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RUTE 2

FLYBOY

JEG VET AT DET JEG SIER IKKE GIR SÅ MYE MENING. DET ER EN HEL MASSE JEG HAR LYST TIL Å SI. MEN JEG BARE…JEG BARE MÅTTE SI NOE NÅ. BARE I TILFELLE… NOE JEG BURDE HA SAGT TIL DERE ALLE SAMMEN FOR LENGST.

RUTE 3

FLYBOY

ALLE OPPFØRER SEG SOM OM JEG ER EN LITEN UNGE, MEN JEG ER IKKE DET.

RUTE 4

FLYBOY

JEG ER AKKURAT SOM DEG, OK?

(cont.)

DU VET, MED Å LIKE GUTTER.

(cont.)

OG DET ER MIN FEIL AT DU IKKE VISSTE DET. SÅ ALT DETTE ER LIKE MYE MIN FEIL SOM DIN.

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PANEL 2

FLYBOY

I KNOW I’M NOT MAKING A LOT OF SENSE. THERE’S A TON I WANT TO SAY. BUT I JUST… I JUST NEEDED TO SAY SOMETHING NOW. JUST IN CASE… SOMETHING I SHOULD HAVE SAID TO ALL OF YOU A LONG TIME AGO.

PANEL 3

FLYBOY

EVERYONE ACTS LIKE I’M THIS LITTLE KID, BUT I’M NOT.

PANEL 4

FLYBOY

I’M JUST LIKE YOU, OK?

YOU KNOW, WITH LIKING GUYS.

AND IT’S MY FAULT YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT. AND SO ALL THIS IS JUST AS MUCH MY FAULT AS YOURS.

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The Young Protectors: Engaging The Enemy Chapter Three—Page 85

December 5, 2014 Alex Woolfson 598 Comments

Penny for your thoughts, Kyle.

I’m at the Webcomic Rampage at the Dragon’s Lair in Austin, TX this weekend with many other, much cooler webcomic creators. It’s totally free, you can just drop by and hang with us (or buy cool stuff, if you’d like.) If you’re neighborhood, please stop by!

AND… my computer has now completely died and I’m having to update this note on my iPad. With my main computer dead, I don’t have access to any of my usual tools and servers. I was able to get the 1st pass of the colors up before it completely failed, but it means that I currently don’t have access to any of the donor information, so I can’t include my usual donor thank yous. 🙁 (I promise I’ll update all of that with the next full update when I’ve been able to get my computer fixed!) And I will find a way to get the next update up, but it might have to be a true Wednesday update, instead of my usual early Tuesday night posting. But I’ll try my best to get it up at the usual time. And I’ve set this page up for an automatic update at 8pm PST so you can at least get an early update for this page — which I’ve been wanting to share with y’all for forever — hopefully that worked out. 🙂

With back-to-back travel, exhibiting at a Con, and a non-functional computer, I’m having the biggest challenges to posting that I’ve ever had. I really appreciate your understanding.

We had our seventy-third bonus page in a row on Wednesday and, thanks to your generous donations, and in addition to our regular Saturday updates, there will also be bonus pages on Wednesday, December 10th (page 86!), Wednesday, December 17th (page 88!), Wednesday, December 24th (page 90!), and an additional bonus page (page 92!) on Wednesday, December 31st!

A big thank you to all you totally awesome folks who donated since the last update! I promise to give my individual thank you’s once I get my computer working again next week! But for now, please know: YOU ALL TOTALLY ROCK!

Thank you all so much for your generous support!

So! Looks like Kyle isn’t so alone, after all. How will he react to this revelation? Does Flyboy really share equal responsibility for what’s happened? And will he take advantage of Kyle’s stunned silence to kiss our fiery redhead full on the mouth?

Tune in this Wednesday to find out! I hope to see you there! 😀

DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING!: I borrow a notebook computer and what do I see? Y’all did it again! You yet again tipped the donation bar past its target! 😀 That means that thanks to your generous donations, and in addition to our regular Saturday updates, there will also be bonus pages on Wednesday, December 10th (page 86!), Wednesday, December 17th (page 88!), Wednesday, December 24th (page 90!), Wednesday, December 31st (page 92!) and now an additional bonus page (page 94!) on Wednesday, January 7th! Thank you all so, so much! 😀

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598 Comments

YAY!

OMG! I’m sooo happy! This really made my week. Thank you, Alex, Adam, and Veronica for this page.

Hooray! Way to go, Doki!!!

I think it is kind of fitting that I got it on the page that Mitch comes out to Kyle. ^_^ It shall have a place of honor among my TYP virgins.

Absolutely! 😀

I’m glad you got this one, Doki. 🙂

>////<

Yes Mitch

D’oh! Now he tells me

A big reveal on at the last minute before the battle.

I hope it motivates Kyle instead of distracting him!

Same here.

It’s kind of like a miniature Bhagavad-Gita situation/moment. The two parties on either side of the battlefield waiting to go at it, while one of the two key participants on one side (Arjuna) has a crisis of conscience and decides he needs to discuss it and hash it all out with Krishna while everyone else is waiting.

I have to read up on that.

You will find an excelent short version in Gonick’s Cartoon History of the Universe volume 2, From the Springtime of China to the Fall of Rome.

YAY! Even getting a litte teary-eyed already here.

…..I don’t think Tsunami is going to take this so well…

Yeah, I hope he doesn’t have a meltdown.

Ha! MELTdown – he should be able to control that, however, given his powers.

He might surprise us. He is very protective of Mitch. I’m sure he wouldn’t hurt him anyway. We can hope.

I’ll be crossing my fingers! And even if his initial reaction is not a positive one, I’m really hoping that he’ll be willing to learn more and become more accepting for the sake of someone he cares a lot about.

Are you suggesting a threesome? 😉

On the bright side it should put an end to any ‘it’s innapropriate in front of the kid’ arguments.

Yes, I agree about that.

Ah. I wish they had more time to hash this out, because I don’t know if Kyle will have the time or presence of mind to reassure Mitch that he’s not responsible, or even say much of anything at all. It might end up seeming a little anticlimactic to Mitch. But Kyle’s expression in the last panel reads as moved and hopeful to me — I’m sure if nothing else, he’s glad he’s not alone in this one aspect (and that he’s not the only one who’s kept a secret from the group.)

Ditto!!

This is quite a bomb to throw just before a big battle.
But yeah, if you don’t say it when you’re about to face possible death, when will you say it?

I worry about how distracted Kyle might be now though -he already had plenty in his head.

Fingers crossed that it gives him a boost of morale instead of sending him out there woolly-headed.

Mostly it’s all the things I imagine he wants to say to Mitch and doesn’t have time to say… It was good Mitch got his confession out but that leaves Kyle with a “whhhaaaa??” shitload of thoughts not able to articulate in the little time they have left.

You’re right, and he might be preoccupied thinking of all that he wanted to say while he’s out in the field. At least it wasn’t a true love confession — that would have really knocked him for a loop.

In a way this is good, it distracts Kyle from the ‘it’s all my fault and I have to fix it at all costs’ thoughts. Gives him something to fight for, a personal positive in the near future.

Or maybe it helps him see the broader picture and grounds him. There’s Mitch to consider now, and at a minimum, he has a close friend to talk to about these things. He’s not alone so maybe that impacts his decisions and forces him to focus better.

That’s what I was hoping would be the case.

If he had the time to process everything, I’m sure that’s how he’d feel.
Now? I got my doubts but crossing my fingers for the best.

*crosses fingers along with Sofia*

I was really hoping this was how it was going to go! (Mitch… do you have a crush… a secret crush…?)

Better late than never, right? I really think this will be a morale booster for the both of them & reassurance for Kyle after everything he’s been through. A comrade on the team who understands him & how he could be pulled in & manipulated by those types of feelings.

*Mitch love*

Yeah, this is pretty much the best development that could have happened. I was almost sure it wouldn’t happen BECAUSE it’s so near perfect.

I know!

I just squealed a little (okay a lot…) when I saw your Hex avatar… I miss Reboot… XD

me too!

A secret crush on Gordon?

Oh — Alex, I’m sorry about your computer! I hope you get it fixed with no further problems, and thank you for putting the page up even though your technology is rebelling against you. (You know what we do to faulty equipment around here? Think of that printer scene from Office Space.)

Completely agree hopefully it gets fixed quickly! If things/updates are delayed though it happens & we understand!

Oh technology that makes us fly and at the same time can nail us by the foot to the floor when it isn’t working XD

I really appreciate your understanding. I’m finding workarounds where I can, but I’m looking forward to finally being able to drop it off at an Apple Store and get it repaired. 🙂

Heh. Yeah, my face is looking kinda like Kyle’s right now. I had suspected something like this when Mitch pulled Kyle aside. But I thought to myself, nah, if I think that, then surely Alex will do something entirely different, ’cause I can never foresee the precise plot twists that Alex comes up with. So, of course, sneaky Alex faked me out. Sneaky, sneaky Alex.

I started to have my suspicions when Mitch was so earnest and caring at that point before Spooky and Paul went into the warehouse to get Kyle, and they told Mitch to stay outside and keep watch, Mitch told the guys to be sure to tell Kyle for him that he (Mitch) is there for him (Kyle). I just wish we could have gotten a little scene where they did, in fact, pass that info on to Kyle for Mitch, and that Mitch is outside and is all a bundle of concern toward him – and maybe we could have gotten to see a bit a reaction on Kyle’s face, at least, to the fact of how much his younger team-mate cares about him, even after everyone learning the news of what happened with him and Anni.

🙂

*hugs Alex* I am sorry to hear that your computer is completely dead now. Mine died in October and it made my life rough. The page looks great. Please don’t stress too much about getting Wednesday’s page up. *hugs*

Thank you, Doki. And I’m glad you like the page. 😉

Mitch likes guys. I’m 80% certain Fluke likes guys (there was something he said as they were leaving the warehouse that set my gaydar off), Tsunami’s reactions seem suspiciously like those of a guy who’s trying really hard to convince himself that liking guys is a baaaaad, baaaaad thing…

I had made a hypothesis a long long time ago that the reason they’re all rejects (except Spooky of course who is there because he wants it) is because the governnent has an anti-gay agenda and gay superheroes are not allowed in the legit teams. I’m feeling myself returning to that scenario afrer today’s page.

And of course that gives me another reason to back up Duncan and his anarchistic views. >:D

You mean when he said “And I…it’s just not something I’m going to have a problem with” (or something along those lines?) That made me wonder, too. If there is an anti-gay hero government agenda, I guess they would figure it out through whatever psychological interviews Kyle apparently failed.

Yep, that was it.
And they’ve all gone through psych evaluations, for the psychologists to figure out or suspect that these kids don’t have a mainstream sexual identity wouldn’t be a hard thing to do.

Fluke may have some other flavor of not-mainstream-sexuality that would make him feel empathetic to Kyle.

I could see Fluke as asexual.

Oh? Curious as to what has prompted your feelings on that.

Think about this: just how did Fluke end up finding that site? Maybe he didn’t feel sexually attracted to females and so he was doing some research online into male relationships. He didn’t really feel anything about males either, but while he was searching through things, he just happened to find gay fanart of the YPs. He doesn’t really find it arousing, but he is mildly amused by it. Amused enough to call the others over.

Maybe! Personally, I think seeing erotic fanart of myself and people I know would be too weird to be a turn-on. Kyle didn’t look that into it, although that could have been because he felt awkward looking at it with his teammates who didn’t know he was actually gay.

I think that was more the case – made Kyle feel even more uneasy cuz maybe Kyle would have been reacting positively to it (being aroused) – which would make him doubly or triply nervous or anxious.

Kyle I would have labeled too nervous to actually get turned on or into it. I think he showed the appropriate level of curiosity.

Of course I think I have cat like curiosity, so my opinion about that might be a little skewed.

Haha, I would have been like “SHUT THAT DOWN, BURN THE MACHINE!” out of embarrassment, but that’s just me.

I like to think Fluke found the fanart because he was googling himself looking for a website devoted to his abs.

They are nice abs.

Abu abu abu abu abu abu abu abu abu abu abu abu abu abu abu abu abu

Ah, but you are not hot superheroes! Hot superheroes are always worth looking at! XD besides, if you’re going to be involved in something that’s this public you’re going to get a fanbase and they are going to ‘ship you and draw porn. It’s a fact of life and everyone in the public eye knows it.
Kyle was more interested in how everyone else was reacting to it than the material itself. I remember that mindset well, too embarrassed to really look but making note of what everyone else thought.

I’m plenty good-looking — I stopped reading your comment three times to check myself out from various angles in the mirror! (LOL)

I think it would probably be a shock for any celebrity the first time they see fanart of themselves or a character they portrayed in an explicit context. I know some of them feel violated by it, while others shrug it off or encourage it. I’m sure celebrities are prepared for the invasion of privacy that comes with the territory, but I’m skeptical that all or even most of them are aware of the erotic approach the majority of fandom takes to their material.

Shocking sure, but anyone fictioning in today’s world is aware of how fandom works. It’s not a new situation, fandoms have always acted like this, things have just made it easier to spread around.

Since I live my life in blessed obscurity, I have to admit I have no idea what celebs are prepared for — you might be perfectly right.

silibub… our delicate sheltered, but deadly, flower.

*finger guns* Right.

I’m not as sure about fanart, but it does seem like a lot of tv interviewers seem to think it’s fun to confront actors with erotic fanfiction about them or their characters, so I feel like there’s increased awareness to some degree there. (At least when it comes to actors on shows like Supernatural and Sherlock, or the MCU films.)

I’m sure all the Disney animated heroes and princesses felt the same when they discovered all the Tumblr porn of themselves on the internet. After all they personify pure! (*not to be outdone, chris checks himself out in mirror FOUR times*)

You think you can outdo me when it comes to vanity? I’m ordering a body pillow printed up with my picture on it right now!

What? You don’t have one yet?

No, I was too busy putting up wallpaper printed with my many glamour shots in every room of the house.

Thank you so much. You give me hope. I was worried the full-size (and I do mean) nude oil painting of me in my entry hall was, perhaps, too much. But clearly not!

Thank you silibub!

You’ll feel even better when I point out that I didn’t say my house. The neighbors are in for a treat when they get back from vacation.

I find it more likely that he would search for Young Protectors.

Well, if he gets “lucky,” he’s kinda worthless as a superhero for a while.

*SNORT*

Or, on the other hand, if he ends up, due to circumstances, as unwillingly asexual/frustrated, etc., that would give him a lot of stored up / pent up power.

I said “gay” but, really, any “non-straight” orientation would qualify.

The first perversion is the most difficult to come to terms with. Once accept you S/M feelings, your bisexuality does not seem such a big deal, e.g.

And well, as I was saying, Amanda’s telepathic abilities may have been able to confirm that. Even though she wouldn’t have been purposely prying into or invading their minds, of course, the angst of or from a young person (teenager or young adult) dealing with issues of their sexual identity would have likely been radiating out from them in such a way that it would be difficult for someone like Amanda to NOT pick up on it peripherally just from regular interactions.

Really? Because I don’t see Fluke as gay at all, and if he is….I feel like I could do some very justified yelling at him over some of the things he said to Kyle.

I know this is a gay superhero comic, but Alex has taken a pretty realistic (as far as superhero comics go) approach with it. The percentage of gay people in the overall population in RL is, what, about 10%? There are 6 members in this team and at least two of them have turned out to be gay. That’s more than 30% of the team already; quite a high number.

Is it by accident or by design? The % is too big for it to be a statistical error. And if it’s by design, it’s not too hard to think that maybe all of the “rejects” are gay.

And it was the government that rejected them, wasn’t it?

And yet it still certainly COULD happen by chance. I’m not taking a side one way or the other, but I don’t think it is actually is outside the realm of statistical possibility. That’s the nature of randomness – sometimes it leads to coincidence.

On the other hand, I do think your theory is a possibility as well.

With the team, we’re dealing with such a small sample size that it isn’t really possible to draw any reliable statistical conclusions. Any instance where the addition or subtraction of a single person is enough to dramatically shift the statistics is too unreliable to base anything firm on.

That being said, however, I do find your theory intriguing.

You’re totally right; but with all the speculation on Fluke and with Tsunami’s telling homophobia, it just seems a bit too coincidental. You know what I mean?

I can see where you’re getting that, but I’m concerned that that might make the comic a little too “The World vs. The Gays” in terms of constructing monolithic power structures that would let us reduce things to a very black-and-white viewpoint (as in, the government and its teams are all bad because they’re homophobic) and would set things up as kind of an X-Men parallel in terms of having the people rejected by society be the only ones who can save it.

Which isn’t to say that there isn’t a huge amount of institutionalized homophobia both historically and in present-day society, but I guess I think that to some degree it would feel like a retread of the world in Artifice, when I feel like Alex set out to construct a very different experience in this comic.

But that’s the thing. That one is not our world.
There are more chances this one is a world closer to the X-Men universe than ours.

And if you want a real life example, I used to work on a team of five people where three people were left-handed, I’m right-handed but close to ambidextrous, and only one person was full on right-handed. Going by population statistics, there should have been only one left-hander. Going by exact population statics, there should have been half a left-hander, which does show you one of the problems of trying to apply large population statistics to a tiny sample size. 🙂

While I don’t dispute small sample sizes making it difficult to get an accurate result, must point out that it also depends on the industry you work in.
People in the arts industry for example have more chances, statistically, of being left-handed than in the overall population.

I work in the non-for-profit sector and have met quite a few other left-handed people as well (I’m left-handed myself).

The industry in question was materials science research in heavy industry. The number of people on site meant that there was a reasonable chance of about 25 people being left-handed – we just happened to get three of them in a team of five.

(There was also not a single person who was openly LGBT. I genuinely doubt that the people responsible for recruitment decisions would have intentionally excluded someone for that, so even with some unconscious bias and some self-exclusion going on — well, the odds of having no LGBT people in a population size where you could expect around 25 left-handers…)

And Amanda could have put the members of the team together because of or based on that, as she, with her own enhanced “psi” abilities, could have had her own inklings (even more enhanced gaydar) about their orientations even though they have all been “closeted” about it, Maybe Spooky wanted to help out cuz he’s (possibly) bisexual/ambisexual/pansexual.

So Spooky and Amanda are superheroes by day/matchmakers by night.

Not even la Celestina is a match to them. xD

I hope not. The match she made in the play named after her worked out even worse than the one in Romeo and Juliet.

Hm, yeah, that’s true. But she became the epitome of meddling matchmakers in Spanish literature, so if Amanda and Spooky can overcome her, they will be setting a new precedent. xD

And hey, at least the guy (Calisto) gets to live, right? Granted, he’s a jerk…

Finally, a quasi-feelgood moment (of sorts – maybe for a lot of us viewers, at least, if not quite for the characters) – albeit just before they ride into the valley of death.

Good morning and good new page I see 😀

Good Morning Ms Sapfo! And it is indeed a bright and shiney and pretty pretty new page!

AJ, A webcomic ate my homework…

Oh no! Can you open it’s mouth and pry it out?

That’s what he said.

Two days later

Nope… first… I just got PUSHED down. Oh well, not the first time.

>:D If you say so, sugar woogums!

I’m pulling the battleship around. You better duck! 🙂

I’m not certain who told you that was a battleship.

Nope… not going there! Heeeeee…

Heck I don’t even know what this conversation is about.

I don´t konw. I kind of just want to take a good look at the webcomic, sitting back turning page after page…. maybe if I read the comic I will find my homework in it?

Oh well, I suppose you could do that. Probably keep the homework from being all crinkled

yes, that is so true. Need to think about that. XD

I can’t guarantee that it won’t be slobbered on either way.

I dont know if the slobber is from the webcomic, or me? Oh well, I never tell 😀

Which is why I offered no guarantee for a lack of slobber. 😀

Mitch is just too adorably awkward on this page. I like how even though Kyle is the older one and should technically be paving the way for those younger than him, Mitch is all “I should come out to the group sooner and then it would have been easier for you.”

Mitch is too precious for words.

Just read you comment Alex. May your computer rest in pieces!

Well. God Dang! Thanks Alex, Adam and Veronica. That is one ton of unexpected fun!

Love every one of Kyle’s dumbfounded ‘DOH looks on this entire page…

I remember seeing one of the best looking guys in my High School in a gay dance club years after, when I was at Uni. I think I had Kyle’s shocked look then too. I had had NO idea I wasn’t the only gay in existence at my High School… remember no internet back then.

I love Paul in the background of P#1, “WTF Guys? Hello? Battle remember?”

I love Mitch’s little smile in P#2. That is SO IT. When you’re young and you’re telling your first friends, maybe THE first that you like like guys. There is always this little frisson of pride mixed with embarrassment. Great expression.

P#3: I love the hand Mitch reaches out to touch Kyle… like he really needs him to believe him all the more.

P#4: Mitch’s expression in this panel (Kyle’s profile too) is just a work of art. So perfectly rueful in admitting something that is so shaming him. Something he didn’t do to help his buddy.

P#5: Kyle’s WTF expression in the final panel is genius. Just perfect.

And worst is that there is no time now for the two of them to go out for milkshakes and have a good jaw about Dudes who are hot and those who are NOT. LOL.

This was perfectly setup. The last line of the last page made me sure it was that Mitch knew Kyle was gay and hadn’t backed him up, making him sure he was alone. A secret shame. This is all the better. No one, least of all Kyle could imagine 15-year-old Mitch would find this admission easy.

(*amanda throws up her hands… “FINE Everyone is gay. Anyone else… Anyone?*)

Well done, a shockingly joyous page for coming in the last moments before battle. Makes one worry for Mitch doesn’t it? Thanks for the work A,A&V. Both these guys are amazingly appealing and just beautifully rendered… oh wait… of course they are! THEY’RE GAY!

Chris… don’t scare the Doki please…. (although kind of getting those feelings too…) ;___; Always love your summaries!!!

“Everyone is gay. Anyone else.. Anyone?”

Duncan bellows from the ritual site, “ME!”

A few of the minions shout their assent. Two of them gasp at each other’s admission and their eyes soften as they look at each other. But no…now is not the time.

Sircea adds, “Wouldn’t you just love to know?”

Puhleeze we ALL know that it’s just that, in 6,000 years, Sircea hasn’t met YOU yet.

And Duncan isn’t allowed to admit his love for men(s) until he’s dying in Kyle’s arms on page 45,679. 🙂

Amanda gets a book of her own on the subject.

HA. That’s me, bearer of the magical vajine. No homo? No problem.

Duncan admits he loves men with his dying gasp. Kyle stares down at him incredulously. “Dude, I…I kind of figured that out.”

Amanda gets a book, but it’s utterly classified. Even the president doesn’t have the clearance to read it.

silibub, you are hilarious. Both comments made me giggle. ♥ I can totally see Sircea doing that. Totally! And Amanda’s book, yep, sounds about right!

Genius!

I have now entered your immortal words: HA. That’s me, bearer of the magical vajine… on to my list of utterly fab sayings.

And regarding Amanda’s book… of course you wouldn’t give Obama a copy of Congratulations, You’re a Woman Now!… would you?

Are you sure Mitch is smiling in the 2nd panel, or just sort of gritting his teeth in-between comments?

True. The whole comment implies a mixed smile of pride and embarrassment. I know I couldn’t draw that conflicted expression and body posture that well. So maybe I should have said, “perfect rueful smile?“

Milkshakes … ? is that code?

Ahahahahahaha… only you my friend.

Well, not intentionally. I was just thinking that they aren’t going out for a beer (someone is going to write in that you can drink beer at the age of seven in Kentucky or something…) so I substituted ‘milkshakes’.

I’m INNOCENT I tells ya!

So you want me judge based upon this claim of innocence ?

Does it bring the boys the yard, too?

His milkshake does that all the time.

And he is as innocent as I am… I don´t think I am helping him that much by saying that

Sapfo, I love you dearly, but you’re right, you helping is only going to get us both in deeper…

(Erm… I mean… oh never mind.)

*snickers unhelpfully*

Know that I am always willing to help you. So anytime you need help with reading good gay comics, I am here for you 😀

how deep?

well, it is evidence of some kind

I love tiny Paul in the first panel so much.

The best!

That they are. 🙂 Thank you for a really fun analysis, Chris. Lots of fun for me to read after a very long day.

Kyle’s WTF face is priceless. I hope he doesn’t feel guilty for making Mitch feel somewhat responsible and kicks the Annihilator’s butt instead for what he did.

Exactly!

aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!! My heart is swelling!

Mitch is really grown up. ” You are not alone. I’m here for you “

“Everyone acts Like I am this little Kid. But I’m Not”

I’ve been mind-wiped, I’ve got permanent youth, and I was put through a time-loop. and totally gay.

And I thought deals with Demons were supposed to be BAD things?

(*chris walks away scratching his head*)

at least Fly-Boy can have sex with out burning the house down

Maybe his house floats away in pieces, though. . .

Ha!

Sex with Flyboy: Free trip to the moon. ^_^

Ooh – that does sound quite thrilling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3kcvKd7mXE Their song?

^_^ love it!!

“Destination Moon”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8XaVuU0HYU

^_^ Sweet!!

Well, then there is the CLASSIC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhujM7T1_fQ

(for those of u that ship mitch & kyle)
when kyle is ready to make his move on 18 yr old mitch, he whispers in his ear: “i wish that i could fly, into the sky, so very high. just like a dragonfly.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU84PZvrxSs

True, there’s more than one thing that kept Kyle feeling caged. Not just that he didn’t want to disappoint his team or the civilians who look up to him, but that he couldn’t have sex anyway without it turning into a barbecue.

Hm. Y’know, even though many people suspected that Mitch would be playing on Team Gay, I really wasn’t expecting the story to go this way. And I’m a teensy bit concerned how this might impact any possible redemption for Duncan.

And so many questions. Does Mitch like-like Kyle? Is Kyle interested in Mitch that way? Should anyone be concerned with Mitch’s age? Would Mitch be willing to share Kyle with Duncan on alternate weekends? And what about Little Nell?

Exactly all THE most important and juiciest observations and questions!

Duncan’s pretty much crossed the Moral Event Horizon, pardon my troping, and that’s not even getting into his previous criminal career. He pretty much deserves death at best at this point.

ever read the Demolished Man ?

Resolved if Mitch is redeemed Duncan.

Wait, so he’d be a young Duncan from an alternate timeline?

That’d be more convoluted than the Time Trapper being revealed as Cosmic Boy.

Less convoluted when a character that looks like an older gay version of him, with similar powers;
is planning on gaining youth, AND, is in front of a portal.

Welllllll… as Mary Poppins says,

“You know, you can say Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious backwards, which is ‘dociousaliexpilisticfragicalirupes’, but that’s going a bit too far, don’t you think?”

Hey… just sayin’… yes I DO.

Doucious Exlplicistic Fragical Rupes ?

Yeah, thats pretty Fragically, explicitisic of you, TO say .

Dont we have guidleines against this sort of language?

I have no idea who you are explicitsticly calling doucious, fragical or not.

OK, calm down…

@admiraljane:disqus , this appears to be a moderator issue, but since @chrisdangerfield:disqus is almost on his deathbed and probably feverish when he wrote this,

I forgive him and do not want him reprimanded. Just bring him soup or something.

“Everyone acts like I am a this little Kid. But I’m not”

“So all of this is just as much my fault as yours”

If Duncan wins, he becomes young.

We have a portal nearby. Deals with the Devil are never what you bargain for.

permanent youth, memory loss, and power loss could be part if the deal.

Plus there need to be something else wrong with Mitch.

We have a demon-spawn. A magic user who could turn crazy, Bad-luck powers. Tsunami’s got anger management-issues.

If you dont Buy @disqus_P2huBPd9nS:disqus Superteams-hate-Gays Theory , we need a reason why Mitch is on the Juvie-Hall for Heroes-Team . He seems perfect.

The otherthing is, last time @alexwoolfson:disqus DROPPED all these clues about ‘feeling young’ it was Checkovs Youth-serum.

This feels unresolved to me. Alex isnt done with the Big Reveals . ( he could also be a Duncan Clone, like Super-Boy )

Why would Young Duncan have different powers, though?

Excellent point!

side effects of the spell.
perhaps he would be stronger, only he never fully grows up.

…Whoa! But what about what silibub said, with Mitch having a completely different set of powers?

not completely different.
just weaker and a twist.
Compare Superboy to Superman

Superboy is a Duncan clone?

Could be,
touch-telepathy is a shout-out .

That would be interesting, but I think it’s more likely that Mitch is Duncan’s son.

Aw, I missed camping, but what a great new page!

So I’ve always loved Veronicas coloring on the big splash pages, but this page made me examine the art details more closely, and the realism is just amazing. I’m a little old to try, but I’ve recently taken up drawing and I can’t decide if I’m encouraged or discouraged in that effort by this. I became discouraged as a kid because of the problems drawing realistic noses, so it’s something I spend a lot of time on now, while I was examining Mitch and Kyles noses I noticed a lot of interesting details in the hairlines (particularly the fade on Mitchs neck) basically you guys are really amazing.

I also feel there is something else I’m forgetting to say… oh well great page guys thank you.

It’s easier said than done, but try not to be discouraged by other people’s talent. Neither Adam nor Vero were born at the level of skill they have now — it’s all acquired through practice. I think the fact that you’re dedicating a lot of time to learning how to draw something that’s difficult for you is a great sign that you can persevere and not get easily discouraged; instead you try to improve yourself, and that’s a fantastic attitude to have. I hope you keep pursuing art!

I COMPLETELY agree with Sillibub! It’s great, and good for you! You’ll get better…keep skins of your older things as you go–it really helps with the discouragement to look back at older work and see how much progress you’ve made by comparison. Good luck!

So agree, don’t give up. ENJOY and appreciate and good luck!

And you’re not wrong. These two boy/men are ridiculously good looking in this page. Kyle alone in P#4 is excruciatingly pretty. This is the result of a lifetime of professional art training and work.

Plus really good workouts fighting supervillians

Are we looking at the same page? I don’t see Kyle in panel 4 at all.

Correct: Now edited to refer to Panel #3. Thanks.

Just in case it helps you:
https://d1e0u2actw4eb3.cloudfront.net/edu/src/New%20Drawing%20on%20the%20Right%20Side%20of%20the%20Brain.pdf

I get what you mean, though. I stopped drawing for 12 years or so, and I just took it up recently, even though I’m not very good at it. It makes me appreciate art much more, since now I know how difficult it is.

Glad you liked it, Jason. And if I get a vote, I’d say be encouraged! 🙂

I am glad you manage to take part in the forum even with your computer troubles,.

Well, y’all mean the world to me. 🙂

(And I’ve been looking forward to reading your reactions to this page for some time. Borrowed a laptop/putting off sleep.)

Kyle’s face in that last panel is priceless! Cannot wait to see the next page!

Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!

Wow. This was super touching. But it also really broke my heart a little too. What an awful time, and way, to have to come out. “We might die, and by the way, I am wracked with guilt–oh hey, ‘I’m gay.'” Although I was hoping and hoping that this was where the conversation was going, I feel so terrible for Mitch. Well, for both of them really.

EDIT: and I really, REALLY hope that doesn’t mean Mitch is going to die … 🙁

If Mitch were to die, I’m pretty sure that Doki would burn down the internet.

I’ll help, dammit.

He’d better not die. Frankly, I’d be broken-hearted if anybody on the team were to die.

Well, yeah. I think all of us would be bawling our eyes out, our just sitting in horrified silence, shaking, and covered with a blanket.

It was after the hell-date when I was melting down about the potential for YET ANOTHER piece of media where “the gay” must die.

There is a WOG from Alex somewhere that his purpose is not to have the gay “hero” die at the end of this book. I never thought about how complicated that might be………

Let’s hang on to gay = living. (He he he)

I remember that post. Which gives me hope for the whole situation. But I took that to mean Kyle.

….Doki would probably burn her computer and then she would have to beg and plead for a new one once she calmed down…

Mitch kisses Kyle, Kyle gets a weird look on his face – a mixture of ecstasy, agony, and extreme worry and concern. Mitch, as smart as he is, puts a few things together mentally and then rushes away at super-speed and grabs the glass holding-tank with the sacrificial victims as he does so, as Kyle starts to have a spontaneous orgasm, then proceeds to go thermonuclear taking out the whole ritual and all those involved. Situation solved. The two boys re-unite later.

The rest of the team has been cremated, but hey, sacrifices must be made.

ohmahgerd! haha!

half the county, several small varmints, two hunter, three game wardens, a gurnsey cow, and one average forest.

Mitch to Kyle later – “Wow! When you get off, you REALLY get off!!”

Nah.. Big Bang *laughs* in more ways than one

For all you who don’t know, TOM LEHRER created a song about Deer Hunting and hunters. It’s got that phrase in it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQyoSLOlglw

i love this video! too funny.

Some friends of mine sing this at hunting camp during deer season (antler-less deer or doe season). It’s like gallows humor for them.

Oh lord… now I’ll have to listen the “The Vatican Rag” and “New Math” also. Thanks Dave! 🙂

How about “Smut” and that strange song about “Alma” (mahler, werful, gropius) and the ditty to (in the news recently) Werner Von Braun.

Oh god, now you’ve done it. I love him so. OMG his anti nuclear period… genius! (I have a horrible cold and you’ve distracted me from sneezing for 10 minutes you win the internet!). Thanks Dave…

“WERNHER VON BRAUN”
(remind anyone of a certain expedient villain?)
Gather ’round while I sing you of Wernher von Braun,
A man whose allegiance
Is ruled by expedience.
Call him a Nazi, he won’t even frown,
“Ha, Nazi, Schmazi,” says Wernher von Braun.

Don’t say that he’s hypocritical,
Say rather that he’s apolitical.
“Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down?

That’s not my department,” says Wernher von Braun.

“ALMA”
(Alma Mahler Gropius Werfel)
Alma, tell us,
All modern women are jealous,
Which of your magical wands
Got you Gustav and Walter and Franz?

The first one she married was Mahler,
Whose buddies all knew him as Gustav,
And each time he saw her he’d holler,
“Ach, that is the FrÃ¤ulein I must have!”

Their marriage, however, was murdah.
He’d scream to the heavens above,
“I’m writing Das Lied von der Erde
And she only wants to make love!”

Alma, tell us,
All modern women are jealous.
You should have a statue in bronze
For bagging Gustav and Walter and Franz.)

“SMUT”
All books can be indecent books
Though recent books are bolder,
For filth (I’m glad to say) is in
The mind of the beholder.
When correctly viewed,
Everything is lewd.

(I could tell you things about peter pan,
And the wizard of oz, there’s a dirty old man!)

… Finally …

“THE VATICAN RAG”
Get in line in that processional,
Step into that small confessional,
There, the guy who’s got religion’ll
Tell you if your sin’s original.

If it is, try playin’ it safer,
Drink the wine and chew the wafer,
Two, four, six, eight,
Time to transubstantiate!

So get down upon your knees,
Fiddle with your rosaries,
Bow your head with great respect,
And genuflect, genuflect, genuflect!

I let you all look up “NEW MATH” on YouTube. It’s brilliant, but I have such a head cold I might explode.

Thanks for the diversion.

Sorry but this is more political than it should be but I have nostalgia about certain things.

There’s the HUGE outrage in the news about Nazi’s getting Social Security and staying in the USA. My Aunt met a lawyer in NYC in the 1980’s and worked for him. He accepted the surround of Werner Von Braun in Germany after WW2. Von Braun and the rocket scientists settled near Huntsville Alabama. This is recorded and written in history books, BTW.
When I was in Carnegie Mellon (1969 or 70) Von Braun came to the campus to give a lecture on science and rockets. He was asked about the V1’s and V2’s and pushed off the question. He spoke with a very dignified German accent overplayed by hick-southern Alabamy redneck pronunciation.
No one in science could sing well enough to stand up and serenade Von Braun with Lerhrer. You’d think in a university of scientists, engineers and drama majors someone would’ve but we were good kids and didn’t. The university would have done some real ass-kicking if we did.
Now, this month (12/2014) congress has suddenly discovered that Nazi’s were brought to the USA and given new lives in return for knowledge, expertise, and blueprints in the forms of chemical plants, rocketry, airplanes and other technical things.
Congress has “outrage” over a “secret” as open as that. Yeah, Right, Sure. The outrage stinks like yesterday’s dead and dying, gag-a-maggot diaper.
I’m done. Enough warm and fuzzy nostalgia for today.

Sorry. Didn’t mean to send you to the bad place.

That’s horrible and the idea of that happening on a campus today without a riot is unthinkable. Our congress only wants to do social things that prevent people from living. Like anti-pot-smoking and preventing gay people from marrying. Everything, they should be doing, like fixing the infrastructure or economy is clearly too hard or big business pays them to look the other way.

I did a paper on Tom Leher many many years ago, and I love him for the heat he took through the years writing about all of this way before it’s time. People slaughtered him for years before they realized how right he was on so many fronts.

No more warm fuzzy. Although my YouTube journey did allow the decongestant to kick in so I’ll appreciate you and Tom L. for THAT. Take care.

Those memories of my college days are good memories and my Aunt’s revelations about her boss are good memories too.

Kyle has the cutest EARS! Reminds me a little of Russel Tovey’s big ones.

CALLED IT!! YESS. Mitch is so mature for his age. He is such a likable character… Makes me worried for him.

I absolutely love Kyle’s expression in the last panel. It’s so complex – like a mixture of incredulity, realization, shock, and relief. My best guess at what Kyle might be feeling is complete surprise that Mitch is also gay, elation at finding out that he isn’t alone with this, being touched by how much Mitch cares about him, and taken aback by the idea that Mitch sees himself as guilty in any way for this situation.

I’m hoping that this will also plant a seed in his head along the lines of “That poor kid, blaming himself for something that he couldn’t possibly have known and that he had no control over” that he may eventually learn to apply to himself to some degree.

they both are under terrible emotional burdens. way to heavy for their ages. :'(

*random amount of pages later*
Kyle: Oh gosh gee wilckers I sure do love you Mitch boy howdy!
Mitch: Well dang nabbit if I don’t feel the same about you!
Kyle: Let us go and get some milkshakes at the soda shop!
Mitch: Oh boy! Would I love a milkshake!
Kyle: *turns to front smiling with a wink* Oh don’t we all love milkshakes.

Feel better now?

a bit too 1950’s for my taste. how about:

Kyle: man we kicked ass!
Mitch: yeah man. they didnt see us coming.
Kyle: lets get some burgers and cokes.
Mitch: kewl *nodding his head.

I just have to say just how pretty Kyle is in panel 3. That is all

OH YEAH.

Yeah, I really love the side view of Kyle in that.

I agreed with that sentiment in several posts, but I must say that I think it is a sentiment that can be agreed with once again. Yay!

I know most people are calling the final panel Kyle’s WTF expression, but to my mind that’s more in panel two. He’s just looking at Mitch like, “What? Where is this going? I…don’t understand the words that are coming out of your mouth.”

I agree with every word of that and yet it can still fall under a “WTF Expression” for me… but I appreciate your verbal precision. LOL.

It isn’t the same expression, but the it reminds me of the way that Red Hot had a whole wordless panel of staring saucer-eyed at the Annihilator when he was invited out to dinner in chapter 1: http://webcomics.yaoi911.com/archive/ete-ch1-page-12

Red Hot really has to work on his poker face.

Fluke is in the back of Panel 1 giving the universal sign of “what the “f” ya talking about?”
It’s so funny that I get the smirks every time I look at the page.

Me too. Makes me want to Photoshop him into historical pictures.

Please do!

I second the request.

OMG, we need this in our lives.

Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes!

“Flu

Naw, that’s the universal sign for “what the ‘f’ is taking so friggin long, already?”

that too
🙂

Not unfair in this particular situation either, considering the fact that they do sort of have a world to save. Hostages to rescue. An apocalypse to stop. You know, the kind of things for which dilly-dallying is generally not advised.

….well, there is that. 🙂

Damn, I’m glad I didn’t bet with you guys because I would have lost a lot of money.
Kinda hope he bi though, there not a lot of character who are and it would be nice to have.

I’ve got my fingers crossed for Spooky on that front.

Now you hush with that “bi” talk… we’re on a roll here. 🙂

Whoooo *Fists the air* So Kyle is not alone

I’m curious why Kyle’s still wearing his mask now that he’s reached maturity…

It looks sexy?

Alex has said that heroes must legally stop wearing masks once they’ve reached the age of maturity. Kyle has, therefore legally, he has to stop wearing the mask.

Yeah, but his birthday was literally yesterday. He can modify his costume after they save the world.

Did he? They must wear masks as long as they are minors. Have you got a reference where he says they are not allowed to afterwards?

Minors must wear masks. For adults, it’s optional.

If this is your first time at Face Club…

and keeps his hair up out of his eyes…

wait, Kyle has blue eyes?

Yup.. all the time 😉

It;s interesting that when the group found the ‘gay porn’ featuring some of the characters – Mitch wanted to see and was shot down for being ‘too young’ by Tunsume.
However he did sneak back later and look at it and seemed to enjoy it too.

…..horrible thought…. When Mitch tried to see what they were looking at, Tsunami said “it’s messed up and twisted. It will ruin you for life”. What if when Mitch comes out Tsunami shouts “You went and looked at it didn’t you! Didn’t you! I told you that it would ruin you for life!”

Nooooooooo!

That’s the kind of thing that can really mess with a young queer person’s mentality, especially if they realized they already enjoyed looking at “stuff like that” (prob not the whole about my friends thing but still!))

Of course, when you have friends and colleagues and parental stand-ins like that saying such things to you as Tsunami said in that case, it makes it all the more difficult to come out. No wonder Mitch didn’t feel comfortable saying anything earlier.

I still hope that Tsunami thinks it is messed up and twisted because it takes him and his friends and puts them in situations they wouldn’t want to be in. That I could understand.
So, I hope he isn’t homophobic, but I think it is reasonable to assume that Mitch fears he is.

Well, Tsunami also hasn’t exactly had the best reaction to Kyle coming out….

Somehow, if that happened, I’d expect Mitch to have little more reaction to it than to say something along the lines of; “I knew I was gay well before that.”

Young though he may be, he seems quite mature and composed and while he would no doubt be hurt if that was Tsunami’s reaction, I doubt he’d be cowed by it.

But it would drive the wedge deeper and where Mitch and Tsunami were somewhat close, that would no longer be the case. I see Tsunami slowly being isolated from the others.

*long pause*
“So…now that the hard part is out of the way…can I touch your wiener?”
“…Not for another 3 years, you can’t.”
*pouts*

“Careful! – It’s hot! – Literally!”

Why would he have to wait three years? I believe the legal age to have sex is 15 or 16 and they’re close enough in age that Mitch being under age wouldn’t matter (unless the legal age is 16 in which case they need to wait for that).

depending on what state/province they’re in. (it’s not much more established than ‘maybe North America’ and each area sets their own standards.)
also; wiener touching can wait until the apocalypse has been staved off for another week?

But wiener touching can result in a lot of fire, wich would be helpful in dealing with the supervillains. Burn both them bitches real good.

but saving it for later gives them a secondary reward.
-Save world
-Wiener Touch
-Casual Dinner and Dancing.

But that’s the beautiful thing about wiener touchi8ng, you can do it now AND later! XD

but they’re on a bit of a timer here. hence Fluke’s “dudes the ever loving fuck?” pose.

Wiener touching can also be done while moving! ^_^

not romantic wiener touching. which if it’s not then what’s the point?

*looks at the comments number*
How is it that I always manage to be away on upload time on the few pages where the comments explode after a new page is up? It doesn’t fail. This is my 3rd time out of the last three times this happened (comments explosion) :-p

Morning Danish sweetie! *hugs*

I’m just astonished that, wherever you were Miss Wolf, you didn’t accidentally trip and activate the nearest computer “conveniently” getting you the virgin……. this has got to be a first for you on that front also. (snort). 🙂

V-snatching in dreamland doesn’t work irl 😉

Haven’t you programmed your house-bot to punch the right keys if its mistress is indisposed? I was sure you had…. 🙂

Without having read/skimmed more than a dozen of the comments below right now, I got to say this: Mitch’s ‘guilt’ trip is just as bad – and wrongly misplaced on himself – as Kyle’s first reactions were.

It makes my heart ache and I want to go all hugs and ‘No, honey, no’ on him.

Let’s looks at the situation here. Mitch recently joined the team – we don’t know exactly what that means, but recently enough for some of the team to not know of Mitch’s full power potential yet, so I’d say maybe a matter of months – AND he *just* turned 15.
That’s not an easy age for any teenager, and I can only imagine what it must be like for a gay boy in America. Coming out is not an easy thing. I don’t even have to be gay to know that!

Gaah! They don’t have the time for this talk right now, so Kyle doesn’t have much time to reply, but this is like watching the situation with Kyle – happening just a few hours earlier in timeline – all over again. Some of this must resonate as preeetty familiar for Kyle.

Only basic difference I see in their situation here, for Mitch, is that he’s new enough to not have the deep friendship as ‘the trio’ has yet. They still see/treat him like he’s the ‘kid’, the younger little brother, as he’s 2-3 years their junior. Meaning he might even have basis for being more unsure about coming out to them.

So why on earth should Mitch feel guilty about not coming out to Kyle sooner?

This gives me a clear feeling that Mitch, as the only one (maybe except Amanda), had figured Kyle’s out sexuality.

It could be him being gay himself and having a feeling about something there. It could be his super senses hearing/seeing something. It could be him finding something on the computer. Maybe a mix of it all.
Why else does he feel like he ‘should have come out’ a long time ago? It hasn’t really *been* that long, and even guessing Kyle’s ‘secret’, I’d say that Mitch did the right thing. He respected Kyle’s silence.

Unless Mitch feels like he should have told ALL of them the truth a ‘long time’ ago (those looong months earlier when he was all new in the group), which his saying here doesn’t suggest he meant, then him going to Kyle and told him could have ‘forced’ Kyle to come out himself. A thing that shouldn’t be forced.

Oki, so the current situation meant it happened forceful for Kyle anyway, but that is SO not Mitch’s fault, or an reason for him to feel guilty about it. He doesn’t have psychic abilities. Even if Mitch should any other secrets he kept from them, there’s still no apology needed for not coming out to Kyle.
So no.. just no. No more guilt!

Isn’t that what makes a hero? The conviction that is up to me to do something about it?

They do tend to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders.

I can understand the feelings in play here. Kyle chose not to open up to his friends, but when I came out one of my friends was like ‘me too’.

I felt hurt and betrayed; he could’ve told me. I wouldn’t have felt alone.

I know it wasn’t rational but feelings needn’t always be. We’re still friends even today htough it took a while for me to get over how I felt. It was my problem and I always tried to make sure it didn’t impact our friendship.

I… I wasn’t expecting that. Especially since so many people called it the last few pages. That means it can’t be what’s gonna happen, right? But seems I was wrong… huh.

Poor Mitch, beating himself up for stuff that really no reasonable person could blame him for. What’s with the superhero types always thinking they’re responsible for every single thing that’s going on. 😛

YAY! he finally got there… i figured this was coming from way back at kyle’s romantic flame out.

I really don’t want them to be together. I quite like Anni and his turn around. I’ve always liked him and will continue to do so, even if he is the villain. Mitch is a sweet kid but I’m not on their ship.

I just want to hug Mitch right now O_O

Aw, Mitch. You precious little ANGEL. ;_;

I hope you get your computer issues sorted out soon Alex, I know how frustrating those can be. Thanks for keeping us in the loop. 🙂

Thank you, Hours! Hopefully I’ll be able to get things fixed next week. And I’m really glad you like the art for this page—me too! 🙂

Dat profile panel… Those are some awfully handsome boys there, o great creator. You should do something equally lovely with them 😉

I woke up at 3 a.m. EST, realized that TYP updated today, and reached for my phone. The squee I made woke up the cat, but he’ll get over it. I am so pleased that I called it on Mitch, and that he was brave enough to let Kyle know. It made me totally think of this song when I finished the page:

http://youtu.be/9P1qUSWEfmk

I’m so sorry about your computer Alex, and I hope you’ll be able to get it fixed soon. But thank you so much for posting this update despite the challenges; we are so very grateful for your hard work and dedication to this comic and to us. 🙂

Now Mitch, you’ve gotten through the hardest part–make my doki dreams come true! Kii-ssu, kii-ssu, kii-ssu…

desu.
😛

Thank you for the kind words, fujoshifanatic! That’s much appreciated! 🙂

HA and PS Fluke over there all “DOOD. Today would be good.”

Tick tock.
http://webcomics.yaoi911.com/archive/ete-ch3pt1-page-26/

One of the things that heros have is taking responsibility for things that have nothing to do with them. That’s why they fly and in save the world. They don’t have to. It’s a blessing for us. But here Mitch is showing the other side of it. It’s in no ways his fault on how Kyle chose to act,and it’s in no ways his fault how Anni chose to act. I just hope that Kyle will let him understand that, even if he hasn’t really grasped it fully himself. People can be far more mature about other people’s problems than their own.

He feels responsible for Kyle feeling alone. It wasn’t his fault entirely since it was Kyle’s choice to not turn to his friends.

But I know, when I came out one of my friends said ‘me too’.

I almost hit him; we couldn’t he have told me? Why did I have to feel like I was the only one?

Hugs John. I know that’s a tough feeling. I have a lot of thoughts about this, but I don’t want to minimise how you feel. My experience is different from yours since I’m not gay, although I have lived with secrets and their damage in my life both in keeping them, and in not keeping them.

Whoah! Well–who saw THAT coming?

Interesting that he seems to be avoiding the word “gay.”

Actually, that sounds about right, especially for a young dude. During my coming out process, it took me about 6 months to actually say “i’m gay,” even though I didn’t have a problem with saying “I like girls,” or “I love so-and-so.” And I was in my twenties at the time. I can’t imagine how intense it must be for boys as young as Kyle or Mitch to make that kind of declaration about a part of their identity, especially to another person whose reaction you can neither gauge nor control. :-

It just sticks in your throat. Like, if you say it has a sort of… permanent mark. So long as you don’t say it you can still hide but as soon as you say it…

I know, this makes no sense. It didn’t have to at the time.

Exactly that!

Try being Dutch. If you think a short 3 letter word like gay already sticks in the throat, try spewing out the whole word ‘homoseksueel’.

We do have some shorter slang words for ‘homosexual’ of course, but they tend to carry strong negative connotations, so you really don’t want to use those as identifiers for your coming out.

Which is kind of ironic really, considering the fact the the Netherlands is probably one of the most tolerant and accepting places around as far as homosexuality is concerned. Except, it would seem, for our language

Well considering langauge is organic I’m sure it’ll update.

Perhaps you could start buy using a nickname for ‘gay’ in Dutch that IS shorter. My short-hand slang for pointing out I think someone is gay is ‘technicolour’ (as in rainbow).

I know that’s shorter, but only those I’ve explained it too understand what I mean allowing me to gossip freely.

Oh well said fujoshifanatic. And now every single young-person worldwide seems to have developed their own sexually specific definition and acronym. Tumblr is like sexopedia in 47 cis-volumes. Like you, I ‘dated’ guys for a while before I said the actual permanent words… “I’m gay.” to my best friend. Who of course went… “DUH!”

*raises hand* 🙂

Who DIDN’T see that coming? Or at least hope for it.

shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit

Well now… if that doesn’t light a flame under Kyle’s behindus to get the world saved I dunno what will. 8D

gah! Blushing my face off from how seriously sweet this scene is!! <3
XD Love how Mitch looks in panel two, and even if maybe it's not the best time for it like he said before, I love that he's chosen to tell Kyle 🙂 such a sweet heart!
Kyle's face says it all in the last panel…he knew he had his friends at his side, but knowing he literally isn't alone must really raise his spirit even more 🙂

toot toot! 😀

fluke be all like: c’mon, fuckers! what’s the hold up?!?11

======

well, fine.
i’m not surprised flyboy’s also into The Sausage.

what i don’t want, is an out-of-the-blue “thing” to suddenly happen with those two.

this would be out-of-the-blue for us, as i don’t recall any hints, or anything, ever given about either having a ‘spark’ for the other.

======

:: goes back to the “bonus chapter” and lets flyboy peek at the ‘satirical fan-art’ web sites ::

The first gay person I met I had a huge crush on. I don’t know if it was out of sheer relief that THIS time it might be recipricol but I can imagine both of them having to deal with it.

I’ve never known it too last; it seems to be more akin to the attraction fellow soldiers feel to each other after a highly traumatic experience where they’ve saved each other multiple times in quick sucession.

That sounds melodramatic, I know, but I still thinks it’s akin.

The first gay person I met (or at least the first one I knew to be gay) was a total douche, so not so much of a crush there. The second one though… Yeah, just having the mere possibility of reciprocity dangled in front of you when all you’ve ever known before was the unrequited and unrequitable (which IS a proper word you damned spell checker), that’s powerful stuff alright.

And no, l’ve never know such crushed to last either. Than again, very few early crushes do, gay or straight.

the, uh.. ..”grass” is always appears greener, and more Lush, on the other side of the fence

(as They say)

This is true, although I know of at least one case.

I wouldn’t say out of the blue, Kyle’s been to busy hiding himself to consider the option and from what little we’ve seen of Mitch a crush wouldn’t be too far fetched.

“in universe,” yes, it might not be ‘out of the blue’; but, at least per my own judgment, we the audience have no reason to believe kyle and mitch may enjoy an “organic” pairing (in the traditional sense that an average member-of-audience probably prefers)

Oh, I don’t know, I also think it possible that Mitch has had a “crush” on Kyle for awhile now. I had such feelings for older guys all the way back to pre-teen days. And, except for the legal problem of Mitch’s age, something being able to flower between these two seems just about as organic a possibility as any.

===
i was a lecherous little kid.
my first “crush” (as it were) happened to be on someone who was forbidden fruit, in a few major ways.

at the time, he was in his 40s
===

well, yes: it is very possible mitch had been crushing on kyle
all i am saying is, if this is the case, i don’t feel we the reader were ever made aware of such

Now Super H,

Not to harsh your foreshadowing thing, but I feel the need to personally gaytextualize it. ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ

Gay means never having to be “outta the blue” I’ve always been more than happy to swing my chariot wide if the vibe is right.

We’ll start hard (no pun), Duncan is a stone grey fox and he’s smoking hot, so yeah I’d do him (if he wasn’t a selfish, pompous, self-centered, sociopathic, self-justifying, using, manipulative, violating, predator… coughcough… where was I? Oh yeah, so I’d do the decent version of that man in a minute.

Okay now swinging the age, race card on down. I’d be more than fine with Amanda (shocked?) hey she’s the coolest thing without a penis in town… how could she not be super fun. I’d have that duster off Spooky in a flat second (and honestly has always been my man) and Paul… heck yeah! Super-snack! And all I need to know is that Tsunami is up (ahem) for it and not hiding his phobe and I’m right there… no gayshadowing needed.

I don’t do fifteen-year-olds. Mitch here in TYP “looks” a lot like Kyle so we think older, but no… just no. In real life fifteen is like one year away from fourteen and they’re still like adorable little chimps. I say let the puppies age a bit, but I will say I also knew it was going to be about like liking the boys at fourteen, even if I couldn’t find a good one for years. So, I’ll leave the Mitch to find another fifteen-year-old to work it out with.

So, without any personal gayshadowing, I’d “go on a date” with just about anyone in TYP… right outta that blue! 🙂

That kinda looks like a koala face. Aww.

With Mitch, it’s COMPLETELY going to depend on exactly where he’s living. Apparently, in California, it’s considered statutory rape for Mitch to have sex with ANYONE–and, yes, Mitch can be prosecuted for statutory rape, even at 15, if he engages in any form of sex–even with another minor. (Well, that, at least, is the law as it pertains to heterosexual activity. I’m not aware if Cali–or other surprisingly conservative states in regard to “age of consent”–has any exceptions for same-sex activity.)

Yep… America is messed up in lots and lots of ways.

(who are you tellin’?

but, then again, this is The Melting Pot™. . . . .)

Even Japan makes more sense than America now

Strictly speaking, same-sex activity is still illegal in a lot of US states. Although I don’t believe anyone ever actually gets prosecuted for it anymore. California, for the record, is not one of those states. Legal at 18, just like heterosexual acts.

(consider yourself officially annexed, brah !!)

i think mitch is going to be a long-haired heart-throb once he gets a few more years under his belt; maybe alex will pull a “shippuden” on the gang, to let us see their future selves

i can change Gordon, mister dangerfield.
i’ll do the old “hey, let me massage your traps, because i’m your buddy” technique!

i did stake the claim that i don’t have a “deep” emotional investment in all of the young protectors, but that of course does not mean i don’t have a great amount of “interest” in those who have not had much screen time … i am, for example, always piqued by (positively-portrayed) Ladies In Charge (who can kick ass, also).

i fear i might not have properly-conveyed, that while it is very possible many things had happened “off-screen” which’d handily-justify a future Romp between Hawk and Spark (if there is to be one {once Hawk reaches the sacred age of consent point}), all of those “events” all the same were not witnessed by us.
so maybe it won’t be a “wham” for them, but for us i believe it will be quite whammish, as there isn’t a lot of indication that mitch x kyle is “a ship.”

i’ll go so far as to speculate, a “well, i never really thought of you in `that way´” is headed mitchie’s way, if mitch mentioned having had a crush on flamerion, Chris

Awesome… my dude you are OFFICIALLY in charge of the Gordon. I have no doubt that you are what he NEEDS. LOL.

I think our Adam and Veronica have got the LUXE down on all our TYP team. They all look so great these days. Ships will happen as they will. I would have jumped all over Kyle when I was 15 but, you’re right, he might not have jumped back and that’s just how it is. I just wish both of them an HEA!

So, I’ll peacefully just sit back and wish our little Fly Guy some time to figure out his gig, and may they all get the big happy!

Still… that darn elusive Spooky. He’s the cat’s meow… that’s for sure. It’s rough when the ones that pull you in are the most likely to be straight ones, but then again, I’m a big marshmallow. Hey, dude spent time in hell… he most deserves a big HEA… with whomever he likes most.

Yep… I’m speculating in the Happy Zone! Take care!

(*schmoopy chris checks to see if he hasn’t overdone his cold meds… LOL*)

text me.

(heh heh.)

Now I’m wondering about Mitch’s backstory. I get the impression that part of Kyle’s problem is not just that he’s gay, but that his superpowers made it impossible to have sex with anyone, including himself. Duncan could tempt him because Duncan was safe to talk to, about more than just being gay. On this page at least, Mitch strikes me as being more comfortable about sex than Kyle is, even if he wasn’t telling anyone about liking other guys.

(That’s three pages in a row where I’ve been able to get into the comments. Yay!)

Yeah, the focus keeps coming back to Kyle’s homosexuality, but that’s actually not the biggest issue for him. Kyle’s first orgasim destroyed a house, injured a family member and cost him his home. Now his second one has sent him to hell and potentially doomed humanity. And the way others have talked to him, it seems like the rest of the team doesn’t understand all of it yet. When Kyle talks about never doing anything like that again, he means ever having any kind of ever sex again, and the rest of the team just thinks he means not dating a supervillain.

It’s great that Mitch and Kyle can commiserate on their homosexuality. But unless Mitch becomes 2 years older and fire-proof, Kyle is still deeply isolated.

I also thought it would be a problem that Duncan was the only possibility of someone with whom Kyle could safely climax. It didn’t occur to me before, but Mitch is still a possibility. As long as they have a good-size fire-proof room in which to engage in intimate relations, all that needs to happen when they engage in things is that Kyle has to tell Mitch when he is about to orgasm, and Mitch, with his super-speed, just needs to zip out of the way for a bit – just far enough to be out of the way of the flames, when Kyle catches fire – until Kyle regains his physical composure enough to self-extinguish. Then he can zip back and they can cuddle and continue to make out in the afterglow.

I think afterglow is a VERY appropriate word in this case 😀

Yeah, Mitch needs someone his own age.

All true about Kyle, but you know that’s not that different than what all horror films have taught us… right?

What happens when teenagers at the secluded lake house sneak away for sex in the dead of night………. THAT’S RIGHT….. chopped to bits by a machete wielding, hockey mask wearing unkillable super prude maniac. Welllll… everyone else dies too, but the sexed up kids go first. EVERY TIME!

Sex in American film = Annihilation. (yes I used that word on purpose. He he he.)

Aw, Mitch… you are so adorkable. Now the question is… kiss or hug?

And the answer is yes!

Unfortunately it is most likely no, right now. There is a world that needs saving.

I was hoping for a long hug…….feely hands squeezing the buns…..which one ? who cares …..maybe both of them!

he’s much more mature that we thought 🙂
but I still hope nothing bad will happen to him

So I must be Kyle right now, because I’m genuinely surprised and didn’t expect that to actually be what Mitch wanted to say… Way to go Mitch! We all know you’re more mature than given credit for but this is a step above!

Yes, Flyboy and Kyle are equaly responsible for what happened. That is not at all. Attractive, charming, fireproof, how could Kyle be expected to resist such a man?

Not to mention a tentacle feel up by Sircea, Dim Sum in Hong Kong, a private mountaintop warehouse, Montrachet, rose petals, a fireproof heiny (it needed mentioning again) and a field trip to Hell followed by a rambling private monologue trying to justify something or other… who could ask for anything more? Nope resistance was clearly futile.

I’m actually being sincere… I would have totally gone there, but since I’m not the son of a King of Hell there would have been no flames and… well wouldn’t Duncan have been surprised when he had to go through the rest of the date in a plain old warehouse… no teleportation… just plain old date-sex (ho-hum).

(*chris cheekily ponders the look on Duncan’s face when says the cthuhu-speak spell and nothing happens… no flame… nada… how embarrassing…*)

He still might have been impressed if you extruded a copious amount of just regular ol’ jizz.

Yep I was wrong lol. Mind was playing tricks on me.

PLOT TWIST and i think kyle’s face says all
btw sorry about your computer 🙁

Thank you, andrea. 🙂

This morning, I woke up because I felt a disturbance in the Force. It was as if a thousand voices SQEEEE’ed in unison. Or maybe just one Doki. Either way, I never expected this!

HA! (again)

It was if a thousand voices Squeee’ed in unison’ Or maybe just one Doki.

…..One must never underestimate the power of the Doki’s squeee. ^_^

I ship it quicker than FedEx on speed.

HA!

dozens were SHOCKED! SHOCKED! Good for you Mitch. Saw it coming since the interlude.

Great for solidarity’s sake… but Kyle needs someone his own age or older to date. He’ll be a great mentor for Mitch, but let’s give the guy (Kyle) a break an dlet him have sex sometime before the next three years is out. Superhero is one thing but he’s still part-human-male…

I agree. The way I see it, the relationship between Kyle and Mitch is – and always will be – a fraternal one, not a romantic one.

What is it with everyone and waiting three years? They’re close enough in age that it doesn’t matter, the most they’d have to wait is a few months for Mitch to turn 16.

That’s UK law, under american law the age of consent is 18.

Though, personally, I think their close enough in age that they shouldn’t let a little thing like that stop them ^_^

I don’t know UK law, I know Canadian. And here there’s age of consent and beign legally adult. As long as you’re within two or three years it doesn’t matter.

Actually, the age of consent in America varies per state – it hovers between 16 and 18. Mitch, at 15, probably only has a hope of legal sex with Kyle if they are in Connecticut – which has a really complicated and deeply weird formula for who gets to have sex with whom and when, and their birthdays exactly align. – or in states with a ‘close in’ clause, which permits teens of 14 and 15 to have sex with someone within five years of their age, so they don’t throw in jail every pair of kids they find experimenting under the bleachers.

18 is actually closer to being the exception than the norm for the age of consent in the US. If I recall correctly, there are only something like 6 or 7 states that have 18 as the hard age of consent. Some other states do also set the age at 18, but those have a ‘close in’ clause as Wayne said.

I suspect the only reason why people always seem to think that the age of consent is 18 and not a day less in the entire US is because it’s the (fixed) legal age in California, which is where most movies and television series come from. So whenever we hear the age of consent mentioned, there’s a good chance it’s the Californian one.

Yeah, and how many people wait until they’re 18 (or even 16) just because it’s the law anyway? I sure as hell didn’t, and I’d have done it sooner if I’d found someone I thought was worthy sooner.
Incidentally, my first was Mitch’s age, and she’s the one who cheated on me, dumped me for one of the girls she cheated with, then cheated on HER. 15-year-olds are not innocent little cherubs who need to be protected from the world.

my first was mitch’s age as well. (i was unaware of the law though) i also feel like if the ages are close enough and its consensual and safe its permissible. im relieved im not the only one that feels that way.

Whether 18 or 16 or whatever, age of consent is there to protect kids from predators. The number is arbitrary, it’s the intent that matters. Kyle is definitely not a predator, so if the possibility of a relationship was simply between the two of them, I’d be ok with it, legal technicalities be damned.

But this is a gay comic, with an audience of all ages. I’ll be turning 32 in January and, honestly, even talking about Mitch as an object of sex, makes me very very uncomfortable.
So I am very happy Alex has a rule about not showing anything sexual with underage characters in his comics. If he did, to be honest, I’d stop reading.

Mitch will probably be the Gay Little Brother to Kyle. You know,
someone with whom he can share the experience of being different and the
solidarity, without having to share anything else. It’s clear that Kyle
needs emotional support, and that does not necessarily have to come
with an invitation to physical intimacy. So good for Mitch! Even if he
hasn’t been rejected by his team-mates, I’m sure Kyle can feel a little
better knowing he’s not ‘the only one’.

Well, I wouldn’t want to SEE them sexing up due to Mitch’s age, I wouldn’t mind them doing so off screen.

Agreed. It’s a bit funny because when I was 15 or 16 I wouldn’t care so much about the age difference – I’d pay more attention to the mental age of the other person, rather than the biological one. But nowadays I’m officially considered an adult and it’s like “no way in hell”.

In Spain the age of consent is very low – 13 to have sex if both are minors, and 16 (not sure) between a minor and an adult.

“I said I wouldn’t cry,” she chokes out, as she looks for the donate button with blurry eyes.

Thank you. 🙂

You’re very welcome. =)

yowza! And double yowza to you, Alex, for always posting no matter what happens. Really. You are amazing!

Thank you, Epistasthai! Getting these pages up has been a bit of an adventure lately, but I’ll always try my best! 🙂

I freaking knew it! Now for adorable gay teen antics!

That would be nice!

So how *much* wisdom and maturity are we prepared to credit to Flyboy?

Try this crack idea on for size: Yes, Flyboy is gay, and yes, Flyboy feels a bit of guilt about not telling Red Hot earlier and therefore denying Red Hot peer support. However, the reason that Flyboy is telling Red Hot in panel 4 that the current situation is as much Flyboy’s fault as it is Red Hot’s fault is to try to shock some sense into Red Hot’s head – to goad Red Hot into denying that Flyboy has any fault, that Flyboy was just trying to protect himself from anti-gay hostility, that Flyboy had no way of knowing that the chain of events would lead to that outcome and in any case that Flyboy certainly wouldn’t have been intending for something like that to happen. At which point Flyboy looks Red Hot in the eye and says, “Yeah, and the same could be said about you.”

I’m not sure he consciously thought all of that out, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Mitch, on some subconscious level, did choose this particular moment to take Kyle aside and tell him such because he knows Kyle needs to get his head in the game.

Sorry… too craftily manipulative for me to buy at 15. I thought I was a genius at 15 and my parents knew EVERYTHING. Oh the shame…. LOL.

I think it’s just what it seems.

Which is why I also don’t really believe he planned it all out. It doesn’t take a genius though to see that Kyle was distracted by beating himself up over what happened.

It’s also a pretty natural conclusion to think that sharing some of that guilt may help alleviate that. After all, it’s much easier to be clear-headed about other people’s issues than it is to be so about your own wallowing.

Finally, don’t underestimate 15 year olds. Some of them really are way too clever for their own good. 🙂

I’ve mentioned this theory before, but only deep in long comment threads.

Who else thinks Mitch might be Duncan’s son?

i like that theory!

Duncan’s Son, Duncans Clone ( in another attempt at immortality )
or actually Duncan.

Wouldn’t a clone or a rejuvenated Duncan have the same powers as adult Duncan, though?

Superboy didn’t have the exact same powers as Superman despite being a clone

Why do I hear that high pitched girlish squeal?…..Oh that’s ME and the voice of ……George Takei saying Oh my!…..Something inside me just knew this would happen!

Thanks for the nice chuckle.

Just remember kids, you dont have to date/be in a relationship/have sex with the only other gay person you know! But holding hands to see if you like them is totally ok!

Holding hands is the best thing ever! Hard to do sometimes in the ‘gay’ without looking over your shoulder, but I’m all about it.

Yup, the Beatles definitely got it right. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” is what it’s all about. Someone who can make you feel all happy and excited by such a simple little touch; if you can find that, you know you’ve got a good thing going on.

yes… hands

13 is my lucky number! Whooo! (no, really, nobody up vote it, I need the luck).

I smell ships… ships everywhere

What… fish? Wet wood? Salty water? Gay boys in the rigging? Just curious?

Kytch… Myle… you name it… it’s shipping time :3

HA!

shipping is compulsive…

Clearly. LOL.

Mile.. Mile High.

I think the best I’ve heard so far for this pair, and was a while back, has been Firefly. Unless that steps on some other SciFi trademarks.

makin milkshakes, mixing metaphors…

A shy fan just had a great suggestion. I am a fan, but not shy (HA!).

Kyle needs a deserted beach where he can safely ‘pleasure himself’ (large body of water safely by) until he gains some measure of self-control. Because, that is what ‘self-pleasuring’ is all about for young men… learning self-control.

Once he achieves this (consider the high heat) he can sell the results as glass art. If you can name his new gallery… you win a prize. 🙂

Pfff.. I just came to read a few comments before going to bed, and you have me making sputtering, gigling sounds. Now there’s a new art concept ;D

Shot glass art, eh?

“Shot Glass” Okay, I hadn’t even gone there. You are a genius and we should market Kyle’s products together…. 🙂

BRANDING …. @alexwoolfson:disqus take a lesson from George Lucas, it’s all about consumer products and we have another one for you right here!

(*lets see if he buys this one. heeeeeeeee.*)

Welcome to Shot Glass Art Gallery.
Can I interest you in our Rainbow Heat collection? It’s special made and you can pre-order the color- or colors you want within the sand color spectre. Our artist will go the beach needed. The way the artist produce this is truly unique and every piece is a one of a kind, one shot, offer.

And I just happen to be an art glass collector – have about 400 pieces. I sure would be into commissioning Kyle to create some custom-made pieces for my collection.

When I was growing up, I wasnt allowed to make glass-art.

I didnt know anybody with a blowtorch either.
Its not like you can just learn to blow yourself.

Its not like I can commission men to blow for me.

The only glass I have are windows — and one of those are broken.
@Chrisdangerfield:disqus you can call your gallery “Glass Hearts” because my heart is just shattered

So, would they count as hand made?

goober

HA! Thought you knew? Heh he heh.

i did not know, until your post down there

:: smacks your arse, lightly ::

annnnnddddd suspension confirmed 🙂 Oh I so knew it >:)

It’s also very sweet of him to try and comfort Kyle by taking some of the blame. Can’t wait to see what’s ahead for these two now that they’re both out(ish).

Suspicion confirmed! Next up! Tsunami finding out and saying that Kyle “infected” Mitch with gayness!
Seriously, ten bucks says that Tsunami turns on Kyle and tries to lure the “impressionable, innocent child” back to the Light Side.
We all know it happens when bigots raise their heads, and in spite of anything he says, Tsunami comes out looking like a bigot.
Right, Alex?

wow making Tsunami the ultra mega villain here. he is closed but he like his friends dude.

😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀

I’m so happy to see you -even if the page has left you speechless and all you have to share is a bunch of emoticons! 😀

You’ve been missed.

Thanks! I have been checking every update, but everyone else has been saying what I’ve been thinking! That, plus I’ve been working 60+ hour weeks for a few months now so I’ve been too drained to think of anything to say.

Yeah, I haven’t been much into commenting lately either. I found some time this weekend, but it’s an exception, rather than the rule these days.

Good to see you back! ^_^

Thanks!

lol I don’t even know why but seems I didn’t post the comment I wrote yesterday xD
might be because I was interrupted by a friend on skype who just told me a few days before she’s into redheads and I couldn’t help telling her about the comic and she was like “OMG LINK ME PLEASE” xD

whatever ^^

IT’S OUT!
I mean we speculated a lot about it 😀
but now it’s official!! CANON! and gosh their faces in the last two panels are major adorbs xD
And I like how Paul in panel is like “what’s keeping you up there” having no idea what they’re talking about ^^

When Flyboy said ‘everyone acts like I’m a little kid, but I’m not’, I seriously thought his revelation would be that he’s an adult in a kid’s body

YES!
…. Dunkin ( post youth-ing, memorywipe and timewarp )

HA!

Maybe thats the other thing he has to tell kyle? Hell be like. Hey I know you like older dudes, Im acutually 50 but I made a wish so that I could fly and that turned me into a kid whos main fancy is flying.

I actually saw this one coming awhile ago. People who have felt like they had to keep the secret can definitely pick up on it throughout the arc.

ANY of us who lived in the closet for any major length of time picked up on it, lol.

I saw this coming a chapter ago.

Im also taking bets what this wont change the fact that kyle and duncan still have a thing for eachother.

This storyline….coming out before an end-of-the-world fight…. it’s so silly, lol, but I keep reading…

Yeah – it makes me rather sad and very frustrated to say it, but if Alex had intended Kyle and Mitch to have something together (including with some sexy times – this is supposed to be in that sort of genre after all, and we haven’t gotten much of that so far, and what we did get ended up being rather negative and depressing and a situation of nasty use and abuse rather than truly feel-good intimate relations), then he would not have made Mitch an underage character that can’t be shown in any sort of sexual situation. 🙁 I sure wish it were otherwise, since I can’t see how Duncan can be redeemed from what he did and the way he did it in any sort of span of time that fits into the rest of the time this story has, and without great difficulty, effort, and some truly amazing-type reversals in character in a short time that might stretch credulity. And, of course, the fact that Kyle and Mitch would make the perfect and most sweet and adorable comic-couple ever. I originally thought the idea of a Kyle-Duncan relationship and situation was great – and there would be lots of situations where their relationship and feelings would be tested and they would have to overcome all kinds of different prejudices together (the gay thing, the young vs old thing, the hero/villain thing, etc, etc.), and so lots of struggles and conflicts for them personally to make for a god story – but the way in which Duncan used Kyle with all the deceptions and ruining his first time and taking something special like that and turning it into a living nightmare for someone, and the way he treated Kyle afterwards, really ruined the idea of their future pairing for me. But Kyle needs someone to have some GOOD sexy times with (that we hopefully get to witness), right? So what other alternatives are there? One relationship is impossible without Alex getting into trouble for depicting illegal relations (and which he’s already said won’t be shown) and the other is just not satisfying or believable (at least for me) anymore. The relationship I formerly wanted to have happen for Kyle as now been ruined, and the relationship that I would now like to have happen for Kyle is impossible. 🙁

How about this: “Three years later…”

Genius! Well, I have to admit that, since we haven’t had much in terms of major leaps ahead in time so far in this story – at least nothing more than a matter of hours rather than days, let alone years – nor skips backward (except the story in the bonus comic, which wasn’t really part of the main narrative), I hadn’t considered that this would be a major possibility – such hiatuses have not so far figured into the fabric or texture of the tale so far. But I suppose it could be possible and something to perhaps hope could be employed to deal with certain issues.

I don’t think that we have had enough character development of the secondary and (…thirdiary?) characters for a major leap like that to not be jarring

Psssssst. tertiary

Not to be confused with “titulary” 🙂

AH HA!! Thank you, oh, wordy one

you do make alot of valid points. i believe that anni could muster up a deep and sincere serious apology (considering it may have been his belief that what he was doing was for the ultimate best interests of humanity.) and change his life / become good. this i admit is far fetched. another possibility, probably more likely, would be the introduction of a new character / super hero with abilities complimentary to kyle’s. dont give up on the storyline. theres still room to maneuver.

I almost don’t want Kyle to get into any sort of romantic relationship with either of them. After the arc of this story, he’s first got to learn how to be the authentic, open and honest and confident Kyle he’s destined to become. He’s got to learn to love himself before he can learn to love others. But as far as good sexy times, well that should definitely be part of the learning process! 😛

Hmmm…not sure I’m looking for a story just full of Kyle’s casual sexual encounters and adventures while sleeping around before finding someone for true mutual affection and someone to care about. To me, he just doesn’t seem to be the sleazy play-the-field type – though I have been known to misjudge people in that regard. And after all those years of pent-up desires, I guess I wouldn’t blame him for trying to “make up for lost time”. He seems like such a sweetheart though – that he would want some physical interactions that were at least a little more than just about sex and physical desire – I think he might want or need some emotional support and affection as well – I think he’s been starved of that just as much, and especially after just being used so cruelly – at this point after that, he, on the other hand (rather than wanting to suddenly sleaze out), might not want to have physical sex again anytime soon. You’d think his experience with Duncan might make him a little more reluctant about getting involved so quickly with just any and all that happen to wander by (even if he didn’t have his particular climax problem to worry about). And a series of physical encounters one-after-another – just sex with no meaning or emotion or affection – can, I’m told,, leave a lonely person feeling, counterintuitively, even more lonely and depressed. I’m not sure that’s what he needs now either.

Well gosh, I’m not suggesting anything about sleaze. I used the phrase good sexy times to refer back to your use of it. I am suggesting that it’s a big world full of many people, and either the Annihilator or Flyboy might not be the only man with whom he can ever explore his feelings, sexual or emotional or both, or be in a relationship. As far as the making up for lost time that you mentioned, I feel that he does have some of that to do when it comes to being true to himself and honest/secure about who he is. Sexually, well, he’s just now 18 so there isn’t much time lost.

Thanks for the clarification. That’s for sure – but do you think we have, after the main conflicts and world crises are resolved, enough time within the confines of this story arc for lots of other characters to be introduced and for Kyle to meet lots of different gay guys and find one/some that would work out for him? If this were a novel with dozens of chapters, I’d put my faith in that.

No, not likely enough time. However this arc ends, my feelings are just that to have enjoyed the story I don’t need it to end with 18-year-old Kyle in the arms of someone else happily ever after. Not that I wouldn’t like the story if he did — just that the suggestion of endless possibilities and a new, fresh life ahead appeals to me more. However it wraps up, I view this comic like a delightful meal that, knowing Chef Alex’s skill and taste level, I’m sure will be lovely exactly as/however it’s presented.

I agree with you, Steven. There isn’t time in the story to show a superhero’s romantic life. Most comics are about action first, the romance is only a very small part of it. Superboy had Lana Lang, the girl next door, and Superman had Lois Lane, a co-worker. Most superheros seem to have a romantic relationship with someone who is near them, they are not shown dating and having romantic relationships with multiple partners. They seem to quickly settle on someone who is nearby and keep on fighting the bad guys.

Indeed!

Seeing Kyle get together with someone isn’t really a priority for me, either — he’s only eighteen, and he’s just begun the journey to accepting himself and growing into an actualized person and hero. It’s exactly like you said: he has to learn to love himself, first! Plus, the sexual element of the story isn’t that important to me, so that’s probably why I’m okay with the idea of him ending this arc single — right now it’s enough for me to see gay characters treated as humans in a genre where they’re usually just around long enough to be killed off, if they’re even there at all.

As far as Kyle and Mitch as a pairing, it’s also worth noting that we haven’t really seen them interact outside the current conversation. They both seem like sweet enough guys, but who knows if they’re really compatible in the long run, or would even be interested in each other? It’s cute as an idea, but I don’t know enough about them and how they relate to jump on board.

When you mention that “seeing Kyle get together with someone isn’t really a priority for me, either — he’s only eighteen, and he’s just begun the journey to accepting himself and growing into an actualized person and hero” – that is of course a good point.
The thing is, if that isn’t a priority of this comic, then, to my understanding, it would not fall into the genre of “yaoi”. I am by no means an expert in the genre, and I will be the first one to say I probably know a lot less about it than most of y’all here! But I thought that it was supposed to be, in part, a genre:

“focusing on homoerotic romantic or sexual relation- ships between male characters”.
I’m just saying that if we wait for Kyle to go through all that you suggest he should, before “getting together” with anyone, etc., then his homoerotic relationships would not be a or the focus of this story, and then would it really be a yaoi story? Just throwing that out there for comment.

I see where you’re coming from — sometimes I forget that the website is yaoi911, haha. (And I’m by no means an expert, either, so anything I say will have to be taken with a grain of salt.)

In a sense we have had a strong focus on homoerotic/romantic relationships already, even though it didn’t go in a warm and fuzzy direction. I think Alex is working within the genre, but with more depth than a lot of the other works out there that have sex and romance as the absolute crux of their stories. I could be totally off-base, but focusing on the development and maturation of a gay character, even if it isn’t always in a sexual context, seems like it should give TYP a place under the yaoi umbrella, even if it doesn’t include all the established tropes or play them straight (ha). Especially considering Alex is willing to expand into future arcs, which would provide plenty of opportunities for the sex/romance element to come into play.

That’s my think about Kyle and Mitch, too — we haven’t seen any real conversation between them other than this one. It would be rather tidy to just pair them off because they’re both gay, but also rather contrived. Not that it should be out of the question that they’re compatible. Maybe a first date, eh?

You know, among heterosexuals you never hear people say “she’s straight, he’s straight, they’d better pair up”. Matchmaking efforts focus on other things: common interests, attraction, etc. Heterosexuality in itself is not a reason for coupling (in the “lets be couple” sense, not sex).

But you have two people that happen to be gay and the immediate reaction of their environment 90% of the time (statistic I pulled out of my ass but which can’t be much off, in my experience) is “squeeeee!! They’re both gay!! They’d be perfect for each other!”

They’re both nice guys and they share a sexual orientation. Fantastic! They can still just be friends. Actually, being just friends would be awesome because they’d have each other to lean on when their romantic lives go to hell (whether figuratively or, in Kyle’s case, literally), in a way a hetero friend might not be able to “get” it.

Well, if we had more scenes of Kyle going into the gay bars and socializing? Maybe there is a bar for gay superheroes? Maybe he goes to a meeting of his local college’s GSA? Maybe Kyle takes Amanda to a PFLAG meeting. These could be incorporated into the drama, one supposes.

Sounds more like interlude or epilogue material than part of the main storyline, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Kyle and Amanda talk together about some of this — part of her role as head of the team is probably acting as a kind of counselor to them, and her influence apparently got Kyle into heroism for the “right” reasons. I figure he must trust and respect her. At any rate, it would be interesting to see the dynamic between Amanda and Kyle individually, since so far we’ve only seen her talk to him as part of the group.

I totally agree.

yaaaas cuties coming out of the closet

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh, BUT DAMN, that means Mitch is off-limits. But…he was off-limits anyway considering I am ten years older. He’s just now super SUPER off-limits. Why are the gay men always so damn cute?

And Mitch’s pose in panel 2. I know he’s nervous and all, but it also reads, “Take my picture; I know I look good.” XDDD (Maybe it’s the estrogen talking here.)

Paul’s face in Panel One cracks me up. *giggles* I’m seriously giggling over here! SO FUNNY!

Oh! What a cute confession!!

He’s right. These two are even stronger than anyone thinks…

My compliments to Adam and Veronica for another visually beautiful page. Panel one strikes me as Paul saying, “Hey, saving the world here; come ON!” which I enjoyed for subtle effect. Panel two has another great shot of Mitch. Adam seems to hit his groove with drawing the lad and I’m pleased to see it. I would have drawn Mitch’s eyes downcast in that panel to depict more of an awkward stance. As it looks Mitch is in a Coverboy heroes fashion issue. Another grin from me here. Nicely done! Now, to dive into the topic that seems to dominate the conversation right now and that is Mitch’s revelation.

I’m the sort to take revelations in a story in stride and think about overall impact on the story so far. At the moment this is Kyle’s story so the central impact is on him.

He now has another member of his team batting for his…um…team. That came out wrong. ~ANY-way…~ Kyle is no longer alone and more, the one who now stands at his side is the youngest member of the team. The one they all circle the wagons and protect as if their own little brother. I suspect this might foster in Kyle an ever stronger instinct to set a good example. To stand up taller, take responsibility, and own one’s life. This is good for Kyle I think. He has focus he never had before. This is personal. Now, for those who banter back and forth about shipping.

This is a yaoi site and Alex is well known for writing compelling character romance(Artifice anyone? swoon). That said, he is equally known for writing intriguing character studies. I’m uncertain whether or not Mitch and Kyle are “destined” and frankly it isn’t my point of focus. I’m focused on Kyle at the moment and how this event influences his development. That said I would be remiss were I to deny any childlike glee at the revelation that Mitch is gay.

Being gay, at least in my experience is much like navigating a social minefield every day. I cannot simply look at another’s gender and automatically conclude that nature offers biological compatibility. For me it is a constant guessing game. “Is he/isn’t he” that depends on my skill at reading subtle body language. This is where having places to meet others who are gay comes in handy. That artificially fills the role of biological compatibility and places me back on the same footing as those interested in the opposite sex. Outside of this meeting another person like me is like winning a lotto scratch-off. It is a moment of gleeful “Wow!” and I admit, relief to bump into another like me. I cannot stress this enough; for those without the ability to find social gathering places the “minefield” is stressful. Every meeting, every venturing is stepping on a potential bomb of social calamity that can have dire consequences to employment or place of residence. This is not a game. It can change one’s life drastically if a meeting goes poorly.

Kyle visited a gay bar, one of those aforementioned “gathering spots” but he labors under an additional hurdle. As a hero he keeps an entire aspect of his life secret. In his case that bar was useless. Like a soldier in a foreign land Kyle leads a life that few others can relate to or understand. His isolation and loneliness are intensified further. I take into account how many heroes in mainstream comics experience stress in their lives because they can never reveal their identities to loved ones. This leads me back to the X-men.

The environment of the X-men is very similar to what I see in Young Protectors. Here we have a band of young heroes who are misfits in their community. They really have only each other for company. This leads me to the importance of Mitch’s revelations.

These lads have no social group they can turn to outside their team. They are misfits so they don’t stand as equals with other heroes. They cannot reveal their identities for fear of placing civilians in danger. They have each other — or do they?

Kyle is in a position Mitch isn’t in that he has experience with Duncan. Mitch has only Kyle. The “meeting in the wilderness” aspect of leading life traversing a social minefield encourages individuals to cling to each other when they meet. I feel strongly that this is what happened with Kyle and Duncan and it might be happening between Kyle and Mitch. If so then Kyle is in the role of Duncan. Will he hurt Mitch as Duncan did him? That, I suspect is the compelling conflict approaching us in this story.

What path will Kyle choose? Will he chase after Duncan and in turn hurt Mitch as Duncan hurt Kyle or will he turn from that desperate, clinging emotional path and embrace MItch? Age in this context is irrelevant. Environmental factors plunge these characters into a mindset of emotional privation wherein they must leap at opportunities when presented. Kyle has a unique opportunity to choose. Which way will he go? I shall read on with bated breath!

Thank you again Alex for giving me a story that leads me to think, to grow and learn more about the world around me. Thanks to Adam and Veronica for offering me unparalleled eye candy. I can sit in my lounge chair in my social oasis and catch a tan for a little while. The opportunity is most appreciated.

really insightful D. B. *rubs chin.

Thank you! I’m glad my ruminations proved interesting.

You’re welcome, Donald! Thank you for such a thoughtful and interesting post!

The pleasure as always is mine, Alex. I appreciate your taking the time to reply given your computer woes. It means a lot.

Liked this analysis quite a bit. Lots of good points about being gay without a lot of social outlets/venues and how this relates to Kyle in his situation and how Mitch’s revelation can be viewed in that context.

Thank you, very much!

I think Kyle gives him a mega-bear hug
or they get interrupted by combat

Oh wow okay I was so certain everyone was overreacting and this was a major troll from Alex.
Holy crap.
*shipping intensifies*

Totally called it! :D:D:D
I’m pleased this happened – it’ll be good for both of them to have someone to share this side of themselves with. And I don’t mean that in a romantic way necessarily, but in a ‘mutual bro support’ way. Nothing worse than feeling you’re alone when you’re trying to figure out something this fundamental to who you are growing into.

fact!

Kiss!Kiss!Kiss!

I finally reach the latest update, and it’s with this cliffhanger?? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Seriously though, I’m so so so so excited to see what comes next 🙂

Glad to hear it, Ree. It was a lot of fun for me to read through your reactions to this comic. Thank you for the kind words and welcome. 🙂

Just echoing Alex (below). Ree you kept showing up in my Disqus Digest emails for some reason and it was so fun to see your quick responses as you read TYP “at speed”, which is so different then waiting even a few days between pages.

I was purely envious, but your good energy was contagious. So thanks. Welcome to the present day… (arg). 🙂

Welcome, Ree! 🙂

Oh. Well….I still would not go blaming yourself kid. It’s your fault Kyle got in the mess because you did not come out of the closet? Neither had Kyle. Nobody knew about him, so why would you have ever thought that coming out yourself would do anything? Hindsight is 20/20, but nothing you knew at the time would have led to you thinking that outing yourself would be a good thing…

Such gorgeous art in the expressions here. Works so well with the honest, emotional dialogue happening.

Mitch’s moment of maturity, however awkward, is interesting. I don’t want him to carry any blame for this, but his integrity – especially at his young age – is endearing and impressive.

Okay, I miss camping, and this is the first time I’ve had a vacation in FOREVER. So! If there are any old/usual campers out there, I will be checking in aaaaaalll day. I miss the conversations and camp games. 🙁
By the way, sorry about your computer Alex! Hope you get everything worked out soon!

Thank you, Amaya. I have an appointment with the Apple Store tomorrow — hope to get things sorted then. 🙂

And I hope you’re enjoying your vacation!

Hi Amaya!

Hahaha, he is actually gay. As it was predicted in the comments. Go flyboy. Though I still think he’s really young.

Just throwing semi-random ideas together and seeing what I end up with. In this case its:
Crack idea: Mitch the elder brother. “Everyone acts like I’m this little kid, but I’m not.”

Lower down the page are comments observing that Flyboy’s supersenses means that he is not necessarily an innocent kid. If he has been eavesdropping on conversations he may have a more mature (or cynical…) outlook on the world than you would expect for someone his age.

Meanwhile back at the start of chapter 3, just as they’re going into the warehouse, Paul tells Spooky that “out of the three of us, [Kyle’s] always been, like, the youngest.” Spooky counters that Kyle is a year older than Paul, to which Paul snaps back “You know what I mean” – indicating that he’s not talking about chronological age but about outlook and maturity.

So try this on for size: After the whole fight scene with the Annihilator and Platinum Priestess is deal with (however long that takes and whatever shenanigans that involves) Kyle starts socialising more with Mitch. This need not be romantic. In fact, for this thought experiment it works better if Kyle simply tries to be a mentor for the younger teen. And at that point he discovers that, actually, Mitch doesn’t need that much mentoring because in some areas (maybea lot of areas) Mitch is a lot more mature than Kyle – and in fact Mitch ends up giving Kyle advice on some topics.

Love it! *hugs*

I’m really anticipating the next page tonight. Things are really getting good.

Alex- I searched up The Young Protectors on Youtube and I saw the kickstarter one, and during it I was thinking “hm…I wonder if this is Alex’s voice. I doubt it but i’m curious” then you popped on the screen and I was like “hell yeah!”

Tonight’s page is a fun one. 😉

And yep, that’s me! 😀

Now Alex, is that “fun” for you, “fun” for us, or “fun” for everyone?

Hmm. Good question. My perception of fun might indeed be different from a reader perspective.

Maybe you can help me out:

Is it fun for the readers when Mitch looks really handsome on the page?

………*opens her mouth as if to squee but passes out in fangirl over excitement*

*pokes Doki w/ foot* yup, you killed her Alex…

*wakes up* huh? *rubs spot* Why am I sore in that spot?

Alex got you right in your macula fanatica.

Kitty massage! Just wait until the new page goes up!

Fun, though frustrating at the same time! But, umm….I’m trying to think when he hasn’t looked really handsome and adorable – Just like Kyle has seldom not looked totally adorable as well.

Which just means that Mitch is going to be looking especially handsome on the new page. Someone will probably need to be in charge of smelling salts.

It’s a good thing he’s not being shown shirtless – I’d probably be passing out as well – especially if he’s a young “otter” type (as opposed to smooth Kyle), with a sexy zone of soft, dark chest-fur running from between his muscular pecs laterally to around each of his nips and then running on down from there in an even sexier dark treasure trail to his forbidden nether regions. With ultimately delicious-looking dark, furry armpits as well. (Steven is just describing his ideal type – when properly legal, that is.)

Although – is it sex if I just want to lick his sweaty furry upper body after a good workout (or fight with villains) – no touching anywhere else?

Just for the time-being, that is.

I’m turning the volume down on my Doki-squee-o-tronic™… NOW. This sounds like it might be a loud one.

Heh heh heh.

That would probably be most wise.

And Doki shows her vast experience in reading TYP once again! 🙂

Starts camping early *builds sickness blanket fort & makes tea* I don’t think anyone wants to come snuggle here tonight… ^^

I will come and snuggle! I have a really good fortitude save at the moment, and I should take advantage while it lasts!

Writing boring work things but *shoves over*

I am trying to figure out the minor magic items to equip my rogue with. So many tough decisions!!!

Ooh very tough decisions!

I am slowly coming up with her shopping list for later though…

Blanket forts! So good with tea and a cold. I’d snuggle but will have to settle for sitting over here. *throws Starr a comfy pillow*

Guess it will just be me and Starr in the blanket fort. ^_^

Fellow cold sufferer here… it’s been days and I’ve haven’t been this miserable for years. So I’m drowning in tea, lemon, honey and a bit of fresh ginger in the teapot for clearing the sinuses. I actually think it helps. Feel better.

But, then again, blanket-forts are the answer for almost any problem…

I’m sorry I’m late to the party, but I’d love to come snuggle too!

In for camping. Gotta stay off the Twitter feed for the night. Feeling a bit sad, maybe because it’s the holidays. Anyway, going to get some tea. BRB.

Evening, Ms Gryph!

Evening, AJ!

No sad! New Starfighter things went up tonight and they’re making… body pillows!!! Imagine a Cain body pillow! *falls over*

In the shop????!!!

Not yet but soon… they added a comment on the update page. Axis needs a Cain…

CAIN?!!! *collapses*

In true Gryphon fashion, also watching Supernatural XD

OMG! No spoilers! This is why I’m not on Twitter cause it’s being live tweeted by cast and crew. Seems like I’m going to like this one a whole lot…

Okay, good things for today. No sad, right?
1) Previously mentioned Supernatural episode which I can’t watch until tomorrow.
2) CAIN body pillows
3) TYP Chapter 1 that Alex showed off earlier
4) SF Chapter 3 released today
and
5) I received some TH stuff I ordered

🙂

I’m REALLY behind in Supernatural and catching up so no worries on new things from me for quite some time XD

I received a whole bunch of things today with prints, figures and manga… although all HQ!! related of course!

That is excellent!

6) new TYP page will contain a very handsome Mitch.

Hey – what Season/episode are you up to on Supernatural? (Fan here – won’t give anything away – just curious.)

All caught up. Tonight’s episode is the only one I haven’t seen yet. I have to wait until The CW posts it on their website because I don’t have TV.

They show them for free there after they are broadcast?

Yes. The CW puts the new episode up sometime around midnight on their website after it airs on TV. I find the streaming a bit choppy but it’s still worth it until the DVDs come out.

AXIS! Starr, you got the very last, last Axis pillow that will ever be made. At least we know it’s in a good home. *sniff*

I still feel bad about that…. 🙁

DON’T feel bad! I’m just happy I was there with you when you grabbed it.

Check with silibub, she’s found a place that did a full-sized body pillow imprinted with her own image… she may be able to direct you to the right custom shop. 🙂

Hello!!!

HI!

Smart lady… as the late great FRANK HERBERT wrote in his Dune series: “Twitter is the little mind-killer.”

(WAIT? WHAT? Well, I think that’s the quote… *snort*)

Everyone be good to yourselves… the holidays are a tricky weird emo-period and I don’t think anyone is ALWAYS immune.

Be strong Gryph!

I think I was feeling a bit down because work is having a holiday party and I kinda wish I had someone to go with. Not a significant other…even a friend would be nice. I have good friends but they never want to come with me to these things.

awwwww *hugs* I would go with you if I was there!

You are so sweet! If it were possible, that would be so great!

Oh I so understand, I work in an industry that DOES holiday parties constantly in December, and my man hates to go (usually). I have to promise him outrageous acts of a highly intimate and personal nature for each attendance.

It’s exhausting. Good luck. A friend who likes parties is much easier… in some ways. Ha!

Hmm. Those outrageous acts sound like a fair exchange indeed!

I know how that is and how you feel. It’s been kinda difficult for me cuz it is the first holiday season for me totally alone now – perpetually single AND without my mom (and without both parents – the only family I have left is a dead-beat brother in Wisconsin who regularly stole from them and is now asking me for a thousand dollars, after blowing through $17,000 of insurance money in 4 months). She was really into Christmas and holiday decorating and all, so I get kinda misty-eyed lately every time I think of it.

That is so sad, Steven. I hope this holiday season has some joy for you.

Thank you! Likewise!

*hugs Steven*

🙂

Yep my mother is 78 and beautiful soul. I’m lucky to have her… time is precious and I feel it. It truly won’t be the same after. I just did Thanksgiving (her choice) and then I’m going to try to go again in January for a post holiday pick-me-up.

Hugs, Steven… they say after your last parent goes it’s a more profound thing than anyone ever is prepared for… so please take good care of yourself.

I would go with you if I was there too! I always stay for the food / prizes then run away XD

And it would be so much fun if you could go!

I think that’s a really good plan, actually. Food, prizes, then back home.

Win ALL the prizes! And eat all the delicious food.

*hugs* Aw, I hope we can help cheer you up!

Internet connection is a bit weird. Went out when I left to switch laundry. Seems to be working now.

Glad it’s back, and I hope it stays.

I almost forgot the update tonight.
And I never tweet, twitter, tit-willow, or titer.

Do you titrate?

The chemists won’t permit me in a lab – seems this engineer is all thumbs. it’s like “oops, crash” and then again “oops, crash”

Though sounds like you are good in the kitchen – which isn’t necessarily THAT much different. You planning on making anything special for the late-December / early-Jan. holiday(s)? Maybe a goose and a traditional pudding?

I don’t know about Christmas yet. I might know on Thursday.
And I Tend not to drop things in the kitchen but I have discovered how to break corelle if I rush and try to cook too fast.

“Discovered how to break Corelle” – that made me chuckle.

D’oh! Flag on the field!

Hey there Dave! – Was just finding myself wondering if you were going to show up tonight. “Titer” sounds like something a chemical engineer type might do.

I met a Great Dane today (no, not DanishWolf). It was such a gigantic dog! Very sweet, though.

Pony size or small horse size?

Hmm, I’d say pony size.

Aren’t they supposed to be gentle breed?

I believe so. That tends to be the case with all of the really huge dog breeds that I know of, which makes sense. If you’ve got something that gigantic, you’re going to want it to be nice.

That does make a lot of sense otherwise could be very dangerous.

This dog did like to sit on people’s laps, though – at least, as much as he could fit (which wasn’t much at all).

That sounds like a funny picture!

It really was! I wish I’d taken a photo with my phone.

My niece had a great dane years ago that wasn’t too big but liked me to rub either side of its head back at the ears at the same time. Sweet doggie.

Aww!

They are beautiful dogs. I remember I was in this tack shop in AZ (a life time ago) and I came face to face with a Great Dane. Literally. I looked, just tilted my chin an inch or two and there was this huge dog. Oh he was a beauty and I don’t think he was fully grown.

That’s so cool! I love big dogs. And medium dogs. And some small dogs.

cats and puppies

I love cats too!! So sweet.

Little doggies – 10 pound balls of fur that yap and lick my toes.

I love small dogs if they’re friendly, but I don’t like the ones that are really aggressive and bark at everyone all the time.

I had a silky terrier and he wasn’t aggressive at all, just loud. Right after I got him I had a month stay in the hospital for appendicitis and my Dad trained him with his and my Mom’s poodle. The dog didn’t have a mean bone in his body. Neither did the poodle. But being that small, everything was a fireplug when he got old. So eventually I replaced my carpets.

What’s a fireplug?

What a fireman connects his hose to at a fire. What do you call them?

Oh, so you mean he peed on everything when he got old?

oh yes. As the old joke goes about it’s a phallic symbol if it’s longer than it’s wide, well for that doggie, anything that was taller than him was a watering post. Walls, vacuum cleaners. chair legs, floor lamps.
When I had friends over, if he liked them, he marked their shoes. i finally broke that bad habit.
He once tried to have his way with a full size German Shepherd female. There were three of us laughing at that impossibility.

Oh, it could have been possible actually. Just not your old dog’s lucky day .. or actually being lucky it didn’t happen 😉
(Suddently finding myself in THAT part of youtube I’ve come across a video with a male chihuahua with a female rottweiler >.> )

Also called a hydrant. ^_^

Every so often I speak Pittsburghese and say thing like
DahnTahn for Downtown
Yuns for You (plural)
I never remember if you use gumbands or rubber bands or elastics.
We have Mill Hunks (which is a guy in hard hat, works with steel and cheers on the Steelers.
Or should I say “stillers”
“And that” becomes “an’ ‘at” at the ends of sentences.
My car needs washed (dropping the verb to be)
And it’s a hoagie not a sub.

wink, wink

I love big dogs, medium dogs, little dogs. Dogs are some of the greatest creatures.

Dogs, dogs, dogs, dogs, dogs <3

CATS

Cats, cats, cats, cats, cats <3

LOL.. love how you added it wasn’t me xD

Great Danes are gorgeous. I had the pleasure of meeting one in my neighborhood. Zena was scared stiff of him. She loves to bully the small dogs and the ones that are kind of taller than she, but Danes? Scared stiff. It was funny seeing her put in her place. His withers was close to my chest; he was actually as tall as I was (5’2.5″ or 62.5″) if you included his head.

Sadly, like Scottish Deerhounds and Irish Wolfhounds, their lifespan isn’t terribly long. They are so big that their hearts just can’t pump enough blood to their legs so they normally die of some heart problem or they have such crippling arthritis in their legs it’s kinder to put them down. I would love to own one, but I get so attached to my dogs that the average 7-10 year life span would just kill me. It hurt to put my Grey down at 9/10. She was so sweet, but that’s on the young side for a Grey. They live from 9-15 years.

Yeah, I love Irish Wolfhounds too but it would be so tough for me to deal with their shorter lifespan. I’m sorry about your Grey!

Page is up! http://webcomics.yaoi911.com/archive/ete-ch3-page-86/

CALLED IT!

THIS THE CUTEST THING EVER. Just saying.

Awww! I’d love to see them as a couple, if Kyle and Anni can’t get back together.

Fluke is missing from the the “featuring” list.

So he is. Fixed!

A couple in the making. Rebounder Alert.

How many shippings can exist in one comic?!?!

I had my suspicions, kiddo.

Hi hi, I know this is an old page, but I’m a new reader, so sorry for the super late comment. I’m just trying to follow Mitch’s reasoning here. Far as a I can gather he’s thinking something like this:

Mitch is gay but didn’t tell anyone.
Kyle is gay and didn’t tell anyone because he was afraid they’d reject him.
Feeling alone made Kyle easy prey for the Annihilator.
Therefore if Mitch had told Kyle he was gay, Kyle wouldn’t have felt so alone, and therefore wouldn’t have been such easy prey, and therefore it’s Mitch’s fault that the Annihilator took advantage of Kyle?

Because if that’s what you’re thinking Mitch honey, that’s not really how it works. Evil manipulative bad guys will be evil and manipulative, and coming out to your friends before you’re ready won’t change or prevent that, especially when you have no way of knowing that a) one of your friends is also gay and scared to come out, and b) some evil manipulative dude has designs on your buddy. So yeah, really not your fault at all in any way.

I think that you about summed it up pretty well except that Mitch didn’t say that was actually gay, just that he also likes guys. Mitch could be bisexual.

True, true, good point. I shouldn’t assume.

This page will get me every time!

And that ship is off!

I think I’d want a big canvas print of this page 🙂

K N E W I T