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Mom follows Marten (and Claire) back to NoHam!

5 (5.7%)

Claire doesn't remember NCS with Marten!

9 (10.2%)

Claire does the Tasha Yar routine ("It didn't happen.")

7 (8%)

Marten puts down the boundaries with Claire (about not dating interns).

5 (5.7%)

Next scene: Faye and Angus are FIGHTING!

0 (0%)

Marten returns to the library, and the first thing? Tai's RIGHT HOOK!

14 (15.9%)

A freak snowstorm hits Central Mass, trapping everyone at COD!

5 (5.7%)

Hannelore's freak illness turned out to be indigestion.

1 (1.1%)

...or worse, SHE'S PREGNANT! (Yeah, I know, Jeph would never do that.)

6 (6.8%)

Cristi commits Shipper Mutiny, demands Marten and Claire get together over Jeph's protests!

14 (15.9%)

The Final Four: Waffles, Spathe Ham, Feral Hogs and "Look! Boobs!"

4 (4.5%)

A whole week of Yelling Bird strips.

6 (6.8%)

THERE'S ALWAYS ANOTHER OPTION, #### IT!

12 (13.6%)

Total Members Voted: 80

[Dastardly]

Ah, the TMI tactical nuke.  It's been a while (though I can't for the life of me remember the comic)

[Bluesummers]

My foresight:

Something DID happen between "Lights out" and when Marten woke up seeing her in teh other bed, and Claire's going through in her mind as whether or not to tell him. And she WILL tell him...and drama will ensue, one way or the other.


Also: Welcome, new person!

[Dastardly]

Also: Welcome, new person!

It's been a while since i was new to a board.  Thanks.

[Kugai]

Well done Marten   

[Shjade]

Ah, the TMI tactical nuke.  It's been a while (though I can't for the life of me remember the comic)

1672

[lostradamus]

Marten and Claire need to talk to somebody that can really heighten the situation. Send in... Raven

[Is it cold in here?]

Welcome, new people!

There's a substantial open question about Marten's open-mindedness about getting physical with a trans woman, but there doesn't seem to be a good way to discuss it. Claire is fictional but unlike Tai, Hannelore, and Dora, she hasn't volunteered anything about her downstairs and speculating about it is painful to the non-fictional trans people here, severely so.

Marten is broad minded in general but there are no guarantees about how he would react to a completely unfamiliar situation. On the other hand he may already have known trans people. He avoided every single common mistake when Claire told him, and avoiding mistakes in new situations is not what Marten is known for.

[Is it cold in here?]

Marten and Claire need to talk to somebody that can really heighten the situation. Send in... Raven

I wonder if Momo's social protocol database covers this.

[mtmerrick]

Was I the only one who get a shut-up-forum vibe from the first panel?  =P

Last-panel disgusted Faye is hilarious.

Also, I think fartballs is a wonderful potential nickname for someone.

[DSL]

Well, as long as Marten tells each of the people he tells to not tell any of the other people he tells, he should be OK.

As far as I can tell.

[ZoeB]

I think a lot of it probably comes down to the competitiveness in them.  They both think of themselves as hardcore gamers and the way they first met could be interpreted by Dale as a throwing down of the gauntlet. ... I also kind of think that they've both been growing somewhat attracted to each other and neither of them seem to know how to express that in a healthy way.

Yup. I don't think Dale's been any more creepy to Marigold than she has to him. More sinned against than sinning.

He doesn't know how to handle a deadly opponent who's attractive. One who's super-competent too, foiling his Evil Genius adopted persona. That's not what s supposed to happen!!!

Neither does Marigold. She just squashes him like a bug. Teasing boys is fun..... but I don't think she's ready to think about that yet.

[cassie]

lurker jumping in, hi all!

Just had to comment on the Dale business. Personally I really like him! I agree with the comments that his conduct towards Marigold thus far has been a bit shady, but Marigold's to him has not exactly been a model of calm-tempered and well-adjusted interaction either.

I think the rivalry between them does have flirtatious undertones. Much like grade school children, gamers (myself being one of them!) are, at times, socially (and especially romantically)... lapsed. Not all of them of course, but a good percentage. I suspect this is the case for Marigold and Dale--who, again, as grade school children in terms of social experience, express interest in one another rather... bizarrely.

I'd also say it's just part of gaming culture. Playing with your friends often involves a significant amount of trash talking--it's all in good fun and is just part of the experience.

I think there is certainly Marigold/Dale potential but I also like the idea of them as ~just friends~. I'd love to see a situation where Marigold is trying to overcome her WoW prejudice towards Dale & get to know him, but continuously slip into WoW-inspired arguments. It'd certainly fit into the tsundere niche she seems to have filled.

Dale's habit of hanging out in alleyways is slightly alarming, though.

( back to lurking I go! )

[Loki]

Well, as long as Marten tells each of the people he tells to not tell any of the other people he tells, he should be OK.

As far as I can tell.

Two people can keep a secret, three are a crowd.

To be honest, I already find he is talking too much about the cuddling. Shouldn't he discuss it with the person in question first before telling half his circle of friends? Or at least keep his mouth shut completely until he knows more? It's only a question of time before Dora and Faye start discussing it in front of customers and/or Raven.

Oh, drama idea. Dale overhears it. And he knows Claire. Unspecified drama ensues

[pwhodges]

Maybe they will have Second Life sex.

Is Second Life still a thing anywhere?  All the interest in it which I saw (including an island for Oxford University) seems to have evaporated.

[NoOne3]

To be honest, I already find he is talking too much about the cuddling.

The same here.
What if something more intimate happened? Would he still discuss it with his evil exes? With many details and sucking noises? He doesn't seem to notice he's compromising Clair's intimacy as well. This really lowered his Good Guy Greg rating in my eyes. And then I've read the ballfarting joke...

[Carl-E]

I dunno.  I see it as going to his social protocol database (old friends) for advice on how to handle something that he's worried about.  Since "talking to Claire about it" is what he's asking advice on, it hardly seems that he'd... talk to Claire about it first. 

Although, ultimately, it is exactly what he should do. 



Also, Claire asked him not to tell that she's a trans woman.  I don't think he has... he's asking advice about an intern/acquaintance snuggling up to him in her sleep.  That's all. 


It really is what it seems to be. 

[bhtooefr]

Yeah, he's asking his two closest friends that aren't Claire about what to do. I'd do the same, most likely.

And the ballfarting joke is classic QC punchline. Jephzibah keeps it classy, you know.

[techkid]

That's the way I'm seeing it as well, Carl-E. He's worried about how she'll react, so he is asking his closest friends first for their opinions.

Look at it like this, if Marten ignores it, and treats it like it was just a dream, when Claire (probably subconsciously) might have thought there was something (even if it was just a little something), then what would that do to her self-esteem, and indeed to her ideas of friendship? Conversely, if Marten does approach Claire like it was something, when she simply cuddled up to him in her sleep (or indeed, it was just a dream), then that is going to be equally damaging. Either way, Marten would end up being the biggest jerk around in her eyes.

Certainly he should end up talking to her about it. Even if it is done surreptitiously ("Hey, do you remember much of after the reception? My memory is pretty fuzzy..."), and gauging her response from there. Just handle the discussion with care and tact.

Warning - while you were typing a new reply has been posted. You may wish to review your post.

Dang. I need to think my thoughts faster, I think.

[mtmerrick]

What? You mean you don't have the Bluetooth typing module in your brain implant?

[Masterpiece]

Seeing as Jephzibah called the comic "better left unsaid", I'm pretty sure that's the last we'll hear about the ClairexMarten arc for a while.

[Masterpiece]

Also, I have a tendency to be pessimistic about things, so I can get surprised when they turn out good in the end.

[mtmerrick]

I think being a 'realistic cynic' is a very healthy worldview to have. 

[Zebediah]

Haven't we all known from the start that whatever decision Marten makes about talking to Claire will be exactly the wrong one? Because that's how Jeph rolls.

[Masterpiece]

Just noticed a continuity error: Dora says the first time she farted on Marten was when she moved in with him. That was long past the anaphylactic shock caused by roses turned sexy moment.

[Bluesummers]

Just noticed a continuity error: Dora says the first time she farted on Marten was when she moved in with him. That was long past the anaphylactic shock caused by roses turned sexy moment.

She wasn't aware of the spoon-fart. Re-read the last panel; she must have been asleep at the time, and Marten is dropping the TMI-bomb of both of them, the sneaky bastard.

[Masterpiece]

you can fart while you're asleep?

Also, Dora and Marten didn't really have time to sleep that day, she still had to go working, and did so, albeit a lot later than expected. I wish I could find the strip of that day

[ChaoSera]

you can fart while you're asleep?

Also, Dora and Marten didn't really have time to sleep that day, she still had to go working, and did so, albeit a lot later than expected. I wish I could find the strip of that day

Speaking from experience with my ex-gf, yes you can.

That aside, "slept together" can be read two ways. If he means the first time they had sex then you're right but he could also mean the first time they actually spend a night in the same bed, with or without sex doesn't matter at that point.

[Border Reiver]

Well, as long as Marten tells each of the people he tells to not tell any of the other people he tells, he should be OK.

As far as I can tell.

Two people can keep a secret, three are a crowd.

To be honest, I already find he is talking too much about the cuddling. Shouldn't he discuss it with the person in question first before telling half his circle of friends? Or at least keep his mouth shut completely until he knows more? It's only a question of time before Dora and Faye start discussing it in front of customers and/or Raven.

Oh, drama idea. Dale overhears it. And he knows Claire. Unspecified drama ensues

Sorry, the only way three people can keep a secret is if two are dead.

[Pilchard123]

It's interesting that Mountain Dew is available in Australia, since I've never seen it in the UK (although it's probably available from specialist shops).

Haven't you? I see it quite often - although I'm not sure it is the same as the Dew you get in the US.

[Neko_Ali]

Just as my observation on the Dale/Marigold thing... So far we've seen Marigold get angry, yelling and throwing things at Dale over the fact that he plays Alliance, and he's creeping her out. But she never goes out looking for him, in game or not. Dale on the other hand has stalked her in game (the rogue one shot instance, and others where he's tried to PVP her with a group. He's shown up randomly a the same places they go to and gotten very creepy and invading her personal space, and now he's come to her home uninvited with this peace offering, even though she's made it pretty clear she doesn't want to talk to him before. Maybe he's bad at interpersonal reactions, but so are a lot of stalkers... And even without his Gendo Ikari impressions, he's acting pretty darn creepy and stalkerish. I think Marigold has every right and is correct in being concerned, I know if someone were to do that to me I would not want them anywhere near by, and I would be worried about my personal safety. No matter what she may have done to him, that's no excuse for his behavior, which is inexcusable.

Maybe things will be different if they get to talk like civilized people and Dale will turn out to be a decent guy. But the small slice we've seen of him so far sets off my danger alarm. In the 'is he waiting outside in the bushes with cloroform and duct tap' levels. As far as Mar's comment about 'her agents', that sounds like a joke, or her friends in game she's told to keep an eye out for Dale's rogue.

[Madmartigan]

True love.  A woman farts on your balls and you still love em....

Just make sure you take a shower before morning sex though...


Ah, well.  Marten has talked it out with his two closest peeps.  As I figured.  I smell no romantic or sexual tension/interest from the Claire snuggling.  He just honestly didn't know what to do with it.  Again, I don't see him interest in Claire that way, now or in the future.  Not right for him either. 

Ah well.  This comic makes me miss Marten/Dora. Again.

[Loki]

he's creeping her out.

No, he isn't.

I think Marigold has every right and is correct in being concerned, I know if someone were to do that to me I would not want them anywhere near by, and I would be worried about my personal safety.

She isn't concerned.

Unless you have sources to the contrary.

[Is it cold in here?]

you can fart while you're asleep?

Also, Dora and Marten didn't really have time to sleep that day, she still had to go working, and did so, albeit a lot later than expected. I wish I could find the strip of that day

839, linked from the "Medical Issues" section of Dora's article in the wiki. Doubtless in jwhouk's strip summaries as well.

[Madmartigan]

you can fart while you're asleep?

Also, Dora and Marten didn't really have time to sleep that day, she still had to go working, and did so, albeit a lot later than expected. I wish I could find the strip of that day

839, linked from the "Medical Issues" section of Dora's article in the wiki. Doubtless in jwhouk's strip summaries as well.

If dogs fart in their sleep (and I've seen this happen) humans can fart in their sleep as well...As unpleasant as it is.

[Redball]

On a trip with my wife and teenage daughter, I was sleeping in the back seat. I woke up to shouting from both, complaining and laughing about the smell.

[cesium133]

I once had a college roommate who would fart in his sleep... and it was rather nasty. Before that I didn't realize it was possible for one person's farts to make an entire dorm block stink. Needless to say I found a different roommate for the following year.

[Neko_Ali]

he's creeping her out.

No, he isn't.

Well, there is this: http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1895

Specifically panels 3 and 4. Those look like some creeped out expressions to me, and Dale is definitely crossing boundaries there by getting so close. If Marigold isn't concerned about the way he is acting, she should be. Of course, given that this is Jeph's comic and it's a light hearted one, I would be extremely surprised if this situation is played out for anything but laughs. But in the real world, the way Dale acts towards Mar should be sending up major warning flags. Maybe he is a complete innocent, and then he should probably think about how he acts. Because that sort of behavior is exactly what we are warned about as possible dangers.

[Masterpiece]

I once had a college roommate who would fart in his sleep... and it was rather nasty. Before that I didn't realize it was possible for one person's farts to make an entire dorm block stink. Needless to say I found a different roommate for the following year.

Jesus Christ I can smell it too now.

[bhtooefr]

This was awake, not asleep, but... once, a few friends were hosting a gathering/crash on the couch/floor at their place, before the Detroit Auto Show, and a few of us were in from out of town. We were watching WarGames (I will never be able to watch that movie in the same way, after one friend started going "bow-chicka-wow-wow" every time the slightest hint of romantic tension was shown). I should clarify that that friend is well known in my circle of friends for being incredibly gassy... and he let one rip right next to my head.

I'd say like 10 minutes later, I needed to release a small amount of gas... and he was sitting on the couch, I was standing up. Turnabout is fair play, right?

Except it wasn't just a normal fart, like I thought it was going to be. Oh no. This one was the SBD to end all SBDs. The tactical nuke of SBDs. And I just dropped it in a crowded room, six inches from someone's head. In about 10 seconds, he started retching. In about 30 seconds - and mind you, this was Michigan, in January, so it was like 5 or 10 F out - the ENTIRE HOUSE WAS CLEARED OUT.

Unfortunately, I've never been able to reproduce the tactical nuke of SBDs. There have been some times that it would've come in handy...

tl;dr I managed to release the equivalent of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings combined, in pure fart stink, in a friend's face, after he farted in mine, and cleared out the entire house this happened in.

KEEPING IT CLASSY AWW YEAH

[Redball]

Purely from my own experience, I speculate that horrible smells are generated primarily by younger mammals, i.e., mine no longer smell very much and I'm surprised when they do. And slightly proud. On the other hand, my sense of smell may be wafting away.

[Masterpiece]

in a friend's face

You sure he's your friend after that?

[Method of Madness]

I'm glad someone linked 1895, since I knew there was a comic where Dale started off with normal glasses and then suddenly changed, but didn't know which one.

[lostradamus]

As far as Marigold/Dale go, i definitely hope to see some input from Marigold's trusty companion. I miss Momo, definitely a favorite.

[Is it cold in here?]

Me too! She's a character with a lot of potential depth.

[Madmartigan]

I once had a college roommate who would fart in his sleep... and it was rather nasty. Before that I didn't realize it was possible for one person's farts to make an entire dorm block stink. Needless to say I found a different roommate for the following year.

Jesus Christ I can smell it too now.

I feel blessed that I lived in an apartment all 4 years of college with each new dorm horror story I hear...From the public bathrooms to well....Public bathrooms, man.  I heard nasty stories of what not only dudes did to toilets, but females as well.  Hurl worthy.

[Valdís]

How could anyone not like Momo?

[DSL]

... (nascent wall o'quotes nipped in bud)
I feel blessed that I lived in an apartment all 4 years of college with each new dorm horror story I hear...From the public bathrooms to well....Public bathrooms, man.  I heard nasty stories of what not only dudes did to toilets, but females as well.  Hurl worthy.

In my dorm at least (and it was considered the most "civilized" dorm on campus in my day) it wasn't limited to the toilets. You wonder what goes through people's minds, really. And of course, there were the stories that came out of that one dorm on every campus that's referred to as the "zoo."

Back to the comic, my prediction (more accurately, my "how-I'd-do-it"):

(click to show/hide)

Claire -- or better still, Clinton -- hears (because someone, maybe a certain off-panel skinny blonde, in CoD will slip) that Marten's been telling people about ... something ... that transpired between him and her.  Claire -- or Clinton -- assumes it's her trans* revelation to Marten. (Wouldn't you?) Result: Pain, anger, drama, and the kind of humor that ensues from pain. Characters have the opportunity to grow and some do.

[Barmymoo]

Other than the kitchen food thief, my corridor is pretty civilised. I think that's partly because this is a women's college.

On the Dale and Marigold thing, there's definitely something there. I don't think Marigold is even slightly creeped out by him. I think she defaulted to hate when she met him and is determinedly resisting the temptation to warm to him a bit, and he is playing up to that so that they can gradually get to know each other.

I find it really odd that people think he is a threat to her personal safety. How, exactly? In that he knows where she works and lives? That's true of all of her friends. Because he's male? That seems arbitrary. Because he plays in an enemy faction on an online game? I think he's mature enough to realise it's just a game.

[Method of Madness]

In that he knows where she works and lives?

Also, that's only one place

[jwhouk]

He probably also knows that she has an APC companion capable of letting go with several thousand volts of electricity if he gets too rough with her.