Last week I saw that people were accusing Branden of bullying but this is not bullying. Someone is not pulling their weight and hasn’t been for quite a while, especially when there’s something majorly important coming up. Sorry but they should be called out for that.
At my job, if you’re not pulling your weight, we’ll tell you that it’s unacceptable and you need to pick up the pace.
Al using a term like ‘fruit’…yeah, more or less just ruined any good graces he had with the people defending him last week
Okay, absolutely vehemently do not approve what Al’s pulling out of the bag verbally here, like I’m glad he’s talking back but yikes, not like that. And, still, Brendan is just steamrolling him. Hghhhgggnnnn. Goddammit you guys.
(sits here consumed with angst and woe until the next update, wherein things will probably get worse still, oh no)
I just groaned out loud. Why is communication between two adults such a hard thing? And really Al? REALLY?! This is going to end badly and definitely explains a lot of the tension when Al first came back.
Seriously not at all okay for Al to say, though it does expose some of the nasty internalized homophobia he’s been dragging around. I wonder if that’s just generalized social conditioning, or if he got that from whoever raised him before his aunt and uncle. That kind of slur is never called for, regardless.
So Brendan’s feeling overworked and like Al isn’t helping, though from what it sounds like, Al is sick and has a slower work pace to begin with. Unloading all of this on him in one big whiny rant is really obnoxious. At any point, he could have admitted to feeling overloaded. Of course, Al has been more of a slow and steady ‘we can keep working on it and try again when we’re ready’ and Brendan needs everything asap. They have incompatible drives.
What I REALLY don’t like is where Brendan is saying: ‘this is where you got stuck before I came along!’ and ‘you never would have gotten this far without me!’ Making Al out to be some kind of dull witted dependant instead of the brilliant, but unambitious person he is. He never wanted to get this far in the first place. He was happy making amazing pieces of engineering in his private lab. And ever telling your SO that they would be nothing without you is just awful.
That last bit is what really hit me, too. I can’t stand that Brendan would say that. It’s so … short sighted. And I can only imagine how badly it hurts to hear.
*Sigh* Well, this sucks. They’re both lashing out, and saying things that will hurt worse than a fistfight… Yeah, words hurt for longer than bruises, IMO.
Ok, now the knives of contempt come out. Brendan is now attacking what Al had accomplished in the past ‘puttering around’ and ‘paralyzed’ before his timely divine intervention.
Brendan is also a drama queen of the worst sort. Getting hysterical over taking phone calls and ordering parts… but isn’t that the job he was actually HIRED to do? Wow, umm, ok. If he doesn’t want to do those tasks anymore he should quit shooting his partner with his stored up ‘disappointment’ bullets (he has been stockpiling since they first met apparently) and hire a secretary to handle the paperwork and phones…which should hardly be a problem for two people with a multimillion dollar contract to afford.
I replied to your other comment, but this new page warrants new info.
Brendan is being very dramatic, but let’s not forget that Al was moving at a snails pace at best, and had little drive to associate with anyone or do much but tweak and theorize at worst. Brendan helped refine and focus Al’s talents, not to mention adding his own, but he’s forgetting that Al has not only brains but experience, and internalized homophobia.
Remember the public hand holding and how he didn’t defend Brendan at all with the general, just allowing Brendan to be seen as an overzealous gay assistant that’s got less to do with the project that Al himself?
Again, Brendan’s had enough, and isn’t being fair about it, but he’s also seeing how much Al isn’t doing, and likely wouldn’t be doing were Brendan not doing it. But that’s also getting in the way of him really seeing Al, and seeing that something, not just his gripping fear of being outed, but his illness.
This fight has nothing to do with Brendan answering phones or multitasking and everything to do with Al not acknowledging him as a full partner … and not just a business partner.
No one’s a saint, but Brendan’s side of the scale definitely tips heavier than Al’s at this point. Last time Al was at fault and Brendan was mad, he came to bed, admitted he screwed up, admitted he handled the situation badly because he didn’t know what to say, and tried to make it up to him. Brendan just flies into these passive aggressive leading to actually cruel shitfits instead of talking about it like an adult. I get that he’s younger but he’s still a grown man.
This is definitely no longer passive aggressive, and while this is an emotional argument, it’s one that could be diffused by talking it out, which Al isn’t very good at doing, unfortunately.
They’ve got serious issues, but between Brendan still holding a grudge over Al not seemingly being invested in their relationship, nor treating him with respect publicly (with the general) about their business partnership, and Al’s internalized homophobia and his illness, not to mention his choice to not really discuss any of this without an argument forcing it out, they’ve got one hell of an uphill battle.
Too bad we already see how this particular chapter plays out.
this has been a great last couple of pages, tho. This feels like a real argument between two people in a relationship. A good nasty one that you regret foooorever. Low blows all around.
Man, I kinda feel like I’m the only one who empathizes with poor Brendan here. I get him, I really do. His stress is just evident and it’s so easy to say things you regret, especially when Al isn’t communicating very well either. :(
Yo tampoco estaba de acuerdo. Su barba lo hace más atractivo
Faltan dos días para que muera y sufro por eso.
Hey Blue you have a mexican fan I love this comic
My english writing skills are bad.
Fruit. Well, saw this coming. We don’t know what happened to Al with his family and he did get along with his uncle but the man was in the military. “Don’t ask; don’t tell.” Gotta figure there’s a reason Al’s big on hiding.
Oh jesus, Al. Too far.
Last week I saw that people were accusing Branden of bullying but this is not bullying. Someone is not pulling their weight and hasn’t been for quite a while, especially when there’s something majorly important coming up. Sorry but they should be called out for that.
At my job, if you’re not pulling your weight, we’ll tell you that it’s unacceptable and you need to pick up the pace.
Al using a term like ‘fruit’…yeah, more or less just ruined any good graces he had with the people defending him last week
Whoa! Did it just get dark in here? That was some massive shade-throwing.
Brandon is so obnoxious geez
Oh, damn… NOW things are getting ugly.
O-o-oh dear… Al, my pal, your BF is being kind of a huge dick here but I don’t think THAT’s the angle you wanna tackle.
Oh no.
//face palm
Here we go.
Gentlemen, if you would just communicate like adults, you wouldn’t have this problem.
O_O
Okay, absolutely vehemently do not approve what Al’s pulling out of the bag verbally here, like I’m glad he’s talking back but yikes, not like that. And, still, Brendan is just steamrolling him. Hghhhgggnnnn. Goddammit you guys.
(sits here consumed with angst and woe until the next update, wherein things will probably get worse still, oh no)
Welp, this is gonna end well.
I just groaned out loud. Why is communication between two adults such a hard thing? And really Al? REALLY?! This is going to end badly and definitely explains a lot of the tension when Al first came back.
Seriously not at all okay for Al to say, though it does expose some of the nasty internalized homophobia he’s been dragging around. I wonder if that’s just generalized social conditioning, or if he got that from whoever raised him before his aunt and uncle. That kind of slur is never called for, regardless.
So Brendan’s feeling overworked and like Al isn’t helping, though from what it sounds like, Al is sick and has a slower work pace to begin with. Unloading all of this on him in one big whiny rant is really obnoxious. At any point, he could have admitted to feeling overloaded. Of course, Al has been more of a slow and steady ‘we can keep working on it and try again when we’re ready’ and Brendan needs everything asap. They have incompatible drives.
What I REALLY don’t like is where Brendan is saying: ‘this is where you got stuck before I came along!’ and ‘you never would have gotten this far without me!’ Making Al out to be some kind of dull witted dependant instead of the brilliant, but unambitious person he is. He never wanted to get this far in the first place. He was happy making amazing pieces of engineering in his private lab. And ever telling your SO that they would be nothing without you is just awful.
That last bit is what really hit me, too. I can’t stand that Brendan would say that. It’s so … short sighted. And I can only imagine how badly it hurts to hear.
Aaaand here we go.
Side note: How, precisely, does one act like a fruit? Hanging from a branch all day, surely.
Stupid smug fruit, sitting around all day, on trees and in pies.
‘fruit’ is a very old term for homosexual.
Yes, yes, we know. It’s better to ignore what he’s trying to say, because it makes us cringe, and laugh at the hilarity that is pie. Mm, pie.
Actually, as a non native english speaker, I did not know. Thank you for clarifying, because some of the subtext was not understandable without it.
*Sigh* Well, this sucks. They’re both lashing out, and saying things that will hurt worse than a fistfight… Yeah, words hurt for longer than bruises, IMO.
Ok, now the knives of contempt come out. Brendan is now attacking what Al had accomplished in the past ‘puttering around’ and ‘paralyzed’ before his timely divine intervention.
Brendan is also a drama queen of the worst sort. Getting hysterical over taking phone calls and ordering parts… but isn’t that the job he was actually HIRED to do? Wow, umm, ok. If he doesn’t want to do those tasks anymore he should quit shooting his partner with his stored up ‘disappointment’ bullets (he has been stockpiling since they first met apparently) and hire a secretary to handle the paperwork and phones…which should hardly be a problem for two people with a multimillion dollar contract to afford.
I replied to your other comment, but this new page warrants new info.
Brendan is being very dramatic, but let’s not forget that Al was moving at a snails pace at best, and had little drive to associate with anyone or do much but tweak and theorize at worst. Brendan helped refine and focus Al’s talents, not to mention adding his own, but he’s forgetting that Al has not only brains but experience, and internalized homophobia.
Remember the public hand holding and how he didn’t defend Brendan at all with the general, just allowing Brendan to be seen as an overzealous gay assistant that’s got less to do with the project that Al himself?
Again, Brendan’s had enough, and isn’t being fair about it, but he’s also seeing how much Al isn’t doing, and likely wouldn’t be doing were Brendan not doing it. But that’s also getting in the way of him really seeing Al, and seeing that something, not just his gripping fear of being outed, but his illness.
This fight has nothing to do with Brendan answering phones or multitasking and everything to do with Al not acknowledging him as a full partner … and not just a business partner.
If you ever talk to your partner or a person who you want to be your partner the way Brendan just did, and they wont be.
And if you ever act the way Al has been, you shouldn’t have either.
No one is a saint here.
No one’s a saint, but Brendan’s side of the scale definitely tips heavier than Al’s at this point. Last time Al was at fault and Brendan was mad, he came to bed, admitted he screwed up, admitted he handled the situation badly because he didn’t know what to say, and tried to make it up to him. Brendan just flies into these passive aggressive leading to actually cruel shitfits instead of talking about it like an adult. I get that he’s younger but he’s still a grown man.
This is definitely no longer passive aggressive, and while this is an emotional argument, it’s one that could be diffused by talking it out, which Al isn’t very good at doing, unfortunately.
They’ve got serious issues, but between Brendan still holding a grudge over Al not seemingly being invested in their relationship, nor treating him with respect publicly (with the general) about their business partnership, and Al’s internalized homophobia and his illness, not to mention his choice to not really discuss any of this without an argument forcing it out, they’ve got one hell of an uphill battle.
Too bad we already see how this particular chapter plays out.
OHHH NOOOOOOOOO
I was waiting for this argument to happen. I wasn’t ready. God no. This is hitting so close to home.
Way to rip my heart out, Blu!
oh nooooo. nnooooooo nooooooo….
this has been a great last couple of pages, tho. This feels like a real argument between two people in a relationship. A good nasty one that you regret foooorever. Low blows all around.
OUCH. OUCH. OUCH.
Man, I kinda feel like I’m the only one who empathizes with poor Brendan here. I get him, I really do. His stress is just evident and it’s so easy to say things you regret, especially when Al isn’t communicating very well either. :(
“But then you overexerted yourself…”
What a clusterfuck.
Yo tampoco estaba de acuerdo. Su barba lo hace más atractivo
Faltan dos días para que muera y sufro por eso.
Hey Blue you have a mexican fan I love this comic
My english writing skills are bad.
AL! Jesus.
To paraphrase a Queen Latifah lyric from back when she rapped… “You said I’m nothing without you, but I’m nothing WITH you…”
Damn, they really brought out the big guns for this argument. It’s all fun and games until the REAL insults start flying.
Liar. You shaved that beard because you got blood on it.
Fruit. Well, saw this coming. We don’t know what happened to Al with his family and he did get along with his uncle but the man was in the military. “Don’t ask; don’t tell.” Gotta figure there’s a reason Al’s big on hiding.
Ooph. That was harsh. And now I see why the moustache was one of the first things he fixated on when he woke.