WBFH23: pages 19~22 + sketches. (Patreon)

Lars' top priority is, and will always be, to protect Axel. Does Axel deserve it? No. Does Lars deserve better? Well, that's up for discussion ( ' v ' ;;; In my opinion he is not a good person and he's done enough harm (if he had not been distracted he would have killed Ragnar and Yule), so I personally think he doesn't necessarily deserve better. Besides, loving someone like Axel is his choice, because it's not like Axel hides his true face and Lars is unaware of it. He sees, he knows and he still chooses him.

When I created Axel and Lars I wanted to make a couple with toxicity and a certain amount of evil, but who loved each other nonetheless. I don't think the fact they love each other redeems them in any way though. Being capable of loving is not enough to be a good person if you can also be a monster to other people. But I also don't think that being a monster makes you unable to love sincerely. I think the human condition is very complex (I know they're technically animals 😂).

As for Skye, he's shocked. You know like when you wake up from a horrible nightmare and you need some time to process that what was stressing the hell out of you bare minutes ago should no longer concern you because it wasn't real? He's in that kind of state.