This is actually way healthier than I expected Byron’s mind to be. He’s gone from hating himself the way he did before Syr’s cure to just imposing a self-quarantine.
Yes and no. I doubt he has any idea that Bandit had to kill him to make his rampage stop, considering his memories would flat out have ENDED there. He definitely makes a reference to not hurting anyone again, and doesn’t seem surprised by his half-demonic status… so it seems like he isn’t shying away from the fact that Syr’s cure was neutralized.
Aside from that, though, look at the way he’s treating himself. Before fighting Harky, he thought he could keep the berserker under control. After fighting Harky, he thought he didn’t deserve to live. But now? Even with the demon manifesting on his body, he’s simply keeping himself isolated, no more. He seems to have stopped taking all the blame on himself.
Yeah, he needs to quarantine himself for the good of everyone else, but considering this is supposed to be his Bubble Hell, the fate he BELIEVES he deserves… and he’s simply living alone in a cabin in the wilderness with full mental control over his body, if not the demonic hands growing from it?
He could have imagined himself chained down, being cruelly experimented on by the cultists, with Syr’s corpse across the room, dead by his hands. I mean her corpse could still be in the house there or whatever but that doesn’t seem to fit the theme so far. It looks like the fate he believes he deserves is isolation – but a peaceful, serene one. He believes he deserves peace, but that he’s too much of a risk to be around others. That’s a WAY better mindset than what he had before experiencing Syr’s cure and her love.
This is disturbing on multiple levels. I had assumed that the Madness was something artifical, that overtook Byron, forcing him to act in ways he’d never normally act. And, you know, most of the evidence we’ve seen thus far seemed to support that theory. It might still be true. But seeing this?
Well, this seems to indicate that Byron has taken it so deeply into him, he sees it as a literal other side to him. Not just a curse, but an aspect of who and what he is, an aspect he is neither in control of nor capable of controlling. Something about him that hurts and kills others. The Hyde to hsi Jekyl. Which makes sense, given his history with The Madness, but it makes this… so much harder for Gravedust to do anything helpful here.
Well remember that Eric created the Madness, if HR is to be believed. It may be that because of that it’s more firmly entrenched in Byron than it might be in another character.
Also, his character is “Byron the Berserker”, it was created with this kind of thing in mind to begin with. Maybe it wasn’t intended to be a curse, but the whole raging out thing is kind of attached to him…
It may also be that, since your opinion of yourself creates your bubble-afterlife, Byron’s feeling that he “deserves this” may be subconsciously manifesting itself in this Two-Face look he’s sporting now. The outer layer might be Mr. Zerky, but the inner layer might…just be Byron.
This may be why Best isn’t back in either direction yet, either. While normal players re-spawn, our VR troupe is getting locked onto private meta-servers – can’t go home, can’t go back.
Yeah, Gravedust may want to think twice about this. Or at least ask if Byron has to pay utilities, or a security deposit. I mean, let’s not be too hasty here.
It’s interesting how Byron came to terms with his demons in his heaven bubble. Not quite getting rid of them, but at least finding a simple work around (ie. live life as a hermit).
Yeah, I was thinking (and saying) that too. Clearly he still considers himself a threat, but he actually sees the berserker demon as an external infestation rather than some kind of horrible half-buried part of himself now. It’s pretty different from the way he regarded it before the cure and all.
Byron might be in the clearing for now, but a look around will show that he’s not out of the woods yet.
On the other hand, that’s probably not what he’d want anyway, given Syringe.
I never figured Byron as one for half-measures.
For a dead guy, he still looks half-decent.
You guys really give these jokes no quarter, do you?
No half-assing jokes here.
His whole spiel seems a bit two-faced to me.
I don’t know, I’m split down the middle myself on this.
Part of Byron strikes me as being overly clingy here.
It’s nice to see Byron showing his Best side here.
I just hope Byron isn’t being two-faced.
Ooops. Looks like Flimflamberge beat me to the punch. ;-)
Seems pretty half-assed to me.
Oops my bad I didn’t even do half a decent job
Byron’s demon is all right.
Only Byron is left.
Right?
Certainly we do! We even give them two quarters.
I’m quite divided on this development.
Of two minds, even!
He certainly hasn’t let it Dent his outlook on life.
I’m not liking the looks of the tendrils
So… Arkerran heaven is an instance all to yourself.
That or they’re adding personal homesteads to offer more privacy than the guild strongholds.
This looks like where Jean-Luc met Kirk.
What say ye, Jean-Luc?
Couldn’t have been more obvious if they stuck a stump and a wood pile out front.
…Oh, wait.
https://youtu.be/1J7dez_NWSg
I thought of the exact same thing.
This is actually way healthier than I expected Byron’s mind to be. He’s gone from hating himself the way he did before Syr’s cure to just imposing a self-quarantine.
Looks more like denial,
Yes and no. I doubt he has any idea that Bandit had to kill him to make his rampage stop, considering his memories would flat out have ENDED there. He definitely makes a reference to not hurting anyone again, and doesn’t seem surprised by his half-demonic status… so it seems like he isn’t shying away from the fact that Syr’s cure was neutralized.
Aside from that, though, look at the way he’s treating himself. Before fighting Harky, he thought he could keep the berserker under control. After fighting Harky, he thought he didn’t deserve to live. But now? Even with the demon manifesting on his body, he’s simply keeping himself isolated, no more. He seems to have stopped taking all the blame on himself.
Yeah, he needs to quarantine himself for the good of everyone else, but considering this is supposed to be his Bubble Hell, the fate he BELIEVES he deserves… and he’s simply living alone in a cabin in the wilderness with full mental control over his body, if not the demonic hands growing from it?
He could have imagined himself chained down, being cruelly experimented on by the cultists, with Syr’s corpse across the room, dead by his hands. I mean her corpse could still be in the house there or whatever but that doesn’t seem to fit the theme so far. It looks like the fate he believes he deserves is isolation – but a peaceful, serene one. He believes he deserves peace, but that he’s too much of a risk to be around others. That’s a WAY better mindset than what he had before experiencing Syr’s cure and her love.
This is disturbing on multiple levels. I had assumed that the Madness was something artifical, that overtook Byron, forcing him to act in ways he’d never normally act. And, you know, most of the evidence we’ve seen thus far seemed to support that theory. It might still be true. But seeing this?
Well, this seems to indicate that Byron has taken it so deeply into him, he sees it as a literal other side to him. Not just a curse, but an aspect of who and what he is, an aspect he is neither in control of nor capable of controlling. Something about him that hurts and kills others. The Hyde to hsi Jekyl. Which makes sense, given his history with The Madness, but it makes this… so much harder for Gravedust to do anything helpful here.
I have a feeling that that is the exact reason why Gravedust is there. Byron needs his help to stop defining himself by his curse.
Well remember that Eric created the Madness, if HR is to be believed. It may be that because of that it’s more firmly entrenched in Byron than it might be in another character.
Also, his character is “Byron the Berserker”, it was created with this kind of thing in mind to begin with. Maybe it wasn’t intended to be a curse, but the whole raging out thing is kind of attached to him…
It may also be that, since your opinion of yourself creates your bubble-afterlife, Byron’s feeling that he “deserves this” may be subconsciously manifesting itself in this Two-Face look he’s sporting now. The outer layer might be Mr. Zerky, but the inner layer might…just be Byron.
The eternal martyr.
Avatar win, as usual.
So Byron really isn’t dead.
He was just sent to a nice farm upstate, where he can play with all of the other dead dog… totally living dogs.
This may be why Best isn’t back in either direction yet, either. While normal players re-spawn, our VR troupe is getting locked onto private meta-servers – can’t go home, can’t go back.
Uuh, what? Best isn’t back (and likely won’t be) because his “player” is “controlling” WAV now.
Nothing clever to say…but I just wanted to state that “Rent free!” made me literally laugh out loud. Thank you!
But it’s getting harder to avoid Inception jokes….
Yo dawg, we heard you like Inception jokes, so we put Inception jokes in your Inception jokes so you can go deeper while you go deeper.
BRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAWRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAWWRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWRRAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWRAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWPStrong Bad: Get outta here Inception Horn, no one likes your style
Yeah, Gravedust may want to think twice about this. Or at least ask if Byron has to pay utilities, or a security deposit. I mean, let’s not be too hasty here.
I’m enjoying the little series of philosophical questions in the alt text of this and the past two posts.
Can a life be measured by the flip of a coin?
Heads, it can. Tails, we blow your brains out.
Remember that name you all had for me when I was at Internal Adventurefairs? What was it, Gravedust?
Say it.
SAY IT!
So if Byron flips out and kills Gravedust here, does Gravedust go to… heaven’s heaven? For heaven’s sake!
It’s interesting how Byron came to terms with his demons in his heaven bubble. Not quite getting rid of them, but at least finding a simple work around (ie. live life as a hermit).
Yeah, I was thinking (and saying) that too. Clearly he still considers himself a threat, but he actually sees the berserker demon as an external infestation rather than some kind of horrible half-buried part of himself now. It’s pretty different from the way he regarded it before the cure and all.
I’m living in a room without any view
I’m living free because the rent’s never due…
Byron might be in the clearing for now, but a look around will show that he’s not out of the woods yet.
On the other hand, that’s probably not what he’d want anyway, given Syringe.