Obviously, Dabbler should run this up the chain of command. As a “civilian specialist,” there is surely a hierarchy she’s supposed to answer to, or there would be if Archon, and Arc-SWAT specifically was the size of a single company. As it stands now, I’m not sure they even qualify as a platoon. (For the non-military types (myself included) a squad is 7-14 troops, a platoon is 3-4 squads, and a company is 2-4 platoons. The exact numbers vary a lot depending on which military and which branch you ask.) But since Arc-SWAT is so small, really she only answers to Maxima, and that’s really only when Max feels like it’s worth taking her to task. Maxima is a wildly, unrealistically permissive commander, and the only way it works as well as it does is because I don’t like writing about the sort of baggage the typical “TV Drama” character has. You know, the police captain only got his position because he grew up best buds with the guy who became the lead gangster of their city, the sergeant is secretly hooked on laudanum, this detective is using a network of unapproved C.I.’s, that one is dating a defense attorney, this one is in a love pentangle… Stuff like that.

Basically nearly everyone at Archon is there because they’re mostly good people who like their jobs and do them. I know it’s not terribly realistic, but I’m writing a funny webcomic, not a super powered spin-off of The Wire. Actually, I guess that’d just be “The Boys,” wouldn’t it?

So, Dabbler in on board. There may be consequences. I guess Sydney finally found something to spend her rich person money on. Heh, I realize I wrote on that page Sydney saying “I’ve gotten used to my fancy new lifestyle,” but she hasn’t changed her lifestyle at all. She’s still driving the same Honda Element I think I’ve put in the comic all of one time. She’s still in that same apartment. The biggest change, besides her job, is the comic shop has moved to much nicer digs, from a strip mall to a repurposed church. (Which is modeled almost exactly after the one my parents dragged us to every Sunday until I went to college. I mean, why make up a different layout that I would undoubtedly accidentally change every time I drew it?) She probably hasn’t even upgraded her internet or anything like that because she’s only spends a few nights a week at her apartment any more.

Dabbler probably shouldn’t wear lavender. It’s odd, actually. Exotically skinned characters are slightly limited in what colors they can wear, because if your skin has a strong primary tone, there are some colors that conflict with it pretty dramatically. Whereas most human skintones… aren’t really a color. I mean, they are, of course, but they’re not bold, saturated colors that clash easily. Obviously, no one should wear something like a lose top that goes halfway down their butt, and then skintight leggings that are the exact color as their skin tone. But that applies to any skin tone, not just a white, brown or black person. Although, seeing a woman with especially dark skin wearing “Caucasian” leggings has definitely made me do a double take a few times. But that’s about something messing with expectations out of the corner of your eye, not about color clashes.

These are some of the things I think about when I’m picking colors for Dabbler and Cora and Altus’s clothes. I guess Sylv too, though he’s a less saturated green, and the clashes usually happen at the more saturated end of the spectrum.

Sexy bodymod news lady Gail has a special one-on-one interview with Tournament Quarter finalist Saraviah Nightwing! And if you subscribe to Gail’s Space Patreon, (which, due to the vagaries of Earth and Gal-Net’s DNS servers, happens to be the same as the Grrl Power Patreon, go figure) you can see that same interview in the nude! Well, eventually. The nude part of the interview, as well as the version that includes shading will be coming soon. Of course, you can view the interview in the nude now if you take your own clothes off. You know. Technically. Just put a towel on your chair first.

Double res version will be posted over at Patreon. Feel free to contribute as much as you like.