Yikes Emoji

this interests me too. particularly bc my life parallels Marten's, i too have a job i just "fell into" and it's not really my dream job but also i like it fine! and i'm sitting here thinking, why on EARTH would he change something that's working? in THIS economy?!?

Satan

Actually, I just looked at BISAC, and Claire's adaptation might entail tearing the library director's throat out with her teeth and running off to live in the woods.

Come to find out that Northampton is nineteen miles away from Springfield, which has a public library with nine branches. It is also in something called the Knowledge Corridor, many colleges and universities lying along a stretch of railway line. There is not a lot of work for Claire in Northampton, but there is a lot of work nearby. It would be perfectly reasonable for Claire to get work somewhere nearby, Marten to go with her, and both of them to become characters like Marten's, Faye's, or Hannelore's families, people who come around sometimes. That is just about Marten's status anyway. Also, didn't Jeph go off to Canada? Maybe he wants to move some characters there. Canadian public libraries use BISAC, not Dewey, but Claire could likely eventually adapt.

But... i got a savings account?

Bagge

Dora.

Churchill (formerly TeaBear)

Actually, 2787 says that Tai graduated a Year Ago.

Churchill (formerly TeaBear)

Isn't QC basically his main source of $$? I don't see how he could. I mean, transition to a newer version, update the title, focus on a different set of characters? Yeah, I can see that. But drop it entirely? Not really.

Churchill (formerly TeaBear)

It's interesting to see how many people perceive Marten as "needing to change something in his life", even as he seems pretty content with it right now. Logically he has a good life, fulfilling his wishes and living without any serious drama, and nothing has to change, but emotionally many people are rooting for some change in his life. Maybe it is just a sign of our times, when contentment looks almost alien to us?

Evgeniy Semyonov

Or in accordance with 2786 Tai is actually graduating at the same time as Claire, she will lose her job at the library but because, as has been established, SMIF HR is a mess, the just hire Claire to replace Tai and she keeps Marten on cause he does a perfectly fine job

Gabriel Nichols

She could always apply for Marten's job at the library, a job that she wants and for which she is better qualified than him. Then Martin needs to find something else to do with his life which would give him something to do.

Jose Fabregat

Just tossing this out there. The comic started being about Marten but over the years a lot of characters have been introduced. At this point we might not see him for weeks because we're following so many other threads. If he and Claire leave, have we gone full ship of Theseus?

Tinwhisker

So I'm guessing the resolution will be different from "Claire moves away, leaving Marten behind", simply because we've already had that story arc with Angus and Faye. But "nobody moves" feels a bit too easy, even though it's been foreshadowed by 2785... and 2786 foreshadows something different. My guess? This is going to be what gets Marten out of his rut, into doing something he actually wants to do.

Eric Rucker

*places finger over Emily's mouth* Welcome to the life of a Web Comics character. While your job is to live your life as if everything is normal, for our entertainment, not all characters are aware of this truth. Due to the reality of your existence, some things such as moving long distances do not apply to you. We ask that you carefully consider what you have to say, as some characters lack your newfound awareness of the nature of their reality.

Jekotia

If Claire hasn't thought about post-study plans, that's at least as much on her as it is on Marten. I get the idea that she's focused so much on her final exams that she's blocked out everything else.

Dean Reilly

Eh, if Claire doesn't get a job at the library, she can always move to some other prospects. Like starting a Patreon and writing a comic about her everyday life and eclectic social circle. Crazy idea, of course, but it may be crazy enough to take off.

Evgeniy Semyonov

Don't let the existential dread set in, Martin.

Dylan T

Or....we could maybe *not* kill off a very fun and interesting character that a lot of the cast have grown to love over the years? Crazy thought I know.

Thomas Boys

He is a rather oblivious person, isn't he?..

Lucanid Landman

Man I forgot Martin existed it's fine

A sheep

jeph if you are trying to end QC i will be very upset with you

Cody Renton

I'm pretty sure it's only been like a year in the QCverse since #0001

Cody Renton

Agh is there anything that Marten isn’t blindsided by?! I feel like he’s genuinely surprised every time someone so much as gets a haircut 🤦🏼‍♂️

So, Marten keeps this look on his face for ... how long? ;)

Brad Knowles

Marten is pretty passive so he may follow her lead but he IS patient zero for this story. He would be missed.

Chris Heg

"eh, we'll jump off that bridge when we come to it" "it's coming pretty soon tho!" "...shit"

Minzoku Bokumetsu

If you pull a Hanners with Marten I'm going to frown hard in your general direction Jeph!

Claire accidentally sets off the signal flare and the building burns down, with all the exam papers inside. The investigation eventually determines it was an accident (though the A.I. Council questions Bubbles' wisdom in providing such a thing). Claire eventually has to retake the test, but in the meantime, Marten has several months of breathing room (an eternity in the QC timescale).

That Blair Guy

Nope nope nope

Michele Williams

Claire moves to New York, hooks up with Angus

ysth

There's an easy solution to this whole story problem. Claire has Crushbot fall on her, we have a funeral, everything else works out from there.

z

Yikes

Nicholas Lopez

Claire's already said that he has a job that other librarians would kill for, so if he's comfortable, it seems that he's already found a good enough job.

Chuck Dee

Oh no, but this one was the best relationship. D:

Luzahn

aaaaaaaaaaaa

Luzahn

Do it! Stay with her! (Also figure out wtf you're doing with your life)

Mordaeus

He should totally ask Faye for advice in this situation #jephdoingjephthings

MikeT

Oh gawd, that happened to me. My fiancé was switching from graphic arts to medicine (surgical tech), and I was her biggest fan and supporter through school and her internship. When "the big offer" arrived, I was totally unprepared to follow her, and equally unwilling to hold her back. We tried the long-distance thing for a year, but it mainly made us cry. Felt like watching the blossoms drop from the plant, one by one. When the last one faded, we fell out of touch as our lives diverged ever further. I'm still conflicted about so many parts of that episode. Fortunately, Marten is far more portable than I was...

BobC

I said this out loud the moment I saw Marten's response. I love the boy but long-term planning is not his forte.

Samantha Yeaman

They can cross that bridge when they get there. She's never expressed any dreams of working in like some super special out of town library or anything. Like anybody else she'll probably start by applying for local jobs and then if that fails start casting a wider net. When Claire starts considering out of town work is the point when we can have an open and earnest conversation about what that means for the relationship, but before that point you're just tilting at windmills. Getting worked up over imagined hypotheticals.

Mitchell Sealy

I've been waiting for this shoe to drop.

Charlotte Grubbs

Marten! Come on! There are only so many times "I don't speak grown up" works once you're a grown up.

Leaflemming

Martin's going to have that look stuck on his face for the next month. At least.

Celine Chamberlin

Damn it Jeph

R L

oh nooo

#shatteredillusion Edit: We've been down this road before Marten...

Max D S