WCDT 2927-2931 (30 March to 3 April 2015)

[BenRG]

We're at another obvious point where Jeph could do almost anything.

With the exception of Faye reconciling with Dora (and that's not likely to happen immediately, given either protagonist's personality) there remains little to be said and done in the current time-frame.  To me, the most likely 'non-skip' option is events of the late evening with Claire and Marten quizzing Faye and maybe Hanners about what happened at the support group and, personally, I think that's unlikely. Unless there are some specific jokes Jeph wants to tell, there is little to be gained in story terms to rehashing last week's strips as a four-way conversation.

My guess is that the next obvious thing to do in the current time-frame is pick up on exactly what Clinton 'hanging out' with Emily entails.

What would I expect to see in a time skip? Maybe to leap forwards to the run up to Thanksgiving. Will Claire spend it with her family or with her new and expanding circle of friends centred around Marten and Tai? That could make for some interesting character writing and maybe give Jeph an excuse to expand on Mrs A's feelings about her oldest child spreading her wings and flying away.

However, knowing Jeph, he'll surprise us all.

[Pilchard123]

My guess? Butts.

[Rghfrgl]

It was tough, not making a new thread saturday night again. But other people need a chance. And I didn't have a good poll.

Anyway kinda thinking we're getting 'Thanks for the advice, yadda yadda SO, what's a nerd like you need a support group for anyway?' Which has me half thinking we should hold off on that, because you don't want Claire to JUST be the trans girl. But the other half of me wants to see it anyway.

[Nepiophage]

Maybe to leap forwards to the run up to Thanksgiving. Will Claire spend it with her family or with her new and expanding circle of friends centred around Marten and Tai?

Or where will Marten spend it? With Claire and her mother (and Clinton) or with his mother (and Jim and Sam)? Either is rich in comedic possibilities.

[Rghfrgl]

Ok, Jim & Veronica and Marten & Claire need married immediately.

Two Mom's and FOUR dads!

[chaospersonified]

My guess? Butts.

Everything is butts, but like, in a good way, because butts are quality

[Neko_Ali]

Four dads? Mr Augustus isn't really part of Claire's life anymore, apparently. I'm not entirely sure Marten would see Jim as Dad-3 material, even if he and Sam would get a step sibling thing going. "Here's my mom's new husband, who went out with my ex before she hooked up with my boss."

[Gladstone]

Any scenario that allows Claire to meet Sam is fine by me. 

"Eee little sister!"

[Neko_Ali]

Faye starts officially babysitting Sam at the apartment and Claire stops by? I mean Faye's going to need some source of income, and Jim needs someone who can handle Sam.... Seems like a good match.

[explicit]

If I were a father I probably wouldn't have someone who has a serious history with alcohol abuse watch my kid.

I know she's getting better and wouldn't drink around the kid, but only because I'm reading this comic. Jim would have no way of knowing that. He'd only know she got fired for drinking.

[Gladstone]

Faye starts officially babysitting Sam at the apartment and Claire stops by? I mean Faye's going to need some source of income, and Jim needs someone who can handle Sam.... Seems like a good match.

Dunno about that.  Faye taught Sam how to weld, so Claire wouldn't stand a chance.  Probably best if she and Sam got to hang out once without Sam's cooler older sister ruining things.  Maybe Marten and Claire spend a day with Veronica, Jim, and Sam, just some sort of proto-family gathering.  As long as Clinton doesn't tag along and ruin things by having a cool robot hand. 

[cesium133]

Thinking about it some more, I'm wondering if the "Faye teaching Sam to make an Old Fashioned" thing was meant as a tipoff that Faye was starting to drink at work? 

[osaka]

Four dads? Mr Augustus isn't really part of Claire's life anymore, apparently. I'm not entirely sure Marten would see Jim as Dad-3 material, even if he and Sam would get a step sibling thing going. "Here's my mom's new husband, who went out with my ex before she hooked up with my boss."

When he knew about Jim, one of the things he told Veronica was on the lines of "and if you get married, I'll have three dads! That's so many dads!"

But yeah, Dad 4.0 is out of the question.

[Gladstone]

So...you're sayin' that Ms. Augustus is single, eh?  No one tell Tai.  She's the one who first suggested introducing Veronica to Jim, and that initial success at matchmaking has probably just emboldened her.

"So, Jimbo...how's your love life?  You lookin' to settle down yet?"

[Rghfrgl]

P...Pentadads?!

[Kugai]

Faye gets a commission from a strange woman named Alice

[cesium133]

Faye gets a commission from a strange woman named Alice

She's later seen taking two bodies wrapped in carpet rolls to the quarry. The village returns to its peaceful existence.

[Half Empty Coffee Cup]

Faye gets a commission from a strange woman named Alice

She's later seen taking two bodies wrapped in carpet rolls to the quarry. The village returns to its peaceful existence.

Some years later, a legend about the quarry arises. They say it's haunted, but the ghost never does anything. It just stands on the water and watches.

[Zebediah]

Some say it watches the moon, but careful observers note that it actually watches the ECTech space station as it passes overhead. And sometimes it audibly sighs at the sight of it.

"Home..."

[SmilingHobo]

Thinking about it some more, I'm wondering if the "Faye teaching Sam to make an Old Fashioned" thing was meant as a tipoff that Faye was starting to drink at work? 

Maybe...Faye has actually been shown explicitly drinking at work before this. I forget when exactly, but Raven called her out on it and Faye's excuse was that "it's almost closing time". I don't think it's implied that she was drinking at work regularly before the breakup with Angus, though.

[Is it cold in here?]

642

[jwhouk]

Comic!

"She's helpful! She's helpful!"

And yes, she's also a dork.

[Rghfrgl]

Oh my gosh, that is the cutest.

And not sickeningly cute. Cute cute.

[valkygrrl]

Adorkable. I don't know if i should squee or roll my eyes.

[Gladstone]

All right, people, THIS IS NOT A DRILL.  Someone get me a dancing Claire gif STAT.

[MrNumbers]

Someone's going to harp on how aggravating it is that  did this but, you know what?

It's cute. She's a dork, and she's just happy she's helped.

I think I can safely say: Haters gunna hate.

[neurocase]

Marten's genuine, pleased-as-punch pride regarding Claire's dorkiness totally makes this strip for me. He seems so happy about it!

[Near Lurker]

Oh my gosh, that is the cutest.

And not sickeningly cute. Cute cute.

So true.  So many of the strips between these two have been so thick with sap that I'm glad to see one that actually makes cuteness work.

[CaptainFish]

Other characters have dances for having just had sex, Claire has a dance for being helpful!

Also, I guess Faye gave Pintsize the dick before she left for the group. I just took Marten's read from the last strip as correct, so I assumed she did it after she came back from the group with all those positive feelings. Her last Coffee of Doom trip must've left her in a decent mood.

[Half Empty Coffee Cup]

I think it's the counterpunch from Faye that really sells those last two panels. If a dork dorks in the woods and nobody is around to call them a dork, is the dork still a dork?

[Rghfrgl]

And now it's time for Claire to take Marten back to his room.

Y'know, just to get him out of that shirt as quickly as possible.

[mustang6172]

Be this our dance of booty?

[Gladstone]

Be this our dance of booty?

No, but it'll do.

For now...

(Because let's face it, two panels don't make for much of a gif)

[Aziraphale]

Adorkable. I don't know if i should squee or roll my eyes.

You could do both. Y'know, multitasking.

[PopuluxeCowboy]

Dancing Claire is every bit as adorable as Dancing Marigold.

[Shjade]

Well. It's official.

That dance has put Claire to the top of the cute QC characters list.

It was a good race, but it's over now.

[SubaruStephen]

If a dork dorks in the woods and nobody is around to call them a dork, is the dork still a dork?

Yes, even more so (since there are no witnesses).

[explicit]

Be this our dance of booty?

No, but it'll do.

For now...

(Because let's face it, two panels don't make for much of a gif)

If I don't get it soon then I am going to throw such a fit. Curse words will be used and everything!

[Kugai]

And I do believe that Marten has chosen the right one this time.

Cute as a button, dorky as hell


Perfect match 

[Gladstone]

Dancing Claire is every bit as adorable as Dancing Marigold.

Are you absolutely sure about that?  Because we should probably have a dance-off, just to be sure.

...And STAY TUNED for Round Two of the Miss QC Pageant: Victorian Dress!





(The swimsuit portion of this competition has been moved to the Mr. QC Pageant.  Steve is heavily favored to win.)

[BenRG]

So, now we know something new about Claire: In the end, all she has ever wanted is to make a positive contribution. Doing so is clearly the secret of her happiness.

Poor Faye, though! She's just going to have to learn to handle the fact that Marten likes to choose girls who are exotic and unique in some way. This is even true of the normal ones, like Claire. You just wonder how long that Claire's been waiting to hear that she's helped someone! So, shake those moves, girl! We'll see if the others join in!

Marten's pleased reaction tells the stoy: He likes to have girlfriends who get such joy out of life!

[EDIT]
I think that we're seeing a bit of Claire's struggle here. All the evidence to date suggests that Claire, pre-Internship, was lonely and badly socialised. Not in the "alien in human form" of Hannelore but in a more subtle "I don't know how to do casual interactions" way. Fitting into the group and interacting positively is something that she really wants to do but made her nervous and insecure. Tai's party is an obvious next learning step.

[PopuluxeCowboy]

Dancing Claire is every bit as adorable as Dancing Marigold.

Are you absolutely sure about that?  Because we should probably have a dance-off, just to be sure.

Yes, absolutely. Because otherwise, how will we know for sure?

[Pilchard123]

You could do both. Y'know, multitasking.

Sufficiently remarkable?

[rfrank dodelijk]

I think I can safely say: Haters gunna hate.

wow! that never occurred to me.
for what it's worth I really thought I didn't like the character claire but I did enjoy her reaction in today's strip. i'm beginning to think that it is just her relationship with marten that annoys me. that and the stupid, not for grown ups noise.
still, hurrah for claire and what a good strip to start the week.

[DonInKansas]

She's gone full Zoidberg.  You never go full Zoidberg.

[BenRG]

What I Want for Tomorrow:
Hannelore sticks her head into the apartment (as is her wont), sees Claire dancing and joins in. We then have five panels of Claire and Hanners dancing in perfect synch before they stop and stare 'out' of the panel. In the last panel we see what they're staring at: a happy Marten and a freaked out Faye.

[snubnose]

Dork girlfriends are awesome and highly searched for !

[rfrank dodelijk]

yeah that's what dork girls want you to think.

[DSL]

She's gone full Zoidberg.  You never go full Zoidberg.

Why not full Zoidberg?

[Lubricus]

yeah that's what dork girls want you to think.

Well, they've convinced me!