I really was expecting that for Haley

[King of Nowhere]

So in the last comic (614) we see that Haley didn't suffered for the loss of her beautiful hair, while Celia keeps complaining about it.
I was totally expecting the opposite: Haley crying for her mutilation, and Celia reminding her that there are more important matters at the moment.
It would have been totally in line with her "girly girl stuff", while Celia is the most serious among the two.
So what happened?

[Querzis]

So in the last comic (614) we see that Haley didn't suffered for the loss of her beautiful hair, while Celia keeps complaining about it.
I was totally expecting the opposite: Haley crying for her mutilation, and Celia reminding her that there are more important matters at the moment.
It would have been totally in line with her "girly girl stuff", while Celia is the most serious among the two.
So what happened?

Celia is panicking so of course she start talking about her hair. Nothing especially surprising about that, it happen all the time. Celia is just not a trained adventurer, shes a civilian whos really trying not to think too much about whats happening here...especially after seeing «brainy pete».

As for Haley, I dont see why you would expect her to care. Its D&D, a simple restoration spell can take care of that and beside, its not really such a bad haircut.

[Trazoi]

Eh? I thought Haley was the more responsible at adventuring, while Celia was the one out of her element?

[busterswd]

Well, Haley is the one who almost died, so this could've easily been a reversal of their roles.

[Underground]

Celia has always been the comic relief lowlevel character with no clue about anything.

[Grushvak]

Celia has always been the comic relief lowlevel character with no clue about anything.

Remember the Azure City Trial?

She's only been a ditz since she started aventuring with the Order, probably because the Order of the Belkar and Haley needed a comic relief for when the Belkster fell victim to the Oracle's prophecy. Celia was the easiest character to dumb down without infuriating the fans.

[KillianHawkeye]

Remember the Azure City Trial?

She's only been a ditz since she started aventuring with the Order, probably because the Order of the Belkar and Haley needed a comic relief for when the Belkster fell victim to the Oracle's prophecy. Celia was the easiest character to dumb down without infuriating the fans.

I would say that this is merely proof that she is too far out of her element to show any degree of competence (as opposed to being "dumbed down"). As you pointed out, she did very well in the courtroom. She simply has no training as an adventurer, and as a result she must fall back to her basic personality traits to guide her actions.

[rayne_dragon]

I think it's something most people in this day and age take for granted, but violence and bloodshed are not normal for anyone but a psychopath (I use the term loosely). Celia is obviously not used to it (unlike hardened adventurers and soldiers) and is suffering from stress, so is coping with it by focussing on something she can deal with (as has already been said).

I should also note that Celia is aquitting herself fairly well as the most common reaction for anyone not used to violence is to freeze up (especially women more than men due to cultural conditioning). She's been very useful in this fight and has the makings of a good adventurer in my opinion.

[Nof]

Haley is a seasoned adventurer and she's used to face to pain and horror. Celia is not.

Hair are something really intimate, an expression of someone's personality (or at least, difference) and especially for a girl, because they are seen as a symbol or her femininity.

Having them force-cuted is an cruel assault against those, and can be really painful, shameful, and heart-breaking. It's not withoutr reasons that it has been used for ages to humiliate and harm women.

It's no wonder why Celia is first protective over Haley, then compass with her. That just proves that Haley is badass and can handle that, at least until she's safe from a deadly half-orc.

[Kaytara]

Celia is the one who sleeps in pinkish PJs, runs around in pink and purple clothing and is generally frail and girlish, not to mention barely out of school. And she was seen giving herself a rather redundant pedicure several comics ago. And she's the who isn't used to the dangers of adventuring, including the risk of getting injuries and scars as well as losing blood, limbs or, gods forbid, hair.

I found it rather easy to understand and in-character that she was the one more devastated over Haley's mutilation.

[Chronos]

Eh? I thought Haley was the more responsible at adventuring, while Celia was the one out of her element?Well, strictly speaking, since she's flying now, she is in her element. Which can be taken a little more literally for a sylph than for a human.

[Optimystik]

Well, strictly speaking, since she's flying now, she is in her element. Which can be taken a little more literally for a sylph than for a human.

...

*slap*


It would have been totally in line with her "girly girl stuff", while Celia is the most serious among the two.
So what happened?

Wha...? Haley's always been the more level head. Even when Celia roused her out of AC, Haley was simply operating under an incorrect assumption (That V could locate her more easily if she wasn't on the move.) Hell, with Roy dead she's the most level head in the strip!

[GSFB]

Haley is calm about her hair because she hasn't seen it yet. Celia is distraught over it because she has.

Once the battle is over and Haley has a chance to look in the mirror and actually take it in without the distraction of imminent death, she will totally break down and cry over her hair.

[Nevrmore]

So in the last comic (614) we see that Haley didn't suffered for the loss of her beautiful hair, while Celia keeps complaining about it.
I was totally expecting the opposite: Haley crying for her mutilation, and Celia reminding her that there are more important matters at the moment.
It would have been totally in line with her "girly girl stuff", while Celia is the most serious among the two.
So what happened?
Because Haley hasn't demonstrated herself to be extremely annoying before, whereas Celia has.

[holywhippet]

Once the battle is over and Haley has a chance to look in the mirror and actually take it in without the distraction of imminent death, she will totally break down and cry over her hair.

I don't know about that. It seems to me that a new Haley was born when she saw the ship with Elan and the others sailing away. She cast off a lot of her immaturity, doubts and even some of her selfishness.

[Mando Knight]

Haley is calm about her hair because she hasn't seen it yet.

"Celia, calm down. Yeah, I'm pissed, but it's just hair. I cut it shorter than this the first time I decided I didn't want to dye it anymore."

She knows how short it is. She can feel it. She's ticked, but she's focused. She might pick out a wig to wear for a while, but she probably isn't going to start angsting about it.

[EyethatBinds]

I can see her getting a quick "You cut my hair bitch!" in before arrowing Crystal in the sneak attack zone. But right now she's more concerned with surviving the situation Celia got them all into. I still think she hates Sabine more than Crystal though.

[Zeful]

Its D&D, a simple restoration spell can take care of that[.]

Please explain your assertion. Which spell can take care of her hair?

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Please explain your assertion. Which spell can take care of her hair?It depends on whether her ponytail counts as a "destroyed object" or a "removed limb".

[Zeful]

It depends on whether her ponytail counts as a "destroyed object" or a "removed limb".

Well it's not an object as it's part of the character. But it's not a limb either. So neither.

[Nof]

She might pick out a wig to wear for a while, but she probably isn't going to start angsting about it.
She may angst about it once the fight is over and she has time to rest. After all, as it was mentioned and linked in another thread, force-cutting hair is emotionally the closest thing of rape and it would be logical and comprehensive that she's hurt by it and want to take some time to handle it.

But not now, not when an half-orc is running after you.

[King of Nowhere]

I don't know about that. It seems to me that a new Haley was born when she saw the ship with Elan and the others sailing away. She cast off a lot of her immaturity, doubts and even some of her selfishness.

I have to agree with that. Maybe old Haley would have started screaming and such. Maybe somewhere in her mind Haley's vanity is already doing it, but Haley is focused on the battle.

Still, I wasn't expecting it from Celia. She lacks combat experience, but she's not stupid, and complaining about hairs when someone (a 17th level rogue, so not a someone anyone) is trying to kill you is definitely stupid, not a matter of experience. And I also have troubles seeing it as shock; I admit I'm not familiar with the argument, but for a shocked person I would expect screaming, vomiting, stupor, other strange things. Not behaving as nothing is happening

[Nof]

It's pretty common when you're stressed or panicked to focus your mind on a trivial subject in order to think to something else. I know I tend to do this.

[Linkavitch]

Haley is the more experienced one. And Celia is kind of an airhead. With due respect to race. And their about to die. Of course Haley isn't going to cry about her hair. Maybe later, though.

[AceOfFools]

Remember the Azure City Trial?

She's only been a ditz since she started aventuring with the Order, probably because the Order of the Belkar and Haley needed a comic relief for when the Belkster fell victim to the Oracle's prophecy. Celia was the easiest character to dumb down without infuriating the fans.

Really? My first impression of Celia was she spent several months guarding a rune in a castle infested with goblins and undead that obeyed a lich sorcerer, yet somehow only managed to have just a feeling (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0053.html) that something might be wrong.

A lich sorcerer she knew about (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0071.html), by the way.

Dungeon Crawling Fools commentary even reveals that she was originally planed as a one-off joke character who would never return.

For whatever reason, no one seems to remember that.

[GSFB]

It's not that Celia is stupid, or inexperienced, or an NPC, or...

It's that this is a COMIC strip, and therefore it is supposed to be funny first, plotcentric second.