ruporas

warning text reads "witch hat atelier spoilers chapter 93 + volume 16". this is the cover page for a 15 page witch hat atelier black and white comic of qifrey and olruggio. qifrey’s back to the viewer, his cape flowing downward, hitting the ground, implying a seated position. olruggio is in front of him, but most of him is not visible to the viewer, only the flow of his capes that surrounds qifrey too. at the center, framing them, is a grey box.ALT
begins with a close up of qifrey's sprouting eye, "oh" thinks olruggio. qifrey, "that's why i couldn't tell you. even if... that was the one thing i desired most." olruggio thinks back to young qifrey wearing his ribbon, "that fuzzy day when our ornaments were exchanged... and the explanation he refused to give me back then... that was when it all began?" they're both sitting on the grass floor, qifrey clutching the fabric of his skirt tightly as olruggio draws forward. olruggio starts, "so, all those times you turned away from me..." qifrey, "... yes." olruggio continues, "all those times you never gave me a direct answer..." qifrey stays quiet, "all those times you didn't let me help you-" olruggio seems to draw in on himself and qifrey interrupts him this time, "olly."ALT
qifrey reaches for olruggio's hand that's pressing against the ground in a fist and as he touches him, there's an abrupt contort of pain, causing qifrey to keel forward in pain. olruggio reaches for him immediately but not touching, "hey!" qifrey has a hand over his eyes, pressed against his forehead as he tells olruggio, "do you get it now? how i've truly always wanted to- everyday, every hour, every second with you...!" olruggio looks back, flushed, shocked, and concerned. "i have no other choice," qifrey continues and olruggio pulls him into a hug, "but i see the doubt on your face and i'm weak to it. despite it all, there are days when i want to take you somewhere quiet and tell you everything. i've always felt this way."ALT
the pair stay in a hug, qifrey going quiet, snug into olruggio's shoulder, before olruggio suddenly slumps forward with a strong and long sigh. qifrey is surprised and when olruggio pulls way, he starts "wh-" to which olruggio cuts him off with, "no, i'm just..." olruggio presses a hand to his forehead, face still flush, eyes unseen to the viewer as he says, "all this time, i was worried 'bout my own stupid feelings... and here you are, wanting the same... but you can't reach for it without risking your own life. i'm sorry, qifrey. i'm the last person who should know the truth 'nd i still pry it out of ya. if i could just be satisfied with having you in my life... maybe it wouldn't be so difficult for you." qifrey holds his own hands together, pressed to his chest, looking at olruggio with a teary eye, face flushed, and brows drawn slightly up, on the verge of all his tears spilling over.ALT
olruggio takes qifrey's face into his hands and the leaves and roots growing from qifrey's eye extends down to his fingers, "but at the end of the day, i'm not that kind of person. i love you and i don't want you to die," olruggio says with a slight nervous smile. qifrey starts to say, "olly-" but olruggio cuts him off, "you don't have to explain any more to me. how many times have you had to? it's painful, isn't it?" qifrey, seeming to know where this is going, says a little more frantically, "olruggio..!" but olruggio continues, "next time, nip it in the bud early. you should cut me off before i can grow too close--" qifrey cuts through, "please!" in the background is their hats laying against the grass, the tassel and ribbon crossing over one another and qifrey's leaves seen against the ground.ALT
a close up of qifrey's face, still cradled by olruggio's hand and olruggio wipes the tear droplets from one of the two remaining leaves. qifrey's eyes are closed, the tears dripping freely, looking sad as he says, "i don't want to hear your ideas..! not for this..." olruggio smiles fondly at him, tears dripping from his eyes too, "yeah. sorry. this moment doesn't need to be bittersweet." he thinks to himself, "it's retracting..." branch shaped silhouettes transitions into the next scene, where qifrey is taking the pin off of his hat and olruggio speaks, entangling his hand with the ribbon and then bowing his head down, "i only say that because... there's a lot i want to confess to you. i don't know if the next me would be able to hold his tongue." qifrey's expression is unreadable as he holds his hat with the revealed spell, "... you've worried of this before... you're still you, olly."ALT
olruggio says, "i can't really doubt it when you say so, huh?" a pause. "then, you can trust me on this. no matter what you do... i'll keep caring for you. where i want to be most... is right by your side. i won't go anywhere. i promise." olruggio is at the center of this circular panel, his ribbon forming the left half of the circle, a border forming the right side. with the spell closed, it pans to a close up of olruggio's expression as he loses consciousness, the small smile dwindling, and he thinks to himself, "it's frustrating. there's only so much i can do... even now." pans to qifrey's hands, grabbing hold of olruggio's back, olruggio's cape flowing out the panel and to the bottom right corner. olruggio's thoughts continue, "hey qifrey. i wanted to say, i've been scared that you may no longer need me."ALT
to the left of the page, the two sit entangled together, but only the fabric of their capes can be seen. to the right of the page is qifrey's cap, the spell burnt off, and the ribbon flowing downward. olruggio's thoughts continue, "i thought i messed up somehow in the many years of our friendship... that at some point, you began to believe bearing it alone was better than letting me in. and as we stayed together in this atelier with the girls... i'd be waiting and waiting and waiting... for the day you'd decide to part. i wanted to say i was relieved. i wanted to say i could think of something to save you right away. but from your grievous confession, i knew there was nothing new i haven't tried. i can only be grateful that this isn't the end. there's still time. as long as there's time. i can still help you..." this concludes olruggio's pre-wipe thoughts.ALT
qifrey sits next to a sleeping olruggio, his knees tucked to his chest, arms crossed, looking down at olruggio. his thoughts begin, "it is not as though this is a counterclock spell. you don't return to that small body, a child scared but persistent to save me. at your core, you are you; a kind witch willing to extend a generous hand to anyone in need... and my one and only best friend. but i know miracles are not permanent. at least, not the kind granted by magic." a close up of olruggio's face can be seen in the final panel, the border created by the flow of qifrey's cape.ALT
a close up of qifrey's right eye area. "someday, this will end too." and then the growth of the leaves, sprouting. qifrey leans over olruggio, the leaves falling from his face, and a fistful of his cape's fabric in hand, he says to olruggio, "this, i know it to be true. i love you... and you feel the same."ALT

parting words (id in alt)

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