If you missed the April's Fool Day update, you can see it here :P
My dear pal and LP-er Myl has just started putting up our playthrough of It Takes Two together here, please feel free to watch if you're interested in watching me be bad at games XD
I hope everyone has a pleasant Easter~ thank you so much for reading SF >3<**)/ I'll aim to update in two weeks again!
Sorry guys, I've missed this update by an ile ^-^;;; it's going to take me a bit to work on it due to new settings I need to illustrate. I'll aim for this weekend!
Hey guys, it's with a fairly heavy heart that I am announcing a temporary hiatus until the end of May. I am struggling once again with the exact same issues that plagued me in 2019, and it's not a comfortable sense of déjà vu. I'm stuck between a motivational drain that pays my bills, or a freer and happier schedule that results in debt. I want to find some kind of compromise but I don't know what to do, and it's making me kinda sorta miserable >->;;; so I'm taking a break to try and sort myself out. Sorry guys to keep doing this! orz
Ho boy, where do I begin? Uhmmm, life threw a huge curveball at me, folks, and I'm now out of town after an extremely rushed set of arrangements. Not for fun, I assure you; with test results, quarantine measures, not-my-usual-computer at hand and all that comes with international travel in this day and age, this whole experience has so far been a big ol' pain. I'm not sure where to even begin but at any rate, the hiatus will see an extension into June - but this could be a good thing for SF in the long-run, because this curveball will solve a few issues that were hanging over my head in all uncertainty. That said, I'm still reluctant about work, and I'm still not 100% how I'll get things to work out in a decent compromise, but quarantine seems like a good time to get my head in the thinking game about all that.
So! Kindly accept my deepest apologies for the continued hiatus but please know that I'm always thinking about how to get back in the saddle properly. I'm still here! >.<*)9
Hey everyone! First, please let me apologise for the incredibly long silence here on my part. I will absolutely get to responding to all your very kind comments.
But before I do, I wanted to let people know what's happening since we're now mid-July and I haven't updated since April.
I'm finally back in town and out of quarantine, and though I had several social obligations to uphold almost immediately upon my return I have fulfilled my duties there and must now turn my attention once again to the situation regarding my employment.
So, I might have talked about this whole work thing a bunch of times before. But something has changed. Without going into too much detail, I was given a choice: swallow my self-respect and take on a full-time position that gives me some level of financial security, or believe I'm worth more than that and decline the offer.
It's a big risk for me to take, but I think I'm willing to take a leap of faith and turn down the offer with all the dignity I can muster, and hope I find something else.
In the meantime, though, that will free me up to work on my own personal projects, so... that's good news! :P It'll take me a little bit longer to get myself sorted, but hopefully not too much longer. I beg for your kind patience, everyone. I miss art, and comic-ing, and all my dear readers. T_T*
Thanks for reading this note and for just being here and being so darn kind, everyone, it really means so much to me ;-;*
Hey guys, ComicFury is undergoing a major server shift within the next 24 hours if all goes to plan. This may mean being unable to post comments for a while (read-only mode) for SF, as well as some actual website downtime for a few hours as everything gets shifted over and recalibrated. The server move is a very good thing indeed, so let's all hope it goes without a hitch :D Much love to Kyo, our ComicFury founder and master and 🐊!
Meanwhile, please feel free to hit up the SF community Discord or whatnot for updates or other shenanigans.
I'll be trying to get an update done this week >3<*)9 and will respond to everyone soon! <3 Thank you for reading!!
Okay guys, I'm working on making some good ol' comic buffer for a better brighter future! The next update should go up 27th of August~ see you guys soon! ^-^*
I'm sorry this response is like, four months late :') but a very very belated Happy Easter and holidays megados, lol! Thank you for your kind wishes ^-^*
I, too, have been in that sleep-deprived state where thoughts just half slop around my brain and dribble out in half-formed sentences that take real effort to say XD
I swear Michael gets more and more exhausted with each panel, especially in that April Fools page :,D
A weapons cache... that dude they saved before wouldn't have happened to be... smuggling weapons, now, was he? Because oh man... weapons only make things worse in a conflict, this really isn't great news.
little edit: Just finished watching the two parts for you guys' playthrough and it was wonderfully hilarious XD <3 I love it!
XD deepening dark circles with every panel... by the time this chapter ends he's going to look like a panda :D
I'm really happy you enjoyed the LP btw XD it's really fun! Such a great game and Myl is hilarious. Quite a few parts have come out since April (lol) but we haven't finished it yet. We'll pick it up again soon tho~ :3
Lyn is definitely the type to think more than he speaks XD
Sorry for the four-month-late response, but happy holidays right back atcha mjkj! >3<* and thank you very kindly for your birthday wishes ;v;** <3
The party page definitely needs updating! I should probably think about splitting it up per chapter so I can avoid spoilers for people who haven't caught up to the latest pages >->a...
Nines and Fel are in open conflict at this moment in the story, as they have been for a long, long time. It's the kind of tension that boils up and rears its head into more violent clashes time to time on the border, but mostly just stays at a simmer throughout. The World Guild intervenes quite a bit, hence the Truce Talks, as the conflict affects neighbouring regions as well, but it's a long slog. >.<
I kinda like this dude. I know he's probably just there to deliver some exposition and worldbuilding, but I find him pretty likeable and I kinda hope he sticks around for a while.
Thank you! Whenever I update a April Fool's comic it tends to be not on an update day, so I would just quietly replace the comic image for the day before reverting it back once the 1st of April is over. XD; I'm sneaky like dat hyo hyo hyo
I hope you've been having better luck with sleeping recently ;v;*
Well, my Easter isn't until a month later, but to everyone celebrating: Happy Easter!
@alt text: Hoooooly carp on a stick, don't I know how that feels. Only I've been translating something massive instead of having a conversation, but still. Nearly missed the flippin' deadline because I couldn't continue through the fatigue. Turned out well in the end, but still.
Sooooooooooooo...why can't Cain just "heal" Mike? I mean, if he can revive an almost wouded-to-dead person, why can't he just revive an almost sleepy-to-dead Mike?
That is a fascinating question to consider :O I suppose it puts into question what exactly it means for someone to "heal" another as a cleric in the world of Archaeia, and whether the status of sleep deprivation is a status that can be "healed".
In JRPG terms, I'd couch sleep deprivation not as a status effect, but as a debuff. While a plain "heal" (in the meaning I believe you're referring to) might restore HP, it doesn't negate a debuff.
That said, a heal from Cain might feel nice, at least it'll give you a warm and loved feeling <3 XD but it wouldn't be able to restore Mikey's ability to stay awake, as the lack of sleep has consequences that must be rebalanced through... well, sleep XD;;
It's certainly something interesting to think about, though. Whether there could be a white magic that restores stamina in that sense... 🤔
Seamuffin~~ ;v;* Thank you for catching up!! It was, er, a good time to since I totally took a 500-year break afterwards... orz sorry about this late response ;-;
And so Kylie, and the rest of the party, learn the dark secrets of how to tame a Kijini.
Weapons cache: catnip, laser pointer, frisbee, and tennis balls.
Better get with the sorting, rather than putting it off and paying extra for letting things heap up. You'll find something that pays the bills but doesn't drain you eventually.
And yes, I still say this is progress. You're still talking to us, you're watching out for yourself better than before.
You are absolutely correct of course, A. Moose. >3<* I think I've hit a sort of (?) sweet spot (?) with my current arrangement for now, at least in regards to my work-life balance.
Thank you for being really encouraging even while I was being so AWOL ;v;* I'm glad A/Ns were at least able to let people know I was still kicking around!
Please take care of yourself and especially your mental and physical health and do not force yourself too much - a burnt out Rufi is not a happy Rufi - and not desirable for you and us readers
I really struggled with burn-out in my last job (as everyone probably knows by now) so I'm doing my utmost to try to not repeat the same mistakes. You are already helping so much by being so supportive and kind T_T** Thank you always always!!
Please know that we, here, are more concerned with your wellbeing, than rigid page schedules. You, yourself are much more important. Keep that in mind when you stress over not having a page ready. *hugs*
It's just so dang hard to balance out that discipline with motivation and mental/emotional wellness. OTL Like on one hand I want to have a consistent schedule for the benefit of everyone (including myself) and the longevity of this comic, as well as paying respect to readers. On the other hand I don't want to just shut down completely like I did last time I burnt out on my own schedule OTL;;;
Please take your time, Rufi. Life can be hard and full of stress, and I'm glad you're taking time to find the balance.
Good luck to you, and stay well!
Thank you very much for your kind words, Bico ;v;*
I'm very grateful for people being so understanding about needing to take the time to work on a buffer and just recalibrate in general. I will do my best to stay well so that I can do this comic for a long long time XD
Yanno Crestlinger, you are very right. >->; Sometimes I feel like I've forgotten to just enjoy drawing in and of itself. A part of that may be related to how I tend to view drawing more as a medium for story-telling than anything else, but I do enjoy the occasional doodle. When I let myself actually do it :'D
Hi, Rufi
I'm sorry to hear things aren't lining up properly for you. Thanks for popping in and letting us know. If it means anything, it helps to know you're OK, even if you have less-than-ideal conditions at the moment. Thanks for that.
I want to say here, that you have nothing to apologize for. IN the mean time, stay safe! We'll be here.
Thank you megados T_T* gosh as I'm replying to all of these comments I realise just how kind and supportive you have all been despite my prolonged absence and stream of 'halp' A/Ns :'D *thank you* ;v;** <333
You know, funny thing about the quarantine was that... I think being a couch potato in general, I was okay with it on many levels that I think would have truly horrified others XD but my biggest problem with hotel quarantine was the food was bloody awful. I came well-prepared though, and I lived off cup noodles for most of it :'D
Erennnnnnn ;v;** I am SO excited to see Tamuran updating again, you have no idea! I really do need to do a refresher and read it from the start so I don't miss anything, though XD (I'm sure people feel this way about SF too time to time lol)
Thank you so much for your kind wishes and vibes ;v;** <3
(Re: hiatus wars (??) I think that makes Tamuran's return that much more wonderful XD <3)
You don't have anything to apologize for. Self-respect is a very important thing. In the end, it's the only thing that is truly your own, and you can't have respect from others if you don't have it.
Having said that, it's a courageous decision. Only you know what is best. Thanks for taking the time to share with us. It means a lot!
Honestly I feel like I may be oversharing like Dear Diary details on this very public forum but XD I can't help it, I just want dear readers to know what's going on!
It is very nice of you to say it is courageous T-T** As the days go by, I just feel so much better about not taking the offer. :) I really hope it works out over the long long run!
You really have been here all this time despite the long silences and lack of comic, so thank you so much for just being so wonderfully supportive and letting me know you're still here and checking in... it really means a ton to me. ;v;** I will do my best for all you wonderful readers!!!
Thank you Silent Wolf! ;v;* the latest update should go up in less than 10 minutes from this comment (lol) and I hope I'll be able to stay in the land of the living proper for some time XD (er, in the webcomic world sense... though I suppose I also literally need to be alive for that too)
Sorry Evervigilant for my super belated response, which shows that I'm not very vigilant :'D
The SF Discord link is in the Menu, but I do understand it'd probably be easier if it were out in the open somewhere as a link. Let me think about how I can incorporate that!
I really am glad to have been able to have the time to plan my updates and comic stuff these past few weeks. I'm armed with buffer and hope to keep things smooth sailing for a bit of time ;v;*)/
I hope you enjoy the rest of this chapter - there is a lot of Nemi in it! lol
Mikey is sooo tired. :( Re: Alt text, I've been there, firing on only one or two brain cells. LOL
I, too, have been in that sleep-deprived state where thoughts just half slop around my brain and dribble out in half-formed sentences that take real effort to say XD
A weapons cache... that dude they saved before wouldn't have happened to be... smuggling weapons, now, was he? Because oh man... weapons only make things worse in a conflict, this really isn't great news.
little edit: Just finished watching the two parts for you guys' playthrough and it was wonderfully hilarious XD <3 I love it!
I'm really happy you enjoyed the LP btw XD it's really fun! Such a great game and Myl is hilarious. Quite a few parts have come out since April (lol) but we haven't finished it yet. We'll pick it up again soon tho~ :3
Very perceptive there, Lyn...
@alt text: poor Michael...
@R/N: Happpy holidays
...and happy birthday, Rufi 💗
(PS: I think the Party-page needs updating (Lyn is missing...)... - ...no pressure just a reminder)
Sorry for the four-month-late response, but happy holidays right back atcha mjkj! >3<* and thank you very kindly for your birthday wishes ;v;** <3
The party page definitely needs updating! I should probably think about splitting it up per chapter so I can avoid spoilers for people who haven't caught up to the latest pages >->a...
Love how when reporter doggo asks if the gang has any news, Kylie is all in "negotiation mode".
"What do you got to trade?"
I'm glad you find him likeable! X3 I've enjoyed coming up with his character design~
The author's note about Mikey's braincell's sounded like me when I was have sleeping trouble recently.
I hope you've been having better luck with sleeping recently ;v;*
@alt text: Hoooooly carp on a stick, don't I know how that feels. Only I've been translating something massive instead of having a conversation, but still. Nearly missed the flippin' deadline because I couldn't continue through the fatigue. Turned out well in the end, but still.
Translation can be crazy taxing on the brain and stamina, so good on you making it through and meeting deadline! ><*
In JRPG terms, I'd couch sleep deprivation not as a status effect, but as a debuff. While a plain "heal" (in the meaning I believe you're referring to) might restore HP, it doesn't negate a debuff.
That said, a heal from Cain might feel nice, at least it'll give you a warm and loved feeling <3 XD but it wouldn't be able to restore Mikey's ability to stay awake, as the lack of sleep has consequences that must be rebalanced through... well, sleep XD;;
It's certainly something interesting to think about, though. Whether there could be a white magic that restores stamina in that sense... 🤔
All caught up. <333
It's nice to read this again. :D :D
Weapons cache: catnip, laser pointer, frisbee, and tennis balls.
Thank you for keeping us posted 💗
And yes, I still say this is progress. You're still talking to us, you're watching out for yourself better than before.
Thank you for being really encouraging even while I was being so AWOL ;v;* I'm glad A/Ns were at least able to let people know I was still kicking around!
Please take care of yourself and especially your mental and physical health and do not force yourself too much - a burnt out Rufi is not a happy Rufi - and not desirable for you and us readers
...wishes you the best *many huggus* 💗
PS: if we can help somehow, please let us know...
I really struggled with burn-out in my last job (as everyone probably knows by now) so I'm doing my utmost to try to not repeat the same mistakes. You are already helping so much by being so supportive and kind T_T** Thank you always always!!
It's just so dang hard to balance out that discipline with motivation and mental/emotional wellness. OTL Like on one hand I want to have a consistent schedule for the benefit of everyone (including myself) and the longevity of this comic, as well as paying respect to readers. On the other hand I don't want to just shut down completely like I did last time I burnt out on my own schedule OTL;;;
Good luck to you, and stay well!
I'm very grateful for people being so understanding about needing to take the time to work on a buffer and just recalibrate in general. I will do my best to stay well so that I can do this comic for a long long time XD
I'm sorry to hear things aren't lining up properly for you. Thanks for popping in and letting us know. If it means anything, it helps to know you're OK, even if you have less-than-ideal conditions at the moment. Thanks for that.
I want to say here, that you have nothing to apologize for. IN the mean time, stay safe! We'll be here.
...yeah, travelling is challenging now - hope you stay healthy and survive the quarantine without being bored to death ;)
*many huggus* 💗
(I..still need to reply to old comment replies, I think. I overthink what I want to say, get distracted, and end up never posting. ^^;; )
And if it's any consolation, I think my four-year hiatus beats yours >.>
Thank you so much for your kind wishes and vibes ;v;** <3
(Re: hiatus wars (??) I think that makes Tamuran's return that much more wonderful XD <3)
Having said that, it's a courageous decision. Only you know what is best. Thanks for taking the time to share with us. It means a lot!
Take care and stay safe, Rufi!
It is very nice of you to say it is courageous T-T** As the days go by, I just feel so much better about not taking the offer. :) I really hope it works out over the long long run!
first: welcome back 🤗 💗
...woah, big decision... *cheers Rufi on* you can make it 💗
*many huggus*
You really have been here all this time despite the long silences and lack of comic, so thank you so much for just being so wonderfully supportive and letting me know you're still here and checking in... it really means a ton to me. ;v;** I will do my best for all you wonderful readers!!!
The SF Discord link is in the Menu, but I do understand it'd probably be easier if it were out in the open somewhere as a link. Let me think about how I can incorporate that!
great to hear - and good to have a plan 😉👍
*looking forward to the updates*
*cheers Rufi on*
I hope you enjoy the rest of this chapter - there is a lot of Nemi in it! lol