When In The Course Of Human/AI Events

I meant to post this days ago- Bubbles wearing Faye's classic bear shirt is The Greatest

PBManning

Pretty much since the very beginning of the strip - I got curious and randomly surveyed a bit and the earliest reference I could find was at strip 78, and it's right around the time Jeph started drawing *any* detail in backgrounds at all. Of course, it probably wound up in a new place when Faye and Marten moved in together.. <a href="http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=78" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=78</a>

Thank you, David!

Ol' Firebones

I think you really did Bubbles some justice in that prose. Your words (to use "Bubbles'" phrase) rli me. And I thank you.

David Paul

I don't know, but it looks like a screaming angry face to me.

awgiedawgie

Now imagining a webcomic in which all the water is actually bye Powerade.

蒲公英

How long has that Mercury Rev poster been on the wall?

Funny/weird thing about water depictions in comics... The water we drink is typically clear, not blue, so when it is depicted as blue it makes me think of, like, blue Powerade. Which, ya know, if that's what she's drinking, great! Anyway, the challenges of giving depth to something clear, not just transparent, in a comics environment is something I can only imagine. Just amused me :)

Natalie Wagner

Edit: actually nvm I forgot to read the older comments :D I'll just leave this up for reference to the shirt ^^ Am I mistaken, or Bubbles is wearing a shirt belonging to Faye, just a tiiiny bit stretched? The one seen for example in this old page (first I found with random page) <a href="http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2219" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2219</a>

Okay.... That's headcanon from now on! :D

Churchill (formerly TeaBear)

I'm not sure "y'all" counts as completely southern any more -- it's a wonderful you-plural form of english. Wonder if Marten and Bubbles ever got over their first impressions (<a href="https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3063)" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3063)</a>

sky d

I think it may be she is accepting who she is for the first time in a long time. And this is the first time I have seen her slip since she quit drinking which I think is progress.

She slips back into Southern Mode when she gets relaxed enough. That used to require getting drunk. But I suspect that banging Bubbles for who-knows-how-long has made her <i>very</i> relaxed.

awgiedawgie

That means a lot to me. Thanks again. *BOW*

Ol' Firebones

I had the same thought. Somehow, prior to this strip, I just took her saying it as a non-regional affectation. I suppose I'm thinking of it now as a regional thing because I'm wondering how her mom is going to take the news.

Ol' Firebones

How did I only just now notice Faye's southern coming out in the fourth panel saying y'all.

Um, should that be a double thumbs up?

BobC

I don't usually read fanfiction or look at fanart, but in this case it was a natural exemption from that rule for me. I saw how much emotion you got through with all that arc, how deep was your involvement and investment in that story and characters. I simply cannot ignore such deep near-life experiences when I see them being transformed into text (or picture, or song, or whatever). So, of course, I had to read it. As with the QC itself, it is not story, it is story and the whole world of context framing it, that makes it such a pleasure to read.

Evgeniy Semyonov

"Fuckin' go for it, buddy" does have a nice military ring to it.

Who has two thumbs and was happy to help?

Evgeniy Semyonov

Thank you for reading!

Ol' Firebones

Well... It touched me. Thank you.

Evgeniy Semyonov

I havent seen that bear shirt in ages! Bubbles wears it well!

Yep. Social interaction? Worried. Impending collision with truck? Truck gracefully diverted.

Matt Grayson

Lately the strips have been packed with so much depth that it's hard to point to one thing. But I gotta say, of all the hilarious and touching aspects of this one, my favorite part is Bubbles's expression in panel one: "Oop! What's going to happen now?!" She is such a touching contradiction: so fearless in some ways, yet so afraid in others.

Ol' Firebones

Unstable molecules.

Ol' Firebones

Reminds me of the Bubbles / Clinton dynamic... <a href="http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3525" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3525</a>

I think that the way it isn't really making it across Bubbles' shoulders shows that it is Faye's t-shirt and it is basically only barely making it through this new phase of ownership!

Ben Russell-Gough

Yes, it's definitely squeaking on the high C end, and it's lacking real depth. Bonnar's Best Built Squee Filters for Better Belted Squees(tm) will have you up and running in NO TIME!

It's secretly a stretchy shirt

Cole Blackblood

Wow. Either Bubbles bought her OWN Angry Bear T-shirt or she's really straining the seams of Faye's poor t-shirt... it wasn't big on Faye as it was. O_O

Churchill (formerly TeaBear)

They need it after all that knitting.

Ol' Firebones

Oh, hey. Faye's staying hydrated.

Joshua Roberts

Marten’s text to Claire: 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👍

Populuxe

So my Faybles story is up on FanFiction.net. This is my attempt to explore what it feels like to be Bubbles. <a href="https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12964148/1/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12964148/1/</a>

Ol' Firebones

Compare Bubbles in panel 2 with her first appearance in #3003. Talk about character development! (DROID 06 ALSO NEED CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT)

Matt Grayson

Please post a picture! You can see mine below. I was thinking it would be fun to share pictures of ourselves in our natural habitats, and if we happen to have QC merch, so much The better!

Ol' Firebones

OK and then some.

Ol' Firebones

Maybe Faye is picturing explaining it to her mother? We know how well she took Amanda's coming out, and maybe fears similar reprisal?

David Paul

Bubbles would just rip faye's shirt to pieces when she were to try it on. It would be hella cute if it would actually work though...

'Clairten' is the default used on most other forums, yes.

Ben Russell-Gough

Marten's double thumbs-up in panel 2, just so they know that his approval is unmixed.

Dean Reilly

I love that Bubbles wanted to make sure there was no misunderstanding about who the robot girlfriend was

Bagge

I suspect that this is all build-up. Marten is waiting for Claire to graduate before he proposes and then... We have the Claireten and Fayebles DOUBLE WEDDING!

Ben Russell-Gough

Umm. It was already on 5. You don't want to see 10.

BobC

I do like panel 2, as if Faye is genuinely half-expecting some kind of push-back from Marten, even though he has already said that he thinks that this would be good for her. The look of relief on her face in panel 3 tells its own story! I think that her behaviour says a lot about how difficult a time she has believing that there are people who genuinely want her to be happy. She's a messed-up kid, there is no doubt about that. One problem that she DOES need to work on is Bubbles' tendency to go all 'eleven' in her reactions almost all the time. It's good to be passionate but to be passionate about everything to that level?

Ben Russell-Gough

Yeah, thanks Bubbles but I think Marten knew that already!

Ben Russell-Gough

Okay, Bubbles? Open your settings girl, and change 'moral intensity' down to just 6 or 7.

Ben Russell-Gough

And what is it with everyone shacking up in this comic? Why do only the gay men get married? Isn't this WEDDING SEASON?!?

BobC

But, but... They're cereal sandwiches, right? Or it could be brunch, right?

BobC

I can't decide if "Head Cannon" would be a hole drilled in a head to turn it into a mortar, or just a gun that fires guillotined heads. I think the imagery of the first is better, since the second would be too close to Angry Birds.

BobC

"I am the robot girlfriend" lmao. I just. I love this. it's wholesome. c

Stoodmuffin

I'm gone for 5 minutes, and would you look at these comments?!? Geez, it's like y'all have never seen a ship set sail before. Get it together folks. Really. Come to think of it, did we ever have a ship name for Marten and Claire? If not, I nominate "Claireten" (because of my allergies, which affects the spelling, but not the pronunciation).

BobC

Am I the only person who thought that said "BOI!" in panel 3?

Unanimous D

Meanwhile Steve goes out and yells at Claire and Tai to stop squealing, as their squeals have broken his window. And then they all have sandwiches, because it’s lunch, not breakfast.

Miyaa

So adorbable.

Scott Hilton

Faye has had two really awful things happen to her, the day her dad killed himself, and the day she nearly died in a car accident. But she’s had two really awesome things happen to her, too. The day she met Marten, and the day she met Bubbles.

Populuxe

I like to think that Emily makes everyone’s t-shirts. Just pinch a corner and they adjust to fit.

Populuxe

This is gonna be the best prom ever. Heh...

Trigon Manthree

At first I thought Bubbles drew the same bear face Faye has on her shirt on her leotard, but upon closer inspection she is wearing a shirt. I'm surprised it fits, but maybe Faye got one in XXL by mistake that she never bothered to return.

Brent Catherman

Yes, the like on Twitter was me.

Populuxe

Well she is here to party: <a href="http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3058" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3058</a>

Patrick Mac Manus

NEW HEAD CANON! ROBOT CRAB GIRLFRIEND!!! (And that's HEAD CANON. Not HEAD CANNON. Spelling matters.)

That shirt may never fit Faye again, and I'm ok with that.

She's got it on under the shirt.

Gary Walker

I’m torn between thinking Bubs did a muscle-flex to lose the bodysuit last night, or Faye somehow tore the military grade nanofibre suit off her in a fit of passion.

Andrew

Marten is made of very stretchy material.

Gary Walker

By the way, here's a photo of me in that same shirt. My wife took this at Grand Central Station the other night. <a href="https://twitter.com/hughyeman/status/1005636677652615169" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/hughyeman/status/1005636677652615169</a>

Ol' Firebones

OK, OK, I've got it. Here's what seeing Bubbles in Faye's shirt is like. It's like I'm a kid again and I've seen the Micronauts Battle Cruiser in the Sears catalog and store sales flyers and whatever and I've been wanting the Micronauts Battle Cruiser for Christmas but never thought I'd actually get it, and now it's Christmas morning and OH MY GOD I GOT THE MICRONAUTS BATTLE CRUISER!!!!!!!!!! That's what it feels like. I can't... I just can't...

Ol' Firebones

...wonder what bubbles thinks of <i>deserter's songs</i>

Seth Aaron Hershman has they she pronouns

It... I... I don't want to be rude and type in all caps, so just use your imagination, OK? i wanted bubbles to be wearing faye's shirt and bubbles is wearing faye's shirt oh god oh god i got what i wanted it's everything i wanted... Yeah, it goes on like that.

Ol' Firebones

Such a violent reaction, Bubs! I love it.

Bryan Freehan

I know what shirt I'm wearing tomorrow!

Tom Carlson

SKEEBALL

Seth Aaron Hershman has they she pronouns

OMG, I love bubbles in Frye's shirt!!! It looks even better on her than on Faye!!

Julienne Ignace

Omg loving Bubbles in Faye’s shirt so much 🤗

David Hall

That shirt must be made of some really stretchy material, to not have torn... Either that, or it's a new XL shirt with the same design.

Auros Harman

Omg, Bubbles is soooo adorbs in Fay's t-shirt. Sooooooo adorable.

Denise Webber

When the embodiment of passive meets the embodiment of assertive.

Michael Lazare

try to tell Claire outdoors. pretty sure her squees could shatter glass...

Peter McDevitt

This the cue for Faye to say "Actually, no you're not" and mayhem ensues.

Captain Button

I am wondering if the strip title is a H. Beam Piper reference*. Jeph is a Dune geek, so maybe. * As opposed to a ref to a common source.

Captain Button

“It is me. I am the robot girlfriend.” God, I love Bubs.

Operation Brownie Pockets is a free game you play in real life

Jeph's new line of "I have a robot girlfriend" with a pic of Bubs - comin' soon :-)

David Durant

Faye has staked her claim on Bubbles by having Bubbles wear her shirt!

Shawn K. Younkin

... Welp, time to replace my Squee Filter. Between Bubbles' reaction, Marten's Chill suffering, Faye being super calm and sweet, and BUBBLES FREAKING WEARING FAYES' SHIRT AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Joshua Roberts

I'm sure we could find some more!

Grace Kieser

That shirt is totally Bubbles' aesthetic.

"It is me..." really, Bubbles? And here I thought Faye was actually dating Melon!

Grace Kieser

SQUEEEEEEEE

Operation Brownie Pockets is a free game you play in real life

That shirt is irrevocably stretched XD

Origamigryphon

Bubbles looks adorable in Faye's shirt.

Danya Michael

Bubbles is wearing Faye’s shirt! Omg I’m going to die again, and we used all the coffee grounds on my last resurrection!

Lord Crusade

Bubbles in the second panel had me laughing pretty hard.

New title of the strip: “Well, I have a robot girlfriend now? And that’s pretty cool?”

Adam Lindsay

*runs to look up the Conference at Yalta*

Holly Nelson

oh poor Marten

The Shadow's Lair

Unless Bubbles got one of her own, yes.

Ehren Kluge

Actually...is that one of Faye’s shirts Bubbles is wearing?

Will Weaver

Poor Marten. He’s gonna be in a full-body cast by the time this arc is over.

Will Weaver

love the shirt

Marlo Delfin Gonzales

God I love Bubbles

Cody Renton