pepper had reasons for talking to mars, and I dunno if he would have given a shit otherwise. but I'm glad he seems to be being effective in a therapist role at least

I like how achilles' ways make him so uncompromising with things like talking about whatever. he couldn't help but blab and it's hard to blame him bc it's his way. keeps things from being too convenient when they probably shouldn't be.

"normal"

it's not that achilles opening his mouth made things weird. it was achilles interjecting into mars' life at all. and that was mars' fault. but I mean I get what she means. I'm sure it would all have continued to be perfectly normal had he not said anything.

“I’m not fucking STUPID” *crawling thru glass*

I like how she did not need to crawl over the table at him. but it is a good intimidation tactic. “I’ll fuck you up I don’t even CARE that I just ruined the glass pile we spent an hour gathering”

to pepper’s credit, how tf else is he gonna ask for help with something like this? like if there was a reasonable explanation that would be one thing. I guess he could say he fell down the stairs once. it would still be embarrassing tho

pepper is showing parts of both clair and chloe here. kind of manipulating mars into coming with him, then playing it off real cool with a quip. he’s also kind of striking a chloe pose in the last panel.

preach

I like how the shot obscures mars' face. she doesn't wanna talk. and something about the balance of pepper being taller and down lower. also I just kind of like how it emphasizes mars' shortness

it's like, pick one, help her or help you. really, I think pepper just needs to ask for help. but like the other residents, he can't just say how he feels. he has to dance around it using his methods. mars uses standoffishness, and pepper uses trying to focus on other people's problems

the satisfying shff-and-thnk system is just the kind of thing that no one might ever encounter that clair would put a ton of thought into. like I can accept that there is no sealant bc clair probably thought about that already

ironic that pepper the dog does not run up the stairs on all fours as many humans do

love watching mars work

I love that it moved when you commanded it of him

love em

having a breakdown in front of mars would be interesting, bc mars doesn't know anything about the stairs, but pepper freaking out could lead to mars asking the question of what the fuck is up with him, which could lead to other stair-related knowledge, if not from pepper then maybe from achilles

there's lots that could happen. he could take two steps and immediately fall and break all his legs. he could get up there and slip and roll right through that window just after mars finishes the other one. he could go unharmed but make a complete ass out of himself in front of mars anyway

the stairs look amazing. the atmospheric perspective on them rules. they are very ominous and they look like they go so far away.