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Comic Transcripts

PANEL 1

FLUKE

IF YOU THINK HE’D MAKE A GOOD PART OF THE TEAM, YOU SHOULD JUST ASK COMMANDER. SHE WON’T TELL ANYTHING TO EXSEC IF HE’S NOT READY.

KYLE

AND HE’S ACTUALLY LIVING WITH YOU RIGHT NOW?

FLYBOY

YEAH. ALONG WITH HIS BROTHER, WHO WAS ALSO KICKED OUT BY HIS PARENTS.

(cont)

NOT FOR BEING GAY — OTHER STUFF. BUT I, UH, RAN INTO THEM DOWNTOWN TOGETHER BEFORE ALL THIS HAPPENED, AND THAT’S HOW WE GOT RECONNECTED.

(cont)

CORY’S GOT HIS OWN ROOM DOWN THE HALL FROM ME, AND HIS BROTHER WILL LIVE IN THE GUEST HOUSE.

PANEL 2

KYLE

AND YOU’RE PARENTS ARE OK WITH…?

FLYBOY

US BEING GAY TEENAGERS IN THE SAME HOUSE TOGETHER? OH, YEAH.

(cont)

UNTIL I TALKED TO THEM, THEY HAD SET THINGS UP FOR US TO JUST SHARE MY ROOM.

PANEL 3

FLUKE

D’AWW. LIKE A KID’S SLEEPOVER.

FLYBOY

Uh, NO. MORE LIKE A SLEEPOVER WHERE I FOUND A NEATLY STACKED PILE OF TOWELS, CONDOMS, AND LUBE ON MY BED.

(cont)

RIGHT NEXT TO THREE PICTURE BOOKS ABOUT SAFE SEX.

PANEL 4

KYLE

YOUR PARENTS BOUGHT YOU… CONDOMS?

FLYBOY

DON’T BE SILLY, KYLE.

PANEL 5

FLYBOY

THEY HAD THE STAFF DO IT.

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The Young Protectors: Engaging The Enemy Coda—Page 1

June 23, 2017 Alex Woolfson 280 Comments

Parents! Amirite?

Over on the Patreon Page, TWO new pin-ups were sent out to Patrons today!

I know there are those of you who are going to miss the “Silver Fox,” so the first pin-up is a fun action piece of The Annihilator vs. the military! With linework by Henrique from Inkstand Studios and colors by Alex Sollazzo, everyone’s favorite supervillain is having a grand old time taking names and smashing tanks.

Comments have included “This also looks really great… Are their bullets missing him, or does he not care?” and “I love his grin 😀 if it is hella serious for the soldiers hunting him, Duncan just seems to play catch and having fun xD”

And here’s a sneak preview image of the full desktop wallpaper:

Wham, grr, thank you, Sir!

But wait, there’s more!

Y’all kept saying how the last page of Chapter 5 would make a nice poster, so I decided to create a special wallpaper version of it for Patron’s mobile phones!

I’m sure you remember which page I’m talking about, but if not, here’s the sneak preview of that wallpaper as well:

$5+ Patrons can download full versions of both pin-ups immediately. And $10+ Patrons will be sent a high-res version of both versions on the 10th of July— with the Commander/Kyle pin-up being SUPER HIGH-RES, with over three times the resolution of the mobile wallpaper!

There are lots of great benefits to being a Patron (you can see them all here along with an explanation of what the heck Patreon is), and you’d really be helping me out if you became one too. If you’re enjoying our work here and would like to see it continue (and would like to get access to all kinds of special benefits),

please take a moment to watch the video on my Patreon page and consider becoming a Patron.

So! It’s the very last comic in the “Engaging the Enemy” arc! And it looks like the youngest members of the team are getting filled in on the whole Cory situation. Or at least, mostly filled in. At least, we’re learning what’s happened to Cory and his brother in the meantime.

Since Kyle, Fluke, and Flyboy are out of earshot of their legal guardians, what other fun things might we learn?

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

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280 Comments

Cory talk!

Hahahaha! of course the staff did it!

I always adored Mitch, but I want to reiterate that I freaking adore Mitch.

OK, stop beating about the bush. Do you like Mitch?

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I dunno, s/he’s being a big ambiguous about it… :p

Acrually, I think Mitch is kind oif awesome too.

It probably wasn’t her, but I have an inner image of Mrs. R buying condoms and handing them over to Mitch with one of her stern gazes xD

Oh gawd, my brain.

Hahaha! All I would be able to do in that situation is like…apologize.

Perhaps that was the point – the safest way for Cory’s parents to discourage him from getting too experimental is to make him think that Mrs R will be disappointed with him if he does not practice safe sex. 🙂

I had forgotten that “staff” included Mrs. Roggenbauer!

Panel 2: “And your parents…”

Thank you. Always helpful to have folks point out typos. 🙂

Lots of eyes saw this page so I’m surprised it got missed. Thank goodness for my eagle-eyed readers! I must have gotten 10 emails/messages about this. Fixed!

I now imagine Mitch trying to explain to his parents that Cory and him are not exactly ready for all that just yet.

Isn’t it fun when you have to tell your parents that they’re too progressive just yet *lol*

But at least they know they’re safe if/when it reach that point.

I like Mitch’s parents.

wait, am i having a senior moment with regard to “the staff bought them” did we always know mitch came from wealth?

Just since the side comic where Cory was introduced, at least that’s the first I noticed it.

yes. It was revealed in the Flyboy Bonus Chapter

by any chance do you have a link for that. i think i may have missed a couple pages.

If you go the the Archive, you can easily find Flyboy’s bonus story, but since it’s 40-something pages long, here is the link to the end pages of it. This and a few pages forward: http://webcomics.yaoi911.com/typ/ete-flyboy-bonus-page-39/

On Page 49, Mitch gives Cory the cellphone number of his “driver” and I guess it is a limousine driver. Although Jordan Spieth got a pitch shot out of a bunker today that makes think the word “driver” is linked into some cosmic conspiracy of news and “driver” today.

http://webcomics.yaoi911.com/typ/ete-flyboy-bonus-page-49/

Sorry, I digress before caffeine and sugar (in the mornings)

(notes from Dave to Dave: 15 stockton, 29 Sausalito, 34 boom)

Cory mentioned late in the Flyboy bonus story that Mitch lives in a mansion, and Mitch’s father was able go get a top surgeon in the country to fly in at hours notice to operate on Diego.

I think we concluded (in comments) that Mitch came from on of the old and wealthy Bostonian families (also fit well with Mitch starting out as an intern in Connecticut Cavaliers (heroes) which isn’t that far away + the top surgeon Mitch’s dad knew was flewn in from Boston.

Mitch comes from wealth and connections (which helped get him into YP when he was caught doing his night work and was ‘fired’ from his prior internship).

This raises the question: who do Thibeaus talk to?

But for Cory to have seen the black lightning in the sky, he should have been closer to the battle site (probably not more than two states away,IMO). If I’m right that would have been west of the Mississippi River.
I could very well be wrong.

Yes – flown in from Boston. And Mitch’s staff got to Corey in a reasonable time without needing him to transport them.

Points to Mitch having a place in or near the Bay Area.

Actually, just reread this page assuming that Mitch is living in a house with staff and without parents. It works.

Another good possibility to add to them possibly having more than one home. They could have gotten one for Mitch closer to the YP HQ. Also adds another side to Mrs. R being there for Mitch (and later sent to Cory).

Yes, that is what I was saying. They bought a house near the YP just for Mitch to use. Although I am certain it would have room for them all.

Cory wasn’t necessarily ‘at home’. We’re not sure what state/location the hospital was in. The surgeon was flown in from Boston, after Mitch called his dad for help. The hospital could be on the west coast.

Mitch’s family could have moved, since Mitch moved internship, but originally be a Bostonian family – or have two homes now that Mitch became part of YP. They seem like a very close family.

Mitch asks Cory to call “my driver”.

Sorry guys……3rd frame…….made me crack up! Makes me wonder if the parents have hidden video cams…..to MAKE SURE their boy is “safe”!

I think it’s rather cute that Mitch was the one to take it a step backwards, no matter how precocious he might be sexually 😉

I suspect it is more about having his own space (and not scaring Cory away as soon as he’s installed at the house), and having room to go away on (nightly) activities and work, than it is about keeping it more ‘innocent’. Mitch isn’t a virgin, but he just found Cory again, and he has YP responsibilities.

I LOVE his parents though, I have said that before, and we haven’t even ‘met’ them yet 🙂

I don’t know. I kinda thought they were implying Mitch IS a virgin.

Having info outside of the comic (trading card), he is not. He may not have had a LOT of experience, but he’s more experienced than half the team 😉

As I read it, the interlude really suggested they hadn’t really gone much further.

And I’m hoping I’m reading that right, because that makes these revelations a lot more interesting. 🙂

I think Cory is inexperienced. He and Mitch didn’t get to do much more than a kiss and maybe some touching before they were caught. Diego has been good at protecting his brother from the prostitution many street kids sadly end in.

Mitch had what he considers his first real sexuakl experience at 15. And he has just turned 15 (as of chapter one, or was it the interlude.)

But he’s kissed more than one guy (since Cory was one of them) and ‘fooled around’ with yet at least one other guy, before having sex with another guy. So he’s had *some* kind of contact, from kissing to recently sex, with at least 4 boys incl. Cory.

Only Amanda and Spooky can beat that amount of ‘experience’ within the members of the team. Spooky beat it by a long shot.

Certainly I find that way more interesting, as this page makes clear it is a deliberate decision. And it dodges the age of consent issue.

No real age of consent issues as they’re roughly the same age.

I really like that pin-up of Duncan, too — I’m still in mourning for the Silver Fox.

It would be so cool if Cory could join the team! He’s a powerhouse and would probably be incredible with training.

And not that the mental picture Mitch just gave us isn’t hilarious, but I wonder why his parents are so eager for him to get into a sexual relationship with Cory. It’s great that they’re accepting of him and I think it’s been established that they’re really fond of Cory, but it’s one thing to approve of your fifteen-year-old kid dating a nice guy and another to have the staff arrange a sex-themed welcome basket. Maybe they’re just trying to be realistic about teenagers and sex, but damn.

(Picture books. Three safe-sex picture books. The mind boggles.)

I could have used picture books back when I was young (About half a century) ago. It would have saved me lots of grief.
And I’m not decided if buying him the condoms is too permissive but that’s just me, again.

Yeah, I would have loved picture books! Informative and non-threatening.

I guess whether it’s too permissive or not is mainly a matter of personal opinion. Different parenting styles and all that — mine were definitely on the repressive side of things.

I went to Catholic HS with Nuns and morning Mass.
So, … {need I say anymore?}

Ah. Pennsylvania.

I’ve looked back and although I could really piss and moan about HS, I did not graduate a fool or a clown as some people I’ve met over the years.

{pardon my personal commentary}

YYYYEP. K-12, all Catholic all the time.

The kind of sex that teenage boys are most likley to have does not require condoms. The condoms and lube could push them towards one kind of sex. But the books might counteract that.

I disagree, all kinds of sex require condoms, and lube is not only for penetration.

Now I am mystified. What else would you use lube for?

I don’t, but sone people seem to like it when “rubbing”

Like in chapter 2?

Masturbation and frotting, specially for circumcised men (from what I have read).

Since US and partly Canada are the only western countries, in the world, where circumcision happens outside of religious or medical needed reasons, it may not be a thing that seems ‘normal’ for others to have around for anything but penetration sex.

(At least the amount of baby boys being circumcised, as a normal thing, shortly after birth is falling in US in the last decade. That stupid myth about it being ‘healthier’ is slowly dying down)

Ah yes. I keep forgetting. I have experience with circumcised men myself. So I always take some time to get jokes about lotion.

The most silly part of circumcision being so normal in US, is that (imo crazy) Dr. Kellogg started it, to prevent young boys from masturbating. That the daily cleaning of the forskin would lead to masturbation and being unchaste.
That worked SO well, obviously xD

So it’s still widely done in US, but they got lube to make it easier to masturbate. There’s some serious irony in that.

They (those people) tell new parents that if the father is circumcised then the kid will be confused if he isn’t exactly the same as his father. That (for some stupid reason) will upset the kid and hinder his emotional development.

I think that’s all just silly nonsense.

I know that my younger sister was worried about the doctor circumcising my nephew without permission when she had him.

I’ve heard of doctors doing that. It’s wrong and the doctor should have his license revoked.

I remember asking her if she could sue them if they did.

Had a friend. From the time her older brother turned 15 (concent age here in Denmark), and she got on the pill at same time (not for sexual reasons), their mother put condoms in a drawer and would check, first a couple times a year and later bi-/monthly, if there was a need of a refill. Sometimes there was and sometimes not.
No questions asked. If they wanted to tell her something, totally fine, but who took what and how many was never an issue. There was just always condoms in that drawer.

Sometimes some condoms was brought along from the drawer, to give to a friend in ‘need’, or a friend went to the drawer as well, but it created a safety that her mother found more important than anything else (like trying to stop teenagers from having sex).

I understand the wisdom of that approach.

haha! love it 😀

Uhhhh…. I gotta grammar Nazi because it is hella distracting – Kyle means “your parents” not “you’re parents”!

Hopefully is an easy fix… But I don’t think it was noticed as it is in the script too…

I’ll see if Alex catches this or note him tomorrow. You’re right, in panel 2.

Thank you. Fixed!

Yay fixed!

Mitch’s expressions are killing me here. XD

I felt it was really important to get the right expressions for Flyboy in order to sell the humor of this page, and Adam just nailed them. I feel so lucky working with him and Vero. 🙂

Lmao nice

If only Tsu could be present at this talk. He’d get to know exactly how much he wouldn’t need to protect Mitch’s ‘delicate’ and innocent young mind xD

I wonder if Mitch has come out to all of them, or just some of them. He’s very open about being gay here.

Certainly sounded like he intended to come out to all of them. That was my interpretation of Kyle thinking him brave.

As the farmer said when asked why he didn’t sing during church service: “We pay the cantor to do that.”

Hahahaha the staff…

A towel shows that you are prepared.

to quote:
A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Raglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a mini raft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal …”

Hey, a thought.
Maybe the books were just thought as much for Cory, if not more. Cory didn’t come from the same accepting background as Mitch, and certainly not as open about the birds and the bees (or even just bees).
—————————

Btw, in English it’s ‘birds and bees’ talk. In Danish it’s about ‘flowers and bees’.
I know the birds-part in English referrs to the courtship side of relationships and sex. Guess the Danish version of the phrase is more directed to what happens once the courtship stage is passed (or what to do by yourself if you’re a flower or a bee) ^_^

Cory might need something more than books on safety. But I suppose Mitch could supply that. A partial reversal of this: http://webcomics.yaoi911.com/typ/ete-tod-page-10/

Yes, though the kissing part they got to practice a little again before hell on earth happened.

same in German with flowers and bees ^^ maybe it’s a European thing?

English likes alliteration.

It is alliterative in German. Blumen und Biene, no?

As it is in Danish…

Think of it as poetic meter:
Birds and bees = long, short, long
Blumen und Biene = long, short, short, long, short

I would guess that Danish has some equivalent matching meter pattern.

Bierne og blomsterne, both styressed on the first syllable.

If I my language skills are correct that phrase is 6 syllables and the accents are – long, short, short, long, short, short.
Which pleases the ear and flows from the tongue.

In English, “Birds and Bees” flows off the tongue but “Flowers and Bees” halts and sounds awkward. “Flowers and Showers” or even “Flowers and Pickles”

I can also say that “Purple and Orange” has that same sudden halt and “Purples and Oranges” doesn’t. The meter is more subtle here.

Seven syllables including the and, all short, bi and blomst stressed.

OK, I understand that now.

How about bumblebees and flowers? Or honeybees?

“Birds and Bees” works because of the “b” sound and meter.
I’ll let caps signify the heavy beat:
BUMbleBEES and FLOwers isn’t a good line in metric form. We think in Iambic Pentameter which is why Shakespeare wrote in it.

And we think in repeats like “Blumen and Bienen” or in symmetry like “TO be, or NOT to BE” which begins and ends the same way with a reverse to enhance the meaning.

A trochaic trimeter. Perfectly good metric form.

I think I have the plurals wrong. I’m not that far into my study of German. 🙂

My dictionary says Blumen is plural and Bienen is the plural. Bienen has two syllables just like Biene

Looking at the replies, the phrase is different country wise, but B & B seems to be a theme, at least in languages that has a similar sound/origin.

Birds and Bees.
Blomsterne og Bierne.
Blumen und Bienen.

🙂

In german it’s usually said in diminuititve forms, further emphasizing the let’s-explain-it-as-if-to-children idea: “Blümchen und Bienchen”, which again has the same kind of easy, flowing rhythm.

maybe German does, too, as it is Blumen (flowers) and Bienen (bees) in German 🙂

I haven’t read German poetry in 50 years but I would tend to agree.

So Mitch lives with his parents. If they live in Boston and the YP is based near San Francisco, as we have concluded here in the comments, that is a distance of 4,344 km. Mitch can fly at mach 2, which is 680.58 m/s. That means that it takes him slightly more than 1 hour 45 minutes to commute.

(Actually mach 2 is twice the speed of sound, which depends on air presure, temperature and composition. It is mainly the water content that varies.)

He probably goes home regularly, otherwise living at the HQ where they all have rooms, and we can’t be fullh sure if we’re right about the HQ being in San Francisco.
Still, it must be nice to be able to not have a long commute no matter where he is in US.

Isn’t Starfleet Academy located in SF?

Where did they establish his parents were in Boston?

Isn’t it possible that they all relocated to San Francisco so they could be with him? If his parents don’t have day jobs or if they run their own businesses, it is quite reasonable to think that they did so. And frankly, with the staff they have they could even split time between the two cities while Mitch stays with the team.

We established the team is in the Bay Area in the comments of an earlier post. The best evidence is the map shown when Paul finds Kyle on GPS, but there are a few correlating facts.

The evidence is listed in the Wolf’s answer to Bandanajack below.

Got it. But it also establishes that Mitch is not actually in Boston, as the surgeon had to be flown to him, and Mitch’s staff was able to come get Corey while Mitch was busy.

xDDDDDDDDDDD
absolutely made my day ^^
that’s certainly a slightly different definition of “embarrassing parents” 😉

omg, what a great start to this little look into how cory’s doing and what the rest of the team have to say (or at least 2 of the team)
also that is just so embarrassing, omg mitch, how do you deal with them
i mean it’s still a nice gesture
at least
also “i uh, ran into them downtown” oh mitch, they might figure things out eventually but you know what, now is not quite the time to add to the workload….for now

There are two independent secrets here: what Cory was doing, and what Mitch was doing.

So… his parents are basically us?

We have met the parents, and they are us. If, that is, you have a mansion, a guest house, and a staff.

I’m sure if we all worked together we could.

LOL

I do not like the idea of having staff do my kid-raising job for me. Otherwise, yes.

It’s 2:15am. I have to go to sleep, y’all.
Have a good night.

You too. Well, you have a good night, it is 8:20 am here.

Hey, I am all for parents whose response to ‘my teenager might be interested in having sex’ is ‘make sure you do it safely’ rather than ‘sex is evil so don’t you dare’ or ‘if we pretend sex doesn’t exist you won’t do it’.

Yes, that I do agree with.

I have problems with them delegating Sex Ed to their staff istead fo taking matters into their own hands, but at least they’re thinking about it in a positive light rather than a forbidding one.

As long as they ARE delegating, and it isn’t the staff claiming that the parents told them to get those items for him.
It is the staff’s job to make their employers come across as decent people, after all.

Diego will live. That is good to know.

This must be some days after the previous page, since Cory has had time to settle in. But Diego will live in the guest house, so he is almost certainly still in hospital.

I just looked up Mich’ birth place, New Canaan. It is much closer to New York than to Boston.

Interesting. Flyboy has different things that he’s ‘acting responsibly’ about. He arranges for Cory to have his own room, but he’s still being secretive about his extra-mural superheroing. A complicated young man, is Mitch.

Indeed, he is.

I feel like this is the difference between “lawful good” and “neutral good”.

Mitch is a good person, considerate of others — I get the feeling he wants to take things slow with Cory as part of that consideration. But he doesn’t have a lot of patience for laws that keep him from helping people, even if they’re technically there to protect him. He doesn’t want to be protected, he wants to protect others. I think that’s a common thread in all of the younger TYP members, and Kyle as well.

That’s my interpretation, anyway. Only Alex & crew know for sure.

in my opinion, lawful good means doing the “right thing” according to society’s definition of “right”. “Neutral good” means doing the right thing according to your own opinion of what’s right. “Societal right” does not automatically equal “individual right” (or vice versa).

Yeah, I’d go with neutral good for Mitch. He knowingly breaks the law because he feels it to be right to do so.

I love Mitch’s parents. They’re not just pragmatic about trying to make sure teenagers have safe sex, they’re supportive of Cory by giving his brother a safe refuge. I suspect they have a fairly good idea of what sort of trouble Diego could have been mixed up in to get shot.

Mitch obviously *really* trusts Kyle and Paul. He’s not just come out to them as gay, he’s come out to them about his boyfriend being superpowered.

My only complaint about Mama and Papa Flyboy are that they delegated. You can shove a lot of tasks onto subordinates when you’re rich, but child-rearing should most definitely NOT be one of those tasks.

Not if Mitch is away from home. He lives partly away from them, with Amanda and Tsu as his other guardians already (and orior to that another team). Besides being rich, Mitch’s raising is far from normal. His raising is already delegated to others, but he’s clearly very close with his parents despite that.

Hmm, Amanda and Tsu doing a lot of the ‘parenting’, but I doubt sex-ED is part of it. Tsu is more focused on protecting the ‘innocent’ youth xD

That is actually a point i hadn’t considered.

And considering how much we’ve heard Mitch saying that he spoke with his parents, it certainly sounds like the staff is merely acting as physical presence with their full confidence, and Amanda and Gordon are basically acting as boarding school faculty.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA. :wipes tear: I love Mitch.

Mitch is The Precious.

The colors look perfect to me.

I’m always amazed when we get one of these near-done pages. Colors look great, I wouldn’t know otherwise if not told, but once the finished page is up it is an amazing coloring job.

Just shows how detailed the coloring (also) is on this comic.

God, what a way to start this Coda!
– Cory (possibly) joining the team
– “I ran into them downtown” (talk about a euphemism)
– Diego survived and he and Cory are living at Mitch’s home
– Kyle’s confusion
– Mitch’s parents being OK with two more people in their home, and having the right attitude to their son’s boyfriend living under the same roof (supportive / safe)
– “They had the staff do it”
:)))

🙂

*reads*
*snorts*
BWA-HA-HA-HA!

OK, I needed this after the week I’ve had. Thanks, Alex!

You’re welcome, Nate. I’ve been looking forward to sharing this Mitch-humor for months now. Very glad it’s brightened your week. I hope your next week is a better one. 🙂

Thank you, Alex.

They can’t prove a thing.

No, I wasn’t concerned about the police, but it should be enough for Amanda and Gordon to figure out a connection to investigate if Cory applies to the YP…

Depends on how much they’re told and how.

That would depend on what security guard lady reported. For example all she’d have to say is everyone involved was an adult and Cory becomes just a kid with powers similar to someone else.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, Permissive Parenting. at least they’re supportive and want him to be safe. 😛

This part I am happy with.

Overall, hIs parents get a C+ in parenting. Ensuring support and safety is important. Their grade takes a ding, though, because delegation is cheating.

It does not matter who does the shopping.

Down the comments, I mention the inner image of the stern, but loving, Mrs. Roggenhauer (Mrs. R) being the one who bought the condoms, and more, for Mitch. And I can’t escape it. The more I think about it, the more it was likely her, or she had a part in it/knows about it.

I can just ‘see’ how Mrs. R, after a talk with Mitch’s parents, decided it was best to ensure safe sex, since the boys will be in the same house – and even assumed in the same room until Mitch told them otherwise. Given the close relationship with his parents, it’s likely that Mitch during a talk has shared he’s not a virgin anymore, and given their age and past it’s a safety no matter what.

I can ‘see’ how she went to get condoms, but deciding that lube would be good as well, and then – since gay sex not exactly being her expert area- she decided to get them a book about the topic. Not being sure which one was best, she got three (maybe after consulting a sales person in her calm stern ways, oh that image)

Putting it all on the bed would totally be her way to say: if sex, use this – and read these first xD

Also…
As we talked about elsewhere in the comment, it is not a 100% surity that ‘the house’ where Mitch lives now is the same mansion as where his parents live. It’s mentioned more than once in bonus stories that Mitch has called his parent/talked to them, but not that he’s seen them in person. They could have gotten a second place around the YP headquarter, so Mitch lives there now (with Mrs. R as caretaker of house and him) and his parents has room to visit. He could be visiting his patents often, as it was calculated by Klaus that it would take Mitch less than two hours to fly across the country at full speed. It is an option, and we might get an answer on that later on.

They wouldn’t have bought the books I found they thought he had experience, I’m sure.

And yes, I’m a proponent of “Mitch has his own mansion in the Bay Area and his parents visit sometimes”.

Books are for both him and Cory. Cory likely isn’t as experienced + Mitch is faily new at ‘real sex’. Even for the experienced a picture book can be new inspiration 😉

“Inspiration.” What an excellent word, LOL

Heh. They are the same age, and Corey has had less supervision. 🙂 But, if Mitch was trying to get over his feelings for him, it seems to fit in more with his personality that he wouldn’t be trying to drown his wistfulness in other boys.

I should like to mention that I saw Alex actually upvoted my earlier comment about Mitch having a second house near to YP….

Not necessarily a hint. Alex likes to upvote theory comments, right or wrong, I think because people use time to make them. You can be spot or not even close. Alex is tricksy that way (too) *eyes Alex*

Okay. When Corey said the Mansion, Mitch corrected it to the house. Could be two different places. 🙂

Alex does like to upvote theory comments, right or wrong, as he enjoys thoughtful discussion and analysis. And I wish I could double-upvote the especially thoughtful and ingenious ones. 🙂

I like that. Also, I’ve worked, briefly, for a rather visible wealthy couple. One of the things I did was buy their holiday/ birthday presents, not because they didn’t put infinite care and research into their choices for each other or because they were too embarrassed to be seen buying them, but because the gossip network at that level is mind-boggling and if they themselves had bought those presents, they would never have a surprise. Condom-buying might be not because it’s “beneath” them or a chore, it might also be to give the kids some privacy… or prevent speculative two-liners in gossip columns about “what elite (and possibly open now?) couple was seen buying condoms, lube, and three books on safe sex?”

Great point.

Danke. It actually plays into why I like YP so much, weirdly: in so many fictional portrayals of teens, teenagers find excuses to feel picked on by their parents. Which, yes, happens, but it’s not a monolithic teen behavior by any means… I love, love, love that their age is not shorthand for “whiny, angsty, and arbitrarily rebellious.”

This may be my favorite page of all. I needed to laugh this morning, and this exchange fit the bill exceptionally well! Thank you, guys, for being Real. 😀

You’re very welcome, Tristan. Very glad to give your morning a boost. 🙂

I totally missed camping yesterday… Spending time with the boyfriend!

But from this looks of this first page I am going to enjoy this story arc!

From what we know Cory is simply a powerful telekinetic. Nothing special aside from his power, no reason the damage couldn’t be done by some other criminal telekinetic. I can’t imagine every super powered person became a big hero or villain, some must have opted for normal lie or petty crime.

Cory’s telekinesis is pretty ridic powerful, though. At his age, Jean Grey had problems lifting books or chairs for extended periods of time, and she’s literally the X-Men’s big gun — a gun so big Marvel kept her dead for 14 years. IN A COMIC BOOK UNIVERSE.

Jean Grey being a big gun was just something a writer came up with one day, it wasn’t a natural progression of her story or powers. We have no idea how Cory compares to this world’s other telekinetics.

And Jean tends to stay dead because the higher ups don’t really like her, and not just for her power (that’d be easy enough to restrict any number of ways).

Actually, we know that Corey’s power type and strength not unique, as enough others have done the exact same thing that Mitch had been taught about similar incidents. That’s how he recognized the fugue state and how he immediately realized that his communicator had been trashed by Corey’s powers.

Yes, but under these particular circumstances at least Amanda and Gordon will most likely see the connection and won’t fall for any misdirections.

They might choose to not push for an explicit admission of Cory’s involvement, but they’ll know!

The incident may not have been publicized, or the security guard may have been able to blame it on specific known Supervillians.

To prevent a Staff infection? 🙂 Seriously, this is a nice way to end this arc! Good job all around!

Thank you, Mike! 🙂

Hahahahaha!

Meanwhile, back at the Hall of Justice…

Yay! Mitch and Cory get to be team mates! And housemates! And have been given parental permission to mate! I’d say that was a trifecta of happy endings for our sweet little Flyboy! 😀 Now I wonder what’s up with the rest of the young’uns…Fluke?

Maybe Fluke will also get lucky some time. Or maybe his powers prevent this.

That would be terribly sad.

It would take the old “sublimating the sex drive into other purposes” idea to a whole new level.

Not one, not two, but THREE picture books! This isn’t just being set on the right course of action, it’s the whole sex ed class in three volumes. Are they expected to study religiously the books? Is the act of initiating the act the beginning of the final exams?

PICTURE this, the staff watching them and grading the thing.
Application of safe-sex measures: A
Foreplay: B-
Overall: A+++++++++++

…Mitch is still sixteen, and Cory is what, fourteen? Fifteen, tops? Yes, teenagers do this all the time at that age, especially in the States, but a bevy of grown adults watching them lends a WHOLE NEW DIMENSION of ‘ick’ to the proceedings. >.<

Picture staff grading it? No. Just ..no.

Just a jest.

I may still need brain bleach 😉

Here, let me share some of mine. I don’t want that image in my mind either.

Kyle’s face in panel 4 is everything. 😀

YAY! Wednesdays and Saturdays are still awesome. ^_^

Kyle’s reaction = my reaction.

Granted, my mom did something similar with me — sat me down in front of an instructional video on Sex Ed when I turned 13 — and it spared everyone a LOT of awkwardness trying to talk with them about it. But I’m about 80-90% sure that there is no way to handle the topic that isn’t weird.

I AM kind of upset that Mitch’s parents resorted to their staff, though. Like — yes, this is unrelentingly awkward to talk to your kid about it, but it’s got to be SO MUCH WORSE when you’re doing it for your boss’s kid.

I’m SO glad Tsunami (probably) isn’t overhearing this conversation. Or maybe he should, given Mitch’s maturity about handling the situation. Knowing that Mitch had the opportunity to do something incredibly stupid (and typical for a teenager) and DIDN’T might reshape his opinion of him as “the kid”.

He did not say that the staff talked to them, just that they did the shopping.

Yeah, Mitch seems amused by the overreach, not annoyed that the staff was involved.

They sent the staff on a shopping trip, nothing else.

They just sent the staff to get the supplies. I imagine if he had questions, he’s the kind who trusts his parents. Look at how he talks about them as loving and a little overreaching. That’s just parents being parents. HA HA.

Look at what his parents have done for him. They:
1. Keep his powers a secret to their colleagues.
2. Have allowed him to join a group with people like him.
3. House his boyfriend and his bf’s brother.
4. Have been super respectful about his powers. Some parents would have used tried to quash that power or tell him his powers are not to be used (aka BAD BAD BAD!), but they have let their child develop into a wonderful young man who has beautiful powers. It seems they might have been shocked at first, but then fully embraced his powers.
5. Lovingly get him things they know he will need (aka the sex stuff), even if they can’t get it themselves, as they are both doctors. They are busy, so sometimes the staff has to be utilized.

Mitch is probably the most well-adjusted of the heroes. That’s because of his parents. I’ve had Autism all of my life, and when I’m at the NFP, these parents are the ones that stand out most. They are the ones I naturally gravitate toward when I need help. They want their children to be independent, but want them to ask questions too!

NFP ?

Not-for-profit. I ride and volunteer at a Not-for-profit (or non-for-profit) organization. In the States, we tend to call them NFPs. My NFP does hippotherapy (which is occupational therapy with horses), speech therapy with horses and individual therapeutic riding for those with disabilities, particularly developmental disorders (like Autism or Down’s Syndrome), MS, PTSD, and those who have suffered strokes. Many who ride, who can go into the barn, do also volunteer or at least give the horses treats.

When I volunteer (to give you an idea), I groom horses that have rolled in the woodchips (very common in summer), apply fly spray (fly season!), tack and untack the horses, sort out grooming buckets, get hay out horse’s water, keep the barn clean, but my favorite is help putting horses to bed. As much as I hate picking their hooves, I love taking off their halters and giving them pats good night. Some are too wound up, so I brush them a little to calm them down. Each time I go is a little different so I may not do everything!

I love Mitch. AND his parents. and probably their entire staff…

I know. Mitchers has to be one of my favorite. His family just busts me up in tears.

Starfighter comic has updated.

There is just something about Deimos on this page that makes me lose a little more of my heart to him…

Several people have complained about Mitch’s parents leaving his upbringen to their staff. First, Mitch is obviously joking here. Second, he only says that the staff made the purchase. It was the parents who had them do it, and Mitch was not around when it happened. He found the condoms on his bed later. Why would it matter who did the actual shopping?

Bring on the Aesop!

Amanda: Well, I guess we all learned an important lesson today. Right Kyle?

Kyle: That’s right, Amanda! (faces reader) I learned that… (insert moral here)

(insert joke) (end with group laughter)

(for instance:)

Kyle: …that we need to be very careful who we have sexual relations with! (faces viewer) I got taken advantage of today, but thanks to everybody’s quick thinking, we managed to save the day!

Mitch: (Raises finger, inserts head into frame) And if you get in trouble, don’t be afraid to tell an adult!

Fluke: You too can be a Young Protector!

Mitch: So what do you want to do now?

Kyle: Come on, team! Let’s all go home and have safe sex together!

(everyone laughs)

Kyle: It’s my birthday, you know…!

I wish my parents would have let the staff buy me condoms. LOL – just kidding.
This comic just keeps getting better and better. Love it!

Glad you’re enjoying it, KT! 🙂

A comment about the employees of wealthy parents – such people sometimes have an agenda of teaching the children of their employers to be virtuous people when they grow up; smart dynasties of wealth encourage this thinking, as it greatly improves the odds that the kid will be something more than a drone intent on squandering his/her inheritance. Hannalore in ‘Questionable Content’ is one example of an apparent success, Flyboy another.

A small point dug up from reading the script: That’s Tsunami and Commander at the top left, standing at the reception desk and dressed in suits rather than in costume. That’s most of the team accounted for, so I wonder where Spooky has gotten off to.

I also liked the comments about the design of the logo of the Department of Extraordinary Security being similar to the real life Department of Homeland Security, but different enough that it doesn’t cause problems from Intellectual Property disputes. Gives me a flashback to the sketches of character designs that get included at the end over every tradepaperback collections of the Astro City comics.

Exsec is a “department”. Does this mean that its head sits on the cabinet?

They would have to. (Under President Ed Koch!)

OK. I’ll admit, your Ed Koch references have baffled me over the last several pages. But I think I might have finally figured it out.

If you are referring to the current President of the United States in The Young Protectors’ world, his last name is indeed spelled Koch. But it doesn’t rhyme with “Scotch,” but rather with Coke, like the soda. 🙂

Yes, I was referring to that prose piece you did which established that Koch has become president–a detail that intrigues me for what it suggests of the point-of-divergence between the YP timeline and our own. (Perhaps Koch responded heroically to a supervillain-related crisis, and thus avoided the post-1989 fate of his real-life counterpart.) Anyway, I suppose this was your way of saluting him for his early pro-gay stance. I can’t for the life of my figure out how the pronunciation of his name figures into this, though. So now it’s my turn to be baffled.

I think it is a safe bet that none of the politicians of the real world exist in this fantasy world, Otherwise you get into all sorts of political discussions.

There’s also the risk of a ‘topical reference’ like a particular president dating the story to a very specific 4 or 8 year time period.
That effect could still happen with things like fashion, or Fluke’s playing Angry Birds, but those types of cultural ephemera are more subtle and less likely to be jarring that a named national leader.

What year is it in the YP universe? FIve years have passed in the real world while a few weeks passed in universe.

President Koch (rhyme with coke) from YP is not Ed Koch.

I forgot about that mention…
Yay! for not being Ed Koch. I don’t have a kind spot on my heart for Ed Koch of NYC. I kinda have some bad, bad, bad thoughts and memories that are rather ugly hiding there.

Certainly I hope he is not a conservative money tank Koch? They say it that way…

To be brutally honest — Koch pronounced “coke” is an american english version, period. Koch pronounced “Kosh” or even softer on the “ch” is much more German and is probably the pronunciation used in most of Germany. It’s only the High German in Literature that I’ve heard “ich” or “och” pronounced with the hard “IK” or “ick” sound. I knew a fellow with the last name Fuchs and he pronounced it really soft. Even the town in Germany named “Fuchs” gets really PO’ed at the hard “K” pronunciation.

Sorry, I unleashed my inner nerd while watching DEADPOOL tonight.

Heh. Well, you don’t want to see me ranting about bad medical or nuclear science references. It is not pretty.

Porgie Tirebiter

Ooo, good catch. Not being a US-native I didn’t twig to that.

Hmm. The text piece at the start of the vol.1 collection indicates that ExSec was formed in 1974, almost thirty years before the Homeland Security dept. I would speculate that they’re “parallel universe counterparts” of each other – hence the similarity in the logo design – and it’s just that the presence of costumed supervillains sped up the perceived need for a group like that. Without getting too deeply into the political pros and cons, both groups are formed in the wake of terrorist situations where it was both thought that something needed to be done and something needed to be seen to be done.

/Facepalm.. it IS Amanda and Tsu. Looking at it earlier today, I thought it looked a lot like them but probably not them. I forgot to read the script on Patreon on this page, after it loaded very slow yesterday (so just closed tab).

I am content with Spooky being off somewhere for a bit. We will have caught up with him soonish. 🙂

So, what three books do you think they were? “The Big Book of Butts”? “How to Bottom Without Pain or Stains”?

Ass Blasters, as recommended by Margaret Cho.

“the joy of sox” Of course!

Oooh, there’s a nice b’day present for my wife 🙂

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. OMG, OMG, Mitch’s parents. OMG, I love them. They are a riot. OMG, hold on. I have to catch my breath. OMG, OMG, @alexwoolfson:disqus, I am dying over here. Did you just conjure my parents over out of thin air? – cackling – They are totally those kind of people. “We know they are bound to have sex, so let’s leave them with all the materials.” (Of course, my mom would be calling from Walgreens, to me, saying, “About what size do you think your boyfriend’s manhood is?” “MOM! HOW WOULD I KNOW?!” HA HA HA.) Hee hee hee.

Oh lordy, do I love Mitch’s parents and we haven’t even met them. OMG, I have to go catch my breath now. The expressions Mitch has while retelling his story are pitch perfect. Oh my Lordy.

Would they call it ‘making whoopee’?

Reminds me of a song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oblSQl45Ro

Nah, they say having sex. My parents are, unfortunately (or fortunately, depending who you are), brutally honest. To a fault. To the point when I was 4 and asked where babies came from I got the real answer, only watered down so a 4 year old could understand.

And when my mom had to explain to my little brother why she couldn’t have kids, she explained she had to have the parts removed (she had cancer). The next day, my brother went to the nun and said, “My mom can’t have kids. She lost her license to have them.” HA HA HA HA HA. My mom still cackles at that memory.

SO reminding me of Jim’s dad from “American Pie”.

I love the expressions Adam drew here too. Just right. 🙂

They are, especially that last panel which is what was making me laugh so hard. I can’t tell you how many times my mom has called me while I was between classes in college asking me about something personal from the store. I could always feel my face going into that expression when someone asked me if I was okay and I would say, “Just my mom.”

I am certain that Mitch has been planning this story and had the punchline all ready to go. 🙂

oh, you ‘poor boy’ you. must be SO HARD ON YOU.

I can just imagine the looks on the servants’ faces when their masters’ told them to buy their son condoms and lube. XD

I’d say *employer and staff.

Master and servants suggest a whole different kind of story situation and power setting 😉

And a song by Depeche Mode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsvfofcIE1Q&spfreload=10

I had a fierce love for that song as a teenager.

And holy cow, that is one of the silliest music videos I’ve ever seen.

It was the 80’s, back when we thought Cartrucks were innovative.

I’m picturing a scene out of Masterpiece Theatre, with male and female servants lined up as the master of the house addresses them: “Now I know I can count on your utmost discretion…”

deadpan and staid. they are paid professionals ya’ know!

That floor must be an absolute BITCH to polish…

We don’t want to know ALL the details. Just the juicy, scandalous stuff will be fine. 😉

And I’m sure that last panel joke about ‘the staff’ attending to Cory’s lube, condoms, and picture book needs inspired a whole SLEW of dirty jokes(for starters).

They could have alien technology for that. 🙂

These parents remind me of Jim’s dad from “American Pie”.

He’s upstairs, helping Porcelain make the bed

{just a random thought that wandered through my mind}

Something about his hair in the last panel just made the rich kid look explode tenfold

Pretty much. The nun had a good laugh over it though.

Tonight (Sunday night) the new season of PREACHER opened with Cassidy the Vampire berating his fellow passengers (Preacher Jesse and Tulip) about conspiracy theories concerning circumcisions and foreskins.
I hope this was a coincidence.

Again, I don’t see why. “This is Cory, he’s living with me because his parents reacted badly to finding out he was gay. He’s telekinetic and need sot learn to use his powers better, I thought he’d make a good addition to the team.”

Even if he explained the brother he doesn’t have to give exact details and nobody’s really going to be surprised that a homeless teen ended up getting shot by criminals.

This page made my day.

Glad to hear it, LM/S. 🙂

I really want to meet his parents, they sound hilarious.

“They had the staff do it”. That is hilarious on so many levels.

“Jeeves, just nip down to the drugstore and pick up some lube and condoms. Oh, and perhaps some safe-sex literature. My son has finally found someone to sleep with and we need to be sure he’s safe. Pick up some pinot noir as well so my wife and I can celebrate”

Granted , this would be something to celebrate…….but wouldn’t a high end Asti Spumante or other bubbly be more for celebrating?

It could have been more like, “my son would like his boyfriend to move in. Please ensure that he has absolutely any supplies that he might possibly want.”

I yield to your greater knowledge. I don’t drink, so I’m lucky if I can name a wine (let alone know which are expensive, high class and celebratory)

Actually, I don’t “DRINK” anymore……except for once a year…..August 30th….one drink in private…..in memory of a close friend who passed away on that day…..my birthday is the following day.

If the Department of Extraordinary Security is ExSec, is that other department InSec? As in Department of Insecurity?

This page makes me ridiculously happy ^_^

🙂

They had the staff do it! Classic!
:}
Lol. The butler did it!
Love it all Alex!

Thank you, William!

Remember, Mitch bullshits Amanda on a daily basis since he’s out doing illegal vigilante stuff all the time and she has no idea. But yes, we’ll wait and see.

“They had the staff do it.”

I suddenly have this rather disturbing image of Ms Roggenbaur striding into an adult book shop and inquiring about brands of lube.

LOL.. I’m not alone. This is the very short written version of a couple comments I made below, but same inner image 😀

I am certain that she will have done research and will be precise in her requirements.

Even if it’s the staff, that’s still pretty cool parents. Maybe not quite as warm as they ought to be but there’s definitely worse.

Edit: If they’re cool, they can’t be warm, right?

I’m going to guess that the hallway to the right side of ExSec’s Lobby leads to a two seminars. One on “Cat Herding” and the other on “Goat Rodeos.”

Also, on that second floor balcony just to the right is a coffee machine that serves Soup Sandwiches, Self-Licking Ice-Cream Cones, and one Tuesday a month, fresh “bag-of-dicks” for those who like real meat in their diet.

So they have a Wonka inspired machine?

The thought that Willie Wonka could conceive of a “Self-licking Lollipop” is disturbing and so very Law and Order S.V.I. creepy.

….well, he did make Eatable Marshmallow Pillows, Lickable Wallpaper, Hot Ice Cream For Cold Days, Cows That Give Chocolate Milk, Square Candies That Look Round…

You must have read the book. I didn’t. I lead a deprived childhood.

Cokernut-Ice Skating Rinks, Toffee-Apple Trees For Planting, Luminous Lollies For Eating In Bed At Night, Cavity-Filling Caramels, Stickjaw For Talkative Parents, Wriggle-Sweets That Wriggle Delightfully In Your Tummy After Swallowing, Invisible Chocolate Bars For Eating In Class, Candy Coated Pencils, Magic Hand-Fudge (when you hold it in your hand you taste it in your mouth)…

Nothing-Burners and Soup Sandwiches ?

Not on the list I could see, but then I just happened to have my poor battered 1988 (Though I don’t think I was reading it that early I was only 5) copy on hand as it is one of my favorite childhood stories, I lost count of how many times I read it by the fourth grade…

I was reading Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, and anything else Sci Fi. But that was in the 60’s – A different time altogether.

I am unsure if I will be sticking around for camping, I missed last camp due to cramps and passing out, and my sleep schedule has been completely wacked, so I might end up passing out shortly….

Well, I already took my one person to the hospital for this evening.

I hope you have a good rest and feel better in the morning.

Well, considering how much sleep I ended up getting the other day I think I might actually also be sick possibly. Though I have been up since 8 am and am just now getting really tired, but then again I slept on and off for 12 hours and then slept from sometime after 11 pm to about 8 30ish in the morning…

I’m having thoughts tonight about the name “ExSec” and its expansion to Department of Extraordinary Security.” It’s a good name. Very 19080’s/90’s… Very J.Edgar Hoover-ish if I think hard enough. Very uptight executive staff meeting “Highest Number One Priority List” with 50 items.
It’s better than Hellboy’s BPRD (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense” whose motto is written in poor-syntax Latin — In Absentia Luci, Tenebrae Vincent — That’s just bad Latin grammar. It’s a schoolboy error. But a name like that is so 1930’s and So old school. ExSec is very modern military. I’ll bet it was the brainstorm of a dozen Adjutant Generals and their Chiefs of staff at the end of a meeting that ran well past lunch time and only stopped for High Tea.

y’all are going to love page two

The new page is (talkatively) UP and running wild

http://webcomics.yaoi911.com/typ/ete-coda-page-2/

That is the second most funny thing i’ve heard parents do

Progressive! Nice.

God, I can’t stop laughing. I NEED to meet Mitch’s parents now. And know more about The Staff, but mostly meet his parents.