Even after the crowd left. After the festival wards faded. After the sparkle died. You stood in the same spot, like waiting was the only spell you still remembered.

I tried to walk away. I really did.
But something in the air shifted. Something in you.
Not familiar. Not safe. But… not a threat either. Not yet.

You shouldn't be near my wards.
You shouldn't know my name.
But I've offered you the hollow beneath the willow anyway.

Just for the night.
Just outside.

NOTICE: There is art that goes along with this posted on YouTube. Follow the link below to watch view it.

In this cozy chat I talk about some of the artwork I've been experimenting with lately and the ideas behind a druid character named Tanglez. Over the past couple years my creative process has shifted a lot, and I've been slowly learning more visual art so I can explore the images and symbolism that come to mind when I'm writing stories.

I also touch a bit on past experiences commissioning artwork and why that sometimes felt difficult in such a fast paced creative economy. This isn't meant as criticism toward artists themselves, I have huge respect for the work all creatives do. If anything, it's a reflection on how capitalism often rushes creative work for everyone involved. Learning to make some of my own art has simply been my way of reconnecting with the slower, experimental side of creativity.

Mostly though, this video is just a little ramble about art, storytelling, and ideas that may (or may not!) turn into future audios. Come listen! ♥

Listen here: https://youtu.be/7nd9lOdrKP4

The Arcane Affair promised glamour, illusion, and spectacle, but it was just another over-polished solstice market where magic is sold by the scoop. I came cloaked for a few supplies, unimpressed, and entirely uninterested in the sparkle.

But then I saw you.

You weren't selling. You weren't spellcasting.
You weren't trying to belong in the masses rejoicing in fakery.
And that made you dangerous. Or maybe… familiar.

In a world where sacrifice is commodified and power is a performance, this quiet confrontation might be the most real thing I've felt in years.