24-01-2014 Banish these thoughts

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Spidrift
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Re: 24-01-2014 Banish these thoughts

Post by Spidrift »

tanonev wrote:And as for three or four years of college, it can take a lot more than that if, like in my case, (1) your elementary, middle, and high schools were all deeply religious, and (2) your way of getting through those schools was to repress your desires and throw yourself at your studies, which lands you in a college where you can continue to throw yourself at your studies and have people actually look up to you for doing so.
I'd believe that sort of thing could explain a lot about Ruby (presumably implying that her parents were highly religious, and she submitted where Amber rebelled). But she's not shown any signs of much religious underpinning to her moralism, either explicitly or by implication. She doesn't tell Amber or Dillon that they're going to Hell, for example.
Whisky-Tango-Foxtrot wrote:---> "But maybe if I showed a bit more--No! It's wrong! ...Oo, that does look better..." <---

I agree with Spidrift that she probably didn't go "all the way"...but still, I think it's clearly implied that she did go a bit further than is shown, and that that is what she is so embarrassed about.
Whereas I took it that the bit of thigh she was flashing in that flashback was the "bit more" in question. Ironic given her later adoption of that miniskirt, of course, but she's confused enough to be inconsistent.
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Spidrift
"Brevior vita est quam pro futumentibus negotium agendo."
-- Motto of Hogshead Publishing of fond memory, and wise words to set your Foes List by.
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BlairFan
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Re: 24-01-2014 Banish these thoughts

Post by BlairFan »

ZOMG! Ruby invented the selfie. She's so clever. :D

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Spidrift
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Re: 24-01-2014 Banish these thoughts

Post by Spidrift »

Two years ago? The word's older than that.
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Spidrift
"Brevior vita est quam pro futumentibus negotium agendo."
-- Motto of Hogshead Publishing of fond memory, and wise words to set your Foes List by.
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Geeno
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Re: 24-01-2014 Banish these thoughts

Post by Geeno »

Ruby, Ruby, Ruby. You want desperately to be sexy, but loath "the sexy". Give in to the sexy, Ruby. it wants you as much as you want it, of course, that's what you're afraid of isn't it?
PIXIE MEL!!!

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Spidrift
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Re: 24-01-2014 Banish these thoughts

Post by Spidrift »

The kid (which is how she comes across) has massive confidence issues, with a nasty possible twist of body image stuff. She doesn't need to surrender to anything; she needs to win that fight. If she's going to turn into a sex object, she should at least be allowed to do so with some confidence.

I wonder if Ruby is actually how Gary was originally meant to be, before his plot made him a hopeless geek with nothing to blame for his problems but his own geekiness? We don't know yet if Ruby's messed-up moralism has a religious element - she hasn't said so - but her repression has that huge element of guilt that could come from religion. Conversely, Gary, who claimed that his issues started with religion, has never shown any sign of it. It makes Ruby a much more sympathetic character, to my mind.
---------
Spidrift
"Brevior vita est quam pro futumentibus negotium agendo."
-- Motto of Hogshead Publishing of fond memory, and wise words to set your Foes List by.
Avatar misappropriated from the wonderful XKCD.

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Geeno
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Re: 24-01-2014 Banish these thoughts

Post by Geeno »

Ruby can doubt her church without doubting the morals it ingrained on her. She's not willing to condemn others for "shortcomings" that she would condemn herself over, that doesn't mean she's rejected her religious upbringing, just that she isn't going to proselytize her base religion, which may or may not ask its followers to proselytize.
I personally prefer the phrase "hustle the Watch Tower", so much easier to spell than proselytize.
PIXIE MEL!!!

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Spidrift
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Re: 24-01-2014 Banish these thoughts

Post by Spidrift »

Ruby really hasn't said anything about religion, even to herself. It may just be that the writers realise that bringing religion into this story would open up far too large a can of worms with the audience, but until and unless she does, I'm not going to assume that religion actually has anything to do with her problems.

And while she does judge other people at times, she's really much harder on herself. If she's religious, it's a brutally self-critical, guilt-driven, Calvinist sort of faith. But there's really not much point to a religion if it never applies to anyone except the solitary believer - and Ruby has never suggested that Amber or Dillon are damned or in need of redemption. I really don't think that's she's got religion; I think that she's just got a bad case of adolescent priggishness. Which it's usually fairly easy to grow out of. She's just being a bit slow about it.
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Spidrift
"Brevior vita est quam pro futumentibus negotium agendo."
-- Motto of Hogshead Publishing of fond memory, and wise words to set your Foes List by.
Avatar misappropriated from the wonderful XKCD.

rpr
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Re: 24-01-2014 Banish these thoughts

Post by rpr »

Geeno wrote:Ruby, Ruby, Ruby. You want desperately to be sexy, but loath "the sexy". Give in to the sexy, Ruby. it wants you as much as you want it, of course, that's what you're afraid of isn't it?
Inside every Ruby there is a little Amber that wants to come out... (or just to come? ;-)
Come on, Ruby give yourself to the Red (Pink?) Side.... It is cozy, warm and sweet... :ymdevil: :ymhug:

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Geeno
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Re: 24-01-2014 Banish these thoughts

Post by Geeno »

and moist

Quote removed. The DAMNed
PIXIE MEL!!!

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