Heartwarming / Hello From Halo Head

Aw, look. They're flirting!

Who says one woman's response to trauma can't give you the fuzzies?

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Warning: Per site policy, spoilers on this page are unmarked

• When Chloe first sees how beautiful Halo Head (the place) is, she gives Clair a sincere compliment for her hard work. Quite possibly the only time. Clair really takes it to heart, too.
  Chloe: Wow, it really is kinda beautiful.
  Clair: I did my best.
  Chloe: It shows. Good job, Halo Head.
  *Clair looks away bashfully*

• Clair will go to great lengths to keep Chloe happy. When Chloe and Mars declare they're thirsty Clair runs around the lighthouse making lemonade for them.
  • Later:
    Chloe: This is frickin' delicious, actually.
    Mars: Yeh.
    Clair: Ah, the sweet sound of having one's work being appreciated.

• Pepper and Chloe immediately strike up a friendship. With Pepper's laid-back attitude, Chloe's Stepford Snarker jabs just wash over him. He even wrangles a favour out of her, even if she was only doing it to spite Clair.
  Pepper: Tell you what, whoever helps carry this stuff to my place is less rude.
  Clair: Please. If you're trying to wring a favor out of her, you're in for a-
  Chloe: Don't say I never do anything for ya.
  Pepper: Wouldn't dream of it.
  Clair: ...shock.

• When Pepper learns that Chloe sleeps outside, he immediately invites her to spend the night at his place. She accepts.
  • She later eats off a plate for the first time.
    Chloe: Why are we eating all the way over here? This is taking forever.
    Pepper: Tastes better at a table, off a plate.
    Chloe: Pepper, you're cool or whatever, but that stuf-
    *She falls silent as she starts eating and starts wolfing the food down*
    Pepper: Welcome to civilized society, you little hellion.
  • When Chloe is leaving:
    Pepper: Hey. You don't have to let me in your head, but I'll always let you in my house. Come over anytime, okay?
    Chloe: [Stunned] ...Okay.

• Clair finds Chloe sleeping outside again. After quietly admonishing her for sleeping rough when she could be sleeping in the lighthouse, Clair lies down next to her so she's not alone.

• Clair gives Achilles a job helping her in the lighthouse. It quickly becomes clear that Achilles' intelligence and Incorruptible Pure Pureness make him the ideal assistant to Clair. Meanwhile, her patient and understanding nature make her the ideal person to handle Achille's literal mindedness and the two quickly hit it off:
  • Achilles' first job is to organise Clair's files
    Achilles: It's an unusual system but I think it works.
    Clair: H... how did you organize my files in a way that makes more sense to me than when I did it?
    Clair: Y... you're some kind of freak.
    Achilles: [Smiling] That's what people tell me.
  • At Achilles' request, Clair draws a picture of him. When she finishes, he's so impressed he gushes about it's quality and insists that she can't give it away for free. He files it in one of Clair's cabinets so he can "look at it whenever he wants" until her can pay her for it. Clair is visibly moved at being appreciated at last.
  • Clair expresses her appreciation for Achilles' work at one point by petting him on the head, causing him to purr.
  • When the day ends, Clair pays Achilles a little extra and tells him his work is valuable.

• Chloe playfully ribbing Mars about her feelings for Achilles.

• Even though Clair doesn't always see eye-to-eye with Pepper, they share a brief moment where they bond over their mutual friendship with Achilles
  Clair: He's really smart, you know.
  Pepper: I do know, actually.
  Clair: In a weird way, I'm really proud of him.
  Pepper: I know what you mean.
  *They both smile as their thoughts turn to Achilles*

• Mars starts missing Achilles when he goes missing for a few days. When she finds his collar and leash abandoned by the sea she fears the worst. When she finds him alive and well she's furious. All Achilles can think about when narrating these events back is how beautiful she looks. He really is in love with every single part of Mars.
  Mars: [Livid] What the fuck?
  Achilles: [Narrating] She never looked more beautiful.

• Ares is extremely warm and kind to Achilles when they first meet. She tries to show him her way of living and convince him it could be his, too. When he makes it clear that he won't see things her way, she's clearly disappointed. But she still gives him some of the money she has lying around, which she considers worthless, against his insistence to work for it.

• Pepper starts breaking down when he sees the staircase to lower levels. Achilles sits in front of his face to ground him and comfort him.
  Achilles: I'm here.

• After Achilles finishes recounting his trip to the lower worlds, Pepper asks him a question.
  Pepper: [Why didn't you] stay?
  [...]
  Pepper: Down there, sounds like there's basically a Mars who's actually nice to you.
  Achilles: Pepper, you're a smart guy, but you're saying some really silly things tonight.
  Achilles: There's only one Mars.

• After Achilles shows Pepper the staircase, it's very obvious Pepper is not okay. Achilles lets Pepper hug him for comfort while he processes things.
  • When Achilles gets up to take a shower, Pepper affectionately licks his face for comfort.
  • After coming out of the shower Achilles finds Pepper having a nightmare and curls up next to him.
  • Earlier Pepper had put a steak on Achilles' black eye. When Pepper is having a nightmare Achilles puts the steak on his head to "help his brains"

• Clair looks genuinely happy to see Achilles safe and well after he had gone missing. Enough to snap her out of her Tranquil Fury when grilling Pepper over his whereabouts the previous day.

• Achilles' anger when Pepper lies to Clair and tries to convince him that she's not a good person. He fervently defends her, citing the affection she showed him over his first day working for her. Even with all Pepper's smarts, he still can't convice Achilles that Clair is a bad person.

• The first time Mars and Achilles speak after she gives him a black eye, they start flirting like crazy.
  Achilles: Don't you wanna inspect your handiwork? I'm a happy customer but you're the expert...
  Mars: Like I even have to look. I know I did that shit right.
  Mars: Perfect aim, rich coloration, clean as hell. And...
  Mars: Move your hand, stupid. I can't see my masterpiece.
  • Later:
    Pepper: Well, believe it or not, [punching's] not her only marketable skill
    Achilles: Of course I can believe that!
    Achilles: [Blushing] I think she'd also be really good at kicking, stabbing, biting, smashing, stomping...
    *Mars looks away and starts to blush*

• When Pepper is trying to push Achilles into lying to Clair (who is using him as a pillow), Achilles defensively wraps his tail around her head.

• Mars and Achilles start bonding after Pepper "persuades" Mars to spend all day in the lighthouse with him. Clair wakes up from her nap to find them playing together.
  Clair: Uh... you... two are hanging out... now?
  Mars: Yeah, well... it's a free country.
  Achilles: I have 17 points!

• Achilles admires Mars' claws when both of them are sitting in a tree. Mars dismissively climbs the tree, expecting Achilles to make yet another comment about how she could hurt him. Instead, he compliments the fact that she could climb higher than anyone else in Halo Head, even Peachykeen. Mars' face when she receives such an unexpected compliment is priceless.
  Achilles: Before, when I was thinking of all the things you'd be good at, it didn't occur to me to say climbing really high in trees.
  Mars: [Taken aback] Yeah, well, I guess the view is pretty nice.
  Achilles: Yeah, it is.

• We get a brief glimpse into how Chloe sees her neighbours when she's trying to make out a strange shape on the horizon. It appears she finds the rest of Halo Head cute, even Peachykeen.