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The hospital waiting room?

50 (33.3%)

Faye on a trip down Deriver Denial?

26 (17.3%)

Emergency Cast Meeting?

45 (30%)

The police station, charged with the assault (or even murder) of Pintsize?

9 (6%)

Weird archetype-filled dream sequence for Faye in which she sees her life as a strange Pyroland-like fantasy and is Elightened?

20 (13.3%)

Total Members Voted: 139

[snubnose]

I think Dora had accumulated some resentment against Faye all along.

I dont think Faye qualifies as an alcoholic quite yet, even if of course she's on the road to that.

Are you seriously suggesting Australia has no problems with immigration ?

Yeah, all those British convicts showed up and ruined the whole place.

It seems to be that it was an awful place already before that. Wildlife in Australia is apparently very deadly, at least thats how Australians tell it.

[Shjade]

I dont think Faye qualifies as an alcoholic quite yet, even if of course she's on the road to that.

I'd say Faye's qualified as an alcoholic for well over a thousand strips.

By the time you're putting yourself in the hospital by drinking because you were fired from your job for drinking, you're generally well into alcoholism.

[bhtooefr]

Is it just me, or is part of this thread better off in DISCUSS?

Also, poor Dora. Hopefully Tai can get her to open up, but that doesn't seem likely.

[BenRG]

Are you seriously suggesting Australia has no problems with immigration ?

Yeah, all those British convicts showed up and ruined the whole place.

It seems to be that it was an awful place already before that. Wildlife in Australia is apparently very deadly, at least thats how Australians tell it.

Australia is arguably one of the few places on Earth that classifies as a Death World. The flora, fauna and, in some cases, even the geography is frequently overtly inimical to animals the size, mass and behaviour of humans.

I doubt that most would-be immigrants are aware of this. I'm sure that they are aware of the overt political hostility to them. That they still attempt to enter the country is another proof, IMHO at least, of just how desperate immigrants are to find a better life away from what I must assume is a hellish life in their native countries. A high likelihood of death is clearly not enough to daunt them.

[pwhodges]

Is it just me, or is part of this thread better off in DISCUSS?

The discussion has generally remained sufficiently in touch with the comic and its characters and matters arising, so I don't think its worth the confusion of trying to split it up.


Also, those suggesting that Dora would have done better to use Marten to pass her message forget that he is currently glued to Faye's bedside, so Dora couldn't give him a message without facing Faye in any case.

[MrNumbers]

No, disagree. I know plenty of people who are highly competent prifessionally, but deeply dysfunctional or plain horrible as people

Marten was a good-hearted, under-achieving doormat on day one and still appears to be one

I don't know what comic you're reading, Oilman, but it isn't the same one as me. I think that your essential negativity and your subconscious urge to disapprove of the strip is contaminating and warping your perception of the characters.

That must have been a freezer burn, because your delivery was ice cold.

With all due seriousness, though, Marten is a chill, laid back dude. This makes him happy, and has directly benefited the stability of a lot of people around him, Dora, Hannelore and Faye have all benefited from Marten's non-judgemental, easy-going, wise-beyond-his-years counsel before.

Think of Hannelore hugging her father for the first time. Think of Dora deciding to finally be proactive about her relationship issues, and think of Faye realizing she had a drinking problem in the first place - after Marten jokingly called her a lush, of course. (Drunk Marten has, historically, made terrible decisions. But he does look adorable in his worry-hat)

This is not the same as him being an underachieving doormat.

He does have the notable flaw that sometimes he finds it hard to assert his own desires. This is an independent issue to his desire to help and support others, but the two do intermix. It can be hard to see where one aspect begins and one ends, but the simplest way to put it is: It begins where it helps his friends and ends when it hurts Marten. He's still trying to find that balance, and at times he has shown noticeable improvement. His dates with Claire, and how he's handling his new relationship, is lightyears ahead of what strip 1 Professional Indie Ogler Marten would have been capable of. That's character development.

Pointedly, though, I'm pretty sure even Marten himself would disagree with you calling him an underachiever. Right now he pays his bills, he does his job well - much to his own surprise, at times - and he's happy. That last one's important.

Sure, the idea of being in this same place in twenty years scares the crap out of him, but at the moment he has no idea what more he wants to work towards than 'be a guitarist in a band'. So what more is there for him to achieve? All he really seems to want out of life is what he has now... or being a rockstar capable of delivering orgasms with a power chord, either way.

It wouldn't even be unrealistic in my eyes for Marten's character arc to be that he comes to peace with the idea of living his life in this 'rut', surrounded by the friends that give his life meaning, and to realize that is his achievement. That he's happy and he makes the people around him strive to be better. Not all success is measured with dollars and decimal points.[1]

In fact, he's even taking steps towards that end, as much as Claire has rocked his world with armour-piercing questions.

You have to ignore literally everything about what makes Marten who he is to only think of him as an underachieving doormat.

[1] I have no idea what he'd do with more money anyway. Buy more guitars, probably.

EDIT: Addendum - Heraclitus once said that the Oxen is happy when it finds a patch of bitter vetch to eat, but that is not happiness we should aspire to.

Dude was famously miserable. Fuck that noise. If Marten's bitter vetch just so happens to be the mutual love and support of those around him, let the dude be happy doing what he does.

[FilliamHMuffman]

The cure is for her and Faye to talk and say 'sorry' to each other. Unfortunately, neither of them are ready for that yet.

Dora has nothing to be sorry about. The arguments defending Faye or bashing Dora are borderline comedic at this point.

[Thrillho]

The cure is for her and Faye to talk and say 'sorry' to each other. Unfortunately, neither of them are ready for that yet.

Dora has nothing to be sorry about. The arguments defending Faye or bashing Dora are borderline comedic at this point.

I wouldn't necessarily go that far - although I find some of the criticisms of Dora as a person quite alarming personally, not as a mod - but I would say you're correct that Dora has SFA to be apologising for. Her employee showed up drunk and lied about it, she's done nothing wrong whatsoever. Honestly, I would say given the situation Faye is currently in Dora is actually better serving Faye by being just her friend and not her boss as well.

[Oilman]

Eeeerrrrrrmmmmmmm........ yeah, but no. Marten actually reminds me a good deal of my elder son, who ambled along doing not very much until suddenly, and to no-one's surprise but his own, reality overtook him and he had to grow up a lot, very quickly. He's doing pretty well now but the change is very big and very obvious.

_{<mod>Off topic portion removed</mod>}

[BenRG]

The cure is for her and Faye to talk and say 'sorry' to each other. Unfortunately, neither of them are ready for that yet.

Dora has nothing to be sorry about.

She can be sorry that Faye is hurting. She can be sorry that she had a role, active and passive, no matter how unintentionally, in that. Sorry that she didn't make sure her friend, Faye, got home safely and that someone was making sure she didn't do anything stupid (because the first thing that jumps into someone's mind in this situations is: 'I should have known this would happen'). This would be as much for Dora's healing as Faye's.

[FilliamHMuffman]

She can be sorry that Faye is hurting. She can be sorry that she had a role, active and passive, no matter how unintentionally, in that. Sorry that she didn't make sure her friend, Faye, got home safely and that someone was making sure she didn't do anything stupid (because the first thing that jumps into someone's mind in this situations is: 'I should have known this would happen'). This would be as much for Dora's healing as Faye's.

Faye is hurting because Faye refused to help herself and then refused to consider Dora by drinking while working for her. Saying Dora had a 'role' is like saying an individual has a role when they are being mugged. Basically you think Dora should have treated Faye like a child and cater to her when Faye was putting Dora's business in jeopardy. The more I hear about people talking about Faye 'hurting' the more condescending it sounds. She is an individual and treating her otherwise strips away her agency.

[BenRG]

Basically you think Dora should have treated Faye like a child and cater to her when Faye was putting Dora's business in jeopardy.

No, I'm saying that Dora believes she should have acted more proactively and is feeling guilty as a result. Saying sorry, even if by your objective assessment she hasn't done anything wrong, would be good for her emotional health.

[Thrillho]

Faye is hurting because Faye refused to help herself and then refused to consider Dora by drinking while working for her.

Genuine question. You ever known any addicts? Any depressives? Or anybody that has problems that, while at the root cause perhaps related to bad decisions they have made, is having issues beyond their control?

In other news:

Global Moderator Comment

Oilman, I'm still in two minds over whether to cut that post out entirely or just edit it to remove the more objectionable elements, but regardless what you were saying is absolutely irrelevant to this slice-o'-life comic that we're all discussing, so drop the immigration aspect of this discussion now.

[FilliamHMuffman]

Basically you think Dora should have treated Faye like a child and cater to her when Faye was putting Dora's business in jeopardy.

No, I'm saying that Dora believes she should have acted more proactively and is feeling guilty as a result. Saying sorry, even if by your objective assessment she hasn't done anything wrong, would be good for her emotional health.

Sure, i can agree with that, if you put it that way. I thought you were inferring that Dora was partly responsible, not solely that she might feel so.

[Oilman]

You may as well remove it, because I can't see how it could be edited without altering the sense materially.

Marten reminds me quite a lot of my elder son at one stage, before reality overtook him and he had to grow up quite a lot, quite quickly. I don't much care for it but it's quite an accurate character in some ways

[Antsan]

Say, is there a way to let Jeph know that today's comic is borked?
While it shows just fine at http://questionablecontent.net/ it doesn't at http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2886# where the image adress ends in .jpg instead of .png

[FilliamHMuffman]

Faye is hurting because Faye refused to help herself and then refused to consider Dora by drinking while working for her.

Genuine question. You ever known any addicts? Any depressives? Or anybody that has problems that, while at the root cause perhaps related to bad decisions they have made, is having issues beyond their control?

Yes. But while you might have issues out of your control, your response to it is. I would be more lenient if this was a sudden collapse, but this has really been panning out for a while, and Faye has had many opportunities to prevent this. I remember an old strip where marten of all people made a quip about her drinking and she got mad instead of understanding where it was coming from. She has supportive friends and has even gone to a therapist. Is she still going? Doesn't look like it, even though it was clear she had many issues to work through. Just her demeanor to begin with is toxic, she insults people and while it was simply a device for comedy early on, it is now just sad to revisit. I really have no sympathy for a character that has made what little progress over the past ten years in spite of herself not because of herself. Or maybe this is just because Dora was always my favorite character. It's only a comic, so I shouldn't get so worked up.

[Thrillho]

Yes. But while you might have issues out of your control, your response to it is.

Not always.

I would be more lenient if this was a sudden collapse, but this has really been panning out for a while, and Faye has had many opportunities to prevent this. I remember an old strip where marten of all people made a quip about her drinking and she got mad instead of understanding where it was coming from. She has supportive friends and has even gone to a therapist. Is she still going? Doesn't look like it, even though it was clear she had many issues to work through. Just her demeanor to begin with is toxic, she insults people and while it was simply a device for comedy early on, it is now just sad to revisit. I really have no sympathy for a character that has made what little progress over the past ten years in spite of herself not because of herself. Or maybe this is just because Dora was always my favorite character. It's only a comic, so I shouldn't get so worked up.

Ten years in real time. In comic time? Way, way less. We'd all do well to remember that while Jeph has been writing this for well over a decade, the characters in the comic have only been associating for like a couple of years. And problems like this are often much more complex a matter than simply having lots of supportive friends.

[hedgie]

Poor Faye, poor Dora, and Marten and Hanners.  They're all hurting right now. 

[pwhodges]

Say, is there a way to let Jeph know that today's comic is borked?

His email address is on the contact page; he reads it.

[bartman]

Yes. But while you might have issues out of your control, your response to it is.

Not always. I've been diagnosed as depressed in the past after hurting myself, and while I took all the right steps in going to a doctor as soon as I realised what I had done, if I was in control of my response to feeling depressed then perhaps I wouldn't have hurt myself in the first place because, y'know, hurting yourself hurts.

I would be more lenient if this was a sudden collapse, but this has really been panning out for a while, and Faye has had many opportunities to prevent this. I remember an old strip where marten of all people made a quip about her drinking and she got mad instead of understanding where it was coming from. She has supportive friends and has even gone to a therapist. Is she still going? Doesn't look like it, even though it was clear she had many issues to work through. Just her demeanor to begin with is toxic, she insults people and while it was simply a device for comedy early on, it is now just sad to revisit. I really have no sympathy for a character that has made what little progress over the past ten years in spite of herself not because of herself. Or maybe this is just because Dora was always my favorite character. It's only a comic, so I shouldn't get so worked up.

I think its clear that something isn't right with Faye that points to a gap of some sort in her therapy needs but are we assuming that if it didn't happen 'on screen' then it didn't happen at all? I tend to think that the characters in a comic or TV show or whatever have perfectly normal lives and we're only being shown the interesting stuff. Just because Faye hasn't been shown to brush her teeth in the comic strip every single day doesn't mean she rarely brushes her teeth. Just because Faye hasn't been shown in therapy doesn't mean she's stopped going. Yes she could have but equally she could still be going and its just not helping, or she's being dishonest about part of her feelings with her therapist and therefore not being helped with those issues, or whatever.

[Japheree]

Eeeerrrrrrmmmmmmm........ yeah, but no. Marten actually reminds me a good deal of my elder son, who ambled along doing not very much until suddenly, and to no-one's surprise but his own, reality overtook him and he had to grow up a lot, very quickly. He's doing pretty well now but the change is very big and very obvious.

Ah the old grow up trope. Pathetic recourse to belittling people with different views.

There is nothing immature whatsoever in recognising that you can't go on being a high achiever and that you need to take a step back. Nor does such a move mean you are abrogating your responsibilities as an adult. Marten has a stable job and to use a horrible phrase, a pretty good work life balance. He isn't rich but he also has no need to be since he has no significant expenditures. He has no plans for kids and for all we know may not even want them. He probably couldn't afford a house, even if he earned potloads because people of my generation are realising we have been pretty shafted in that regard and are, healthily, readjusting to different circumstances.

I don't know your circumstances, I don't care, frankly but to assume you know the answers to how everyone chooses to live their lives. To presume you are more mature than people who do not follow the path you do is the height of arrogance. Me? I've been to hell and back and I know the value of happiness and 'immaturity'. If things work out well for Faye, she is going to learn this too.

The is no more sour, bitter person than he who looks on at happy people and gleefully tells themselves that 'one day they will have to grow up'.

[Method of Madness]

I won't say she will or even should, but putting off officially firing Faye means Dora has the chance to change her mind if she so chooses.

[pwhodges]

Some people have mentioned an option for employers to offer some extension of insurance as part of the severance.  Wouldn't that have been a more honest way to deal with this, if it's applicable?

[DillyDolly]

Is it just me, or is part of this thread better off in DISCUSS?

The discussion has generally remained sufficiently in touch with the comic and its characters and matters arising, so I don't think its worth the confusion of trying to split it up.


Also, those suggesting that Dora would have done better to use Marten to pass her message forget that he is currently glued to Faye's bedside, so Dora couldn't give him a message without facing Faye in any case.

Yes, it has deadly venomous creatures—BUT—I think it was actually safer to live in during Colonial times than—say—New England was to English settlers. Look at how many English settlers croaked when they first came to the US and you have to wonder what they were thinking (aside from running away from England because they were Puritan fanatics).

[plusorminus]

Ten years in real time. In comic time? Way, way less. We'd all do well to remember that while Jeph has been writing this for well over a decade, the characters in the comic have only been associating for like a couple of years. And problems like this are often much more complex a matter than simply having lots of supportive friends.

While I agree with your latter point, I can't co-sign your former. I and others posted relevant strips where Dora, Marten, Hannelore and even Sven discussed Faye's very real drinking problem and disturbingly close shuffle into alcoholism. So it isn't as if Faye's issue of drinking overmuch just manifested itself during the Angus arc. It has been present a long time, and there had been efforts made to try to help Faye get off the sauce. It was her choice to tell Dr. Corinne that she didn't want to take anti-depressants to do so. So I think that Filliam does have a point that this has been unfolding for quite some time and that Faye had a support system in place, including her therapist, and that people probably relaxed around her when Angus came on the scene and her drinking lessened, but didn't stop completely. Didn't Angus come back from his first interview to a drunken Faye? When Veronica had decided to visit in order to meet Jim? I can't remember if Faye had been drinking or not, but I recall that Angus was not best pleased with her and it ended with Hanners, off screen, screaming at all of them.

Anyway, point. I adore Dora, but I do think she could have handled this aspect a bit better. No, she should not have gone into Faye. She was being respectful of the situation in that regard. And I don't even have too much of a problem of her asking Hanners to be her go-between. I think it's obvious that at least Hannelore and Marten know Faye has been fired, so it's not like Dora was betraying any secrets.

However, I think that telling Hannelore to tell Faye that she wouldn't be "officially fired" until after the insurance kicked in was a bit ... not good. She could have just told Hanners to say that Faye wouldn't have to worry about the hospital visit, it would be covered. I think Dora does feel guilty, but I also think she is a bit angry. She doesn't want to be dealing with losing a friend like this and I think that she felt she had no choice. I honestly feel that Dora internalizes a lot and takes what she perceives to be a lot of shit and then blows up. I never got the sense that she told off any of the girls who befriended her solely to get a chance to bone Sven, or any of the "Alpha-Goths" who Sven said treated her like shit. She certainly didn't stand up to Marten when he balked at moving in with her without Faye, and she sort of hand-waved Faye's abrasive behavior even more so after strip 500. And now she's being painted as the bad guy, at least in her own mind.

I do think this is the last we'll see of Dora for quite some time. Marten will likely avoid CoD for the forseeable, and so will Claire. Hanners may quit. Dale and Marigold can exist in their own arc. Penny and Cosette don't really have any of their own, and I can count on two hands the number of times Tai has been in CoD since she and Dora hooked up. Sad, really, but inevitable, I guess. 

[Oilman]

I don't believe my son planned any part of what took place over a period of about two years. Changed his life completely, greatly increased his responsibilities, fored him into a completely unforeseen career change.... he's undoubtedly happier now but he had no understanding at all of any of that, until it happened.

[Oilman]

oh, and +10 points for Penelope, for being the only one to just get completely fed up with Faye's BS quite some time ago ( when she called Faye out over the commission for the second Espresso-rex)

[DillyDolly]

The cure is for her and Faye to talk and say 'sorry' to each other. Unfortunately, neither of them are ready for that yet.

Dora has nothing to be sorry about. The arguments defending Faye or bashing Dora are borderline comedic at this point.

Discussing character flaws (including poor choices) is not bashing—even if the characters are beloved. I've only seen a couple people actively bash either of them.

[jwhouk]

All right. My US$0.02.

What we have here is an intersection of two damaged persons interacting at a point where anyone who doesn't know background and the persons involved would say was a rational decision.

Faye, with her PTSD and abandonment issues, coupled with the alcohol and at least one possible suicide attempt under her belt, and her recent breakup that triggered all of those within the space of (see AprilArcus).

Dora, with her family issues (Parents who were "not present" in her life, an older brother who she saw as seemingly "savant-like" that she resents to the point of "cutting him out" of her life) and a business that she had allowed, if not encouraged, to run the ragged edge of decency at times.

Faye, it turns out, was the steamer that went over the edge of Niagara Falls. Dora, it turns out, is cutting Faye out of her life in a manner similar to how she decided she would with Sven.

In the end, though, who's making the worse decision - Faye, hitting the bottle so hard she ends up in the hospital, or Dora, cutting everyone of any sort of importance in her life out of it until all she has left is... what?

[DillyDolly]

I don't believe my son planned any part of what took place over a period of about two years. Changed his life completely, greatly increased his responsibilities, fored him into a completely unforeseen career change.... he's undoubtedly happier now but he had no understanding at all of any of that, until it happened.

You're son changed because he was ready to grow be it in his personality or having an awesome parent who taught him responsibility at some key point of his life that reach him later (I'm a young parent who likes to believe these things still ).

Not all people who drift around like that become that way though—even when they say they've learned from certain experiences. I know/knew someone very closely who was so much like Marten when he was younger. He was my boss at a library when I was a student and he's still there. Unfortunately, things still *happen* to him, and they aren't always good, and it's really painful to see because I care about him and want to see him happy as we grow older (we've been friends for over 20 years).

Edit - I'm sure that's not what Jeph plans for Marten as he seems to keep things light-hearted (even at darker times like this) and given his characters growth. Though if he didn't I'd still read. I <3 QC.

[NilsO]

I do think this is the last we'll see of Dora for quite some time. Marten will likely avoid CoD for the forseeable, and so will Claire. Hanners may quit. Dale and Marigold can exist in their own arc. Penny and Cosette don't really have any of their own, and I can count on two hands the number of times Tai has been in CoD since she and Dora hooked up. Sad, really, but inevitable, I guess. 

I do not think Dora will be written out of the series as a bitter and friendless person. CoD and Dora may lose significance in the series, but there are still interactions. Several of the "main cast" still work there, and as long as the Tai/Dora relationship holds, I guess Dora will appear in the series. Hopefully, given time, Dora and Faye can be reconciled as friends, and Faye may even visit CoD as a customer. But Faye getting her job back is highly improbable.

[bhtooefr]

It's worth noting that Marten doesn't want to stay where he is in life right now, FWIW.

[DillyDolly]

I do think this is the last we'll see of Dora for quite some time. Marten will likely avoid CoD for the forseeable, and so will Claire. Hanners may quit. Dale and Marigold can exist in their own arc. Penny and Cosette don't really have any of their own, and I can count on two hands the number of times Tai has been in CoD since she and Dora hooked up. Sad, really, but inevitable, I guess. 

I do not think Dora will be written out of the series as a bitter and friendless person. CoD and Dora may lose significance in the series, but there are still interactions. Several of the "main cast" still work there, and as long as the Tai/Dora relationship holds, I guess Dora will appear in the series. Hopefully, given time, Dora and Faye can be reconciled as friends, and Faye may even visit CoD as a customer. But Faye getting her job back is highly improbable.

I agree with both of the points. It's been building up to it, too, as we've seen more and more of the library cast—as well as Marigold's and Dale's story.

[snubnose]

I dont think Faye qualifies as an alcoholic quite yet, even if of course she's on the road to that.

I'd say Faye's qualified as an alcoholic for well over a thousand strips.

By the time you're putting yourself in the hospital by drinking because you were fired from your job for drinking, you're generally well into alcoholism.

I disagree, Faye drank so much because of her breakup with Angus.

An alcoholic, to me, is somebody who drinks constantly, not somebody who drinks too much because of an immediate and current reason.

[MrNumbers]

It's worth noting that Marten doesn't want to stay where he is in life right now, FWIW.

Pointedly aware. I did bring up the notion that since he doesn't have anything more to aspire to, really, what might change for him is a new appreciation and contentedness with his lot rather than a drive to achieve a 'higher' goal, just because he thinks he should do more than he is right now.

Or he might look at Claire a few years down the road, assuming they last that long, and say "Fuck it, wanna adopt?"

Funny thought; Claire might be earning more as a research librarian by that point, and might push Marten to be a stay-at-home-dad.

Gah! I've fallen down the wild speculation rabbit hole! This is like TVTropes, but inside my own head! Urge to write fanfiction... rising... must... resist...

[plusorminus]

I do think this is the last we'll see of Dora for quite some time. Marten will likely avoid CoD for the forseeable, and so will Claire. Hanners may quit. Dale and Marigold can exist in their own arc. Penny and Cosette don't really have any of their own, and I can count on two hands the number of times Tai has been in CoD since she and Dora hooked up. Sad, really, but inevitable, I guess. 

I do not think Dora will be written out of the series as a bitter and friendless person. CoD and Dora may lose significance in the series, but there are still interactions. Several of the "main cast" still work there, and as long as the Tai/Dora relationship holds, I guess Dora will appear in the series. Hopefully, given time, Dora and Faye can be reconciled as friends, and Faye may even visit CoD as a customer. But Faye getting her job back is highly improbable.

I agree with both of the points. It's been building up to it, too, as we've seen more and more of the library cast—as well as Marigold's and Dale's story.

Yes, exactly. I think that Dora will be demoted to "recurring." We'll see her a bit more than we see, say, Steve and/or Cossette, but much less than we'll see Faye, Marten & Claire (and possibly Emily & Clinton), Hanners, and Marigold & Dale. IMO, the strip is moving into a new phase. Marten has a new girlfriend and Faye no longer works at CoD. They are still the strip's main characters so the action will necessarily take place where they are in their lives now.

[DillyDolly]

I dont think Faye qualifies as an alcoholic quite yet, even if of course she's on the road to that.

I'd say Faye's qualified as an alcoholic for well over a thousand strips.

By the time you're putting yourself in the hospital by drinking because you were fired from your job for drinking, you're generally well into alcoholism.

I disagree, Faye drank so much because of her breakup with Angus.

An alcoholic, to me, is somebody who drinks constantly, not somebody who drinks too much because of an immediate and current reason.

Yeah, but what is the timeline? I thought they broke up quite a while ago. It's not like he left and the next night she got alcohol poisoning. Besides that, I think it's a really bad sign when anyone beyond "college age" gets that drunk—especially when they are doing it for emotional reasons (versus partying too hard). Faye has even hinted at having drinking problems before. I believe she is an alcoholic or is at least on the path to being one.

[DillyDolly]

It's worth noting that Marten doesn't want to stay where he is in life right now, FWIW.

Pointedly aware. I did bring up the notion that since he doesn't have anything more to aspire to, really, what might change for him is a new appreciation and contentedness with his lot rather than a drive to achieve a 'higher' goal, just because he thinks he should do more than he is right now.

Or he might look at Claire a few years down the road, assuming they last that long, and say "Fuck it, wanna adopt?"

Funny thought; Claire might be earning more as a research librarian by that point, and might push Marten to be a stay-at-home-dad.

Gah! I've fallen down the wild speculation rabbit hole! This is like TVTropes, but inside my own head! Urge to write fanfiction... rising... must... resist...

Librarians usually don't make tons of $$$. It's not poverty level, but it isn't a ton considering they have to be in school longer (you need a Masters of Library Science). It wouldn't be simple for two people to live on that kind of budget unless one of them was working part-time at home—though that could happen—especially if Marten and Claire fostered-to-adopt. And let's face it, if they would probably have to go the foster route as private adoption is scary expensive.

Edit - Quick question to seasoned forumnites or the mod - Are we breaking the shipping rule if we talk about the very distant future of characters who are already together? I doubt it, but just want to make sure.

[BenRG]

Yeah, but what is the timeline?

Amazingly, Faye and Angus had their last argument and went their separate ways only about a week ago, in-comic time.

[Beroli]

No one drinks constantly (and when Faye started actually doing so she quickly wound up in the hospital, demonstrating that that definition of "alcoholic" would make "life expectancy of a week" part of the definition of an alcoholic!).

Is Faye addicted to alcohol? Debatable, I guess.
Does Faye drink when her words indicate she would prefer she wasn't drinking? Yes.
Does Faye drink to the detriment of her health, personal relationships, and social standing? Most definitely yes.

So yes, she's an alcoholic--and has been established as one since the first comic where someone suggested she shouldn't take a drink and she deflected with humor and did so anyway, a very long time ago. She's usually a high-functioning alcoholic. Like my father-in-law (who maintained both a career as a lawyer and his drinking habit for decades). Since Angus got the job she's started being a low-functioning alcoholic--kind of like my father-in-law when the court told him that, in two weeks, he needed to have a device attached to his steering wheel that would give him a Breathalyzer test whenever he tried to start the car and prevent the car from starting if he failed it, and he set out to cram the next 20 years of drunkenness into those two weeks.

[Zebediah]

Yeah, but what is the timeline?

Amazingly, Faye and Angus had their last argument and went their separate ways only about a week ago, in-comic time.

According to the calculations of AprilArcus, our resident time cop, Angus and Faye split on Sunday September 3, and Dora fired Faye on Thursday September 7. Which would make the current strip take place on Friday September 8.

Hell, it's only been since Friday September 1 that Sven told Faye he loved her. She's had one hell of a week.

[Schwungrad]

An alcoholic, to me, is somebody who drinks constantly, not somebody who drinks too much because of an immediate and current reason.

Alcoholism is about a person's relation to alcohol consumption, the role alcohol plays in their life, not the amount or frequency of consumption.

No one drinks constantly (and when Faye started actually doing so she quickly wound up in the hospital, demonstrating that that definition of "alcoholic" would make "life expectancy of a week" part of the definition of an alcoholic!).

There's such things like habituation, and there are indeed a lot of people who drink regularly during the day so they always stay slightly drunk.

[lummo]

I gotta give up on lurking this forum- I don't really enjoy the speculation that much, and some of the silly arguing is just silly. But it's become a guilty pleasure this week, what with "current developments" and the fact that I'm home with a NASTY cold these past few days.

I've been a fan of QC for years now. Read one, went back to the beginning and got the warm fuzzies seeing how much the art had improved. The story reminds me rather a bit of my own twenty something years - working in bookstores and libraries, playing in bands, hanging out in bars, waiting for friends at the ER - all that good stuff. Jeph captures it well, and I have to figure that anyone for whom the characters don't ring true simply hasn't lived in that sort of place. 

Really, I'm posting to let you all know - Oily is just trolling, and he might not even know it. He might even think he's doing some good.

As a musician who...isn't famous, I've been on the receiving end of browbeatings from supposedly well intentioned people to the effect of "You'll have to grow up someday".  Hasn't happened yet and I'm in my  fifties. A large number of my friends - artists, writers, and musicians stashed all over this world - are in the same boat. I'd rather be on that boat than any other.

The "grownups" are pretty much ruining the world. The empty schoolyard bullies with nothing to do but what they are "supposed to do" are the ones who "grow up".  It's sad that they have to try to spread the disorder.

[Pilchard123]

Growing older is compulsory.
Growing up is optional.

[Halloween Jack]

Everybody needs a bear.

[Pilchard123]

A bare what?

[ramses]

Is Faye addicted to alcohol? Debatable, I guess.

Should be interesting to hear the points against that idea.

[The previous two comics with Faye showed her drinking and hungover, respectively. Not sure about the timeline.]
Faye comes into work with alcohol, asks if she can drink it and is told that no. There is a discussion about the reasons for her excessive drinking.
Faye returns home and gets drunk.
Faye wakes up hungover, and immediately continues drinking - from a fresh bottle that she had in bed, apparently.
Faye then shows up to work - still hungover, presumably, and already drunk again.
Faye continues to drink at work, gets found out, gets fired.
Faye is next seen unconscious on the couch.

She has been drinking pretty much all of the time for a few days; and was drunk for potentially most of her waking hours for the last two of these days. She drank to be drunk. she drank in secret.

I am sure a few more minutes of thought and I'll find more indicators of plain alcoholism.

[DillyDolly]

Everybody needs a bear.

Maybe two or three or more. Is there such thing as a teddy bear hoarder?

[DillyDolly]

Yeah, but what is the timeline?

Amazingly, Faye and Angus had their last argument and went their separate ways only about a week ago, in-comic time.

According to the calculations of AprilArcus, our resident time cop, Angus and Faye split on Sunday September 3, and Dora fired Faye on Thursday September 7. Which would make the current strip take place on Friday September 8.

Hell, it's only been since Friday September 1 that Sven told Faye he loved her. She's had one hell of a week.

For some reason, that seems kind of fast...but then maybe that's because I'm lumping in the entire Faye-Angus NY arc. It seems her drinking problems amplified as soon as he was considering leaving.