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It's nothing except proof that you can get a sufficiently compulsive personality to buy anything

A 'funny' novelty motorised toy with lowbrow toilet humour

The QC universe's version of the Tesseract

A genie's trap; what would be Pintsize's three wishes anyway?

Something out of the factory's 'defective' bin

A device for summoning Spookybot

Corpse Witch's backup drive is hidden within; Bubbles last hope!

A Chekhov's Gun for a story with genetic engineering, a lost city on the moon and freaky glowing-eyed girls

It has an audio chip hidden in it: "My name is Charles Augustus and, if you are hearing this, I am dead."

Veronica knows what it does and I don't think Claire will ever be able to touch it again!

Other (Please specify in your comment)

[BenRG]

The poll may seem random but, if there is one thing I've learned about creative writing, never assume that an object is not a Chekhov's Gun until it is buried safely in a pail of sand and forgotten.

What would I like to see? I'd like to see is for the curio to actually be nothing but for the characters to spend weeks trying to work it out and failing because, in the end, they all expect that it is something. We learn lots about the characters in the process (what we 'expect' is informed by our subconscious wants and desires, after all). Maybe there would be some kind of final-reel twist when we learn it was planted by Spookybot for some mysterious purpose (that Jeph is holding back for Strip 4000).

As for this week's strips? I really have no idea where Jeph is going to go. The last three strips of last week had the feel of a palette cleanser so Jeph might go absolutely anywhere. The obvious favourite options are:

• More Faye and Bubbles adventures; did the candles make Bubbles high? What did she do under the influence?
• Just what was the outcome of Brun thinking about what she's learned about attraction?
• Just how is Hannelore going to react to the fact she can now think about being dirty without freaking out (only freaking out when she realises that she isn't freaking out)?

One less obvious option (but one I'd like to see) is how are Claire's studies going. If graduation is soon, has she had thoughts about her long-term future? More importantly, what has Marten been thinking and doing in that area?

[Case]

Which Charles Augustine are you referring to? The dead first husband of the Republican Senator?

[cesium133]

The time-traveling grandson of St. Augustine and Charles de Gaulle. 

[Kugai]

In the beginning, there was The Cube.......

[Case]

The time-traveling grandson of St. Augustine and Charles de Gaulle. 

Nah, that's just JC Denton (again).

[NemesisDancer]

One less obvious option (but one I'd like to see) is how are Claire's studies going. If graduation is soon, has she had thoughts about her long-term future?

I've been thinking about this too, and particularly how she's been getting on working in the library. We've not seen much of Claire's bookwormy side lately and I miss it ^_^;;

[Thrudd]

In the beginning, there was The Cube.......

The Sphere .....
The Cone ....

Together they are ....... The Primaries.

(click to show/hide)

Sorry but I couldn't find the actual clip from the birthday episode

[Method of Madness]

The poll may seem random but, if there is one thing I've learned about creative writing, never assume that an object is not a Chekhov's Gun until it is buried safely in a pail of sand and forgotten.

Not even then! That's when it's most dangerous!

[OldGoat]

Aaaaand Jeph takes it off in another direction we (or at least I) wasn't expecting.

[Near Lurker]

Shenanigans, Renee.  Shenanigans.

[SmilingCat]

The object is a Gonkulator, obviously.

Also, no, Renee. Bad.

[Isyrion]

OH very very very very nice....now I don't feel weird about thinking Elliot is cute now ....now how to reach into the comic and get him gift wrapped.....J/K but damn wish I could meet a dude that had his qualities where I'm at.

[comicalArchitect]

We really really needed more queer male representation in QC, so I'm very pleased with this development.

[QuestionableIntentions]

Squee, Elliot you cutie pie :3

[snufflebottoms]

the triangle grows more complicated

[cesium133]

Clinton likes Brun.
Elliot likes Brun and Clinton.
Brun likes clocks.

[Kugai]

Clocks like Clinton

The circle is  complete 



Elliott. The Mountain Mushball

[A Duck]

Ho-ho-holy shit! Elliot's bi? That's awesome! I always thought QC needed some non-straight dudes.

Also, between the Clinton-Renee-Elliot love mobius strip and the Faye-Bubbles Schrodinger's affection, It's like Jeph has taken these last few months to screw with the shippers. I love it!

It's surreal that Marten is completely stable in a relationship while all this is going on. I think the love-drama spirit who haunted him has left and is now haunting everyone else at once to make up the difference.

[Near Lurker]

Where has Scott been, anyway?

[cesium133]

To be fair, Jeph has been screwing with shippers since day one.

Okay, maybe day 3.

[Tova]

Who still thinks that Elliott's reaction to accidental flirting was due to toxic masculinity?

I asked at the time what the difference was between that and there Bubbles/Faye interaction, and I think it's clear now that the two interactions were more similar than different, in spite of one being labeled toxic.

[MrNumbers]

Sweeps everything off his desk, tears down his shipping board, sends a flurry of pins and coloured ribbon flying around the room.

Tʜɪs ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇs ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ

Tʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴅᴏɴᴇ



Tʜᴇ ᴘᴇɴᴛᴀᴄʟᴇ ʜᴀs ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴅʀᴀᴡɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴡᴇᴇᴛᴇsᴛ ᴏꜰ sᴜɢᴀʀs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪɴᴇs ꜰɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʀᴏᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ ʜᴇʀʙs ᴏꜰ ᴀ ᴍᴏsᴛ ᴘʟᴇᴀsɪɴɢ sᴄᴇɴᴛ.



Iɴsɪᴅᴇ ᴀɴ ᴏꜰꜰᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ʀᴇʟᴀxɪɴɢ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴇᴀ. I ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴄʜᴏsᴇɴ Dɪᴘʟᴏᴍᴀᴛ ʙʀᴀɴᴅ Eɴɢʟɪsʜ Bʀᴇᴀᴋꜰᴀsᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄɪʀᴄʟᴇ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛʀɪɴɢ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴀɴʏ sᴜꜰꜰɪᴄɪᴇɴᴛ Eʀᴏsᴍᴀɢᴇ ᴍᴀʏ ᴜsᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏꜰꜰᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇs ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴅᴇɪᴛʏ ᴍᴏsᴛ.

Mɪɴᴇ ɪs Bʀᴏsᴇɪᴅᴏɴ, ɢᴏᴅ ᴏꜰ ʙʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ sʜɪᴘs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴀᴛʀᴏɴ ᴅᴇɪᴛʏ ᴏꜰ ᴀʟʟ sᴇᴀᴍᴇɴ

Велики Посејдон чује моју молбу, вратите ми све ове бродове мени
[Gʀᴇᴀᴛ Bʀᴏsᴇɪᴅᴏɴ, ʜᴇᴀʀ ᴍʏ ᴘʟᴇᴀ, ʀᴇᴛᴜʀɴ ɴᴏᴡ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ sʜɪᴘs ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ]

[Look. Look. I live and die by romance plots and character arcs and Elliot being revealed as bi is so fantastic to me. I'm so excited to see where this does or does not go, and just seeing more of Elliot in general and maybe seeing Clinton having an *actual character arc* for a while is all I have ever wanted.]

[Oenone]

OH very very very very nice....now I don't feel weird about thinking Elliot is cute now ....now how to reach into the comic and get him gift wrapped.....J/K but damn wish I could meet a dude that had his qualities where I'm at.

If you figure it out share the secret! Like Jack Sparrow, I'm on the market.

[shanejayell]

 

Oh, poor Elliot. Poor Clinton, too, depending on how this goes.

Run, Elliot! RUN!

[oddtail]

As a bi guy (kinda), I'm SUPER happy to see this.

As people have pointed out, QC could use more male queer characters... but it's so, so much better.

Nobody is EVER bisexual in fiction. OK, women occasionally are, but men are virtually NEVER anything but straight or gay. The only characters that are the exception to this almost universal rule seem to be characters of the "I'll screw anything that moves" variety, often villains.

A male character that's attracted to men and women (that does not have the "anything that moves" clause above) is so frickin' rare, I honestly don't remember WHEN I last saw one, anywhere in fiction.

So I'm pretty excited about this.

[BenRG]

After everything, the only thing that came into my mind after reading today's strip twice is that I feel genuinely sorry for Elliott and Clinton. You see... Renee wants to help them and wants to get Claire involved. No matter what they may or may not want to be together, such well-meaning 'help' (if comedic) is going to be agonising for them to go through. That said, I can't see any way to avoid it because, right now, only Elliott knows about it and he is too quiet and shy to say 'no'.

Which Charles Augustine are you referring to? The dead first husband of the Republican Senator?

Claire's dead father... Whose death turns out to be plot significant.

[brasca]

Maybe this is one of those times that Claire should interfere.  Elliot may be bi, but I don't think Clinton is and this could be all kinds of awkward for everyone involved. 

[SmilingCat]

Ho-ho-holy shit! Elliot's bi? That's awesome! I always thought QC needed some non-straight dudes.

Isn't Marten potentially Bi? I seem to recall him having a conversation with Tai about being able to see himself with another man, though the urge to high five during sex would be overwhelming.

[BenRG]

Ho-ho-holy shit! Elliot's bi? That's awesome! I always thought QC needed some non-straight dudes.

Isn't Marten potentially Bi?

That is true but Marten is nowhere over 1 on the Kinsey Scale whilst I'm thinking that Elliott is a somewhere in the 2-4 range.

[Is it cold in here?]

Ho-ho-holy shit! Elliot's bi? That's awesome! I always thought QC needed some non-straight dudes.

Isn't Marten potentially Bi? I seem to recall him having a conversation with Tai about being able to see himself with another man, though the urge to high five during sex would be overwhelming.

You're exactly right though I can't remember or find the strip number.

[iduguphergrave]

It ain't no lie


He's bi bi bi






 
(sorry today's comic just made me so happy I couldn't contain myself)

[flondrix]

Claire's dead father... Whose death turns out to be plot significant.

????!!

[Gyrre]

20 internet points to whomever called Renee and Claire teaming up to try to get Elliot and Clinton on a date.

Elliot's been part of the cast since the Secret Bakery was introduced back in 2011. Well, Elliot did say it never really came up before.

Let's see, the wiki lists about 221 characters, 5 to 8 of which are LGTBQ, Massachusettes' population is just under 5% LGTBQ; so it's actually pretty realistic compared to our world. Granted, QC takes place in an alternate universe. And, if memory serves, AnthroPCs can also be LGBTQ, so that probably throws the numbers completely off.

*HERP DERP* *smacks forehead*
Of course those population stats are 5 years out of date, self-reporting isn't terribly reliable, and MA is estimated to have roughly ~7% of its LGTBQ population still 'in the closet'. [and I really need to start bookmarking links so I can find them and cite them easier.]

The map I used

(click to show/hide)

[Milayna]

20 internet points to whomever called Renee and Claire teaming up to try to get Elliot and Clinton on a date.

Elliot's been part of the cast since the Secret Bakery was introduced back in 2011. Well, Elliot did say it never really came up before.

Let's see, the wiki lists about 221 characters, 5 to 8 of which are LGTBQ, Massachusettes' population is just under 5% LGTBQ; so it's actually pretty realistic compared to our world. Granted, QC takes place in an alternate universe. And, if memory serves, AnthroPCs can also be LGBTQ, so that probably throws the numbers completely off.

*HERP DERP* *smacks forehead*
Of course those population stats are 5 years out of date, self-reporting isn't terribly reliable, and MA is estimated to have roughly ~7% of its LGTBQ population still 'in the closet'. [and I really need to start bookmarking links so I can find them and cite them easier.]

The map I used

(click to show/hide)

Most of the characters on the wiki page are temporary/gone (vespavanger), joke (bros), or noncanon (Yelling Bird), and as such don't have an explored personality, much less known sexuality. So even if you did count them all, the representation is potentially much higher. Among cast members who are actually Serious Characters, the representation is even higher (though it did sorely need more queer guys which so I love this development too).

Of course in fiction-at-large every single character in the comic could be queer and it'd still be barely a blip compared to straight characters.

[TheEvilDog]

.....History repeats and this is going to end in tears, isn't it?

[BenRG]

FWIW, amongst the current recurring cast, we have the following alignments of which I am aware:

Marten - Mostly hetro but with some gay leanings;
Claire - Mostly hetro but a little ambiguous (she once said something that has a reasonable interpretation of her finding Dora attractive);
Faye - Hetro;
Pintsize - Pansexual (I'm expecting some flak about this but he seems equally attracted to both human and robot and to both expressed genders; however, this is Pintsize; it's difficult to know what is real and what is an elaborate prank);
Dora - Bi and seems to be pretty much balanced on the mid-point of the scale;
Hannelore - Hetroromantic but, by effect of her mental health issues, probably asexual in any meaningful practical terms;
Tai - Lesbian but she loves to tease;
Steve - Very, very hetro;
Bubbles - Definitely seems to be anthrosexual (attracted to humans) lesbian;
Momo - Anthrosexual hetro;
May - Mostly asexual beyond a basically aromantic interest in certain aspects of human reproductive and waste evacuation anatomy;
Brun - Definitely seems hetro;
Renee - Hetro;
Elliott - Just revealed to be somewhere in the bi spectrum;
Jim - Hetro;
Veronica - Hetro (irrespective of what she may have done over the years in a professional capacity).

So, of these sixteen characters, nine are hetrosexual or as close to it as really makes no odds. We only have two homosexuals (Tai and evidently Bubbles) and everyone else is some flavour of bisexual with the exception of Pintsize (who is difficult to read accurately because of his sense of humour)* and May (who has shown only prurient interest in others sexuality and has shown no real interest in being involved herself).

* - Note on Pintsize; his only actual known sexual encounters have been with fellow synthetics. It's possible that he is mildly-bi with no anthrosexual leanings beyond a near-demonic joy in yanking his human friends' chains.

[St.Clair]

yeah, Renee, you need to stop that now.

[Mr. Doctor]

Poor Elliot, Clinton seems as hetero as one can be if you ask me.

May (who has shown only prurient interest in others sexuality and has shown no real interest in being involved herself).

Huh? May even said he'd like to go down on a dude. That seems clear as water to me.

[Near Lurker]

Renee - Hetro;

Renee is bi.

[bhtooefr]

Steve - Very, very hetro;

Except when drunk. I'm going with Narnia-level closeted bi for Steve.

[NemesisDancer]

Am I the only one hoping this might result in a Brun/Clinton/Elliott poly relationship? Admittedly this is partly personal appeal (being poly myself) but it would be an interesting way of resolving the unfolding love triangle.

My apologies if this counts as shipping by the way - I know it's a bit of a delicate topic here and I'm still not sure what's considered appropriate or inappropriate ^_^;;


Also wondering what Claire's reaction will be to Renee trying to team up. While they're both pretty energetic shippers, I do wonder whether Claire might find it a bit inappropriate grilling Clinton about his sexuality, considering her own experiences of LGBT identity and coming out. After all, Clinton was always very careful about not outing Claire (as seen here), so I'm sure she'll want to repay the favour and not be too appreciative of Renee trying to push him into coming out as bi (if, indeed, it turns out he is).

[Mehre]

Well this was unexpected. And i really dont like renee maniacal face expression in last panel. Thats going to be awkward conversation. Although Clinton reaction should be funny.

Claire - Mostly hetro but a little ambiguous (she once said something that has a reasonable interpretation of her finding Dora attractive);
Faye - Hetro;
(...)
Bubbles - Definitely seems to be anthrosexual (attracted to humans) lesbian;

Well Claire is trans, so she is LGBT  already.
Faye may be a hetero  and depending on how her arc with Bubbles ends maybe a little bit bi and even robosexual(what is correct term?). So its a open issue. So is Bubbles and while we saw her having attraction to Faye she is probably bi.

By the way, Renne is aware that Clinton likes Brun, right?

[ChipNoir]

Elliot's quickly becoming my favorite character. Very much my type (Gentle giant teddybear <3)

[ChipNoir]

Ho-ho-holy shit! Elliot's bi? That's awesome! I always thought QC needed some non-straight dudes.

Isn't Marten potentially Bi? I seem to recall him having a conversation with Tai about being able to see himself with another man, though the urge to high five during sex would be overwhelming.

I've been relating to Marten for a long time now, and actually appreciate him as an example...of, well, bi I'm not so certain is quite the right term. Like someone said before, bisexual males are REALLY rare, and are usually portrayed as more pansexual than bisexual (I'm looking at you Dorian Grey of Penny Dreadful, you horny asshole). So I had a big problem with identifying as bisexual, since I felt like that was an image that confused and kinda scared me.

Ever since I spent a lot more time with a larger variety of personality types, I've accepted that I'm less gay so much as very attracted to personality and physical attributes that are 'traditionally' associated with masculinity; Short hair, muscles, jocular personality, aggressive confidence (Not always a good thing, but attractive none-the-less) etc etc, stuff that my younger self very much associated with men. As I've gotten older, I've realized that these are all attractive features a woman can have, and that if it came down to it, that's all I really care about in a partner. At this point I could probably easily have a relationship with either sex/gender, as long as I felt those personality traits and identifiers were there. In the last few years Claire has also made me realize that yeah, I could fall in love with a transgender, and very happy with him.

So Martin is kinda on the flipside of my own tastes: He has no problem with the anatomy, so much as what the identification is. Claire identifies as female, and that's what makes her attractive to Marten, as opposed to a gay/bi guy that at the end of the day still identifies as the guy, and whatever spectrum of masculinity he might be placed on.


Of course having just been sandwiched by two different sexes at a dance club in this recent week has definetly further changed my openness to experimentation.

[Is it cold in here?]

Am I the only one hoping this might result in a Brun/Clinton/Elliott poly relationship? Admittedly this is partly personal appeal (being poly myself) but it would be an interesting way of resolving the unfolding love triangle.

My apologies if this counts as shipping by the way - I know it's a bit of a delicate topic here and I'm still not sure what's considered appropriate or inappropriate ^_^;;

(mod)Thank you for thinking about it! I'm not sure what to call it myself.(/mod)

Poly relationships are almost unexplored in QC. Tai experimented but decided it wasn't for her. There would be enormous potential for awkwardness and misunderstandings. Those are what feeds comedy.

[TheEvilDog]

That said, I wonder if Claire will try to dissuade Renee from this, considering what happened the last time Claire tried to play matchmaker and it blew up in her face.

And I can't shake the horrible feeling that someone is going to get outed during this story and not in a way they would have liked or wanted.

[94ssd]

Is Elliot the first confirmed male bisexual character in QC?

[comicalArchitect]

Is Elliot the first confirmed male bisexual character in QC?

Depends on if you count Pintsize. Early on he had a fling with a male AI, but it never really came up again.

[fayelovesbubbles]

I don't think Clinton is into guys...is he? even if he is, his main focus right now is surely Brun.

I can't help thinking they'd be a strange couple if they did get together. Yet, there hasn't been a gay male couple in this comic other than Marten's dad and stepdad...I think...

[fayelovesbubbles]

It always seemed to me that May was possibly bi? Maybe I'm off. She doesn't strike me as asexual in the slightest.

Clinton is straight, I'm pretty sure, which is going to cause a very awkward situation for Elliot if Renee doesn't keep her mouth shut. Never heard anything about Renee being bi. Weird that I didn't notice and I've read this comic for six years.