I read Dina as making it very clear that she is sneering at Ruth: no sentence there has any emphasis, so I’m reading it as if she’s pretending to do a very bad reading of a line: “Oh. No. It. is. Ruthless. I. am. frightened.” She just called Ruth by her nickname — a name she is known to dislike.
Dina is socially inept and may be borderline autistic. She’s not profoundly affected, though: she *can* look into people’s eyes, she can express sympathy at an appropriate time by touching someone, etc. Ruthle — I mean, Ruth — is the one who’s missing social cues here.
Not quite. Dina doesn’t seem like a “sneering” type. Ruth just said earlier that Dina should still be afraid of her. Dina, of course, isn’t, but she’s trying to follow Ruth’s wishes anyway since she doesn’t seem to care either way.
We Aspies feel sympathy., it’s empathy we have a hard time with. Detecting someone’s emotions or intentions is something we can do as well, it’s expressing those ourselves and how deal with them. I’d say that the way she is not profoundly affected by Autism would be that we’ve never seen her break down or yell. She’s hardly socially inept, either.
That being said, It may be sarcasm, but it’s more likely she simply doesn’t care but doesn’t want to upset Ruth further, so gives a half-assed attempt at acting scared.
Eebiot
Couldn’t have said it better myself, Wafflington. There’s not nearly enough awareness in the world of what Autism actually *is.* Understanding emotion isn’t the problem. Expression of emotion is more difficult, but can be mitigated with experience.
See? Told you I couldn’t have said it better myself 😛
Rachel Roth
Agreed on the awareness thing. Of course the terms people use when referring to it don’t exactly help (Please don’t use them. Also, I can’t spell, so of course I spelled it wrong). Terms such as “Disorder” and “Disease” (no seriously, I’ve heard it called that) carry the wrong message. Just so people are aware moving forward, the number one thing with aspergers or autism is over-stimulation, which leads to the aspie blocking out the world. THIS is the cause of basically everything else, as not partaking in the world (which explains why we are not as skilled socially), the capability to hyperfocous, “stimming” (think pacing or tapping when stressed) and attachment to a single niche instead of a wide range of interests (like Dina’s Dinosaurs).
In other words: Dina is one of us, only much better at tying people up with a grappling hook!
Dina is socially clueless but wants to learn. Last time, Ruth said she should fear her, so Dina adopted that as social propriety. Dina isn’t quite emotionless, but so far she seems to actually have no fear of anything.
186 thoughts on “No”
Tacdud2
Bye Dina.
Doctor_Who
“I am now getting lunch. I hope they have cereal. They do, I am now happy.”
KingMabel
“Oh hey you just missed it! Some guy just chugged all the milk in the cafe! Lady said they needed an hour to refill the milk.”
Plasma Mongoose
Refill the milk from what? A nak?
TheGrammarLegionary
Mike…
JWLM
I read Dina as making it very clear that she is sneering at Ruth: no sentence there has any emphasis, so I’m reading it as if she’s pretending to do a very bad reading of a line: “Oh. No. It. is. Ruthless. I. am. frightened.” She just called Ruth by her nickname — a name she is known to dislike.
Dina is socially inept and may be borderline autistic. She’s not profoundly affected, though: she *can* look into people’s eyes, she can express sympathy at an appropriate time by touching someone, etc. Ruthle — I mean, Ruth — is the one who’s missing social cues here.
Nyzer
Not quite. Dina doesn’t seem like a “sneering” type. Ruth just said earlier that Dina should still be afraid of her. Dina, of course, isn’t, but she’s trying to follow Ruth’s wishes anyway since she doesn’t seem to care either way.
Sir Wafflington
We Aspies feel sympathy., it’s empathy we have a hard time with. Detecting someone’s emotions or intentions is something we can do as well, it’s expressing those ourselves and how deal with them. I’d say that the way she is not profoundly affected by Autism would be that we’ve never seen her break down or yell. She’s hardly socially inept, either.
That being said, It may be sarcasm, but it’s more likely she simply doesn’t care but doesn’t want to upset Ruth further, so gives a half-assed attempt at acting scared.
Eebiot
Couldn’t have said it better myself, Wafflington. There’s not nearly enough awareness in the world of what Autism actually *is.* Understanding emotion isn’t the problem. Expression of emotion is more difficult, but can be mitigated with experience.
See? Told you I couldn’t have said it better myself 😛
Rachel Roth
Agreed on the awareness thing. Of course the terms people use when referring to it don’t exactly help (Please don’t use them. Also, I can’t spell, so of course I spelled it wrong). Terms such as “Disorder” and “Disease” (no seriously, I’ve heard it called that) carry the wrong message. Just so people are aware moving forward, the number one thing with aspergers or autism is over-stimulation, which leads to the aspie blocking out the world. THIS is the cause of basically everything else, as not partaking in the world (which explains why we are not as skilled socially), the capability to hyperfocous, “stimming” (think pacing or tapping when stressed) and attachment to a single niche instead of a wide range of interests (like Dina’s Dinosaurs).
In other words: Dina is one of us, only much better at tying people up with a grappling hook!
Yotomoe
6th panel is Joyce being thrown out of that window.
Viktoria
And there was much rejoycing.
angierhafai
Oh god that pun… why? Must we throw you out a window too?
Deanatay
RE: Joyce
Joe
“How can he be ‘rejoycing’? He hasn’t done me yet.
A quote uttered by my friend Joyce in college.
Unspeakable Anger
I’d throw money to another kickstarter for that.
Izumi Ryu
Ruth isn’t THAT ruthless…okay, maybe moreso to the likes of Blaine, but Joyce?
Historyman68
Joyce is learning there are consequences to rebellion.
JustCheetoDust
Maybe that should be a recurring thing, though not limited to Joyce.
Kennerly
No, not being thrown, Joyce jumps out the window both to get his gloves back, and also to imitate Sal who always enters and leaves through a window.
Mr K
And then breaks her neck.
Doctor_Who
Leaving via the window will just make her MORE like Sal.
Historyman68
Yes.
Oliver
The word you’re looking for is defenestrated
Jim
Dina knows sarcasm. I learn something new about her in every appearance.
Viktoria
She’s running away there.i don’t think she was being sarcastic.
Shade
I think she’s just emulating everyone else.
Gigafreak
Yeah, that IS what she was doing last time the two interacted.
LJoL
Ooh nice catch Giga. I had forgotten that interraction.
Jim
Doesn’t look like she’s running. Plus, the phrasing indicates she isn’t sincere about being frightened
pyrophobia
In NORMAL PEOPLE, yes.
This is DINA we’re talking about.
Yotomoe
She’s looked into the eyes of Ruth and saw her own demise.
JustCheetoDust
Or the demise of her clothes.
Pantheon the Mantheon
If I recall correctly, a previous strip showed Ruth informing Dina that she should be scared of her. I believe that is what this is about.
Kathleen
I don’t think she’s being sarcastic, she’s trying to be polite bc this is what Ruth wants.
Chris
Dina is socially clueless but wants to learn. Last time, Ruth said she should fear her, so Dina adopted that as social propriety. Dina isn’t quite emotionless, but so far she seems to actually have no fear of anything.
Jim
Right, I forgot about that.
David Herbert
But the big question is, did Joyce take them off first or did Ruth rip her hands off?
Yotomoe
And then the rest of the comic Joyce has CYBORG HANDS.
Aizat
Courtesy of Mann Co.
MrSirk
Damn.. she was having so much fun.
Mistress Monkey
What’s girl gotta do to get a little glove around here?
Plasma Mongoose
No glove, no love??
KingMabel
The glove is extra. $5 extra for some glove love.
Plasma Mongoose
An additional fee of $5 if these gloves are used.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6r7edRmXl0
Lamachine
Warehouse 13 FTW
Cybersnark
Oh God, now I’m picturing Joyce as an agent.
Stephen Bierce
FX: *Buzzer*
SPORTSCASTERS (in unison): DE-FEN-ES-TRA-TED!
Darwin
YES! You used my favorite word! I offer you an internet cookie.
newllend
I’m surprise she didn’t throw Joyce out the window…then again that would help her to be even MORE like Sal.
Yotomoe
Only Sal throws Sal out of windows.
newllend
Its funny I actually tried to imagine her doing that.
Aizat
Sal grabbing her ass and then propelled herself towards a window.
KingMabel
I saw that in a porno once.
Mass Confusion
Like the Lorax
Plasma Mongoose
Sorry Dina, but Ruth has no time for your patronising attempts at showing fear.
newllend
Its weird she understands the concept but she just doesn’t know a good example to assimilate it.
Plasma Mongoose
She needs moar borg-technology.
Ocbrad1
Everyone needs moar Borg technology!
Zach
It was a bad concept to learn. Don’t do it Dina! Be totally disaffected by Ruth. It drains her power…
Khaner
Thought one:
Oh thank God Ruth is okay.
Thought two: This is the man always keeping us down! Help Help I’m being oppressed!
Kernanator
Oh and now we see the thievery inherent in the system!
Aizat
Bloody peasant.
LeslieBean4Shizzle
I was wondering if anyone else was going to be happy to see Ruth alive and apparently healthy.
Glad I wasn’t the only one.
John
Amazi-Girl said she was fine!
DrBear
The gloves were followed by her femurs. Which she needs to live.
Yotomoe
Joyce has a condition where her lungs and kidneys are in her femurs.
Opus the Poet
That’s funny, I only need my femurs to walk and ride my bike. I was able to live without them, well survive. Wasn’t much fun…
Plasma Mongoose