Years of abuse under Angry!Keine have made chibi-Mokou instinctively cower in fear. And I think Eirin likes it.

Fun fact: Cowering when someone reaches toward the head is a classic sign of child abuse.

nazriel said:
Fun fact: Cowering when someone reaches toward the head is a classic sign of child abuse.

is that a joke or actually true?

Izkael said:
is that a joke or actually true?

An internet search reveals that "cowering" or "flinching at sudden movements" and "shrinking from physical contact" are indicators of physical abuse, though not one of the more commonly listed ones.

Needless to say, I didn't think this 4koma was as funny as the others.

So the previous comics, featuring a young girl being beaten, stabbed, burned, etc. were funnier than her just shaking in fear?

Well, I suppose this is just a part of refuge in audacity: If you make abuse completely over the top, it isn't as offensive as when it's genuinely displayed.

BakaHoushi said:
I suppose this is just a part of refuge in audacity:

Precisely. The negative consequences of it are never really shown anywhere else, so the rest of the 4koma is over-the-top slapstick.

nazriel said:
An internet search reveals that "cowering" or "flinching at sudden movements" and "shrinking from physical contact" are indicators of physical abuse, though not one of the more commonly listed ones.

Needless to say, I didn't think this 4koma was as funny as the others.

oh cool, then that means I was abused. "It is probably because you've done something sinful." my ass