#did y'all know that i have never stopped being sad about matoro. not once. i used to write so much angst fic in college about him and nuju

[magicalgirlartist]

[ID: 5 comic pages, mostly of the same 2 humanized Bionicle characters (Jaller and Matoro) talking in a cave. Full ID is in alt text and under the cut.]

I am never not thinking about Matoro and Nuju. I've been obsessed with them for years. He was a TRANSLATOR.

Anyway this was some comic practice that got out of hand. I love to draw Blorbo Angst

[Commissions open!]

(please don't tag this with Mat*ro/N*ju ships please)

Jaller lies awake between a sleeping Hahli and Kongu, looking up at the ceiling when he hears Matoro crying. Sitting up, he asks "Matoro?" and Matoro responds "Oh, Jaller…" wiping his face. We see Jaller sitting up as Matoro asks "Did I wake you? I'm sorry…" from off panel, but Jaller replies "No, it's fine. Couldn't sleep." Matoro sits up and wipes his face, saying "Ah, yeah, I get it. It's hard to sleep at a time like this." We then see Kongu and Nuparu cuddling together, with Kongu curled into Nuparu's side and Nuparu with his mouth open and drooling. From off panel, Jaller says "I don't know, Nuparu seems like he's doing fine." Matoro says "Nuparu can sleep anywhere." and Jaller replies "That's true."

Matoro, sitting up, looks at us and grips his blanket tighter as Jaller off panel asks "Matoro, what's wrong?" They move to sit against the cave wall, a little away from the rest of the group. Jaller looks at Matoro with concern while Matoro looks away sadly. Matoro sighs and says "It's Turaga Nuju."

Jaller asks Matoro "What about him? I know you two are close, but--" before tears come to Matoro's eyes and Jaller panics, leaning forward and saying "W-wait, don't cry, I'm sorry--" We then see a greyed out flashback panel of Matoro talking to Turaga Nuju, smiling and holding a clay tablet in Ko-Koro while Nuju holds a hand to his chin thoughtfully. Matoro says "He's not just my Turaga, Jaller. I'm his right hand. His translator, his assistant, his confidant. His friend." We get a closeup of Matoro's mouth, saying "I didn't even--" before cutting himself off, and then a greyed out shot of Nuju from behind, while Matoro says "I didn't even say goodbye..."

Back in the cave, Matoro clutches at his pant legs and starts tearing up again, saying "And out here...without even Takanuva...I--I just c-can't help but wonder...what if I never see--" before Jaller puts a hand on his shoulder, cutting him off with "Matoro." From the front, we see Jaller holding Matoro's shoulder and leaning towards him, looking determined and saying "You will see Turaga Nuju again." while Matoro looks up at him, crying. Jaller says, "We can't give up now. We will find the Toa Nuva." Matoro cries as Jaller continues "We will save the Great Spirit."

Jaller hugs Matoro, who buries his face in his shoulder to cry as Jaller says "We will make it home. And you will see Turaga Nuju again." The rest of the page is taken up by one large panel of Nuju and Jaller in Ko-Metru. Nuju is turned away from the viewer so we can't see his face, shaking, and Jaller is in his Mahri armor, hunched in on himself slightly and holding one arm, looking up at Nuju. Above them is Jaller saying the words "I promise."