‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍THE ORCHESTRA GROWS.

‍‍‍
✱ A peal of shrill laughter echoes
from nowhere and everywhere,
behind and ahead, inside and
out, all at once.

DON'T COUNT YOUR
‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍EGGS
‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍BEFORE THEY'VE

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ CRACKED.
‍‍‍

A BROKEN TOY
‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍CAN'T ALWAYS BE
‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍REPAIRED.

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍CAN YOU?

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍I'LL SAY.

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍YOU'RE FINALLY
‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍FALLING APART!

‍‍‍HE HE HA HA HA!

IS
‍‍‍SOMETHING
‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍WRONG?

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍WELL, WELL, WELL.

‍‍‍ISN'T THAT QUITE
‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍THE SHAME?

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍. . . COLLATERAL DAMAGE!

‍‍‍

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍YES.

‍‍‍

‍‍‍TAKE A LOOK
‍‍‍ ‍‍‍AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍AND KNOW

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍THAT YOU CAN

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍NEVER

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ FIX IT

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍A NEVERENDING

‍‍‍SYMPHONY
‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍OF SILENCE.

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍WHAT A SHOW!

HE HE HE .

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍A REFLECTION
‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍OF PERFECTION ?

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍TWO NOTES
‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍PLAYED IN

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍SUCCESSION .

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍VERY

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍VERY

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍INTERESTING.

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍OF COURSE!

‍‍‍

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍THAT'S MORE LIKE IT.

‍‍‍

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍OH, DON'T BE LIKE THAT.

‍‍‍LET'S SEE A
‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍SMILE!

various doodles of IMAGE_FRIEND.

] unauthorized fucking FRIENDs . admittedly very much inspired by @pointedtail.bsky.social's portrayal

HE HE HE.

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍HAVE FUN.

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍OF COURSE!
‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍YOUR OWN LITTLE

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍FREEDOM.

✱ The shadows smile up at you
gleefully. Its eyes glitter with
nothing but joy.

✱ The shadows shift. Around, and
around, and around your legs
they curl. Until they lift, rubbing
against your hand much like an
affectionate cat. And something
is left behind.

✱ Something like glass.

✱ Something
‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ dark.

✱ It grins wide. Its eyes are like
saucers, glowing upon her.

✱ The creature's tail undulates,
weaving closer, ever so slowly.

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍DIDN'T I TELL YOU?

‍‍‍THIS IS NO WAY TO GREET
‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍AN OLD FRIEND.

I HAVE A GIFT

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍FOR

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍YOU.

‍‍‍

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍HAVEN'T WE MUCH IN
COMMON?

‍‍‍

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍THE SMILE

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍SAYS IT ALL!

‍‍‍SO TOO

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍DO YOU.

‍‍‍

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍WOULD YOU LIKE TO?

‍‍‍

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍SOMETIMES

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍THE TRUTH
HURTS.

HE HE.

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ISN'T IT?

AH! HA HA HA!

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍I CAN, TOO.

✱ Something creeps up from
behind it. Dark, pointed. Slinking,
slithering through the air quite
like a snake.

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍THERE IS A FREEDOM

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍CAGED IN YOUR HEART.

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍I AIM TO PLEASE,

‍‍‍ ‍‍‍ ‍‍‍YOU KNOW.