The Tables Turn

Holly Nelson

Stray thought — if the Spooky household might have had something to do with the Augustus' borzoi?

awgiedawgie

Oh, just come back as a zombie. It's fun. Besides, even in death, how could you go on without your daily dose of QC?

Shawn K. Younkin

No, Roko, don't listen to Tyler- PROVOKE HARDER!!

Brian

TIL about tickling and schizophrenia

EnterTheHero

Roko, stop provoking the immeasurably-powerful AI. Their retaliation will be legendary.

Brian

I really hope not. Spooky is an ultra-powerful AI and doesn’t feel inclined to punish people who didn’t help create her.

Sponerkderbot?

Rook Hallan

I'm sorry, Jeph, but after this comic I cannot continue to support your Patreon, because it killed me and I am dead now.

Jim Feldman

You all should look up Roko's Basilisk if you're not aware of the meaning. Makes me wonder if spooky is somehow insuring its existence will come to pass

unsurprising

She was a Statie. Of course she's like this.

Lightsabr2

On a positive note, Roko seems more comfortable.

Lucifer likes!

Brian

Spooky’s appearance reminds me of Desire. And her actions remind me very much of Dream - harsh, vindictive, and skating around morality... but also sometimes kind and charitable.

Brian

If she wants to be friends with Roko, she has to accept Roko as she is.

Jason Rock

And now Spookybot is voiced by Tom Ellis (Lucifer) in my head...

Evidently Roko was socialized by oafs, or possibly by louts. Oafs and louts do things like this affectionately, but it is still oafish or loutish. If I were Spookybot, I might possibly not get angry, but I would make it very clear indeed that I was not ever to be handled in such a matter. Dogs mean no harm when they grab at your hands with their teeth, but they have to be taught not to.

Churchill (formerly TeaBear)

There *was* Sisko punching him in the mouth...

Joshua Brumley

It could be viewed bullying, sure. It can also be viewed as, what I'm told is what the British call, "Taking the piss out of you." Ultra-high intelligence is great and all, but you still need a bit of grounding every now and then. :)

Brian

Getting rid of dysphoria probably needs more than just distraction.

Matt Grayson

I think this is Spookybot curing Roko of her dysphoria without invasive measures. Roko, in her eagerness to humiliate and otherwise beat the crap out of SB, has forgotten all about her body.

Douglas E. Smith

Humans can't tickle themselves (except for some schizophrenics) so I am thinking Spookybot can't noogie themselves effectively. Plus with a history of obfuscation and isolation, their sensory experiences of sentient interactions must be largely limited to pure observation. No wonder they want a friend! Melon is probably way too much to be a starter friend...

Kurt Roithinger

In a weird way, this reminds me of that sandman issue that chronicled dreams evolving relationship with hob gadling, eventually allowing dream to realize that they had become friends. Just without the noogies.

Matt

SpookyMelon? that would explain the nerdery...

Thomas Boys

WAIT A SECOND - Melon disappeared at almost exactly the same time as Spookybot showed up. What if they're the same person?! :O

Thomas Boys

So....Spookynerd or Nerdbot? Votes below pls

This teasing isn't affectionate. Just goes to show that even robots can be arseholes. Presumably Roko wouldn't like this treatment from Bubbles, not that I think that Bubbles would ever act this way.

Dean Reilly

I've seen a few comments comparing Spookybot to Q in TNG, but I'm probably never going to see Picard put Q in a headlock and give him a noogie.

Stoodmuffin

But if Spooks says stop, please respect, Roko!

Stoodmuffin

Wow. This is. MAN there are a lot of gay robots in this strip. Like. Even if Spooks turns out to be Ace aro, like, that's. Just more gay. So many gay robots.

Evgeniy Semyonov

Although, on a more serious note, it can be really refreshing to be the subject of some (affectionate?) teasing, if for your whole life you were just a Spookybot, "a deep dark sea dweller". A novel experience for sure.

Evgeniy Semyonov

Well, Roko already died today once, so she clearly reevaluated her "mortal danger" threshold.

Bagge

Wait, what?

Michael DK

This relationship is delightful

Doesn't take gall. Just a good overarm grip and steady palm and fingers action on the hair.

At least until she is no longer alive, due to the immensely powerful being retaliating against her.

Everett Bradshaw

This is now one of my favorites.

Dylan T

Spookybot cannot comprehend someone having the gall to noogie them

Mark

I'm not sure if this will help Roko get used to her new body, but surviving giving a noogie to an immensely powerful being should make her feel alive, at the very least!

Mark

Bloody peasant!

MikeT

Help! Help! I'm being oppressed!

Chris Heg

Let's hope Spookybot has a sense of non-satirical humor.

awgiedawgie

Roko seems to be suddenly feeling more comfortable in her body. Apparently, seeing someone like Spookybot show vulnerability brings out the best (perhaps not the brightest) in her.

Kyle Jenkins

Fantastic xD Spookybot is fun

Populuxe

I was going to say something about that in the last strip. There is some real subtle emotional context in their facial expressions over the last few days and I’m loving it.

Populuxe

That actually raises a question. Does Roko still have her bread fetish now that she’s in a new chassis? Is it entirely psychological or does the body play a part?

Populuxe

Good catch.

Populuxe

I had totally forgotten about the Gary Phenomenon.

David Barr

Watch. Eat popcorn. Hold up scoring signs...

Diptych

Ahahahaha oh my god

Shawn K. Younkin

This is EXACTLY how the QC group adopts people, they show up to a persons house and get adopted.

Shawn K. Younkin

Spookybot does NOT make mistakes...the Spookybot "correction" police are on ther way to "correct" you. Please remain calm.

BobC

OK, now it's certain: Humanity is doomed! If AIs are giving noogies, what's left for us meat puppets to do?

Andrea Andrew

I wonder if Spookybot likes bread.

Brad Knowles

Slight mis-spelling -- in Spookybot's dialog in panel 2, "ther" should be "their".

Denise Webber

Welp, I didn't expect that!

And what? Go to May for friendship? Roko is the vastly superior choice here.

dvsDave

Please, oh please make Spookybot the next stray to be brought into this ragtag group. Adopt them like you adopted Hanners and Emily and the rest. Loving this arc!!!

Bill O'Connor

You spelled their wrong in the second panel.

Captain Button

A nerd? In QC?

Miyaa

Not Rokobot?

I'm fucking in for this turn of events

Czarzhan

Roko really doesn't feel like herself. Apparently, she feels like Faye.

Buck Caldwell

Roko, you are NOT giving a good demonstration of friendship here. SB is going to re-evaluate the cost/benefit ratio of this situation.

Gary Walker

Sass is to QC what mixed metaphors are to stoners.

Lucanid Landman

Okay, is anyone else getting the feeling that Spookybot is actually Gary from the Gary Phenomenon?

Sara Grace

Man, all of Spookybot's faces these last couple comics have been Prime Moods and I love them

Kyle Major

Sometimes having a friend is regret or allowing oneself to be vulnerable. Enjoy

Fart Captor

Oh god I love this more than I could possibly have imagined

Elf Sternberg

That's... blithely courageous from Roko. Maybe having an uncomfortable body is messing with her sense of self-preservation.

Celine Chamberlin

I heartily approve of this friendship. I'm not exactly shipping them but if I did I might call them Spooko.

Ting

This is Cyber-bullying!

Samantha Yeaman

This is amazingly wholesome and it's great to see Roko distracted from her identity crisis funk in the name of some good, old-fashioned sassing.

Matt Grayson

Holy crap! NOT expecting that!