This is called "building tension."
Originally, I had given Lyra a very, very softened (almost regretful) expression in the last panel, but my husband took a look at it and made some disapproving noises. "She's a professional," he said, "so she should act like one."
I think when the comic is formatted for print, I'm gonna come back and push that expression even further.
Hey, now's a good time to share some fanart!
Today we have a lovely outfit for Thistle by Miyunori - one of my favorite kinds of fanart to receive - and another Thanksgiving-themed piece by Gloober that I absolutely should have posted on the holiday because of how fantastic all the faces are.
Be sure to also check out the DotL Fanart tag on my Tumblr - there are some really fantastic pieces there and I've been struggling to keep up with all of them!
