17-12-13 Overly friendly

[Shouri]

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

[Finvair]

And her corruption begins to move at pace!

[zaprzapb]

And she's going to be caught peeking or going into the men's room.

[Spidrift]

Repeating myself, of course, but the implausible thing with Ruby's personality is still how she's got to this age, including years at university, without noticing her own healthy libido and coming to terms with it somehow. She acts like a dizzy teenager at the slightest provocation.

Personally, I prefer it when she's written as shy and confused, but not stupid. Making her into a self-destructive idiot like this just looks like cheap comedy, and turns her into a weak character instead of a fairly strong but confused one. Oh well.

[Continuity]

they've? Should that not be "they're"?

[Bambikles]

Errrrrrr... Ruby's behaviour seems so off in this strip. Somehow I find the character looks more like random pieces of personality put together rather than a coherent, carefully thought one. Yeah, I've got tha word : Ruby's personality seems like a patchwork. It wouldn't surprise me if she appears to have multiple personnality disorder. A slight one of course.

[Spidrift]

I think some of us made a basic category error. Ruby can into the comic looking like a dramatic character - a bit soap-operatic, really, but anyway, someone with a clear personality, a bunch of issues, and her own strengths and weaknesses. So we keep expecting more of the same.

But the comic isn't a drama, or even a soap opera; it's a strip cartoon comedy. All that stuff about Ruby's phobias and hopes, and the personality damage caused by her own sister putting her through years of hell, weren't supposed to be serious. They were just set-up and throwaway excuses for how she was going to act. She's a comedy virgin/prude/voyeur, and that's all. Given a choice between character consistency and another virgin/prude/voyeur gag, the writers will go for the quick laugh every time. If it ends up looking random, the writers won't care. They'd probably accuse us of "over-analysis".

(And while she isn't "the female Gary", she has that in common with Gary; he too was given a throwaway excuse for his flaky character in the first few dozen strips of his comic, but we aren't expected to take that seriously either.)

[brasca]

Repeating myself, of course, but the implausible thing with Ruby's personality is still how she's got to this age, including years at university, without noticing her own healthy libido and coming to terms with it somehow. She acts like a dizzy teenager at the slightest provocation.

Personally, I prefer it when she's written as shy and confused, but not stupid. Making her into a self-destructive idiot like this just looks like cheap comedy, and turns her into a weak character instead of a fairly strong but confused one. Oh well.

When she was at university she had plenty of work to distract her and if she sensed her libido stirring then she'd probably pick up some extra credit projects to do. Since she graduated the only thing to keep her mind occupied is filling out job applications. As such she has a lot of free time and doesn't know what to do with all the sexy new diversions thrown her way. Being out of her depth in unfamiliar territory means she will make mistakes and some will be stupid. I do not think what she is doing right now is overly self destructive. As long as she knocks on the door to see what is going on instead of barging in it's normal behavior.

[Spidrift]

I still think it's a good trick getting to her age with such a total lack of clues about her own nature. But whatever.

And her current actions wouldn't too bad if (a) she knocked on the door rather than charging in (which I don't think she will, but we'll see), and more importantly, (b) she wasn't so incredibly easily embarrassed. But she is. She dived into Dillon's wardrobe instead of leaving the room with a dignified apology when Dillon and Jerzy came home, she wanted to curl up and die after the swimming pool incident, she suggested that everyone should just go home after the drinks spillage - intense self-consciousness is one of the defining parts of her character. And yet, at the same time, this compulsive voyeurism kick is steering her into the most embarrassing situation possible right now -- barging into a male toilet room full of half-naked men who know her personally.

That's the emotional equivalent of eating peanuts when you're allergic, because you like the taste.

[Don Alexander]

they've? Should that not be "they're"?

Yep. Either that, or "they've been".

Looks like Spi is feeling the heartbreak. I, on the other hand, laughed more at this one than any in a long time!

[Spidrift]

I'm feeling the lack of heartbreak. Ruby could be an almost-tragic character, but actually she's just the hook for a string of gags.

[Milnoc]

Maybe Ruby is a latent Yaoi fangirl. She should meet Zii! She'll learn so much!

[FlashD81]

As long as she knocks on the door to see what is going on instead of barging in it's normal behavior.

I doubt very much that Ruby will knock before opening the door. I feel that she is going to peek, get flustered and/or get caught looking.

[themacnut]

Or some other guy's going to come out of the men's room right at that moment, look at her funny, and she'll slink back to the table utterly embarrassed. Bonus points if the guy says out loud something like; "HEY! This isn't the ladies' room, ya perv!" thus making her run out of the restaurant in shame.

[astaroth09]

I sense your inner Zii beginning Ruby. ;)