Aidan and His Pathological Inability to Accept Help from Others


So, we have a person who seems to absolutely hate it when people help him. Well, in general, that's the case)) And there are quite clear reasons for this. Unfortunately, I can't state them directly without spoiling the plot, so let's just figure it out based on the facts.

In short, for AJ, help is not just help. It's a situation where he has to admit that he can't handle something on his own. And that is almost unacceptable. It's as if it makes him weak and pathetic—a rather unpleasant feeling, don't you agree? Especially considering his proud and independent nature. There's also another reason: Aidan is used to relying only on himself, because in the past he tried to rely on others and it ended badly several times. So he gradually developed a belief: if you don't trust anyone, don't expect anything from anyone, and do everything yourself, then no one can let you down. And consequently, no one can hurt you again.

Hence all his wonderful reaction to attempts to care for him: "get lost, I'll do it myself." And it doesn't matter at all whether he can actually do it himself. Even if he can't. Even if he's facing a person who is objectively capable of helping for free (like Dominic). The very fact that someone is trying to do something for him can already be perceived as an attack on his independence.

And here's the thing: Aidan actually needs people. He's not some emotional hermit who truly doesn't need anyone—although he tries his best to appear that way. He can become attached, he can worry about others, he can protect, he can gradually start to trust. But as soon as someone tries to care for and protect him, that's when he starts to have strong internal resistance. It's a vicious circle.

And so he lives for several years before the start of the comic, and then a fire happens, an orphanage, attacks by a mysterious monster, and bullying from peers—and Aidan finds himself in a situation where remaining a proud lone wolf is something completely unhealthy. He understands this himself. And reluctantly, he tries to learn again... no, not exactly to trust others, but at least not to solve all problems alone. For example, he tries to listen to Wilson, who is now his only "close" and trusted adult. Or to Dominic. He generally becomes the first person in his life who doesn't back off even after Aidan kicks and growls at him again and again. Dom, as we remember, is that mythical person who reacts to someone else's problem in the style of "Okay, let's figure this out" and at the same time doesn't wait at all to be asked. At first, for Aidan, this is something strange and repulsive, intrusive, but then, as events start to spin and more and more problems arise around him, he begins to feel restrained but quite sincere gratitude. It turns out that Dom unobtrusively teaches him that it's not always necessary to do everything yourself, and that sometimes asking for help is even necessary. And also that even if people let you down periodically (like in the situation with the spike), it doesn't mean they do it to deliberately hurt you. After all, even after such a "blunder," Dominic still sincerely tries to come up with something new and help Aidan prove the existence of that strange gorgemon. It is his persistence and reliability that break AJ's well-ordered system, forcing him, albeit reluctantly, to change his point of view. And perhaps the most unusual thing for Aidan here is not even the help itself, but that Dominic doesn't demand anything in return. He doesn't ask for trust, gratitude, a favor in return, or a promise to never snap again. Aidan can tell him to fuck off ten times, and on the eleventh, Dom will still be there with another "I came up with something." For a person like AJ, this is probably the strangest form of communication; he's just not ready for anything like that and is blown away every time like it's the first time.

The only bad thing is that all this happens against the backdrop of recurring situations that again and again throw Aidan back into the past, where he was already badly let down many times. Wilson, the director, Madeline—they all seem to spite him (actually no, of course not) ignore his requests for help, as if reinforcing the belief "if you want something done well, do it yourself." And this despite the fact that, as we know, it's terribly difficult for him to ask anyone for anything. And the support of one Dom, unfortunately, is not enough to save Aidan from what seems like inevitable death. As a result, it turns out that Dom pulls his belief in one direction, and everyone else in the diametrically opposite direction.

How will this all end? We'll find out as the plot progresses; fortunately, there are only a few pages left to wait))