Poor girl. She's so down on herself. Unfortunately as much as it hurts that Audrey looks at her the way he does, it's exactly what Val needs. She sees how much better she COULD be. And thats terrifying. And beautiful.
Ready or not cause here Audrey comes to your apartment!
And that "black mould" is gonna get purged! And other areas cleaned. Audrey won't judge, if my assessment is correct. If anything, would just help out. Say it's no problem and likes seeing Val happier
And boy lemme tell ya, a cleaner room does wonders for mental health. Even if you need to begrudgingly accept help from others
This is the incel/femcel mindset. Every gaze, every glare is judgemental. Idk how familiar you are with the ehm... "culture", but I've seen it. Of course at times it might actually be due to lack of hygiene or offensive shirt or whatever, but Val isn't like that.
Val doesn't value herself at all. She believes she is disgusting and that is incredibly sad! Audrey can help her only so much, she has to do the actual hard work here.
Hopefully Val will be able to pull herself out of that mindset!
Can confirm, that rewire takes a lot of time. I only very recently recognised that I feel shame at the slightest notion of not performing to expectations that I perceive coming from others. I don't like to be a burden, because that's just extra work the others would have to do.
It's a bitch to change those mindsets, but it's for the better
It's not always a mindset. I've caught people looking disgusted at me multiple times. It's rare, most people are just doing their own thing and don't care, but it's there. And it had nothing to do with hygiene or shirt. Just walking by in business attire.
people can be shallow, and judgemental. And it can be easy to see that and assume it applies to everyone.
Hmm. I have a fairly negative-looking resting face, or so I’m told. I wonder if anyone has ever thought I was judging them, when I barely notice other people at all.
Whoof. If you're not wearing a MAGA hat, I'd have looked up at you and given a smile and wave. People in general just need that small notion of kindness, even if it's a passing hello
If not your exterior appearance, the only thing they can be judging you on at a glance, then why do you think they were judging you and not some other form of miscommunication. Are you familiar with the invisible audience effect?
I can only assume it was my appearance. I bring up hygiene and shirt because the parent comment did, in the context of an offensive shirt or (I assume) smell/poor skin. These are people who I didn't know and hadn't interacted with who looked directly at me and seemingly involuntarily seemed immediately disgusted, and it was clear on their face.
As someone who's partner has multiple times accused them of looking disgusted in response to her, or stoped talking because she entered the room. Who is entirely convinced that I have done these things because of her and would not listen to my refutations. It CAN be miscommunication.
Miscommunication and confident inaccurate assumptions are extremely normal things. You might be right, but you might also be reading things incorrectly. Give yourself the benefit of doubt until they have removed it.
I've been to sub that post screenshot from incels and then the sub would explain why they were wrong and most of the time it stems from depression, body dysmorphia and a complete understanding of human interaction. They don't need a GF, they all need therapy.
Almost like that Backrooms outburst. "You know why you can't get a girl? It isn't your looks, or your height or how much money you make. It was the whining! Nothing is ever your fault!"
Not strictly an incel mindset. It’s like how if they’re an incel it’s safe to say that’s how someone will think but other who aren’t incels could also have these thoughts.
Yeah, this is just "Extremely low self-esteem" and anxiety about judgement. It can come from a lot of places and traumas but "How you react to those feelings" is the difference between incel and not, and the difference is huge
It's hard to be seen by randos and be judged, but you can just dismiss it and just not care.
But dang is it so hard to just be seen by someone, who sees so much potential in you, but you can't match up to their expectations. And you know. You know who you are would suffice, but the thought of disappointing them, just hurts.
(Maybe tangential:) You feel like they should get more, they deserve to get more, but you cannot provide it. So you're stuck between expressing yourself as you are, truthfully, vs expressing what the just world should give them. Do they not also deserve honesty?
The best part of flipping rocks IS finding bugs! If youre flipping rocks and getting upset about the bugs, what's the point in rocks flipping?! Sometimes theres salamander too, and snakes if youre lucky.
Also psa to flip the rock back (gently) how it was as to not disturb the ecosystem too much
I mean its a misconception in that there are 100% men who will be attracted to her vibe. As someone with low self esteem, I have a lot of empathy for the way that Val views herself.
I do think tho that theres probably a difference for Val at this stage of life between boys who like finding bugs under rocks and men who are looking for a potential partner.
To be clear I am not:
1. Saying Val needs a romantic male partner. It just felt like it was part of her depicted struggle in this episode.
Assuming Val's sexuality. It feels like Val is attracted to Audrey who is male. But maybe thats not where this comic is going
Oh lord. This is actually how incels and femcels think! Like, they believe that every stare they get is directed at them in disgust! Poor Val!
Being trapped in those thoughts is not good!
I genuinely wish Val would value herself more. She's looking too much into the eyes of the crowd. To the point she thinks Audrey is the only one looking at her normally.
She's fallen into the trap of every gaze directed at her being negative and that is seriously sad and tragic! Audrey can only help Val get out of it, but Val has to be the one to do the hard work!
Hopefully she'll be able to regain her confidence!
I so rarely see other people struggle with this. I have a major issue with being perceived and I’ll stay in my room until everyone else is gone just so I can get some water or food. I hate going outside, I hate being anywhere that other people are. I hate being perceived, but mostly I hate the expectations that come with it
Anxiety is a tough one, it locks you up. The key is understanding that not everyone looks at you the way you think they do. OCD and anxiety is what I’ve got. I’ll pray about it and just soldier on as best I can.
A huge breakthrough for me was the realization that the people around me were too busy living their own lives to give a shit about me in the way that I thought they were. I would sit there thinking about how people were judging me, judging my worth, putting me down for being a nerd with only a few friends, etc etc
At some point as I aged, I realized people do not care. I mean, sure, you might see someone on the street and judge them slightly and move on. People do that, as hard as you try not to. But its not nearly what you think, and not nearly as bad, and not nearly as much. People have their own lives, their own worries, their own hurts.
I'm really bad at explaining things like this, but it was super freeing for me.
One way I've seen people say it, that helped them, is that you're just... not that special? Who cares if you're a little weird? Do something a bit embarrasing? You're not the only person who does that. Your pain is very, very unlikely to be unique. What you feel now, others have felt before, and will feel in the future. It feels like part of anxiety is putting you on a pedestal that just doesn't exist, to think that you... deserve... such scrutiny from others. You're a person like anyone else. I'm not saying that anxiety as a feeling isn't real, or that it doesn't hurt. I have problems with it and understand that other people do too. Anxiety, however, is also a liar. It can be helpful sometimes, but there's situations where it is helpful and situations where it's not. And the latter is most of them.
the radiant sunlight eyes hit me in the pain box. It's how I describe the feeling of like... after a very long abusive relationship, when I feel bad I no longer can tolerate someone being too kind because it's too much. It's too bright, it's unfamiliar, it feels like looking straight into the sun after years in a cave. I'm used to the safest thing that could happen when I'm upset being me being ignored or, if I asked for it, maybe a cuddle. But being left to my own devices, which felt awful btw, was still one of the preferred outcomes.
The last slide is pure gold. I really like how you try to encourage people to support you via patreon. It's clever, funny, charming, and quirky. I don't use patron, but do you have somewhere to 'buy a coffee' type thing like on kofi (I think it's called). I am broke af, but would like to support you because I believe in your art.
Yea heavily relating to a comic I’ve been enjoying to read was not in my bingo card today. This spoke deeper to me than any past therapy ever has and despite typing all this, I’m left quite speechless.
Never in a thousand years would I have guessed that the guy that made silly comics about Life beating you up would also make a long-running story arc series of comics that so perfectly captures the essence of body dysmorphia.
Nah The Boy from Venus is Audrey. Venus is associated with femininity and beauty due to it being the name of the Roman equivalent of Aphrodite. This then laid the groundwork for the phrase "men are from Mars, women are from Venus" to highlight the difference between men and women being so large that they essentially come from separate planets.
Audrey being "a boy from Venus" means he is a guy who is steeped in the feminine and all that it classically means.
Can we all take a minute to appreciate the incredible art of this comic series and how good a job Shen does even though I'll never part with my $1 but feel like that video of those hogs going around.
This is tough to read bc my ex was like this main character. Nothing I could say to her would improve her self worth. She left me because she felt she couldn't measure up which is a shitty thing to do without warning to someone you've dated for 3 years
After such a gut punch of a comic that end panel annihilated me. Guess i gotta donate to a webcomic guy or somethng now. ill get in your little box now shen and stay there FOREVER
Knowing the next chapter BECAUSE of Patreon, and seeing the last chapter posted on Reddit, really capitalizes on the mood this chapter captures, and makes me happy I paid my dues.
800
u/LovelyLuna32684 3h ago
Val's worst fear