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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

[ImVeryAngryItsNotButter]

You are mistaking the will to ship with growing boredom, and anger when I see a narrative arc ruined by the will to stretch it beyond its breaking point.

This. My sentiments exactly. I would much rather see a hard definitive "no" to the question of "do Faye and Bubbles want a romantic relationship", than have Faye continue to be a completely oblivious fucking moron and Bubbles keep chickening out every time the issue comes up. It's not funny anymore; it's just frustrating to watch two characters I otherwise love play Idiot Ball with each other.

[brasca]

Wonder if Faye will mistakenly try to match up Bubbles with Punchbot now.

[SpanielBear]

This. My sentiments exactly. I would much rather see a hard definitive "no" to the question of "do Faye and Bubbles want a romantic relationship", than have Faye continue to be a completely oblivious fucking moron and Bubbles keep chickening out every time the issue comes up. It's not funny anymore; it's just frustrating to watch two characters I otherwise love play Idiot Ball with each other.

It's not Idiot Ball. Given the two character's psyches, it's more like porcupines mating in a burning fire-works factory: dangerous, messy, someone's gonna to get hurt and "Are you sure you want to do this???".

Caution is to be expected.

[fayelovesbubbles]

Bubbles is avoiding eye contact so as not to show her feelings. That is a poor way to live with a friend.

Bubbles is visibly physically aware of Faye's proximity all the time, and visibly moved every time Faye touches her. Faye, by contrast, handles Bubbles with the easy familiarity with which one would handle a beloved dog. I don't remember Faye ever being this physically familiar with anyone before, male or female, not even with Angus. It looks like Bubbles not only doesn't register as a possible object of desire for Faye, Bubbles doesn't even register as human for her. Bubbles has gotten all the way inside Faye's defenses precisely because she does not register as a possible lover, and thus as a possible danger.

This could all go very badly. Any responsible adult can live with someone they love who doesn't love them. You wall the love up, starve it to death, and get into the habit of ignoring its ghost. Doing that when the person you loved had their hands all over you all the time would be hard though. Maybe someone could manage it. 

Faye could be terrified if she finds out that this person who she has let so far into her life is also a potential lover, and thus also someone who could potentially abandon her. It could feel like seeing soldiers coming out of the Trojan horse.

Uhhh, I'm gonna say this is more because Bubbles is a girl than because she's an AI. How many really close female friends has Faye honestly had in this comic? Maybe Bubbles is the first one. That serves to explain why she's so familiar with Bubbles. I wouldn't at all compare it to cuddling a dog. I don't think women in general register for Faye as potential lovers.

Faye interacts with Bubbles in very intimate ways. Maybe not romantically intimate, but intimate. Faye touches Bubbles a lot, is aware of her moods, and so on. And all of those things make a good girlfriend, but they also make a good friend.

Ah, crap. I guess Dora counts. Still, the fact that Faye felt comfortable cuddling with Bubbles and not with Dora may have nothing to do with Bubbles being an AI.

[Is it cold in here?]

As Jeph has fleshed out (no pun intended) the place of synthetics in the QC world, one glaring open area for him to explore is organic/synthetic LTRs. Long ago he said he was avoiding anything that could lead to "HURR HURR ROBOT SEX", but he can soft-pedal the physical side as he has done before.

It doesn't have to be Faye and Bubbles and in fact might be better with different characters. It doesn't even have to be anyone we know. It could be a Union Robotics customer who casually mentions being in a mixed marriage, or someone Evie interviews for her dissertation.

[Tova]

We are seeing an intimate AI/human relationship.

[TheEvilDog]

We are seeing an intimate AI/human relationship.

Indeed. Faye and Bubbles have an incredibly close relationship. Its just not romantic (as much as one of them might like it to be).

[Jeemy]

Personally, I think its quite enjoyable. Thats why I read. I hope for more exposition, so I come to these forums. Sometimes I wonder if others are enjoying what they see and read, or using the comic as a springboard to discuss other issues - which is fine - but I still enjoy:

- the comic, for what it is;
- the delays/cliffhangers, for what they are; and
- the issues raised.

As an ignoramus to these facets of life, where I know the author is not, what I see is that Bubbles faces two issues that dare not speak their names:

- an AI/human relationship; and
- a homosexual relationship (is that right? a girl-girl relationship?).

For an AI warbot, its no wonder she is blushing. These are complex issues. Who knows how far her <programming/why> goes. Its really fucking complex for her. Maybe the fact Faye is the same sex doesn't even figure amongst other, more micro-chippy issues?

[jwhouk]

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

In comic time...

Which will be... what? 2020? Where's AprilArcus when you need her?

[ckridge]

I guess Dora counts. Still, the fact that Faye felt comfortable cuddling with Bubbles and not with Dora may have nothing to do with Bubbles being an AI.

I seem to recall Dora putting her hands on Faye a lot, sometimes flirtatiously, and Faye not reciprocating, but looking mildly uncomfortable instead. Faye likes the little girl, Sam I think her name is, a good deal, but no contact there, either. She is standoffish with everyone she likes except Bubbles. She was even standoffish with the two guys she was sleeping with except for the sleeping with them part.

You are right though that Bubbles being an AI may not be the reason she is an exception. 

Faye may put her hands on Bubbles, not because Bubbles is an AI and therefore presumed safe, but rather because Faye is still actively working on opening her up, winning her trust, and drawing her out. If so, things might still go very badly, but they might also go well. Deciding that someone is your big safe friend machine is static. The longer you think of them that way, the easier it gets to keep thinking of them that way. Working on getting someone to like and trust you more and more is dynamic. The more you succeed in getting them to like and trust you, the more likely you are to like and trust them. Ever-growing trust and affection do not necessarily kindle into anything more, but they are more likely to do so than static trust and affection. 

[Sullivan]

Ok, that's the point where the stretching goes too far to my liking. Bubbles chooses to let things like they are, and Faye is still completly oblivious, to the point it's not realistic anymore.

I don't see this at all. I've been that oblivious to interest in me. Similarly for many people I know.

(Of course, I and all of those others are all losers and nerds. )

Seriously - it's indeed possible to be pretty oblivious to That Kind Of Attention. Especially if you believe you're not worthy of it, it'll never happen for you,  they couldn't possibly be interested in you, or etc.

[Cornelius]

Having been on both sides of that situation, I can confirm that it is indeed far from unlikely.

[Mr. Skawronska]

"If your love life requires close air support, something has gone very wrong."

Best.  Relationship.  Line.  Ever.

[shanejayell]

Ok, that's the point where the stretching goes too far to my liking. Bubbles chooses to let things like they are, and Faye is still completly oblivious, to the point it's not realistic anymore.

I don't see this at all. I've been that oblivious to interest in me. Similarly for many people I know.

(Of course, I and all of those others are all losers and nerds. )

Seriously - it's indeed possible to be pretty oblivious to That Kind Of Attention. Especially if you believe you're not worthy of it, it'll never happen for you,  they couldn't possibly be interested in you, or etc.

And Faye is a recovering alcoholic too. So, low self esteem is pretty likely.

(We really should see her visiting her therapist again, maybe...)

[Loki]

This last comic brought me out of the woods to say that I, too, am joining the "just get over with it" crowd.

Use your words, Bubbles!

[Tova]

I'm not convinced that Bubbles "using her words" right now would be a great move, regardless of what kind of relationship you would like to see them have. It would almost certainly freak Faye out.

[BenRG]

Poll Results Post!
What will Faye say next to Bubbles?

1. "Bubbles? Bubbles, are... Are you lonely?" - 12 (21.8%)
2. "What did you say to Evie? She was really quizzing me on you!" - 9 (16.4%)
3. Other (please specify in a comment) - 7 (12.7%)
=4. "My sister is crazy! She thinks you want romance in your life!" - 6 (10.9%)
=4. "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%)
=4. "So... Uh... Speakin' hypothetically, how does an AI go about gettin' a significant other?" - 6 (10.9%)
7. "My baby sis in a serious relationship! Everyone is pairing up except me! Oh Bubs! Will I ever get lucky?" - 4 (7.3%)
8. "So, I'm hearing that you want some robo-lovin'!" - 3 (5.5%)
=9, "So... I hear you guys can download pleasure programs! You got any of those installed?" - 1 (1.8%)
=9. "Imagine if the Skate Park was a Robot Sex Dungeon! What would have we done then?" - 1 (1.8%)

Here's an interesting note: The winning entry was more-or-less correct and most people who voted for it did so before it was seen in the strip. Obviously we forumites know the real Faye quite well! This is also the strongest showing for 'Other' that I've ever seen. So, we also clearly have strong ideas of our own on the subject!

[Tova]

Not forgetting, of course, that there was a strong "other" vote for her very first question. So we picked question #1 and question #2.

[Gyrre]

Not forgetting, of course, that there was a strong "other" vote for her very first question. So we picked question #1 and question #2.

I like how expressive Bubbles is in panels 3 and 4.