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Too much cake-mix

May got too excited with Pintsize

May had a nasty meet-up with Yelling Bird

SOMEONE had to clean up Dale's bed!

The obligatory reference to synthetic ham

MAY IS MELTING FROM ALL THE SQUEE

May found Marigolds stache of sexy dude pictures

butts

[Barmymoo]

I'm pretty sure that Claire is already a member of the main cast. Do people mean that they hope she'll get a permanent job or something? Why would she not be considered main cast?

[anahata]

I'm pretty sure that Claire is already a member of the main cast. Do people mean that they hope she'll get a permanent job or something? Why would she not be considered main cast?

I guess they mean continued frequent appearances in the comic, at levels of exposure and indispensability comparable with Marten, Faye, Hanners, Dora, Dale and Marigold.

[Thrudd]

I don't see her being crushed, like she was when her peas were made light of. Poor peas. Nobody seams to appreciate you.

WRT Emily;
I could on the other hand see her squeee a bit, congratulate Claire and blurt out that Claire has a crush on the cutest librarian ever, just like she does.
Cue Claire anxiety, Marten at a loss for words, Emily smiling at both of them and drama blossoms once more.

(click to show/hide)

[oh god now I'm picturing Emily doing the Beaver-scout thing]
Interns. Interns. Intern.
Sharing, sharing, sharing.
Now everybody hug
[Yeah - low sugar and caffeine levels - A medium black quad sucrose stat]

Now that I posted it - it will never happen - well unless Jeph really does want to mess with everyone. then again Jeph does love to mess with everyone.

[HES]

I think the Emily thing was a plot device presenting/reminding Marten's shouldn't-date-interns stance as an obstacle to be overcome in this arc.

[Orkboy]

I think the Emily thing was a plot device presenting/reminding Marten's shouldn't-date-interns stance as an obstacle to be overcome in this arc.

Or it was a clever excuse for bizarre humor.  How often do you think cartoonists have a chance to draw a basket of mice?

[Is it cold in here?]

Now Claire has proven that Marten is someone who will take "No" for an answer graciously even when drunk.

Useful kind of thing to know before getting into a relationship requiring trust.

(Happy mod)New people, you're doing great! You're welcome sight unseen, but you're really earning your welcome.(/)

[Aziraphale]

Yeah it had totally slipped my mind that she has never been kissed. As someone with anxiety and who is also taking ativan I can totally relate to the fact that she might overthink kissing marten if he's been drinking the day after. "Did he really like me? Was it just the booze?" etc.

She may think the same even without the kiss (IOW, might wonder how much of the flirtation was interest and how much is the alcohol talking). Of course, if she asks when he's sober and then he kisses her, that'd tend to clear things up.

[HauntingPoem]

I'd take a good back-rub/head-scratch over a kiss most days. But that's just me.

[Miaboop]

Yeah it had totally slipped my mind that she has never been kissed. As someone with anxiety and who is also taking ativan I can totally relate to the fact that she might overthink kissing marten if he's been drinking the day after. "Did he really like me? Was it just the booze?" etc.

She may think the same even without the kiss (IOW, might wonder how much of the flirtation was interest and how much is the alcohol talking). Of course, if she asks when he's sober and then he kisses her, that'd tend to clear things up.

Aww, I can't see marten being that smooth to just kiss her, but I hope there will be at least some handholding :3

[Aziraphale]

Yeah it had totally slipped my mind that she has never been kissed. As someone with anxiety and who is also taking ativan I can totally relate to the fact that she might overthink kissing marten if he's been drinking the day after. "Did he really like me? Was it just the booze?" etc.

She may think the same even without the kiss (IOW, might wonder how much of the flirtation was interest and how much is the alcohol talking). Of course, if she asks when he's sober and then he kisses her, that'd tend to clear things up.

Aww, I can't see marten being that smooth to just kiss her, but I hope there will be at least some handholding :3

Well, I didn't want to speculate on the intervening steps. Besides, I'm lousy at flowcharts.

[eschaton]

I'm still not liking this.  Not because I don't think they could work as a couple, or any issues with trans people, but because I don't find Martin's behavior so far in character.

1.  There's been plenty of foreshadowing that Claire likes Marten.  There hasn't been even an inkling until last week that Marten felt anything for Claire.  It just came totally out of left field. 

2.  No matter how drunk Martin is, his actions are totally out of character.  He cannot be smooth.  He's a "talk" guy, not an "action" guy. 

If I had to compare it to anything, I'd say it seems (with a lot more drunkenness) to Marten's reaction to Dora's interest way back when.  She liked him, and when approached, he was like "sure, girl, whatever!"  I think Marten would basically happily nod along into a relationship with any of his female friends.  His aimlessless in his professional life and his personal life are symptoms of the same basic attitude. 

Still, that does not explain to me how an inebriated Marten was able to actually make a move on a lady without being awkward in the slightest.  That's just not Marten.

[Aziraphale]

I'm still not liking this.  Not because I don't think they could work as a couple, or any issues with trans people, but because I don't find Martin's behavior so far in character.

1.  There's been plenty of foreshadowing that Claire likes Marten.  There hasn't been even an inkling until last week that Marten felt anything for Claire.  It just came totally out of left field. 

2.  No matter how drunk Martin is, his actions are totally out of character.  He cannot be smooth.  He's a "talk" guy, not an "action" guy. 

If I had to compare it to anything, I'd say it seems (with a lot more drunkenness) to Martin's reaction to Dora's interest way back when.  She liked him, and when approached, he was like "sure, girl, whatever!"  I think Marten would basically happily nod along into a relationship with any of his female friends.  His aimlessless in his professional life and his personal life are symptoms of the same basic attitude. 

Still, that does not explain to me how an inebriated Marten was able to actually make a move on a lady without being awkward in the slightest.  That's just not Marten.

I chalk it up to character development/growth. I think at some level, he realizes that what he's doing right now isn't working out all that well for him, so he's trying something a bit out of his comfort zone, or at least different from his usual MO. If you take the last few strips in tandem with his and Claire's last conversation in the library, it seems like he's finally catching on that he's got to make some changes.

Whether he makes the right, or most productive, ones... well, that remains to be seen. But this looks like a step in the right direction, and isn't quite that out of the blue.

ETA: Even people who tend to be socially or romantically awkward can still have moments of smooth, even if accidentally. I speak from experience.

[Barmymoo]

Maybe Marten's uncharacteristic smoothness is an indicator of a much higher compatibility between him and Claire than between Marten and any of the other people he's been involved with?

[DSL]

Another possibility: Marten's not trying to be smooth, or at least wasn't. It was just some drunken playfulness, which I am given to understand sometimes happens between people who feel comfortable around one another and with inhibitions lower than the norm for them. Will this lead to closer closeness? Will Claire decide "mistakes were made"? (I ask that you imagine me saying all this in the voice of Bill Dozier) Tune in tomorrow, same TEH time, same TEH channel!

[MooskiNet]

Still, that does not explain to me how an inebriated Marten was able to actually make a move on a lady without being awkward in the slightest.  That's just not Marten.

I get ya, but I guess on one of the (several) re-readings of the events leading up to today's comic, I saw his Mom's recent speech about taking chances as slight foreshadowing.  He may be learning.

It happens. 

[Thrillho]

The suggestion that a socially awkward person, when drunk, will not make moves/be smooth is preposterous. Alcohol brings that out of a lot of people.

[cesium133]

The suggestion that a socially awkward person, when drunk, will not make moves/be smooth is preposterous. Alcohol brings that out of a lot of people.

I'm socially awkward sober, and I'm just as awkward (if not more so) drunk...

[Kugai]

Or so they'd like to believe.

[Zebediah]

I'd take a good back-rub/head-scratch over a kiss most days. But that's just me.

Why choose when you can have both? Claire can have both, if she wants. Basically Marten has shown her that this goes as far as she's comfortable going, and no farther. But also no less far than she's comfortable going. Which should go a long way towards calming Claire's anxieties.

[Thrillho]

Until I learned to be confident in myself, drink and drugs was all I had to make me confident.

[Comic Strip Critic]

I like to think that Marten's confidence is one part mom-advice, one part comfortable-ness around Claire, mixed together with a bit of courage. I've only been on the forum a few days, but I love how into this the community is. Lots of great thought going into all this. You guys freakin' rock.

[Aimless]

It was a little bit of inner peace, coziness, growing familiarity, compatibility, a good night and, sure, some booze. But I think Marten's ready to move on and enter a new phase of personal growth.

Also, let's not forget that Marten's been in a serious and tricky long-term relationship. It's bound to have changed him in good ways as well as bad.

[evilQuälgeist]

I'd guess that the headscratch wasn't intended all that seriously, more a bit, "looks like she could use help..." and it just developed from there *shrug*

[Platypodes]

Yeah it had totally slipped my mind that she has never been kissed. As someone with anxiety and who is also taking ativan I can totally relate to the fact that she might overthink kissing marten if he's been drinking the day after. "Did he really like me? Was it just the booze?" etc. and taking the initiative to say the kiss shouldn't happen under such circumstances shows a pretty good awareness of her own mental health issues and what scenario this happens in will make her happiest and worry the least.

"Did he really like me, or was it just the booze?" is a legitimate question to ask if someone who's never made a move on you before kisses you while drunk.  And the wrong answer to that question could be heartbreaking to anyone who has a crush on the drunk kisser, even without any mental health issues.  If Marten's feelings for Claire are ambiguous enough to prompt twenty pages of debate on a forum, no way in heck can Claire be sure of them.

With Claire being the sensitive and romantic soul that she is, I hope her first kiss is an unambiguously romantic one that she can be giddy and happy about without any "will you still love me tomorrow" questions.

[Neko_Ali]

To those who are saying that Marten has never expressed any feelings towards Claire, I refer you back to the wedding arc. Especially the night of the snuggle, the day after and all the time, talk and worry he did about what it all could have meant. If he didn't think anything of it, or feel anything that it would have been a non-issue. But he did spend time concerned about what had happened and what he should do about it. And he does seems to spend more time around Claire than any of the other interns. Any uncharacteristic smoothness aside (why is that even an issue really?) I don't see this development being at all far fetched.

[Masterpiece]

He was also disappointed when he woke up and Claire was in the other bed

[Miaboop]

You know what this means right?

They might touch butts in the future!

[evilQuälgeist]

Maybe she just is a warm person and he felt coldkidding

[Neko_Ali]

As much as she was blushing, she probably felt like a blast furnace.

[Platypodes]

Ya know, all the talk about "unrealistic smoothness" just made me remember a guy with whom I had a few dates a while back.  I met him at a party, and he was amazingly charming and said and did all the right things and gave me a fabulous romantic kiss goodnight, and I felt like I'd met some fairytale prince...  and eventually picked up on the fact that he's known in his social circle as a colossal doofus who loses his keys five times a day, and all his behavior after that first night was much more along those lines.  So, yes, it happens!

(Note: for the record, I didn't dump him for being a doofus who loses his keys, but for much more serious issues. I don't believe smoothness is important in a realationship, just awfully useful in getting relationships started.)

[Rghfrgl]

 Maybe I'm just nitpicking, but I don't think it's out of character for Marten to be smooth. It's out of character for him to take the initiative, but he's not lacking in the social skills, particularly with people he knows well.

 And the sudden initiative could be the alcohol or a mix of the alcohol and lots of nights laying on the bed thinking about what he wants.

[Aziraphale]

As much as she was blushing, she probably felt like a blast furnace.

If she bursts into flames, I will not be happy. That would bode ill for the 'ship.

[Madmartigan]

This just seems out of left field to me.

Not that their relationship, for obvious reasons, bothers me in any way.

But it just doesn't make much sense to me.  Maybe that's poor development on Jeph's part in convincing Marten has any romantic interest whatsoever in Claire, or that there has been virtually no basis to back any of it up whereas with Tai and Dora, Marten and Dora, and Faye and Marten, there was always sexual tension under the service and you could just...tell that something would either happen, or it angst would continue to unfold until one got hitched to someone else.

I mean, Marten has always seemed rather parental or brotherly or platonic, and whatnot around Claire.  The love that isn't romantic or sexual.  And his reaction while drunk is just odd.  No facial signs of his face to denote potential luvin or something.  Just cool, collected calm.  Maybe that's because Claire is most certainly inexperienced but...

Everything about this romantically just screams...harmless catering to what peeps want.  First time I've ever said that.

Bah....but then I always have this issue, like with that nonsensical pairing of childhood when Rowling put Hermione with the soulless ginger. 

Sometimes I'm super convinced, other times I just scratch my head and go.....I don't fucking get it, man.

[de_la_Nae]

It might be worth to mention, that Marten's idea of dating an intern goes further than just dating-a-coworker-trouble. It's rather a dating-a-superior-trouble. He's afraid that it might come off as him forcing the intern into a relationship through his position of power as superior.

He is not her superior. He is a lowly unskilled helper. She is on the career track to become a librarian. She has way more status than him. Her superior must be some librarian. Marten has been given the task of showing her the ropes. He is not her boss.

Not a superior in any kind of sense that he's her boss, but he'd still be considered a supervisor by all reasonable definitions.  In 2203, Tai saddled Marten with the responsibility of training the interns, which regardless of his actual job rank, made him their supervisor.  Heck, that's what being a being a trainer *IS*.... and he would remain their supervisor for exactly as long as it remained his responsibility to train them.  Once that responsibility is complete, however, he is no longer their supervisor, since he is no longer responsible for them.   At no point in this does Marten's job rank need to change up or down during this process in any way.... it's just perfectly ordinary job responsibility evolution.  Heck,  I've trained new people at my job all the time that I have absolutely no kind of job rank over... but for the duration that I am training them, I'm still their supervisor, and I have a responsibility to train them to do their job to maximum effectiveness.   It's really less of a superior position and much more of a leadership kind of thing really... but keeping all of the same ethical standards of professionalism would still apply.

No it doesn't, you just got suckered into doing work that you weren't compensated for.

[Loki]

Bah....but then I always have this issue, like with that nonsensical pairing of childhood when Rowling put Hermione with the soulless ginger. 

You mean when Rowling put Harry with the soulless ginger.

[K1dmor]

 Marten was smooth in the past... kind of.

[de_la_Nae]

 and it came to no real conclusion.

The fact that you don't recognize the kind of awesome conclusions one comes to when being presented a basket of live mice is distressing.

(click to show/hide)

[de_la_Nae]

 There hasn't been even an inkling until last week that Marten felt anything for Claire.  It just came totally out of left field. 

Baloney.

[evilQuälgeist]

Oh, what happens if we reach 30 pages? Because if we keep our current pace we will 

[nosaJay19]

Marten was smooth in the past... kind of.

He can be incredibly smooth when he wants to be.

[Aimless]

Hey! Gingers have souls...!!!

Lots and lots of them, amassed over many centuries...

[Valdís]

This just seems out of left field to me. [..] has always seemed rather [sibling-like] or platonic, and whatnot around Claire.  The love that isn't romantic or sexual.

Yeeeeah, that's a thing that can change rather suddenly when around amazing, adorable trans girls. *personal experience thumbs up* :3

Bah....but then I always have this issue, like with that nonsensical pairing of childhood when Rowling put Hermione with the soulless ginger. 

Here you go.

Hey! Gingers have souls...!!!
Lots and lots of them, amassed over many centuries...

Cool. Are they gonna teach us alchemy anytime soon?

[Platypodes]

Here you go.

That's awesome!  Here's my theory about what happens sometimes with girls in movies...  So, the classic problem is that girls were always portrayed as wimpy and irrational; the boys would save the day while the girls would squeal a lot and make idiotic mistakes.  Some movie makers caught on to the fact that that wasn't cool...  Yay!  But then they went overboard and became afraid to ever let the girls show weakness or be inferior to a boy in any way.  And then it gets kinda silly.

To bring this back to marginally on-topic, one of the things I like so much about QC is how Jeph can write female characters with all their flaws and neuroses and anxieties in a human way but not at all in a sexist way.   

[st08]

I think there's been enough foreshadowing to make Marten's actions believable from a plot perspective, although it does come a bit out of left field in that it's the first time we see him clearly showing interest in Claire. But hey, the first move has to come sometime, right? In my (re)reading of the lead up to these developments, although Marten hasn't shown much in the way of explicit interest in a romantic relationship with Claire, they've certainly spent a lot of time getting to know each other and at least recently he must have picked up on her interest in him. Sometimes you realize someone is into you and it makes you see them in a new light. He's been thinking about "what he wants" in life. Perhaps he's still figuring out his feelings and the circumstances just felt right/comfortable for him to be more forward tonight, and for her to not immediately panic.

Or maybe this was just a case of being a little buzzed and flirty with a friend, Jeph only knows.

[Mr_Rose]

Bah....but then I always have this issue, like with that nonsensical pairing of childhood when Rowling put Hermione with the soulless ginger. 

You mean when Rowling put Harry with the soulless ginger.

Eh, she puts everyone with soulless gingers if she possibly can. I mean, the (literally) supernaturally beautiful french heiress with the professional thief? And you can pretty much guarantee that whoever ended up with Percy didn't do anything to really deserve that fate…

[Is it cold in here?]

Maybe it's simple. Maybe the temptation to play with Claire's hair is hard for anyone to resist.

[Neko_Ali]

fluffy fluffy fluffy

[marbledmurrelet]

After spending a flu-ish night re-reading the whole story since Claire was introduced, I find Marten's attraction and even his smoothness quite plausible. It's a different kind of attraction than his previous - "crushier" - ones, and a much healthier kind in my experience. They just quietly grew closer to and more comfortable with each other, they've both done some personal development (maybe even partially due to the other one), either Marten was careful not to show his attraction because he didn't want to freak her out, or it just kind of sneaked in without him really noticing... Either way, they seem to have a healthy relationship already, and I'd be happy to see it develop further.

Also, hi.

[RaineThing]

fluffy fluffy fluffy

All hail our fluffy haired queen

[eschaton]

The suggestion that a socially awkward person, when drunk, will not make moves/be smooth is preposterous. Alcohol brings that out of a lot of people.

Marten is hardly a teetotaler though.  He was drunk all the time around Faye back in the day.  He was incredibly drunk when he first met Hanners, and arguably tried to hit on her that first night.  He was also pretty clumsy in his attempts on that woman on the Space Station and Deidre, despite alcohol being involved in both cases.  If Marten had effective liquid courage in the past, we would have seen it. 

To those who are saying that Marten has never expressed any feelings towards Claire, I refer you back to the wedding arc. Especially the night of the snuggle, the day after and all the time, talk and worry he did about what it all could have meant. If he didn't think anything of it, or feel anything that it would have been a non-issue. But he did spend time concerned about what had happened and what he should do about it. And he does seems to spend more time around Claire than any of the other interns. Any uncharacteristic smoothness aside (why is that even an issue really?) I don't see this development being at all far fetched.

Marten overanalyzes everything related to the ladies.  Look at how the Emily kiss on the cheek caused him all of this angst that he needed to talk about with multiple people.  Emily is probably the only woman in the entire series that has shown an interest he doesn't seem to want to consider dating, but he still can't shut up about it.  If it's girl-related drama, Marten is sure to ask Steve, Faye, Tai, and possibly 1-2 other people their opinions, regardless of if he has the hots for her or not. 

Edit:  Which is another reason this kinda seems odd.  If he did like Claire before that night, he would have discussed it with someone else within the confines of the strip.  Marten does not keep drama to himself ever.