154

Strong
Posted on May 29, 2013 by David M Willis
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154 thoughts on “Strong”

  1. Sir Robin

    Hmm, Canadian liquor it seems

    1. Totz the Plaid

      …or Southern Moonshine.

      1. Tarkada

        Which oddly enough can be used as gasoline…once.

    2. qka

      Mao Tai. It’s liquor, but it smells (and tastes) like gasoline.

      1. Gareth

        Pshaw I have drunk much Mao tai. Gasoline doesn’t have that horrible bubblegum-esque aftertaste.

    3. Andy

      Everclear. You can find it in 150 proof and 190. The stuff is so strong that if you pour it out, you can light the air inside the empty bottle on fire.

      1. qka

        You can do that with bottle that held even 80 proof liquor. In my younger days, I heard it referred to as “flaming the devil”.

      2. Ivan

        The EverClear I have bought for jello-shots and the like, had no negative smells associated with it – and certainly didn’t resemble any petrochemical!

        It had the characteristic ethanol smell, at 190 proof – but it took surprisingly little excess to hide it’s alcohol flavor (say… compared to Grey Goose or Ketal 1, which requires only an ice cube!).

        I have often wondered if a medical grade carbon filtration would adsorb enough impurities to skip an additional distillation. No chemistry majors who have done so without setting yourself on fire?

        1. Roborat

          Yes, Everclear. I have fond memories of american exchange students in my residence bringing bottles in. Was called panty remover for a reason.

      3. Darwin2500

        Everclear is for fire breathing, not drinking.

  2. Geminia999

    The Nose Never lies!

  3. otusasio451

    This…this is gonna be ugly.

    1. Skull025

      Time to sit back, grab some popcorn and enjoy the sexual tension.

      1. TheBenenator

        Way ahead of you. Want some? I’ve got chili powder popcorn, cinnamon popcorn, salted popcorn, garlic popcorn, and any mix thereof. 😛

        1. Fred

          One big bucket, half and half chili and salted, and a small bucket sweet buttered popcorn please.

          Thank you very much.

        2. TheBenenator

          Here you go. That’ll be US$12.75.

        3. NightmareWarden

          Have you been to a US theater? Let’s bump that up to $27.50. Oh and Fred, you can’t go to a show like this without a drink! Wait, were you hoping the alcohol from their soon-to-come catfight would just fling onto the audience?

        4. Fred

          USD12.75 will do, thank you very much. And don’t worry Warden, I brought my own “medicine flask”. A 2.5 litre “medicine flask”.

        5. Khrene Cleaver

          Actually 12 bucks seems about right, a little on the cheap side since it is flavored pop corn.

      2. J

        Sexual tension? I’m just hoping she’s still ALIVE at this point.

    2. arjay2813

      only if willis is as ruthless as he was the last time he had a ruth

      1. arjay2813

        i’m sorry, i couldn’t resist, i really didn’t want to, but i had had to share the terrible, awful, loathsome pun

      2. Ivan

        The last time he had a Ruth, clearly he was not Ruthless!

        I don’t know how many other names it applies to, but if I had a name like Ruth… I’d hate it.

        It’s distressing to even think about, actually. I’d be puking grief over it 24/7 – unless nice people with $100 bills felt true pity for me, and stuffed that cash into my undies. I’d probably be able to work through it at that point.

        Then I’d ask Penny what she’d be willing to do for a Klondike Bar.

        1. Roborat

          But the comic was quickly Ruthless.

        2. xKiv

          If you had a name like Ruth, you might impress your unix admins.

  4. ASmellyOgre

    And now for the horrible release of whatever Ruth’s troubled past is. Prepare for the Ruthpocalypse.

    1. Leorale

      Ruthnorak.

      1. Resne

        Dagor Dagoruth

        1. MenachemSchmuel

          Zip zop zap zoobity bip bap

        2. Makkabee

          The Siege of Minas Tiruth.

        3. Rex Hondo

          The coming of Ruththulhu.

        4. lightsabermario

          Aruthmageddon.

        5. Leorale

          I love you guys, did you know that?

  5. Wonder Wig

    Elementary my dear Walky. It’s booze.

  6. Luzahn

    And the intrepid Boozehound springs into action, to save the RA!

  7. ShadowWing Tronix

    Place your bets: does Billie feel sorry and actually concerned for Ruth, or she after booze?

    1. ASmellyOgre

      I’m putting my money on concerned but not yet willing to forgive.

    2. Totz the Plaid

      Panel 2: “She’s been holding out on me.”

    3. Yotomoe

      Perhaps both.

      1. CianM1301

        I’m with you on that on that one, but I imagine the booze part will only be for comedy.

      2. Led

        “So Ruth, I’ll let you make out with me if you give me some of that sweet, sweet liqour…”

        1. CianM1301

          Kinda like that…

        2. Shadow12000

          Doesn’t booze already work that way, Led?

    4. Dicrel Seijin

      I vote booze. Billie’s concern and sorrow is more for the fact that Ruth has spilled so much of it.

  8. Kernanator

    Save the R.A., save the dorm.

    (I am so sorry)

    1. Geminia999

      But, Billie is the Cheerleader? Doesn’t that mean she needs to be saved instead? Or are we going all role reversal here?

      1. Luzahn

        Think Buffy.

        1. Totz the Plaid

          Considering we’re talking _Billie_ here, I’d say more “think Cordelia.”

        2. Luzahn

          Well yes, but Cordelia is much less proficient at the punching.

        3. Viredae

          I was going to say she’s Angel era Cordelia, but she’s not much of a puncher either.

    2. Aizat

      Save the R.A and wipe away your debt.

      1. Shadow12000

        I dunno, going into a racist sky metropolis doesn’t seem like a fair tradeoff for getting caught drinking on campus…

  9. Em

    D’awww! Note: I am squee-ing while cringing. I’m not really sure what to think of this whole thing.

    I mean shebang. (just for the lolz)

    I can’t wait to count the comments of people getting annoyed with me for saying ‘lol’

  10. Plasma Mongoose

    I wonder what language booze speaks in?

    1. Totz the Plaid

      You know how French is “the language of love”?

      Booze speaks “the language of lush”.

      1. Yotomoe

        The language of Buzz.

        1. Shadow12000

          Oh, so that’s why I keep hearing drunk people shout “To infinity and beyond!”

      2. Plasma Mongoose

        Nice one, Totz the Plaid. 😀

        1. Totz the Plaid

          Thanks, Plas!

    2. Aizat

      The same language Tony Stark speak in.

      1. NightmareWarden

        But is that Drunken Gibberish or Technobabble?

        1. Josh

          Drunken Techno-Gibberish of course…

    3. tahrey

      German.

    4. Buckybone

      Russian, of course.

  11. piemanpie24

    Billie. Barge in there, declare your love for her, and then make out. Fireworks and rainbows in the background. Choir of angelic beings singing. The works.

    1. timemonkey

      The while she’s distracted steal her booze and leave the abusive bongo behind.

    2. Josh

      You might want to skip the fireworks if Ruth’s been drinking that stuff, she might go up in flames.

  12. Philippe G.

    Somehow, I don’t think this will end in lesbian make out.

    1. Totz the Plaid

      With that much alcohol? It’s possible, but it’ll more likely end in Billie holding Ruth’s hair out of the way as Ms. Lesse prays to the porcelain god.

    2. Yotomoe

      Billie will make out with Ruth just to suck the alcohol out of her face.

      1. Totz the Plaid

        That’s giving me “Dorothy’s first kiss story” flashbacks…

    3. tkrr

      Well… you kind of wouldn’t expect that when one potential partner is physically and verbally abusive and both drink too much. There’s tsundere, and then there’s thug, and Ruth is way more of the latter.

      1. tahrey

        Sooner or later you reach a point where you’re too drunk for your punches to connect, though. And then the reasons why she sublimates her anger, frustration and other daddy-issues complexes into physical violence against minor transgressors.

        1. tahrey

          … er, “start to come out”.

          I need more coffee, I’m not knurd enough yet.

        2. Marisa Mockery

          I love you tahdrey <3

      2. John

        Now, I’m not saying that it excuses Ruth’s behaviour… but it’s probably worth remembering that Billie is the one who threw the first punch.

  13. Neospector

    My pyromaniac senses are tingling with foreshadowing with the use of the line “it’s practically gasoline”.

    1. Oblomov

      I’m taking bets it _is_ gasoline.

      1. tahrey

        Bioethanol? E85?

  14. Yotomoe

    They never saw Billie again.

    1. Doctor_Who

      She has ascended to a higher plane of intoxication. She achieved “Boozevana”

      1. Aizat

        Or she could’ve got beyond the Boozedome.

        1. Vabolo

          Two women enter, one woman leave?

        2. Aizat

          Well that and I was going for a Beyond Thunderdome joke.

      2. drs

        Boozisattva.

  15. Aizat

    Gasoline? Oh no…..

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Most likely ‘fire-water’ which is any type of booze with a huge alcohol content.

  16. Rex Hondo

    There’s a joke to be made here about Ruth and alcohol poisoning, and Billie needing to suck the poison out…

    1. Luzahn

      Unfortunately it is then revealed that Billie is a vampire.

      After all, we’ve got to fulfill our Unnecessary Supernatural Elements quota.

      1. Yotomoe

        Only she doesn’t drink blood. She just sucks the alcohol out of it. Which is really handy if you have to drive home.

        1. drs

          Or a Karin vampire, who sucks the drunkenness out of people.

        2. Shadow12000

          Every time I forget that exists, there’s always one random person who pops it back in my head. Damn you, nosebleed vampire!

      2. tahrey

        Nah, this comic’s been deliberately empty of such things so far, we must expect it to continue.

        Shortpacked!’s the one where weird shit happens.

  17. Mo

    THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A CAR WRECKED ON RUTH’S BED

    1. Yotomoe

      A truck sticking straight up through her dorm crashed into her racecar bed.

    2. Rex Hondo

      “You know, Ruth, you’re not supposed to park that on campus.”

      1. Mo

        “‘Rue the day’? Who talks like that?”

    3. John

      She got Ultra Car drunk, too?

      1. tahrey

        Feeding her diesel until smoke starts pouring out?

  18. wednesday

    Aw, dammit! It’s not pee!

    1. David

      A common lament.

    2. Doctor_Who

      That’s an uncommon sentence. People are rarely disappointed by a mysterious liquid NOT being pee.

      1. Rex Hondo

        Well, a random golden shower usually means one of two things. Either somebody’s peeing on you, or you’re about to get raped by Zeus. I think the former is the lesser of two evils.

      2. tahrey

        It could be worse. She could be crying “that’s not mud!” o_O

    3. vlademir1

      My reaction is just the opposite.

      1. Shadow12000

        Oh dear god never say that with that as your gravatar.

    4. Aizat

      Why?

    5. timemonkey

      Or her alcohol level is so high she’s peeing booze.

      1. Robin

        The Alcohol is strong in this one.

  19. alicemacher

    Billie, you’re doing the right thing.

    (Of course, there’s still the possibility Ruth will say or do something to make Billie lose her temper again, but for now it’s the right thing because Ruth clearly needs help.)

    1. timemonkey

      ….trying to get at the good stuff Ruth was holding back is the right thing?

      1. alicemacher

        But of course!

  20. Emoroffle

    I can’t help but think this is all leading to an especially cruel Friday cliffhanger for us shippers.

    1. John

      Except given the shift in update schedule, it’d probably end up being a Monday not-so-cliffhanger.

      1. Emoroffle

        Oh. Right. Our gravatars are hilariously appropriate don’t you think?

        1. Shadow12000

          Now get drunk and make out.

      2. xKiv

        Unless enough money happens and it ends up a sunday not-a-cliffhanger-at-all.

  21. GoogerGeiger

    Yes yes, we already know this.

  22. Viredae

    Why am I not surprised that Billie is The Boostaz Haderalch?

  23. Iggzy

    It’s a good start but can she stick the landing

  24. tahrey

    Well, ah wuz -almost- right 🙂

    If it’s not body juices then hopefully Billie can see through her booze-hunger and bring a bit of positivity to the whole affair… or maybe it’s Seinfeld time.

    1. tahrey

      (…that or the LIQUOR gets set on fire)

  25. Yarner

    Ehrm, I’m not native. My English is pretty much above par, but the “she’s been holding out on me” got me. Could anyone translate (rephrase) it for me?
    Pretty please?

    1. Think0028

      “Holding out on me” means that the person has been keeping something that the speaker believes they deserve, generally used in a joking manner. Here, Billie is saying that Ruth should’ve been sharing some of the strong alcohol with Billie.

      1. Yarner

        Oh! Thanks 🙂

  26. Kai Gon

    … aaaand there goes my “shower gel” theory of yesterdays strip. 😐

    Just imagine Ruth only wearing a towel, trying to put on some clothes before cleaning the stains, while Billie walks in… 😀

  27. Ben

    Oh no… it seems doa Ruth has more in common with walkiverse Ruth than the red hair and freckles and brother… wait… have we seen her brother? *tangents off into the archives*

  28. jnzooger

    Wait…I called it? Holy crap, I hope there’s no active flames when that door opens, because that’s where my brain went next.

  29. AaronDaMommio

    I’m excited to see Billie try and help out. I like that she just helped some people, she’s feeling her power again a little. And she just so happens to know her booze…

  30. lawrence

    Your friend-ly drinking buddy

  31. StClair

    “g’way, don havenny frens.”

  32. swk3000

    This is probably going to make me sound weird, but I’ve been waiting for this ever since Billie ran off after Ruth kissed her. And not in a ‘Yay! Lesbians!’ way; I’m honestly curious about how this is going to affect both of them.

  33. Arkadi

    This is what we have been waiting for.

  34. SeanNOLA

    Shit’s about to get heavy.

  35. Thomas

    Three hands in this strip and they’re all excellent! Very convincing. Hands tend to be the sloppiest part of Willis’ art, so this is a nice surprise.

    1. Shadow12000

      Yeah, I gotta hand it to him.

  36. Christina

    Am I the only one dreading that she might be dead in there? It seems like most everyone thinks there’s just going to be a drunken Ruth laying into Billie (in some sense or another).

    1. Christina

      p.s. how come my gravatar on this site never changes? I thought you got different ones everytime >->

      1. Thomas

        David promised he wasn’t planning to kill any character off. The avatars only change around when Willis adds new ones to the pool.

        1. Heavensrun

          All I recall is that he said Dina wasn’t going to die.

    2. Jack

      I was/am also worried that Ruth is dead.

      Although, if Thomas is right, I guess that won’t happen?

      Hm…

    3. timemonkey

      I’m personally indifferent to Ruth’s survival. She’s been horrible so far, why root for her continued presence?

      1. bunivasal

        Because this is a comic, so the drama comes from horrible people?

        Obviously, she’s not a real person, but the blase attitude is kind of horrifying.

        1. timemonkey

          She’s fictional, being dead just means she’s not being drawn anymore.

  37. Roborat

    Wait, practically gasoline? I know students tend to buy really cheap booze, but just what the heck is she drinking?

    1. George

      Everclear! Clears your sinuses. Also your carburetor. Now legal in NY!

      1. Roborat

        I don’t remember Everclear smelling like gasoline, mind you, it has been a while since I encountered any.

  38. Gargamel

    She’s killed herself in a bathtub and added yeast?
    (If that’s even possible.)

    1. Maycroft

      “Just friends?” thought ruth.

  39. Jay

    I love how her first reaction is “She’s been holding out on me” XD

  40. Brando

    Really guys? This is Willis we’re talking about. Ruth is probably halfways dead from Alcohol poisoning and Billie will have to rush her to the hospital. At BEST they’ll bond on the way there.

    1. Shadow12000

      …Now I get this strange feeling Ruth is going to vomit on her. Just for comedy sake. All because you said “This is Willis we’re talking about.”

      1. Brando

        I hope something comedic happens like that. I just don’t want this Ruth to DIE.

  41. nothri

    I am changing my previously stated wish:

    Ruth, don’t be dead or planning to murder your kismesis. That is all I ask.

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