Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you have a lot to look forward to in 2022. This isn't a particularly commemorative illustration, but it might be the last of these Files from the Stone Society for the foreseeable future. I have a lot of resolutions to catch up on, including (hopefully) a new comic to begin on the horizon.

Let's just remember to keep trying our best, and to keep taking precautions. Make sure you're vaccinated and masking wherever it's convenient, avoid big gatherings if possible, make a habit of doing what you can to mitigate climate change, be aware of current events, maybe give to charity now and then, and be kind and loving and respectful even when it's hard. Every one of those chances we take makes the future just slightly brighter.

All my best wishes to you and yours.

- Joe

From the writings of Stan Stone, noted Lepologist (date unknown):

The resident Vorpal Pook of the Wooden Castle, Khazandra’s personal minion, Black Betty is notorious for her fearsome powers, her lasciviousness, her loyalty, and her mischievous, maniacal mien. She appears to be immeasurably satisfied in her station, perhaps more content than many members of her race ever manage to become.

However, some tell a tale (really, more of an anecdote) that when the newborn Lady Clarity arrived in the Pointed House Khazandra asked her lieutenant if she could be less horribly frightful in the company of her child, and also consider wearing pants, or at the very least some sort of underwear. As the story goes, Betty fell into a terrible sulk, and proceeded to manifest a completely exaggerated overmodest ensemble to express her displeasure with the request.

“There, now. Nobody can see anything! Are you happy? I’ll just stay like this, and nobody has to see my awful body, ever!!”

How long the tiff lasted is unknown. Some say a week, others a month. Given the privacy of affairs within the Wooden Castle, it’s far from certain that any such event took place, or how it was resolved, or even whether or not Betty’s exhibitionist tendencies were truly the root of the issue.

The one who told me this story (speaking on condition of anonymity) had their own opinion, and surmised that the minion and her mistress grew closer to one another when they realized that Betty was simply jealous of the baby.

hmmmm i think it can be even more fun to have to navigate the many various fasteners and layers to find the nice surprises inside

Poor Betty, she just wants everyone to see her vagina but apparently that's inappropriate or something.

The bun is not happy with the dress.

So she conjured that herself? From the look on her face I'd originally thought she'd had to be locked into it.

I mean, the chain across the front did suggest that...