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It's how long?!?!?

Since when?

loving the new Nether update songs

purple monkey dishwasher

[Tova]

I really feel like Faye was channeling my feelings about the whole "was this a date?" question.

So.

She can judge all of my posts now.

[Dinaverg]

so I mean, we're sort of seeing the author's view in faye's reaction face, right? 'yes, obviously it was a date.'

The question, the one mille probably wants to be asking, is 'does this or will this (or do I want this to) have any romantic or sexual implications?' While I consider freeing the concept of a date from the associated social expectations to be a good thing, on the whole; we can't just pretend they don't exist in the first place.

that said, the only real answer to any of -that- is probably a big ol' 'iunno, ask her'.

[immortalfrieza]

Remember the days when this comic wasn't solely about everybody hooking up with everybody else?

...Yeah, me neither.

[Tova]

Um, yes. I remember storylines that weren't solely about everybody hooking up with everybody else.

Roko's dysphoria? Bubbles' memories? Hannelore's relationship with her mother and father? Claire's exams and future career? Marten figuring out his life's goals? Dora's trust issues? Remember those? Should I go on?

[BenRG]

I'm not brilliant at reading body language. However, if I'm right, irrespective of the answer, Millie wants this to have been a date. She's reacting with unconscious pleasure to the memories of her morning with Brun.

Of course, this is where things get complicated. Just because Millie likes Brun enough to go over the fabled 'like-like' boundary, is this reciprocated? Can it be reciprocated? I think that this is where Faye and Bubbles will really be able to help her because I think that Millie can justly be concerned that she avoids pushing things.

Meanwhile, Faye now knows what it's like to be Marten when Dora or Tai come to beg him for relationship advice.

[Gyrre]

I may not be great at reading others, but Faye's expression in the last panel is one I'm quite familiar with. I've worn it often.

[Wingy]

Can it be reciprocated?

Considering the buildup of Brun so far, that answer is clearly no, which leaves the Clinton-Elliot-Brun triangle intact.  Though the clearer it becomes that Brun isn't there, the closer we can bring Roko and Millie (for example) and the easier for Elliot to grow a pair and start trying with Clinton.

Clearly Brun could grow some more and maybe begin figuring out the whole relationship dynamic with much possible hilarity (not all at Brun's expense either).  In that same vein, Marten and Claire getting together may finally give Clinton the space he needs to figure out who he is, not in relation to Claire.

[Gus_Smedstad]

No, it can’t be reciprocated. Brun’s on the spectrum and doesn’t really understand why you’d want a relationship. If past story arcs didn’t make that clear, her summary of the yes/no consequences of going on a date should hammer that home.

There’s absolutely no reason to think Mille and Roko would get together. Not only have they shown zero interest in each other, there’s no bread involved, or Human Abs.

Despite Clinton’s romantic interests so far being entirely about women, I wouldn’t be surprised at this point if Elliot-Clinton became a thing. It’s not so much that Elliot’s been interested for ages, since Clinton’s followed similar arcs where he’s interested in someone and it never worked out. It’s that walk they had together. Jeph tends to foreshadow relationships that way.

Clinton’s heterosexuality so far doesn’t bear. Faye was exclusively hetero until Bubbles started fantasizing about her.

To be honest, I wouldn’t mind a storyline where things didn’t work out because not everyone is attracted to all genders and species. If robots are a species, that is.

[Is it cold in here?]

People on the spectrum can understand wanting relationships.

[Gus_Smedstad]

Not all of them. My understanding is the whole point of talking about “the spectrum” is that there’s considerable variance in what that means. Brun’s been presented explicitly as someone who doesn’t really understand why you’d want to date. She only accepted once out of curiosity, and her takeaway was that they’re boring. Always.

[David F]

It occurred to me that when Brun was describing what she liked about clocks, much of that precision engineering also applies to Millie...  And they did hit it off pretty well, the opposite of Brun's "dates are boring". 

Still, if it's going to go anywhere at all, it's going to be at a pace that makes every other relationship in the comic to date seem brisk...

[Raptorofwar]

For the last time, it's not a date unless it's clear it's a date.

[Gyrre]

Not all of them. My understanding is the whole point of talking about “the spectrum” is that there’s considerable variance in what that means. Brun’s been presented explicitly as someone who doesn’t really understand why you’d want to date. She only accepted once out of curiosity, and her takeaway was that they’re boring. Always.

Before we start throwing around words like 'ableist', might I suggest that maybe the cause is either a lack of experience or that Brun may be some variety of asexual as opposed to it being that she's on the autism spectrum?

EDIT: Removing extraneous 'there' and clearing out weasel-words.

[Tova]

Not all of them. My understanding is the whole point of talking about “the spectrum” is that there’s considerable variance in what that means. Brun’s been presented explicitly as someone who doesn’t really understand why you’d want to date. She only accepted once out of curiosity, and her takeaway was that they’re boring. Always.

Why do you think that Clinton’s heterosexuality so far doesn’t bear, and yet Brun's lack of interest in relationships so far does? Why couldn't she have the same kind of epiphany?

[Penquin47]

Wasn't there a strip where Clinton was talking about the possibility of not being straight, and he basically said something like "I think I am but I'm open to new data contradicting that"?

[Is it cold in here?]

Needs to go in the wiki if so.

[Gyrre]

SIDEBAR: I've got new info in regards to this week's poll:

It seems a rather sizable chunk of the soundtrack was added by Gareth Coker with his compositions for the various mythology mash-up packs. Nearly doubling it with roughly five-hours-and-forty-five-minutes.

[MrNumbers]

weird to have *everyone* have a crush on the character who was introduced by having her point a shotgun at Clinton for no reason but go off I guess

(redacted to a harpoon)

[shanejayell]

Faye and Bubbles giving romantic advice makes me lol.

Is BUbbles wearing one of Faye's shirts, too? 

[thErgonomic]

This gonna turn into a love square.

[Gyrre]

This gonna turn into a love square.

Could do.
Though with Jones, it has the potential for a love pentagon. Or a love square "with one rather ambitious point".


Relax, the link is for a specific timestamp in the youtube video for the particular reference. Incidentally, the latest episode went up today.
EDIT: Also, the episode linked has a great acapella cover of Wayfaring Stranger and is basically where the plot starts.

[Wombat]

For the last time, it's not a date unless it's clear it's a date.

I just want to second this. And clear to both/all people on the date! Just in case that needed clarifying.

One time someone asked me on a "second date" when I wasn't aware we had had a first one. And I can see that being fun for comedic effect, but my real experience of it was moreso discomfort.

If the people involved both/all want to retroactively label something a date, I think that would be fine. But if Brun doesn't consider it a date, that's really more relevant than if Faye and Bubbles do.

[alc40]

Wasn't there a strip where Clinton was talking about the possibility of not being straight, and he basically said something like "I think I am but I'm open to new data contradicting that"?

Yep, https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3710

[SeattleCrochetWoman]

Um, yes. I remember storylines that weren't solely about everybody hooking up with everybody else.

Roko's dysphoria? Bubbles' memories? Hannelore's relationship with her mother and father? Claire's exams and future career? Marten figuring out his life's goals? Dora's trust issues? Remember those? Should I go on?

Faye’s alcoholism and alcohol poisoning,and how she dealt with that.  May’s problems with her chassis being substandard and Roko trying to get her a better one. Sam working at Union Robotics, and any storyline with Sam. Fay and Bubs starting Union Robotics before they became involved romantically.  Any strip with Melon. Millie’s new butt. Claire and her mom getting high, and the dog that appeared or Claire’s mom found. Beeps and Roko’s evolving working relationship.

[thErgonomic]

That sound is just off somehow.

[SeattleCrochetWoman]

Not all of them. My understanding is the whole point of talking about “the spectrum” is that there’s considerable variance in what that means. Brun’s been presented explicitly as someone who doesn’t really understand why you’d want to date. She only accepted once out of curiosity, and her takeaway was that they’re boring. Always.

I removed a couple comments because I misunderstood your comment to mean that Brun couldn’t have a relationship because she’s autistic and that autistic people don’t understand why anyone would want relationships. When you were just talking about Brun and how her autism affects her.

[SeattleCrochetWoman]

It occurred to me that when Brun was describing what she liked about clocks, much of that precision engineering also applies to Millie...  And they did hit it off pretty well, the opposite of Brun's "dates are boring". 

Still, if it's going to go anywhere at all, it's going to be at a pace that makes every other relationship in the comic to date seem brisk...

Even a friendship with another woman where she felt like an equal instead of someone to be taken care of would probably be invaluable to Brun.

[BenRG]

In which Faye and Bubbles assure Millifeulle that their romantic history is in no way an example to aspire to follow. Even if you ignore the climax with the criminal mastermind and the god-tier AI. No, Faye put it best in panel 3: Just focus on being Brun's friend. If there is going to be anything else, it will happen in its own time.

Is Bubbles wearing one of Faye's shirts, too? 

In the grand tradition of significant others throughout history, Bubbles 'borrowed' the Angry Bear t-shirt and never gave it back. It is now so stretched that it will never fit Faye again but Faye kind of doesn't care. She kind of likes it where it is!

[dutchrvl]

Um, yes. I remember storylines that weren't solely about everybody hooking up with everybody else.

Roko's dysphoria? Bubbles' memories? Hannelore's relationship with her mother and father? Claire's exams and future career? Marten figuring out his life's goals? Dora's trust issues? Remember those? Should I go on?

Those are all valid, of course, but except for Roko's dysphoria they are also storylines from pretty far back in the comic.
I have to admit that to me the storylines lately seem to be, say, meandering a little? And it does seem to be quite a bit about love interests (although that was always a big part of the comic anyway).

However, besides the fact that I don't mind it anyway, the fact that Brun is central to both the arc with Elliott and Clinton, and now with Millefeuille, makes me think Jeph has a specific longer arc surrounding Brun in mind related to all of this.

[LorneReams]

I'm starting to feel bad for Clinton. Is he going to be the perpetual missed connection guy?

[Is it cold in here?]

Welcome, new person!

I hope not, but he's got a pattern going.

[Theta9]

Wasn't there a strip where Clinton was talking about the possibility of not being straight, and he basically said something like "I think I am but I'm open to new data contradicting that"?

Yep, https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3710

About a 0.2 on the Kinsey scale, like me... Never had even a little sexual attraction to any man, but not ruling the possibility out entirely.

(When I mentioned my 0.2 self-rating to a friend, she asked "meaning, if it's in the dark and nobody will ever know...?"  )

[hedgie]

I'm pretty low on the Kinsey scale, myself, and although there have been men that I have found attractive, considering that I am firmly heterormantic, and not really into the casual thing, the whole exercise is pretty much academic.

[Gyrre]

Um, yes. I remember storylines that weren't solely about everybody hooking up with everybody else.

Roko's dysphoria? Bubbles' memories? Hannelore's relationship with her mother and father? Claire's exams and future career? Marten figuring out his life's goals? Dora's trust issues? Remember those? Should I go on?

Those are all valid, of course, but except for Roko's dysphoria they are also storylines from pretty far back in the comic.
I have to admit that to me the storylines lately seem to be, say, meandering a little? And it does seem to be quite a bit about love interests (although that was always a big part of the comic anyway).

However, besides the fact that I don't mind it anyway, the fact that Brun is central to both the arc with Elliott and Clinton, and now with Millefeuille, makes me think Jeph has a specific longer arc surrounding Brun in mind related to all of this.

Wait, how long ago IRL did Hanners get back from her soulsearching world tour after confronting her mom?

EDIT: incomplete thought, need sleep

[Tova]

Um, yes. I remember storylines that weren't solely about everybody hooking up with everybody else.

Roko's dysphoria? Bubbles' memories? Hannelore's relationship with her mother and father? Claire's exams and future career? Marten figuring out his life's goals? Dora's trust issues? Remember those? Should I go on?

Those are all valid, of course, but except for Roko's dysphoria they are also storylines from pretty far back in the comic.

Yes, and although SeattleCrochetWoman did a good job of recapping some more recent storylines, that is precisely my point. Not only are they from pretty far back, almost all of them remain stubbornly unresolved. Almost as though Jeph simply doesn't know where to take them. Of the ones I mentioned, only the Bubbles' memories story was resolved. And I felt that even that resolution was abrupt and unsatisfying, as some of you would be aware.

Faye’s alcoholism and alcohol poisoning,and how she dealt with that.  May’s problems with her chassis being substandard and Roko trying to get her a better one. Sam working at Union Robotics, and any storyline with Sam. Fay and Bubs starting Union Robotics before they became involved romantically.  Any strip with Melon. Millie’s new butt. Claire and her mom getting high, and the dog that appeared or Claire’s mom found. Beeps and Roko’s evolving working relationship.

The alcoholism one is kind of implicitly resolved, probably as much as it can be anyway (that can never be 100% resolved). The ones in involving Claire's Mum don't really need resolving (similarly the butt and Melon stories). Every other storyline mentioned here is still in the air.

The Faye+Bubbles storylines was the last time we really had a story with a number of interesting threads beside just "will they or won't they". And while there's nothing wrong with the current stories, it would be nice if there was a little more meat on the bones.

Is it too much to ask for us to revisit one of these unresolved storylines? Literally any of them? And not just "let's remind the viewer that this storyline still exists" like we periodically have with Marten's hopelessly undecided life goals. Actually progress them.

Because if the shippers are the only audience Jeph cares about now, just tell it to me straight so I can read something else.