Renee Tries

The issue is that the conclusion you've come to is a subjective fallacy. This is what YOU have experienced, that does not mean it is universally applicable to ALL relationships. I, for instance, am asexual and, while having a number of friends, have never felt sexual tension with any of them. Beyond that, people can just flat out not be attracted to someone. Assuming sexual tension just because two people have "the 'correct' pair of interlocking parts" is, as previously said, very shallow in addition to being absurdly hetero-normative.

Kaylynn Sabik

I think he was more blown away by the idea of them being friends than by the immediately proceeding statement of attraction.

Anthony Gaglianese

I didn't say people can't be friends. I'm saying sexual tension does not exclude the possibility of friendship. Or are you one of those people who think if you're attracted to someone, it's some kind of tragedy if you can't sleep with them?

Daryl Sawyer

She told him flat out, but I don't think it sunk in at all.

Clifton Royston

Yep, we bisexuals just go around with sexual tension over EVERYBODY! It's astounding we can function throughout the day, with all the sexual tension since we're clearly attracted to EVERYONE ALL THE TIME. You need to check yourself, man. The fact that you don't think straight men and women can have friendships without sexual tension says a lot of unsavory things about you.

Creepy Cat Lady

First of all: some girls have penises, some boys have vaginas. Second of all: I have friends who are male and friends who are female and even some non-binary friends, too! I am female and pansexual. I'm not attracted to the majority of my friends, whether sexually or romantically. Sexual tension is absolutely not a given. There was nothing profound in anything you stated. It was actually pretty shallow.

Terra the Lioness

People like Elliot (relative to Rene) are why I feel like one of the most profound insights into human sexuality can be found in a line from Kindergarten Cop: "Boys have a penis; girls have a vagina." I mean, come on. Men and women are going to be attracted to each other. That doesn't mean they can't be friends. That doesn't mean it's a tragedy if their feelings don't coincide. That doesn't mean that men are creeps and women are sluts. Sexual tension is a given in any male/female relationship, regardless of what society says is appropriate (because genetics and memetics are two entirely different information sets), and it's up to us to use our *brains* to decide when to act upon it, and when not to.

Daryl Sawyer

"He'd be lucky to have you" immediately follows the "super sweet" comment, so Clinton would hardly appear to be ruling it out... OTOH, the speaker making such a hypothetical statement can sometimes imply "Not me, I wouldn't touch you romantically with a 20 ft pole, but someone ELSE..."

Mark

I was once in a relationship where I occupied some approximation to Elliot's role, and my partner was a reasonable facsimile of Renee. I agree with her in the next strip that it would be a Bad Idea.

Mark

he had more or less the same blush reaction at one point about Elliott that Elliott had about him. I thought he also commented that he was cute.

Joe

I've had somebody explain that they could never be romantically or sexually interested in me *because* I was a super sweetheart. Granted, that person wasn't Clinton, and was in fact an incredibly different person. I'm just saying, it's very definitely not necessarily a sign of interest. Of course, characters in strips usually see stuff that we don't, just like we see stuff that they don't. https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3564

Some Ed

He didn't even know they were *friends* though, he's super oblivious!

BrenaMarie

In all honesty, If Elliott doesn't know already, he's the least perceptive person in the Universe, after this: https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3441

Churchill (formerly TeaBear)

https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3520 and https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3710

Diptych

I have been called similar things by women who weren't the least bit interested in me romantically :P link the strip though, maybe it can convince me

Nulgar

Clinton has called Elliot a super-sweet sweetheart.

Diptych

This is not to say Elliot would be the 'right dude'. It might just as easily be a bait-and-switch to keep us guessing.

Reyn Goldfur

Renee: "Both of us know bla bla" Elliot: internal monologue: "WAIT WHAT?!"

BrenaMarie

Yes, but my point is that neither Brun nor Clinton have shown interest in Eliot.

Nulgar

I wonder how much too long it was :D

Daniel Rydberg

Elliot/ Renee then Clinton/Elliot then Brun/Elliot dont @ me 😤

I am the captian now

probably best to say "i'm attracted to you," at some point in the past, rather than leading with "we both know i'm attracted to you, right?" renee

Anna Phylaxis

Part of me kind of thinks Renee would be better for Elliot than Brun. Then again, I also think Clinton and Emily would be a good couple to explore again, so what do I know?

Andrea Andrew

If Brun and Clinton (and Renee for that matter) each ended up with Elliot and only Elliot, it would still be poly

Ace

That chest touch lol

Ashley Ja

I am 100% like Elliot in this strip and I don't know if that's good, bad, or indifferent.

James A. Whitney

I was going to use Brad the sourdough starter as an example of Elliot bonding with Brun, but then remembered that that was him bonding with *Roko* instead... https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3961

Mark

This is the best story arc. Thank you so much for this tasty food!!

Alcaria Swain

"only Eliot has shown interest in more than one other character," 😆🤣

Sorry to stifle poly ships, but only Eliot has shown interest in more than one other character, neither of which have shown romantical interest in him. This strip is more about Renee letting slip HER interest in Eliot. It remains to be seen, of course, if Eliot can reciprocate that.

Nulgar

"Always figured I was straight but I guess if I met the right dude, why not, right?" - Clinton Augustus, comic #3710. Followed by accidentally flirting with Elliot. -Again-.

Diptych

with any luck!

Satan

I don't see Clinton being into guys. I just don't. I do think he would let him down easy tho.

The Polycule train has arrived...

Chris Crowther

Patience, grasshopper. All will be revealed in time. :)

Andrew Mitchell

as far as I can tell, Renee doesn't really do "not-weird"

Bagge

If Renee could have just held off on the big puppy eyes, she might have passed off the hand on the tum. The combo, however...

Clifton Royston

You go girl! You gotta swing or you can't hit!

Thomas Halpin

Jeph, if they all don't realize the love potential here on their own soon, I think you gotta foursome to.

Ralf Paul

At least she stopped talking about ankles. Was getting a little hot and bothered there.

BobC

YES! COULD THE SHIP BE ON THE HORIZON?!? COULD WE BE SEEING THE START OF A POLY SHIP ON QUESTIONABLE CONTENT!! I NEED TO KNOW!!!

I don't get Brun and Eliot, he admires her but doesn't talk to her socially really on any level. Clinton and her text and have fun socially. Clinton seems to take a genuine interest in things that interest Brun and he finds out these things by talking to her. Eliot just watches from afar and gets tid bits from Renee. Coming from a person that is very much an Eliot himself, Clinton is definitely trying a bit harder in the right ways to develop something with her.

Jason Holmes

ALL ABOARD THE SHIP

R L

I second this idea.

EnterTheHero

I'd love to see it. If that's the way this goes then I trust Jeph to do it justice.

Kyle Jenkins

If this doesn't end in a polytriad I am going to be so disappointed.

Erin Moriarty

i sense poly stuff coming. its really all this comic is missing.

runrin

I'm autistic and autistic people can navigate and communicate in poly relationships. Brun has shown ability to navigate and communicate just fine.

The Shadow's Lair

Eliot's threshold of weird is the smallest of anyone in this comic. He's OK with the harpoon, but not with the friendship.

Sleepy John

Probably cause she took the chance for an ab feel

Kyle Major

Renee is the driver in this bad Mario Party love game between her, Elliot, Brun, & Clinton. We’re talking like Mario Party 10 bad.

Miyaa

Oh, look, it's me. Though with less actual progress. It's official, Renee is my spirit animal.

Anthony Gaglianese

Okay, while there is definitely a part of me that would Love the Brun / Eliot / Clinton trio relationship, it's hard to imagine Brun jumping into the deepest part of the ocean, when she regularly forgets her snorkel. I'm just saying a three way relationship is based on communicating. Is that Brun"s strongest trait?

SARA J DAVIS

Roko might like Elliot. He has been declared both a cinnamon roll and a muffin. He's certainly pastry at this point.

Sorastro

Just a tad. A smidgen on the weird side.

Mitchell Sealy

Also, Renee is adorable. Everyone's been loving on Eliot so much, let's not forget how much a good, caring, and wonderful friend Renee is.

Ted Van Roekel

Roko might explode thinking of a cinnamon roll.

Damien

At times like this, Renee can be very trying.

Elf Sternberg

Renee is such a sweet half-considerate jerk friend, I love her

A.A. aka Double

At least her hand was appropriately placed...

gatherer818

Jeph, can we have a spin off comic of Elliot just Ellioting through things in the most precious way?

Joel Bateman

Poor Renee. It's good that Elliot is such a sweetie. But she just keeps putting her foot in it. (Remember the bakery?)

Michael Boettger

Something stirs....

Ted Van Roekel

Progress?

Lord Crusade