I miss my sis all the time.
My aim has not improved with time.
They absence makes the heart grow fonder.
It is when they show up that the reasons why you stayed away in the first place become clear once again.
Aah, but this proves Faz doesn’t HAVE to be creepy. He can act in ways that don’t creep people out, if properly motivated to. And, apparently a pretty, non-(step-)relative girl being nice to him is sufficient motivation.
I have half-siblings who are significantly older than me, and when my half-brother lived with us, I would still sometimes try to get on his nerves because he was my brother and it was my understanding of how siblings acted. The dynamic was a bit different in that he didn’t really get angry or do anything back, though, which made sense since he was literally an adult.
yeahhh I tend to get on my brothers’ nerves a lot, but they basically never retaliate (I’ve never figured out if it’s because they’re used to it, or it’s just not in their nature to.) It’s probably something I need to stop doing. <•<
I was just too much of a kid for my brother to think about doing anything, I think. He worked in a lab setting, and I just remembered one time when I asked him to bring me home some chemical X every day for like a week until he finally explained to me that that did not exist.
haha, I kind of wish I did stuff like that. I’m extremely shy and introverted, so most my antics are snide comments and surprising people. Actually, my brothers are also introverted, so that may explain some things.
Faz went an entire strip with only borderline creepy comments. He (might have) behaved and he gave Amber a compliment…. OH GOD! HE IS ONE OF THE FORREST QUAD POD PEOPLES, ISN’T HE? THEY GOT TO HIM!!!
Dammit Faz. Stop trying to get me to like you. I was perfectly happy hating you by association with your parallel earth counterpart. I don’t like change dammit!
Haven’t really understood the stress here on the characters’ part. These are teenagers, worrying about the ability of a slightly younger teenager not to die while walking around a campus in broad daylight. Fat has a mouth, but the worst that will get him is a well deserved slap.
Well, to be honest, they weren’t actually that worried either, were they? Maybe just mildly proprietorial.
Most of it? I remember one strip where she’s asleep and using her sixth sense to correct someone that referred to Faz as her brother. And as someone that, due to fatigue, sometimes chooses naps over more pressing matters I can assure you that such choice doesn’t indicate lack of care (and at times I care too much to sleep at all, even though I should.)
Amber was also worried about Faz’s exploits getting him in trouble with their abusive father (step-father for Faz).
And given that she had to drag him away from going into the girl’s showers to peep, worries seem kind of reasonable.
I like how Faz called Amber his sister with absolutely no qualifications, despite the fact that Amber’s been going out of her way to use labels to put as much distance between them as possible.
Faz is still creepy as heck, but the moment was still weirdly sweet. Also shows just how starved for affection the little weasel is.
Especially since they’ve had minimal contact as far as I can tell. When Blaine first showed up, Amber said she hadn’t seen him in years, which I presume means she hadn’t seen Faz either. So any sibling relationship would have had to have developed in the couple of years after the divorce, but before that gap in contact – presumably only part time, unless Blaine started with full custody, which seems unlikely.
Maybe they were separated for longer before the divorce and Blaine was already living with Faz’s mom?
Amber would also have been much more withdrawn and socially phobic during this time – as she was in the flashback leading up to the robbery. Which doesn’t suggest close bonding with the little kid attached to her abusive dad.
I think Faz is just That Lonely. I remember in my school years when the qualifications for ‘my favorite band’ were ‘I heard the name once’ and qualifications for ‘my friend’ was ‘is willing to let me stand near them’. Faz has no idea how to sibling and Amber is the closest family he has just by virtue of not being a neglectful/abusive shitheel.
But that doesn’t seem to lead to all the talk of this being just a normal little brother thing. If he was that desperate for affection, he wouldn’t be so set on annoying her and ignoring everything she says.
I could almost buy the “he’s just running on media portrayals of what little brothers should be like” theory I guess.
Faz has not had a normal upbringing either, however siblings fighting, tormenting one another and causing each other grief is considered “normal”. Therefore Faz is acting like a brother to Amber because that’s what he wants, for Amber to be his sister. He wants her to be his family, while everyone else has pushed him away and denied him the chance of a normal life. So the cuteness here isn’t that he’s tormenting her, it’s that he’s doing so because he believes it’s the only way she’d expect a family member to behave.
Does Faz have any other siblings? Maybe they’re both new to the whole “not an only child” thing, and he thinks it’s his duty to be the annoying little brother stereotype he sees on TV sitcoms?
For me, it comes off as “obeying my sister doesn’t get me laid, but obeying this female stranger might, so I’ll treat this stranger better than I’d treat my family.”
It honestly feels very manipulative, even if he’s being surprisingly upfront about it. It *really* doesn’t make sense to me to go “aww” at Faz for this.
Earlier he said he likes being around her because she is nice to hhim. It’s pretty pathetic when AMBER is your favorite family member, but there it is. And mass media definitely pushes the idea that little brothers annoy the hell out of big sisters. He’s probably modelling what he saw on tv. Not exactly like BLAINE is a help here either, he couldn’t rolemodel how to be a sane, woman-respecting man if the entire population of Earth’s lives depended on it.
I remember when I was little I thought that’s how I have to bwhave like a brat towards my older sister because that’s what I saw on tv and what people says about younger siblings ,until because of bad timing I made her cry and I felt TERRIBLE, so from.now own I always trying to be more civil with her; of course there were times were we annoyed eachother but it was more because of your ave difference than on purpose.
I have an older brother (by a year; we’re close in age) and our relationship isn’t really like this at all. We grew up mostly avoiding each other after we started school, and although we got incredibly annoyed with each other sometimes we never did the intentionally pissing each other off thing.
But I knew a lot of people with siblings and a fair amount had at least one who would intentionally ignore or prank or bother the other(s).
As an older and a younger sibling, I can say with confidence that it’s basically the dynamic of siblings to be rude to each other out of love. We live under the same roof, we get on each other’s nerves, we push each other’s buttons. But, when things go wrong, we’re always the first ones that we turn to for guidance, even before parents. We rib each other and we kill for each other because we’re siblings. Because we care.
Except that’s not the relationship here. They’re step-siblings, which isn’t necessarily a bar, but unless I’m missing something, they’ve lived under the same roof at most a couple years, part-time. They shouldn’t really have developed that kind of deep relationship.
I like the idea that Faz is modeling media representations of sibling relationships because he wants one.
Amber didn’t develop that relationship, but Faz did. To Amber Faz is a negative side effect of having Blaine as a father, to Faz Amber is the bonus that came with his mom marrying Blaine. This is Amber’s moment where she realises she’s completely misread their relationship.
He might want it, but he still hasn’t developed that relationship. I mostly agree with how you describe them seeing each other, but a one-sided version of that deep sibling relationship isn’t actually a real relationship. It’s more a parallel to a stalker than to a relationship. If the love and trust isn’t there underlying it, then it’s just harassment.
And it’s not just intent. Unless I’m seriously missing something in the backstory, they just don’t know each other that well. Amber said she hadn’t seen Blaine in 3 years. The divorce was only a couple years before that.
I feel like there’s something insightful to be said in the space between this and the “awww” responses, but, all my brain can come up with is “shoves is not loves”.
like, clearly this is a common sibling thing, and maybe people are so used to it they overlook the issues with it? I dunno…
Done well it’s safe. In a way it’s like S&M – though obviously not sexual. From the outside it might look abusive, but on the inside there’s trust so it actually isn’t. It looks like fighting, but you know where your sibling’s actual weaknesses are and avoid anything that’ll really hurt. It’s the same kind of thing as Becky teasing Joyce to provoke the faces.
What I don’t know in this case is if they actually have the kind of relationship that makes this work. I don’t think they do. There’s little evidence from Amber’s side and Faz goes way beyond safe limits, splashing over onto other people.
I have a little brother and we’ve both behaved like this towards each other. Basically I’d break it down like this, when you’re siblings you don’t really need to earn each other’s good opinion because your relationship isn’t conditional, you’re siblings no matter how annoying you think the other is, and on the other hand, your sibling is probably going to know about the worst parts of you anyway, your worst days, your most embarrassing moments, so there isn’t much point to making yourself look good to them. Being gentle, not actually /hurting/ them is a thing you care about, but /looking good/ to them isn’t really a thing. So Faz wants Joyce to think well of him, but he doesn’t care about Amber’s opinion the same way.
On the other hand, when one of you wants the other’s attention but the other doesn’t want to pay attention to you, anything you do to get their attention is going to be annoying AND annoying them deliberately is often the shortest way to actually having their attention, and the line between the two blurs. And yes, it doesn’t matter if the attention is positive or negative, because often you’ll just want them to acknowledge your existence, or want to verify they’re okay, or want to show them something / share something with them that you think they will appreciate… it’s a weird mixture of caring about the other person but not caring about annoying them, I don’t know, it’s just a THING. Our dynamic has shifted from my brother harassing me when I was just trying to read to me poking at him when he’s just trying to shut himself in his room and never come out or interact with anyone ever… yeah…. yeah I think I’m justified in doing that 😡
Anyway, Faz doesn’t quite have the perspective on /why/ Amber is telling him not to do stuff he does, or even if he does know, he values it less than he values having Amber’s attention. That it doesn’t matter if it’s negative attention /to this degree/ really shows how lonely he is, and how fucked up his family is, that he’d show up at Amber’s university just to harass her. It’s not a normal amount of effort and not the normal amount of sacrifice (I do still draw a line in how much I piss off my brother before it’s not worth it and I retreat). He’s clearly neglected, and probably abused, and that’s why he doesn’t see any of what’s going on as a negative. Amber is paying attention to him and taking care of him => win.
It IS heartbreaking, /and/ it is oddly sweet in that… it got through to Amber. Maybe she’ll make some effort to reach out to him too, now 😡
You know, Faz may have been a little creepwad in the beginning but…
After seeing his statement on his relationship with Blaine, seeing how he *can* restrain his lecherous comments if he wants to, and seeing this comment to Amber, maybe Faz is kind of a product of his own unstable home life. Maybe, if he continues trying to be nicer…
Faz CAN be great.
Gosh dang, this is just like Simon Furman carrying through Thunderwing’s increasing force-of-nature-ness from Marvel G1 to Stormbringer in IDW. Like, this feels like a spiritual continuation of Walkyverse Faz and Amber’s budding siblingry in a cool way and I’m digging it.
And, as Amber’s kid brother, Faz has the right and responsibility to disobey Amber, cheek her, make her life difficult and, most importantly, love her and cherish her company unconditionally.
With the exception of Stacey, no-one has ever done that for Amber before (and, arguably, because of her addiction to Blaine, she was never very good at it). This is a new social interaction type for Amber and I’ve got the feeling that it has touched her heart.
Yeah, over the course of this storyline, Faz has basically been the catalyst to the growth and improvement of so many characters (got Amber and Danny to sorta make up, got Joe and Joyce together which led to Joyce finding out about Sarahs plan, which in turn might get Sarah to drop the plan entirely, and showed forest quad Billie’s true nature.) So all in all, good work, Faz
“I have this uncontrollable urge to… smother you to death? That must be what I want to do. There’s no possible way I’d want to HUG you. So, yeah, constricting your chest, smothering you to death. So… there.”
A long time ago my lil’ brother was following me around the house when I was trying to get some time alone.
I told him : “Get lost! I’ll hit you!”
He answered : “You know that little brothers follow their big sisters around in order to get hit, right ?”
It SOUNDS horrible but in context it was a sweet moment. The real reason why he was following me around was that he was pretty bored and he found it fun to be around me, of course. (I mean “of course he didn’t really want to be abused”. Not” of course I’m fun to be around”).
I know it’s irrelevant to today’s strip but as a first sibling it’s only struck me recently that my little brother has arrived lately in my life (when I was seven) whereas I was always part of his. It kind of helped me understand why we had different expectations of each other growing up.
Sorry for rambling, the moisture in my eyes is making me do it.
Actually, your experience is very relevant because we perceive much of the same feelings and interests in today’s strip. Faz wants to be around his sister because she’s his sister and he sees her as fun to be around (even if only in a pesky kid-brother way).
Also like you, Amber is struggling suddenly having this responsibility and connection very late in her life. If she had spent more time with Faz then she probably wouldn’t be getting so mad as she would have built up resistance to his kid brotherness.
Oh! I thought my experience was irrelevant because it doesn’t seem that Amber has always been a part of Faz’s life as I’ve always been a part of my brother’s, but I see what you mean. It may further explain this unexpected eye moisture.
And what happened next, why in Read Hall they say… that Amber’s heart, grew three sizes that day… Until Faz said something inappropriate and Sarah gave him a black eye… because Faz deserved it.
Joyce, whose older brother loses the ability to stand under his own power whenever she is close enough, is totally going to be like, “wait, you didn’t know?”
So looking back, I’m kicking myself for not picking up on it before. The problem is that I was looking at it from the POV of Amber’s floormats, where Faz is a creepy little shit what with entering their rooms without permission, propositioning them, etc.
From Faz’s perspective, coming here means he gets to annoy his sister (and receive her undivided attention) while hanging out with (read: be in close proximity to) college girls. If I’m feeling charitable, I’ll say that Amber’s was probably the first room he entered.
Also, looking back, Faz has a surprising amount of confidence for his age. Even if you excuse it as just trolling to piss of Amber.
Bonus for Faz: he got honest advice from someone, a pretty college girl, on how to be attractive to women, someone who isn’t his dad or attracted to his dad, and apparently used it to great affect for an afternoon.
OTOH, Faz was sufficiently creepy in his first appearance that Dina tied him up. He was still being a creepy little shit this time, even if part of his motivation was annoying his step sister. The step-sister he didn’t grow up with and really shouldn’t have a close enough relationship to to justify this kind of thing.
This really doesn’t work for me. Not enough payoff yet. Maybe there’s still another shoe to drop?
I have a little moisture in my eyes here too. It all makes sense and I actually kinda like that this is the version we are getting of Faz. I mean, he’s still a little creep. That will probably never completely change. But, to him, Amber isn’t a step-sister just his sister. She’s the one who was nicest to him which is still the sad. He’s trolling his sister because that’s what little brothers do. And, Amber is stunned.
wait, wait, wait, WAIT!
Is…is my heart…is my heart breaking…for FAZ!?!?!
*lives in South Florida so checks the thermostat*
Whew! Ok, it hasn’t frozen over down here, so then this is…this MUST be genuine. DAMN YOU WILLIS! >.</ You've humanized the walking slime that he…WAS!
Did… did Faz just instigate a touching emotional dialogue…? Nope couldn’t be… must’ve accidentally taken the wrong medicine this morning and begun hallucinating somehow…
Nope came back the next day and this is still here, I suppose the world might have ended and this is all a long delusional hallucination as I choke out my last breaths… hm… yeah that must be it
She should be tormenting him! She’s the older sister! As an older sibling, I found lots of ways to screw with my younger parental experimental mistakes. I could give him some suggestions…I’ll just leave out the ones involving sharp edges and explosives.
Wow, after everything Amber has been through, this is what bluescreens her.
Nicely done Faz, and that is the first, and probably the last time, I will EVER say that.
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like, DUH
I mean, c’mon. You said yourself that this is what you’ve come to expect from family members okay that came out way darker than I initially intended
…because unlike yourself, Joyce is just plain friggin’ ADORABLE. Sorry Amber. xD
Also, it is not sociably acceptable to try and get into your siblings pants (step or not)
That’s about the only normal aspect of Faz. I can excuse Amber for not figuring this out.
My, my, my… a square junk punch to the feels from everyone’s least favorite troglodyte. Consider me impressed.
And just like that, Amber’s off the stabbin’ wagon.
Just kidding, this is actually kinda sweet.
Sweet like nitroglycerin
Actually no it’s genuinely surprisingly charming I just wanted to make that joke
Someone check how sharp the edges on that last Faz speech bubble are. That thing cut deep.
Joyce and Faz are BFFs forever
Shall we call the ship “Foyce”, “Jazz”, or “TriangularSmilesAreCreepy”?
No.
No, no and no.
With a side order of hell no.
Fayce.
I’m for this FRIENDship(let’s be clear) just so we can say we need more Fayce-time. I live for bad puns.
In yer…
Surely that should be FAAACE! with capitals and the exclamation mark. y’know, like !!!!.
I believe it should be FAAAAAAYCE!!!!1!
and don’t call me Shirley.
Fans quoting Peter Cullen to DW:
“Give Us Your Fayce.”
Definitely Fayze.
I mean… Joyce’s “thank you” face in the previous strip was like, Faz-level smug.
Amber is stupefied by the greatness of Faz
Daw.
I second this “Daw”.
Something, something, is Willis changing publishers, something something.
I can verify this is something brothers do
Yeah, this has made me realize it’s been way too long since I called mine. Damn you, Willis!
Have brother, can confirm.
This made me miss my little brother even more.
I miss my sis all the time.
My aim has not improved with time.
They absence makes the heart grow fonder.
It is when they show up that the reasons why you stayed away in the first place become clear once again.
Rats, I was sure that you were starting a poem.
Sorry, phone typing with a wee tiny screen does not allow room for proofing yet those hippos always sneak in somehow.
Panel Four Amber looks like she’s about to strangle Faz.
I took it more that maybe she’s resigned herself to Faz being her brother, but Amber’s Amber, who knows.
I think you’re referring to the last panel (panel five)?
Yeah, panel five has more of the resignation/realization, panel four has her shouting at Faz while seemingly reaching for his neck.
I think it is more that he considers her to be part of his family as his sister and not stepsister.
Ah, you are correct. I miscounted.
Her hands definitely thirst for his neck.
That’s probably the best answer Faz could’ve given. In fact, he almost sounded… sane?
Oh don’t worry, he’ll probably make some inappropriate comment about obeying Joyce to increase his chances of future intercourse with her.
It’s FAZ.
Of course, Faz knows well that nothing makes Amber bluescreen like receiving validation
Faz: surprisingly adorable.
That….. actually makes a lot of sense.
He’s still a bit creepy.
Very creepy. He just took a one sentence break.
Aah, but this proves Faz doesn’t HAVE to be creepy. He can act in ways that don’t creep people out, if properly motivated to. And, apparently a pretty, non-(step-)relative girl being nice to him is sufficient motivation.
Joyce has been jokingly called a saint before, but the biblical Daniel doesn’t have shit on her if she got Faz to behave.
*plays “Reunited” on the hacked Muzak*
ooooh will we get to meet Faz’s mom?
and yep, 100% accurate sibling behavior (especially for me, ’cause I’m the evil one)
I have half-siblings who are significantly older than me, and when my half-brother lived with us, I would still sometimes try to get on his nerves because he was my brother and it was my understanding of how siblings acted. The dynamic was a bit different in that he didn’t really get angry or do anything back, though, which made sense since he was literally an adult.
yeahhh I tend to get on my brothers’ nerves a lot, but they basically never retaliate (I’ve never figured out if it’s because they’re used to it, or it’s just not in their nature to.) It’s probably something I need to stop doing. <•<
I was just too much of a kid for my brother to think about doing anything, I think. He worked in a lab setting, and I just remembered one time when I asked him to bring me home some chemical X every day for like a week until he finally explained to me that that did not exist.
haha, I kind of wish I did stuff like that. I’m extremely shy and introverted, so most my antics are snide comments and surprising people. Actually, my brothers are also introverted, so that may explain some things.
Faz went an entire strip with only borderline creepy comments. He (might have) behaved and he gave Amber a compliment…. OH GOD! HE IS ONE OF THE FORREST QUAD POD PEOPLES, ISN’T HE? THEY GOT TO HIM!!!
It’s Zaph in disguise!!
That would be hilarious.
“Oh no we lost him Joyce will be so mad what should we do??”
(From Billie:) “Hmm. Zaph, squint for a second. And smile.”
I’m totally starting to believe that’s something they would do.
Shit.
He’s got me there.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”
(Please someone get this reference.)
“He told me enough! He told me you killed her!”
“It seems, in your anger, you killed him.”
DO NOT WANT
“Do you hear that, Fezzik? That is the sound of ultimate suffering.”
(Everyone stares)
“I was just answering Twilight Sparkle’s question.”
(The reference was to Amber’s response in an alternate universe when she was told that she is Faz’s sister.)
I think wwwhattt did get it? At least, that quote is what Leslie said afterward.
I’m just surprised to learn that Faz actually has self-control.
We now must hear the story of Faz’s adventures at Forest Quad.
Please. Please, someone.
Ok that’s actually pretty funny.
Dammit Faz. Stop trying to get me to like you. I was perfectly happy hating you by association with your parallel earth counterpart. I don’t like change dammit!
Nuance, huh?
I read comics to escape reality, dammit!
Nuance? More like a nuisance, am I right?
Faz looks … content. Happy. Look at his eyes, they’re… different.
This mess makes me hopeful that THIS Faz can grow up to actually be a decent, non creepy adult…
Yeah, he can. I think we should call him Bizarro Faz
I know. At this rate I may actually be sorry if he sacrifices himself to a lion pit.
Ha! I’ve been on both sides of that logic.
Haven’t really understood the stress here on the characters’ part. These are teenagers, worrying about the ability of a slightly younger teenager not to die while walking around a campus in broad daylight. Fat has a mouth, but the worst that will get him is a well deserved slap.
Well, to be honest, they weren’t actually that worried either, were they? Maybe just mildly proprietorial.
Amber was also worried about Faz inflicting himself upon the women of IU, IIRC.
So worried she went and had a nap. I don’t think worried is the right verb.
Joe promised to look after him so she could do stuff with Danny. That sleep was more urgent testifies to her exhaustion.
And the spending most of her nap time on Twitter?
Most of it? I remember one strip where she’s asleep and using her sixth sense to correct someone that referred to Faz as her brother. And as someone that, due to fatigue, sometimes chooses naps over more pressing matters I can assure you that such choice doesn’t indicate lack of care (and at times I care too much to sleep at all, even though I should.)
Amber was also worried about Faz’s exploits getting him in trouble with their abusive father (step-father for Faz).
And given that she had to drag him away from going into the girl’s showers to peep, worries seem kind of reasonable.
Wait I thought it was half-sister. So Faz is Asshole O’Malley’s step-son?
At this point I honestly can’t tell if this is a serious comment, but yeah, Blaine is Faz’s step-dad.
Blaine married his mother after divorcing Stacy, long after the kids came into the picture.
Amber is his only biological child in this continuity.
Jesus Faz, you’re developing, stop it, it’s weird, no wait, don’t listen to me but also it’s all weird
Faz: “Faz would be quite pleased to show you how he’s developed.”
(This is terrible, and I know it’s terrible, but this comment section has poisoned me and made me also terrible.)
It’s okay. Down here, we can be garbage.
This.
As both a big sister and a little sister, I am embarrassed that I didn’t get this sooner.
Same here.
I like how Faz called Amber his sister with absolutely no qualifications, despite the fact that Amber’s been going out of her way to use labels to put as much distance between them as possible.
Faz is still creepy as heck, but the moment was still weirdly sweet. Also shows just how starved for affection the little weasel is.
Especially since they’ve had minimal contact as far as I can tell. When Blaine first showed up, Amber said she hadn’t seen him in years, which I presume means she hadn’t seen Faz either. So any sibling relationship would have had to have developed in the couple of years after the divorce, but before that gap in contact – presumably only part time, unless Blaine started with full custody, which seems unlikely.
Maybe they were separated for longer before the divorce and Blaine was already living with Faz’s mom?
Amber would also have been much more withdrawn and socially phobic during this time – as she was in the flashback leading up to the robbery. Which doesn’t suggest close bonding with the little kid attached to her abusive dad.
I think Faz is just That Lonely. I remember in my school years when the qualifications for ‘my favorite band’ were ‘I heard the name once’ and qualifications for ‘my friend’ was ‘is willing to let me stand near them’. Faz has no idea how to sibling and Amber is the closest family he has just by virtue of not being a neglectful/abusive shitheel.
But that doesn’t seem to lead to all the talk of this being just a normal little brother thing. If he was that desperate for affection, he wouldn’t be so set on annoying her and ignoring everything she says.
I could almost buy the “he’s just running on media portrayals of what little brothers should be like” theory I guess.
I’m getting a little weirded out by these eyes-closed smiles.
Lookit Jason a few days ago. Joyce the other day. Faz today. Sal a while ago when she was burning Danny.
They’re of a piece, innit?
Aaawww.
Is Faz trying to win best character of the month, cos this is how you do it.
That’s some shrewd family logic.
It figures Faz would finally act somewhat decent just in time to be picked up. Will we actually get to see Faz’s mom?
Panel 5: TFW you realize Faz is wiser than you.
D’awwwww
As someone with no siblings and nothing resembling a normal upbringing, can someone here please explain WHAT THE HELL?
I mean…
…what the hell?
This sounds terrible, but everyone here is acting like it’s cute so I’m the one out, which is fine, but… COMMENTS SECTION, EXPLAIN!!!
Faz has not had a normal upbringing either, however siblings fighting, tormenting one another and causing each other grief is considered “normal”. Therefore Faz is acting like a brother to Amber because that’s what he wants, for Amber to be his sister. He wants her to be his family, while everyone else has pushed him away and denied him the chance of a normal life. So the cuteness here isn’t that he’s tormenting her, it’s that he’s doing so because he believes it’s the only way she’d expect a family member to behave.
Does Faz have any other siblings? Maybe they’re both new to the whole “not an only child” thing, and he thinks it’s his duty to be the annoying little brother stereotype he sees on TV sitcoms?
I believe that is the case here.
That’s… still confusing, but helps, at least a bit. Thanks.
Tho’ that seems awfully self-aware of any version of Faz.
You’re not alone, Dara.
For me, it comes off as “obeying my sister doesn’t get me laid, but obeying this female stranger might, so I’ll treat this stranger better than I’d treat my family.”
It honestly feels very manipulative, even if he’s being surprisingly upfront about it. It *really* doesn’t make sense to me to go “aww” at Faz for this.
Earlier he said he likes being around her because she is nice to hhim. It’s pretty pathetic when AMBER is your favorite family member, but there it is. And mass media definitely pushes the idea that little brothers annoy the hell out of big sisters. He’s probably modelling what he saw on tv. Not exactly like BLAINE is a help here either, he couldn’t rolemodel how to be a sane, woman-respecting man if the entire population of Earth’s lives depended on it.
I remember when I was little I thought that’s how I have to bwhave like a brat towards my older sister because that’s what I saw on tv and what people says about younger siblings ,until because of bad timing I made her cry and I felt TERRIBLE, so from.now own I always trying to be more civil with her; of course there were times were we annoyed eachother but it was more because of your ave difference than on purpose.
Stories do shape how humans think about pretty much everything, so that also makes some sense. But that trope had to come from somewhere.
Okay, after a night’s sleep and piecing together what you and Kylik said, I… *think* I got it.
The “awws” are for Faz’s desire to have a sibling relationship with Amber, not so much for the way he goes about it.
I have an older brother (by a year; we’re close in age) and our relationship isn’t really like this at all. We grew up mostly avoiding each other after we started school, and although we got incredibly annoyed with each other sometimes we never did the intentionally pissing each other off thing.
But I knew a lot of people with siblings and a fair amount had at least one who would intentionally ignore or prank or bother the other(s).
As an older and a younger sibling, I can say with confidence that it’s basically the dynamic of siblings to be rude to each other out of love. We live under the same roof, we get on each other’s nerves, we push each other’s buttons. But, when things go wrong, we’re always the first ones that we turn to for guidance, even before parents. We rib each other and we kill for each other because we’re siblings. Because we care.
Except that’s not the relationship here. They’re step-siblings, which isn’t necessarily a bar, but unless I’m missing something, they’ve lived under the same roof at most a couple years, part-time. They shouldn’t really have developed that kind of deep relationship.
I like the idea that Faz is modeling media representations of sibling relationships because he wants one.
Amber didn’t develop that relationship, but Faz did. To Amber Faz is a negative side effect of having Blaine as a father, to Faz Amber is the bonus that came with his mom marrying Blaine. This is Amber’s moment where she realises she’s completely misread their relationship.
He might want it, but he still hasn’t developed that relationship. I mostly agree with how you describe them seeing each other, but a one-sided version of that deep sibling relationship isn’t actually a real relationship. It’s more a parallel to a stalker than to a relationship. If the love and trust isn’t there underlying it, then it’s just harassment.
And it’s not just intent. Unless I’m seriously missing something in the backstory, they just don’t know each other that well. Amber said she hadn’t seen Blaine in 3 years. The divorce was only a couple years before that.
It’s not cute, sibling dynamics like this are miserable and draining and my brother’s refusal to grow out of it is why I disowned him.
Word.
I feel like there’s something insightful to be said in the space between this and the “awww” responses, but, all my brain can come up with is “shoves is not loves”.
like, clearly this is a common sibling thing, and maybe people are so used to it they overlook the issues with it? I dunno…
Done well it’s safe. In a way it’s like S&M – though obviously not sexual. From the outside it might look abusive, but on the inside there’s trust so it actually isn’t. It looks like fighting, but you know where your sibling’s actual weaknesses are and avoid anything that’ll really hurt. It’s the same kind of thing as Becky teasing Joyce to provoke the faces.
What I don’t know in this case is if they actually have the kind of relationship that makes this work. I don’t think they do. There’s little evidence from Amber’s side and Faz goes way beyond safe limits, splashing over onto other people.
This seems far, far more rational and appropriate. Good on you.
I have a little brother and we’ve both behaved like this towards each other. Basically I’d break it down like this, when you’re siblings you don’t really need to earn each other’s good opinion because your relationship isn’t conditional, you’re siblings no matter how annoying you think the other is, and on the other hand, your sibling is probably going to know about the worst parts of you anyway, your worst days, your most embarrassing moments, so there isn’t much point to making yourself look good to them. Being gentle, not actually /hurting/ them is a thing you care about, but /looking good/ to them isn’t really a thing. So Faz wants Joyce to think well of him, but he doesn’t care about Amber’s opinion the same way.
On the other hand, when one of you wants the other’s attention but the other doesn’t want to pay attention to you, anything you do to get their attention is going to be annoying AND annoying them deliberately is often the shortest way to actually having their attention, and the line between the two blurs. And yes, it doesn’t matter if the attention is positive or negative, because often you’ll just want them to acknowledge your existence, or want to verify they’re okay, or want to show them something / share something with them that you think they will appreciate… it’s a weird mixture of caring about the other person but not caring about annoying them, I don’t know, it’s just a THING. Our dynamic has shifted from my brother harassing me when I was just trying to read to me poking at him when he’s just trying to shut himself in his room and never come out or interact with anyone ever… yeah…. yeah I think I’m justified in doing that 😡
Anyway, Faz doesn’t quite have the perspective on /why/ Amber is telling him not to do stuff he does, or even if he does know, he values it less than he values having Amber’s attention. That it doesn’t matter if it’s negative attention /to this degree/ really shows how lonely he is, and how fucked up his family is, that he’d show up at Amber’s university just to harass her. It’s not a normal amount of effort and not the normal amount of sacrifice (I do still draw a line in how much I piss off my brother before it’s not worth it and I retreat). He’s clearly neglected, and probably abused, and that’s why he doesn’t see any of what’s going on as a negative. Amber is paying attention to him and taking care of him => win.
It IS heartbreaking, /and/ it is oddly sweet in that… it got through to Amber. Maybe she’ll make some effort to reach out to him too, now 😡
It still sounds kind of terrible, but I guess I’m glad you’re … okay with it? At least, I think you are. I hope so, anyway.
I love Faz. I love love love Faz. I super love Faz.
More than Sierra? :p
Fazsierra.
You know, Faz may have been a little creepwad in the beginning but…
After seeing his statement on his relationship with Blaine, seeing how he *can* restrain his lecherous comments if he wants to, and seeing this comment to Amber, maybe Faz is kind of a product of his own unstable home life. Maybe, if he continues trying to be nicer…
Faz CAN be great.
GOTDAM MESSY SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS. I’M SO ALIVE RIGHT NOW AND ALSO SO VERY DEAD
I did not expect that.
Bravo Mr Willis (*inset live applause*)
Dumbing of Age is drawn by a live studio audience.
Yup.
Great, now I hate Faz even more, and I didn’t think that to be possible.
Thank you, Mr. Willis.
…Hm.
Hrm!
Gosh dang, this is just like Simon Furman carrying through Thunderwing’s increasing force-of-nature-ness from Marvel G1 to Stormbringer in IDW. Like, this feels like a spiritual continuation of Walkyverse Faz and Amber’s budding siblingry in a cool way and I’m digging it.
And, as Amber’s kid brother, Faz has the right and responsibility to disobey Amber, cheek her, make her life difficult and, most importantly, love her and cherish her company unconditionally.
With the exception of Stacey, no-one has ever done that for Amber before (and, arguably, because of her addiction to Blaine, she was never very good at it). This is a new social interaction type for Amber and I’ve got the feeling that it has touched her heart.
That’s why ‘Faz is Great’.
Yeah, over the course of this storyline, Faz has basically been the catalyst to the growth and improvement of so many characters (got Amber and Danny to sorta make up, got Joe and Joyce together which led to Joyce finding out about Sarahs plan, which in turn might get Sarah to drop the plan entirely, and showed forest quad Billie’s true nature.) So all in all, good work, Faz
Faz declaring he was delightful may be the most real-person-human he’s seemed to me in a decadeish of appearances. Huh.
Huh, I did NOT see that one coming. Not even a little.
Amber: “Urge… to kill.. rising…”
“I have this uncontrollable urge to… smother you to death? That must be what I want to do. There’s no possible way I’d want to HUG you. So, yeah, constricting your chest, smothering you to death. So… there.”
Sounds like a fairly standard older sister to younger brother line.
This is so cute,
right….?
<..>
Makes sense to me.
That hit Amber to her core, and if he had dropped that bombshell on Amber in a better mood I bet she’d be bawling.
I would be.
A long time ago my lil’ brother was following me around the house when I was trying to get some time alone.
I told him : “Get lost! I’ll hit you!”
He answered : “You know that little brothers follow their big sisters around in order to get hit, right ?”
It SOUNDS horrible but in context it was a sweet moment. The real reason why he was following me around was that he was pretty bored and he found it fun to be around me, of course. (I mean “of course he didn’t really want to be abused”. Not” of course I’m fun to be around”).
I know it’s irrelevant to today’s strip but as a first sibling it’s only struck me recently that my little brother has arrived lately in my life (when I was seven) whereas I was always part of his. It kind of helped me understand why we had different expectations of each other growing up.
Sorry for rambling, the moisture in my eyes is making me do it.
Actually, your experience is very relevant because we perceive much of the same feelings and interests in today’s strip. Faz wants to be around his sister because she’s his sister and he sees her as fun to be around (even if only in a pesky kid-brother way).
Also like you, Amber is struggling suddenly having this responsibility and connection very late in her life. If she had spent more time with Faz then she probably wouldn’t be getting so mad as she would have built up resistance to his kid brotherness.
Oh! I thought my experience was irrelevant because it doesn’t seem that Amber has always been a part of Faz’s life as I’ve always been a part of my brother’s, but I see what you mean. It may further explain this unexpected eye moisture.
I’m an older brother, so I can relate to Faz. Brothers have an unspoken right to embarrass and enjoy our sisters. It just comes with the territory lol
“He’s a little brother: his heart doesn’t beat, it whispers ‘I’m not touching you‘.”
Oh, his heart beats. It just happens to whisper “I’m not touching you” in her direction.
And what happened next, why in Read Hall they say… that Amber’s heart, grew three sizes that day… Until Faz said something inappropriate and Sarah gave him a black eye… because Faz deserved it.
…That’s fair.
Now Amber can kill Faz so she can use the Soul Stone.
Aw, crap, he’s referring to himself in the third party again.
Not for the whole thing. These feel like more calculated instances. He’s learning, which is great but also worrisome.
oh wow, i was not expecting the feels
See, kid, that’s the kind of answer you give when you constantly have your eyes closed and can’t see the murderous rage of your sibling.
Let me know what it feels like getting strangled to death!
Huh….. that would actually explain why he is still alive. Well played sir, well played.
Joyce, whose older brother loses the ability to stand under his own power whenever she is close enough, is totally going to be like, “wait, you didn’t know?”
So looking back, I’m kicking myself for not picking up on it before. The problem is that I was looking at it from the POV of Amber’s floormats, where Faz is a creepy little shit what with entering their rooms without permission, propositioning them, etc.
From Faz’s perspective, coming here means he gets to annoy his sister (and receive her undivided attention) while hanging out with (read: be in close proximity to) college girls. If I’m feeling charitable, I’ll say that Amber’s was probably the first room he entered.
Also, looking back, Faz has a surprising amount of confidence for his age. Even if you excuse it as just trolling to piss of Amber.
Bonus for Faz: he got honest advice from someone, a pretty college girl, on how to be attractive to women, someone who isn’t his dad or attracted to his dad, and apparently used it to great affect for an afternoon.
OTOH, Faz was sufficiently creepy in his first appearance that Dina tied him up. He was still being a creepy little shit this time, even if part of his motivation was annoying his step sister. The step-sister he didn’t grow up with and really shouldn’t have a close enough relationship to to justify this kind of thing.
This really doesn’t work for me. Not enough payoff yet. Maybe there’s still another shoe to drop?
Good reality check
I have a little moisture in my eyes here too. It all makes sense and I actually kinda like that this is the version we are getting of Faz. I mean, he’s still a little creep. That will probably never completely change. But, to him, Amber isn’t a step-sister just his sister. She’s the one who was nicest to him which is still the sad. He’s trolling his sister because that’s what little brothers do. And, Amber is stunned.
awwww that’s actually pretty sweet. It’s true family annoys you in a way that only family can do and still have you love them <3
When they do the the eye thing my heart flutters a bit. It’s just a little too sweet and or adorable and I can’t deal.
Wait until Faz finds Wen…..
Who’s to say he hasn’t? Maybe their besties?
OH GOD! What if this universe’s version of Wen lives in Forest Quad?
I’ll believe it Wen I see it.
<3 <3 <3
The Great Faz is a child and he wants his big sister to interact with him <3
wait, wait, wait, WAIT!
Is…is my heart…is my heart breaking…for FAZ!?!?!
*lives in South Florida so checks the thermostat*
Whew! Ok, it hasn’t frozen over down here, so then this is…this MUST be genuine. DAMN YOU WILLIS! >.</ You've humanized the walking slime that he…WAS!
I understand that logic. Sisters and brothers can be jerks.
Top ten anime emotional moments
Awwww…?
I love this version of Faz so much!
Did… did Faz just instigate a touching emotional dialogue…? Nope couldn’t be… must’ve accidentally taken the wrong medicine this morning and begun hallucinating somehow…
Nope came back the next day and this is still here, I suppose the world might have ended and this is all a long delusional hallucination as I choke out my last breaths… hm… yeah that must be it
Sibling trolling? How credible is that?
(Hmm… How did me and my sister treat each other….)
Story checks out.
tHIS WHOLE CARING ABOUT FAZ THING IS TERRIFYING
A revelation was made this day.
Faz is going to grow up to be Zapp Brannigan fo reals.
She should be tormenting him! She’s the older sister! As an older sibling, I found lots of ways to screw with my younger parental experimental mistakes. I could give him some suggestions…I’ll just leave out the ones involving sharp edges and explosives.
Wow, after everything Amber has been through, this is what bluescreens her.
Nicely done Faz, and that is the first, and probably the last time, I will EVER say that.