She's basically seducing Zii into a long-term relationship (or trying to). Seduction always contains an element of manipulation. And if you condemn everyone who ever tries to manipulate other people in any way, you'll be left with just the introverted saints. Who are a rare breed.
Well, I guess there's always Rob, in this comic.
Well pardon my saying so but that is a pretty bleak outlook, I think it is absolutely possible for a relationship to exist without one party manipulating the other, and being up on some ivory pillar. Sonya isn't trying to seduce / woo Zii or win her over through "flowers and poetry", she is outright in her own minor way trying to manipulate her into something that Zii has frequently shot down, and the very reason she has to do that is because Zii has so often shot her down.
As I said before, any relationship that requires tricks, or schemes, or carefully worded conversational routes seems like a bad idea all round. I doubt that this actually will be a long term thing but that doesn't mean I have to like it while it's happening.
Of course it doesn't. And you're right, relationships can exist without insipid mindgames. It's just that very, very few of the characters in this comic have the emotional maturity needed to initiate and maintain a proper relationship.
You say insipid mindgames, I say normal human interactions. It's just the dance we all dance. It's quite fun if everyone involved is grown up enough to know the rules.
(Well, they're more like guidelines...)
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Spidrift "Brevior vita est quam pro futumentibus negotium agendo."
-- Motto of Hogshead Publishing of fond memory, and wise words to set your Foes List by. Avatar misappropriated from the wonderful XKCD.
Of course it doesn't. And you're right, relationships can exist without insipid mindgames. It's just that very, very few of the characters in this comic have the emotional maturity needed to initiate and maintain a proper relationship.
That is a fair point, but I am more of the mind to hope they achieve some amount of maturity than stay in the same old rut. Fools hope though that may be.
I do like Sonya's self-awareness of her schemes here. Seems rather more advanced than the girl who fell for "apply saliva directly to burn."
Sithlord of the Sithling and best customer of McLovecraft's , in the business of keeping the little Platypus in business Moderations in GREEN and signed by the DAMNed. I am not anonymous! Also, MODSMACK!! Winner of the... 2010 Kilopost FRANKIE; 2010 Mad March Nom Off; 2010 Joker Cleavage Contest; 2010 Fan-Thing Contest; 2010 Mimic Contest (tied); 2011 Joker Cleavage Contest; 2011 Contest-for-the-next-Contest (tied)
I stand by my theory that Sonya has a perfectly good brain, she just often forgets to use it.
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Spidrift "Brevior vita est quam pro futumentibus negotium agendo."
-- Motto of Hogshead Publishing of fond memory, and wise words to set your Foes List by. Avatar misappropriated from the wonderful XKCD.