#pffffffff

That the two are mutually silly and affectionate recontextualizes the story a fair bit and I'm wondering if it was intentional on the part of the artist/writer? I'd assumed Victor was always askance and distant, that the two hadn’t known one another for long enough for her to be used to his desire for space (as a safety measure), though later chapters do show they've known one another and been friends for over half a decade.

^^This, look at this, is this something you can conceivably see these three do in the book's present? With Vic and Julie casually snuggling and all three going about different tasks in the common space with such an easy atmosphere? And Vic not wearing his inhibitors?

What this means is that the comic has some pretty good re-reading value, though some of that might be predicated on how much of the extra art one views— they are a lot more touchy and playful in the mini comics and whatnot than in the two books themselves. All of the other residents' displeasure at Vic makes more sense if he's being increasingly agitated and distant, rather than it being their norm, and David's behavior in the last few chapters of book two makes especial sense when you consider that he views Vic as spiraling.