27-01-15 Angry with herself

[Shouri]

New strip! http://www.stickydillybuns.com/strips-s ... th_herself

[Spidrift]

The first step when dealing with a problem is noticing that you have a problem. Amber has managed that. Unfortunately, she has no idea about a second step. Fortunately, Dillon is showing some small signs of cluefulness here, good heavens. Does this mean that we'll actually see him trying to talk Ruby through her problem here?

And yes, it's like I thought; Amber is The Pretty One, who gets all the attention, without trying - and without even noticing that her quiet, hard-working kid sister resents this. She only has to walk into the room, and anything that Ruby wants evaporates instantly. Given that Ruby has told her that (from Ruby's point of view) their own parents favour Amber, this is a bit slow of Amber.

And I'm definitely developing the theory that some of what we see in these comics reflects what the characters see more then "reality". That cleavage? That's Amber through Ray's eyes, that is.

Oh, and compliments to the writing team; we get a moment of intense (though underplayed) character drama, and yet we still also get a gag in the last panel.

(Edit to add stray theory: You remember that teenage party, when Ruby was 14? What are the odds that there was a boy there who Ruby kind of liked, but who spent the party leering at Amber in the movie?)

[themacnut]

"Damn you Amber! You've ruined my Yaoi fantasy!! You're ALWAYS ruining things for me!!!"

Yep, it's not herself Ruby needs to forgive...not that she ever will, mind you.

[Spidrift]

Oh, she'll get there eventually. The question is just whether it's before or after she gets hospitalised with astronomical blood pressure, or lays Amber out with a 2x4 after Amber says something accidental.

[Bambikles]

Pfiou, that was close !

or lays Amber out with a 2x4 after Amber says something accidental.

With a what ?

[Motorcycle]

2x4....it's a piece of lumber.

Quote removed. The DAMNed

[Spidrift]

Pfiou, that was close !

Yes - Ruby almost told Amber what their problem was!

With a what ?

A two-by-four, a common size of dimensional lumber named for its unprocessed dimensions, usually measuring 1½ × 3½ inches in practice.

[Don Alexander]

Also sometimes know as cluex4.

I think I need one, I am unable to cope with this madness.

[FlashD81]

OK, Panel 3A and 3B

Now that is out of my system, yay for amber realizing that she is part of the problem as it were. Dillon taking steeps to keep Ruby under is only going to be partly successful unless he gets her out of the room. Otherwise I think Ruby might explode and do/say something rash.

[brasca]

The first step when dealing with a problem is noticing that you have a problem. Amber has managed that. Unfortunately, she has no idea about a second step. Fortunately, Dillon is showing some small signs of cluefulness here, good heavens. Does this mean that we'll actually see him trying to talk Ruby through her problem here?

And yes, it's like I thought; Amber is The Pretty One, who gets all the attention, without trying - and without even noticing that her quiet, hard-working kid sister resents this. She only has to walk into the room, and anything that Ruby wants evaporates instantly. Given that Ruby has told her that (from Ruby's point of view) their own parents favour Amber, this is a bit slow of Amber.

Interesting take on the sisterly rivalry premise. It would be too easy for this to be about Ruby being envious over Amber stealing the attention of a boy she likes, but she could care less about Ruby or Andy for that matter it's live action yaoi that she craves and just when she could enjoy it guilt free Amber shows up. Dillon seems to be catching on, but to what I don't know. The most likely conclusion is that she has a crush on Ray and doesn't want her sister getting involved, but maybe he figured out Ruby's guilty pleasure.

[Spidrift]

Now that is out of my system, yay for amber realizing that she is part of the problem as it were.

Well, realising that there is a problem, and that she doesn't know what it is. She has been a bit slow there, but she does have some excuse...

Interesting take on the sisterly rivalry premise.

We had a hint at this going back to Ruby's line about their parents favouring Amber, but we got a bit sidetracked by the teenage party/secret porn career issue. The stuff about Amber and Zii locking Ruby out of Amber's room is also relevant. Amber is not only attractive, but extrovert and sociable, and she was significantly older (i.e. past puberty) at a crucial time. That pretty much guarantees that she got more attention. It's a common mistake to think that introverts like Ruby don't want attention, because they don't ask for it -- but a bookworm like Ruby would at least want credit for her academic successes, and would get puzzled and irritated when her big sister apparently got more admiration despite being less smart.

It would be too easy for this to be about Ruby being envious over Amber stealing the attention of a boy she likes, but she could care less about Ruby or Andy for that matter it's live action yaoi that she craves and just when she could enjoy it guilt free Amber shows up.

No one incident would necessarily be enough to drive Ruby to this sort of continuous anger, though the party/porn movie incident would have been pretty bad, but after a few years of this sort of thing, she could build up quite a head of resentment. I think that she has that sense that Amber could always take anything she wanted, sometimes at Ruby's expense, without effort, because she's (spit) pretty. Ruby works her guts out, Amber gets the attention. There may or may not have been a boy who Ruby had noticed at that party, but that would actually be just the icing on the cake if so. Walking into Amber's nice, spacious apartment won't have helped, either; what has Amber done to earn this?

(For God's sake don't answer that question, Dillon.)

And Amber does have an excuse for not having noticed any of this, because from her point of view, Ruby doesn't have much to be jealous of. I doubt that their parents give Amber any impression that they don't love Ruby, and Ruby is bright - enough to make Amber feel stupid sometimes - and has got a better education that will probably get her a good job, while Amber had to earn everything she's now got from oily bastards like Nathan, on her back. And it's not like Ruby even has anything to worry about in the looks department; Amber, like everyone except Ruby, is aware that Ruby is actually rather cute.

Amber will probably be stunned and confused if she ever finds out that Ruby is jealous of her. Meanwhile, Ruby is desperate for anything that she thinks gives her an edge over Amber, and won't admit to "humiliating" things like the Rudy adventure -- which Amber would likely find rather impressive and cool.

Like I said, communication problems.

Dillon seems to be catching on, but to what I don't know. The most likely conclusion is that she has a crush on Ray and doesn't want her sister getting involved, but maybe he figured out Ruby's guilty pleasure.

I imagine that Dillon has realised that there is a problem, but doesn't know what -- so he'll probably ask Ruby. He may have guessed random bits of the story, but deductive logic isn't his style. He does have fairly good social antennae, though, and he likes talking to Ruby -- and this scene is probably far too weird and significant to ignore.

Actually, I wonder if we're about to get a bit of a flashback scene with Ruby. I didn't expect to get one to the teenage party, because there wasn't much more to know there -- but we've now got a hint of a little bit more complicated stuff, that may merit some show-don't-tell.

[wiseguy]

now we can narrow things

Ray is not a closet gay man

he still could be a closet bisexual man

[Dalai Rasta]

I do wonder if Amber's porn career is going to wind up being a secret that everyone knows.

[wiseguy]

well.............

for the most part, those who are into the porn scene(in the industry or keep tabs in the porn gossip who is on top fame wise) are ones who know her

as she gets fame in the regular acting scene, the more likely that someone in the gossip media would put to the light that she did porn, and than more people would know according to her fame........... I think she has to start thinking about telling her parents BEFORE they find out through the media or a friend that is into porn.............. how did Ruby found out about her "secret"?

[Bambikles]

To begin with, she's done loads of porn films, enough to fill a big cardboard box. She's probably quite famous and quite many porn watchers will recognize her at any time. Besides, I don't think Amber wants to hide her past. But she wants people to acknowledge that she's no more in porn, hence changing her name. Her situation is more like Dwayne Johnson's (no, he didn't make porn, but changed his name when he left the catch scene, if you ask ) than like Sibel Kekilli's, I feel. Save for the parents not knowing it, huh.