Don’t blame Penelope for being like this, her behaviour right now is a result of the trauma that’s underscored the entire series. Penelope doesn’t believe him because her current home situation is triggering all of the trust-issues and fear of abandonment she experienced in her previous life. The game-like setting is only reinforcing her beliefs that people can’t change—her real family never did—and that her only option is to escape. Her desperation and inability to trust people is making her blind to evidence on the contrary. She’s clinging to the brutal certainties provided by the game mechanisms because they’ve been proven trustworthy. She can’t trust Callisto as a reliable means of escape because true love is the only way to beat the game, and she’s learned the hard way that it can’t be half-assed. . The problem is that Callisto also has trust and abandonment issues due to constant threats and betrayals. He’s not going to move forward until she gives him the affirmation of mutual affections that he needs in order to trust that she won’t leave him. Which makes sense realistically, given how evasive she’s been. He also can’t leave her alone because she’s one of the few people he does care about. Penelope can’t see this because, again, she doesn’t believe people change. She only ever saw his ending with Yvonne and gave up on him during Penelope’s route because she couldn’t get past the first meeting without dying. . For some reason I can’t remember what happens immediately after this in the novel?? But she’s just been betrayed at 99% affection, her behaviour makes sense
Don’t blame Penelope for being like this, her behaviour right now is a result of the trauma that’s underscored the entire series. Penelope doesn’t believe him because her current home situation is triggering all of the trust-issues and fear of abandonment she experienced in her previous life. The game-like setting is only reinforcing her beliefs that people can’t change—her real family never did—and that her only option is to escape. Her desperation and inability to trust people is making her blind to evidence on the contrary. She’s clinging to the brutal certainties provided by the game mechanisms because they’ve been proven trustworthy. She can’t trust Callisto as a reliable means of escape because true love is the only way to beat the game, and she’s learned the hard way that it can’t be half-assed.
.
The problem is that Callisto also has trust and abandonment issues due to constant threats and betrayals. He’s not going to move forward until she gives him the affirmation of mutual affections that he needs in order to trust that she won’t leave him. Which makes sense realistically, given how evasive she’s been. He also can’t leave her alone because she’s one of the few people he does care about. Penelope can’t see this because, again, she doesn’t believe people change. She only ever saw his ending with Yvonne and gave up on him during Penelope’s route because she couldn’t get past the first meeting without dying.
.
For some reason I can’t remember what happens immediately after this in the novel?? But she’s just been betrayed at 99% affection, her behaviour makes sense