Mom’s overreaching like some sort of amateur. Abagail is way more comfortable calling out her mom on her lies than I’d thought she’d be. Here’s hoping she cuts her off outright with the only condition of repeal being if she can successfully clean up the mess she’s made. And then cut her off anyway.
It’s nice to see how Abeille isn’t falling for her mothers usual manipulative methods and is able to stand up for herself and assert that she’s happy with her current life/Miel. The fears that Amaryllis expresses seems like they might be founded in genuine feelings, but she’s so caught up in her own perspective of things that she can’t consider someone elses. Her words are quite ironic, since the only person that is currently hurting her daughter is Amaryllis herself.
“Time every journey to bump into you accidentally
I charm you and tell you of the boys I hate, all the girls I hate
All the words I hate, all the clothes I hate
How I’ll never be anything I hate
You smile, mention something that you like
Oh, how you’d have a happy life if you did the things you like” – Franz Ferdinand… and Amaryllis Aparently
Not to make a very trivial point in this heavy conversation but *technically* she’s much less likely to end up like Evette on the warm planet than going back to the cold one :p
Good on Abeille for not falling for her mom’s tricks, especially the low blow of bringing up Evette. Though I’m worried that she’s about to use her husband as her get out of jail free card right now.
Maybe or maybe Mallow might surprise us by showing some backbone at long last, especially if he’s having to pick a side between his daughter and his wife.
“Mom, you’re not listening”, could be the start of a bad turn, since it’s like asking her to discuss the situation. And with Mallow showing up, it might be that that is more likely. But, I hope not.
I feel like instead, he going to try and defuse the situation. Do an “ok, we’re all upset, maybe we can talk about this later?” thing or a “You’re both adults and you can’t make her leave but she should try and understand how upset you are” or some other platitude BS. I do hope he stand up to her, or protects Abeille in some way, even if it’s a simple “she’s an adult and it’s her voice” to that woman…but we will see. I truly hope you are right.
Anyone else notice how Amaryllis is all “I, I, I”? “I’m trying…I gave…I can’t” and telling Abeille what she should feel and do? Also the black and white “you NEVER” thinking. Classic.
Bringing up Evette is a crap tactic anyway – it’s emotional but not logical. For one, Monotropa’s general environment is much less inherently hazardous; secondly, we know that Evette was the “golden child” and that didn’t protect her. IMO, if Abeille turns it on Amaryllis that’d be great – “Yeah, I’m not as good as Evette to you. Maybe I contributed to what happened. Guess you oughta leave me for that! BYYYYYE”
Abeille will never get Amaryllis to see or accept that Abeille is capable of running her own life and having a different plan than her mother. I hope she’s able to let go of having understanding from her parent(s).
Obviously Amaryllis is exaggerating, but I do have to wonder if she’s properly mourned for her daughter or if she just shoved it all down. Maybe there’s a lot of guilt talking? Although she seemed to have been overbearing before Evette died.
What does she want Abeille to do anyway? A job she wants on her schedule?
Not usually a commenter… Been reading your work since Red String (wonderful by the way!). But wanted to say, this is one of the more spot-on depictions of narcissistic personality disorder I’ve read in comics. Had a family member with this. This whole scene is putting my teeth on edge; I feel like I can hear all this in her voice. Excellent, if scary, writing. If your readers are encountering anything like this in their own lives, I hope this is a sign for them to talk to someone. Having someone with NPD in your family is devastating.
100% agree. I grew up with a family member like this as well, and I read this comic precisely because it’s such a startlingly accurate depiction. It’s often hard for me to read as a result, but I want to see Abeille do what I struggle to do, as inspiration for me to do what I need to do.
I hope Mallow gets an arc where he grows a spine and defends Abeille, refusing to bend for Amaryllis any further. He lost one daughter–he refused to lose another.
Abeille has grown and learned to love herself and accepts that she’ll never be what Amaryllis expects her to be. She’s also learned that though she’s made mistakes (including the one that killed her sister), she’s *still* a person worthy of love and, more importantly, respect. Abeille has taken her grief and made it into a life I bet Evette would have been proud of.
Amaryllis is a child, in comparison. But then, that’s the way of the narcissistic mother. What upsets Amaryllis most is not that Abeille has become independent. It’s that, in her perception, her only surviving child’s “bad behavior” reflects poorly upon her, especially since Abeille hasn’t been at home to be abused so Amaryllis can show *everybody else* that she’s punishing the Bad Seed.
And, no, I doubt Amaryllis will ever properly grieve over the loss of either of her daughters. She’s too busy blaming the one for the death of the other, and that kind of mindset doesn’t permit the kind of healing which grieving promotes.
Amaryllis claims that Abeille is on a track to end up like Evette if she “keeps going like this”. Um, Evette was an obedient and studious citizen who would never be caught doing something as scandalous as being caught touching someone in public, but who is now dead. I hope Abeille calls her out on the obvious flaw in her logic. May Mallow will. (Maybe the tree guardians will barbecue those flying pigs.)
And now I’m 100% convinced Gina knows my mother because Amaryllis is a candy-colored clone of my mother. This is one of her favorite moves when we argue – if I have the nerve to fight back, she immediately gets weepy and tries to guilt trip me for “making her feel bad, when she’s /just trying to help me/”. It’s on her album of greatest hits, along with “I don’t remember ever saying/doing that” and “I don’t understand why you’re crying after I just verbally destroyed you”.
I hope Abeille snaps and says to her that technically (and I don’t agree, mind you.) SHE is “the bad influence” on Miel, and NOT the other way around. I mean, Abeille is the one who suggested touching and Miel went with it until it formed a very loving relationship that was good for both of them.
The mom probably won’t believe her, but whatever. It would still be hilarious to see. As for Abeille, she needs to cutoff her mom ASAP. She shouldn’t worry about that though. Mel has enough amazing moms to go around.
Mom’s overreaching like some sort of amateur. Abagail is way more comfortable calling out her mom on her lies than I’d thought she’d be. Here’s hoping she cuts her off outright with the only condition of repeal being if she can successfully clean up the mess she’s made. And then cut her off anyway.
Okay, now we get the pitchforks.
Got ‘em right here.
It’s nice to see how Abeille isn’t falling for her mothers usual manipulative methods and is able to stand up for herself and assert that she’s happy with her current life/Miel. The fears that Amaryllis expresses seems like they might be founded in genuine feelings, but she’s so caught up in her own perspective of things that she can’t consider someone elses. Her words are quite ironic, since the only person that is currently hurting her daughter is Amaryllis herself.
“Time every journey to bump into you accidentally
I charm you and tell you of the boys I hate, all the girls I hate
All the words I hate, all the clothes I hate
How I’ll never be anything I hate
You smile, mention something that you like
Oh, how you’d have a happy life if you did the things you like” – Franz Ferdinand… and Amaryllis Aparently
That’s a beautiful quote. Bitter.
read this and spent waaaay too long thinking “…the Archduke??”
hard same ?
Not to make a very trivial point in this heavy conversation but *technically* she’s much less likely to end up like Evette on the warm planet than going back to the cold one :p
You’re not wrong.
I’m laughing dkjfks
LOL
This is an extremely valid point, lol
Abeille is handling this very well. Good job. Mom is pulling out all the stops and Abeille is falling for none of it.
Right? She’s pulling out every trick she can. We’re headed for a meltdown soon, once she realizes none of them are going to work anymore.
That unimpressed face in panel 3 is everything. That’s right, girl, you are seeing her for the unmoored drama-llama she is!
Good on Abeille for not falling for her mom’s tricks, especially the low blow of bringing up Evette. Though I’m worried that she’s about to use her husband as her get out of jail free card right now.
Maybe or maybe Mallow might surprise us by showing some backbone at long last, especially if he’s having to pick a side between his daughter and his wife.
“Mom, you’re not listening”, could be the start of a bad turn, since it’s like asking her to discuss the situation. And with Mallow showing up, it might be that that is more likely. But, I hope not.
Mallow standing up for Abeille would be great.
“You only think you’re happy.”
What.
Okay Mallow, I hope you step up to the plate and finally stand up to your wife.
I feel like instead, he going to try and defuse the situation. Do an “ok, we’re all upset, maybe we can talk about this later?” thing or a “You’re both adults and you can’t make her leave but she should try and understand how upset you are” or some other platitude BS. I do hope he stand up to her, or protects Abeille in some way, even if it’s a simple “she’s an adult and it’s her voice” to that woman…but we will see. I truly hope you are right.
Anyone else notice how Amaryllis is all “I, I, I”? “I’m trying…I gave…I can’t” and telling Abeille what she should feel and do? Also the black and white “you NEVER” thinking. Classic.
Bringing up Evette is a crap tactic anyway – it’s emotional but not logical. For one, Monotropa’s general environment is much less inherently hazardous; secondly, we know that Evette was the “golden child” and that didn’t protect her. IMO, if Abeille turns it on Amaryllis that’d be great – “Yeah, I’m not as good as Evette to you. Maybe I contributed to what happened. Guess you oughta leave me for that! BYYYYYE”
Abeille will never get Amaryllis to see or accept that Abeille is capable of running her own life and having a different plan than her mother. I hope she’s able to let go of having understanding from her parent(s).
Amaryllis is running out of moves for her mind games and Abeille is done being mess around by her cheap tricks now! Things are about to get real here!
Obviously Amaryllis is exaggerating, but I do have to wonder if she’s properly mourned for her daughter or if she just shoved it all down. Maybe there’s a lot of guilt talking? Although she seemed to have been overbearing before Evette died.
What does she want Abeille to do anyway? A job she wants on her schedule?
She wants her old doormat back.
Good lord, Amaryllis, any more gaslighting and you’re gonna set the whole PLANET on fire.
Ah yes the classic narcissist.
Not usually a commenter… Been reading your work since Red String (wonderful by the way!). But wanted to say, this is one of the more spot-on depictions of narcissistic personality disorder I’ve read in comics. Had a family member with this. This whole scene is putting my teeth on edge; I feel like I can hear all this in her voice. Excellent, if scary, writing. If your readers are encountering anything like this in their own lives, I hope this is a sign for them to talk to someone. Having someone with NPD in your family is devastating.
Her mom is seriously the poster child of narcissist personality disorder.
Therapist here, agree 100%
100% agree. I grew up with a family member like this as well, and I read this comic precisely because it’s such a startlingly accurate depiction. It’s often hard for me to read as a result, but I want to see Abeille do what I struggle to do, as inspiration for me to do what I need to do.
oh, and also… Mr. Mallow is just as much to blame since he never does sh** about his wife’s nonsense… silence is support/acceptance.
I hope Mallow gets an arc where he grows a spine and defends Abeille, refusing to bend for Amaryllis any further. He lost one daughter–he refused to lose another.
Abeille has grown and learned to love herself and accepts that she’ll never be what Amaryllis expects her to be. She’s also learned that though she’s made mistakes (including the one that killed her sister), she’s *still* a person worthy of love and, more importantly, respect. Abeille has taken her grief and made it into a life I bet Evette would have been proud of.
Amaryllis is a child, in comparison. But then, that’s the way of the narcissistic mother. What upsets Amaryllis most is not that Abeille has become independent. It’s that, in her perception, her only surviving child’s “bad behavior” reflects poorly upon her, especially since Abeille hasn’t been at home to be abused so Amaryllis can show *everybody else* that she’s punishing the Bad Seed.
And, no, I doubt Amaryllis will ever properly grieve over the loss of either of her daughters. She’s too busy blaming the one for the death of the other, and that kind of mindset doesn’t permit the kind of healing which grieving promotes.
Amaryllis claims that Abeille is on a track to end up like Evette if she “keeps going like this”. Um, Evette was an obedient and studious citizen who would never be caught doing something as scandalous as being caught touching someone in public, but who is now dead. I hope Abeille calls her out on the obvious flaw in her logic. May Mallow will. (Maybe the tree guardians will barbecue those flying pigs.)
And now I’m 100% convinced Gina knows my mother because Amaryllis is a candy-colored clone of my mother. This is one of her favorite moves when we argue – if I have the nerve to fight back, she immediately gets weepy and tries to guilt trip me for “making her feel bad, when she’s /just trying to help me/”. It’s on her album of greatest hits, along with “I don’t remember ever saying/doing that” and “I don’t understand why you’re crying after I just verbally destroyed you”.
I hope Abeille snaps and says to her that technically (and I don’t agree, mind you.) SHE is “the bad influence” on Miel, and NOT the other way around. I mean, Abeille is the one who suggested touching and Miel went with it until it formed a very loving relationship that was good for both of them.
The mom probably won’t believe her, but whatever. It would still be hilarious to see. As for Abeille, she needs to cutoff her mom ASAP. She shouldn’t worry about that though. Mel has enough amazing moms to go around.
Narcissistic gaslighting parents be the worst.
I love how Abeille’s dad is just pulling a Don Glover in the doorway. Just need everything to be on fire.
Since her mom thrives on conflict and getting her way, the best thing to do is just walk away and don’t look back.