867: In which the dancing around each other resumes

[maarvarq]

Godammit, you two, you could have a quiet cuddle for a while like normal people!

[Merle]

Damn it, the words are supposed to help you describe it, not act as a shackle!

[ExPostNinja]

Jamie and Ellen both seem to have the problem wherein neither one of them is actually very comfortable with romantic feelings or relationship overtures. I'm not sure if there is a specific term for it (there may be), but I've always thought of it as the paleontologist's romance, wherein the "correct" things to do in a relationship are all built around assumed or implied rules, not ones that have ever been directly observed. They're both very aware that there is supposed to be a proper relationship procedure, and neither of them have any familiarity with it beyond the cultural equivalent of half a pelvis and a few fossilized neck bones.

Interestingly enough, this is something we've seen Jamie acknowledge explicitly about himself (saying that he's not a fundamentally complete adult), but not something that we've ever seen Ellen really talk about. It's observable in her language and actions, though. (We don't know much about her romantic history, or Jamie's either, which is something that I suspect is important moving forward.)

Who wants to take bets that the next strip will be more hypothetical verbal erotica between them?

[Carnie]

I don't think they're letting words shackle them; I think this is just what (re-)defining a relationship sounds like when spoken aloud by two people who tend to over-analyze everything. And the fact that they're slowing things down isn't because the words demand it; I'd say it's simply because that's what they actually want to do. Or perhaps more accurately, what they think it would be wise to do.

Is slowing it down that much not strictly necessary? Yes. Is refraining from cuddling unnecessary? Yes. (Although they may still do some of that, despite saying they're going to bed now.) But if we all judge what they're doing relative to the speed each of us would prefer to go at under these circumstances, we're never going to all agree.

Interestingly enough, this is something we've seen Jamie acknowledge explicitly about himself (saying that he's not a fundamentally complete adult), but not something that we've ever seen Ellen really talk about.

I'm guessing it has to do with how she was burned by her previous relationship, the one that spawned The Rule and Answering Machine Bitch. We don't know how many guys she's kissed / slept with / had any kind of relations with since then, but I'm betting that she hasn't had another "serious" relationship since.

Who wants to take bets that the next strip will be more hypothetical verbal erotica between them?

More likely, Jamie will start into that and Ellen will cut him off saying "Now don't start THAT again!!"

[RowenMorland]

"which is reason #81,462 why English is a lousy language in need of improvement."

Maybe English* is the language that people deserve because that's the level of concepts and semantics they're willing to commit to learning and dealing with.



*Or whatever other language you are currently griping about.

[Carnie]

In most cases, you're probably right, but there are definitely times when language doesn't evolve fast enough for one's needs. In particular: with respect to the ambiguity of the word 'like,' as in "do you like him, or do you like him?", I have long wished that there was a better word for the latter than the use of italics, or 'like-like.' Not least because neither of those work well when used in isolation, without a direct comparison to the base word.

[Razmoudah]

In regards to the 'like' bit, that evolved from the desire to talk about 'love' without talking about 'love', even though that is closer to what is meant than 'like'. It is more of a culturally induced backwards evolution because people wanted 'love' to mean something more, although they have yet to convince me they've managed any degree of success.

[ExPostNinja]

I'm guessing it has to do with how she was burned by her previous relationship, the one that spawned The Rule and Answering Machine Bitch. We don't know how many guys she's kissed / slept with / had any kind of relations with since then, but I'm betting that she hasn't had another "serious" relationship since.

Almost certainly; we also don't know much about what happened before then, either. I think it's actually worth noting, within this context, that all of the characters we've interacted with are part of Ellen's support network, so none of them would need to be told about the details of Ellen's love life. Only Max has specifically mentioned that past, and one might infer that Lily has referenced it obliquely with her whole speech to Ellen about how she has people to help her if she's in any danger. We don't know enough about the past relationship to say for sure, but it's possible that Lily wasn't just being an awful misandrist at the time.

[sethtriggs]

Their communication style is hilariously inept. This is the most amazing thing, I have to say. It's utterly fascinating to watch. Maybe the people who surmised Jamie is an alien are on to something.

[MonkeyButt]

Who wants to take bets that the next strip will be more hypothetical verbal erotica between them?

My suspicion is that they'll spend the next strip talking about how they're not going to do anything this night, and then proceed to rut like ferrets at the first (or maybe second) pause in the conversation. That's just a suspicion, though. Well…a suspicion, and partly a hope. Tailsteak can take a moment of strip time and turn it into weeks of calendar time; I suppose that's the reward for being the deity in this particular universe.