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All characters unaccountably start using the word 'Eh' in every sentence

Marten trades in the 'Teh' shirt for one with a red maple leaf

May suddenly wants to be a Mountie

Dora suddenly apologises all the time

For no adequately explored reason, the strip is suddenly set in Halifax

Pintsize changes his langage settings to French (Canadian)

Claire is suddenly from Quebec

Most mysteriously... THERE ARE NO CHANGES AT ALL!

Coffee of Doom becomes Poutine of Doom

Marten trades in the 'Teh' shirt for an 'Eh' shirt

[wlewisiii]

I think the idea that this is an _obvious_ change is more important than we realize. All the diffefences between her past Her real changes are very hidden; very dangerously personal. Yet a bulls ring is a way to say "I am not the child you think I am" makes an important statement as well.

The most difficult question is really this - where is the fucking difference?  When is it one or the other?

I do think that Marten here is more scared _for_ her than because of what she wants. Is she ready to poke the masses in the eye? Then again, are any of us on that day when we suddenly grow up and do just that? A septum nose ring is actually more subtle than some things she could chose. Not what _I'd_ choose but that's just it - I AM NOT HER. I am what I am and that's all that I am and it is not Claire.

She is, in the end, terribly lucky to have Marten as her first lover. "Tuesday's gone with the wind..." to put it mildly. Yet his patience has paid dividends already.  That same patience will win in the long run here, I pray.

[Brakkis]

Peronal bias speaking (Piercings are all well and good, and even attractive when done right. Septum piercings are not in that category.) but I'm all up in the "Nope" camp with Claire getting that. It doesn't remotely seem to fit her personality.

[improvnerd]

One thing I've always wondered about septum piercings:

What happens when you get a cold?

How do you blow your nose?

[improvnerd]

Okay, that may or may not be two things...

[hedgie]

Realtalk: People with septum piercings always make me think of cattle, regardless of what the piercing itself actually looks like.  I can't help it.

To err is human.  To moo, bovine.

[Doc]

I love people mutilating themselves.
Everybody should get piercings.

[BenRG]

I'm wondering if Marten and Claire are going to have a heated disagreement at the end of which, Marten's anger will switch off like a light. He'll say: "I just wanted to make sure that you knew what you were doing and not just about to do something because it sounded cool!" Then he'll say that he's fine with whatever choice she makes. I know that sounds wishy-washy, but it does sound like the sort of position he'd take.

Alternately, maybe Claire will suddenly stop arguing, get all coy and tell Marten that she just wanted a reaction from him. Then she'll lean close and whisper something in his ear (Jeph will just draw some dots and scribbles) but, from Marten's reaction (and, maybe something she later says to Tai) Claire offered a piercing... somewhere else, if he is into that sort of thing (reader imagination allowed to do all the work). If she does mention it to Tai, it may be in a 'mission accomplished' sort of way whilst blushing like the nervous young woman she is that indicates it was a dare of some sort.

[ZoeB]

Am I alone in thinking that getting a nose peirceing is nowhere near as extreme as changing her whole goddamn sex?

Naturally there is nothing wrong with it, but if we're comparing extremism in body mods...

Not alone, I'm sure. But she didn't "change sex", just transitioned so appearance matched reality.
This isn't some philosophical or PC issue, more of a "little known fact". You know, like marine biologists knowing that Clownfish *do* change sex, or those working with Bose-Einstein condensates knowing that two physical objects can occupy the same space under some circumstances.

As an aside - I'm not (technically) Trans, but close enough. I transitioned. The "point of no return" for me was deciding to.... get my ears pierced. Pierced ears were incompatible with the kind of male appearance I'd had for 45 years. It was quite literally the same decision as to get genital reconstruction to a female configuration. (I didn't have tto decide to transition as such, that was gonna happen anyway due to 3BHSD syndrome).

As for Claire and septum piercing - her decision, not mine. I wouldn't though, and I think if she did do it, she'd regret it and let it close up. But as she's a character in a comic strip, not a g/f., talking about decisions and regrets is engaging in the shared fantasy.

[Method of Madness]

let it close up

Which for a septum piercing takes a very short time. I got one in college, had it for a couple days but took it out because I couldn't sleep, knowing it would close up (and it did by morning).

[snubnose]

IMHO she should mostly stay away from EXPLOSIONS.

Motorcycles should be okay, though.

[Y]

Realtalk: People with septum piercings always make me think of cattle, regardless of what the piercing itself actually looks like.  I can't help it.

Those rings on bulls are means of controlling them, which makes me wonder if it works similarly on humans. And that might be part of Marten's practical knowledge, and the mental image might make him uncomfortable.

IMHO she should mostly stay away from EXPLOSIONS.

Motorcycles should be okay, though.

Don't motorcycles usually work on explosions?

[Thrudd]

Teh shirt becoming a maple leaf? Come on, obviously, the 'T' would go missing!

Also, HANNERS IS CUTE WHEN SHE'S EXCITED

No the T would not go missing but become the stylized T for Toronto - so a T'eh shirt instead of the TO normally purveyed to tourists.
Hanners is always cute, duh.

On the other hand, I would love to see Claire with a motorcycle. Give her a Moto Guzzi V7 and she would rock it like a hurricane.

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Don't motorcycles usually work on explosions?

Not if they are electric.

(click to show/hide)

[Omega Entity]

let it close up

Which for a septum piercing takes a very short time. I got one in college, had it for a couple days but took it out because I couldn't sleep, knowing it would close up (and it did by morning).

Would the same hold true for a piercing that was had for a few years and fully healed, though? As I understand it, pretty much any fresh piercing has the capacity to close right up, though perhaps not so quickly.

I'm not trying to argue, I'm genuinely curious. I've never had any piercings myself.

Edit - Damn phone typos.

[Method of Madness]

My ears were pierced for about six months, and were stretched out a bit. Shortly after I took them out they basically disappeared. You can see tiny holes if you look but not if you don't know they're there. But it didn't happen overnight.

[HeavyP]

I'm against it for Claire, but my personal bias is honestly against any facial modifications (other than pierced ears, which are pretty standard).

[Method of Madness]

Why are pierced ears ok with you? Because they're "standard"?

[ReindeerFlotilla]

I'm betting HeavyP is against alloy wheels and the sport package, too.

[Kugai]

No Claire, just ...... no.


It ain't you.


Get a Harley instead.

[DSL]

Honda Goldwing. They go forever. Get a sidecar for Marten.

[osaka]

You don't really need a sidecar in a Honda Goldwing. It's also quite possibly WAY beyond her means.

[DSL]

Vespa, then (My friend and his wife do a two-week distance ride every year. He's on a Yamaha Super Tenere and she's on a Vespa he tricked out for her. He added an instrument and light package and an electrical connection for her heated jacket. No murderbot Transformer capability, though.)

[Zebediah]

Comic's up.

Marten looks worried.

[Omega Entity]

And will probably kick himself for inadvertently adding fuel to her fire, as it were.

[Rghfrgl]

Damnit Claire, you're selling me on it. She just looks so happy. And it doesn't even look that bad the way it's drawn(Though close ups might change that), even if I think they look awful in real life.

I've flip flopped, do it!

But FIRST have your first fight with Marten over it.

[SubaruStephen]

Cool Claire is just regular Claire in ray-bans.

[mustang6172]

We need to stop people from expressing control over their bodies, lest they too become empowered.

[Method of Madness]

Cool Claire is just regular Claire in ray-bans.

I think those are 3D glasses.

[Neko_Ali]

Shadowrun reference? What a couple of geeks.

Okay, So I'm a geek too.

[sitnspin]

Personally, I would be ecstatic if my gf looked like a Shadowrun character.

[chaospersonified]

I stand with Jeph, that septum piercings are cool and people should get them, but I am a hypocrite. I have no piercings and the only 'tattoo' I have is from when I tried to grab a fountain pen out of the air and instead stabbed the shit out of my hand, leaving a very faint dot.

I'm in favor of people who are confident in their bodies enough to get tattoos and facial modifications when they want them. I wish I was one of those people. I've been debating a tattoo for years, but can't settle on a design, because every time I try to draw one, I get distracted thinking of how it would look on my body. I'm in favor of people who can get past that; those people kick several levels of ass

[chaospersonified]

My last comment is relevant to today's strip primarily because Claire is being confident, and hooray for confident Claire

[HeavyP]

Why are pierced ears ok with you? Because they're "standard"?

I honestly don't know, but I can posit it's because they're not really part of the face (at least not in my thoughts).  It's a bit strange, because I'm actually quite ok with pretty much any body mod.  Tattoos?  Get 'em all over, from a tiny butterfly to sleeves to full suits - they all look badass.  Same with body piercings - nipples, belly buttons, collar bones, subdermals, whatever; again, they all look pretty cool.  Mind, I don't have much myself, just a family crest on my shoulder, but I certainly admire the degree of work others have had done.  I just don't think facial piercings or tattoos look good.  Who knows?  It's largely moot, because I'm also of the opinion that people should customize themselves however they want - if it makes 'em happy, it's none of my business what they have done.  I still would rather not see the tiny librarian with a septum piercing, but hey, that's just me. 

@ReindeerFlotilla: I'm against alloy wheels and custom stuff on MY vehicle, but that's because I'm utilitarian by nature.  I drive a pickup truck that I keep clean and well maintained, and the only real work I've done to it is to add a toolbox and bed liner, and to swap out the radio for something a little more functional than what came with it.  But you ride your spinners if that's what floats your boat, man! 

[Kugai]

Claire +

[Econoclast]

Global Moderator Comment

I spoilered your post. You've been here a long time it seems, you should know better. -Method

Global Moderator Comment

After some reflection, deleted it altogether. Everyone keep in mind that talking about Claire's downstairs is off limits even when it comes to how it affects her characterization. --IICIH

[mustang6172]

Would the phrase "Claire's desire for control over her body speaks to the status of her transition," satisfy you?

[Killspree]

Shadowrun Librarian, I'm thinking something like this.

(click to show/hide)

[Method of Madness]

I, uh...wow.

[chaospersonified]

Shadowrun Librarian, I'm thinking something like this.

(click to show/hide)

I... I agree with Madness on this one...

[sitnspin]

Shadowrun Librarian, I'm thinking something like this.

(click to show/hide)

I... I agree with Madness on this one...

I concur. The most pleasant of wows.

[Perfectly Reasonable]

I now have a reason to play Shadowrun.

[Neko_Ali]

*breaks out the books and dice*

[DashaBlade]

Hi, long time reader/lurker. First time poster. I just signed up to give my two cents on this important issue.

Claire would look sweet with an eyebrow piercing. I'm not too keen on nose piercings, but if she did the eyebrow she could look like a Street Samurai.

On another note, I got my right upper ear cartilage pierced about 10 years ago, kept the stud in for about a year, and finally got fed up with it hurting every time I slept on it or used the phone. It took about two years to close up completely.

[Lubricus]

My ears were pierced for about six months, and were stretched out a bit. Shortly after I took them out they basically disappeared.

Wow! Your ears DISAPPEARED? 

[BenRG]

Okay, I'm out of my knowledge zone here. Give me a second...

*Looks up Shadowrun on DeviantArt*

Oh, okay, so it's a cyberpunk animé? Cool enough and I am sure that I can understand why Claire would like that sort of show. I wonder if she's been animé-binging with Marigold and Hannelore or something?

I'm not sure that 'techno-goth guerilla' and 'librarian' mix together but who am I to stand in judgement over someone else's aesthetic? That said, I can understand Marten's worries. Stuff like this can and does occasionally turn into someone pursuing a 'look' that doesn't really fit in with their character. Besides, after Dora, I suspect that Marten has several trauma-induced bad associations with the whole goth look.

[Rghfrgl]

Okay, I'm out of my knowledge zone here. Give me a second...

*Looks up Shadowrun on DeviantArt*

Oh, okay, so it's a cyberpunk animé?

It's a cyberpunk tabletop game.

[Truec]

Okay, I'm out of my knowledge zone here. Give me a second...

*Looks up Shadowrun on DeviantArt*

I'm not the judgmental sort, but whose first reaction when they hear of something new is to look it up on Deviantart?  As opposed to Googling it, or Wikipediaing it, or doing something involving improper use of a proper noun as a verbing it? 

Huh, I guess I am the judgmental sort.

[BenRG]

Okay, I'm out of my knowledge zone here. Give me a second...

*Looks up Shadowrun on DeviantArt*

I'm not the judgmental sort, but whose first reaction when they hear of something new is to look it up on Deviantart?  As opposed to Googling it, or Wikipediaing it, or doing something involving improper use of a proper noun as a verbing it?

Think about it - I'm looking for clues about an appearance aesthetic.

It's a cyberpunk tabletop game.

As I said to Truec, it's more the visual aesthetic that was an important factor in my research here. I tend to think visual anyway so I get a better handle on things if I have plenty of pictures.

[edit]
Anyway - Decker Librarian. Is there any hint whatsoever that brain/Internet direct connection 'jacks' exist in the QC universe? It occurs to me that, as Gordon could scan Marten's brainwave patterns remotely, there might be Cyberjack helmets at least. Remember also that Station wanted Hannelore to have a Wi-Fi communications implant so that they could interact physically in a virtual space.

I'm laying down my marker here that the technology exists but is hellishly classified and restricted to specialised military, industrial, scientific and intelligence applications. Ordinary men and women in the street can't have one and, if you've got one and get fired, it's cut out of your head. Marten and Claire are probably not aware of these facts due to said classified nature. Oddly enough, I've got a feeling that all the AIs know about it either directly or indirectly but don't talk about it. Maybe they don't like the idea of too many Squishies being able to access The Grid?

[Method of Madness]

My ears were pierced for about six months, and were stretched out a bit. Shortly after I took them out they basically disappeared.

Wow! Your ears DISAPPEARED? 

What? I can't hear you

(Alternate joke: I can't 'ear you )

[Neko_Ali]

As far as Shadowrun goes, it's a sci-fi cyberpunk game with strong high fantasy elements that first came out in the 90s. Basically the world history started off as your standard near future distopian setting, then magic happened. Remember a few years back when there was a middle-big fuss being maid about the Mayan calendar ending? Well, in the Shadowrun universe that was actually a thing. Except instead of the world ending it was the sign of the changing of an Age and the return of magic. People first figured this out when a dragon flew bye a Japanese airliner. The long story short, spells and rituals passed down for thousands of years started actually working. Monsterous creatures out of legends began reappearing and big portion of the human population started changing into elves, trolls and the like. All this set alongside super powerful megacorporations, huge divides between the haves and have nots and technology run wild. All set through a 90's filter, since that's when the game was released. A Shadowrun look would mix punk-like elements with super high tech and cyberwear with tattoos of ancient runes and mystical symbols. Native American culture is strongly on the rise, as well as fakey 'elf' and 'ork' stuff. And never, ever cut a deal with a dragon.

As far as the existence of cyberwear in the QC verse... of course it does. I mean we technically have cyberwear in our world, what with artificial hearts and such things. Those sorts of things are probably more advanced generally in the QCverse. We haven't seen any signs of wired man/machine interface yet, or optional/cosmetic enhancements. So not to cyberpunk standards of advancement yet. So no data jacks or anything. You probably could get some sort of bluetooth enabled audio implant working with today's technology. Visual aspects like Station was suggesting would be more advanced, meaning a splice into the optical nerve or something similar, rather than just what amounts to a speaker and subvocal mic implanted into the ear and throat.

I'm not sure Gordon is a brainwave scanner in the sense of being able to pick up thoughts. I always figured he was something like an advanced EKG/Polygraph machine that didn't require him to be wired to sensors on his subject's body. Then the assistant administered a Voight-Kampff like test and Gordon analyzed the subject's emotional responses via electrical changes and such.

[Somnus Eternus]

To be fair, The Crash isn't that far off.

We could be looking at Shadowrun's prequel right now.