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Build A Better Mousetrap

🕑 Added 2025-02-17 01:41:09 +0000 UTC

Comments

legobil

Before switching body AND job, she said to her old boss (or colleague…? Not sure what O’Malley was) that she felt wired for companionship. But no real surprise this all has taken a lower priority in her life with all other tumultuous events that has gone down for her. Change of job, change of body and now close friend ghosting.

Ursus Ridens

Nah. We've already seen Roko give Spooks a hard time, and she'd (she _will_ we hope) give them the royal what-for.

Ursus Ridens

I don't know whether Jeph is set up for life, but he probably could be by offering a stuffed plush chibi Bubbles (decked out as Momo when we first met her) on Topatoco.

Kuragari

I would date an AI because at least the I implies intelligence which has been really hard to find lately.

Claudia D.

🤔

Sydney J Freedberg

to be fair the whole "my approval" on a string trap would get me every time

BookBeard

See, now I'm imagining tiny Bubbles in an original-Momo style chibi anime chassis...

enchantedsleeper

Brun is a regular 👀 Potentially busy with Millefeuille, though I'd love some confirmation of that...

enchantedsleeper

Oooh, I hope so XD

enchantedsleeper

GOSH I can't even imagine that match-up but I want to see it xD

Stephen Wells

I think the faint blush is because Bubbles is thinking about how cute Faye is :) which is, in turn, very cute.

Stephen Wells

As soon as Hanners hears about that she'll be doing some test runs with Roko and Bubbles. Develop a Robot Tea Ceremony.

Noodz

totally agree, Roko deserves some lovin'

Mark

Renee does, but seems quite straight and is also in some kind of long-distance relationship with Shitty/Hot Dan https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4505

Maximum Turtle

I’m sure it will eventually, but Roko definitely deserves a positive arc after her struggles and body dysmorphia. Love her character

Clifton Royston

Today I Learned

Todd Ellner

*shudder*

Ursus Ridens

I keep thinking, "Eliot?", but nah, he's, um, busy. Jim's also unavailable. Doesn't anybody else work at Secret Bakery?

Ursus Ridens

Thanks for the explanation, Todd. But at CoD, at least, we've sometimes seen, well, teabags.

Ursus Ridens

Bubbles acting rather a lot like Momo. (Momofication??)

SilverbackRon

And on that day a new ship was launched. The Remily.

Hawkeye

How funny would it be if Yay just walked into Marten coffee shop and said “ok let me talk to the ai that runs this place” and looks in the coffee maker for the big bad lol

Claudia D.

English SO needs tweaking.

Beth Goode

If she's going to date a human, they are for sure going to be a baker.

Claudia D.

Anyone who’s raised or taught teenagers knows THOSE feelings! Woo, do,you need lots o’.patience.

Claudia D.

Maybe they were trying to protect their friends? Trying to annoy the friends into not looking for them b/c of a perception of danger? Just trying to give the situation the benefit of the doubt until shown otherwise…

Chris Warren

Who's going to be Roko's cute human? How's Emily Azuma (sp?) doing?

Noodz

I do hope all this Yay talk leads up to their return, otherwise this is just unnecessary torment.

Todd Ellner

Maybe, but I doubt it. The goodbye note was typically selfish and self centered Yay.

Todd Ellner

Gong fu cha involves repeatedly covering the leaves with a small amount of water and pouring off the liquor. It gives all the developing flavors of the tea

Todd Ellner

Do robots just buy a cup of tea and sniff it or do they go for the whole gong fu cha experience?

James Dore

Bubbles’ face in panel 3 is a picture. In fact very deft expressions all round.

BookBeard

The first part, probably. Even if they know it's a big deal they'll try to play it off, but there's no way Roko lets it pass without comment. I think Yay is going to find themselves getting lectured and/or guilt tripped into oblivion by Roko, Melon, Bubbles, Faye and Aurelia simultaneously, in five different bodies.

Todd Ellner

I am afraid that when Boo Notfriend returns they will just blithely waltz in as if nothing had happened, and Roko will eagerly crawl back to them

Sean Kinlin

It is possible, based on past evidence, that Yay could move under the box, take a look around, and get out before Roko could react and tug on the string.

Raymond Dannelly

They'd know it's a trap, but in knowing be confidant of not being caught, and it's worth at least checking the box, right?

Runhildr Zaetl

*their head

jonesnori

Elliott already gave her lessons!

BookBeard

Roko and Emily. They can bond over their love of assam. https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3575

ValdVin

I'm the flip side: I didn't know what Roko's Basilisk was til Roko showed up. Then again, QC taught me about eight-string guitars.

AlexisLeBluer

I'm curious which human Roko would take on a double date with Bubbles and Faye

BookBeard

And yet her favorite silicone items are still her collection of non-stick bread pans and cake molds.

Nutjob

... You know this HAS to end with Yay with a cardboard box over her head now

Fafner

.....after many years I just now realized that Roko is named after Roko's Basilisk...

Stephen Wells

Remember the one where Yay helped Roko with her hair and Roko suggested Yay should move in with her and get a cat? I think that interaction was basically "marry me" in robogay.

Stephen Wells

Beeps doesn't smooch Roko, she just keeps her supplied with factory-surplus sex toys. Roko currently has 276 different silicone items in her closet. And two more elsewhere.

Todd Ellner

So far she seems to be robosexual

Stephen Wells

Thank you Sam! Could not parse the image properly, but I see it now :)

David Paul

One can be both relieved and explode with frustration.

Dean Reilly

Roko (loudly): What's that? Someone's left a bunch of greyhound photos under the big net in the park?

Sam Trenery

She's pouring out the tea she made after she's done smelling it.

Mark

Note that in panel 2 Roko doesn't specify a gender of "cute human".

Mark

We just had one of those flower in our local Botanic Garden. The problem with Melon would then be stopping her from rubbing herself on it!

Mark

Bubbles ships Roko and her hypothetical date, like Roko was enamoured by the story of Bubbles and Faye getting together. https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3899

Alasdair Mackintosh

Plugging in her bread machine.

Charlie Rose

I think pouring something out of a mug

kupo

Both? Both is good. 😋

Stephen Wells

Can anyone work out what Roko is doing with her hands in panel 1? Confused. Edited to add: Sam Trenery enlightened me, she's pouring out her tea.

Stephen Wells

She likes bread (almost exclusively) and we know she's fantasised about "Human Abs", accompanied by bread.

Mattezhion Zane Corgan Campbell

Panel 2 is the high-quality bait, Bubbles in Panel 3 is the fanservice

Fart Captor

Who said anything about a FAKE datee?? Why would I want anything less than maximal Roko-smooching Now, Smooching Beeps would be problematic cuz she's her boss, but nobody's perfect

Doug DeJulio

...unless you're dating Melon.

SpookyPenguin

oh god i snerked so loud my cat freaked

SpookyPenguin

i give it 4 out of 5 squees

legobil

Roko has had romantic fantasies about Clinton, so… not that that would exclude of course.

legobil

Aaaand that’s the lack of closure.

FE

If Yay was a bread,, what kind of bread would Yay be? I suspect some variant of marble rye/pumpernickel...

enchantedsleeper

Roko would be delighted if that was the case x3 But she can't be sure that Yay is even in the same galaxy these days.

enchantedsleeper

Oof, no. Fortunately, we haven't seen Winslow do anything to act on his crush on Roko and Roko remains unaware that he has one.

FE

As long as it's not during the Titan Arum blooming period...

Andrew

As a compromise, go on a date with Crushbot. He knows what he did :)

enchantedsleeper

Nope. We can only assume Yay wouldn't have left them without a carer, but it hasn't been addressed in-comic.

enchantedsleeper

I'm not sure if Roko would be mad at that point or just relieved xD

Drazi

Bubbles looks like Sam in that third panel. Sooooo cute!

Granite

Might need something stronger than cardboard, Roko.... or line it with pointy dogs. Yay wouldn't harm dogbox.

JFCIsIt2029Yet

Imagine a big arrow sign that says BREAD and also points at bread.

Shawn K. Younkin

LOL- she's a fictional comic strip character and I am rooting for her love life!

Yonatan Zunger

Have we ever learned Roko's orientation, come to think of it?

Clifton Royston

Roko has a lot of friends secretly rooting for her love life, it seems.

Michael Steamweed

Mostly human. :D

Mad Marie

(raises hand to volunteer as The Bait)

Doug DeJulio

Huh! Where would I as a human arrange a double date with two human/robot couples? I think it'd have to be the botanical gardens. Their improved olfactory senses could really get something out of that.

Shawn K. Younkin

!!THE WORLD WAS NOT READY FOR THE CHAOS LOAF!! https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4077

William Cole

Bubbles's little smile & blush in panel 3 is unbearably cute.

William Cole

It's the perfect trap!

voyager-ngc5195

Thank you and my apologies for the wrong pronouns, I have it fixed!

BookBeard

*they

Claudia D.

Maybe she’s not ghosting. Maybe she trapped. Or hurt. Or lost. Or, or,or. Oh, no, Yay!

Josh Medin

But are you a girl *WITH NICE CRUSTY BREAD*? Play to your audience.

Claudia D.

And from the formless Brad they called forth BREAD and it was GOOD.

Captain Button

Brad is the formless chaos out of which bread emerges.

Todd Ellner

It might work, but the point is to stop carrying that torch for someone who ghosted you

The World Famous Chocomerican

It certainly might work.

Pete

Brad IS bread

Sean Brannon

I'm a girl, but I would still like to formally apply for the position of Roko's date!

Yonatan Zunger

See, here everyone is having very serious psychological discussion of what such a relationship would mean, and I'm just thinking that after the Valentine's Day post, panel 2 is Jeph engaging in mild fan service for his (mostly human) Patreon audience. :)

Tamara Macadam

honestly if i were yay that would do it

Simpin4Holo

Box and stick would 1000% work.

Yelling Bird

You can't live for the approval of others. I live for my own approval. The odds are slightly better that I can attain that. Admittedly, it's a low bar, but I somehow find a way to make it a hurdle.

kupo

So when Yay reappears, is that when we're going to find out that the Director and them have been going steady since just after the time skip and just haven't let anyone know since they've...been busy?

Kurist Zero

I mean, I see on in the kitchen already...

BookBeard

Add that to the list of reasons that Yay really needs to talk to Claire.

Sparky

Hmm. Dating to bring your true love out of hiding? Perhaps she should post that she’s worried doing that would backfire in public forum; As asking for advice that won’t trigger more panic attacks would be a better plan. Learning to bake would be a good idea.

Minzoku Bokumetsu

(didn't check the link first, oops)

Minzoku Bokumetsu

not bread?

Andrea Andrew

Maybe May should date Roko.

Steve McSheffrey

Jealous or so interested in what it means that they have to come out of hiding? Have these two not realized Yay is probably watching them have this conversation?

Czarzhan

I can't remember, but has the disposition of Yay's dogs been addressed?

BookBeard

This plotline inevitably leads to Roko realizing that her true soul mate is, and will always be, Brad. https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3961

Andrea Andrew

It’s gonna be Winslow, isn’t it?

Bridgette Ryan

God, I hope not... like, as an allegory for a trans person, that would be a nightmare... let me just destroy my very essence of self and being to conform with what society expects so that I can live a safe life.

Captain Button

I don't. Dating someone to make someone else jealous is contemptible. It is manipulative and deceptive. You are using the fake datee and lying to them. And you are encouraging the target to have nasty destructive emotions.

Shawn K. Younkin

Yeah, Roko wants to hug Yay like a constrictor, but STRAIGHTLY!

ValdVin

And a warm loaf of sourdough.

Nilbog Trog

I get a sinking feeling that the next time we see yay they will be far less embodied. Call it Chekov's Lobotomy

Fart Captor

I support this plan Roko, go on dates and smooch people til they get jealous

ValdVin

Since the last human Roko thought was cute is now taken, a box and a stick is the best option.

Sean Kinlin

A Very Special episode of Questionable Content.

Doc Gumby

Roko's heart continues to beat for Yay.

Sean Kinlin

Whereas catching Roko would require a breadbox and a stick.

SilverbackRon

Roko needs to broaden her circle of friends. Bubbles happens to know some pretty cool people.

Shawn K. Younkin

I don't know, but I am sure it is someone with "HUMAN ABS".

Taigan

So… Roko… just so I can be sure I have this right… you want to set up a date with some random stranger in order to make your “friend” so jealous that they break their self-imposed isolation. You do realize that that’s the kind of plot a sitcom would use to get the endgame couple back together?