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Faypocalypse Sven

9 (6.9%)

Claireten Snuggles

12 (9.2%)

Clintonhand Naughtyness

3 (2.3%)

Dora fires Faye - Drama and drunkenness ensues

50 (38.2%)

Clairemom and Martenmom accidentally meet

4 (3.1%)

Emily gets weirder (is that even possible?)

4 (3.1%)

Sven rescues Faye - Dora gets wrong end of stick

12 (9.2%)

The surprise return on Angus - Blood and mayhem ensue

5 (3.8%)

Purple Monkey Dishwasher

7 (5.3%)

Whatever it is, it'll be completely unexpected

22 (16.8%)

ALIENS!

3 (2.3%)

Total Members Voted: 123

[NilsO]

Well, shit.

I'm not sure I want to watch this play out one-strip-a-day in real time.  Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to take a few weeks off and come back when there's a small backlog...

Real time is very different from QC time. A few hours in QC may stretch over several weeks our time. So if you want QC time to synchronize with your time, you will have to spend most of your time in hibernation. Alternatively, speed away from Earth at 99% lightspeed (and try to get reliable Internet connection during the trip).

We are wathcing a drama unfolding in extremely slow motion from our point of view. This is not necessarily bad, as it gives time for us to think and discuss possible outcomes. But I agree, it is frustrating at times. However, it would be even more frustrating taking a few weeks off, knowing that something important might have happened in QC.

EDIT: Here is a handy table showing the time dilation effect. At 99% light speed, one day on your spaceship equals 7.09 days on Earth...

[Lubricus]

Personally, I am completely unable to leave QC alone for any stretch of time. I feel depressed if I'm unable to access it for some reason.

Wow, sounds like I have a problem... 

[NilsO]

Wow, sounds like I have a problem... 

You are not alone.

[Akima]

The only place I've worked where somebody drank on the job, the drinker was the head of the department...

Seriously Faye, up your tee-shirt? You want to get caught, don't you?

[Half Empty Coffee Cup]

Good point there. Smarter move would've been to calmly stuff it back in the purse. Not that there was time for that.

[BenRG]

We are wathcing a drama unfolding in extremely slow motion from our point of view. This is not necessarily bad, as it gives time for us to think and discuss possible outcomes. But I agree, it is frustrating at times. However, it would be even more frustrating taking a few weeks off, knowing that something important might have happened in QC.

April would be able to confirm this, but I believe that the previous week, in-comic, has lasted three or four months IRL. Of course, I'm sure we've all had weeks where so much has happened that it has ended up feeling like three or four months!

[NilsO]

Hmm - "old still" bourbon?

[sluthy]

So, showing up drunk is one of Dora's red lines. Does she know Faye has a problem?

I think she pretty much knows exactly what's going on, judging by this.

[Tova]

Seriously Faye, up your tee-shirt?

What else would you expect from someone exhibiting such poor judgement right now?

[Sullivan]

Well, that happened a lot sooner than I thought it would.

Kudos to Jeph for not prolonging our dread.

Unless of course Faye somehow gets out of this and the real crisis is still to come.

(But I doubt it, since the drunk bubbles are visible to Dora now.)

[aphanisis81]

Ummm... a fifth is larger than a pint.  A pint is only an eighth of a gallon, half a quart.

Last week, I mentioned that in my early 20s I worked at a bar in Northampton in which on-the-clock drunkenness (not to me mention pot, some hard drugs, and sex) was basically tolerated so long as employees didn't fuck things up too badly. Not condoned, but tolerated. In those days, I could drink a pint of Seagram's Seven (which is gross, btw) during/after work, then get up and work a lunch shift, usually with a few slugs of hair-of-the-dog beer sneaked from the bar's taps to get me through.

Now I work for a college and have a kid, and if I have a second IPA with dinner I get sleepy.

My point is that early 20s hedonism isn't necessarily a problem. Everyone I worked with at that place is fine now, and most have settled down with families into relatively mellow, sober lives. If not for Faye's backstory, I would find this arc more of a comedy than a tragedy.

[Sullivan]

My point is that early 20s hedonism isn't necessarily a problem. Everyone I worked with at that place is fine now, and most have settled down with families into relatively mellow, sober lives. If not for Faye's backstory, I would find this arc more of a comedy than a tragedy.

It's not just her backstory. There's also:
a) She's not using alcohol because of her backstory, or because she just likes having a buzz on through the day; she's using it to get past her hurt over Angus.
b) She's in a work environment where it is a problem, and
c) she knows that. And furthermore
d) she's lying about it,
e) clumsily.

Even without her backstory, I'm just not seeing "comedy."

[aphanisis81]

My point is that early 20s hedonism isn't necessarily a problem. Everyone I worked with at that place is fine now, and most have settled down with families into relatively mellow, sober lives. If not for Faye's backstory, I would find this arc more of a comedy than a tragedy.

It's not just her backstory. There's also:
a) She's not using alcohol because of her backstory, or because she just likes having a buzz on through the day; she's using it to get past her hurt over Angus.
b) She's in a work environment where it is a problem, and
c) she knows that. And furthermore
d) she's lying about it,
e) clumsily.

Even without her backstory, I'm just not seeing "comedy."

a) doesn't concern me all that much. What's a little dissolute binge for, if not to misguidedly get through a breakup?

The rest, you have a point. Alienating friends and messing up one's employment (and a recent promotion) are certainly big problems in and of themselves.

[Lubricus]

I worry that Dora might start doubting herself for giving Faye the extra responsibility. She's not all that mentally sturdy herself, and might get into some kind of existential anxiety as a result of Faye's meltdown. Dark times might be ahead. I still hope we might get some Marten and Claire sunshine and puppies to tide us over, though.

[techkid]

At the very least, I think it might be time for a little role-reversal of another, not dis-similar incident.

Dora knows what's going on, and I don't think she will fire Faye over it. But, she will want her to get help ASAP, and will probably utilise any influence she has to get her to fix herself up. Even calling Angus over to talk to her would probably not be considered "below the belt", I don't think (would that week have passed in QC time, I wonder?).

[aphanisis81]

At the very least, I think it might be time for a little role-reversal of another, not dis-similar incident.

Dora knows what's going on, and I don't think she will fire Faye over it. But, she will want her to get help ASAP, and will probably utilise any influence she has to get her to fix herself up. Even calling Angus over to talk to her would probably not be considered "below the belt", I don't think (would that week have passed in QC time, I wonder?).

I just noticed the title of today's comic. Probably a joke reference to Faye's piss poor attempt at deception, but perhaps some foreshadowing as well. The question is, will she be hospital-bound after this because of violence committed by Dora or because of some tragic drunken accident (i.e. "accident")?

[Welu]

I haven't checked to see if someone posted this recently but possibly some foreshadowing over a thousand strips in the making?

[TieDyeKat]

This will all end in owls.

[NilsO]

Appendicitis -> Hospital-bound. But there definitely is a double entendre here. Drug rehab next? Somehow, I do not think this is the best option for Faye. But Dora Friend should scramble a rescue team. Team members: Hanners and Marten.

[Lubricus]

And Sven! *ducks*

[BenRG]

Something tells me that Faye is going to learn just how terrible it is to be surrounded only by good friends when their idea of what is in your best interests and yours have begun to diverge. I'm talking about cold turkey, the DT shakes and practically a flush-out with nothing but mineral water for a day.

[Skewbrow]

Considering that one of the alternatives is the roof top scene, a day week on mineral water sounds like paradise.

Last time we were foreseeing Drunk Faye Mistakes, was when she resorted to a coping mechanism on the rocks. That time she escaped with a broken nose and Marten got laid. It does look like this time will be different, but not as bad as we can imagine.

[BenRG]

Y'know, I never worked out what made Padma do that. If it was Pintsize, I could have understood; I mean, he's the sort of 'bot that people can't help but hit. Faye, on the other hand? Either Padma was drunk/high or someone had given her an entirely exaggerated impression of Faye's martial prowess...

That said, I really couldn't see how that night ended up the way it did. I mean, okay, Padma was pretty, exotic and nice in a kooky way. However, her main entry in Marten's mental index cards would be: "Crazy lady who hit my room-mate hard enough to injure her for no easily-explicable reason". Me, I would have tried to find some way to extract myself from all but casual contact with her as a matter of urgency!

[mawnck]

or someone had given her an entirely exaggerated impression of Faye's martial prowess...

Their first meeting:
http://questionablecontent.net./view.php?comic=1857
http://questionablecontent.net./view.php?comic=1858

[Method of Madness]

Y'know, I never worked out what made Padma do that.

Didn't they fight the first time they met? Padma probably assumed it was their version of a secret handshake from then on.

[TheEvilDog]

And then, just to mess with everyone's heads, Padma comes back to town to see Marten.

[aphanisis81]

And then, just to mess with everyone's heads, Padma comes back to town to see Marten.

I actually think that would be kinda awesome, for the sake of the dramaz. Also, it's been almost 3 years to the day since Padma left.

[brew]

Padma was ... exotic

Um...

[freeman]

Well, that happened a lot sooner than I thought it would.

Almost too soon, like soap opera soon. "Oh no, Faye has a problem! Everyone help Faye!" "It's a very special episode. Wow. Very sad. Much drama." "Hurray, Faye is healed and everyone lived ever after."

I personally would have preferred to leave her stew in her own juices for a longer time. After all, real alcoholism brews for years, easily. Now,  how it's portrayed, it's almost like how you got your first bottle of wine and tried to sneak out with it, but your own  guilty  damn face rat you out. (Early end  to of that party, that time.  )

Anyway, it's Jeph's comic.

[cesium133]

Well, that happened a lot sooner than I thought it would.

Almost too soon, like soap opera soon. "Oh no, Faye has a problem! Everyone help Faye!" "It's a very special episode. Wow. Very sad. Much drama." "Hurray, Faye is healed and everyone lived ever after."

You're assuming Faye is going to be "healed"...

[Neko_Ali]

Well, that happened a lot sooner than I thought it would.

Almost too soon, like soap opera soon. "Oh no, Faye has a problem! Everyone help Faye!" "It's a very special episode. Wow. Very sad. Much drama." "Hurray, Faye is healed and everyone lived ever after."

I personally would have preferred to leave her stew in her own juices for a longer time. After all, real alcoholism brews for years, easily. Now,  how it's portrayed, it's almost like how you got your first bottle of wine and tried to sneak out with it, but your own  guilty  damn face rat you out. (Early end  to of that party, that time.  )

Anyway, it's Jeph's comic.

It only seems soon, because we're seeing it slightly before the characters are. That doesn't mean she hasn't been a functioning alcoholic for some time. As pointed out earlier, she's been using booze to try and cope or at least not feel the pain of Angus leaving even before he got the job. Or to be more accurate, the pain she feels that people she are close to are going away again. The comic doesn't follow Faye around 24/7, so this could have been going on for months or even years and everyone has assumed it was just part of Faye's personality. There have been hints of alcoholism around her for a long time. It's just that now we are seeing how bad it really is.

[KOK]

OK, this did it. Many times I have read people claiming that something funny made them spit out what they were drinking, but it never happened to me. Until now. Fortunately it was plain water, and did not hit anything but the desk.

[katsmeat]

I just noticed the title of today's comic. Probably a joke reference to Faye's piss poor attempt at deception, but perhaps some foreshadowing as well. The question is, will she be hospital-bound after this because of violence committed by Dora or because of some tragic drunken accident (i.e. "accident")?

If Dora carried out an assault that put Faye in hospital, she'd be shortly after put in jail.

Does that sound likely?

[ReindeerFlotilla]

This comic had a punching intern. An intern whose duty was to be punched by other people.

He was seen with bruises and lacerations, so we aren't talking love taps.

Realism is not the order of the day. If Jeph think it would make a good punchline, it's going to happen.

[TheEvilDog]

Realism is not the order of the day. If Jeph think it would make a good punchline, it's going to happen.

Except that considering how close this particular storyline hits home for Jeph, I doubt there's going to be any real "punchline".
There's a lot that Questionable Content will make jokes about, but there are certain topics that are treated completely seriously and I would wager that Faye's descent into alcoholism is one of them.

[FunkyTuba]

Pissed Dora is pissed. I've lost track of which chance this is for Faye, but I could definitely see Dora interpreting this as "one chance too many", even if just on a whim or because Faye's being indifferent to the responsibility Dora has trusted her with.

[aphanisis81]

I just noticed the title of today's comic. Probably a joke reference to Faye's piss poor attempt at deception, but perhaps some foreshadowing as well. The question is, will she be hospital-bound after this because of violence committed by Dora or because of some tragic drunken accident (i.e. "accident")?

If Dora carried out an assault that put Faye in hospital, she'd be shortly after put in jail.

Does that sound likely?

Apparently I need a "This Comment Was Meant Figuratively" button. How many times have characters in this comic (usually Faye) threatened severe bodily harm? I assume Faye also doesn't actually know a good place for ditching bodies and wasn't actually going to break Clinton's arms and face, because facetiousness.

[Neko_Ali]

It is certainly one of those times when it's hard to be the boss of your friends. Friend Dora would very much like it if Faye wasn't hurting so much and would like to help her friend. Boss Dora is just tired of this shit.

[aphanisis81]

It is certainly one of those times when it's hard to be the boss of your friends. Friend Dora would very much like it if Faye wasn't hurting so much and would like to help her friend. Boss Dora is just tired of this shit.

That's as perfect and succinct a summary of the situation as one could write, I think.

And it made me realize something I'd never really thought about before: the tension between Dora and Faye being best friends AND boss/employee has been at the center of a LOT of storylines.

[ReindeerFlotilla]

Realism is not the order of the day. If Jeph think it would make a good punchline, it's going to happen.

Except that considering how close this particular storyline hits home for Jeph, I doubt there's going to be any real "punchline".
There's a lot that Questionable Content will make jokes about, but there are certain topics that are treated completely seriously and I would wager that Faye's descent into alcoholism is one of them.

You're projecting yourself on to Jeph.

Richard Prior was, among other things, injured in a fire which was related to his drug problem--He described the incident in a show as mixing full fat milk with skim milk and "when I dipped the cookie in, the shit blew up!" He also did bits on all aspects of his drug problems.

A humorist's greatest "weapon" for maintaining advantage over the audience is the realization that anything can be a punch line. Anything.

Whether you get away with it boils down to how you craft the punchline and the awareness of the audience. There are jokes that the majority would have laughed out five years ago, but today seem hurtful and in bad taste.

The end of Fight Club is basically a punchline. Punching up at corporate America as the shining edifices of their power--skyscrapers--topple at the hands of radical idealists. People liked it.

It wouldn't have worked so well if it had come out in 2002 rather than 1999. Something about actual skyscrapers toppling at the hands of radical idealists takes the satisfaction out of the fantasy.

I think Jeph may have even written a rape joke, once.

It's not that I think you're wrong about what he will do. I don't know Jeph's mind at all. But it's mistake to reason that he had a hard time, so he's going to be utterly serious. He's already told jokes about very bad parts of drinking problems. There's no knowing where he draws the line, unless he comes in here and tells us.

[Kugai]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qYbVQu7YAQ

[Uniquitous]

Dorasplosion imminent. Don't know if it'll proceed to a firing, though. I envision an inversion of the strip in the aftermath of the Dora/Marten breakup where Faye threatened Dora with bodily harm if Dora didn't get her ass to therapy tout suite.

Since this is Faye, they'll probably have to smack her upside the metaphorical head with a frying pan to get through her stubbornness. Maybe offer her a vanilla milkshake into which to pour her bourbon.

[Pilchard123]

There's no knowing where he draws the line, unless he comes in here and tells us.

I'm pretty sure I know where he draws the line. Last I heard, it was on a Wacom tablet.

[Sorflakne]

Oh.  Shit.

[TheEvilDog]

Hands up if you saw this coming.
*Giant foam hand shoots up*

[SomeCanadianWeirdo]

This seems a bit trigger happy for Dora, except for the fact we know she's already under stress over Sven.

[Rghfrgl]

[Rubick]

Man. No debate. Just fired, straight up.

Can't say I blame Dora though.

[themacnut]

Pissed Dora is pissed. I've lost track of which chance this is for Faye, but I could definitely see Dora interpreting this as "one chance too many", even if just on a whim or because Faye's being indifferent to the responsibility Dora has trusted her with.

I don't think we've seen how pissed Dora could get over this. Faye crossed one of her stated employment rules, and then tried to lie about it to her face - shortly after Dora entrusted her with extra responsibility at the shop. I think we may see Dora reach entirely new levels of "pissed" over this, and I also think both Faye's job AND their friendship is now in grave danger.

I also do not think we will see Faye be healed quickly either - she's entirely too stubborn to give up her "coping mechanism" so easily. I suspect we are seeing the beginning of Faye's long ugly slide down into the gutter, either metaphorically or literally.

[sluthy]

So no Friend Dora present at all, just Boss Dora. Interesting. Maybe she figured there was nothing to say that hadn't already been said.

Is anyone else a little confused at Faye's apparent lack of reaction? I was expecting at least a little guilt or something in panel 2 but there's nothing, it's just like "yeah...and?". Likewise in panel 4, shock or dismay? Maybe the booze is blunting her emotional response and she'll hit a wall back home (metaphorically, and quite possibly literally).

...except for the fact we know she's already under stress over Sven.

Has she, or anyone, even mentioned Sven in the last 100 comics? #2784 was the last mention of that drama I could find.