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"My sister is crazy! She thinks you want romance in your life!"

6 (10.9%)

"What did you say to Evie? She was really quizzing me on you!"

9 (16.4%)

"Bubbles? Bubbles, are... Are you lonely?"

12 (21.8%)

"So, I'm hearing that you want some robo-lovin'!"

3 (5.5%)

""Um... Do... Do you want a boyfriend? I mean, I want you to know I'm cool with it if you do!"

6 (10.9%)

"So... I hear you guys can download pleasure programs! You got any of those installed?"

1 (1.8%)

"So... Uh... Speakin' hypothetically, how does an AI go about gettin' a significant other?"

6 (10.9%)

"Imagine if the Skate Park was a Robot Sex Dungeon! What would have we done then?"

1 (1.8%)

"My baby sis in a serious relationship! Everyone is pairing up except me! Oh Bubs! Will I ever get lucky?"

4 (7.3%)

Other (please specify in a comment)

7 (12.7%)

Total Members Voted: 53

[St.Clair]

Bornyl acetate is used as a scent in air fresheners. Why would anyone put it in a coolant?

Serious, non-punny speculative answer:

Either to cover other, more disagreeable scents of the coolant compound(s), or to serve as a "marker" to indicate the recent release of said coolant.  See how mercaptin is added to normally odorless natural gas, so that everyone knows if there's a leak somewhere, or dye markers in various substances/applications.

[Neko_Ali]

Hey, if you're going to vent in public, it would be nice if you were releasing pleasant odors... Most humans don't after all. This question seriously got Bubble hot under the collar, that's fir sure. And you know, it's abough time some  progress was made here. It was beginning to feel like an Ent was telling this tale.

[A small perverse otter]

Oh, this thread is getting poplar.

That's your o-pinyon

[DaiJB]

You know what? It's beginning to seem more and more (to me) that Faye simply hasn't ever even considered the possibility of Bubbles maybe wanting a girlfriend. It's just not on Faye's radar, you know? - Which makes me think that Faye's attitude towards Bubbles really might be as a "buddy", rather than anything romantic.

...And that could be good too! Friendship (without romance) can be just as deep and enduring as a romantic relationship. Possibly more so - there are few things that can be as transitory as the modern romance!   

I rather like the idea of Faye and Bubs being best buddies. Of course, there is the obvious problem - which is that Bubbles certainly seems attracted to Faye...

More drama will no doubt ensue!

[TheEvilDog]

Tomorrow is Friday, so expect a cliffhanger tomorrow and a looooong weekend to wait.

[Is it cold in here?]

Poor Bubbles. This must be pineful.

[Wagimawr]

I have to admit, the turn of events in #3668 caught me by surprise.

I really expected that Bubbles would be thoroughly pissed off with Faye, not Evie. Faye behaved horribly towards Melon. It wasn't just the condescending tone and words (although the whole 'domesticated robo-dick' dialog *was* pretty funny), it was the way that Faye took advantage of Melon's naiveté and accepted $100 for telling her to get batteries.

I enjoy seeing people bang this drum when the story focus here is so clearly not even remotely on that Faye/Melon interaction.

'Twas a goof, y'all.

[TheEvilDog]

Poor Bubbles. This must be pineful.

Hey look at it this way, she’s got 99 problems but a beech isn’t one of them.
.....
.....
I’ll leaf now.

[Bad Superman]

That facial expression in panel 3… pure gold!   

[OldGoat]

That facial expression in panel 3… pure gold!   

Seriously, it says so much without any text.

[brasca]

Someone is hot under the collar. 

[A Duck]

So... Friday is a "Steve-eating-cereal" day?

[ElsaStegosaurus]

So... Friday is a "Steve-eating-cereal" day?

Plz be Tortura doing a reading of "Ze Little Girl Who Hid Ze Bodies" at a local library.

Plz.

[fayelovesbubbles]

I've said it before, Bubbles main problem is that she doesn't communicate how she feels. She remains quiet and quiet and quiet, until its too late and she vents. By which time, the person who could actually use the information, in this case, Evie, has already left.
That remains her biggest obstacle and she needs to learn how to talk to people.

And I am still waiting on my damn scones!

I think part of why I have a soft spot for Bubbles is because I'm the same way. I don't tell people I'm pissed off, I silently fume. I figure people should have enough sense not to treat me some crappy way, but go figure, they don't.

[BenRG]

If Faye doesn't realise something is up after panel 3, she actually has issues with perception that may be medical in nature! I'm thinking that, wanting to help her friend, she is going to rope all the rest of the cast into finding out who Bubbles fancies so they she can get them together. That becomes something of a trial for everyone because they all know that Bubbles is attracted to Faye, but Faye appears oblivious and no-one really wants to tell her when it would be better for her to find out for herself. A year's worth of romcom arcs follows whilst Faybles shippers slowly go mad with anticipation.

Poor Bubbles though! Am I the only one who noticed that the emergency coolant release in panel 5 only happened when Faye initiated physical contact on an already-flustered Bubbles? Poor thing! She's got to say something before she melts down!

Now, I'm thinking that Jeph basically has been waiting for an excuse to use this 'venting' joke for a while - The android equivalent of the fart jokes of days of yore.

Also... Does the scent of Bubbles's coolant mean that she's pineing for Faye?


[EDIT] - Just noticed that Akima ninja'd my pun by about six hours. Sorry about that.

[gopher]

No puns here, as for crumpets, try them with butter and a slice of good Cheddar.

[Bad Superman]

50 creds say tomorrow Bubbles will – clumsily and shy – tell Faye that *IF* there would be someone she (Bubbles) is interested in, it'd be someone like her (Faye). Very, very much like her... The comic will end with Faye looking completely surprised and speechless, and we're left with a cliffhanger…

[oeoek]

Like other noticed, again some great comic art in this one (panel 3 and 5 are just great). Somehow Jeph's art has taken another jump forward in the last few weeks.

[pwhodges]

Just a month? Oh my sweet summer child...

In comic time...

[Skewbrow]

I've said it before, Bubbles main problem is that she doesn't communicate how she feels. She remains quiet and quiet and quiet, until its too late and she vents. By which time, the person who could actually use the information, in this case, Evie, has already left.
That remains her biggest obstacle and she needs to learn how to talk to people.

And I am still waiting on my damn scones!

Scones? Yes! For a longest time to me "scones" were a thing only enjoyed be characters in Agatha Christie mysteries. But, then came that night in Corcaigh. A friend and I came into our B&B (I guess it's needless to add it was pouring). The evening shift receptionist (or whatever) invited us to a side room for some tea and scones by the fireplace. That ... hit the spot.

[Case]

Poor Bubbles. This must be pineful.

I reed her reaction as a 'yes'.

[Cornelius]

It'll be a treet and a releaf to see Faye finally catching on.

[JoeCovenant]

PLEASE stop these puns... in the name of all that's Holly...

[TinPenguin]

Else you'll all be in for a tannin'.

[Cornelius]

We're just pitching in on the discussion, is all.

[Bollthorn]

Bubbles is just too adorable ^_^

[blt]

Saying I like this arc would be redundant; I've opined about that enough

[Zebediah]

Great. I make one simple comment that inadvertently sets off a pun war that lasts through the night and lumbers on into the next morning.

[Case]

Great. I make one simple comment that inadvertently sets off a pun war that lasts through the night and lumbers on into the next morning.

Yew didn't think it wood?

[TheEvilDog]

Great. I make one simple comment that inadvertently sets off a pun war that lasts through the night and lumbers on into the next morning.

Hey, we didn't axe for this. Although I suppose we could kill the topic, but then we'd be left with a lot of deadwood.

[Nycticoraci]

Good thing she didn't accidentally vent tear gas. Not that ex-military hardware should have any ordnance, but this is in a universe where a former missile sub retained launch codes.

[shanejayell]

Poor Bubbles.

GODS the PUNS! 

[jeph]

Hey, if you're going to vent in public, it would be nice if you were releasing pleasant odors... Most humans don't after all. This question seriously got Bubble hot under the collar, that's fir sure. And you know, it's abough time some  progress was made here. It was beginning to feel like an Ent was telling this tale.

Don't be hasty!

^{Seriously though, I do hope there's some kind of resolution soon.}

soon

hahahahah

hahahahahaahhahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahhaah

[TinPenguin]

I approve of the above maniacal laughter.

Wil and Penelope got a resolution, and Steve and Cosette, and Dale and Marigold, and look where that's got us.

I would much rather continue to see Faye and Bubbles interacting, than see them pushed into a pairing and bundled onto a bus.

[ImVeryAngryItsNotButter]

Wil and Penelope got a resolution, and Steve and Cosette, and Dale and Marigold, and look where that's got us.

I would much rather continue to see Faye and Bubbles interacting, than see them pushed into a pairing and bundled onto a bus.

Ah, but those were all heterosexual human couples, and pretty much any kind of drama you can get out of those is tired and cliched.

A romance Faye and Bubbles, on the other hand, would open the door to a whole new world of problems; coming to terms with one's own sexual identity, learning how consummating such a relationship works, facing bigotry from the outside world... Jeph has far more fuel to keep Faye and Bubbles' arcs going than he did with any of the human couples.

[ckridge]

If Faye doesn't realise something is up after panel 3, she actually has issues with perception that may be medical in nature!

Faye does have psychological problems, and they make her selfish and obtuse much of the time. She is charming, vivacious, and sometimes sharply perceptive, but she is not the nicest person in the whole world. She wants continual company without physical intimacy and is careless about how she comes by it.  She kept Marten on a string for a long time. Now she has Bubbles with her almost 24/7 and has never once wondered what is up with this person sitting next to her bed all night every night. If she doesn't get a clue soon, she will be willfully ignoring what it would be inconvenient to know.

I like Bubbles a great deal, and the sheer panic on her face in panel 3 wrings my heart, but she, too, is going to have to step up soon. She must find the courage to speak her heart.

[A small perverse otter]

Wil and Penelope got a resolution, and Steve and Cosette, and Dale and Marigold, and look where that's got us.

I would much rather continue to see Faye and Bubbles interacting, than see them pushed into a pairing and bundled onto a bus.

Ah, but those were all heterosexual human couples, and pretty much any kind of drama you can get out of those is tired and cliched.

A romance Faye and Bubbles, on the other hand, would open the door to a whole new world of problems; coming to terms with one's own sexual identity, learning how consummating such a relationship works, facing bigotry from the outside world... Jeph has far more fuel to keep Faye and Bubbles' arcs going than he did with any of the human couples.

I don't know: the consequences of Marten and Dora's break up were interesting, and although the immediate consequences of Faye and Angus's breakup were in themselves creaky, they have driven much of the story since then. (Faye -> support group; Faye -> robot fighting ring; Faye + Bubbles: the friendship; Faye + Bublles II: Uniom[sic] Robotics; Faye + Bubbles III: The coupling...)

[Case]

If Faye doesn't realise something is up after panel 3, she actually has issues with perception that may be medical in nature!

Faye does have psychological problems, and they make her selfish and obtuse much of the time. She is charming, vivacious, and sometimes sharply perceptive, but she is not the nicest person in the whole world. She wants continual company without physical intimacy and is careless about how she comes by it.  She kept Marten on a string for a long time. Now she has Bubbles with her almost 24/7 and has never once wondered what is up with this person sitting next to her bed all night every night. If she doesn't get a clue soon, she will be willfully ignoring what it would be inconvenient to know.

I like Bubbles a great deal, and the sheer panic on her face in panel 3 wrings my heart, but she, too, is going to have to step up soon. She must find the courage to speak her heart.

What's wrong with wanting "continual (sic) company without physical intimacy" - most people do, which leads most people to seek out contact with their friends and family. And in what way is Faye "careless about how she comes by it"?

And quite a lot of people don't need any psychological problems for their being selfish and obtuse. I'm sure you know.

And guess what: I've kept somebody on a string and I have been kept on a string - in fact, lots of people have made both experiences at some point in their lives. Both are actually pretty shitty experiences, in their own shitty ways. I don't think that either, or both define me as a human being (beyond the learning experience of looking to avoid them).

[Is it cold in here?]

Jeph did say once that Faye is fun to write but he probably wouldn't like her in real life.

[ckridge]

There is nothing wrong with wanting continual company, but you have to be aware that it is unusual to get it from one person, and that if you do, they may want something more. That is where the part about being careless about how you get it becomes problematic. If they have no hope, you have to let them know.

Keeping people on a string when they know they have no hope is OK, I guess, but it makes my skin crawl a little. You are going to wind up feeding that admiration and longing to your ego, and that won't do anyone any good. Anything consensual is permissible, but not everything permissible is a good idea.

It's not just Faye though. Bubbles has to speak her heart.

[JoeCovenant]

Okay...
Let's get personal...

During my last years in what you guys and gals and others would call "High School" (16-18yrs) I had a friend, a guy, and we basically began to spend every waking hour in each other's company. We had the same classes, we hung out at each other's parents (He actually lived with his grandmother, and she basically lived in one room, so..) neither of us were drinkers, and we both played badminton with a couple of female friends and went to the gym together.
We lived in each other's pockets for about 3 years.

When it came to the gym thing, I stopped going for 'power', over fitness.
He went for power and became a version of Bubbles.
We were pals...
Then, out of the blue, he and one of our female friends -  just before I got married  - went to France for a weekend.

When they came back, he cut virtually everyone, previously in his life, out of it.
I found out eventually through one of his cousins (who I was friendly with) that he had "turned gay."
She never quite *said* he had been upset at me about to get married, but the ocnversation circled that particular area...

Now (the terminology aside) I knew NOTHING about this. Had NO idea of his sexuality. (He hid it bloody well... but again, hindsight)

Looking back, maybe some of the signs were there... but, we were virtually living the same life.
So people might have said the same about me... "How couldn't I tell? Wasn't it obvious?"
To which I'd have to say *no* because we were involved in all the same things... But nothing was ever spoken of us in that fashion.
And his coming out was a massive shock to all.

However... If during a night of blethering and stuff he had suddenly turned to me and said... "I think I'm gay, and I'm actually quite attracted to you!"
I dunno if an 18yr old me could have handled that.

NB: Nothing whatsoever against LGBT (i was an actor for over 30 yrs! Hell, I've flirted with guys for shits and giggles and mutual laughter), I've had men approach me in theatre bars because , you know, it's a theatre bar.. I must be gay! And have never sent one off with anything other than! "Wow! I'm kinda flattered, but sorry, I'm not gay!"

But, for my closest friend to (possibly) have been harbouring these feelings... I would have questioned if that was the only reason we ever hung out at all.

So - *I* think that Bubbles is quite right to be uncertain about blurting anything out.
Faye has shown NO leanings towards anything other than hetro relationships in a sexual sense.
And MY fear is that Bubbles might say something... and I dunno what Faye's reaction might be.
(But then, Faye's older than 18, and we're not in the early 80s!)

My other fear is that Bubble takes my friend's route, and decides that this change is too much for them to share with their closest friends and family.
(Not that Bubbles has too many of them) and decides it would be for the best to remove herself from that situation.

... does that make sense? I dunno it's been a long day.

[Case]

There is nothing wrong with wanting continual company, but you have to be aware that it is unusual to get it from one person, and that if you do, they may want something more. That is where the part about being careless about how you get it becomes problematic. If they have no hope, you have to let them know.

Keeping people on a string when they know they have no hope is OK, I guess, but it makes my skin crawl a little. You are going to wind up feeding that admiration and longing to your ego, and that won't do anyone any good. Anything consensual is permissible, but not everything permissible is a good idea.

It's not just Faye though. Bubbles has to speak her heart.

Hmmmh - This is oddly specific. People could be undecided about their feelings, feel that the other is progressing too fast, feel they're not ready (yet), hundreds of thousands of reasons. Humans are allowed to change their minds & hearts, or to be wrong about them. Tricky things, hearts & minds. And they always, under all circumstances, decide about their time, company and body alone. They. Alone. Nobody else.

And who said anything about keeping close company and bathing in the glory of your friend's pain? What kind of sick fantasy is that?  Some people just carry on being friends, others play it a little slower for a while to give themselves time to decompress (I often feel the need) - and yet others invent idiotic 'rules' to justify resenting their alleged friend that they allegedly 'fell in love with' for making an autonomous decision about their time, mind and body - it's called The Church of the Nice Guy^TM, and it's a place that nobody past their puberty has a good excuse spending any length of time in.

P.S.: Knowing someone wants more than you are sure you can give, or want to give to them, and not knowing which way to jump, and knowing that every day you try to make up your mind hurts them? Feels shite. Fucking up is bad enough when you pay the bill. Fucking up and knowing another gets the pain while you 'go free' - that doesn't feel good. It certainly didn't feed my ego and didn't make me feel admired. What you're talking about is not ordinary people making ordinary, stupid mistakes that hurt others - that's malignant Narcissism. If that's how you believe you would feel in that situation ... stay the fuck away from me. If you know somebody who feels like that in that situation: Get the fuck out of Dodge, yesterday, or be glad you got away if you did already - people like that certainly don't give a hoot about your 'rules'.

[osaka]

Why is it that all I can think of right now is The Last Smashtion.

[TinPenguin]

Joe, thank you for that personal anecdote. I think the situation indeed bears a lot of similarity to Faye and Bubbles. And it's a good demonstration of why sometimes, in a situation where feelings aren't likely to be reciprocated, it doesn't seem like there are any options that end well. Bubbles is definitely caught between wanting to say something and not daring to speak.

My other fear is that Bubble takes my friend's route, and decides that this change is too much for them to share with their closest friends and family.
(Not that Bubbles has too many of them) and decides it would be for the best to remove herself from that situation.

This would be heartbreakingly in character for Bubbles, but also derail so much of the progress that's she's made. Which is something that hits home for me too.

[Case]

Okay...
Let's get personal...

When I heard shortly after Gymnasium (about '94, 20ish) that one of my classmates/acquaintances had come out, I also had an "Oh? Oooooh!"-moment. The early 90s were probably a lot more relaxed than the 80s, but I guess LGBT-people were still playing it fairly safe (otoh, I'm not exactly Mr. Observant even at 44, so ymmv).

[ckridge]

First off, yes, it totally makes sense.

However... If during a night of blethering and stuff he had suddenly turned to me and said... "I think I'm gay, and I'm actually quite attracted to you!"
I dunno if an 18yr old me could have handled that.

The obvious response here is that Faye is a grown woman, and that Bubbles has options other than blurting out her feelings suddenly. Bubbles is a very controlled, precise speaker, and she could figure out just how and when she wanted to have the conversation, and just how she wanted to state her case.

That said, it is the sort of task one would want to think about carefully for a long time beforehand, and that would be catastrophic to do wrong. I still think that if Bubbles doesn't do it she will be succumbing to fear in a way that she will regret for the rest of her life, and denying Faye a chance to make a choice that might turn out well for her. Your post, though, makes me realize how fraught her situation is. She has to say it just right, at the right time, even though she will be scared to death about what the answer might be.

The other thing that you have brought to mind is that the very same damage that makes Faye something of a self-centered lout makes her fragile. She really could use someone to stick around for a while. It would be bad if Bubbles were to get sad and go away. It would be disastrous if she tried to love Bubbles without any heat behind it, just to keep Bubbles from being sad and going away.

Jeph has a really good story going here.

[ckridge]

Hmmmh - This is oddly specific. People could be undecided about their feelings, feel that the other is progressing too fast, feel they're not ready (yet), hundreds of thousands of reasons. Humans are allowed to change their minds & hearts, or to be wrong about them. Tricky things, hearts & minds. And they always, under all circumstances, decide about their time, company and body alone. They. Alone. Nobody else.

And who said anything about keeping close company and bathing in the glory of your friend's pain? What kind of sick fantasy is that?  Some people just carry on being friends, others play it a little slower for a while to give themselves time to decompress (I often feel the need) - and yet others invent idiotic 'rules' to justify resenting their alleged friend that they allegedly 'fell in love with' for making an autonomous decision about their time, mind and body - it's called The Church of the Nice Guy^TM, and it's a place that nobody past their puberty has a good excuse spending any length of time in.

P.S.: Knowing someone wants more than you are sure you can give, or want to give to them, and not knowing which way to jump, and knowing that every day you try to make up your mind hurts them? Feels shite. Fucking up is bad enough when you pay the bill. Fucking up and knowing another gets the pain while you 'go free' - that doesn't feel good. It certainly didn't feed my ego and didn't make me feel admired. What you're talking about is not ordinary people making ordinary, stupid mistakes that hurt others - that's malignant Narcissism. If that's how you believe you would feel in that situation ... stay the fuck away from me. If you know somebody who feels like that in that situation: Get the fuck out of Dodge, yesterday, or be glad you got away if you did already - people like that certainly don't give a hoot about your 'rules'.

I am not sure what you mean by "specific," but gather that you think I am laying down moral rules where none can exist. It seems to me that the rule that if you know someone wants you to love them, then you should if possible say whether you can or not, is part of a more general rule that if you know something that someone needs to know, and there is no pressing moral reason not to tell them, you should tell them.

As to feeding on admiration and longing, one can do it while feeling pain for the other's suffering and guilt for causing it. People have layers, and most of them are not conscious. The unconscious parts can be happily soaking up admiration while the conscious parts deplore any such impulse. This is not pathological, only human. It is permissible if the other person knows the situation, but I would neither do it nor suffer it.

[An afterthought: being new to the forum and somewhat addlepated besides, I did not realize that the you were the same person in your first and second responses, and therefore that you were the person who had mentioned that you had both been kept on a string and kept someone on a string. Therefore, I did not realize that my comment about garnering admiration from someone kept on a string might sound like a personal slight. I intended no personal slight, only to note what I take to be a universal human tendency. I am sorry for my clumsiness.]

[UmberGryphon]

No one's commented on "asbtract" instead of "abstract"?  Did Jeph typo, or is Bubbles tripping over her own tongue?

[Cornelius]

Quick question though; does this mean Faybles would be a steam ship? If ever it gets launched, that is.

[Roborat]

Oh my, Bubbles is so very cute in this page, I love it, nice work on the expressions.  Good thing she vents there and not somewhere else  .  And please stop with the puns, I can't take any more, leaf it alone already. 

I am wondering how this will resolve, will Faye finally put things together, or will Bubbles finally put on her big girl pants and deploy the clue bat?