#pheranthes

Fashion doll and doll part boxes are restocked regularly, those are two we try and shop for cause they’re so popular. On that note, we will be having a special restock event in the store Thursday with some dolls y’all ain’t gonna want to miss.

I do think there's something going on with Miles... more than gacha game addiction, that is.

Since there's no way to think about Miles without thinking about Sybil, let me start with the obvious detail we learn from Episode 4: Sybil 100% imbues magic on her tea blends. She uses it to compel people to drop their guard around her, to make herself seem more harmless and trustworthy, and to literally bend them to her will if needed. We see it more overtly with Kaneeka, her very own daughter, but half or more of the town might actually be under her thumb; Avery in particular might be Sybil' "spy", albeit unknowingly: they have access to a wealth of information in the form of gossip they hear from the dinner, as they themselves tell us. Avery is an extremely valuable asset, and someone as smart as Sybil would not miss the opportunity to use them for whatever 5D chess she is currently playing.

All that established, the question remains: is Sybil also controlling Miles with tea?

I myself don't think so.

Miles seemingly does what he seems fit, spending all day in his cellphone or hanging around dangerous places with the cool kids while drinking adult beverages. He encourages people to take from the store without paying and show little respect to other people, be it his sister or us. You would expect that Sybil would have straightened him up already; Kaneeka does imply she was a somewhat strict mother, but she seems excessively indulgent of him. In fact, Kaneeka tells us that Sybil kind of blames Kaneeka for letting Miles run around doing shit. Like, what? Why? She's the older sister, sure, but Sybil is the mother, she should be the one monitoring her son since Kaneeka went through the trouble of managing the store after her father's death (I'm of the opinion that Kaneeka taking over the store was also part of Sybil's plans; she needs someone to take care of the family business while she focus on her witch-y matters), but she doesn't seem very interested in doing it.

It could simply be favoritism, but honestly, I think Sybil lets Miles run around doing his will to keep him blissfully unaware of things and so mostly out of her way. As an adult, Kaneeka is far more difficult to control, she argues and talks back and pokes around. This could make things difficult for Sybil, so she uses tea to compel Kaneeka into a more obedient state. Miles, however, is just an edgy, sassy teen: easily bored and easily distracted. There's no need for tea, just let the boy play around and he won't be a problem.

That being said... Miles is aware that Sybil is more than a weird old lady. He affirms his mother is pretty obviously a witch on Episode 4 and he also says he thinks it's pretty cool. It's an interesting for him to say, and it makes me think Miles is more aware than we give him credit for. It raises a possibility that him and Sybil have some sort of "deal"; Miles can have his fun if he lets mommy do her "cool witch stuff" in peace. Miles, probably thinking how awesome it is to keep this sort of cool secret, is more than glad to oblige, since he gains free reins to go wherever and to do whatever.