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A week of heart-to-heart between Claire and her mother about flying the nest

Bubbles gets it in her head that she needs to find somewhere else to live

Pintsize finally reveals his long-term game-plan about achieving his unholy goals

Hannelore has a suggestion that might solve all their problems

Faye counsels just carrying on as if nothing is wrong because, as far as they know, it isn't

Marten chairs a House Meeting on the subject

We finally meet the landlord

Jeph doesn't follow this up at all and just goes off on some other subject

Other

[Stoutfellow]

And an excellent deterrent ti burgles

"Excuse me, but that is not yours. Please put it back."
:beat:
"Yes, ma'am."

[shanejayell]

Argh, Faye and BUbbles are so cute.

[ZoeB]

Halberd?  I thought Bubbles was more of a mace or war hammer.

Definitely a Guisarme-Voulge.

[haikupoet]

Argh, Faye and BUbbles are so cute.

(Jeremy catches Bubbles in the workshop with a roll of red dermal covering that she's heat-shrinking over a rather large female torso form)

"Uh, Bubbles? What is that?"

"It's... it's not a birthday present for Faye..."

"Um... okay?"

[Gyrre]

I want the trilance sruss or the demi lune.

[Is it cold in here?]

Northampton seems to be mostly a safe place but yes, nobody would risk trouble with Bubbles.

[BenRG]

Today's comic is all about aesthetics. Faye's aesthetics are all about heavy metal objects that could kill but are also amazing to look at. Claire's aesthetic is... well... as Jeph put it, 'there's a lot going on there'. I think that Claire is either struggling to find a consistent aesthetic or she sees no point to going by anyone's lights except her own. I mean, combat boots and a sun-dress with a fleece jacket on top? You have to admit that's a mix of lots of styles!

So, it looks like we're going to meet with Mrs A this week. I strongly suspect that we're going to get: "That's nice dear", "I'm happy for you dear" and, after Marten and Claire leave, her to do something empty nest-driven like calling Chad over for a tumble or going out on a bar crawl.

[SubaruStephen]

I mean, combat boots and a sun-dress with a fleece jacket on top? You have to admit that's a mix of lots of styles!

[BenRG]

...

Actually, that is a very good catch! Claire's clothes in today's strip are almost precisely those of River Tam's outdoor wear! Does this mean that Claire could possibly kill someone with just her brain?

[94ssd]

I did some googling to try to figure out how much rent would be for a 2-bedroom in Northampton split 4 ways.

Jesus Christ, how does anyone live in Massachusetts. I mean I knew rent in Boston was ridiculous, but holy shit is the whole state like that? With prices like that I'm surprised the whole place isn't just devoid of people.

[TinPenguin]

...

Actually, that is a very good catch! Claire's clothes in today's strip are almost precisely those of River Tam's outdoor wear! Does this mean that Claire could possibly kill someone with just her brain?

"Also, I can kill you with my floof."

[St.Clair]

Halberd?  I thought Bubbles was more of a mace or war hammer.

Definitely a Guisarme-Voulge.

roll d20 and consult the Random Polearm Table!

[JoeCovenant]

Halberd?  I thought Bubbles was more of a mace or war hammer.

Definitely a Guisarme-Voulge.

roll d20 and consult the Random Polearm Table!

"Partisans look like Puddy-Tats !"
"Make a Charisma roll."

[Zebediah]

I honestly thought  that Claire was still in her nightgown. "Wait - she's going out in her nightgown?"

I want the trilance sruss or the demi lune.

Naginata's better against unarmored or lightly armored opponents. Against heavier armor - well, the guisarme looks like an oversized can opener because that's pretty much what it is.

I did some googling to try to figure out how much rent would be for a 2-bedroom in Northampton split 4 ways.

Jesus Christ, how does anyone live in Massachusetts. I mean I knew rent in Boston was ridiculous, but holy shit is the whole state like that? With prices like that I'm surprised the whole place isn't just devoid of people.

There are places in Massachusetts where housing costs are less outrageous, but that's precisely because nobody wants to live  there. And after four years in the Boston suburbs Northampton seems downright reasonable.

[Case]

I mean, combat boots and a sun-dress with a fleece jacket on top? You have to admit that's a mix of lots of styles!

One of them is gonna fall and die, and Faye ain't cleaning it up!

[neurocase]

I'ma need Faye and Bubbles to stop being so stinkin' cute.

[OldGoat]

Hey Clinton!  (Probably been posted before, but it's still 'way cool.)

[OldGoat]

. . . Claire seems to have an affinity for old books so it's not that unusual for her to do things the old fashioned way.

I have no doubt Claire writes with a fountain pen in blue-black ink and has blotter paper or even sand close at hand, keeps postage stamps in her purse, and has in her possession the accoutrements necessary to close envelopes with sealing wax (even if she doesn't always use them).  She owns an antique pen knife and has a supply of quills but only employs them on special occasions.  It's quite likely she also carries her embossing Notary Public seal with her.

[Pilchard123]

Halberd?  I thought Bubbles was more of a mace or war hammer.

Definitely a Guisarme-Voulge.

Not a glaive-glaive-glaive-guisarme-glaive?

[Gyrre]

I honestly thought  that Claire was still in her nightgown. "Wait - she's going out in her nightgown?"

I want the trilance sruss or the demi lune.

Naginata's better against unarmored or lightly armored opponents. Against heavier armor - well, the guisarme looks like an oversized can opener because that's pretty much what it is.

I did some googling to try to figure out how much rent would be for a 2-bedroom in Northampton split 4 ways.

Jesus Christ, how does anyone live in Massachusetts. I mean I knew rent in Boston was ridiculous, but holy shit is the whole state like that? With prices like that I'm surprised the whole place isn't just devoid of people.

There are places in Massachusetts where housing costs are less outrageous, but that's precisely because nobody wants to live  there. And after four years in the Boston suburbs Northampton seems downright reasonable.

I meant in terms of just having to mess around with.  Paddles and monk's spades are my preferred polearm.

As for prices in the coastal states, that's one of the biggest reasons people move to Kansas. You wouldn't believe how many former Californians you'll find in the various college towns.

[Kugai]

. . . Claire seems to have an affinity for old books so it's not that unusual for her to do things the old fashioned way.

I have no doubt Claire writes with a fountain pen in blue-black ink and has blotter paper or even sand close at hand, keeps postage stamps in her purse, and has in her possession the accoutrements necessary to close envelopes with sealing wax (even if she doesn't always use them).  She owns an antique pen knife and has a supply of quills but only employs them on special occasions.  It's quite likely she also carries her embossing Notary Public seal with her.

I bet she even has her own Sealing Wax and Seal for those more Formal Letters

[Storel]

I did some googling to try to figure out how much rent would be for a 2-bedroom in Northampton split 4 ways.

Jesus Christ, how does anyone live in Massachusetts. I mean I knew rent in Boston was ridiculous, but holy shit is the whole state like that? With prices like that I'm surprised the whole place isn't just devoid of people.

Don't google rents in San Francisco, then. We make Boston look affordable.

[jwhouk]

That was pretty much Veronica's response to rental prices in Northampton.

[brasca]

I think that Claire is either struggling to find a consistent aesthetic or she sees no point to going by anyone's lights except her own. I mean, combat boots and a sun-dress with a fleece jacket on top? You have to admit that's a mix of lots of styles!

Are you sure those are combat boots?  It looks purple with gold studs.  I don't know of too many armies that go into battle wearing those. 

[Zebediah]

You can absolutely find a place that sells purple combat boots with gold studs in downtown Northampton.

[Akima]

Definitely a Guisarme-Voulge.

A guandao can be quite decorative (Sadly Guan Yu's legendary use of the weapon is almost certainly ahistorical, since the earliest references date from centuries after his death, but Bubbles would look badass in that pose):

I have no doubt Claire writes with a fountain pen in blue-black ink and has blotter paper or even sand close at hand, keeps postage stamps in her purse, and has in her possession the accoutrements necessary to close envelopes with sealing wax (even if she doesn't always use them).  She owns an antique pen knife and has a supply of quills but only employs them on special occasions.  It's quite likely she also carries her embossing Notary Public seal with her.

At times, I write with a brush, though my calligraphy is not as good as it should be , and sign the document with my personal seal*. There is pleasure in it, but for everyday use, I scribble with a ball-point like everyone else.
*Although seal is the normal translation of 图章, it is somewhat misleading, in that a Chinese "seal" is not used with wax to seal envelopes, but with ink paste as a stamp on paper which acts as a signature.

[A small perverse otter]

I learned calligraphy in order to be able to teach math at the graduate level, but I never thought of that as a way to write letters.

Damn. And sealing wax on folded paper -- the real thing.

I think I have a bit of a Claire thing going on here.

[St.Clair]

I think what Claire's feeling is a combination of "but this is a big deal, in my mind, even if the reality is I kind of stumbled into it... why isn't this more of a big deal?" and "aren't you going to miss me?" (except that, as Mom points out, she's not going very far at all).
She's invested this event, this (dare I say it?) transition, with a lot more importance and/or fanfare than it actually seems to be happening with.

[badbum61]

Trigger warning: guitar nerdery
Don't know what bass that is, but it looks like Claire's mom is playing through a Gallien-Krueger (an RB400, by the looks...)

[Storel]

I was pretty much expecting Claire's conversation with her mom to go something like this:

Claire: Mom, I'm moving in with Marten!
Clairemom: Haven't you been moved in with him for the last month?

So I'm not surprised her mom is responding so casually -- she's had plenty of time already to come to terms with Claire's departure!

*Although seal is the normal translation of 图章, it is somewhat misleading, in that a Chinese "seal" is not used with wax to seal envelopes, but with ink paste as a stamp on paper which acts as a signature.

Interesting; I did not know that. I've read stories set in China that mentioned official documents marked with personal seals, but I always envisioned them as being the Western wax-imprinted type. Thank you!

[SubaruStephen]

So I'm not surprised her mom is responding so casually -- she's had plenty of time already to come to terms with Claire's departure!

So much time, she's moved all of Claire's stuff out and that sweet stack of amps in.

"Mom, where's my bed?"
"It had to go, honey, the headboard was causing a weird echo."

[theMarc]

The chillest of all moms.

[Tova]

There won't be much in the way of actual change, so her chill reaction is not really surprising.

BOW BA-BOWMP

[Freelance_Physicist]

Marten, stop ogling your girlfriend's mom's bass. You'll make your significant other guitar jealous.

[BenRG]

O... kay. Am I the only one to notice that Claire and her mother have swapped hairstyles? Jeph has done a major character redesign here. Completely new face and, as I say, the Mk2 Claire hairdo. I'm sure that this is just so it is consistently easy to tell the two characters apart. That said, I can't shake the feeling that there is some kind of hidden joke here.

FWIW, her easy-going reaction shouldn't actually surprise anyone. Marten "seems a nice boy", remember? Claire's mother has been secretly cheerleading and enabling from the start! Hell, I wouldn't even be surprised if she was the one who suggested to Claire that it would be more convenient to leave more of her stuff over at Marten's apartment! Yeah, I'm thinking that she's wanted to encourage Claire to 'fly the nest' for a while. She was just looking for the right guy!

I suspect that the whole thing about her learning to play the guitar is probably supposed to add to the overall feel (already established by her and Chad) of a woman who had decided to enjoy life without the kids around!

[Carl-E]

Anybody else hearing the opening of the theme to Barney Miller?

Just me?

Okay, then.

[JimC]

A 4*10 and a 1*15 cab in a house? Are there any windows left? Or neighbours for that matter...

[JoeCovenant]

Well!

Did BenRG 'call it', or what!?!? 

[Case]

I suspect that the whole thing about her learning to play the guitar is probably supposed to add to the overall feel (already established by her and Chad) of a woman who had decided to enjoy life without the kids around!

Heresy!

Anybody else hearing the opening of the theme to Barney Miller?

Maaaaaaaybe? Or maybe ...

[Kincaid]

I was going through the archives and found some awesome foreshadowing for Faye/Bubbles from 2012: http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2262

[dna_level_c]

A 4*10 and a 1*15 cab in a house? Are there any windows left? Or neighbours for that matter...

I've been playing for ~35 years*, and ClaireMom has a better rig than I do.

*Finally starting to notice some improvement.

[Neko_Ali]

I'm starting to get an image that Clairemom married young and has pretty much thrown herself into her family. Now with the ex gone and both children out of the house she's enjoying a second teenagerhood. Flings with cute boytoys. Picking up the guitar. (Does Deathmole need a new bass player?) And generally just living the shit out of life.

[Zebediah]

Yeah, I have a friend who married young. The upside was that her son was out of the house when she was 37. Then it was time to catch up on all the partying she had missed.

Me, I married at 38 and my son was born when I was 39. (As was his mother - she and I are about two weeks apart in age.) There are pros and cons to that approach too.

[OldGoat]

The chillest of all moms.

The daughter who's moving out started out as her son, and ClaireMom* (she really needs a name, Jeph) has been from what we can tell completely accepting and supportive (as has Clinton).  I don't think Claire is capable of doing anything to throw her off balance - that would take a Pint Size personality.

*I guess that should be Claire&ClintonMom.  CC....Cecilia.  "Cecilia Augustus," that works.

[Thrudd]

Just to add to the list of possible Bass riffs

(click to show/hide)

It is being played slower than normal but is how my Brother-in-law plays it while getting the hang of it

(click to show/hide)

Now this is pretty much from the middle to the end of the video and definitely advanced technique / style
Brother-in-law, again, wanted to play that but took one look at the score and just said "Oh sh1=!#" 

[TheEvilDog]

I think what Claire's feeling is a combination of "but this is a big deal, in my mind, even if the reality is I kind of stumbled into it... why isn't this more of a big deal?" and "aren't you going to miss me?" (except that, as Mom points out, she's not going very far at all).
She's invested this event, this (dare I say it?) transition, with a lot more importance and/or fanfare than it actually seems to be happening with.

I imagine its more the case that nothing Claire does now is a huge surprise, I mean, Claire's mother likes Marten and knows he's a good guy. She probably barely batted an eyelid over the piercings. I'd wager that Claire's mother probably realises that her daughter is far more determined than other people and knows what she is doing and what she wants. She'd have to be, even without thinking about it, for her entire life. At the end of the day, she's raised a good daughter with her head screwed on straight and able to look after herself.

Her mother knows, Claire just needs to realise it herself. She's her own woman now and doesn't need mom's approval.

[Roborat]

I think that Claire is either struggling to find a consistent aesthetic or she sees no point to going by anyone's lights except her own. I mean, combat boots and a sun-dress with a fleece jacket on top? You have to admit that's a mix of lots of styles!

Are you sure those are combat boots?  It looks purple with gold studs.  I don't know of too many armies that go into battle wearing those.

Not too many armies, no, just the FABULOUS ones.

And where did mom get that amp stack? you could play Fenway with that rig, her poor neighbours.  I have never understood five string bass, why not just get a baritone guitar?

[Wagimawr]

I have never understood five string bass, why not just get a baritone guitar?

Depends on the five string. Some have the fifth string being lower, some have the fifth string being higher.

Baritone is smack in the middle between bass and guitar.

[Case]

I have never understood five string bass, why not just get a baritone guitar?

And what do you do onstage with not-even-half-a-bass? 

Or do you mean the H-string lacking 'punch' due to the scale being too short? In that case: Tune to C, use it as thumbrest, "live with it", or buy a LeFay

[blt]

This isn't the first time that Marten and Claire have made a "big" announcement and gotten an underwhelmed response either.