A Gentle Hand

I live in a flat, on my own. My washing machine has a 15 minute cycle, which is just about time for me to enjoy lunch. Then I pull the clothing out of the washer and shove it in the dryer (which is right next to it). I only ever use the one setting on the dryer. Fire and forget.

Ack

Or you have to drag the heavy bags down three flights of stairs, across traffic and into the laundromat, where one of the other tenants has conveniently ignored your reservation and is screaming at you over her wailing toddler how she has dibs because she has Children. Then sit in the hot and sweaty din for an hour waiting for her to finish because she's threatened to throw your clothes in the trash if you take HER machines, then another for your own laundry, trying not to lose your mind as the machines buzz and rumble, and one more for the drying cycle ..

Lars Gottlieb

Yeah, but Claire's seeming to be deflecting by making it about him. If he ignores her comment about the laundry, he's not listening again. Lose-lose.

Am Queue

What’s the matter with laundry? When it’s crumpled and manky, you throw it in a magic box with Cleansing Slime. When the magic box beeps, you move the fresh, wet clothes into magic box #2 with a piece of Drying Gauze. When that beeps, you’ve got dry, warm clothes, and all you have to do is fold them with one hand while using the other hand to keep the cat from sleeping on them. Easy-peasy.

Holly Nelson

Somehow I have the feeling that it may be related to her father, and to his response to her gender choice. Just a hunch.

awgiedawgie

I get the impression Claire has a history of being dismissed or not listened to that makes this a particularly sensitive situation (it's been implied in previous comics that she has trouble with assertiveness). It may be we're about to find out more about the origin of her "internally screaming face".

Philippa

He better pivot here back to listening to Claire and not make it about him fucking up. If he doesn't, I hope he gets hit with Ursula again.

Stress means different things to different people, too. To me, stress is 'take a step back, grab a cup of tea, tackle it again in 10 minutes'. To my SO, stress is 'take an advil, go lie down in the dark and wait til the stress-migraine goes away'. When Marten says "just regular stress", he means what -he- defines as stress, and like most of us, may not have considered that what Claire calls stress is a very different beast.

Reyn Goldfur

And it ain't even noon.

Eh, he's just responding to each of her points. Not perfectly, but pretty well. Off screen, he can be perfect.

Nancie

He bowled a googly for a leg bye and was fielded at silly mid on.

Dean Reilly

Eh, I've found that dwelling on your mistakes rather than apologising briefly and moving on is an inadvisable response.

Diptych

It's infuriating that Marten still doesn't let her talk here, he's too busy making it about himself and his shortcomings to listen.

Caoimhe Chaos

That pun was so terrible it came back around to being good!

Grace Kieser

Dudes can be just as weird and random. I think humans are just terrible at being social, in general!

Grace Kieser

I'm with @Andrew Kunz. No person alive understands or can clearly explain the rules of Cricket. No one alive understands or can clearly explain the rules when it comes to women. Therefore it's impossible to keep score.

It's a relationship... don't keep score. You're going to screw up. You deal with your screw-up, and then both of you put it behind you. If you're keeping score - even if you're just keeping track of <i>your own</i> mistakes - you're <b>both</b> going to end up miserable.

awgiedawgie

I find myself honestly wondering how long Claire has been wrestling with herself about when to bring up the laundry thing! Additionally... I think that panels 3 and 4 are the sweetest Claire has looked for a long time!

Ben Russell-Gough

Definitely golf.

Dylan T

I'd go with bowling rules and say it's a turkey, cuz he kinda is being one.

Kinda Squirrely

Agreed I'm starting to get some bad flashbacks to Marten and Dora. It's really a no win situation. If he tried to press her on it then he'd be accused of smothering.

Brent Catherman

Heh, that's not a bad stress release strategy. Marten admits his faults, gives Claire the chance to open up and makes a silly joke at his own expense. Well done, budy.

Bagge

Ursula is firm but fair

Bagge

Triple Bogey, but it's a wipe on that hole anyway *boom tish*

MikeT

i love claire so much

runrin

HUGS

Luzahn

This conversation feels so real and I love how the characters in QC keep growing and changing.

Anton

I'd like to think we can have both. When things are light and fun, Pintsize is his usual self. But when the situation is more serious, I feel like Pintsize has been around the group long enough to have learned some empathy. Our current predicament makes that seem likely.

ERRORCODE616

So the issue is... What happens to Pintsize now? Does he become less (for lack of a better world) Pintsize, and more stable and more reliable, or does he return to "Pintsize as usual"? That's gonna be worth watching...

You score it like Cricket, Marten. In the case you completely did a leg before wicket (LBW).

Miyaa

Martin - dude, seriously - don't make the situation about _you_

David Durant

The real problem is simply that Marten has next to no experience as an EQUAL PARTNER in a relationship with a NORMAL PERSON. Including friends, exes and family, Marten's female influences have been everywhere BUT the middle of the spectrum. Edit: Well, except for Bubbles. Claire and Bubbles seem most normal, despite (and due to) their difficult life journeys.

BobC

Saying "Yep, I screwed up" works a lot better than "Well, I..." Nice work.

Sleepy John

Holding judgement on this conversation for now. Let's see where this goes.

Mooster

Personal best? Is that just for this relationship?

Mars

Marten, fucking up will happen. Learn, and fuck up differently next time. Never fuck up the same way twice.

Ted Van Roekel

I do the laundry in our house because my wife hates it and I don't mind it so much. When we moved into our new house, she "bought me" a new washer and dryer.

Sexagesimalian

you got this marten

The Shadow's Lair

Double-fucked-up is good, but go for the shat trick, Marten :|

Magic Chopstick Games

The bar is just so goddamn low. I've got feels for emotional stability.

Gigglebyte

Now do better Marten, it's the little things that help, like putting away the laundry that do show you are listening. You can do this.

Denise Webber

This is so healthy. It warms my heart.

Mordaeus

Love that last panel. I have made that face so many times in my relationship. Still going strong but still got a lot to learn!

Claire has Principles

Andy Sleeper

it's ok, mistakes happen you are still trying

Kyle Major

Sad Claire is adorable.

Nicholas Lopez

Go sportsball

Rick W

Marten, don't feel bad, Laundry sucks

Lord Crusade

Stop wallowing, Marten

Adam Friedlander