I love that Pepper’s big insightful moment comes at the top of the stairs that he’s had so many issues conquering. Ever since he was traumatized it seems like he’s been mostly using his insightful nature to hide things and play people against each other, but now that he’s made at least a little peace with it he can stand at the top and try to speak these truths to Mars to help mend her relationship with Chloe.
It’s also not wasted on me that Mars is positioned through light and perspective as looking up at Pepper from lower down the stairs, it’s great visual language for seeing where they both are in this conversation.
i know he’s right but damn man its like you read books or something
but also this isnt even for me and i can feel that tension of being told this in my chest like fuck you man. but you might be right
People might initially want to criticise Pepper for being ungentle… but we’re going to make an argument in favour of it.
There is something to be said about not mincing words. Being direct, clear, understandable, honest, and unwilling to allow the picture you’re painting be distorted overmuch by the words chosen is super important in communication. Does this mean that you sometimes say things that are not nice? Yes, but this doesn’t need to be nice… It needs to be *kind*, and Pepper here is being very kind. He isn’t judging her so much as making her realise that “normal” or “cool” isn’t as important as “happy” and “healthy”…ish…
If Pepper was more gentle, Mars would be able to find a point to distract with a joke or handwave it away as Pepper fretting. With Pepper becoming ungentle, he is handling Mars in the way she needs for this kinda of thing to actually stick and help them better their life. He is being colder, because if he was warmer, she’d just make fun of him like she already was before. She needs it told to her this way, even if she doesn’t like it. And that’s why she dislikes what he is doing, because she can’t fend it off very well. That’s the point.
I definitely agree in principle, but also Pepper isn’t Mars’ father or even a particularly close friend. Who is he to decide unilaterally what and how she needs to hear anything?
There’s also the fact that this is a glaring hypocrisy on Pepper’s part; he has a similar, arguably much deeper issue festering, namely that he cannot walk up the stairs in his own house, sleep in his own bed, or wash his clothes without assistance, and he lied to Mars’ face about it in the process of asking for help. She even called him on it, gave him another chance to be honest, and he doubled down and lied again. So he is asking for her to be deeply vulnerable and accept all criticisms from him while refusing to be vulnerable at all with her. And because she saw through the bullshit when he asked her upstairs, it’s going to undermine his legitimate point here.
Also, let’s be honest — the reason Pepper is being so direct and ungentle here isn’t because he decided this was what Mars will be most responsive to, because he was trying the gentle route this entire conversation. It’s because she told him to shut up when they reached a painful part of the conversation and he got frustrated. This is him venting on her, and I think as completely accurate his points are here, quite a few of them apply to his own relationship with the other denizens.
Honestly amazed at her restraint…so far
Staying up way later than always meaning to has its advantages
Like, pepper, you may be right—BUT CHILL
Also mars is very babygirl in this one
That’s a flattering close-up :mars-point:
What is he like a mind reader or somethin?
Nope, just observant and knows a thing or two about psychology
pepper once again forcing the plot forward by throwing the truth javelin directly into the person infront of him without a single shred of tact.
gotta work on those deliveries big dawg :pepper-shoot:
It’s okay Mars, everyone is weird, normal people are a myth :chloe-onice:
When you go up a level the conversation gets pretty meta and you’re a lot more real with each other.
Never mind, this is on point, sorry to have doubted you Pepper.
The insight of a psychologist coupled with the audacity of a friend.. I’m not qure that’s a good combination here 😬
This is high drama. :achilles-rose:
I love that Pepper’s big insightful moment comes at the top of the stairs that he’s had so many issues conquering. Ever since he was traumatized it seems like he’s been mostly using his insightful nature to hide things and play people against each other, but now that he’s made at least a little peace with it he can stand at the top and try to speak these truths to Mars to help mend her relationship with Chloe.
It’s also not wasted on me that Mars is positioned through light and perspective as looking up at Pepper from lower down the stairs, it’s great visual language for seeing where they both are in this conversation.
Mars just shaking her fists instead of actually throwing them bc Pepper made a read that might’ve hit home
playing with fire risks getting burned but also he is absolutely cooking with it to be fair
So the correct answer to this is kicking him in the
i know he’s right but damn man its like you read books or something
but also this isnt even for me and i can feel that tension of being told this in my chest like fuck you man. but you might be right
People might initially want to criticise Pepper for being ungentle… but we’re going to make an argument in favour of it.
There is something to be said about not mincing words. Being direct, clear, understandable, honest, and unwilling to allow the picture you’re painting be distorted overmuch by the words chosen is super important in communication. Does this mean that you sometimes say things that are not nice? Yes, but this doesn’t need to be nice… It needs to be *kind*, and Pepper here is being very kind. He isn’t judging her so much as making her realise that “normal” or “cool” isn’t as important as “happy” and “healthy”…ish…
If Pepper was more gentle, Mars would be able to find a point to distract with a joke or handwave it away as Pepper fretting. With Pepper becoming ungentle, he is handling Mars in the way she needs for this kinda of thing to actually stick and help them better their life. He is being colder, because if he was warmer, she’d just make fun of him like she already was before. She needs it told to her this way, even if she doesn’t like it. And that’s why she dislikes what he is doing, because she can’t fend it off very well. That’s the point.
I definitely agree in principle, but also Pepper isn’t Mars’ father or even a particularly close friend. Who is he to decide unilaterally what and how she needs to hear anything?
There’s also the fact that this is a glaring hypocrisy on Pepper’s part; he has a similar, arguably much deeper issue festering, namely that he cannot walk up the stairs in his own house, sleep in his own bed, or wash his clothes without assistance, and he lied to Mars’ face about it in the process of asking for help. She even called him on it, gave him another chance to be honest, and he doubled down and lied again. So he is asking for her to be deeply vulnerable and accept all criticisms from him while refusing to be vulnerable at all with her. And because she saw through the bullshit when he asked her upstairs, it’s going to undermine his legitimate point here.
Also, let’s be honest — the reason Pepper is being so direct and ungentle here isn’t because he decided this was what Mars will be most responsive to, because he was trying the gentle route this entire conversation. It’s because she told him to shut up when they reached a painful part of the conversation and he got frustrated. This is him venting on her, and I think as completely accurate his points are here, quite a few of them apply to his own relationship with the other denizens.
Okay, you know what? Pepper absolutely nailed it here. I have no complaints. I should’ve never doubted him. :pepper-shoot: