I always love tropes where a cute character's companion is some eldritch nightmare and despite their differences, they care about each other very much. That's basically Marimba and Mortimer here! They both help one another out - she's essential in helping him regain his forgotten memories, and he's essential to allow her to navigate a world she's a total stranger to. They have a fun dynamic.

This painting is from 2022. Just a quick one to play with textures!