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Just what is Pintsize's deal?

He's just a pervert but with more metal than most
He's a sort of troll who likes freaking out people by pretending to be transgressive
He's a weird kind of abstract archetype that Jeph created of the whole concept of an AI having any sexuality at all
He is actually one of the world's greatest behavioural psychologists trying to help Marten and Faye with a carefully-planned series of fake actions
He has impulse control problems, does stupid things on a whim and doesn't think about possible consequences
At first it was just curiosity and a one-off practical joke but it's become a bit of a habit he's never bothered to shake
He actually thinks that this is tremendeously funny and doesn't get everyone's reaction
Other reason (in-universe)
Other reason (real world)

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Author Topic: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)  (Read 54336 times)

Gyrre

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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #100 on: 02 May 2017, 23:24 »

Good to know I'm not the only one that thinks having a crowbar under one's bed is a good idea.


"You're a louse, FayeWhitaker"

Then what does that make Pintsize?
A copepod (water cyclops).
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BenRG

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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #101 on: 02 May 2017, 23:37 »

Well! There was a lot in this strip really, when you think about it.

Firstly, there's Bubbles' body language in panel 1. Any remaining doubts about the level of the emotional stake she's invested in her relationship with Faye can be set to rest. She's very obviously nervous and defensive; she's probably worried that she's offended Faye and scared her off. Her relief in panel 4 is very obvious.

It's Faye that made me think. Her reaction pretty much established that she has no problems with AIs whatsoever. In fact, her reaction indicates that her best friend has just asked her to help her get undressed, which strongly explains that "Oh my God, what do I say? What do I do?" moment in panel 3.

Yesterday, I drafted a post about Faye's end of this particular interpersonal dynamic. Whilst I think it is very obvious that Bubbles is attracted to Faye in many ways (to the point where Faye's easygoing intimate teasing embarrasses her quite deeply), I've never seen any any indication that Faye has anything other than feelings of friendship in return. However, that changed today with just one line in panel 1:

Quote from: An Embarrassed Pugnacious Peach
"It's pretty... uh... sudden!"

This may be me over-thinking it but calling it 'sudden' is strange way to put it unless Faye had been thinking of this for a while. I think that she's been thinking of Bubbles being 'naked' for a while and what might happen then. That said, Faye is a good friend and she knows how delicate Bubbles's emotional balance is and she doesn't want to let her rush into something for which she isn't ready.

Yes, my interpretation of it is that Faye actually also finds Bubbles desirable but, like the fundamentally good person that she is, she doesn't want Bubbles rushing into intimacy in a moment of emotional release for fear it may hurt her.

P.S.: I can get the crossbow; Faye has the spirit of a woman who wants to be an armourer for a medieval re-enactment society and she lives with Pintsize. However, why does she need a pry bar under her bed? I suspect that they may still be having problems with their front door or something!
« Last Edit: 02 May 2017, 23:50 by BenRG »
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #102 on: 03 May 2017, 00:03 »

P.S.: I can get the crossbow; Faye has the spirit of a woman who wants to be an armourer for a medieval re-enactment society and she lives with Pintsize. However, why does she need a pry bar under her bed? I suspect that they may still be having problems with their front door or something!

A crowbar (a type of pry bar) is my mothers weapon of choice. She once embedded on in a telephone pole from about 20 ft to encourage a would be thief to abandon her bicycle. She also keeps hers under the bed.
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dsvella

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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #103 on: 03 May 2017, 00:15 »

Dear Jeph:

I am really enjoying this weeks comics, please keep it up!

Signed
Me.
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hitmiccs

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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #104 on: 03 May 2017, 00:31 »

I've been waiting for that moment for a long time. I just felt, that Bubbles wants to come out of her "shell" as soon as her emotional situation allows it and the moment has finally come.
I think it will be a lot easier, on a social basis, for her to live with her new friends without that bulky armor she's carrying around - not that she can't re-apply it again, if there is the need. But also, after her memories are gone and a lot of her past with it, it's finally time to leave the shell she only has for a purpose that is long gone, too.

I'm really happy now, can't wait to see Bubs in her "civilian" outfit :)

€: oh, I forgot: great development for Bubs! She openend up a lot (and will even more ;)), lately and I hope (personally) that she's going to stay a main character for a while, so that we are allowed to witness how things are going for her ^^ I also hope, she does not get hit by a bus as soon as she dropped her armor, it would crack me up.
« Last Edit: 03 May 2017, 00:36 by hitmiccs »
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #105 on: 03 May 2017, 00:42 »

Of course Faye keeps a prybar under her bed. A proper Southern belle always keeps one handy to discourage unwanted suitors. It's a hold-over from the days when the best thing she could think of to say about Marten was "he probably won't molest you in your sleep" -- that it, she didn't think he would, but she still wasn't certain.

Of course, by the time she felt certain Marty was safe, she was equally certain that Pintsize wasn't, so the prybar still remains handy...
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #106 on: 03 May 2017, 00:58 »

She no longer needs a prybar for fighting intruders. Bubbles would come to her defense and it would be over in a blink.

"Sudden" is a word that makes sense. The Pugnacious Peach could logically have expected that Bubbles would take a long time, lots of thought, and maybe multiple false starts before doing anything this drastic.

Faye also knows what it means to step out of armor. Hers was emotional and not metal-ceramic but it took her years to be able to take it off. She knows that what follows will be intense. There's more than one kind of intensity in life.

If Bubbles doesn't wear anything under the armor this could be awkward.

Even if Faye discovers an orientation toward women and toward robots I hope she and Bubbles never take their relationship in that direction.
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Gyrre

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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #107 on: 03 May 2017, 02:58 »

Despite getting many opportunities from Dora, Faye has never shown sexual interest in women. Bubbles has not demonstrated sexual attraction to anyone. Until and unless we get evidence otherwise, pairing Faye and Bubbles is the bad kind of shipping.

My apologies if I sound like a troll (as it isn't my intention), but I don't believe I've ever really come across a list of guidelines for good and bad shipping. Would you happen to have a list handy?

The only guideline I know for 'bad shipping' is "never ship real people." I always assumed there was a caveat for people who were already an 'official' couple.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #108 on: 03 May 2017, 03:28 »

My guideline is "reasonable for the characters and situations as described by Jeph".  While we may express an interest in where Jeph might be taking it, we should also take care not to get too far ahead of him.

It's discussed at some length in this sticky thread.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #109 on: 03 May 2017, 04:29 »

Oh man I forgot about the cardigan.  Maybe she'll put it on outside of her armour.  :-) I assume if it fits in the hypercube it'll shrink to fit...
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #110 on: 03 May 2017, 05:29 »

If Bubbles doesn't wear anything under the armor this could be awkward.
Presumably Bubbles will need a whole new wardrobe once she sheds her armour. Considering her size, her clothes will presumably have to be tailor-made for her.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #111 on: 03 May 2017, 05:56 »

Important lessons Bubbles probably needs to learn in a near future without armour:
Swearing 101, advanced swearing and compound curses (for when the hammer misses the nail but hits the thumb, the steel pipe drops on foot or the little pinky toe meets the table leg). We'll need a couple of weeks for those I guess...

And probably the use of gloves and other work place protection she never needed when in armour.
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BenRG

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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #112 on: 03 May 2017, 06:14 »

And probably the use of gloves and other work place protection she never needed when in armour.

Faye seemed to think that Bubbles structure underlying her armour was already tough enough to stop most impacts up to rifle-calibre weapon-energy. That said, I do wonder if Bubbles' exosheath has contact sensors - pressure and temperature. If so, she will probably need to use a certain amount of care when dealing with cutting edges and objects that are a lot hotter or colder than average.

If Bubbles doesn't wear anything under the armor this could be awkward.

Presumably Bubbles will need a whole new wardrobe once she sheds her armour. Considering her size, her clothes will presumably have to be tailor-made for her.

My guess is that Bubbles probably is 'naked' under the inner dark maroon-coloured flexible armoured sheath but only 'naked' in the terms a Barbie doll is ever 'naked'. Anything more elaborate than that would be of questionable design benefit. That said, I believe that she has a myomer pseudo-musculature that probably means she looks pretty human when she moves, right up to the movement of muscles under her derma exosheath 'skin'.

Regarding clothes; it is just possible that she can fit into Faye's most baggy clothes if they are loosened along a few seam lines. However, a loose nightshirt would probably look like a skin-tight tank-top on her!

FWIW, I can see that Bubbles will probably want to clean her 'skin' after so long under the armour. I am predicting a cute moment when Claire walks into the bathroom to be confronted by a fresh-out-of-the-shower Bubbles wearing a towel that barely preserves her modesty and another over her hair.

BUBBLES: "I... um... needed to clean my skin."

CLAIRE: "You... you... You're using Faye's towels!"

BUBBLES: "Yes... Er... Is there any reason I shouldn't?"

CLAIRE: "And those are Faye's old clothes!"

BUBBLES: "Yes, once again, is that a problem?"

CLAIRE: "... squee...! So togther! So cute!"
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #113 on: 03 May 2017, 06:28 »

I did this a few weeks ago and forgot about it. EDIT: Can't seem to make an image post work, even by copying from others' posts that do, so here's a LINK.

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brasca

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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #114 on: 03 May 2017, 07:24 »

Of course.  That was just the first thing that came to mind. :P 

Then again, Bubbles can give off a Brienne of Tarth vibe to me at times.

Agreed although sometimes I imagine her having a voice like R Dorothy Wayneright.

"You're a louse, Faye Whitaker"

Then what does that make Pintsize?

Pintsize would be the giant robot of course. Big P. Seems appropriate....

Since it's Pintsize I would think crab lice would be most apropos. 

A lot has been said about what Bubbles will look like underneath her armor, but it might be anticlimactic.  I think she'll probably look like Number 7 only red. 
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #115 on: 03 May 2017, 09:05 »

I'm still thinking she's going to pull a Peridot on us... Once out of her armor she's going to be skinny and shorter than Momo.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #116 on: 03 May 2017, 09:20 »

It's a comic about relationships. Extrapolation is OK. For example, "Dale and Marigold are fighting like an old married couple already! I wonder if Jeph is foreshadowing something."

The worst kind of thing would be explicit and unrealistic. Slash fiction involving incompatible characters would be the other end of the scale.

In between, well, a good guideline is to remember they are Jeph's characters and not ours.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #117 on: 03 May 2017, 09:33 »

When in doubt, remember these simple rules:
- Do be considerate. Its fine if you ship X & Y, but remember that others might not feel the same. If they disagree with you, don't bite their head off.
- Don't jump the gun. A + B have a conversation, that does not automatically mean they are going to bang.
- Do be reasonable. As IICIH said, these are Jeph's characters, not ours. So don't ship them as being out of character.
- Don't be creepy. You know who I'm talking about, so stop it.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #118 on: 03 May 2017, 16:27 »

It's gratifying t see that Bubbles has enough trust  and enough growth to be willing to remove her armor and want Faye to be the one to ad her in finally remove what, to her, has been a 'Security Blanket' for her for  years.

Whether anything else can be read into this is up to wherever Jeph is taking the Bubbles/Faye storylone.
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Gyrre

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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #119 on: 03 May 2017, 17:18 »

If Bubbles doesn't wear anything under the armor this could be awkward.
Presumably Bubbles will need a whole new wardrobe once she sheds her armour. Considering her size, her clothes will presumably have to be tailor-made for her.
Well, we did find out that she had some level of sewing ability when it came time to put May's hair back on when she got her first face replacement. I guess we'll find out what her skill level is.
That said, a simple shirt and skirt aren't difficult to make. Though, Bubbles will have to acclimate to wearing clothes that can be damaged.

EDIT: tired brain is tired and trying to spell.
« Last Edit: 03 May 2017, 17:26 by Gyrre »
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Gyrre

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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #120 on: 03 May 2017, 17:21 »

It's a comic about relationships. Extrapolation is OK. For example, "Dale and Marigold are fighting like an old married couple already! I wonder if Jeph is foreshadowing something."

The worst kind of thing would be explicit and unrealistic. Slash fiction involving incompatible characters would be the other end of the scale.

In between, well, a good guideline is to remember they are Jeph's characters and not ours.
Isn't slash fic involving incompatible characters usually "explicit and unrealistic"?
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #121 on: 03 May 2017, 17:56 »

Faye has the spirit of a woman who wants to be an armourer for a medieval re-enactment society and she lives with Pintsize. However, why does she need a pry bar under her bed? I suspect that they may still be having problems with their front door or something!
You answered your own question.  She lives with Pintsize.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #122 on: 03 May 2017, 19:06 »

Important lessons Bubbles probably needs to learn in a near future without armour:
Swearing 101, advanced swearing and compound curses
<snippage>
And probably the use of gloves and other work place protection she never needed when in armour.

I think she already has plenty of exposure to all the forms of swearing, being a combat veteran (which probably counts as a 400-level course), tho it is curious, that I cant recall hearing her curse, even when she was angry or stressed.  The only vets who curse as little as Bubbles (that is, never), in my experience, are typically the chaplains.

I'm not sure how much she would worry about workplace injuries to herself (certainly she'd be protective of Faye and other humans working alongside), as AIs don't seem to have pain receptors per se. (We saw May rip her own arm off in frustration!)
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #123 on: 03 May 2017, 19:27 »

Hahahahaha!  Dead now!  Bubbles made me laugh.  That was perfect!
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #124 on: 03 May 2017, 20:13 »

I really want this to be the beginning of a romantic arc. Firstly, because I don't think it's out of character or not foreshadowed at all. I think there are lots of hints that Bubbles feels romantically attracted to Faye. All the blushing, the unique closeness and tenderness. I guess it could be platonic but I'm never like that with platonic friends. Faye may not be gay but there is a first time for everything (some people are more fluid about that) plus Bubbles is an AI so even if Faye isn't attracted to women physically, I don't think that Bubbles would automatically be ruled out. It'd be all about the personality and I think the way Faye admires her is veering romantic.

 Secondly, I want to stick it to everybody who insists that friendship is deeper than romance can be and that intimacy is not sexual tension, etc. etc. Like yes that's all true but sometimes when it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck.... it's a freaking duck and not a goose being mistaken for a duck by a duck crazed society.  And yeah it's a little petty but so is the insistence that we all be "above shipping" even when the story-line heavily hints at it.  The Faye/Bubbles shipping is even done by Claire and Dora. I think those are supposed to be clues that there is at least that kind of chemistry, even if it won't be acted on.
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TheEvilDog

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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #125 on: 03 May 2017, 20:15 »

It's a comic about relationships. Extrapolation is OK. For example, "Dale and Marigold are fighting like an old married couple already! I wonder if Jeph is foreshadowing something."

The worst kind of thing would be explicit and unrealistic. Slash fiction involving incompatible characters would be the other end of the scale.

In between, well, a good guideline is to remember they are Jeph's characters and not ours.
Isn't slash fic involving incompatible characters usually "explicit and unrealistic"?

I would say its more about being reasonable and not getting ahead of ourselves.

No one is going to bat an eyelid at a discussion about, say, Marten and Claire, or Dora and Tai, or even the prospect of Emily and Clinton before it crashed and burned like the Hindenburg. That's fine. Hell, they'll welcome a discussion about other prospects showing up in the comic, or even some romances that have faded into the background.

I vaguely remember a brief period just after I joined the forum where someone tried to start shipping Hanners. Which if I remember correctly, got shot down pretty quickly, simply because within the confines of the QC-verse, Hanners herself has said that while she'd like to be in a romantic relationship of some kind, she acknowledges that her own myriad of issues probably precludes that from happening. But then you'll get someone who might suddenly think something like "Yeees, Hanners and Marigold spend the night together." or "Steve kissed Marten at a party so zomg they must be in love", except everyone else sees those events as what they are meant to be, punchlines to brief jokes Jeph has set up.

At the end of the day, Jeph has said on a couple of occasions that he has never liked people unhealthily shipping his characters, so that alone should be the point we all start with with regards to shipping - if its creepy, stop.

And with regards to tonight's comic, I guess that's put paid to the idea that under her armour, Bubbles had a stick-like build. Especially because it looks like she's got tree trunks for arms!
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #126 on: 03 May 2017, 20:34 »

Bubbles looks like Jeph's homage to Gunny Bobby Draper from the Expanse cycle - loving it!
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #127 on: 03 May 2017, 20:51 »

"Fighting Corpse Witch by Daylight
Fixing mechs by moonlight
Take her on, it's a real fight
She's the one called Bubbles Moon!"

Also, considering that's Faye's imagination... was she a Sailor Moon fan?

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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #128 on: 03 May 2017, 20:57 »


Also, considering that's Faye's imagination... was she a Sailor Moon fan?

I hope so!

Also does the title mean Bubbles is a Sagittarius? 
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #129 on: 03 May 2017, 21:03 »

I'm beginning to wonder if this QCverse has WD40.

So,, her under armor AI  Body is not all that different from her armored form by the looks of it.  I was wondering  about that and whether she'd loose a  fair bit in height and/or mass once her armor was removed.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #130 on: 03 May 2017, 21:06 »

So, it's a maroon Brienne of Tarth.

I was expecting something more robotic looking under the armor; like Punchbot or Seven. Guess I should have taken a clue from the head; Bubbles really is pretty organic looking. To the point that she'll need an actual wardrobe once all this stuff is off. That or go live in Cap d'Agde.

It also seems that once the armor is off, it's not going back on anytime soon. On the plus side, that long coat should still fit. Of course, if Bubbles goes out wearing just the coat, she'll look like a flasher.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #131 on: 03 May 2017, 21:07 »

Well, do we remember when Faye blushed when Dora was cuddling her? Maybe it wasn't attraction, but maybe it was something else. I don't know.

Yes, Bubbles is attracted to Faye. It's my username that's less clear. I'm sure she loves Bubbles as a friend, but whether there's anything more there remains to be seen.

Faye IS fantasizing about Bubbles' armor coming off though, so...hmm.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #132 on: 03 May 2017, 21:12 »

I'm beginning to wonder if this QCverse has WD40.

So,, her under armor AI  Body is not all that different from her armored form by the looks of it.  I was wondering  about that and whether she'd loose a  fair bit in height and/or mass once her armor was removed.
Ditto.
Considering how strong her armor was, I figured the plating would be thicker for the most part. Add to that some padding to help absorb impact, and I thought she'd be a little lankier.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #133 on: 03 May 2017, 21:36 »

I have friends whom I'm not attracted to at all, but I recognize that there are issues standing between them and happiness, and sometimes trying to let go of those issues is a big risk.

There's a friend whose name isn't Fred, but whom I'll call Fred here.  Fred came back from a double tour in Afghanistan and Iraq and, he was doing his best, but he was not, strictly speaking, okay.  Among numerous other symptoms, he was pathologically unable to sleep without a loaded gun within reach.  He knew that wasn't a good way to be, and he'd tried before, but when four days had gone and he was hallucinating from lack of sleep, then taking sleeping pills and having horrible nightmares, it was always easier for him to go back to having the damn gun in reach.
When he  told me he was getting rid of the gun, definitely, on that day, and screw the hallucinations and nightmares but he wasn't going to be the guy with the loaded gun under his pillow....  My reaction was kind of like Faye's.  I think my exact words were "are you sure you're ready?"  The same way Faye said  "This seems ... sudden."  It does not follow that I felt any kind of physical attraction for Fred.

See, I thought that it would be some good progress for him to make - but that it was going to be hard for him, and that unless he were certain of his resolve probably unsuccessful.  Asking whether he was sure - whether he'd really thought about what it would mean and accepted it - was a legitimate concern, no matter how much I thought he'd have a happier life in the long run if he gave up that particular symbol of security.

Anyway, I'm inclined to read Faye the same way - concern for the well-being of a friend taking a big step that she might or might not be emotionally ready to take.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #134 on: 03 May 2017, 21:38 »

If Bubbles doesn't wear anything under the armor this could be awkward.
Presumably Bubbles will need a whole new wardrobe once she sheds her armour. Considering her size, her clothes will presumably have to be tailor-made for her.

She could ask Elliot if there's a ladies section at the Big And Tall store he buys his clothes from.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #135 on: 03 May 2017, 21:39 »

... interesting thought, if the armor wasn't actually that thick, and Bubbles is already using a strong military chassis, is the point of it purely ablative?

Ooof. I wonder if it's actually reactive armor, which would probably make the prybar a really bad idea.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #136 on: 03 May 2017, 22:46 »

It's a comic about relationships. Extrapolation is OK. For example, "Dale and Marigold are fighting like an old married couple already! I wonder if Jeph is foreshadowing something."

The worst kind of thing would be explicit and unrealistic. Slash fiction involving incompatible characters would be the other end of the scale.

In between, well, a good guideline is to remember they are Jeph's characters and not ours.
Isn't slash fic involving incompatible characters usually "explicit and unrealistic"?

I wrote that badly. Apologies.

Slash fic is the "Other end of the scale" from reasonable extrapolation.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #137 on: 03 May 2017, 22:55 »

"When, in your experience, have I ever been magical?"

Well, uhm... this and this springs to mind...

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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #138 on: 03 May 2017, 23:25 »

Despite getting many opportunities from Dora, Faye has never shown sexual interest in women. Bubbles has not demonstrated sexual attraction to anyone. Until and unless we get evidence otherwise, pairing Faye and Bubbles is the bad kind of shipping.

Despite being harassed several times, big difference. Dora clearly thinks Faye is attractive,  but just because Faye doesn't return the sentiment doesn't mean she doesn't like women at all.

Concerning Bubbles/Faye as a romantic couple:
I think their relationship might be headed there, and I like how it's set up. It feels a lot more organic and real than the whole Marten Claire storyline; it's stumbling and making mistakes and trusting each other all the way through. Just lovely.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #139 on: 03 May 2017, 23:37 »

I have a feeling that Claire and Marten are wondering at the grunts and periodical metallic 'pop-clank' noises that they're hearing coming from Bubbles's and Faye's room. I'm expecting tomorrow to bring a strange lack of eye-contact and possibly an uncomfortable Marten saying something about "I'm cool with whatever you do in your own time but be careful, yeah?"

The opening panels of this comic are great. I don't know if this is Faye's fantasy image of how Bubbles would change with her armour coming off or if it's just Jeph's way of being ironic over the matter but it really does emphasise just how radically different fantasy and reality can be!

Bubbles, dear? You want me to be honest? You've always been magical but I think it's reasonable to separate the real magic of a good person from the fantasy magic that very rarely happens in this world.

It also seems that once the armor is off, it's not going back on anytime soon.

Agreed; I wouldn't be surprised if several panels were damaged or buckled and will need repairs before they can be used again.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #140 on: 04 May 2017, 00:07 »

You are all aware of the fact, that a lot of stuff which we talked about here made it into the latest comic? :D

Jeph is listening :)
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #141 on: 04 May 2017, 01:58 »

Military gear, judging from my father's stories, seems always to be the opposite of magical.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #142 on: 04 May 2017, 02:48 »

So now we get to find out about Bubble's heart shaped bar code tattoo that she had forgotten all about?

Or perhaps May receiving a  pic of Bubbles clad in a pair of Daisy Duke shorts?

Or Pintsize walking in on her nude and unarmored and begins worshiping her as the new Robogoddess?

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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #143 on: 04 May 2017, 03:43 »

I'm predicting for tomorrow that Bubbles and Faye will both have a laugh about how silly this whole thing has turned out to be: More like a cutting someone out of a wrecked car than some mysterious and semi-erotic disrobing. Bubbles will then announce that she wants to make sure that her derma is clean after so long covered up and go to the shower. Her exit line will be something self-deprecating about being 'not exactly a sight to wait for anyway'. How Faye responds to this, even if only to herself, will signal where Jeph intends to take this in future.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #144 on: 04 May 2017, 03:58 »

Tomorrow: The outer shell is all off. Bubbles is preparing to pull off her under-layer, when Faye speaks up: "Hey, shouldn't we have some, like, clothes for you before you do that?" Bubbles then experiences a level-3 blush while admitting that she hadn't thought that part through.

Next time May sees Bubbles, May is going to completely melt.  :-D
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #145 on: 04 May 2017, 05:21 »

I'm beginning to wonder if this QCverse has WD40.

So,, her under armor AI  Body is not all that different from her armored form by the looks of it.  I was wondering  about that and whether she'd loose a  fair bit in height and/or mass once her armor was removed.

It does.
http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3178
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #146 on: 04 May 2017, 06:31 »

Faye imagined this: 
But the reality is probably more like this: 
I must admit I didn't think there would be actual skin similar to Momo's chassis underneath the armor.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #147 on: 04 May 2017, 07:32 »

Secondly, I want to stick it to everybody who insists that friendship is deeper than romance can be and that intimacy is not sexual tension, etc. etc. Like yes that's all true but sometimes when it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck.... it's a freaking duck and not a goose being mistaken for a duck by a duck crazed society.  And yeah it's a little petty but so is the insistence that we all be "above shipping" even when the story-line heavily hints at it.  The Faye/Bubbles shipping is even done by Claire and Dora. I think those are supposed to be clues that there is at least that kind of chemistry, even if it won't be acted on.

First, I don't think you're going to make friends by announcing that you want to "stick it to" people.  But since I'm one of those you're probably addressing, I want to clarify my own position.

I don't claim that "friendship is deeper than romance can be".  Rather, I'm tired of fandom's first impulse being to jump to assuming that any and all intimate relationships must be, or become/progress to, romantic and/or sexual ones; that platonic friendship is something lesser, something that one settles for, or a stage that characters move through on their way to the inevitable snogging.  Frankly, it makes me think that a good portion of fandom - any and all fandom(s) - is only interested in the characters and their relationships for how they can figure in the fans' own (literally) masturbatory fantasies.

And I repeat, I am tired of this, because I see it everywhere in fandom.  It is the default assumption, the "background hum."  (In that respect, I suppose, it mirrors general society's fucked-up (ha) obsession with sex:  "it's so dirty, it's so naughty, why aren't you having some right now?  What's wrong with you???")  And so, I welcome this rare respite, a tiny corner where there are topics of discussion other than who is, will be, should be, or wants to be "hooking up."
« Last Edit: 04 May 2017, 07:45 by St.Clair »
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #148 on: 04 May 2017, 07:42 »

... interesting thought, if the armor wasn't actually that thick, and Bubbles is already using a strong military chassis, is the point of it purely ablative?

Ooof. I wonder if it's actually reactive armor, which would probably make the prybar a really bad idea.
Either way, Bubbles maintains her strength.  The armor has, no doubt, been overkill all along - she's able to withstand anything she's apt to encounter outside of a combat zone without it.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3471 to 3475 (1st to 5th May 2017)
« Reply #149 on: 04 May 2017, 07:54 »

Long time member/reader, frequent lurker here to chime in on the potential Bubbles/Faye romantic development.

Regarding Faye having never shown interest in women before - as someone who acknowledged her bisexuality at 28 (a combination of traditional upbringing in a homophobic society and having been in a long-term relationship from a young age that closed my options early), I can say it's not impossible for Faye to discover an interest in women later in life. In a way that would be quite validating for someone like me, who has felt insecure and somehow inadequate because of it, in the eyes of both straight and LGBT people. That's another story, however.

Despite this, I cannot help but agree with St.Clair as well: intimacy is almost always portrayed as a precursor to romance in fiction, to the point where close platonic relationships are seen as inferior and fans simply do not believe two people can be close without some sexual tension bubbling beneath the surface. It's nice to see one storyteller doing something different for once and QC is known for its strong portrayals of very diverse characters and relationships, where a deep friendship could exist among all the various couples.

Of course, they are Jeph's characters and we're just along for the ride. :)
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