Wait, I just realized that, reading back on the previous pages, Chloe is getting what she wanted from 452: someone to comfort and hold her! Seems like even if she didn’t get to say what she wanted and things are going differently than she thought, she’s still getting what she sought out for! Good for Chloe! 😀
Sweetheart??? Whoa what is he her dad or smth ?? (Lighthearted and maybe that’s what she needs to hear I’m just curious what part of him felt like saying that)
As well as this is going, I can’t help but feel like it’s gonna go sour at some point
then maybe Chloe will ditch him like she ditched Clair and wander off where she’s not supposed to…
I know it’s not always realistic to see characters hash things out like this but I feel like it’s therapeutic to read every now and then. drama can be exhausting, and it’s nice to see the characters working things out. I want things to work out for them!!! :clair-despair:
actually I think it does feel a lot more realistic. Significant misunderstandings are far more common in fiction than they are in real life, most real misunderstandings are small stuff or fall apart quicker before they can snowball out of control because people talk.
I know some people who ship them will see the word sweetheart and take it a different direction, but I read this in the way that a mom says “oh sweetheart” in a slightly saddened voice to her daughter. Like in a genuinely compassionate way
Completely completely agree. I don’t really see anyone in this world (besides Mars and Achilles) as being romantic “matches”. Pepper just feels like a good guy and a good friend to Chloe, imo 🙂
his hair!!!! when he realized what she meant, the shine on a tuft of his bangs became more diamond-y than the previous panel!!!!!!! what does it MEAN??????????? :peachy-aaa:
Oh… his bangs are obscuring both his eyes. I *just* realized the symbolic value of that. Durrr… no wonder he’s chill, he doesn’t even have half of the picture. I could be way off, but he reminds me now of the brush-off confidante who doesn’t think anything really happened and doesn’t know why you insist on these lies. Because otherwise, it’s too dark to contemplate.
Can someone remind me on what page Chloe had her plate stolen by Peachy? I glanced thru about half the archive but I don’t have it in me to reread the whole comic rn 😅
I’m squinting at the ‘sweetheart’ thing, but I won’t say why yet.
Also I see that diamond in the smear mark in panel 4. I’m starting to def think it’s like… ‘understanding.’ Clarity. Enlightenment [as others have said]. God this comic drives me INSANE [positive]
Before he ever saw the stairs Pepper was already a good guy, didn’t have quirks or flaws in any offensive capacity, always kind, got along with everyone best he could, adaptable, the most “normal” out of all of them (the most emotionally + mentally stable). It’s almost like a test, that he has this existential trauma but is still being amicable and available in spite of it. I could be misremembering but I feel like he was always willing to listen to people’s worries, maybe the difference now is that he’s not trying to give advice? Is that a bad thing? I guess if you’re not outright asking for any. He never really probed people for info until after the stairs, and in the case of Chloe it wasn’t necessarily that she was annoyed and saw through Pepper’s mind games but his comment about “everything being a joke”. It could be a combination of the two. I’m not sure what exactly his character resolution is supposed to end in.
Actually going back #83 Pepper has diamonds on his hair (unless the motif wasn’t a thing yet and this would be a retcon) so maybe it is about returning to normalcy after experiencing crippling existential dread. But considering diamonds are also representative of exposure to the lower lairs/Ares’ words of wisdom (like radiation if it brought enlightenment minus the cellular degradation (maybe)) I wonder how he’d have them before he found Achilles and saw the stairs. Or Chloe a couple pages back. Is it contagious?
Can’t help but think “sweetheart” isn’t a very normal thing to say. Like other commenters have mentioned, it does have sort of familial associations. Does bring my mind to questions of whether Pepper has had bonds from before Halo-Head.
This just makes me feel like it’s Clair who actually sees Chloe as a joke, at least subconsciously. Like she wants to help her, but only believes in her own way of doing things.
The healing is going well
The communication is very good, I’m glad they’re getting this moment :batty-long:
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
*gasp*
Eeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Ew. :chloe-sit:
At least now Pepper realizes it.
Wait, I just realized that, reading back on the previous pages, Chloe is getting what she wanted from 452: someone to comfort and hold her! Seems like even if she didn’t get to say what she wanted and things are going differently than she thought, she’s still getting what she sought out for! Good for Chloe! 😀
Okay, reading even further back, the second panel on this page references #61 in how Chloe says “everything is a joke to me”. Nice call-back!
He finally apologizes for that!
I love the overlapping speech bubbles in panel 4
Sweetheart??? Whoa what is he her dad or smth ?? (Lighthearted and maybe that’s what she needs to hear I’m just curious what part of him felt like saying that)
I guess Chloe is a son of a bitch with the genders inverted.
What’s a male bitch?
Sire or stud! :pepper-surprise:
I believe that would be Achilles.
REAL
Sweetheart feels more like a stereotypical mom thing to say than a typical dad thing to say.
Pepper is very mom-y (mom-esque? motherly?)
Motherly
mannnn apologies are so great. surprising that they’re in such short supply since they’re free to give!
also ew. :hearts:
Oh no Pepper isn’t just therapy dog… He’s therapy DAD dog :pepper-surprise:
As well as this is going, I can’t help but feel like it’s gonna go sour at some point
then maybe Chloe will ditch him like she ditched Clair and wander off where she’s not supposed to…
Staircase downwards anyone?
ewwwwww but also thank you chloe for allowing the hug but also ewwwww heart emoji
I know it’s not always realistic to see characters hash things out like this but I feel like it’s therapeutic to read every now and then. drama can be exhausting, and it’s nice to see the characters working things out. I want things to work out for them!!! :clair-despair:
actually I think it does feel a lot more realistic. Significant misunderstandings are far more common in fiction than they are in real life, most real misunderstandings are small stuff or fall apart quicker before they can snowball out of control because people talk.
OH ITS SO SWEET THEYRE UNDERSTANDING AGAIN :clair-despair:
Chloe receiving a very strong healing hug!
I know some people who ship them will see the word sweetheart and take it a different direction, but I read this in the way that a mom says “oh sweetheart” in a slightly saddened voice to her daughter. Like in a genuinely compassionate way
ALSO YES FINALLY SOME HEALING IN THIS TRAUMA FEST. WAY TO GO PEP!!
:pepper-1:
Completely completely agree. I don’t really see anyone in this world (besides Mars and Achilles) as being romantic “matches”. Pepper just feels like a good guy and a good friend to Chloe, imo 🙂
IM DYING SKDHSLDBSLSHZIXBFDKF
“sweetheart” ahdhfhdhd they are so cute :thesmoocher: :hearts: (/platonic)
GOOD DOG
I really like this one😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
his hair!!!! when he realized what she meant, the shine on a tuft of his bangs became more diamond-y than the previous panel!!!!!!! what does it MEAN??????????? :peachy-aaa:
batty has EFFORTLESSLY altered this fanbase’s brain chemistry in pavlovian fashion
im not above this of course i checked his bangs right after you said that and they definitely did do that
mmm pavlovian…
There’s the Pepper I know and love
Love that he didn’t ignore her disgust and reminded her to breath.
They really are the best duo here. :chloe-onice:
The healing is here!
Now tuck her into bed and read her a bedtime story.
Oh… his bangs are obscuring both his eyes. I *just* realized the symbolic value of that. Durrr… no wonder he’s chill, he doesn’t even have half of the picture. I could be way off, but he reminds me now of the brush-off confidante who doesn’t think anything really happened and doesn’t know why you insist on these lies. Because otherwise, it’s too dark to contemplate.
Chloe’s little tail wag.. cute…
Hey she got the hug she wanted and didn’t have to ask for it! Common emotional distance and vagueness W
WAIT when did he say that stuff about a joke??? I thought that was clair? :clair-what2: Or am i just confused? I forgor 🙁 :achilles-onedge:
page 376, the last time they were hanging out together, it upsets chloe and then she leaves
ohhh thanks 😀
“sweetheart” + that hug is making me so teary-eyed fr 🥺 :hearts: chloe just limply letting the hug happen even while she ewws about it is so funny tho
Can someone remind me on what page Chloe had her plate stolen by Peachy? I glanced thru about half the archive but I don’t have it in me to reread the whole comic rn 😅
Around 114 I think?
Thank you!!
It happens in between #116 and #117.
Thank you !!!
Awarding Pepper the Sweetheart medal 🏅
and the 3am Emergency medal 🎖️
and the Not-Afraid-to-be-Cringe-for-You medal of recognition 🥇
Chloe can be Too Cool For School all she wants. We can see the sad tail perk up. :chloe-onice:
Crying throwing up gnawing drywall running in circles aggressively patting both of their heads :pepper-1::chloe-sit::hearts:
That’s too cute :clair-despair:
WWEEHHHHHH 🥺🥺🥺🥺BATTYYYYY
I’m squinting at the ‘sweetheart’ thing, but I won’t say why yet.
Also I see that diamond in the smear mark in panel 4. I’m starting to def think it’s like… ‘understanding.’ Clarity. Enlightenment [as others have said]. God this comic drives me INSANE [positive]
Before he ever saw the stairs Pepper was already a good guy, didn’t have quirks or flaws in any offensive capacity, always kind, got along with everyone best he could, adaptable, the most “normal” out of all of them (the most emotionally + mentally stable). It’s almost like a test, that he has this existential trauma but is still being amicable and available in spite of it. I could be misremembering but I feel like he was always willing to listen to people’s worries, maybe the difference now is that he’s not trying to give advice? Is that a bad thing? I guess if you’re not outright asking for any. He never really probed people for info until after the stairs, and in the case of Chloe it wasn’t necessarily that she was annoyed and saw through Pepper’s mind games but his comment about “everything being a joke”. It could be a combination of the two. I’m not sure what exactly his character resolution is supposed to end in.
Actually going back #83 Pepper has diamonds on his hair (unless the motif wasn’t a thing yet and this would be a retcon) so maybe it is about returning to normalcy after experiencing crippling existential dread. But considering diamonds are also representative of exposure to the lower lairs/Ares’ words of wisdom (like radiation if it brought enlightenment minus the cellular degradation (maybe)) I wonder how he’d have them before he found Achilles and saw the stairs. Or Chloe a couple pages back. Is it contagious?
*layers
I love how she’s getting tears and snot on the same shoulder/sleeve stained by Achilles’s blood. It seems Pepper wears his friends on his sleeve.
Plot twist: Chloe’s actually saying “ew” to having her face shoved into that grody unwashed t-shirt. :chloe-sit:
FINALLY
HUGS
:peachy-stare:
Can’t help but think “sweetheart” isn’t a very normal thing to say. Like other commenters have mentioned, it does have sort of familial associations. Does bring my mind to questions of whether Pepper has had bonds from before Halo-Head.
I keep coming back to look at this hug and bask in the healthy loving unpacking and apologies and soothing going on, everything I ever wanted
I have no smart observations but I will note that one was comforted by a cat and the other one by a dog lol
We need a big maggot or blind cave salamander in this. It’s just dogs and cats in here
This just makes me feel like it’s Clair who actually sees Chloe as a joke, at least subconsciously. Like she wants to help her, but only believes in her own way of doing things.
waugh…….tender 🙂
im gonna throw up /pos
Chloe is showing emotion I love it
:peachy-menacing: