23-10-15 No compliment

[Shouri]

Strip! http://www.stickydillybuns.com/strips-sdb/no_compliment

[nottere]

Ice cold.

[Azrael]

Your words like ice fall on the ground. Breaking the silence without a sound.

sdb20151023.png (106.56 KiB) Viewed 9929 times

[Spidrift]

Oh dear. This is what happens when you put somebody with real potential under strain for years (without actually breaking her). When she does actually acquire some confidence, God help the people she blames for her previous situation. It's now down to Amber (possibly with help from Dillon) to sort this out, because Ruby is dangerously happy now.

And the key feature of this strip is in panel 3: that skirt. Just as short as the one she was wearing on her first appearance, and tighter, but now, Ruby is channelling Tatiana. (Anyone want to see a professional face-off between those two?) Talk about symbolism.

In fact, it almost makes me wonder what we missed with the sharp cut from the previous strip; what did happen after that kiss? The odds are still that there were a lot of Ruby blushes, and some mumbling that ended with a let-us-not-speak-of-this-again. But there is an alternative possibility here; that Ruby noticed that she'd enjoyed the kiss, took a deep breath, and went for it. Because previously, she was embarrassed by her virginity, and maybe felt at heart that Amber was more of a woman than her. Now, well, even without the overt rudeness, Ruby may be emitting a strong "you haven't got anything that I can't match" signal.

['J']

i'm hoping this chapter leads into ruby & amber making an effort to improve their relationship.

[brasca]

It is possible that Ruby's response would be the same even if they had a good sisterly relationship. Quite possibly they just finished filming a love scene. Ruby would compliment Dillon especially if his scene involved him and another man because that is her biggest job perk. Amber on the other hand is her sister and there really is no way to compliment a sibling on something like that whether you like them or not.

[Spidrift]

i'm hoping this chapter leads into ruby & amber making an effort to improve their relationship.

It would be hard for it to get worse...

It is possible that Ruby's response would be the same even if they had a good sisterly relationship.

Uh, no. Just no. There is no way on Earth that "You did an adequate job" could be made to sound better than passive-aggressively rude. Honestly, the biggest criticism I could make of the writing in today's strip is that Ruby is supposed to be smart, and she ought to be able to come up with a more subtle and insidious insult than that. As it stands, Dillon ought to be dragging her aside and telling her not to be an ass.

Quite possibly they just finished filming a love scene. Ruby would compliment Dillon especially if his scene involved him and another man because that is her biggest job perk. Amber on the other hand is her sister and there really is no way to compliment a sibling on something like that whether you like them or not.

"Yeah, sorry, good job there"? She doesn't have to wax lyrical on the passion Amber projected - just use a word less mean and petty than "adequate". "Good", "decent", "convincing"... The choices are endless.

Throwing in that line about the cheque clearing was especially vicious, actually; she's basically saying that all this is just about the money, and implying that Amber might stiff her own sister. She apologised for and withdrew a lesser insult than that on her first night in the apartment. Though Amber did rather leave herself open to that with her own line.

[lordoffiling]

Also, Ruby has confidence sloshing out of her ears these days. She has a job and friends and goals, she's in touch with her sexuality for the first time, she might just be enjoying what that feels like. She's got nothing to prove anymore, the animosity between her and her sister will be far beneath her before much longer, if it isn't already.

[Spidrift]

Yeah, that's fine so long as she's prepared to forgive a little and forget a lot, and if the problem was previously her feeling that she had to prove something. But if she's bearing a grudge - if she still feels that Amber is the idiot who dumped her with the hateful secret-keeper job for all those years ("Too long a sacrifice/Can make a stone of the heart"), and who somehow made herself the parental favourite with no justification, then the new confidence is going to make things worse, no better. Previously, Ruby mostly just sat by the wall, unable to express her anger at Amber. Now, she can and will get up and slap Amber down at every opportunity.

Anyhow, am I really the only one round here noticing that skirt? I mean, killer legs aside, that is a Skirt of +5 B*tch if ever I saw one. Ruby has gone full circle, from stupidly wearing a short skirt that didn't suit her to arrogantly wearing whatever damn skirt she wants.

[themacnut]

I think this strip shows the animosity Ruby feels toward Amber is a long way from gone. Like Spidrift says, now that Ruby's getting her feet beneath her she could end up feeling more superior to her sister than ever, and thus be nastier to her than ever. After all, she took back a lesser insult than that her first night. Now? I think relations between the sisters from this point on will best be described as The LaRose Cold War. I expect the "b" (rhymes with "witch") label to start flying from forum posters' fingers in response to Ruby's future actions toward Amber. And they won't be entirely unjustified.

And I'm not counting on Amber being able to fix things either. She doesn't even have a clue as to why Ruby's treating her like an unwanted stepsister, never mind how to fix things. Not to mention Ruby has clearly demonstrated that all she wants from Amber is her money, and nothing else. I'm afraid it's going to be up to Dillon, and since it's Dillon we're talking about, well...expect the LaRose Cold War to continue for awhile yet. Not to mention that it's funnier having a PA looking down her nose at one of her alleged bosses and not missing a chance to take a swipe at them.

Finally, that's what Amber gets for fishing for compliments from someone she should know is not at all fond of her. And yet, dat skirt indeed.

[brasca]

It is possible that Ruby's response would be the same even if they had a good sisterly relationship.

Uh, no. Just no. There is no way on Earth that "You did an adequate job" could be made to sound better than passive-aggressively rude. Honestly, the biggest criticism I could make of the writing in today's strip is that Ruby is supposed to be smart, and she ought to be able to come up with a more subtle and insidious insult than that. As it stands, Dillon ought to be dragging her aside and telling her not to be an ass.

Quite possibly they just finished filming a love scene. Ruby would compliment Dillon especially if his scene involved him and another man because that is her biggest job perk. Amber on the other hand is her sister and there really is no way to compliment a sibling on something like that whether you like them or not.

"Yeah, sorry, good job there"? She doesn't have to wax lyrical on the passion Amber projected - just use a word less mean and petty than "adequate". "Good", "decent", "convincing"... The choices are endless.

She could be more diplomatic by saying something like "Are you seriously asking me your little sister to critique that love scene that you my big sister just did?" It is a good way to not answer the question on the grounds that it would be very awkward.

And that skirt must do it for a lot of posters here seeing as how Amber is standing right there in skimpy underwear and your eyes are all on Ruby.

[Spidrift]

And I'm not counting on Amber being able to fix things either. She doesn't even have a clue as to why Ruby's treating her like an unwanted stepsister, never mind how to fix things. Not to mention Ruby has clearly demonstrated that all she wants from Amber is her money, and nothing else. I'm afraid it's going to be up to Dillon, and since it's Dillon we're talking about, well...expect the LaRose Cold War to continue for awhile yet. Not to mention that it's funnier having a PA looking down her nose at one of her alleged bosses and not missing a chance to take a swipe at them.

The funny thing about the cold war bit is that it usually takes two to fight a war. But Ruby is happy to supply enough aggression for both sides.

Dillon, though ... may not be totally useless. He's not a totally hopeless people person, in his flaky way, and Ruby maybe kinda values his good opinions - or at least, she wouldn't want him too hostile; she clearly likes working for him, and she wouldn't want him scowling at her while she surreptitiously ogles his smooth-waxed chest. If he starts pushing on this, she might move a little.

And that skirt must do it for a lot of posters here seeing as how Amber is standing right there in skimpy underwear and your eyes are all on Ruby.

It's like the old naked-woman-working-on-a-computer scene. We've seen Amber in her underwear - or less - before. Ruby calmly sticking the knife in has novelty value.

[themacnut]

The funny thing about the cold war bit is that it usually takes two to fight a war. But Ruby is happy to supply enough aggression for both of them.

Amber may get tired of being on the receiving end of Ruby's aggression, and start fighting back. I'm not sure what that would look like, or how long it would take before she'd had enough, but it would make things even more interesting, that's for sure.

On the other hand, maybe Amber would just end up firing Ruby. It may well depend on whether Ruby does a good enough job as her PA to make it worth enduring some snark.

[Don Alexander]

"And that's all you're getting from me!"

Anyhow, am I really the only one round here noticing that skirt? I mean, killer legs aside, that is a Skirt of +5 B*tch if ever I saw one. Ruby has gone full circle, from stupidly wearing a short skirt that didn't suit her to arrogantly wearing whatever damn skirt she wants.

Nope, sorry, I just couldn't take my eyes off Amber...

And that skirt must do it for a lot of posters here seeing as how Amber is standing right there in skimpy underwear and your eyes are all on Ruby.

All posters? No! One little village in Germany...

[Spidrift]

Finally, that's what Amber gets for fishing for compliments from someone she should know is not at all fond of her.

Secondary note on that; I'm not sure that Amber has realised that before. She knew that Ruby was frequently angry, and worried that she had done something to offend Ruby, but the idea that Ruby just plain didn't like her seemingly never registered. It's easy enough to think that someone who's angry is angry about a specific thing; it's the cold hard nastiness, like this, that shows you've got a systematic problem.

Well, she kens the noo. Probably.

Amber may get tired of being on the receiving end of Ruby's aggression, and start fighting back. I'm not sure what that would look like, or how long it would take before she'd had enough, but it would make things even more interesting, that's for sure.

On the other hand, maybe Amber would just end up firing Ruby. It may well depend on whether Ruby does a good enough job as her PA to make it worth enduring some snark.

Family loyalty. It's a bugger, but it constrains everyone's behaviour there.

And Amber is going to have severe difficulty hitting back for now, because her whole model of social interaction is built around sexuality. She can offer people sex as an incentive, or conceive of withholding it as a punishment, but she doesn't have a clue about the sort of basic-model snark-to-snark combat that even Ruby can manage. She could sink to vulgar abuse, but the family thing gets in the way there, and there's no guarantee that Ruby wouldn't win a screaming match. Or she could try undermining Ruby's sexual confidence - she's been unintentionally doing that for years - but it looks like Ruby is now armoured against that. Or for the nuclear option, she could try seducing Andy, but even if his pesky innocent niceness didn't get in the way, that would just confirm all Ruby's prejudices. Plus, there's Ray to consider now.

Or she could just try being a horrible boss, but, well, Ruby has a capacity for grim determination and a gift for efficiency...