Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · 3d

See, honestly, more of us should have this perspective LOL. Birthdays are days of worship!!!

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · 3d

Yeah, but sometimes he exudes it more than others! The sunglasses just add more rizz to an already charismatic dude!

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · 3d

Does anyone ACTUALLY enjoy it when people sing the song, though?

Labyrinth
Page 2.88: Lost Time
slumbertowncomic.com/comic/page-2...

#webcomics #comics #furryart #spiderforest

Boone gasps dramatically: "WHAAAAAAAT???" The scene pans to a birthday table where he's putting a birthday hat on Echo's head while she stands in front of a cake with strawberries and blueberries. Romy is deep in thought and Lester is drinking and laughing in the background. Boone: "Well, maybe we oughta change that!" Echo: "No. No, we don't." Boone: "How come? Is it 'cuz you don't like when people sing the song?" Echo: "No, it's just -"

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · 4d

Romy starts to see a pattern! All the constellations in the cave... match up to astrology signs! Each astrology sign... corresponds to an element? And maybe those things... could also pertain to the four adventurers?!

Everyone: Your birthdays, please!

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Another flashback bubble displays Romy back home in New Bork, in their striped sweater, watching stars out a telescope from their basement window, behind a gate and other passersby. Romy: "Yeah. It was. IS." Echo points to something off-screen, motioning Romy back to the present. "So how about it? Can you identify this one?" Romy looks over with a "!!!". She points to a constellation on the wall - the one that Echo directed her to. "Actually... that's Pisces. That's the constellation. And my sign in astrology too!" The camera pans to a couple different constellations on the wall, with Romy identifying those as well. "And over there... Leo. And Gemini!" A lightbulb appears over their head, and they put their paw to their chin while thinking, 'Huh... !'. Romy sneaks up from behind Boone, shyly. Boone is standing directly underneath the hole in the ceiling, the sun streaming down on him while he adjusts his sunglasses over his eyes. Romy: "Uh, Boone? When's your birthday?" Boone: "My birthday? April 11th. Why?" Romy walks off, deep in thought. "Oh. You're a Sun Aries." Boone cranes his neck sideways. "I'm a what now?"

Lester appears opposite to the sideways Boone, also sideways, smacking Boone in the side of the head. Les: "Well, a'int you special. Mine's June 23rd. Thanks fer askin'!" Boone: "Hey... !" Romy gazes at another constellation on the wall. 'June 23rd. Cancer.' Romy, deep in thought and with stars in their eyes, ponders the connection between the signs and the elements. Boone is matched up to Aries, a flame, Lester and Romy to Cancer and Pisces in a flowing river, followed by the other symbol belonging to Scorpio. Romy: 'Aries is... a fire sign, I think? I know Cancer is water. And me - I'm a Pisces! That's a water sign too. Which leaves one more..." Romy addresses Echo, paws in her pockets, eyes averted, "What about you, Echo?" Echo, busy observing something, "Hm?" Romy: "Your birthday?" Echo's eyes widen suddenly. "Oh, I -" The camera pans, showing Echo from behind, so we can't see her expression. "I don't... really celebrate my birthday, Romy."

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · 4d

Solving a riddle in a cave puzzle should be easier to do in a dreamworld, in retrospect. How much of that puzzle are you solving, and how much of it are you creating? You gotta make stuff up, at least a little bit.

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Romy and Echo walk to a stone slab atop a few stone stairs. The shrine is shaped like a sun with two horns (like the Aries symbol) sticking up from the top. The slab says "Una flama, tres rioz". A flame symbol is inscribed with three river symbols surrounding it. Romy: "It's some kinda message. But just in symbols. And Spanish, maybe?" Echo steps in front of the slab and counts with her fingers. "Una. Tres. I don't know a ton of Spanish, but I think it's just coinciding with the symbols. One flame. Three... rivers?" She looks at Romy in a disoriented daze, while Romy looks at her in concern. Echo: "Heh. Not bad. I'd say that's fairly simple, as far as cave riddles go."

Lester interjects, while Boone flips quickly through his Iowa Joan comic book. Les: "Riddles?! Well ain't that a buncha baloney!" Boone, hunched into his comic book: "I mean, it tracks. Most dungeons have puzzles before you reach the final boss. In 'Issue 19'..." Lester: "Oh, can it. Your comics are baloney too." Boone jabs him in the chest, looking very offended, "YOU TAKE THAT BACK!". Romy looks up at the hole in the ceiling from where they fell, up at the sun, "But a riddle? Here? Where we just broke through the ceiling?" She rubs her arm uncertainly, while the shadow of Janus's silhouette is seen ominously behind her. "How do we know someone's actually been down here before?" Boone clasps Romy's shoulder and waves his arm in the air, while a cloudy dreamy backdrop with rainbows and bubbles surround them. "Romy. Buddy. We are in the bowels of wonderous whimsical dreamland!" Echo slides in from the side of the page, "... presumably." Boone, excitedly, "RIGHT! Nothing here ever makes sense!" Echo, coolly, "No? It's means anything makes sense." Boone, irate, "That's what I mean! NON-sense!"

Romy facepalms. "... I'm so confused." Echo consoles her. "Yeah - sorry. Boone's words can have that effect on people." Boone leans in with his ear perked. "Hold up. ME? MY words? You're the one who's always turning my words around. And making my sense make less sense!" Echo and Boone stand behind a spacey, starry background with their backs toward each other. Echo is palming herself on the forehead while Boone grumpily crosses his arms. The Scorpio constellation is seen behind Echo, the Aries constellation behind Boone. Echo: "Alright, whatever. Boone and I tend to disagree about the way things work here. But we do have one thing in common..." Echo gives a toothy grin, her glasses glistening. "CONFIDENCE." Echo is seen sitting on the cave floor with a half-lidded smile, as Boone leans his cheek against hers from over his shoulder, going "HMPH." Echo: "You gotta make sense of things your own way. Even if it doesn't make sense to anyone else." Romy nervously twiddles her fingers. "Y-you mean I'm supposed to... make things up?" Boone: "... when you put it that way..." They both look at Romy with a grin. Echo: "Yeah. Pretty much."

Romy looks down sadly. "That's... easy for you guys. But I'm bad at lying. And I'm not confident at all..." Boone urges Romy gently, clasping his tummy in his hooves. "It's not lying, kid. It's followin' your gut. And stickin' to it!" He gestures with his head back to the stone slab with the riddle on it. "Take this riddle. Fire, rivers... don't see anything like that down here. Is there anything else in this cave you can see?" Romy turns her head back up. "Well, there's..." She looks up at the constellations on the walls, while Boone smiles from afar. "Stars." Echo holds a cup of coffee, standing against a flashback from Book 1 of Romy and herself standing underneath the starry night sky, Romy explaining something excitedly to Echo while Boone watches from his apartment deck with his pajamas on. This is in reference to the Book 1 scene where Romy enthusiastically imparts their love for astronomy on Echo. Echo: "Rather convenient for YOU, I'd say. Wasn't that a big interest of yours back home. Charting stars?"

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · 4d

Yeah, they're what I like to call his "Mr. Cool" glasses. He wears them when he wants to be Mr. Cool.

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · 10d

Echo reveals a tragic truth.

Labyrinth
Page 2.87: In Their Element
slumbertowncomic.com/comic/page-2...

#webcomics #comics #spiderforest #furryart

Echo with her back turned to a shocked Romy: "I don't... really celebrate my birthday, Romy."

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · 17d

Romy wants to know what your birthday is… no reason, just curious!

Labyrinth
Page 2.86: Sundates
slumbertowncomic.com/comic/page-2...

#webcomics #comics #furryart #spiderforest

Boone poses under the sun while adjusting his sunglasses on his face. Romy approaches shyly from behind. Romy: "Uh, Boone? When's your birthday?" Boone: "My birthday? April 11th. Why?"

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · 24d

It's taking Romy some time to adjust, and luckily, Boone and Echo are very supporting and patient with her! But it's also up to Romy to take some steps of bravado on her own.

Now that she's been eased in a bit... let's see if she can handle solving this puzzle on her own. And in her own way!

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · 24d

Feigning confidence isn't lying, it's just... uh... learning to own it!

Labyrinth
Page 2.85: Confidence Boost
slumbertowncomic.com/comic/page-2...

#webcomics #comics #furryart #spiderforest

Boone gently cradling his stomach while speaking directly to Romy: "It's not lying, kid. It's followin' your gut. And stickin' to it!"

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Sep 8

And today we bow our heads and thank the newest patron, Christopher Cook, for supporting the comic. THANK YOUUUUUU AAAAAAAAAHHH, you guys really do so much to help keep the SlumberTown cogs a-turnin'! ❤️

SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Sep 8

Boone and Echo have different perspectives, but the same spunk... and the same advice for their pal!

Labyrinth
Page 2.84: Astral Projections:
slumbertowncomic.com/comic/page-2...

#webcomics #comics #furryart #spiderforest

Boone leans against Echo, thoughtful, while Echo stares blankly into the distance (glasses shrouded). Boone: ".... when you put it that way..." Echo and Boone both smile, and Echo finishes: "Yeah. Pretty much."

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Sep 8

Boone and Echo have different perspectives, but the same spunk... and the same advice for their pal!

Labyrinth
Page 2.84: Astral Projections:
slumbertowncomic.com/comic/page-2...

#webcomics #comics #furryart #spiderforest

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Sep 4

Lester "found" a cave! But are they falling up or down? There's more stars down here than there were up there!

Will they find a path forward? Or backward? Maybe both???

#webcomics #comics #furryart #spiderforest

Romy, Boone and Echo all look down in silent shock. They approach the hole Lester fell through, which leads down a huge rocky cliff. As Lester lays in a painful position on the ground, Echo calls down, "Uhh. Lester? You good?"

We shift to a birds-eye perspective above the hole where Romy, Boone and Echo are gazing down at Lester below. Lester angrily retorts, "Bloody carrion! What'z it look like?!" Romy winces and thinks to themself, 'He's alive, I guess... we should probably pull him up.' They turn to Boone and ask, "D-didn't you pack a rope?" Boone starts pulling his backpack off his shoulder: "Right! Yeah! Lemme just -" Echo holds up her hands nervously and says "W A I T. Stop. Moving." The ground is shown cracking underneath their feet. Boone tries to run away in a panic. "HAYSTACKS!!! We gotta dip!" Echo grabs a fistful of his jacket to stop him. "No, Boone. STAY. I explicitly said -"

There's a loud crash as the trio falls through the expanding hole in the ground, with Romy yelling "ARF!". An establishing shot displays all three of them falling down the hole above Lester, who is slowly starting to recover and get back up. Before he can, Romy lands on him with a SPLAT!, Echo lands on top of both of them with a SQUASH!, then Boone slams down on the pile with a huge SPLOOOOOT, knocking the wind out of Lester from the very bottom.

Boone taps his chin and looks up innocently. "Baa? Guess we found a way in." He gets up to stretch and crack his bones, giggling, while Lester fumes silently behind him. "And the fall wasn't as bad as I expected either! Hehe!" Romy rubs their face in winced pain. "Oooongh..." 'What is this place?' A large establishing shot shows a wide cavern with saturated blue and orange lighting, constellations etched on the walls, and stalagmites hanging from the ceiling and floor. Boone is still stretching, Lester is hunched over picking up his beer bottle, and Romy and Echo are standing and falling the opposite wall. Romy: "It... looks like another dead end." Echo: "Unlikely. There's ALWAYS a path forward in Slumber." Echo looks over confidently to a less confident Romy. "Take a closer look. See anything that sticks out to you?" The camera pans to Romy's other side, where they catch sight of a stone tablet with giant ram horns like the Aries symbol. Romy: "Hum."

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Sep 2

Fiction may be closer to reality than you’d think… in Slumber they’re one and the same!

Labyrinth
Page 2.83: Wonderous Whimsical Dreamland
slumbertowncomic.com/comic/page-2...

#webcomics #comics #furryart #spiderforest

Boone is reading an Iowa Joan comic book while Lester looks on unamused. Boone: "I mean, it tracks. Most dungeons have puzzles before you reach the final boss. In 'Issue 19'...' Les: "Oh, can it. Your comics are baloney too." Boone gets upset and jabs a finger at Les while a tear hangs from his eye. "YOU TAKE THAT BACK!!!"

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Aug 25

It is but a simple cave riddle. ¿En Español?

Labyrinth
Page 2.82: Una y Tres:
slumbertowncomic.com/comic/page-2...

#webcomics #furryart #comics #spiderforest

Romy and Echo look at a stone with Spanish words carved into it (una flama, tres rioz). Echo: "Heh. Not Bad. I'd say that's fairly simple, as far as cave riddles go." Romy: "?!"

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Aug 18

If there’s no path forward, you might just have to make one!

Labyrinth
Page 2.81: A Path Forward
slumbertowncomic.com/comic/page-2...

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Romy, Echo, Boone and Lester all stand around, looking around at the cave they fell into with stars etched into the walls. Boone stretches and Lester picks up his bottle. Romy: "It... looks like another dead end." Echo: "Unlikely. There's always a path forward in Slumber."

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Aug 11

Love it when folks notice that stuff and point it out. Definitely not the first time Boone's climbed onto a cloud! He seems to do that a lot. 😄

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Aug 11

Haha! Paws so tiny from above!

SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Aug 11

How many falls can Lester break?

Labyrinth
Page 2.80: Splat!
slumbertowncomic.com/comic/page-2...

#webcomics #comics #furryart #spiderforest

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Aug 4

Oh wow, Romy's face is turning "redd". That's red with two ds. That's some DEEP red going on.

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Aug 4

July's been quite a month!

Previously on SlumberTown: Romy and Echo ascend the mountain. Echo's still kinda loopy, and Romy's face is getting redd. That hot desert sun is certainly taking its toll on our adventurers... hopefully they remember to hydrate!

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Romy and Echo are both blushing, as Romy adverts her eyes away awkwardly.Romy: "..... okay." She looks at Echo's blushing face, trying to interpret the situation in her head. 'Okay?! Is she okay?' Visuals depict Romy posing within bubbles, shrugging and slouching dejectedly in her confusion and anxiety - Romy herself, meanwhile, twiddles her thumbs while deep in thought. 'It kindaaaaa feels like she's not? But why wouldn't she say so? I don't wanna seem like I'm awkwardly prying... and I'm probably making her feel awkward just asking!' Romy embarks on a straight path with Echo following behind - there are many paths and signs with arrows (and Spanish words saying 'here' 'there' 'everywhere' and 'nowhere'), making it rather unclear where they should be going. Romy: "I'm... looking for a path." Echo: "A path?" Romy: "Or maybe a sign. About where we're supposed to be going." Echo adjusts her glasses: "I've been seeing stars." Romy looks back at her, incredibly concerned, "Huh? Because you hit your head?" Echo laughs awkwardly and points to something off screen, while Romy peers over from behind. "Ahaha... noooo, I mean - LOOK."

Echo and Romy's shadows look down upon a rock face, where glowing stars and constellations are etched on the surface. Romy gasps excitedly, eyes forming into stars: "*gasp* STARS!!!" She tilts her head inquisitively. "Linked together like constellations... but not constellations I recognize." Echo, casually, "They're more like a path, I've noticed." She then puts her hand to her aching head, appearing to struggle still with her concussion, "We could try to follow the stars. See where they lead or... something or other..." Romy reacts in an epiphany of sorts, her hat comically bouncing off her head in shock and awe. "FOLLOW THE STARS. Like the voice said. I get it now!!!" Echo squints, confused: "Whuh..." Romy sweats nervously, "N-nothing. Sorry!" She clenches her fists in excitement, turning to Echo with starry-eyed vigor. "I just - I have a REALLY good feeling you're right, Echo! Let's follow them!!"

Echo puts a hand on Romy's shoulder in teasing amusement, and Romy glances back with a bit more of a shy and humbled look. Echo: Well, someone's enthusiastic. Alright, silly pooch. Why don't you lead?" There's a large establishing shot of Romy and Echo ascending a path up a giant mountain hill, following the constellations on the rocks from the bottom of the page. Lester can be seen somewhere halfway up the mountain, lying down and splayed over a rock while guzzling alcohol. Boone can be seen at the very top, perched atop a cloud above the mountain's peak, and searching around with a concentrated look. Romy and Echo converse back and forth as they make their way up. Romy, shyly: "Y-you think I'm silly?" Echo, grinning: "Uh huh. In a cute way." Romy blushes, shocked and embarrassed, "CUTE?!" Echo, unbothered: "It's a compliment. Try not to get sidetracked." Romy, still blushing, and clearly struggling to hold it together, "Don't worry, I'm not! HAH!!!" Echo, teasingly: "Really? Because your face is so red, it's a bit hard to tell."

Romy is trying to cover her blushing face with her paws, still walking ahead. 'Focused... stay focused!' Her paws push forward. 'The stars... the path..." A voice off screen catches her attention. "Oh, hey Rom-ster." Boone is seen in front of Romy, leaning down and offering her a bottle of water. "Your face is pretty red. Are you staying hydrated?" Romy, still blushing madly: "NO - I mean YES! I mean -" She pulls the bottle to her face, still blushing, albeit timidly. "Did we hit a dead end?" The four adventurers are seen silhouetted from atop a flat peak, with no path in sight. Boone: "Maaaaaaybe. Haven't seen a single entrance so far." He continues speaking to Romy and Echo, while Lester nonchalantly lumbers off behind him. Boone lifts his foot and points to it: "It's weird. These rock formations feel a bit hollow underhoof. So there must be a cave somewhere around here." He pauses with a finger to his chin, in deeper thought. Lester stands off in the distance, the ground cracking underneath his feet. Boone, unaware: "We just gotta find a way to get in -" Lester falls through the ground with a loud "GAHUHU?!", and Boone's ear lifts, pupils moving toward the direction of the sound. "... side."

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Aug 4

Also, huge thanks to a new patron this month! Shout out to Pomegranite this week!!! ❤️

SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Aug 4

Topple one domino, and the rest follow…

Labyrinth
Page 2.79: Cracked
slumbertowncomic.com/comic/page-2...

#webcomics #comics #furryart #spiderforest

The ground cracks. Boone gets spooked and tries to take off running, but Echo grabs his arm. Boone: "HAYSTACKS!!! We gotta dip!" Echo: "No, Boone. STAY. I explicitly said -"

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Aug 4

Topple one domino, and the rest follow…

Labyrinth
Page 2.79: Cracked
slumbertowncomic.com/comic/page-2...

#webcomics #comics #furryart #spiderforest

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Jul 28

Is he dead? Exciting! Read to find out!

Labyrinth
Page 2.78: Downer Below
slumbertowncomic.com/comic/page-2...

#webcomics #comics #furryart #spiderforest

Romy, Boone and Echo all look over in silent shock, then peer down a hole while Echo asks, "Uhh. Lester? You good?"

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SlumberTown 🌵⭐ @slumbertown.bsky.social · Jul 21

Oh no! A dead end! (… or is it?)

Labyrinth
Page 2.77: Dead End

slumbertowncomic.com/comic/page-2...

#comics #webcomics #spiderforest

Two panels where Boone is thinking to himself out loud in real time, while Lester stands nonchalantly at a short distance behind him. As Boone is talking, Lester suddenly falls through the cracks in the rock below. Boone: "We just gotta find a way to get in - ... side."

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