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The morning after discussion and hangover

Clinton blows his chances with Roko on his way home

Checking in with Roko

Faye and Yay become arch frienemies

May gets her comeuppance and brought back to Earth

Checking in with Winslow and the support group

Checking in with Hanners or the rest of the original cast

Brun has an important self realization; she too very much likes Hercules the cat.

Clinton wakes up on Roko's couch

Clinton, drink more water.

other

[Bollthorn]

Poor Elliott. I wanna give him a big cuddle and tell him how much of a sweetheart he is and it's gonna be okay. T_T

[MrNumbers]

Again, my read was that Clinton wasn't treating Elliott as a fallback option. He was seeking closure because he was thinking about Elliott. It's just that closure hurt a little more than he expected it to, which sucks for everyone involved here.

[N.N. Marf]

(click to show/hide)

Elliot just summarized the last week of forum posts for us.

If he starts again and slows down this time, I am sure she will have some sound advice to offer.

She already has: slow down. Not only to make it easier for Brun to listen and properly advise, but also for Elliot to be able to work through the whole thing calmly.

[Christophelous]

Elliot just summarized the last week of forum posts for us.

Well, maybe “summarized” is the wrong word.

Yep, my thoughts exactly. I'm glad he opened up, but I was definitely expecting Jeph to drag it out. But now next comic can be a Brun wisdom session! That'll be fun

[BenRG]

I wonder if Elliot's voice pitch was changing towards the end of each speech bubble there?

[TV4Fun]

I can definitely understand where Clinton's head was. I too have spent long periods of time pining after someone with no interest in me, but never actually asking them, and then suddenly had a real prospect come up for a relationship with someone else. I had to ask my crush and get that no just so that I could create a clearing for a new relationship without constantly thinking about what I might be missing.

Unlike Clinton, I did not get drunk and tell my new prospect all about what I'd done as we were still getting to know each other.

[Reaver]

Though I think Elliot expecting LOYALTY might be a bit much... Elliot you havent even held his hand yet.. slow down.

[N.N. Marf]

Though I think Elliot expecting LOYALTY might be a bit much... Elliot you havent even held his hand yet.. slow down.

Reminds me their handshake breaking Clinton's prosthetic.

[Reaver]

Though I think Elliot expecting LOYALTY might be a bit much... Elliot you havent even held his hand yet.. slow down.

Reminds me their handshake breaking Clinton's prosthetic.

Still cant believe he didnt let Elliot pay for the damage geeze

[stayctee]

I'm of the opinion that if you're really attracted to someone, you know it, and having to test it out and see feels forced and unnatural and also unfair to the other person. If I told someone I was attracted to them and they were like, "hmm not sure about that, I need to go think about it a bunch," I'd just take that as a no. Wouldn't you want a person to KNOW? Relationships should be able to happen naturally without a bunch of weird awkward discussions. This whole thing is so high school it's painful.

[Thrillho]

I think that's a bit of a blanket viewpoint to take.

It can take a long time for attraction or feelings to develop. And sometimes it's about perspective on the person you might not have until you see them in a romantic or potentially romantic scenario.

[Reaver]

I think that's a bit of a blanket viewpoint to take.

It can take a long time for attraction or feelings to develop. And sometimes it's about perspective on the person you might not have until you see them in a romantic or potentially romantic scenario.

And sometimes you can be attracted to someone and then you date them and then it's like "Wow all my attraction dried up like a blocked river " and it makes things hella awkward.

[dilbert719]

OK, Elliott, good. Now, that, but slower, and to Clinton (tomorrow when he's sobered up), and I think we'll start to get somewhere.

[dutchrvl]

I'm of the opinion that if you're really attracted to someone, you know it, and having to test it out and see feels forced and unnatural and also unfair to the other person. If I told someone I was attracted to them and they were like, "hmm not sure about that, I need to go think about it a bunch," I'd just take that as a no. Wouldn't you want a person to KNOW? Relationships should be able to happen naturally without a bunch of weird awkward discussions. This whole thing is so high school it's painful.

Apart from the fact that there are various forms of attraction (and not all necessarily romantic and/or sexual in nature), attraction is also not some static factor that either is there or not from the moment you meet somebody and after that cannot change over time.
You can feel attracted to somebody form the start (physically/emotionally/intellectually/whatever), sure, but that attraction can dissipate, or develop into non-romantic attraction, once you get to know more about the person. Similarly, attraction may not be there initially but can absolutely develop by getting to know more about the person.

[stayctee]

Mmmmm, yeah no. I understand about complicated levels of attraction like emotional, intellectual attraction etc. Sure. But raw, physical attraction? That's chemical. As in, pheromones. It's either there or it isn't. Because science.

[Thrillho]

Citation requested.

[Tova]

It can take a long time for attraction or feelings to develop.

I mean, I agree with this as far as you go.

But in the meantime, if someone were to ask me if I were attracted to them, and those feelings hadn't developed yet, then the correct answer would be "no."

Not, "Hmmm, maybe, let's hang out socially and put you on hold while I work it out, this might take awhile, hey this isn't awkward is it?"

[Thrillho]

Which is why I requested a citation.

Because all I have to go on is my own personal experience, of being asked if I'm attracted to someone and thinking 'I dunno' or 'maybe' or 'in some lights' or 'depends on how horny I am' or 'when they wear that specific outfit' or better yet 'yes, now that we are in an orgy situation and there they are.'

And what about denial? I've been dealing with my complex queer feelings my entire life and I had a lot of crushes that I'm only even realising are that years later in some cases.

[Christophelous]

Mmmmm, yeah no. I understand about complicated levels of attraction like emotional, intellectual attraction etc. Sure. But raw, physical attraction? That's chemical. As in, pheromones. It's either there or it isn't. Because science.

Citation requested.

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/03/do-human-pheromones-actually-exist

Summarized even more than the already summed article, author of a paper who is convinced that humans use pheremones has ruled out two more possible pheremones. None are yet known.  Article is from 2017. Scientifically speaking, stayctee is in the wrong, at least about raw physical attraction being about chemistry and pheremones.  However, there's a lot of evidence relating facial symmetry and attractiveness going back to at least 1999.

All that being said, knowing someone is traditionally attractive isn't the same as being attracted to them. Being attracted to someone is a hugely personal thing,  and can encompass physical as well as mental and emotional aspects.  Yeah, it's possible to be immediately attracted to someone based solely on the physical, but it's also entirely possible to be attracted to someone only after getting to know them due to mental or emotional aspects. And those are far from the only two possibilities.

[Farideh]

When it comes to attraction, I've always been puzzled by descriptions in books, where the protagonist meets someone and immediately falls head-over-heels in love. The 'love' in those cases is based purely on physical attraction: the other person is so devastatingly handsome, etc. I've never understood that: how can you be attracted to someone without knowing anything about them? Their personality, interests, intellect, and so on.

[Thrillho]

When it comes to attraction, I've always been puzzled by descriptions in books, where the protagonist meets someone and immediately falls head-over-heels in love. The 'love' in those cases is based purely on physical attraction: the other person is so devastatingly handsome, etc. I've never understood that: how can you be attracted to someone without knowing anything about them? Their personality, interests, intellect, and so on.

I believe that is limerence!.

[hedgie]

When it comes to attraction, I've always been puzzled by descriptions in books, where the protagonist meets someone and immediately falls head-over-heels in love. The 'love' in those cases is based purely on physical attraction: the other person is so devastatingly handsome, etc. I've never understood that: how can you be attracted to someone without knowing anything about them? Their personality, interests, intellect, and so on.

I did actually have that with my last gf, even though I'm normally slow to develop any attraction at all.  Of course, she's an amazing person who is smart as hell, and has a sardonic wit.

[Callinectes]

I am glad of Elliot's explanation, because I was at a total loss to explain what the sudden problem was. Though I'm still not sure that his explanation makes sense, I am given to understand that emotions are dumb like that.

[Tova]

I totally get the idea of not immediately knowing whether you are genuinely attracted to someone, but I thought that figuring this out was the entire point of dating.

[Farideh]

That, and to see whether you're compatible

[Gus_Smedstad]

I totally get the idea of not immediately knowing whether you are genuinely attracted to someone, but I thought that figuring this out was the entire point of dating.

I wouldn't put it that way at all.

It's never been the least bit difficult determining if someone was physically attractive to me.

The point of dating was finding out who they were, what sort of person they were. Learning their mind. I suppose you could argue that you're learning if they were mentally, emotionally attractive to you, so it's true in that sense, but that's not how the word is usually used.

[Farideh]

Comic's up.

Bless you Brun, for your sage advice.

[zisraelsen]

She is good at her job.

Maybe ease off the "telling people you're visualizing them having sex" thing, though.

[Tova]

I totally get the idea of not immediately knowing whether you are genuinely attracted to someone, but I thought that figuring this out was the entire point of dating.

I wouldn't put it that way at all.

It's never been the least bit difficult determining if someone was physically attractive to me.

The point of dating was finding out who they were, what sort of person they were. Learning their mind. I suppose you could argue that you're learning if they were mentally, emotionally attractive to you, so it's true in that sense, but that's not how the word is usually used.

That’s how I use it.

[shanejayell]

Brun: Yaoi is HOT.

Marigold: Come over and look at my collection!

[Hypersapien]

Again, my read was that Clinton wasn't treating Elliott as a fallback option. He was seeking closure because he was thinking about Elliott. It's just that closure hurt a little more than he expected it to, which sucks for everyone involved here.

He didn't have to tell Elliott, though.

[MrNumbers]

Thank you, Brun, very cool

[Gyrre]

I feel like Elliot and Clinton shoulda tried to be friends before they tried the romance game...

That seems to usually make things a bit smoother. Though expecting it to become something more without putting in the effort to make that a worthwhile option for the other party seems to be an all too common pitfall.

[Reaver]

Again, my read was that Clinton wasn't treating Elliott as a fallback option. He was seeking closure because he was thinking about Elliott. It's just that closure hurt a little more than he expected it to, which sucks for everyone involved here.

He didn't have to tell Elliott, though.

This Comic is just ufll of people who say things they really don't have to.

For example Brun doesn't have to keep telling people she's thinking about having sex with them.

[Gnabberwocky]

By Elliot's logic, there wasn't actually a way that Elliot could have been Clinton's "first choice." Elliot made the first move, so Clinton already knew that Elliot was into him, but he didn't know about Brun. Asking Brun wasn't a bad thing to do.

Telling Elliot about it...that could have been done more tactfully.

[St.Clair]

And that's because Elliot isn't actually using logic right now.  His emotions are driving.

[Farideh]

Good thing Brun's putting the brakes on then.

[cybersmurf]

Brun is capable of being quite distant, emotionally. Maybe it's harder for her NOT to be distant. But it makes her good at her job.

[Reaver]

Good thing Brun's putting the brakes on then.

Naw, now they’re shifting gears and thinking with their junk lol

[cybersmurf]

Good thing Brun's putting the brakes on then.

Naw, now they’re shifting gears and thinking with their junk lol

Well, sometimes, in situations like this, you have to let that happen. In a somewhat controlled way. Which means: it's easily going to go out of control.

[snubnose]

When it comes to attraction, I've always been puzzled by descriptions in books, where the protagonist meets someone and immediately falls head-over-heels in love. The 'love' in those cases is based purely on physical attraction: the other person is so devastatingly handsome, etc. I've never understood that: how can you be attracted to someone without knowing anything about them? Their personality, interests, intellect, and so on.

Its called Charisma.

[cybersmurf]

When it comes to attraction, I've always been puzzled by descriptions in books, where the protagonist meets someone and immediately falls head-over-heels in love. The 'love' in those cases is based purely on physical attraction: the other person is so devastatingly handsome, etc. I've never understood that: how can you be attracted to someone without knowing anything about them? Their personality, interests, intellect, and so on.

Its called Charisma.

Well, looks help a lot. But attraction is more than, and different from "beauty". I've looked at plenty of people who I consider handsome, but not attractive.
If certain physical criteria are met, you throw in things like how they move, the sound of their voice, and how they talk, it can mean instant strong attraction. Charisma adds a bit of what they say (and falls a little bit into some of the former points).
And if that happens at the right moment, it can become instant infatuation. I haven't experienced that myself (only with a slow burn), but I can totally see how that can actually happen.

[Gyrre]

And here I was thinking Brun might be ace.
I wonder what kind of guy she'd go for.

[citizenfive]

And here I was thinking Brun might be ace.
I wonder what kind of guy she'd go for.

You can enjoy porn while still being ace! Brun reads as autochorissexual/aegosexual to me here. I'm also aego and Brun's response here makes a ton of sense.

[FreshScrod]

I think there's a whole-lotta word soup that just confuses the hell outta me. There's alotta different complex orientations/identities that hasty words really don't do justice. I wish people would look at what's there. We know Brun isn't aroused at the idea of having sex (at least with dudes, but who-knows if there's anything there about non-dudes). We know that Brun is aroused at the idea of Clinton & Elliot doing-it. (And I'm wondering if she's imagining the same acts I am, hummina-haa.)

[Zebediah]

We may have a couple of clues about Brun’s sexuality. She seemed to enjoy spending time with Millefeuille. And in retrospect, she warmed up to Claire pretty quickly. So it’s possible that she feels more drawn to women (including female-presenting robots) than to men. Or at least she’s more comfortable hanging out with them.

That’s admittedly not a lot of data, so in the spirit of the moment I am rating this Too Early to Call.

[alanari]

Well, there are demisexuals, who require some kind of emotional connection to feel sexual attraction, so there definitely are people who need time to find someone attractive. I personally require trust, which can take even longer.

That Brun/Clinton/Elliot thing.. Rationally speaking, Brun is right. The thing is, emotions usually don't care about rationality. And being irrational doesn't make them invalid. The decision of whether Clintons behaviour needs an apology should be Elliot's to make. I'm pretty sure it can be fixed with an honest conversation and an apology though.

Brun being brutally open about her thoughts is pretty much Brun being Brun and probably comes with her being autistic. Non-autistic people often only like open honesty until someone actually is openly honest. Elliot doesn't seem to have a problem with that. We'll see about Clinton.

Edit fixed typo

[Case]

Mmmmm, yeah no. I understand about complicated levels of attraction like emotional, intellectual attraction etc. Sure. But raw, physical attraction? That's chemical. As in, pheromones. It's either there or it isn't. Because science.

Don't you think the growth of the pron industry over the last decades put your hypothesis into question?

Also: Citation needed. Because Science.

[Christophelous]

We may have a couple of clues about Brun’s sexuality. She seemed to enjoy spending time with Millefeuille. And in retrospect, she warmed up to Claire pretty quickly. So it’s possible that she feels more drawn to women (including female-presenting robots) than to men. Or at least she’s more comfortable hanging out with them.

That’s admittedly not a lot of data, so in the spirit of the moment I am rating this Too Early to Call.

Her warming up to Claire quickly has always seemed linked to their shared sense of humor. Can't base a relationship on puns alone. Also, her oldest friend being Renee is another data point, though I'm not sure if that indicates sexual preference or just general comfort with women.

[Kiloku]

I know this is not what's being hinted at or the path the comic is taking, but this strip made me picture Brun, Elliot and Clinton as a poly triad where she mostly watches (similar to the Lito/Hernando/Daniela dynamic in Sense8) rather than participate and they live together lovingly.

Maybe I'm just wishful for poly representation