

          *applauds*

        4. Ashonai

          …They really should just get rid of all of the other comments. There’s no beating that.

        5. El Chupacabre

          That motion is seconded

        6. Reltzik

          Yeah, but we need other comments to reveal its awesomeness by contrast.

        7. 3oranges

          Aw, thank you all! 🙂

        8. maxyai

          And Mary’s heart shrunk 3 sizes that day.

        9. Rosstifer

          Hahaha, you think Mary has a heart.

        10. Renshear Blade

          well I am sure she doesn’t now. those 3 sizes was probably enough to make to tiny to care.

        11. nightsbridge

          Much like quarks, Mary’s heart exists only in theory.

        12. N0083rP00F

          Yes.
          Of course.
          Mary does have a heart.
          The heart of an angel if you must know.
          I have seen it.
          I know.

          She keeps it in a peanut-butter jar in the back of the closet.

        13. Reltzik

          Sure she has a heart. Whence else would her endless wellspring of hate, evil, and vileness spring save from that black hard block of ice?

        14. ABAX

          How Mary stole Christmas and also new years and maybe Easter.

  2. miados

    we like you in our hair as long as you dont burrow into the skin

    1. shadowcell

      all the eggs you laid in there were kind of unnecessary too

      1. TheTJ

        Those were “Friendship eggs”! Let them mature and they will grow into affection mites.

        1. Passchendaele

          yeah, but then they burrowed in and became stomach butterflies

        2. Falling Star

          Which then became intestinal worms.

        3. Dean

          They have a complex life cycle.

        4. N0083rP00F

          Intestinal?
          I thought the worms resided within the Eustachian tubes.

  3. TheTJ

    Amazi-gir- I mean Amber, QUICK! Deck that villain to your left!

    1. tim gueguen

      I was thinking something along those lines as well.

    2. Rukduk

      I think Becky might beat her to that if she has enough info about who Mary is.

      1. Disloyal Subject

        I don’t think Becky’s that violent a person, but I’ve been wrong before.

        1. Dreadbeasts

          Joyce might.

    3. mister gray

      NO YOUR OTHER LEFT!!

    4. Thalass

      http://imgur.com/gallery/1bUPaMN

  4. Stu

    AND THEN THEY ALL FUCKED!

    1. Disloyal Subject

      And there was much rejoicing

      1. TheTJ

        “…yaaay…”

      2. Emperor Daniel

        Re-Joyceing?

        1. Dara

          get out

        2. BloodLily16

          You win all the internets.

    2. Godfather

      Except Mary, because she doesn’t deserve to get in on the fun. Better yet, she’s accidentally killed by a flying sex toy that smacks her in the head.

  5. Shiro

    When she’s lost absolutely everything else, she still has Billie.

    1. miados

      and her glasses.

      1. Bagge

        And the Leafs

        1. miados

          but the glasses actually do what she would want them to do.

        2. Reltzik

          And so does Billie.

          …. sometimes.

        3. N0083rP00F

          But not the Leafs.
          They may tease.
          They may talk the talk.
          But they are The Leafs.

  6. Sporky

    the last three panels are?

  7. Mordecai

    Why is Mary smiling?

    1. tim gueguen

      Because she’s deluded.

    2. Cephalo the Pod

      Why wouldn’t she?

    3. StClair

      my read:
      “Huh. She actually dared to come back and show her face again.”

    4. placeusernamehere

      Because she’s an ass, and not even the kind worth paying attention to.

    5. Disloyal Subject

      Because she thinks she’s broken Ruth.

    6. Michael

      I wasn’t sure if she was smiling. Her mouth is smiling but her eyes look nervous. So a nervous smile? Like she thinks she’s won a victory against Ruth but at the same time is still afraid of her?

      1. neeks

        or perhaps she’s smiling nervously in billie’s direction as if to say “look, I’m on my best behavior, no one needs to make good on their promise to grind me into paste if I continue to start shit”

    7. Hellespont

      Because Ruth has fallen, as divine retribution justifies every prejudice Mary has.

    8. ESM

      It’s kind of an ambiguous expression. It looks more like a nervous smile than a triumphant one (note the defensive body language).

      I think Mary getting punched/ostracized made her realize that she’s on thin ice a little, and that this is a dangerous situation for her

    9. JessWitt

      Because she’s the worst.

    10. KingOfGreyfell

      Because Mary is a joyless conga.

    11. Trolldrool

      Because she wouldn’t be Mary if she didn’t.

    12. Kingmonster

      Why wouldn’t our unwanted resident Starscream smile?

    13. LWS

      To me it looks like a nervous smile with maybe a touch of constipation thrown in.

  8. BBCC

    1) Fuck you, Mary, nobody loves you.

    2) Thank you, Sarah, for stopping Joyce from sticking her foot in her mouth.

    3) Awwwwww, Billie. She is so sweet here, reaching out to Ruth and daring folks to fuck with them about it.

    1. Kris

      I think Joyce saying “something”, trying to show she’s at least concerned, is infinitely better than standing around staring like a herd of sheep. I honestly have no idea what these ladies are doing right now? Do they plan on rallying for Ruth to keep her job? Throw a parade? I mean c’mon she’s not on fire.

      1. BBCC

        I think people are just feeling awkward and unsure what to say – especially as a lot of what could be said may make her feel worse or hit a sore spot – like Joyce bringing up the hospital, which is why I’m glad Sarah shushed her. She means well, but it’s easy to be insensitive, if innocent in intent.

        I can hardly blame the girls for waiting for Ruth to start.

        1. Kris

          That’s kind of my point though. Unless you have something to say why are you staring? In a way Mary has more motive than anyone because she hates Ruth and enjoys seeing her at an all time low. The rest? Maybe they’re concerned but honestly it’s just adding more stress on someone who has already been through a lot. But hey it’s human nature to stare at a car crash I guess.

        2. BBCC

          Because the tyrant RA who got hauled off to the health centre just showed back up and surprised them. It’s an awkward moment and nobody is sure what to say, only knowing they don’t want to make a bad situation worse. Saying nothing is awkward and can make things worse, but saying the wrong thing can be the start of another downward spiral and nobody wants that – hence Sarah telling Joyce to shut her talk hole before she slams down on a potential sore spot.

        3. Kris

          I understand that Ruth was a bad R.A. and hey, in a way this is probably karma for how she acted but it still bothers me. Especially since none of them should even be aware of Ruth’s situation. But I can admit I’m over analyzing it or some such. Like it’s not necessarily malicious (except Mary) just annoying curiosity and concern. And yeah Joyce would probably say something stupid bit she at least gets..well not points but like…..a non redeemable token from an out of business arcade for trying to me.

        4. Falcon

          They’re at least aware Ruth was holed up in her room and likely suicidal. There was a big commotion about it.

    2. ValdVin

      I like Billlie’s forthrightness here, but who is gonna fuck with them about it? (Mary excluded.)

      I mean, when push came to shove, residents decided Mary was a jagoff and Ruth was more tolerable. And the bigotry and high-horse act from Mary, and what Ruth has just gone thru, only makes Ruth a more sympathetic person. (I recognize that “crowd sympathy” is not a zero sum deal.)

      I’d imagine among the others there’d be a sense of relief over not hiding the handholding. My own experience is that hiding stuff ratchets up the tension badly in many group settings.

      1. BBCC

        Them dating? Probably nobody but Mary and maybe Meredith (we don’t know much about her).

        About Ruth in general and her awful treatment of everybody, including Billie? Might be another story.

      2. Loki

        I am not sure Ruth knows how much everyone ralloed behind her and against Mary.

        1. ValdVin

          I would hope it was mentioned off-panel, as it was hinted at when Billie visited the hospital and said she fixed everything.

          Sometimes I wish a really meaty webcomic like this could be annotated like “Beowulf” or a Shakespeare play.

    3. Godfather

      THIS.

      I feel like Mary wants to say something.
      No, Mary. Fuck right off.

  9. Danni

    their expressions in the last panel are a far cry from when billie held ruth’s hand after ruth gave her the cheerleader outfit

  10. Kris

    Joyce is just way better than the rest.

    1. miados

      she is probably legitimately concerned but i am glad sarah shushed her.

  11. CoffeeBurps

    Something seems off about the “97” on Billie’s shirt. I have no idea what it is tho. At first I thought it was backwards but no, its right, thats not it…
    But SOMETHING seems weird about it to me… And I have no idea what it is

    1. Cephalo the Pod

      It is pretty blocky. There’s no curvature to either number that’s normally there

    2. Hellespont

      DigitalClock Font.

    3. Falling Star

      The numbers look connected via her boobs?

    4. Roborat

      It’s because Connor McDavid plays for the Oilers.

  12. missilentmurmur

    On the one hand, I didn’t have to get up this fucking early in years, on the other hand, I got to wait for a DoA comic to go up at last 😀

    1. Kris

      What time is it for you? It’s only 9pm PST for me.

  13. Passchendaele

    Wipe that smile off your face, Mary – Ruth will always be a million times more awesome than you, and that she can still stand and face everyone proves it.

    On a totally unrelated note, I’m hoping unknown evil (or UEV, for short) is not Mary. That would be disastrous.

    1. Dana

      I was assuming “unknown” meant new character.

      1. Disloyal Subject

        I’m still expecting Sydney Yus.

        1. Passchendaele

          I was thinking a new character too, but Willis has a tendency to throw around surprising plot twists, so I dunno. As for Sydney, I’d be surprised if she could step into the college for more than five seconds without yelling about a megalomanical plot and cackling. And get tackled by campus security subsequently. 😛

        2. Andy

          Compared to Ruth’s FEAR ME OR LOSE YOUR FEMURS behavior? Megalomaniacal cacklings would just be par for the course.

        3. Cephalo the Pod

          I really can’t expect someone as absurd as Sydney Yus being paid attention by either the cast or the narrative for any extended length of time. She’s on the same level as Mike (albeit as a completely different flavour), there’s not much you can do with her in this setting.

          Not to mention, she’s like, still in high school this school year, right?

        4. Fart Captor

          From the way she called Dina and Becky freshmen, she’s probably a sophomore at least.

        5. Cephalo the Pod

          You know what, looking back, she only referred to “soon” having a “diploma”. I did kinda assume she meant “high school dipoloma”.

        6. Godfather

          Actually, wouldn’t that make her a senior at the university?

        7. rachel

          hmmmm I don’t knowwwww, Mike seems to be getting some characterization these days!! anything could happen!

        8. foamy

          Me too! 😀

      2. Rosstifer

        Unknown Evil will be Delores Umbridge, just to see if the readers could hate someone even more than Mary.

        1. Passchendaele

          It would definitely be close, if only because of their mutual penchant for destructive behavior and wanton cruelty. Mary is a tad more stuck-up, arrogant, and hypocritical (if her Roomies! behavior is anything to go by), though.

    2. Some1

      Great now you’ve jinxed it and the unknown evil will end up being even worse!

    3. Occuli

      I see it as a more nervous expression actually
      That closed posture with the way the eyes are drawn.
      And those hands look like nervous hands in my opinion

  14. butts

    STAND PROUD

    1. Cephalo the Pod

      Stand up, stand up! stand up
      Uchikomu no wa
      All right now, all right now, all right now
      Hokrio no bullet (JOJO!!! JOJO!!! JOJO!!!)
      Break you down, break you down, break you down
      Kobushi hanatsu
      Seinaru vijon
      STAND PROUD!

      1. Falling Star

        Come at me
        And you’ll see
        I’m more than meets the eye
        You think that
        You’ll break me
        You’re gonna find in time

        You are standing too close to a flame that’s burning
        Hotter than the sun in the middle of July
        Sending out your army, but you still can’t win
        Listen up, silly boy, ’cause I’m gonna tell you why

        (I burn!)
        Can’t hold me now
        You got nothing that can stop me
        (I burn!)
        Swing all you want
        Like a fever, I will take you down!

        1. Delicious Taffy

          Now you have to draw Yang and Ruth in each other’s clothes. It’s the law.

        2. MatsuoTanuki

          Sure you don’t want it to be Billie instead? Yan has a pretty big shirt to fill.

  15. Dana

    Billie’s a badass.

  16. CoffeeBurps

    Mary, for being the super strict, obnoxiously Christian girl, has some short shorts. Everyone like her I’ve met has had huge issues with shorts that end above the knee

    1. Skater Girl (@syleegrrl)

      Mary is, above all else, a huge hypocrite. She doesn’t live up to the standards she places on everyone else.

      1. butts

        Also look at her fucking face here.

        Fuck you, Mary.

        FUCK YOU.

    2. BBCC

      They don’t look that short to me – they’d probably reach her finger tips and seem to be about mid thigh. My high school would’ve accepted those on a casual day and not considered them short shorts.

      Also, not all fundamentalists have length rules. Willis has noted in his own community, he saw women wear short shorts. Now granted, Mary’s community would be a bit different than his, as Joyce’s is based off his (Mary seems to take a more ‘fire and brimstone’ approach to faith anyways), but it’s not necessarily a universal that Mary’s community will no-no short shorts even if other fundamentalist communities do.

      1. CoffeeBurps

        The school I went to in elementary and middle school was a super-strict private Baptist school. The rule there was shorts could be an inch above the knee at the shortest. And her knee seems to be below the frame.

        I dunno what sect… denomination? of Christianity Mary is supposed to be but she reminds me of the people I used to go to school with and some of the teachers. Which is where my thought came from

    3. trlkly

      There’s also the issue that she’s in a girls dorm with other girls. A lot of the rules are about making men horny, and don’t apply when you’re just among ladies.

      And, yes, I know how awful that sounds, as if women are the stewards of men’s minds, or as if being physically attracted to someone is a bad thing, or the implication that men wouldn’t be able to keep their hands to themselves.

      1. Godfather

        No, you make good points, although it is pretty awful. That would explain to me why she’d be wearing them here. But I feel like I might’ve seen that elsewhere too?

  17. transgressingwaffle

    I love how Sara has to stop Joyce from saying something unintentionally stupid. Great intentions Joyce, bad timing lol Love this strip, hate Mary.

  18. Syngraphea

    She takes her hand…
    “It’s quiet upstairs…”
    If you see her in the halls, walking by her side, talking by her side, have pity.
    They are going through the unimaginable…

    1. Valerie

      How dare you. Now I’m gonna have Hamilton stuck in my head all day at work. D:

  19. Rukduk

    Ok somebody has to do something to release the tension in this hall or it will explode. Someone could drop a pin and it would be heard. And then some violent upheaval would happen.

    1. miados

      walks shows up demanding a monkey master marathon with joyce and pizza? that would work.

  20. Keulan

    Looks like Billie showed up just at the right time.

  21. Eukie

    Billie seems a little nervous about actually admitting to having a woman/woman relationship with Ruth in public, but I’m glad she wants to show that she’s not afraid and she’s going to stand by Ruth.

    1. Cephalo the Pod

      That really doesn’t seem like the part she’s nervous about. I’m pretty sure it’s still about the authority difference between them. Also probably nervous about standing up for someone who’s so hated by everyone else.

      1. Cerberus

        Well, if she was, it wouldn’t be out of character. Based on what we’ve seen, it doesn’t look like she’s previously been out as dating any of her previous women paramours, instead letting them be seen as “good friends”. So this would be a big nerve-inducing step.

    2. trlkly

      Everyone already knows about them being together, as far as I can tell. I think she’s just nervous about what’s next for Ruth and herself.

  22. Bluewind

    There is a lot going on here, but all I can think of is FUCK YOU MARY AND YOUR SMART ASS SMIRK!

    1. Fart Captor

      Sounds about right

    2. Emperor Norton II

      If someone can post this comic with panel 3 blacked out, I’d be happy.

  23. Thevoiceoftreason

    Was 1997 the year Willis graduated high school?

    1. Cephalo the Pod

      Yes, actually. More relevantly, it’s the year Willis started college (and Roomies).

      1. Eukie

        Even more relevantly, the year Billie appeared in the comic. Likewise, Malaya has an 11 jersey.

        1. Cephalo the Pod

          Hold on.
          I’m 99.9% sure that’s not true.
          She wasn’t see at all until Ruth (introduced in Roomies second year, 98-99) introduced her to Danny in, like, one strip.

          She didn’t even become prominent until Ruth’s death,

        2. Eukie

          Never mind I am an idiot.

        3. BBCC

          1997 is a Roomies reference, but not a ‘year of debut’ reference for Billie. Malaya’s jersey is a year of debut reference, but Billie is just going ‘hey, y’all, this is the year the Walkyverse started publishing, yay!’

  24. Archivist

    “I’m sorry to everyone…except Mary. You’re just awful.”

  25. Lex

    I think Mary’s smile is more awkward than a smirk here. She is a heinous bongo, yes, but she is also in the position of everyone KNOWING what she pulled, and now having to look at Ruth and “play nice” or get in a buttload of trouble.

    1. Greenygal

      That’s how I read it, too.

  26. Skater Girl (@syleegrrl)

    Billie is a great gf. Good job, Billie.

    On a side note, Mary isn’t wearing wristbands. Is that a first?

    1. BBCC

      No, we’ve seen her without them before in That Perfect Girl, The Only Dope For Me is You, and I’m pretty sure at least once more.

      1. Kris

        Really?! Damn! There goes my theory she had robot hands!

        1. BBCC

          Well she can’t very well wear SWEATBANDS with her pretty church dress, can she? Mary has STANDARDS unlike people who think they can just wear whatever in the house of the lord. OBVIOUSLY.

          Blech, Mary’s head is no fun to write even when you cut out bigotry.

          …It was a very pretty outfit though, DAMN YOU MARY.

  27. Fart Captor

    Becky peeking out over Amber’s shoulder is adorable. Hopefully this is reducing her stress instead of adding to it

    1. Bagge

      Agreed. “Now when you are not the RA you will not throw me out… right?”

      1. Fart Captor

        I was thinking more about how triggered she’d been at the health center. That last sentence from Ruth is probably not conjuring wonderful images for her 🙁

        1. Bagge

          Ooooof, yes, even more likely.

          OK, Becky, new plan, HUG THE SHIT OUT OF RUTH AND BILLIE

        2. Emperor Norton II

          And then watch them forever.

        3. Falling Star

          While cuddling Dina.

        4. Cerberus

          Yeah, she’s been super nervous about both Billie and Ruth since she found out that they were suicide risks.

  28. Bagge

    Joyce: “Ruth, Ruuuth, it was ANARCHY! There were three-girl-hanky-panky. Can they do that?”
    Sarah: “Sshhhhh, don’t tattle.”

    1. Cephalo the Pod

      We don’t know for sure they’ve all participated at once.
      I don’t think Joyce is even willing to extrapolate that far.

      1. Bagge

        Oh, I’m sure her imagination has run all the… scenarios.

        1. Emperor Norton II

          You sure you’re not projecting a bit here?

        2. Cerberus

          Nonsense, there’s cuddling, praying together, *REDACTED*, and kissing. All very above aboard scenarios.

        3. Emperor Norton II

          I assume that moaning out “Oh god oh god oh god!” counts as praying?

        4. Wack'd

          “If you like, I’d also be happy to mumble to the ceiling about you on a regular basis…”

  29. Emperor Norton II

    “I’ll be out of your hair soon enough.”

    Ruth has been abusing other people as an RA. There’s no denying that. Her apology is well-overdue. But what worries me is this sentence and what it implies.

    It can imply many things, but not many of them positive things. More likely, she assumes she’ll be fired, kicked out of college, and having to go home to her grandfather. She looks resigned, defeated, and unwilling to even start trying to fight for herself. Of course, as a person suffering from severe depression, nobody should except her to.

    Heck, in many ways, this sentence embodies her depression, in that she thinks of herself as a failure, as somebody worthless, as someone who doesn’t deserve any sympathy from the rest of the wing (and let’s all hate Sir so very much for instilling all of these things in her). She’ll be out of their lives, and they should not have to worry about her.

    She may not be an immediate danger of suicide, but she’s clearly unfit to fight alone…

    …But she’s not going to.

    Of course she’s not going to, not as long as Billie’s near!

    And yes, their relationship is so problematic in many ways, and yes, what happened between them possibly accelerated Ruth’s condition (though she might well have ended in the same spot of just waiting for death anyway)… And yes, there are so many negative things to say about Ruth and Billie and what they’ve done to each other…

    …But I can’t help but look at that last panel and see Billie as someone who does not think Ruth is worthless, or a failure, or undeserving of sympathy. And perhaps more importantly, someone who is willing to help Ruth fight this.

    And I can’t help but being reminded of the words “Would that everyone on earth be so lucky.”

    1. Shiro

      Well said.

    2. Bagge

      *Applauds*

    3. StClair

      Just so. *claps too*

    4. Falling Star

      (cries because it’s so beautiful)

    5. Cerberus

      Yup, I think that’s all dead correct.

      And I think it’s also what gives Billie the permission to go public with their relationship. After all, the last reason not to come out was that it’s against the rules of being an RA, but if Ruth has officially given up on retaining that job, then it no longer matters who knows, but it’s important to her that everyone knows. That they see Billie believes she has worth and is deserving of love.

    6. trlkly

      I actually think Billie gave her something (well, someone) to live for a while. She temporarily got to experience happiness again.

      And, of course, if not for Billie, she wouldn’t have gotten help. Sure, Billie didn’t do it herself, but it’s because of Billie telling Carla to watch her that Ruth got the help she so desperately needed.

      It may not be ideal, but Billie is, in my opinion, why Ruth is still alive.

      1. Emperor Norton II

        I’ve considered that thought myself at times, and to be honest, you might very well still be correct.

        In fact, in the past I have described the situation as Ruth having an arterial bleeding, and Billie being there to keep pressure on the wound so it won’t be gushing out blood. And as such, Billie was a positive.

        But I also said that what Billie was not doing is closing the wound properly, nor try to get anyone capable of doing just that. So she was only stopping Ruth from dying there and then; rather than actually making it better.

        And then Mary came along and just ripped the tourniquet right off, and Carla (and Rachel and Chloe) stepped in; and then as of this strip, the wound is currently actually closed… But if Ruth isn’t careful, it’ll open up again.

        Hopefully Billie can now be there to prevent that wound from opening. But that’s far from certain still.

  30. Bagge

    I love that Joyce apparently ran straight to the shower to test her new shoes!

    1. Emperor Norton II

      Considering that Joyce herself is a perfect summer shower that leaves behind the fresh smell of rain, this was inevitable.

      1. trlkly

        Ooh! That would be freaking awesome–a body wash that actually smells like the world just before or after a good rain.

        1. hof1991

          Petrichor (/ˈpɛtrᵻkɔər/) is the earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil. The word is constructed from Greek πέτρα pétra, meaning “stone”, and ἰχώρ īchṓr, the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology. So, stone god’s blood?

    2. Reltzik

      Well she needed privacy to have a good look at how well the Mistress of Engineering had augmented her jugs.

      1. Marsh Maryrose

        I think you misspelled “Motherfucking Goddess of Engineering.”

        1. Reltzik

          Yup, I did.

          I blame being more interested on exploiting the double-meaning of the word “jugs”. Because that’s been sadly underpunned for this entire storyline.

  31. Sophran

    Mary is still so punchable.

    1. Fart Captor

      Billie spoiled us

      1. Falling Star

        ONE PUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNCH!!!!!!!!!!

    2. Reltzik

      In the FAAAACE.

  32. Foxhack

    “You all deserved better.”

    “Except for you, Mary. Keep an eye on your femurs for the rest of your days.”

    1. Dara

      [crack]

      “oops too late, sorry not sorry”

      1. Reltzik

        No need to be sorry. Femurs can have more than one break in them.

        C’mon everyone, pile in, there’s bone snappage for all!

  33. Unsurpassed Tracesty

    I’M NOT CRYING

    YOU’RE CRYING

  34. RogueParasol

    I’m not always a fan of Billie/Ruth’s relationship. I like them both as individuals and wish them happiness, but their relationship doesn’t always seem conducive to them being healthy and happy as a couple. A lot of the time it spirals into them enabling destructive behavior or being dangerously codependent. It’s based on a ton of unhealthy behavior, and comprised of a lot of unhealthy elements, which Willis admirably acknowledges. And I’m not convinced that Ruth’s recent help and Billie’s genuine concern for her is enough to fis all that and let them last, safely, long term. Particularly if Billie keeps drinking to cope with her stress or ties her worth to Ruth, and/or Ruth treats her as the only reason to go on again. I hope the comic doesn’t gloss over all of that (I don’t think it will, but it’s just something that concerns me).

    That all said, and my realistic or pessimistic predictions aside, this strip is adorable, and I’m proud of both of them. I hope that Ruth keeps growing and gets a bunch of support from a lot of people, and the same for Billie. And that that could possibly help them (re-)grow into a great relationship.

    I dunno, I don’t mean to imply that this strip isn’t powerful and adorable, I just can’t shake the knowledge that they have a long way to go.

    1. StClair

      Nope, you’re right.
      It’s a process, day by day. Which we get to watch playing out, in slices of slow time.

      Also, your classes are only some of what you learn in college.

    2. Emperor Norton II

      Not only can you not, there is no reason you should, except but for a few moments.

      Because that’s all this is: A moment. A powerful, adorable moment, but still no more than that. There is indeed a long, long way to go.

      I guess the best way to look at this is to think and hope that this moment is the first step on that journey.

      1. Emperor Norton II

        *looks at the first sentence*

        …This is why I should never post when I’m getting tired.

        1. RogueParasol

          Thanks, I think I got what you meant? “A moment” is a really good way to look at it. This moment is beautiful…but a good moment does not a happy ending or a healthy relationship make. Hopefully, ideally, this is the first step to a happy conclusion. But things could go any number of ways from this point on. And, not to offend anyone, but a happy conclusion might not mean Ruth and Billie ending up together romantically. I’m not saying it shouldn’t or couldn’t, if they can be happy and safe then they could be adorable together, but things might go a different way. I’m happy for this moment, but personally not ready to completely celebrate yet. Which is an odd conflicting feeling. Sorry to blather.

        2. Clif

          Life is composed of moments. Each stands on it’s own.

        3. thejeff

          Oh. if life were made of moments,
          Even now and then a bad one-!
          But if life were only moments,
          Then you’d never know you had one.

        4. Emperor Norton II

          Rogue: It is an odd conflicting feeling indeed… And it tends to show up a lot whenever one reads this comic. Just goes to show what a compelling story it is.

  35. Streeter

    Is it just me, or is Meredith’s nose shadow way bigger than it should be? I thought that was her mouth and she had some kind of derp face.

    Regardless, I love this strip. <3

    1. Cephalo the Pod

      WOAH, yeah.

    2. Emperor Daniel

      Looks almost like a mustache to me…and now I can’t unsee it.

      1. trlkly

        She’s playing around with it. More Anarchy!!1!!1!!

  36. Cephalo the Pod

    Huh. Ruth’s being Put on a Bus.
    I guess it beats being Hit by a Truck.

    1. StClair

      That’s probably what she thinks is happening (and what it’s equivalent to), but I see at least one person who isn’t going to let her go so easily.

      1. dralou

        I don’t know about that. Her recovery, and how she’d have to deal with her grand-father, are both of interest from a narrative standpoint. I don’t see why D Willis wouldn’t want to explore those paths.

        Maybe we won’t see much of her, but it would be in the same way as we didn’t see Becky for quite some time in the beginning: not a lot of a screentime but never completely forgotten. And only to make her comeback more awesome 😀

  37. Hellespont

    Willis, if you abruptly shift away from this, without resolving anything, I am coming for your femurs…

  38. Tnoy

    These girls are all weird. You couldn’t PAY ME to stare at an authority figure who’d just comeback after being on suicide watch.

    1. Hellespont

      In this day and age? I am just surprised no one was tweeting, periscoping or Facebook live-ing

  39. Arianod

    Gals will be pals.

  40. JessWitt

    Stand by your love and weather the storm.

  41. Tomas

    Do you hear the people sing
    Singing the song of angry men
    It is music of a people
    Who will not be slaves again…

    1. Falling Star

      When the beating of your heart
      Echoes the beating of the drums
      There is a life about to start
      When tomorrow comes

  42. OnyxIdol

    Yay, let’s continue our unhealthy relationship!

    1. Valerie

      Their relationship is problematic for sure, but I think it might be the only thing that’s gotten them this far. It’s one of those necessary disasters, maybe? Except I’m hoping it ends up not being a disaster by the end.

      1. Goblin Scribe

        It’s a codependent relationship and will potentially prove toxic, but yeah, I think things would be worse otherwise—at least to a point. I am worried that Billie will drag Ruth back down now, though.

  43. zellgato

    Pretty sure only the repressed and arsehatty Mary cares.

  44. BenRG

    I feel a massive group hug is in the offing!

  45. Falling Star

    This.
    This is nice.

    “And it’s a long way forward, so trust in me
    I’ll give them shelter like you’ve done for me
    And I know I’m not alone
    You’ll be watching over us until you’re gone.

  46. Sandbridgekid

    Rarely, has a webcomic ever made me cry. Billi grabbing Ruth’s hand.

    Thanks, David

  47. Sandbridgekid

    Love is love is love is love.

    Lin-Manuel Miranda

  48. caesaria82

    This is the Moonlight winning Best Picture moment of this webcomic.

  49. Clif

    Last Panal – Imperial Death March resumes.

  50. Parzival

    I want to punch Mary in the face.

    1. BenRG

      It’s a shame that she can’t be left alone in that dark and hateful place that she seems to be carving out for herself but she’s determined to hurt others to achieve it for herself.

  51. DarkoNeko

    Awwww

  52. BenRG

    Mary… troubles me. Her need to torment others (remember her begging Billie to grant her a victim?) and the clear joy she gets in doing violence (even if only verbal) raises huge questions about just how safe she is in wider society.

    That little poisonous smirk in panel 3 communicates so efficiently the pleasure she’s getting in Ruth’s misery and pain. How could anyone justify that to herself? I’ve said it before but I’m thinking that she may have been raised with some really antisocial beliefs about the limits of showing empathy.

    1. Travestyhat

      She’s an awful, awful person.

    2. timemonkey

      She had the exact same upbringing as Joyce, she just learned all the wrong lessons.

      1. Andy

        Not quite – they weren’t in the same house, and even among fundies, there’s a lot of differences in the balance of God’s Love and God’s Wrath. Joyce’s church emphasizes the former enough for Joyce and Becky to internalize the Love side deeply, even while her community hid the authoritarianism in passive-aggression. Mary’s always emphasized the Wrath/Everyone’s A Horrible Sinner, which justifies a lot of open authoritarian bullshit, in the name of “saving souls.”

        1. Marsh Maryrose

          I’ve long maintained that two people can be sitting next to each other in the same church and worshiping two completely different gods — one the God of Love, the other the God of Fear; one the God of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the other the God of Jonathan Edwards.

          “God does not love some ideal person, but rather human beings just as we are” and “Sinners in the hands of an angry God.”

        2. thejeff

          Didn’t Willis say early on that Mary’s parents weren’t actually that bad.

          We don’t actually know anything about Mary’s upbringing do we? We know she’s some flavor of fundie, but we don’t know anything specific about the church or how she got that way.

        3. BBCC

          I believe he once said on tumblr her parents were very nice people and that Mary had learned all the wrong lessons in church. Of course, we’re not sure what their definition of nice entails and it could be far closer to Carol’s brand of nice than Joyce’s, but who knows?

        4. Fart Captor

          Her parents actually being decent people would drive home the key difference between Mary and Joyce.

          Joyce is a naturally kind, compassionate person, and looks to her faith for guidance on how to accomplish that.

          Mary is a naturally cruel, unforgiving person, and looks to her faith for justification.

          Each has filtered the doctrines they accept and their interpretations of the Bible through very different lenses, with results that aren’t what their parents intended.

        5. BBCC

          So, Mary’s like the college version of Carol.

  53. New Kid

    Group hug!

  54. dethtoll

    death to mary, i hope she gets punched with a dump truck

  55. happilychaotic

    Damn, Billie, how did you go from my least favorite character at the beginning of the comics to the freaking best?

  56. Vulcanodon

    All the feels here. I want to put a force field around these two so they’ll be safe for a while. And the force field will grow an invisible fist and punch Mary.

    1. MatsuoTanuki

      If anime and My Little Pony are any indication, love and friendship is potentially powerful enough to generate lasers and explosions.

      1. Schpoonman

        Gurren Lagann explicitly has personal energy and emotions be both a power source and a way to play God, so you’re pretty dead-on about that.

      2. Vulcanodon

        I would settle for Apple Jack bucking her in the face.

      3. Emperor Norton II

        Don’t forget that Black Mage’s Level 9 Hadoken spell is powered through love!

  57. Valerie

    RuthXBillie is the OTPest of my OTPs. <3 <3 <3

    1. Eukie

      We should be friends!

      1. Valerie

        Consider yourself FRIENDED.

  58. CherushiMetsumari

    Some people want to watch the world burn… And then there’s Mary.

  59. MatsuoTanuki

    Wow, we sure could use a distraction! Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Conway Twi— *gets hit on the head with a hammer*

  60. Cerberus

    Comic Reactions:

    Panel 1: And the elephant in the room and why everyone is staring.

    Which yeah, that’s a thing that happens, when someone gets back from the hospital, especially when the mode of them getting put in the hospital was so public, that crowd of nervous silent stares is likely and very nerve-wracking for the person trying to return.

    So it’s good that Joyce tries to break that silence, but yeah, that elephant in the room is not what people want to openly talk about*, usually, so we get Sarah immediately shutting her up.

    *Which is a shame. Suicide and suicidal ideation are very serious things, but the way they are encouraged to fester in the shadows with the people struggling with them feeling they need to keep it secret from the folks in their lives has a high cost in lost lives.

    Panel 2: Speaking of nerves… Ruth’s face looks not that far from petrified. And it’s understandable why. This is a nerve-racking and vulnerable situation and everyone knows that she got sent into the hospital regarding suicide and depression, that she was being blackmailed by Mary owing to her sexuality, and that she’s very likely losing her job as RA.

    That’s a lot to have be out in the open and not by choice. And that’s especially scary for Ruth, because so far she’s run the hall by seeming like a force of nature. Someone larger than life who’ll break your femurs if you displease her. And she’s believed that was the only way to get compliance and respect from the hall. So being vulnerable after that likely feels dangerous. Like, without the respect and fear, what will the hall say and do to her? But she’s facing it anyways.

    Panel 3: Mary’s nervous smile communicates volumes. It’s clear part of her wants to gloat. This is after all, the person she blackmailed to the threat of ruin being ruined, a queer person in authority being robbed of that authority so that a more “suitable” candidate be offered instead, and Ruth has the eyes of fear Mary worked so hard to instill.

    But it’s also not what she wanted. What she wanted was to torment Ruth, possibly drive her to suicide, definitely exploit power over her for temporary gain. And she’s in the sights too. After all, everyone on the hall knows that Ruth was in the hospital, but they also know who put her there. And so those silent staring eyes from everyone else might turn very nastily towards her in short order.

    Plus, there’s Billie’s threat. She’s on notice to be on her best behavior and so she tries, as best as she can to do so, knowing this can get really nasty if things go overboard.

    1. Emperor Norton II

      “So it’s good that Joyce tries to break that silence, but yeah, that elephant in the room is not what people want to openly talk about*, usually, so we get Sarah immediately shutting her up.”

      Don’t forget that Sarah was also there when Joyce wouldn’t let up on Billie after Billie made it clear she was absolutely not in the mood for talking. True, it’s not the same situation now (Ruth has not declared she doesn’t want to talk about anything), but from Sarah’s point of view, I imagine that they seem similar enough, so that she would like to avoid another happening like that.

      1. Cerberus

        Yeah, Joyce’s previous experience walking into emotional minefields with careless abandon in addition to Sarah’s bad experiences walking too far into other people’s sore spots, is definitely both very good reasons for Sarah to intervene quickly here.

  61. Cerberus

    Panel 4: I’m just going to defer to Emperor’s excellent analysis of this panel for most of this, but I’m also going to state that this feels like a major healing moment as well. Yeah, there’s self-loathing in her words, but it’s also an earnest apology for the wrong she’s caused (and by ruling by fear and intimidation, she did cause harm), acknowledging that her RA style was not the best and more based in her only being able to access anger than in service to the best interests of the hall.

    And it’s good to acknowledge that as it would be easy to just dump it all on the mental illness or go too far the other way and get stuck in groveling in her worthlessness. Instead, a succinct apology that only drifts partly into the self-loathing. Though that “I’ll be out of your hair soon enough” is a bit worrying for the reasons Emperor noted. It’s a nice opening and the way she lifts her head up later with Billie’s support definitely leaves the impression that this is merely the beginning of her rebuilding her life for real, with tools she desperately needed to fight back against the depression.

    Panels 5-7: This moment is so tender and powerful for like twenty different reasons. Here’s 3 of them.

    1)It’s a show of support at a critical moment, stating to Ruth that Billie still loves her despite everything that happened and has her back in the nasty process of recovery as much as she did when she was holding on for dear life in a self-destructive spiral. That their relationship can be more than a “sexy lesbian suicide pact”.

    2) It’s a moment of equals.

    Like, one of Billie and Ruth’s main problems as a couple besides the horrific abusive way they initially got together is that they’ve enabled each other in bad ways, allowing codependent and toxic structures to infuse through their relationship. Dominance and Submission without communication and a sense of power imbalance for a number of factors.

    But this moment, with Billie reaching out standing next to her as an equal. It feels positive and a potential turning point towards the hard work of making their relationship no longer toxic if they have the spoons to do the work. And that they’re potentially willing to do that as equals and not as a superior and her charge.

    3) It’s public. A public declaration of love and relationship.

    After all, part of the major strain on their relationship at the end was the fear of it getting out and that was also fueling a lot of the codependence as well. They had to be each other’s whole world because the whole world couldn’t know that they were together. And it’s stressful having a secret relationship and a forced closet. It puts strain on a relationship that can make it even harder than normal.

    It also neutralizes the threat of the blackmail once and for all, by coming out in front of everyone and being seen as together, Mary’s leverage over them is gone and she no longer has any tools of power to use against them as the worst they feared has already come to pass. After all, it’s one thing to be told by Billie that Ruth was being blackmailed for her sexuality, it’s another to see that and be able to put together all the pieces.

    It’s also a coming out for both of them. Yes, Billie was known to have had “connections” with women before, but based on her conversation with Alice, it’s pretty clear that she’s never been in an open and non-secret relationship with another woman before, so for her to openly state that yes, this is a relationship and we are together in this worldless manner is a major coming out for her. And it’s the same for Ruth. Ruth stated that the only woman she’s been attracted to so far has been Billie and so she’s never had reason to come out as anything other than straight before now.

    And to do that in front of a whole crowd of people instead of surreptitiously to Carla is a whole different kettle of fish.

    I dunno, they might end up being doomed by their problems, their origins, and their codependence, but this feels like an opening for a turning point if they choose to put in the hard work of taking it and it’s possible that they’ll be able to rebuild something healthy from all this as they both recover from their demons with much needed outside help.

  62. Killjoy

    I’m really hoping the next page is a lot of people telling Ruth good things, so that Mary’s head explodes. Literally. All the wacky hijinks left over in DOA from the SP and IW days, all concentrate into her braingoo and make it go boom.

  63. Killjoy

    Also, in unrelated but interesting news:

    http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/george-w-bush-trump-media-235430

    Go George.

    1. Pablo360

      It’s not like he played a role in laying the groundworks of the system of reality denial and media manipulation Donald Trump is using to prop up his implosive empire or anything.

    2. BBCC

      Neat!

      Also, reminder, everyone should call (202) 225-3951 to support H.R. 111, an inquiry into Trump’s conflicts of interest.

  64. Mary Kelleher

    Why are all the Mary’s in pop culture crazy Christians or just all around crazy?

    1. David M Willis

      I’ll have you know that Mary Worth is NEITHER.

      1. Emperor Norton II

        But is she really pop culture outside of specific comic geek circles like Josh the comic curmudgeon?

  65. Deanatay

    Becky is, of course, irresistibly drawn to the sound of lesbian closets exploding…

    It’s her kink.

    1. nightsbridge

      poor becky. It’s only bi closets here.

      1. SCAR MAN!!!

        Well bi on Billy’s part. We don’t know about Ruth, unless we’re counting her relationship with Danny in It’s Walky or Roomies or wherever it happened

  66. Guairdean Beatha

    Mary, Mary, quite contrary.
    How does your garden grow?
    Bereft of life it withers away
    From all the hate you sow.

    1. Killjoy

      +1 internet.

    2. Bagge

      +1 indeed!

  67. Bicycle Bill

    *Plays “You and Me Against the World” by Helen Reddy on the hacked Muzak*
    (how’d you miss this one, Stephen….?)

  68. nothri

    Come on Ruth! I’m sick of us being outsiders. From now on, Let’s be Ins!

  69. Pinja

    Having someone to come back to makes all the difference…

    …

    You know, I imagine

    …

    🙁

  70. Tenn

    Mary pisses me off just by implying a smirk. >:(

  71. Exilon1

    Feels *_*

  72. chris73

    The apology is a good start from Ruth and it can’t have been easy to do in that situation so good on her for that, hopefully some more personally apologies to individuals well be forthcoming as well

    I really can’t tell what that look on Marys face is

    Well done for Billie showing loyalty but I don’t know if its the perspective of panel four (and the look on Billies face) but it almost looks as if she’s daring (for lack of a better word) anyone to say anything

    Not sure if its because some people may have lingering feelings towards Ruths prior behaviour or due to the relationship status or Billie wanting to announce it “officially” but, to me, its interesting that Billies gaze is fixed forward but Ruths is looking to the side

    It was good Joyce wanted to say something it was probably a good thing for Sarah to stop her as it would probably be 50-50 if what came out of Joyces mouth would have helped or hindered

    1. Fart Captor

      Based on her tense body language and clenched fist, I say Billie is definitely expecting someone to say something that will make her angry. I can’t tell if she’s daring someone to do it, or just bracing herself for it, or a bit of both.

      Based on Amber’s position in panel 6, it seems like Billie might be staring directly at Mary (though I’m not 100% sure what with the perspective change), which would make “daring her to say something” seem very likely.

      I feel like Ruth is also looking to see how people react, but she’s scanning faces, rather than fixed on one person. I can’t tell whether she’s expecting any particular reaction, or is just surprised there hasn’t already been one.

      1. chris73

        Sometimes ambiguous storylines work quite well I reckon

  73. Proto

    I hope Billie gets that therapy she wasn’t required to take. Ruth seems to be actually doing better.

    1. BBCC

      She was required to take it – the appointment date just hasn’t come up yet.

  74. SCAR MAN!!!

    “I’ll be out of your hair soon”? That still sounds kinda ominous and related to suicide. Also, Word of God bars deaths, but it doesn’t bar being sent back to her Evil Grandpa, which would be a suitably ironic way for that to become retroactive prophecy.

  75. Thathomestuck

    holy fuck i just had a minor fit of anger over the MOTHERFUCKING FACT THAT MARY IS SMIRKING AHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRGGGHHH
    i hate her so much.

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