They're Good Lattes

Am I the only one who noticed that the last character in the last panel has no nose?

hides the bulge somewhat

Matt

What the hell is a "dance belt"?

No, man, cohero outfit. Marigold isn't a sidekick.

Some Ed

Most of the people I know who manage to think of themselves as different and everyone else different, and nobody better or worse than the others are somewhere on the autism spectrum. I think it's much easier to see that everyone else is different when you are very different from everyone. And, when you get down to it, that's what being on the autism spectrum is all about. From a neurotypical's perspective, we're all strange and foreign, and in that respect we seem like we're all alike. What the neurotypical tends to miss about the neurodivergent is that we really aren't like each other. We have a few very noticeable traits that are like each other,but they're pretty broad. For example, stimming. Not every neurodivergent stims, and there are so very many different ways to stim if you do. I've yet to meet someone else who openly stims like me. Admittedly, I don't openly stim. But how we stim really doesn't define our personalities at all, and that's where the real differences tend to lie. It's pretty rare that a neurotypical gets to know enough of us to have a real appreciation for the fact that our personalities are at least as varied as neurotypicals' personalities are. As for what she sees in you, you are different, neither better or worse, than everybody else, and you like her. She's in a strange place with strange people, and one of them really liking her is really helpful. You've been there when she needed support and nobody else was. There's probably more to it than that, but that right there is a lot. The real basis for any long-term relationship, IMHO, is respect. Communication is important, don't get me wrong. But the word communication can be very misleading. Even though you have a difficult time communicating with her, I would suspect that your communication with her is better than most of the couples I know, despite the fact that they have the same native language. You try to communicate with her, especially the important things. They avoid communicating with each other as much as possible, fearful that they will offend one another by reminding them of past wrongs. They especially try to avoid communicating the important things. All any of us really have is one day at a time.It's important that you recognize and treasure them for what they are. What comes next? We never know. That's part of what makes life exciting. I understand I don't know you or her. Everything in this response that isn't my life experiences is based on the feelings and thoughts I got from reading what you wrote.

Some Ed

Bravo for Marigold for vocalizing her insecurity! I love how the characters grow and develop.

Ted Van Roekel

I don't think its his eyes she is concerned about.

David Howe

Probably of mint, pine, or new car.

Douglas E. Smith

We will now never see any of the current cast ever again. From this moment on Jeph will only be focusing on these 3 characters.

Timothy Mann

How does she smell?

Ol' Firebones

You'd think the fact that they were both so overcome with lust that they did the nasty *at work* would be a strong indicator that he likes you, Mar-bear.

Thomas Boys

...The final panel really showcases how good you've become at body language over the years, Jeff. Probably one of my favorite QC strips art-wise. =)

MyOtheHedgeFox

Wouldn’t goth-cockatiel-era Dora be peak floof?

Brian

I love Dora going all big sis in the first panel.

Bagge

See, Dale... You missed a prime opportunity to say something cheesy and romantic, like "I only have eyes for you." But don't worry, you'll get the hang of it.

awgiedawgie

Maybe Crushbot is crushbotsexual?

Dean Reilly

Oh my god, I already love all 3 of those people in the last panel.

Mandy Hoskins

Right? Character growth! I miss the older days of "twentysomethings navigating the world" era QC, but dude - they've more-or-less got their stuff figured out by now. (I have nothing against the AI arcs we've had lately, disclaimer.) The humans are settling down and growing up and it's kinda heartwarming to see :)

Boter Bug

I kinda thought Jeph was channeling his inner Willis on her as well!

Why couldn’t Crushbot be attracted to Dale?

Miyaa

Dale, you'd better get a sidekick outfit for her pronto. Espressoman and Javagirl, or something.

Sleepy John

Did we get a little AI-titude there at the end?

BobC

Didn’t we first hear her hissiness back when she and Dale were still online gaming arch-enemies? I seem to recall.

Holly Nelson

For a sec I thought the one in the middle was Amber making a cameo

Fart Captor

Why not both?

thefinaldegree

... is that "men" as in "males" or "men" as in "humans"?

LH

I did not know Marigold spoke fluent cat.

Clifton Royston

Dale is highly decorative, but I stan Dyke Bot.

Emma Humphries

Dale, Dora, AND Marigold are demonstrating peak floof.

Danya Michael

At least Marigold is doing the right thing by being direct and honest and not bottling it up.

JD

Oh, Marigold...

Grace Kieser