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Bust Faye out of jail

8 (11.6%)

Bust Bubbles out of jail

6 (8.7%)

Lock Corpse Witch IN jail

12 (17.4%)

Obtain a fighter jet chassis (or at least a decent drone) for May

5 (7.2%)

Give all Juicy's clothes a Hanners-grade wash

15 (21.7%)

Obtain pie

15 (21.7%)

Obtain tacos (Oops... wrong forum)

5 (7.2%)

Wash the purple monkey's dishes

3 (4.3%)

Total Members Voted: 40

[BenRG]

Guest poll today from Sullivan, who didn't know if they'd be able to make it on time to post it themselves.

Me? Definitely #5. Breaking into Juicy's apartment and making sure that she is clean at last is the sort of revenge that Hannelore would allow herself to have whilst being nearly an undetectable crime!

What about this week's strips? I'm sticking by my prediction last week. We're going to be seeing the fighting arena anew through Faye and Bubbles's suddenly-altered perspectives. It's funny how a slight change of mind can make things that, previously, you were okay with suddenly seem sinister and evil!

Possible twist - Detective Lilac is from the same production batch as Bubbles and the two of them react to each other like long-lost sisters would (in other words, fake cheer and an awkward sense of unease).

[Detachable Felix]

Hanners wouldn't need to pick a lock to bust Bubbles/Faye out of jail. Who needs a lockpick when you have an orbital bombardment app?

[jheartney]

I was always a bit surprised the fighting rink wasn't seen as sinister and evil from the get-go.

On a second look, I'm wondering if we're not reading more villainy into Detective Lilac and Corpse Witch than is there. Lilac leaned on Faye, but it seemed to be more about recruiting an (inside) eye on the place for skulduggery than about being the precursor to a big bust. Similarly, CW could be seen as just reminding Bubbles that her wonderful world could come crashing down just about anytime if bad luck strikes; it would have to be stressful to be running an illegal enterprise, and Bubbles ought to know the whole thing is a bit precarious.

 BTW, I think Lilac and CW are better candidates for ex-sorority sisters than Lilac and Bubbles; not only are they both the same color, they have a similar kind of off-putting personality. Lilac may be watching CW because she knows her personally, and knows the sort of stuff CW might pull.

[Tova]

After last week's discussion, I think it would be fair to say that we (the forumites) have a whole spectrum of opinions on Detective Lilac.

For mine, she's just doing her job. I wouldn't even describe her personality as "off-putting". We haven't really seen it yet. We've only seen the "bad cop" persona she wears when she has to deal with the types she encounters when investigating an illegal betting ring. Maybe her real personality is the same, but maybe it's not.

As for CW, I actually think her behaviour is better described as "manipulative" than "just reminiding," but time perhaps will tell.

[Akima]

Hanners wouldn't need to pick a lock to bust Bubbles/Faye out of jail. Who needs a lockpick when you have an orbital bombardment app?

Bond-villain parents mean you never have to say you're sorry.

[Kugai]

Hanners wouldn't need to pick a lock to bust Bubbles/Faye out of jail. Who needs a lockpick when you have an orbital bombardment app?

Then she and Bubbles could go underground and start their own 'Heroes For Hire' group

The H Team?

[brasca]

Guest poll today from Sullivan, who didn't know if they'd be able to make it on time to post it themselves.

Me? Definitely #5. Breaking into Juicy's apartment and making sure that she is clean at last is the sort of revenge that Hannelore would allow herself to have whilst being nearly an undetectable crime!

Undetectable?  That dog of hers is likely to be quite noisy.  And I seriously don't see how an obnoxious, but not malicious person who made the mistake of leaving behind her underwear in a washer that Hannelore didn't check before using should be the targeted for breaking and entering and vandalism.  One of the reasons I like Hannelore is that she has resources that mostf people don't have, but she prefers to live a normal life instead of getting her Mommy and Daddy to cover for her whenever she faces the same kinds of difficulties that we do. 

[TheEvilDog]

Hanners wouldn't need to pick a lock to bust Bubbles/Faye out of jail. Who needs a lockpick when you have an orbital bombardment app?

Then she and Bubbles could go underground and start their own 'Heroes For Hire' group

The H Team?

"In 2016, a group of sarcastic friends were sent to prison by a civilian court for a crime they didn't really commit. This group promptly escaped via pizza deliver app from a minimum security garden to the Northampton coffee shop just down the street. Today, still forgotten by the government, they survive as drinkers of coffee and broken dreamers. If you have a problem, if no one else wants to help, and if you are unlucky enough to find them, maybe you can hang out with the H-Team."

[Method of Madness]

I was always a bit surprised the fighting rink wasn't seen as sinister and evil from the get-go.

Because Punchbot is so happy!

[Is it cold in here?]

Could Bubbles have been any more non-committal or spoken in any smaller font?

[brasca]

That expression Bubbles gives in the 4th panel makes me think that Bubbles doesn't know if something bad is going on, but is going to find out before she makes the next big decision. 

[Tova]

I don't know either, but CW may have experienced an unexplained chill, wherever she is.

[TheEvilDog]

Given the context of what Faye is saying, I suspect that Bubbles in panel 4 is more looking back in the general direction of CW's office. Faye is freaking out, be it the threat of being arresting or the realisation that her job is doing something far worse than she suspected.

Which makes sense to a degree. Where does the repair stock come from? Its heavy and presumably specialised machinery and presumably a license is needed for some of those materials. Given that you can't just go to a mechanic to get repairs (as evidenced by May and her problem), as well as CW's comment about taking the cost out of Faye's wages, one can then infer that CW is getting her resources from less than legal sources. Now, it could be stuff "that had fallen off the back of a truck" or mis-labelled, but given the severity of the comments from the cop and CW, and bear in mind this is just a theory, CW is getting some of the fighters to steal the materials. If they get caught, they can be cut loose and let to go down by themselves and it does explain why she's kept Bubbles at arms length, Bubbles was probably the only one who could do proper repairs on the fighters.

[DSL]

Hanners wouldn't need to pick a lock to bust Bubbles/Faye out of jail. Who needs a lockpick when you have an orbital bombardment app?

Or just cause all the locks to release ...

[SomeCanadianWeirdo]

Which makes sense to a degree. Where does the repair stock come from? Its heavy and presumably specialised machinery and presumably a license is needed for some of those materials. Given that you can't just go to a mechanic to get repairs (as evidenced by May and her problem), as well as CW's comment about taking the cost out of Faye's wages, one can then infer that CW is getting her resources from less than legal sources.

May's problems come from having an out of production chassis, which the government won't pay to fix or replace, and not having enough income to pay for repairs. 
http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3169

[TheEvilDog]

Which makes sense to a degree. Where does the repair stock come from? Its heavy and presumably specialised machinery and presumably a license is needed for some of those materials. Given that you can't just go to a mechanic to get repairs (as evidenced by May and her problem), as well as CW's comment about taking the cost out of Faye's wages, one can then infer that CW is getting her resources from less than legal sources.

May's problems come from having an out of production chassis, which the government won't pay to fix or replace, and not having enough income to pay for repairs. 
http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3169

Spoilsport

[JohnTheWysard]

Bubbles doesn't hold grudges.

"Don't get mad. GET EVEN."

[Is it cold in here?]

"I have no enemies. No living ones anyway."

Bubbles looks thoughtful but Faye doesn't get a "Hmm".

EDIT: Not that I believe it, not from what we've seen of Corpse Witch, but here's an alternate way to read her conversation with Bubbles. Dashes instead of quotation marks signal paraphrasing here.

CW: -We're under investigation-
Bubbles: -Meh. Not my problem.-
CW: -Well, actually, it is a problem for all of us.  Everyone here is guilty of something legally.-
Bubbles: -Don't threaten me.-
CW: -Of course that wasn't a threat. It's an explanation of why my anxiety would also be justified on your behalf.-

Bubbles of course, as we have seen, tends not to assume the best of others. Bubbles apparently heard
CW: -If I go down I'll make damn sure you go down with me and lose everything.-

[sitnspin]

That would be easier to buy if we hadn't seen her be incredibly manipulative in the past. I've seen no evidence that CW is actually concerned about anyone other than herself.

[Gyrre]

Maybe it's the lack of sleep talking, but both of these dorks seem like they need a hug.

[Is it cold in here?]

That would be easier to buy if we hadn't seen her be incredibly manipulative in the past. I've seen no evidence that CW is actually concerned about anyone other than herself.

Did it sound like I was trying to sell it?

[BenRG]

Looking at the strip as a whole today, I just think that Jeph used a small type font for Bubbles today; possibly a typo of sorts but it makes the reader feel that she's soft-spoken today.

It's pretty obvious that Faye is freaked out. Like most people who are freaked out, she's talking to get her stress off her mind and perhaps isn't paying as much attention to what Bubbles says as she should.

That expression Bubbles gives in the 4th panel makes me think that Bubbles doesn't know if something bad is going on, but is going to find out before she makes the next big decision. 

I actually think slightly different. I think that Bubbles is agreeing with Faye that she does know bad (or at least more overtly criminal) stuff is going on and may have been actively in on it at first when she was at her lowest point and had given up on the world and on herself. Yes, she'd know if someone is being abused and she'd know what to do. I wonder if she's spent the entire time since her conversation with Corpse Witch trying to decide whether she had the courage to do what she feels she ought to do. I'm wondering if Faye's words may have helped her make a decision

[brasca]

Looking at the strip as a whole today, I just think that Jeph used a small type font for Bubbles today; possibly a typo of sorts but it makes the reader feel that she's soft-spoken today.

It's pretty obvious that Faye is freaked out. Like most people who are freaked out, she's talking to get her stress off her mind and perhaps isn't paying as much attention to what Bubbles says as she should.

That expression Bubbles gives in the 4th panel makes me think that Bubbles doesn't know if something bad is going on, but is going to find out before she makes the next big decision. 

I actually think slightly different. I think that Bubbles is agreeing with Faye that she does know bad (or at least more overtly criminal) stuff is going on and may have been actively in on it at first when she was at her lowest point and had given up on the world and on herself. Yes, she'd know if someone is being abused and she'd know what to do. I wonder if she's spent the entire time since her conversation with Corpse Witch trying to decide whether she had the courage to do what she feels she ought to do. I'm wondering if Faye's words may have helped her make a decision

Bubbles may have previously looked the other way on a lot of criminal acts because she was at a low point in her life and didn't care, but I doubt she'd lie to Faye about it.  It seems more likely that there were plenty of suspicious activities that she ignored or didn't investigate so she could remain ignorant, but not anymore. 

[Storel]

Faye may think that Bubbles has confirmed that nothing is currently going on, but I think her phrasing was careless enough that Bubbles may be dancing around the question without technically telling an untruth. Note that Faye's question is phrased hypothetically: "...if someone were being taken for a ride here, you'd know, right? And you'd know what to do, right?" Bubbles replies, "Yes," meaning "Yes, I would." But Faye never asked "Is someone being taken for a ride?", though she may think she did, so Bubbles doesn't have to answer that question.

[oeoek]

Might detective Lilac or whoever sent her be worried Bubbles is the one being exploited? I would say Bubbles is the most likely candidate for such. Most of the fighting bots we have seen seemed happy enough getting banged up and getting restored. But a ptsd soldier who has gone underground in fighting and betting environment? The film 'The Deer Hunter' leaps to mind.
We know this is not happening here, Bubbles is not fighting (or playing any kind of roulette), but the officials and caretakers left behind don't know that.
The reality -Bubbles in danger of being exploited but not actually being exploited- might even cast a slightly warmer light on CW. Even nasty, manipulative people might do something good in their nasty way. It leaves those benefiting with rather mixed up feelings.

[JimC]

Looking at the strip as a whole today, I just think that Jeph used a small type font for Bubbles today;

I'm not convinced the text for Bubbles in 3316 is smaller than in say 3279. I just did a compare and at most its one pixel different for lower case letters, so arguably in the aliasing effects range. I would have thought if extra quiet speech was being hinted at then text in frame 1 would be larger than the others.

What constitutes exploitation for AIs do we think? I've seen it stated (http://www.workplacefairness.org/sc/undocumentedworkers.php) that

...the most vulnerable and exploited workers in our country, as frequent victims of unpaid wages, dangerous conditions and uncompensated workplace injuries, discrimination, and other labor law violations. Workers who attempt to remedy the abuse routinely face physical and immigration-related threats and retaliation.

If that's a reasonable summary how does it apply? Unsafe working conditions? That's an interesting one. CW made much play of protected cores, and a comparison with the safety of working conditions of professional boxers could be made. Unpaid wages? Uncompensated workplace injuries? We don't know. If the cost of repairs is being deducted from wages that would certainly be valid, but if Faye and Bubbles re doing all repairs without any cost to the fighters that would seem OK. Immigratiopn related threats? CW has certainly been skirting around something analogous to that one in the exchange with Bubbles.

[BenRG]

To me, 'exploitation' in this case means using manipulative or coercive means to persuade a Sythetic to do something that they would not normally wish to do or in order to provide work under illegal conditions (for example, uninsured) or for illegal levels of compensation (sub-minimum wage or 'tips only').

[Oenone]

I wonder how life insurance, health insurance, and workers comp come into play. Is she using the repairs to keep her fighters indebted to her? Like, you can only fight if you're repairs are certified by Bubbles, and seeing Bubbles costs $$$$$?

I'm thinking about how in Vera Drake, Vera didn't know her friend was charging women for her services as an abortion provider; she thought she was doing it for free. It turned out both Vera AND her clients were being exploited financially.

[Is it cold in here?]

>perhaps isn't paying as much attention to what Bubbles says as she should.

Bubbles is the sort worthy of close attention for more than one reason.

Maybe Faye didn't ask point blank because she doesn't want to know.

[Kugai]

I think, for various reasons, Bubbles actually trusts Faye far more than she does CW at this stage.  I hope that Faye does actually realise this and doesn't do anything to damage that trust as she has earned it from Bubbles.

It would be sad to see this friendship go down the toilet as her friendship with Dora very nearly did with her previous alcoholism.

[Is it cold in here?]

Especially since Bubbles has to work so hard to trust anyone.

[Perfectly Reasonable]

That wrench Bubbles is holding -- is that something you'd need for work on an AI chassis? For a tune-up on a locomotive, maybe. But it would make one helluva club...

[Thrudd]

What is it and this fascination with burritos anyways. 

[Tova]

They are delicious.

[Detachable Felix]

I agree with Tova, burritos are pretty great.

[brasca]

Speaking in code is fun when you have a company or boss who doesn't want you saying stuff on social media.  It's like being in a Scorcese film.   

[TheEvilDog]

That wrench Bubbles is holding -- is that something you'd need for work on an AI chassis? For a tune-up on a locomotive, maybe. But it would make one helluva club...

Probably more for the equipment they use to repair the chassis. Which makes sense; you can't repair a chassis if the equipment itself is breaking down.

[Near Lurker]

Are the peaches ripe yet?

[Neko_Ali]

Are the peaches ripe yet?

No, but after a few hours heavy work in that hoodie I'm pretty sure she will be.

[TheEvilDog]

Are the peaches ripe yet?

The spotted cuckoo bird is flying backwards... and it is a cold day for pontooning.

[Is it cold in here?]

Bubbles is a mensch.

[Tova]

Bubbles is a mensch.

I'm going to suspect all short posts to be code phrases now.

[Akima]

Bubbles is a mensch.

Indeed, and demonstrates her OQs, but then she probably has everything from Sun Tzu onwards in her internal database.

[Is it cold in here?]

Bubbles is a mensch.

I'm going to suspect all short posts to be code phrases now.

"The code phrases are short".

If you were Bubbles, would you really bet that CW did not have the shop bugged?

[Morituri]

While we're on the topic of code phrases, I have some good advice for you:

Never, EVER, under any circumstances, read a list of random numbers aloud on a radio channel.

[Gyrre]

Walpole is blowing bubbles in the South Sea.

Tiberus has deposed Octavian.

Shakka's mother has died. I repeat. Shakka's mother has died. Clear the bull's horns.

[Neko_Ali]

Shaka, when the walls fell.

[Is it cold in here?]

>OQs

We have no idea what Bubbles's rank was, do we?

[BenRG]

Bubbles can be hard to read sometimes. That said, I'm pretty sure that her primary concern right now is to set things up so that Faye is kept out of this mess. Ideally by making her leave; if she can't do that by distracting her so she's looking in the wrong direction to see anything troubling.

That said, I can't shake the feeling that she's enjoying playing with Faye's head by way of all the secret agent stuff.

I wonder if Bubbles noticed that Faye's primary reason for not walking away was her?

[MrNumbers]

I just want to make a point to say; Jeph's done a lot to turn Faye around in the last year, hasn't he?

Around this time last year -- almost exactly a year ago, actually -- you had this comic which I'll put behind a spoiler tag so this post doesn't take up too much forum real estate:

(click to show/hide)

And after that, the shift from the Pugnacious Peach being kind of just a generally abusive, shitty person who took her self-inflicted problems out on other people to again becoming a character that again started showing her redeeming traits. Loyalty and kindness. And it's happened so slowly and naturally that it's less of a heel-face turn and more of a heel-face continental drift.

Now, I'm not saying she was irredeemable or entirely unlikable or unrelatable in the 2900 strips. She wasn't. Actually, a bigger problem was that she was completely relatable, but not to the kind of people you'd want to relate her too -- to the people in our lives we didn't want to keep around or didn't want to continue to be. Think how much easier it's gotten to like her after the time skip. Now that she's out of the coffee shop.

So yeah. That's a thing that happened this year.