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Angus and Faye: The Quickening

46 (33.3%)

Dora Tells Her Parents (To Predictable Results)

10 (7.2%)

The Library Implosion: Emily Finds Out!

19 (13.8%)

Moms Meet!

8 (5.8%)

Momo and May - The Odd Couple Revisited!

12 (8.7%)

Hanners FREAKS OUT!

7 (5.1%)

Pintsize!

7 (5.1%)

Love and Pancakes!

7 (5.1%)

Waffles and Spathe Ham!

1 (0.7%)

...Wait, who IS that blue guy lying on the ground?

11 (8%)

CLINTONSPOLSION!

10 (7.2%)

Total Members Voted: 127

[DonInKansas]

Jeph giveth and Jeph taketh away.

[Netrunner]

Not so. Listen to this, and if you don't feel pain, you're already dead.

Child's play. I'll see your song and raise you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ2sa3tyvkI

[Is it cold in here?]

Global Moderator Comment

this forum is tone policed. "Disturbing" is fine with me. Flame wars are not. More when I have a real keyboard to use.

[USS_Bromander]

I've been on Faye's end of this situation. Many times, unfortunately. It's heartbreaking to watch, because it's played out this exact way. Angus is already set to go and he's clearly let go, in some part, of his relationship with Faye. The idea that you can maintain a relationship just becomes less and less realistic as you move toward what is to become your reality. It hits you that you're moving to another place with more than enough people to replace those in the town you came from. You realize that money will become tight and work/school/whatever will consume your life for a couple of months until your new life is stabilized. This takes away almost any and all chances you'll have to talk to your significant other, even if you haven't left yet. You never want to admit it to yourself, and you think you'll do anything to keep it afloat. Sadly, some part of you has already let go and, more often than not, the rest of you will follow suite.

It's really heartbreaking and downright infuriating to watch because not only did I see this happening from the beginning of the relationship, but I know exactly what Faye could or could have done to preserve everything, because they're things /I/ should have done. So many times over. Maybe Faye's like me and isn't meant for a relationship. Maybe I'm just projecting. (read: I'm definitely projecting) But this is good writing, it's real writing, and it was profound enough to make me create an account 20 minutes ago. The only hope I take away from this is that whatever end comes to this relationship, they do it cordially, respectfully, and in person. Far too often have I been dumped over the phone or through text by a girl or guy who realized a little too late that their new life and I were not compatible.

Maybe I'm steering away from the topic, maybe someone's already said this stuff, but this is my 2nd post on this board, so bring on the discussion, friends 

[feelsalmostbad]

So much foreshadowing... for things yet to cum.

[Jazzmaster]

Okay Jeph, WTF? I was in a relationship. I was in love, had a proposal written and everything. The day after the breakup, you post a certain comic... Dora and Marten breakup. This could be coincidence, yet at this point I am getting a little disturbed. My current most recent one decided today was a good day to end it, the day that Faye and Angus end it. Do me a favor, do not have any more breakups in your comic.

While this sort of thing is bound to happen, considering the number of people who read the comic at this point, I felt like commenting on this.  Reason being is that I, too, was dealing with a breakup right around the time Marten and Dora were breaking up a few years ago (real time).

All that's happening is that we can read into/project our personal lives into the comic and form some sort of "relationship" with it.  Still, coincidences can throw you for a loop, that's for sure.

[Gladstone]

Hitting people is generally bad form, unless your hitting them with the following list of approved items:

1) A care bare stare.
...

What about a Claire-Bear Stare? 

Penelope gets trotted out whenever Jeph wants to make a joke about the fact that we never see the rest of the CoD people any more. They're furniture more than characters at this point.

Speaking of which, I keep picturing Dora standing just off-panel with a completely horrified expression on her face as her second opportunity for squee slowly shrivels and dies before her.

Also, I really hope there aren't any customers around right now.

[SubaruStephen]

"Customers?"

CoD doesn't have customers, it has "suckers who exchange money for "coffee" and verbal abuse from Faye".

[Neko_Ali]

I'm just here for the banana smoothies.

[Zebediah]

Hitting people is generally bad form, unless your hitting them with the following list of approved items:

1) A care bare stare.
...

What about a Claire-Bear Stare? 

I would be totally mystified by this reference if two of my nieces hadn't made my son watch The Care Bears Movie with them a couple of years ago. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that the Care Bears have the lamest battle cry in history. The part I find surprising is that the Care Bears do, in fact, have a battle cry. 

[Estron]

Does anyone else check the comic on Friday night before you catch yourself at it?

[Is it cold in here?]

Global Moderator Comment

Four formal warnings, two PMs of thanks to the level-headed debaters, one long informative PM in the works, and a partridge in a pear tree. Please always take a minute to stop and think if you think something is an attack on you. Yes, tone policing is a thing here and it's deliberate. Insults are not welcome here.

[Angelus_Primus]

No.
 First its not casual violence, its directed violence.
 Second its not against a woman its against a person who is acting in a way that a quick hard shock could be a good thing for the thinking process.
 Angus needs a slap too.
 So maybe someone could slap both of them. Or poke them with a charged cattle prod.

So very aggressive. *head shake* We've got our quota of musket-Claires you'll have to be Claire De Rochefort though if you learn to use your words instead of slapping you can be promoted to Claire-dinal Richelieu

 I don't have a problem with anti-violence.
 I do dislike when violence is declared gender specific in a situation where gender is completely irrelevant.
 People seem to ignore the difference between gender (or racial, or sexual orientation) violence and violence where victim happens to be of specific gender (or race, or sexual orientation).
 I'm going to use a bit of extreme examples to argue my point.
 If I hit a woman for talking back at me with her useless female opinions, that's a violence against women. If I hit a woman for threatening my child, just like I would hit anyone irregardless of sex then its just violence.
 If I punch a gay guy for acting faggy (excuse my french), that's gay bashing. If I punch a gay guy for stealing my wallet, like I would anyone in that situation, that's just violence.
 If I hit a black person for being black in my neighborhood after dark, that's hate crime. If I hit a black person for pinching my fiancee's bottom, like I would anyone in the situation, its just violence.

 I agree with you violence is wrong. But specific violence is much darker thing, and we should keep the two separate for when its actually necessary, so it would not become a topic people get desensitize.

(moderator comment -- this line of discussion is OVER.)

[de_la_Nae]

So.............................

In ([not-so]lighter?) news, we had a theme song for their beginning, do we have one for their end?

[Aziraphale]

So.............................

In ([not-so]lighter?) news, we had a theme song for their beginning, do we have one for their end?

Great all-purpose breakup song.

[ReindeerFlotilla]

What ever happened to Wil and Penelope?

I think they were last seen at Marten and Faye's place when the whole Angus and Faye have the hots for each other drama went down with Marigold.  They were talking about how Tai was committing a sucker rule violation.

Pen² was last seen in 2525, last mentioned in 2527. (Unless you count 2537.) Wil was last seen in 2667.

[AprilArcus]

Wil and Jimbo have astonishingly good chemistry. I want to see them write an "Antoinette Banemoon" opera together.

[valkygrrl]

So.............................

In ([not-so]lighter?) news, we had a theme song for their beginning, do we have one for their end?

[Rghfrgl]

Pen² was last seen in 2525, last mentioned in 2527.

Uh oh, just reading a few strips ahead of those and I'm seeing hurdles for the SS Claireten.

[hedgie]

So.............................

In ([not-so]lighter?) news, we had a theme song for their beginning, do we have one for their end?

I'm a sucker for the classics:

[valkygrrl]

So.............................

In ([not-so]lighter?) news, we had a theme song for their beginning, do we have one for their end?

I'm a sucker for the classics:

Good one, love that song. Almost went cheesy and posted Don't Speak. *sings* Asssssss we die both you and I, with my head in my hands I sit and cry.

[Fig]

Quite partial to this one, myself.

[Half Empty Coffee Cup]

Pen² was last seen in 2525, last mentioned in 2527.

Uh oh, just reading a few strips ahead of those and I'm seeing hurdles for the SS Claireten.

So earfucking is off the table. Unless you're referring to other hurdles?

[Rghfrgl]

Yep.

Aaaaannnd I'll show myself out.

[hedgie]

Pen² was last seen in 2525, last mentioned in 2527.

Uh oh, just reading a few strips ahead of those and I'm seeing hurdles for the SS Claireten.

So earfucking is off the table. Unless you're referring to other hurdles?

Well, no aural sex might turn off some people.  But at least it's only for only a few weeks, and they are taking it slow.

[Aziraphale]

So.............................

In ([not-so]lighter?) news, we had a theme song for their beginning, do we have one for their end?

I'm a sucker for the classics:

As long as it doesn't go into this territory...

[ReindeerFlotilla]

Pen² was last seen in 2525, last mentioned in 2527.

Uh oh, just reading a few strips ahead of those and I'm seeing hurdles for the SS Claireten.

I've clearly missed something. That was at least 3 weeks ago. Maybe more. Time is a fuzzy concept in this comic. Northampton appears to be moving at relativistic speeds compared to the rest of us. My best guess is the area is moving at about 98.33322% the speed of light but it could be as high as 99.21674%.

[Shjade]

I'd say this one feels like something of a theme for Faye in general, but it works here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpLYSUlcN6k


Related: pretty much saw this coming, but still rough. Yay for Angus! Faye...this is probably not going to go well.

[Near Lurker]

I'm wondering whether now that Faye is single, Claire will start getting jealous of her, as Dora did back in the day.  It could be worse for Claire, since unlike Dora, she only knows Faye through Marten.

[Half Empty Coffee Cup]

I'm wondering whether now that Faye is single, Claire will start getting jealous of her, as Dora did back in the day.  It could be worse for Claire, since unlike Dora, she only knows Faye through Marten.

I'm tempted to say "unlikely" since we've already gone there.

[Rghfrgl]

 I've been saying that since I think Faye helped get them together that she wouldn't get jealous, BUT realizing that could be what resolves the jealousy rather than something that prevents it altogether.

[BenRG]

Pen² was last seen in 2525, last mentioned in 2527.

Uh oh, just reading a few strips ahead of those and I'm seeing hurdles for the SS Claireten.

I'm not sure how serious that is meant to be. However, it is a fact that Marten is sexually quite experienced (in practice due to at least three different long-rerm partners and in theory thanks to Veronica's profession) whilst it's a good bet that Claire is a virgin. He'll have to go slow and gentle to avoid overwhelming her. He's already come close to that with the head-scratching that turned to a sort of erotic massage.

Yeah, add to that the fact that Claire does have anxiety issues; she needs as much gentle handling as Dora did!

[badpun]

So.............................

In ([not-so]lighter?) news, we had a theme song for their beginning, do we have one for their end?

I can't find the studio version since the album was only released in September but here's an excellent live version of it

[KOK]

Did Dora choose that picture on the wall to set the mood for such occasions?

[mvdwege]

So.............................

In ([not-so]lighter?) news, we had a theme song for their beginning, do we have one for their end?

Great all-purpose breakup song.

<snip youtube link>Harry Nilsson - You're breaking my heart</snip>

Given that it's Faye, maybe this would be appropriate:

[ReindeerFlotilla]

Pen² was last seen in 2525, last mentioned in 2527.

Uh oh, just reading a few strips ahead of those and I'm seeing hurdles for the SS Claireten.

I'm not sure how serious that is meant to be. However, it is a fact that Marten is sexually quite experienced (in practice due to at least three different long-rerm partners and in theory thanks to Veronica's profession) whilst it's a good bet that Claire is a virgin. He'll have to go slow and gentle to avoid overwhelming her. He's already come close to that with the head-scratching that turned to a sort of erotic massage.

Yeah, add to that the fact that Claire does have anxiety issues; she needs as much gentle handling as Dora did!

I don't think Claire's anxiety is going to be a major issue. Not all anxiety is equal and not all anxious people behave the same way. Claire is more of a fighter than Dora, at least in this respect. She tends to attack things that stress her. When she doesn't, she makes a tactical retreat, to regroup. Dora is given to wallowing until she trips and falls. On impact, Dora explodes.

Now, it's entirely possible that Claire's been keeping her cool in order to avoid making a bad impression on Martin, but my read on her character is that it will take a big issue and a chain of errors to get her to freak in a way that the usual Marten behavior couldn't diffuse. I'm more suspect that Marten's demons will cause problems. At least in the medium term. Compare Claire's doubts to Dora's: Dora was afraid Marten didn't love her enough, and afraid she was a bad person for pursuing him when she did. Claire's concern was that Marten was too drunk to know his own mind (which he was. It just turned out that sober Marten was in total agreement with drunk Marten's revelation), and that he would be turned off by her being trans.

It's a little early to tell, but Claire seems to be quite happy to find that Marten wasn't just drunk, and her body language says she trusts him on what he said about her being trans.

I'm not saying there won't be problems. Claire has goals. Marten doesn't. Sure, both of them are fairly happy to see where things go, but one could say the same about Angus and Faye. When he said his goal was to be a late night host, Faye didn't bat an eye. Look where that ended up.

Plenty of ways for things to go wrong. Plenty of potential challenges ahead. I just don't think Claire's anxiety is going to play a major role in it.

[TheBiscuit]

All I'm here to say is that  I am not at all unhappy that Faye and Angus broke up. Worst couple in QC history. Angus just doesn't have a character. It was always disappointing to me to see Faye (a main character) paired off with someone who basically doesn't exist in the strip. I would have also been happy to see Angus actually develop in the strip, but since that wasn't apparently happening, I'll take this instead.

Before you get angry (and you will) take a look at Angus, and his appearances. What can you tell me about him? I don't feel like I can tell you anything of substance about him. Nothing that makes him a character. Nothing that lets me know him the same way I know Marten, Hannelore, Marigold or even Claire. I haven't always been a fan of Claire. In fact, I'm still not a fan. Her recent story arc with Marten was fun, though. Even saying that I'm not a fan, I feel like she's been made into so much more a character than Angus. Raven has been made more a character than Angus.

I don't actually dislike Angus. I find some aspects of his appearances mildly interesting. If they had been expanded in such a way as to create a character for him, I might have even found that compelling. Certainly I found the progress of his relationship with Faye to be absolutely compelling, but that's literally all there is to the character outside of his interactions with Marigold.

Why could we not have seen more of him? If we had, I wouldn't be celebrating the end of the relationship, but mourning it. I feel like Angus represents a failure to tell a story, rather than a character. For comparison, take a look (if you will) at Dale. Before he entered into a relationship with Marigold, we learned a lot about his character. There may have been a time when he was just a background figure, but that time has passed. I feel like I know him well enough. Hopefully we'll see more of him.

[hedgie]

So.............................

In ([not-so]lighter?) news, we had a theme song for their beginning, do we have one for their end?

I'm a sucker for the classics:
Snip Youtube Link for Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart"

As long as it doesn't go into this territory...

Snip Youtube Link for Joy Division's "She's Lost Control"

That's very much where I see things heading, although I hope that it is not the case.

I'm not saying there won't be problems. Claire has goals. Marten doesn't. Sure, both of them are fairly happy to see where things go, but one could say the same about Angus and Faye. When he said his goal was to be a late night host, Faye didn't bat an eye. Look where that ended up.

Well, different scope of ambitions.  Nobody studies Library Science to become an astronaut, and Marten seems largely content to follow the path of least-resistance (although not at a destructive level like Sven).  Of course, if Deathmøle does become a touring band, Claire might not be content to be a "Rock and Roll Widow".  I agree with you that the things already mentioned as to *why* this ship might sink are increasingly seeming like a lower and lower probability, but with any two people, there are bound to be icebergs.

[Pilchard123]

[Nepiophage]

Not so. Listen to this, and if you don't feel pain, you're already dead.

Child's play. I'll see your song and raise you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ2sa3tyvkI

I fold.

[ReindeerFlotilla]

Well, different scope of ambitions.  Nobody studies Library Science to become an astronaut, and Marten seems largely content to follow the path of least-resistance (although not at a destructive level like Sven).  Of course, if Deathmøle does become a touring band, Claire might not be content to be a "Rock and Roll Widow".  I agree with you that the things already mentioned as to *why* this ship might sink are increasingly seeming like a lower and lower probability, but with any two people, there are bound to be icebergs.

I'm 80% certain the ship is going to sink. If Jeph pulls the same trick he did with Faye, we've already seen the why of it. But both of those items depend on a single assumption: QC has no end.

People have mentioned the end game, and whether it's here or not. On whole, I think it isn't. Marten still has important demons to face down. He's only begun to learn about being decisive, and to reach the Nirvana of character completion, he's got to learn his lessons without abandoning what makes him Marten. Faye still has to learn to accept that abandonment is a possibility. She hasn't learned that, and it's cost her Angus. Dora still has to give up her need for control.

Even at his usual rate, Jeph could wrap all of that up in the next 6 years or so. He doesn't have to sink the ship during that time frame.

However, if he's got no endgame in mind, that massively ups the odds of a breakup. It's like a day time soap opera. No relationship survives so long as the show keeps running. Eventually, the only plot the writers can come up with is "trouble in paradise."

[SubaruStephen]

This is seriously late, but I've found the perfect song to describe Faye's previous breakup (here's to you, Sven!)

Language is kinda NSFW, keep the volume low. (Unless today is the day you plan to quit the job you hate)

Sing along, Faye!
http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1342

[BrusselSprouts]

Before you get angry (and you will) take a look at Angus, and his appearances. What can you tell me about him? I don't feel like I can tell you anything of substance about him. Nothing that makes him a character. Nothing that lets me know him the same way I know Marten, Hannelore, Marigold or even Claire.

I totally agree. We didn't see very much of Angus without the context of Faye. Even when he wasn't talking to her directly, he was talking to the main cast ABOUT her. Besides a couple moments with Marigold, Angus was pretty much in the comic only to spar with (and eventually make out with) Faye. That's how I saw it anyways.

[Skewbrow]

Yeah. The reason is partly that Angus' work is always out of town, so we have only seen him at parties and/or with Faye (or Marigold). He seems to get along fine with Marten.  Apparently him and Steve helping a drunken Marten home from the bar is too little too late to make him likable to some forumites. May be the dislike comes from him being less dependent (for socializing and such needs) on the rest of the gang?

[TheBiscuit]

Yeah. The reason is partly that Angus' work is always out of town, so we have only seen him at parties and/or with Faye (or Marigold). He seems to get along fine with Marten.  Apparently him and Steve helping a drunken Marten home from the bar is too little too late to make him likable to some forumites. May be the dislike comes from him being less dependent (for socializing and such needs) on the rest of the gang?

It isn't too little to make him likeable. I don't dislike Angus. I don't make a habit of disliking people I don't know anything about. I just don't feel like we the audience have been given the chance to get to know him as a character. Since he has been dating a main character, that bothers me a little.

[Staff_Inflection]

I wish I had more to say with my first post, but I am completely impressed with Jeph's ability to create completely un-likeable characters. It given the strip an entirely new charm for me. I realized its why I've eagerly tuned in for a new cartoon since I discovered the cartoon over 4 years ago: how can Jeph make me hate them today

I didnt think it was possible to top the ending (beginning/) of the Marten/Claire saga, which reeked of terrible fanfiction but Faye managing to set the bar for being a terrible person even higher (lower) impressed me

[Angelus_Primus]

So.............................

In ([not-so]lighter?) news, we had a theme song for their beginning, do we have one for their end?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPlhKP0nZII
In my opinion best thing for breakups.

[jwhouk]

Four formal warnings, two PMs of thanks to the level-headed debaters, one long informative PM in the works, and a partridge in a pear tree. Please always take a minute to stop and think if you think something is an attack on you. Yes, tone policing is a thing here and it's deliberate. Insults are not welcome here.

[.OPcomment]
Informal rule of the WCDT: You do NOT get one of jwhouk's WCDT's locked. He doesn't LIKE that.
[/.OPcomment]

[Aimless]

I wish I had more to say with my first post, but I am completely impressed with Jeph's ability to create completely un-likeable characters. It given the strip an entirely new charm for me. I realized its why I've eagerly tuned in for a new cartoon since I discovered the cartoon over 4 years ago: how can Jeph make me hate them today

I didnt think it was possible to top the ending (beginning/) of the Marten/Claire saga, which reeked of terrible fanfiction but Faye managing to set the bar for being a terrible person even higher (lower) impressed me

How is Fay a terrible person?

[retrosteve]

I'm surprised nobody's commented yet on what Faye said in panel 2.
"you're dropping your whole life in a heartbeat. Can't you see why that freaks me out?" (Jeph's emphasis)
Is she doing an action replay in her mind of what happened to he father?
Odd, because Angus isn't dropping his whole life - I guess he sees it as the best bit of his life starting - but from Faye's point of view he's being taken away suddenly, and by his own action, like her father's suicide.

Glad someone else noticed this! It also explains her abandoned-waif expressions and body language in the Thursday and Friday strips. Faye is triggered big-time, and Angus has never really been part of her inner life enough to anticipate that, even if he was serious enough to care.

On the bright side, Faye had reached a "good-enough" comfort level with her intimacy issues, and this breakup will rip the scab off that one. Maybe that's what she needs to heal better next time.