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Just how many poop 'jokes' can you fit into five strips without it seeming repetitive?

A sequence of five single-panel breakfast dioramas (more cereal for everyone!)

A whole week of Marten, Claire and Faye sitting on the couch and discussing indie music (with bonus Pintsize Hijinx)

Faye and Bubbles talking about nothing in particular whilst fixing Punchbot (again)

Buttrocket makes a spectacular return and several nice men from the NSA are annoyed!

Dora and Tai domesticity including hints about the new library interns

Steve meets up with Emily and Clinton to tell them that he is Emily's government-provided bodyguard

Future!Emily reveals that Sam is the Prophecied Saviour of the World!

Claire and her Woodland Friends debut their new Disney-esque theme song

Jeph does his own 'character profiles' (like the robot guides) for the main cast

Other (specify in post please!)

[BenRG]

Jeph may or may not to do his usual 'one strip per night' thing this week as he has to get ready for Calgary Expo. Sometimes, this can lead to some unique ideas and highly sequential strip sequences as Jeph is writing and drawing many strips in quick succession.

So, here's a chance for you to come up with something completely wild or completely... Jeph. I've tried to cover as wide a scale of options as I can. Feel free to vote 'Other' add your own ideas! What would I like...? Well, I know that Jeph likes RPGs. I wonder if he's ever thought of doing 'Character Sheets' for Marten, Faye, Hannelore, Dora and Claire?

[Kugai]

Corpse Witch visits her Government Handler - Agent Turing

[Zebediah]

Yes, because Corpse Witch is actually training robot assassins for the government. That's why the fight club has never been shut down.

[cesium133]

Corpse Witch is actually Vespavenger, after the unfortunate accident with the Robotifier.

[jheartney]

Future!Emily reveals that Sam is the Prophecied Saviour of the World!

Nonsense. Punchbot is obviously the Kwisatz Haderach. His uncontrollable punching is the aftereffect of his punch arm's encounter with the Gom Jabbar. This means both Corpse Witch and Bubbles are part of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, and CW is probably a Reverend Mother.

[comicalArchitect]

Vespavenger determines that Emily is a threat to world security, and comes to assassinate her. Clinnnn-ton has to prove himself a hero and defeat her.

[mustang6172]

Didn't Emily start working at CoD before the time jump?  Is Clin-ton not on Facebook?  Worst stalker ever!

[Method of Madness]

Maybe he's just stopped his stalking ways after being tied up and told to stop his stalking ways.

Also wow, they never went on a second date? Hopefully they do soon, and also I hope Clin-ton survives.

[Gladstone]

Didn't Emily start working at CoD before the time jump?  Is Clin-ton not on Facebook?  Worst stalker ever!

Yeah, that's the weird thing about this jump.  Several months have passed, but it feels like everyone was in stasis.  Did nobody interact with each other at all?  Faye and Dora, Sam and Faye, Veronica and Jim and Sam, Clin-ton and Emily...I mean, Clinton apparently not knowing that Emily was working at CoD for the past few months is one thing, but Sam not trying to hang out with Faye, Veronica waiting several months to ask to move in with Jim (when their relationship progressed so quickly in the beginning), hell, even Pintsize and Claire getting to know each other, all these little stories that have happened after the jump feel really weird.  Apparently the only change that happened during the jump was Claire becoming a TA.  Everyone else must've been in a coma or something.

[mustang6172]

As I think about it further, I find more plot hole.  Since Clin-ton is too timid to ask for a second date, why hasn't Emily asked for a second date?  She appeared to have a good time on the first date and doesn't seem at all shy.

[cesium133]

She's too scatterbrained to remember she had a first date. Either that, or she thinks she scared him off.

[MrNumbers]

Clinton looks sexy when he's angry in the fourth panel.

... what? He does.

[DonInKansas]

Fancy Clinton is fancy.

[Nepiophage]

Corpse Witch visits her Government Handler - Agent Turing

While Steve is ordered by his DKYA superior to stop investigating the robofighting ciub. You can write the rest of the arc from there -- though the thought of Steve with Faye is a bit unbelievable . .

[BenRG]

So, indecision, thy name is Clinton Augustus! From what Claire says, he really wants a second date with Emily but he keeps on talking himself out of asking or finding excuses not to do so. Emily, meanwhile, retains her cute, otherworldly innocence.

Now, is it me or can the Augustus siblings not be on the same panel without pushing, shoving and arguing?

Since Clin-ton is too timid to ask for a second date, why hasn't Emily asked for a second date?

It might be cultural conditioning that women don't make the first move. Alternatively, she might genuinely not understand the concept of a 'second date'!

Of course, it would also be plausible if she interpreted Clinton's zealous avoidance of her as meaning that he isn't interested in her.

[SubaruStephen]

Yet another cute Claireface. 

[Timemaster]

Yay, Emily & Clinton. 

I find it a bit strange, too, that their relationship (or however you want to call it) hasn´t moved on since the time jump. And that he doesn´t know she´s working at CoD. 200 strips and several months with no interaction is a long time. But on the other side now we´ll be able to witness how things will continue between the two.
I think that is worth this little plothole.

TM

[Kugai]

Well if you won't get up the gumption to ask Emily out again Clin-ton, I guess it was up to Claire to make you make a move.

[foolsguinea]

I'm going backwards through the comic reading the little lines of text at the bottom. I just noticed that there's one every day.

[USS Martenclaire]

Mrrrr. I see quite a lot of myself in Clinton. I struggle a lot with the concept of someone being romantically interested in me. So while I would be annoyed in Clinton's position, I think I would also be quite grateful as well as I'm too clueless/lacking in confidence to be so direct.

[Kugai]

Shouldn't take you long then foolsguinea.  I don't think Jeph started doing that more than three or four months ago.

[Ysobel]

Just to remind, Clin-ton & Emily did have another Claire-set-up encounter (though not a 'second date', as in silly American sit-com conventions :j) after their first date, in the doggy park. Starting #2992 and culminating in the epic #2999 strip.
They also went to CoD and she clearly wasn't yet on banana-hammer duty then.

[ThePerilsOfDan]

I'm going backwards through the comic reading the little lines of text at the bottom. I just noticed that there's one every day.

aw, damn, now why did you go and do that?  I had lots of things I planned to do today.

seriously, I'm pissed at myself for not noticing that before.  I mean I think I've seen a couple of them but didn't know there was one for every day.

[ThePerilsOfDan]

Shouldn't take you long then foolsguinea.  I don't think Jeph started doing that more than three or four months ago.

Phew, that's good to know

[ThePerilsOfDan]

I, for purely selfish reasons, would almost like another time-jump to warmer weather as it is late April IRL and seeing the characters in winter clothing gives me a sad.

[Neko_Ali]

It is possible that Emily doesn't much care one way or another about dating in general, or Clin-ton in particular. While Claire and Clinton are doing the almost stereotypical 'trying to hook up my sibling' routine, Emily is to busy making banana smoothies with a mallet, using caffeine to set her mind in motion and knitting sweaters using non-Euclidean mathematics. Romance is just something that isn't on her mind.

[Endellion]

I was wondering whether Clin-ton and Emily were 'hanging out' still, it seems that he hasn't got around to asking her yet.

[Zebediah]

Emily is possibly the only woman on the planet who wouldn't find anything at all strange or insulting about Clinton waiting so long to ask her out again.

Emily's mind moves in mysterious ways.

[thedevilissix]

I somehow see a fancy dress party in their future where they dress up as John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Can't imagine why 
It's certainly fascinating that Emily's not really fussed about there being no followup - it'd be refreshing to be that oblivious at times, if you'll forgive my projection!
I voted in the poll for MartenClaireFaye indie snarks. I miss these.

[chaospersonified]

I voted in the poll for MartenClaireFaye indie snarks. I miss these.

You are not the only one...

[Laura]

♫ you gotta set him up whoop oh rye ow ♫

[Perfectly Reasonable]

The expressions of the siblings are delightful. Especially in the last panel.
Also more Emily!

[Tova]

It is possible that Emily doesn't much care one way or another about dating in general, or Clin-ton in particular. While Claire and Clinton are doing the almost stereotypical 'trying to hook up my sibling' routine, Emily is to busy making banana smoothies with a mallet, using caffeine to set her mind in motion and knitting sweaters using non-Euclidean mathematics. Romance is just something that isn't on her mind.

Looks like it's more or less this.

I suppose that deals with the plot hole speculation.

[Nepiophage]

I'm feeling nearly as crushed and disappointed as Clinton   

[mustang6172]

And then the ship sank.  The end.

[TheEvilDog]

And for her next magic trick, Claire will stick both her feet into her mouth while frantically chasing her brother down the street.

[Loki]

Ohgodamn.
This situation hits close to home. Working up the to ask someone out, while being convinced it will surely go well... Having one's hopes crushed with one sentence... that feeling really sucks.

[BenRG]

The old proverb is: "He who hesitates is lost". Clinton, old pal, you hesitated and you lost, at least this round. This is what indecision and not striking when the iron is hot always gets you! I hope that he's not going to blame Claire for this. She's been pushing him to act on this pretty consistently from what we've seen; Clinton just didn't take her advice and now he's reaping the harvest that he'd sown!

Still, Emily didn't say he was dumped, only that she didn't have the time for anything formal. So, he and she can still hang out at lunchtime and the like, if he's willing to make that effort.

Th viability of this ship really has always depended on whether Clinton was brave enough to act. We'll see how things go forwards from here!

[Tova]

Well, the tactic of simply popping in for a coffee on a regular basis to say hi does have a successful* precedent...

* Well, initially successful... 

[anahata]

This situation hits close to home. Working up the to ask someone out, while being convinced it will surely go well... Having one's hopes crushed with one sentence... that feeling really sucks.

Poor Clinton.
Oh yes - been there, done that. Haven't we all?

More often never getting the courage to  even ask - and then much later in life, finding out that being rejected is actually less painful than spending the rest of your life regretting missed opportunities.

The worst for Clinton would be if, having declared she has no time for dates, Emily suddenly got into a very public romance with somebody else. I don't think Jeph would go there, though.

[pwhodges]

Still, Emily didn't say he was dumped, only that she didn't have the time for anything formal. So, he and she can still hang out at lunchtime and the like, if he's willing to make that effort.

Indeed, she showed every sign that she was happy he was there (though maybe she's never unhappy about anything?).

[Kugai]

One can only feel sorry for Clinton.

[MrNumbers]

The problems with being a shipper, yo, Claire?

[Doc]

No problems whatsoever here. Because between work and school there's always bedtime!

[War Sparrow]

Good on Emily for knowing where she stands, time management wise. Instead of juggling dating, work, and school, she has identified her priorities and knows what she needs to do to balance them.

[swapna]

Good on Emily for knowing where she stands, time management wise. Instead of juggling dating, work, and school, she has identified her priorities and knows what she needs to do to balance them.

Yeah! She might be a genius who will further science by miles by making a sweater, but it makes a lot of sense that she has to work hard for it.

Clintons reaction is better than last time, I guess! This time, he accepts that the lady declines and doesn't stalk her! And he didn't even try to find out where she lived or worked for months.

[BenRG]

Well, the tactic of simply popping in for a coffee on a regular basis to say hi does have a successful* precedent...

I don't think that the precedent of Angus and Faye is applicable. The 'stalk at place of work' part worked out for Angus. It was 'turn fascination and mutual amusement into a firm relationship' that made the whole thing collapse.

FWIW, I'm expecting Clinton to get sulky and Claire to be upset. There will probably be at least one strip this week of Claire going to Marten for comfort. Meanwhile, I guarantee that Emily will not understand why Claire is a bit cold around her for the next few days.

[Edit]
Just to expand on my sort-of-prediction for the future of this arc:

Clinton is going to be upset; he does like Emily and this sort-of-rejection will hurt. Being human, he's going to lash out at the closest person to hand, who is Claire. He's going to accuse her of setting him up to fail as some sort of elaborate practical joke and storm off. That will upset Claire who, in her idiosyncratic way, was trying to help him be as happy as she is with Marten. Because of this, I think she'll blame herself but, more significantly the only obvious 'malefactor', namely Emily.

Blaming Emily for anything in this would be self-defeating. I'm not sure she'd even necessarily understand Claire if accused of doing something wrong. However, I can see Claire being a bit cold and formal with her for a while, if only because she loves her brother really and it upset her to see him hurt and for him to blame her for that. In any case, not interacting with Emily probably won't improve Claire's mood; being upset with your best friend never does. It's at that point that someone, probably Marten, will step in, mostly because he can't reconcile Claire's complaints with the Emily he knows and he doesn't want Claire to stay miserable.

Of course, I could have totally misread Emily and, with the same attitude as she manifested in strip 2999, she might instead tell off Claire for accusing her of something that she actually hasn't done. I'm not sure if Claire would lose her temper if told she is being irrational or if the whole thing will end with a tearful reconciliation, likely at the counter in Coffee of Doom, which may lead to Dora asking them to leave such things until Emily is off-shift.

[Radium_Coyote]

This is where one doubles down.  To weave oneself into Emily's self-narration would take a big leap of imagination, but it is possible.

Clinton's up for it, if the last date is anything to go by.  He just needs to figure out how.

[themacnut]

Clinton needs to start asking out other women soon as he can, and forget about the one who rejected him. Easier said than done I know, but the man who doesn't get proactive in the dating arena is doomed to end up alone, since the vast majority of women still don't ask men out.

Plus, a man like Clinton, with his looks and lack of social skills, definitely can't afford to wait around to be asked out; it is highly unlikely to happen.  He also needs to start building up a thick skin and high tolerance for rejection, since he's likely to get it a lot.

[mad hands murphy]

claire is always wrong, lol