sadd

Oh nooo T__T

oh no..

Well...
Maybe he'll run away when they sleep, who knows <u>

Or maybe it could be the exact opposite of what will happen later.

I really can't stand those guys.

you don't have to.. i know i don't, so..

what no! :-O

Assholes... Playing with his feels ;-;

...and absolutely nothing was learned.

It'll all add up eventually, I can see this happening a few times tbh.

Leaving abusive situations can be very hard and may take multiple attempts

Nooo You forget how they threw You under that carriage??

Sadly, this is how abusive relationships like this go.

Not always.

I didn't.

Often, though. Not everyone has the strength and support to pull themselves out of the pit like you did.

Pfft.. support? what support...

Which was a nice visual metaphor for them throwing him under the bus.

Nooo, you deserve so much better :c

Nooooooooooooooooooo!!!

NOOOO Q-Q
god i hate those guys. fucking... urgh.

I hope they get what's coming to them for what they are doing to Tristan

HECK *flips desk*

You're fucked, boyo.

god dammit

Sadly, it did go about as I expected it would. :(

Dumbass

Well that was 40 pages of cock tease... :/

and so a supervillian is born <-<

No!

Nooooooooooo! (I know this is a prelude chapter so we'll catch up with Tristan later in life and he'll have more opportunities to learn, but ahhhhhh still!)

Kind of hard to feel bad for him. The literal GOD OF LIFE told him to ditch the fucks and he still fell for their bull.

Yea no pity from me for him anymore.

Yeah, I expect more from...

[checks notes]

A psychologically-manipulated street urchin.

Fuck is wrong with you?

You ever been manipulated? I guess not.

If after what he knows and been through and advice from a goddes that gave him the straight up truth, he still goes back? That's his own fault!
Been in his situation myself when I was younger and I didn't get the advice or help he got. And still pushed that button when it came to me.

So no ...

As to answer your question: "Adhd, autistic, abused and misused ... " Shall I contineu?

Not everyone is the same, or like you. Just because you did it on the first try doesn't mean someone else will. Please have come compassion.

Bruh, I get if it was like, a friend or family member that said it. But this was LITERALY god. She knew his name and everything about him instantly. You telling me if Jesus or Poseidon or whatever patron of your beliefs showed up and was all "man, you should probably cut that out", you wouldn't listen?

He's a normal fucking child with years of abuse and desperation for belonging, holy shit. The victim blaming here is absolutely absurd.

I mean, nothing you said is new information to me. Repeating your stance on the matter doesn't really do much for a...debate? Is this what this is now?

My point is that your stance is fucked up. But it's well-known that some of the worst gatekeepers and detractors to victims of abuse were also victims themselves, so at least you're statistical. I'm honestly sorry your experiences made you turn out this way, and I hope you get better in the future.

Honestly, I've read that first sentence like, 6 times, and I think your attempt to use buzz words took away from the structure. Like when a little kid goes ham on the thesaurus usage in an essay to make themselves sound smarter, but they make it impossible to read. But the sentiment is nice. I hope you get better, too. I mean, it is well-known that people to go from zero to one hundred when confronted by an opinion different to their different to their own also need to chill.

Agreed lol cant get anymore stupid than that. Its literally being told an answer to the test that is your life and he just decided not to use it lol... then again gaslighting is insanely crappy.

shh let the comic progress, character development

Maybe the goddess herself could help the lizard guy and his friends in finding a better life then this like she helped Tristan.

poor bby doesnt deserve to be gaslit like this ;_; ...

TRISTAN NO ;n;

What a gullible gibbon.

Yea sorry, this guy deserves now everything that happens to him... When a GODDES gives you advice... It is to be taken serious!

To be fair, she didn't outright tell him to leave. She said "Do not let your friends prevent you from being who you are". And who is that? Does he even know?

So maybe he needs to think about it for a while and figure it out for himself. Maybe he is taking it seriously. From an outsider's perspective reading the story, it is easy to see the answer right away. But he can't see or hear them behind the scenes, and he's a young child who probably didn't connect the dots right away. But hopefully, as he grows and matures, he'll understand her words.

Life is like a plant, a seed. It can take time for something you plant to grow and bear fruit. Rome wasn't built in a day. Character growth takes time. I would say the sign that he doesn't fully get it right away is a sign of good writing rather than bad.

Also, I would hate one mistake I made as a child due to not understanding everything in the universe to be held against me for the rest of my life, wouldn't you?

God damn it.

Well  Comito, this just proved it. They kept using him till he joins The Guardians... As an Adult. And he's, what? Twelve Years old give or take? Some "Character Development" they'll have, eh, mentally abusing Tristan for much of his life? I think he was Twenty Eight by the events of the main story, if I can guess? Or was it Twenty Two? I dunno, it's still quite a Long time!

Seriously, even I knew they were never going to develop beyond "Manipulative Schmucks who Trick Nice Guys into being their Patsy", and I have been wrong on characters before... Though parts of that can come from Authors suddenly changing tack on a character halfway through a story (it has happened before and it's rather annoying), but much is because said characters that good at Faking being nice/evil (the option depends on the character's shown alignment on their appearance), or I made the mistake of ignoring my Sixth Sense.

Either way? This is why I don't like getting talked down for "Wanting Violence on a Character". I end up getting proven right, and it's quite Frustrating.

And On that Note, I think I am long overdue for a Lizard hide Jacket and Trousers. *Pulls out a Malorian Arms 3516 and Performs a Swift Brasscheck.* Maybe a Rat-Pelt Cape while I am at it? I already have a good Holster for this baby. *Holsters Gun.*

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

*Flips table*

Idiot.

This is sad. ;-;

They guilted him into not leaving

Guilt is a very powerful weapon when weilded by those who know how to use it

And especially against those that aren't calloused to the harshness of the world yet. Kind hearts are usually also naive, for they want to see the best in people, even at their own expense. Those who exploit guilt have no such cares, only towards achieving their own ends.

aww man.....that is horribly sad

Things may well end badly for Tristan...

Oh no...Tridtan nooo

No Tristan, dont fall for it! Remember what happened in the past when the "heists" of the gang dindt go as planned! They always gave you the shit for it! Dont let them fool you by playing nice now. They surely will use the next chance to thread you like dirt again and thats no family.

Listen to what Luna said to you. You deserve something better than them. You can have a better life. But you need to get rid of false friends and family to do so.
Like Morpheus said to Neo: "I can only show you the door, go through is something your need to do yourself." (I hope i translated that right...)

I hope the people in the comments saying they don't have pity for Tristan anymore remember he's just a kid and looks to be the youngest in this bunch. Also unfortunately the chickens can't exactly fall in the role of parental protector here to sway him from these guys. He's on his own here. Poor guy.

It reminds me of the Russian saying "Boiling water softens the potato but hardens the egg". People are built differently and react differently to certain kids of pressure because of it, but neither is inferior. Just different.

Some people thrive with support, and others need sheer independence. Both kids of people are needed in this world.

Really dude? Don't fall for that crap!

But then.. I don't know if our glowy goddess has foresight to see that this would happen? Suppose we'll just have to find out. :3c

Beautiful work, I so admire what you do!

Not to be unexpected to be honest.
But the Tree planted a seed within Tristan. It will be watered at the mistreatment from his friends till one day, he will break free.

Yay

It's a painful ending, but it is all too real...

Amazed how this story arc went, and you did so masterfully!

L

They’re kind right, they are family, but the problem is they ask Tristan to do things he doesn’t want to do in the name of ‘family’. Now, what Tristan could have done instead of trying t9 leave, was encourage everyone to walk a better path, together.

I am upsets </3

Called it. Knew they would do this crap. And people need to remember that he is still a kid, he doesn't have the experience not to take things close to face value so emotionally manipulating him is easier.

The people ragging him for his decision has never been manipulated and gaslighted in long-term toxic relationships emotionally and it shows
if anything him not being able to go through it first time 'round is more realistic

Actually, I have been in such a relationship.
And broke it off on the first try, rather abruptly at massive cost to my abuser, once I figured out what was going on...
It happens... And frankly always 'should' happen in my opinion if someone has any semblance of respect for their own well being...

Not everyone can do that
Not to mention some abusers like mine will lash out and get physical if they tried to leave and sometimes costs few more tries even if they know so like, cool for u ig

Gaslighting doesn't work that way. Without fail, gaslighting victims will return to their abusers 100% of the time without outside help of some kind. Nobody escapes gaslighting on their own, nobody recognizes it on their own, nobody can fight back against it on their own. You don't escape it, you're rescued from it or it's the only thing you have to cling to.

Tristan had nobody there to rescue him from it, so he went back to the only thing he had to cling to.

Speak for yourself.
I figured it out on my own, I escaped it on my own, I had no fucking help.
In this world, the only person you can 100% rely on is yourself. Period.

Then you have no idea what abuse feels like. You should see a therapist, you clearly need help with a few things in your life.

............... Right, if you're going to go that route, you can absolutely go to hell.

You're the one that has no idea what the hell they are talking about if you're going about TELLING abuse victims that they have never been abused without knowing ANY details...

You don't know me, you don't know my fucking story.
You have no right to say what you just did.

People just politely tried to tell you how an abusive relationship USUALLY works. I'm happy you could escape from it, but in the perspective of the comic it's needed to be happen that way. Nobody tried to be rude with you and it's not about you. I would politely ask you when next time you write any comment be more patient with others and see others perspectives.

I see other perspectives just fine, I simply disagree with what I consider harmful misinformation that might prevent others from taking action of their own volition..

I didn't try to tell someone what they went through wasn't abuse, and never would.
The user above DID, I take great OFFENSE to that.

There was nothing polite about what SnowblindOtter specifically said.
They talk about gaslighting, then respond WITH form of gaslighting when someone DARES to disagree with them..

Write about controversial subject matter, expect conflicting opinions.
Sorry if I caused any unpleasantness, but I'm not about to sit here and be told what I lived through wasn't real.

The problem is that your experience was not typical, and you're going around acting like because you were able to do something, that it should be expected of others. That's not how it works. I don't know what your situation was, but with how you describe it as "I left once I figured out what was going on", it sounds like you recognized red flags relatively early on and knew when to duck out. Which--and I mean this with the utmost sincerity--good for you! However, it's really not realistic to expect anyone else to do that, and pushing that expectation shows a lack of understanding of the complexities of abuse dynamics and borders on victim-blaming. Such expectations are actually harmful, because many abuse victims already blame themselves and feel so much guilt and shame, and going around being all "I did it all on my own, so should you/others" just invokes more guilt, more shame, and that causes people to be even less likely to reach out and ask for help.

The other person is probably an abuse victim as well, so while yes, they don't have a right to tell you what you went through wasn't abuse, realize that you probably hit a very sensitive nerve.

I also think there might be a bit of a misunderstanding in terms of the whole gaslighting thing. If a person is able to see gaslighting for what it is in the moment, then that means their abuser is attempting to gaslight them, but not succeeding. This is an important distinction, because people who have been successfully gaslit do not act the same way as people who can see it being attempted and stand their ground against it. If you were the latter, that's a valuable thing. But a lot of people who find themselves in abusive friendships and romantic relationships are people who have already been abused before, and/or suffer from mental illness, and/or are otherwise vulnerable in some other way (like Tristan here is extremely vulnerable because he is only a child, with no family and is otherwise homeless). Instead of expecting others to do what you did, instead try to see things from the point of view of someone who has suffered that sort of abuse for much, much longer, who has really had their sense of self chipped away at. Display a bit more empathy and recognize that your experience and circumstances are very much not universal.

I like you.. You're rational.. :P

Now that you say that I can see how my statement may have been misinterpreted..
To clarify, no.. I it wasn't an immediate thing.. I didn't realize in the moment it was happening.
And in fact it went on for quite some time.

I just came to the realization of what was going on eventually on my own, nobody helped me out of it because frankly it was an aspect of my life I kept hidden from family and people I knew.
I was alone.

I also merely feel like people need to stick up for themselves, because you're not always going to have someone there to save you...
I didn't.. My mother didn't... Numerous people I've known over the course of my life didn't...
The only person that is there 100% of the time is yourself.. The only person you can always rely on is you...
I simply think others would benefit from realizing that instead of waiting for help that will probably never come.

I don't blame any victim for anything... I just tend to take the cold water to face "wake up!" approach.. As in my experience being gentle about it rarely accomplishes anything, for better or worse.

Being subtle about this kind of thing isn't exactly my strong point, as that's not how I've lived my life. Simple as that.

Telling someone else what they went through wasn't really abuse is really not a good look.

I didn't say what they went through wasn't really abuse, I said they know nothing of real abuse.

If I wanted to attack them personally, I would have called them out on the fact that they appear to be lying for attention, because that's what that level of bravado and aggression in their comments screams as bright as day. Instead, I decided to take the stance that while they may have experienced abuse in the past, they have not endured the level of psychological torture that is shown here, that I sincerely hope they do not because(as somebody who has seen and experienced it) I wouldn't wish that suffering on anyone, and advised them to seek counseling for any underlying issues they may have since I personally don't believe that any mental or emotional issue should be left unaddressed.

You said they have no idea what abuse feels like. The implication is that what they went through wasn't abuse, or in your words now, "real abuse". Abuse is abuse, no matter the type or severity. I mean, this isn't a competition. I do agree with you to an extent though, they really don't seem to understand the level of abuse that's being portrayed. It could be because they haven't experienced that particular kind...or it could be that they're in deniable about the extent they were affected by whatever happened to them. Or a myriad of other things. We just don't know. Either way, their approach is all wrong. Which I did take the time to explain to them in detail. Whether they listen or not is up to them.

Still, "You don't know real abuse" isn't really a good thing to tell someone, it's just dismissive, and it's something that abusive people tend to say to their victims to downplay the abuse they're perpetuating. I know that wasn't your intent behind it at all, but it's always good to be mindful of the words we choose when it comes to these sorts of things, you know?

And you're right, they definitely should seek counseling, if that's something they have access to. Honestly, with how this year has been...probably everyone should seek counseling.

Some people don't have respect for themselves because of years of abuse and gaslighting.

I'm glad you could do it yourself, but that doesn't mean you have to go it alone anymore, or that people should be looked down upon because they couldn't do it your way.

You went it alone, and you came out on top. That is wonderful. Doesn't that make you want to make sure no one should have to suffer the way you did ever again, all alone without help?

Never said I look down on anyone for needing help...

I’m just saying don’t EXPECT help.. Because this world is astonishingly broken and there’s a good chance you won’t GET help..

There will be times, regardless of anyone’s intentions, that the only person that can help you is you.. :/

Dammit!

reees into the sky noooo Tristan ;A;

Noooo.

You idiot!

Its not over till its over....

I believe things will turn out quite differently.

However, I'll stop speculating there so I don't drop spoilers.

-Badger-

Okay I hate those guys even more now.

FOCK!!

Oh shit, here we go again...

ahhhhhhh CRAP!

NO!!!

TRISTAN WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU STUPID IDIOT!!!

Ahh yes because that helps a young impressionable kid grow into a responsible person.

SPINE

I feel once the door shuts something is going to happen. I don’t think he’s going to
Fall again.

Top10 Cringe moments

Oh, you poor naive boy.

Noooooooooo

Ok, I wasn't expecting this twist tbh, though I probably should've. It's that type of comic I guess.

Tristan nooooooooo

you motherfuckers are gonna pay!

NOOOOOOOOOOOO

Did he really felt for that? Ahw... Come on! The Tree should have lift him on her wagon and ride away with him. She did already adopt a daughter, she could have adopt him too!

He should have listened to her. What - an - idiot.

Damn i used to know a kid who was treated like this

The Tree could have given him all the encouragement in the world for all it mattered, and Tristan would have still gone back in to them, because she didn't give him the one thing that would have saved him from it.

No amount of encouragement can save you when the only friends you have are the ones abusing you.

Spoken like a true abuser.

Nooooo (Reaching out 🤚)

Noooooooooooooooooooooo! Time for some divine intervention!!

Sigh... Poor, poor Tristan...

Onto the next chapter!!

that poor dumb boy.

i see this, and i read some of the comments, and it brought to mind the old Song by Kenny Rodgers, Coward of the Country

"The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the bar room
One of them got up and met him half way cross the floor
When Tommy turned around they said, "Hey look! Old Yellow's leaving"
But you could've heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and locked the door

Twenty years of crawling was bottled up inside him
He wasn't holding nothing back, he let 'em have it all
When Tommy left the bar room, not a Gatlin boy was standing"

please let this be the case!!!

Nuuuuuu
No baby, dont go back...they are the bad guys T.T

Tristan has no other option they are all he has. He will be free but he has to do it for himself

Can I smash those guys with a sledgehammer

O-O O-e NNNNNNNNUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Young Fred Savage: "I'm telling you, you're messing up the story! Now get it right!"

Please tell me that by the time the main story starts, the 3 abusers are going to look old and unkempt and have completely let themselves go. Please tell me that they'll be the kind of people who you take one look at and think, "Boy, how can anyone ever let themselves become degraded to that sorry state?"

For the foreseeable future he ain't getting away from them. Wish it were otherwise.

You picked the wrong gang, fool!

NNNNOOOOOOO

I'm very sad, but I understand this. I can't blame Tristan. He's young and impressionable. I just hope he figures it out soon enough.

Nooooo, Tristen should've been furious for their lies. Poor dude. :(

Ouch this page got heated comments quickly...but also not surprised. It's a tough topic really...but I myself am NOT surprised he stayed...escaping this sort of thing is NOT as easy as people seem to think it is. I myself am lucky I've never dealt with this sort of thing, but I know people who have...some never escape....and it takes years for those that do..like this character here I'm sure.

Yeah... Poor Tristan... Treated with contempt and then guilt-tripped... Just like a real family.

So gullible

Oof this hurt