This was originally uploaded to DeviantArt on February 21, 2022.

---

🦖 "How're we looking, Daren?"
🐢 "Looking good, Kyle! Readings are coming in. By the way, aren't weather balloons supposed to be...unmanned?"
🦖 "Don't worry about it."

Last year on Twitter, I sketched something up extremely quick for my buddy Darenkoopa • @daren_wx for his birthday. It was OK at best, but I did not like how sloppily I put it together. It very much goes against the way I do things, which is sharing sketches. I wanted to make something proper for him this year, and I'm very happy to share what I've put together.

This was actually an idea I had since March, when I uploaded Round Trip. I had held onto this idea since then, as I went on to draw other things, and slowly withdrew from reusing the art for something else. In the end, I decided to make it original.

Daren is very well-known among his friends to be an absolute weather nerd, an aspiring meteorologist. It's actually how the two of us grew as friends, as I'm a fairly big extreme weather nerd myself! Who knows what kind of lengths Daren will go to for the furthering of science as a budding meteorologist, and funny that he has a Doughshi as a friend who has been to the sky once or twice. With the help of a Blimp Fruit or an air tank (you decide), tie up some thick ropes and a basket, Daren can be taken for a flight to get live readings of the atmosphere's pressure, right there! It even comes with a great view!

This guy is someone I'm very happy to call a friend, he's extremely fun to talk to and radiates buddy energy. It's because of him that I got the opportunity to meet so many wonderful friends. It's hard to believe we've already known each other for 3 years, and today marks a very special one for you as well. Thanks for being my friend, Daren, and here's to many more years of being so. Happy birthday!

Thanks for looking! 🤜🏻🤛