Pepper if there was ever a time to step into other peoples business its like right fucking now like immediately like please do something right this second oh my god
i wonder if pepper will get existential about where he lived before “here” and events that occur before he “moved in”. does he have memories from before “here”? :pepper-scruffy: :the-yellow-wallpaper:
THERE THERE FUCKINGNGNGGGGNG SNAG THAT SHIT!!! WACK IT!!! WACK IT LIKE A MOLE AND WHIP OUT THAT BIG OLLL MAGNIFYING GLASS 🔍🔎👓
-ahem scuse me, dunno what came over me 😳
Bro I was so VEXED this whole time why it was such a big fricken deal to achilles, but now I get it, it’s so externalized now. Pepper could DEF take the bait and try to help again…. orrrr rhe can let Achilles totally crash and burn. Both I think are fine outcomes to me, given that Achilles still needs to experience The Consequence of His Actions
Turns out you might be able to rationalize some of the most unhealthy coping mechanisms ever if you feel isolated enough. Poor guy can’t even concieve of the fact Mars punched him after the stairs because he scared her thinking he’d maybe died. And that was a problem because she did care, but she has no other way to show it except indulging him on this bullying thing.
Getting trapped in your roles without really analyzing them or why you want certain things having devastating effects on the ecosystem
He thought someone sent him an angel
He thought this was heaven
He thought he found a job
He thought his girlfriend is better
He thought this happened once in a lifetime
He thought he’d end up crosseyed and painless
But he just stopped making sense.
Oh no, baby…… i know this is commenting on the Chloe/Clair relationship but it makes me kinda worried about the implications of it not being JUST a self love/loathing metaphor, but maybe the Clair/Chloe outisde self rationalizing uuuuuh unhealthy relationship dynamics, is that what were building to?
:pepper-onedge: :mors:
god, the whole reason achilles never considers mars’s feelings is because he can’t even *conceive* of Mars not hating him. and if Mars is really just doing it for the money, to him it means she doesn’t feel any particular way about him…
I’ve certainly been affected by this comic before over the years, but this is just about the first time I’ve found myself, like, *staring at walls* as a result of a clear revelation.
This is abominable. The whole dynamic is clearer now and it’s the sort of clarity that HURTS.
I suppose it makes sense why he didn’t react to Mars crying before. If she’s supposed to be mad at him, and she is mad at him for making her think he died, then everything checks out.
I am so curious when/if we see Achilles’ first conversation (with Clair, I assume?). We know someone told him that Halo Head is his oyster. Is this idea that getting Chloe and Mars to like him is what he was “for” something that was coded into him somehow, or did Clair say that explicitly? If it was, she did a bad job; his attempts to befriend them was to say hello while wandering by and immediately becoming confused and hurt when they rebuffed him.
Before Clair summons him up, she tells Chloe he’s supposed to “keep her busy” in ways Mars is failing to do, but like, how? Wholesome fun? Clair looks guilty when he sadly tells her that he’s not good at any of the hunter-gatherer activities of Halo Head she’s set up; did she feel bad because he’s a dropped pancake and she messed up while making him, as signified by the ear notch? Or was he designed to be helpless, as signified by his lack of claws compared to Mars, as, like, pity bait for Chloe to make her feel invested in him and try to take care of him, and Clair feels bad that she made someone who couldn’t succeed in a system without Chloe’s help when she was unwilling to give it?
Achilles is the most off the rails of any of the residents; not only is he primarily motivated by pain, beyond even the explanation he gives here, whatever he was supposed to be doing to keep Chloe busy not only didn’t work but made the “Mars is not spending every second distracting Chloe” problem worse by competing with her for Mars’ attention. But also his off-the-railness is also the cause of his *successes* at his apparent purpose of getting people to like him; Mars likes his weird literalness and enjoys the sadomasochism, Clair finds his unusual way of thinking relatable and sympathetic, his literal only successful time of bonding with Chloe was over a mutual interest in weird gore. And also Peachykeen likes him too for some reason. Broken clock is getting it right multiple times a day!
Not a good conclusion for him to come to. Lil man believes abuse is the only outcome for him. For no one to ever like him. His “purpose”, he thinks, is to be a good punching bag, because that’s all he’s ever known coming to Halo Head. No one gave him any form of proper greeting or extended him a friendship. Everyone found him annoying, useless. Any form of attention makes him happy, even if it’s negative attention.
It’s not that he considers others’ wants and needs, it’s that nobody cared enough to say such to him. Only Clair ever showed him a modicum of positive attention by giving him a job and letting him join in on the sleepover.
Oh, oh honey…. no….. oh no baby boy that’s such a bad way of thinking nooo everything makes sense now, fuuuuck
it’s easier to be hated
at least that makes sense.
bro he’s going to have a conniption when he finds out that trying to get her to hate him more… made her like him.
seems like he learned he didn’t have to try to make people like him, he could just be himself. or rather I feel like he’s REALLY CLOSE to that lesson, but he kinda took it in like…a different direction
all this based on the strength of how right it felt to be pushed? it sounds like his reaction was so positive that he assumed it was the natural state of things, it felt so right it must be the way things are supposed to be. which still leaves a lot of questions about what mars wants
well if this is his way of thinking then it does add perspective to how he views their relationship. mars never acts like she likes achilles, which I guess goes along with his way of thinking. though he’s not seeing that as a sign that she ACTUALLY likes him, he’s just like “she doesn’t like me and that’s the way it’s supposed to be”. so what if she tells him how she really feels? is that going to throw his whole worldview out of whack?
this kind of shines a different light on the situation where mars punched him. he really didn’t understand anything she was upset about I think
I wonder if Mars ever did show genuine affection or confessed her feelings he wouldn’t know how to take it and try to fuck it up just so he can keep getting abused. Or if in turn he resents her so much to not get beat up he abuses her instead. Unlikely outcome, I don’t think he’ll turn into a full monster but I do think he’ll cause some problems before he fully accepts that affection, so they can love each other and still continue with their… activities.
Who knows? Maybe if they become a couple the hitting dynamic will be less appealing to one of them over time and that would become another schism.
And would Achilles feel extreme guilt for scaring Mars after learning she cares about him?
Hahaha… I think a lot of people are missing something. These people were created by Clair. So in a way, Achilles is right. Mars was never supposed to like him; he was created as a foil. So he was fulfilled when he found his true purpose… even if he didn’t get it quite right.
Well, there goes my whole essay on how Achilles’ masochism and the extreme reactions it gets are an analogy for trying to talk about one’s special interest… I can’t put my finger on it, but I feel like long, long ago, I once misunderstood what was going on around me, this badly.
Gasping at 8:24 in the morning. It makes so much SENSE now.
… Oh boy
That doesn’t sound healthy
Like, at all :clair-what2:
Ah.
That’s.
Bad.
No, Achilles, that’s not healthy bdsm
Babygirl. No:clair-despair:
Batty youre breaking me here
I was wondering where u were
Oof.
Pepper if there was ever a time to step into other peoples business its like right fucking now like immediately like please do something right this second oh my god
i wonder if pepper will get existential about where he lived before “here” and events that occur before he “moved in”. does he have memories from before “here”? :pepper-scruffy: :the-yellow-wallpaper:
Achilles, buddy, no, that’s not… oh no…
THERE THERE FUCKINGNGNGGGGNG SNAG THAT SHIT!!! WACK IT!!! WACK IT LIKE A MOLE AND WHIP OUT THAT BIG OLLL MAGNIFYING GLASS 🔍🔎👓
-ahem scuse me, dunno what came over me 😳
Bro I was so VEXED this whole time why it was such a big fricken deal to achilles, but now I get it, it’s so externalized now. Pepper could DEF take the bait and try to help again…. orrrr rhe can let Achilles totally crash and burn. Both I think are fine outcomes to me, given that Achilles still needs to experience The Consequence of His Actions
Achilles you are so far off the mark its heartbreaking
ohhhhhmygod Batty. you’re diabolical. absolutely diabolical.
Local cat attempts introspection: population devastated.
Boy is going down a bad path.
Pepper, DO SOMETHING!! :clair-despair:
Turns out you might be able to rationalize some of the most unhealthy coping mechanisms ever if you feel isolated enough. Poor guy can’t even concieve of the fact Mars punched him after the stairs because he scared her thinking he’d maybe died. And that was a problem because she did care, but she has no other way to show it except indulging him on this bullying thing.
Getting trapped in your roles without really analyzing them or why you want certain things having devastating effects on the ecosystem
Oh, stars… this has to be it. Right?
oh, wow. that completely recontextualizes Achilles’ behavior toward Mars.
it’s nice to have a purpose 🙂
…So then why does it matter, Achilles, if she’s only doing it for the money?
He thought someone sent him an angel
He thought this was heaven
He thought he found a job
He thought his girlfriend is better
He thought this happened once in a lifetime
He thought he’d end up crosseyed and painless
But he just stopped making sense.
Oh no, baby…… i know this is commenting on the Chloe/Clair relationship but it makes me kinda worried about the implications of it not being JUST a self love/loathing metaphor, but maybe the Clair/Chloe outisde self rationalizing uuuuuh unhealthy relationship dynamics, is that what were building to?
:pepper-onedge: :mors:
god, the whole reason achilles never considers mars’s feelings is because he can’t even *conceive* of Mars not hating him. and if Mars is really just doing it for the money, to him it means she doesn’t feel any particular way about him…
..im shocked everyone is shocked! i thought everyone knew that to at least some degree this was part of his reasoning! :achilles-serious:
I’ve certainly been affected by this comic before over the years, but this is just about the first time I’ve found myself, like, *staring at walls* as a result of a clear revelation.
This is abominable. The whole dynamic is clearer now and it’s the sort of clarity that HURTS.
Incredible stuff. Ow, my bones.
I don’t think Pepper’s making food for just himself. Pepper doesn’t normally eat vegetables.
I suppose it makes sense why he didn’t react to Mars crying before. If she’s supposed to be mad at him, and she is mad at him for making her think he died, then everything checks out.
Ohhhh that’s MAD toxic
I am so curious when/if we see Achilles’ first conversation (with Clair, I assume?). We know someone told him that Halo Head is his oyster. Is this idea that getting Chloe and Mars to like him is what he was “for” something that was coded into him somehow, or did Clair say that explicitly? If it was, she did a bad job; his attempts to befriend them was to say hello while wandering by and immediately becoming confused and hurt when they rebuffed him.
Before Clair summons him up, she tells Chloe he’s supposed to “keep her busy” in ways Mars is failing to do, but like, how? Wholesome fun? Clair looks guilty when he sadly tells her that he’s not good at any of the hunter-gatherer activities of Halo Head she’s set up; did she feel bad because he’s a dropped pancake and she messed up while making him, as signified by the ear notch? Or was he designed to be helpless, as signified by his lack of claws compared to Mars, as, like, pity bait for Chloe to make her feel invested in him and try to take care of him, and Clair feels bad that she made someone who couldn’t succeed in a system without Chloe’s help when she was unwilling to give it?
Achilles is the most off the rails of any of the residents; not only is he primarily motivated by pain, beyond even the explanation he gives here, whatever he was supposed to be doing to keep Chloe busy not only didn’t work but made the “Mars is not spending every second distracting Chloe” problem worse by competing with her for Mars’ attention. But also his off-the-railness is also the cause of his *successes* at his apparent purpose of getting people to like him; Mars likes his weird literalness and enjoys the sadomasochism, Clair finds his unusual way of thinking relatable and sympathetic, his literal only successful time of bonding with Chloe was over a mutual interest in weird gore. And also Peachykeen likes him too for some reason. Broken clock is getting it right multiple times a day!
Oh nooo…baby honeypie, nOooo……I kinda knew but like
Noooo….;-;
Not a good conclusion for him to come to. Lil man believes abuse is the only outcome for him. For no one to ever like him. His “purpose”, he thinks, is to be a good punching bag, because that’s all he’s ever known coming to Halo Head. No one gave him any form of proper greeting or extended him a friendship. Everyone found him annoying, useless. Any form of attention makes him happy, even if it’s negative attention.
It’s not that he considers others’ wants and needs, it’s that nobody cared enough to say such to him. Only Clair ever showed him a modicum of positive attention by giving him a job and letting him join in on the sleepover.
Help him, Pep.
Oh, oh honey…. no….. oh no baby boy that’s such a bad way of thinking nooo everything makes sense now, fuuuuck
it’s easier to be hated
at least that makes sense.
bro he’s going to have a conniption when he finds out that trying to get her to hate him more… made her like him.
seems like he learned he didn’t have to try to make people like him, he could just be himself. or rather I feel like he’s REALLY CLOSE to that lesson, but he kinda took it in like…a different direction
all this based on the strength of how right it felt to be pushed? it sounds like his reaction was so positive that he assumed it was the natural state of things, it felt so right it must be the way things are supposed to be. which still leaves a lot of questions about what mars wants
well if this is his way of thinking then it does add perspective to how he views their relationship. mars never acts like she likes achilles, which I guess goes along with his way of thinking. though he’s not seeing that as a sign that she ACTUALLY likes him, he’s just like “she doesn’t like me and that’s the way it’s supposed to be”. so what if she tells him how she really feels? is that going to throw his whole worldview out of whack?
this kind of shines a different light on the situation where mars punched him. he really didn’t understand anything she was upset about I think
I wonder if Mars ever did show genuine affection or confessed her feelings he wouldn’t know how to take it and try to fuck it up just so he can keep getting abused. Or if in turn he resents her so much to not get beat up he abuses her instead. Unlikely outcome, I don’t think he’ll turn into a full monster but I do think he’ll cause some problems before he fully accepts that affection, so they can love each other and still continue with their… activities.
Who knows? Maybe if they become a couple the hitting dynamic will be less appealing to one of them over time and that would become another schism.
And would Achilles feel extreme guilt for scaring Mars after learning she cares about him?
oh my god achilles nooo :(((
Oh! :clair-what2:
that boy ain’t right :achilles-loaf:
Hahaha… I think a lot of people are missing something. These people were created by Clair. So in a way, Achilles is right. Mars was never supposed to like him; he was created as a foil. So he was fulfilled when he found his true purpose… even if he didn’t get it quite right.
Well, there goes my whole essay on how Achilles’ masochism and the extreme reactions it gets are an analogy for trying to talk about one’s special interest… I can’t put my finger on it, but I feel like long, long ago, I once misunderstood what was going on around me, this badly.