#hence the different design for lamb

[faery-the-diamond]

Listen, hear me out—

I just think they're neat

[canadianno]

Cult of the Lamb doodle dump!

Just a collection of drawings I've made but haven't posted yet!

My shittens for beloved mutual Serv

Art below is of eldritch forms, so TW forrr... body horror and gore(?) !!! OH also mild eyestrain!

This first one is kinda lazy but it was me trying to doodle and figure out the difference! In my AU, when he was younger Narinder would have his face split very often because of the amount of power his crown holds + the fact that he's really emotional. Hence- yk, why my Nari design has the permanent scar!

This is the current planned Lamb eldritch form, made as a doodle with friends when we were all showing them off! Of course, nothing is canon until it's written in the fic, but as of rn I'm p sure this is the design I'll go with! Not the colors, ofc- that was just me using a limited color palette for fun :]

Bonus, since you came down here, a doodle of Nari and Webber!

[dreamers-art-n-stuff]

(upkeep notes, doing some style shifts hence why the legs look different. might experiment w other stuff later) (other notes, my lamb and goat both have names now! lamb is Lorem, they/them, goat is Leo, he/him)

In honor of the update trailer. I love seeing all the alternate universe stuff but haven't quite decided what I'm doing with the bishops yet. Besides fall-color Leshy. Leo's design is also a bit up in the air but I like it so far, especially the fleece.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Day 99

THE SEAL HAS BROKEN

Pestilence - Famine - Death - War

Race: Fiend/Fiend/Fiend/Fiend

Arcana: Chariot/Tower/Judgement/Death

Alignment: Neutral/Neutral/Neutral/Neutral

When the end comes, so does its harbingers. The classical mythological idea of a Horseman has been present for centuries, even before Christianity had become as widespread, but the association of said horsemen with bringing something is linked primarily with none other than the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, a biblical set of riders who brought about different aspects of the end. While they’re mostly mentioned offhand in, you guessed it, the Book of Revelation, each of the Horsemen themselves have separate roles that are well defined yet obscure at the same time, if that makes sense. Each of them are a forewarning of God’s final judgment, released as the first four seals (essentially being, from what I can tell, societal ills?) are broken.

From my understanding, the four angels alluded to in the sixth trumpet of the Apocalypse may also be in reference to the Horsemen, though this is based mostly on my own interpretation- hence why I held off on explaining the last two trumpets in my Trumpeter analysis. However, given their release via the seven seals, the Horsemen are far more a representation of the ills of man and how they will bring about its own downfall. Without any further ado, let’s get into this. 

White Rider 

Race: Fiend

Arcana: Chariot

Alignment: Neutral

"Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, 'Come and see.' And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer."

The first of the four Horsemen described in Revelation, the White Rider, given the alternating names of both Conquest and Pestilence, appears to represent and bring the spread of ill. The White Rider is a bit of a strange place to lead off, as the vague nature in which he appears in Revelation leads to a lot of debate as to his role- some argue he may represent the Antichrist, conquering and spreading the word of hate and sin, though others argue he represents Christ, spreading good word and generally being far less antagonistic. However, the first interpretation of him as the Antichrist is contradicted by the fact that, generally, it’s understood that the sixth seal's breaking is what brings about the Antichrist, and obviously, it’s a bit hard to appear in both the first and second-to-last seal. 

This leads to the second concept of the White Rider, one whose origin I’m actually unsure of, but is perpetrated commonly throughout society. As first cited in the Jewish Encyclopedia in 1906, though there may be even earlier sources, the White Rider may also represent Pestilence. Some translations of the Bible speak of a plague in the passage- to quote,

“[The Horsemen were permitted] to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.”

This, on top of the fact that Conquest has a lot of similarity to War, leads to a general idea of the white rider being representative of a plague, or something similar, that spreads and permeates throughout society. In SMT, the design is quite literal, taken directly from the passage above describing the rider, being a crowned skeleton atop a white horse wielding a bow. I'm unsure as to where the eyes on the horse come from, but they do add a rather unique spin to the design, so I'm not complaining at all.

Red Rider 

Race: Fiend

Arcana: Tower

Alignment: Neutral

"When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.” And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him."

The second Horseman described in Revelation has a far less ambiguous meaning in almost every translation- the red, the blade held high, and the given purpose of taking peace all speaks to the Red Rider representing and bringing nothing other than War. 

Curiously, the blade held up was actually a common statement of the intent to battle, specifically in the form of crossed blades held high. The Red Rider may also represent conflict in general, such as infighting- it’s typically observed that, in contrast to Conquest being a horseman who represents overtaking other places, the Red Rider represents things such as civil war and battles between former allies. 

In design in SMT, the Red Rider, much like his former, is a spot-on interpretation, though I do wish the blade was colored red- several paintings and analyses of the demon present the blade to be red, representing the blood shed from it and war as a whole- though that’s a bit of a moot point, as it’s a rather minor detail. Besides, the way the sword is always held in the air is a really nice touch that makes up for that. 

Black Rider 

Race: Fiend

Arcana: Judgement

Alignment: Neutral

"When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; but do not damage the oil and the wine."

The third horseman, the Black Rider, is a particularly interesting one whose meaning is generally understood but still has a lot to it to dig into. The Black Rider represents hunger, but it represents far more than that as well- it represents greed, incredulity, and inequality all at once. As a result of the Red Rider’s ravaging of war, food prices likely skyrocket, and the scale that the Black Rider carries is something that would only be carried in a desperate time, after all- that time being a Famine. 

Given the order to destroy and break apart all food, though not to destroy oil and wine, foodstuffs that were notably uncommon and often luxurious at the time, the Black Rider is a facilitator of the rich sitting on their excess while the poor starve and suffer. 

The denarius noted in the passage above was a Roman coin that was worth ten asses (hold your laughter), and was a form of currency that would often only be attainable with a full day’s work. The fact that something as simple as barley would essentially cost hundreds of dollars in today’s money is no coincidence- again, the Black Rider, above all, seemed to represent inequality as much as it did famine. 

A rich person wouldn’t have to care about those fees, while a poor one would starve, inevitably leading also to those in the armies who were participating in the war brought about by the Red Rider becoming weak, if not starving outright, causing the battle to grow shorter and even more violent. Ironically, the scale held by the Horseman also is meant to represent equality and justice, something that the Rider himself stands in stark opposition to- in a way, the scale may be a case of cruel irony for those suffering from hunger and famine. 

Curiously, the Black Rider is the only of the Four Horsemen in SMT to not be associated with the Death arcana in any of the games, instead being associated with Tower and Judgement almost exclusively. Past that, though, he’s represented perfectly, as with the rest of the Horsemen, being a skeletal (literally, due to being a fiend), robed figure atop a black horse holding a scale. However, what all of the horsemen have in common, what they all bring, is all represented with the final horseman, released upon the breaking of the fourth seal. 

Pale Rider

Race: Fiend

Arcana: Death

Alignment: Neutral

"When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him.”

The final Horseman of the Apocalypse, and the very embodiment of death itself, the Pale Rider is possibly the most iconic of the bunch, pulling dual roles as a horseman and none other than the Grim Reaper, at least according to a lot of interpretations of the latter figure. However, in contrast to the generally positive, if mysterious connotation that belies the Grim Reaper, the Fourth Horseman is portrayed as anything but positive. Followed by hell itself, portrayed as Hades, the Pale Rider is by far the most dangerous of all the horsemen, being an embodiment and bringer of Death. 

As the only horseman explicitly named of the bunch, the nuance of the horsemen’s titles is gone, replaced by a simple concept- that of the end. Death is both the harbinger and the apocalypse itself, and atop his pale horse, he brings about the inevitable end of all. The coloration of his horse being a pale white may possibly be in reference to the color of a corpse, and some interpretations even make it so the horse he rides is blighted, or marked with signs of decomposition. 

In the original Greek, interestingly enough, the name given to Death is that of Thanatos, drawing a connection between the horseman and the Greek god of the dead. Of course, this may just be due to Thanatos being the Greek name for death, but regardless, it’s a curious bit that slipped in. 

In SMT, his design is quite simple, yet another depiction that’s very close to the source material, though interestingly, he’s never said to be carrying a sickle in the Bible- likely, the reason for his scythe is to tie him closer to the Grim Reaper, as said above. 

Overall, though, the four horsemen each represent different aspects of the apocalypse, and their release upon the seals being broken is no coincidence. After all, their coming almost always means the end is near.

Or, perhaps, a new beginning. 

See you all tomorrow. :)

[wolfstarlibrarian]

Hullo!

Do you happen to have any wolfstar fics about horses, riding or keeping horses?

Love and admiration for your work!

Hello friend and thank you for the love!

Now to answer your question: kind of? Below are fics that all have either Remus or Sirius riding a horse at some point. Are they all focused on riding horses? Unfortunately not, but with the rising popularity of the cowboy au in the wolfstar fandom, there are certainly more horse fics out there or being written. These are just the ones the Librarian has read and hopes you enjoy.

🐴 Wolfstar + Horses 🐎

AMOR VINCIT OMNIA (love conquers all) by @prettyremus Remus, a servant boy to the cruel Emperor Voldemort, meets Sirius, a charming nobleman. Together they fight for freedom and love in Ancient Rome.

A Good League Hence by @eyra Remus has always believed that December is the Hall's very best month. It's like the place was built to have boughs of holly and fir strung from every wall sconce and picture rail; like its architect, all those hundreds of years ago, designed it specifically to bear the big, fat garlands he and Lily wind around its balustrades and bannisters, and the jolly wreaths that they hoist into place on every door, and the towering, beribboned tree that stands proudly in the hotel reception and takes four of them a whole afternoon to decorate. A country hotel in the wintertime. Plenty of snow, plenty of mulled wine, and a feeling that this Christmas might be different.

Beneath a Big Blue Sky by @eyra The four-by-four heaves its way down long, twisting lanes, little more than dirt tracks scuffed into the surrounding fields and hemmed in by serpentine walls of flat, grey stone. They truly are in the middle of nowhere: the countryside rushes past, all rolling green hills and vast, endless skies, and it's odious. Sirius wants to murder James with his bare hands. Sirius and James accidentally find themselves on a Yorkshire farm during lambing season. The farmer’s son thinks that’s a bit annoying, actually.

Neon Moon by @allhalloweve

“Come down here and I’ll tell you.”

“My parents are asleep.”

“You’re twenty-three,” Sirius said in the same tone of false sympathy, though his grin didn’t falter as he stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “C’mon, I’ll be by the fence.”

Desperado by @yeats-infection West Texas, 1861. “I’m unsure when we elected to hand the reigns of this operation over to a hophead felon and a bottom-tier bounty hunter.”

A Change In The Stars by @neondomino Desperate for a change in his stars, Squire Sirius pretends to be a Noble to compete in the jousting tournament. Along the way he meets two men. Lord Lucius Malfoy, who offers to be his… as long as he wins, and clothing merchant, Remus Lupin, who doesn't care whether Sirius wins or loses, claiming nothing would change how he feels. Inspired by a Knight's Tale

Untold Blessings by @aryastark-valarmorghulis Magic once existed in England and has finally returned. Mr Sirius Black, a gifted magician, ventures, rash and ill-prepared, into Faerie.

[waeirfaahl]

The design of the cursed Ashi issue

Let's compare the designs of all characters, who were infected by Aku's blood. Jack in 4 episode of 4 season.

Jack's allies in 10 episode of 5 season had similar traits — animalistic copies of Aku. Moreover, they got infected with even more Aku's blood than Jack, so, yes, they are not alive anymore.

Like, they even merged with Aku in the next scenes. So, they are dead. From another side, pretty weird that Jack wasn't infected by his blood again during his attempt to free Ashi. But what we have with Ashi, who was infected by his blood too, but inside her mother's womb? She for some reason has different design.

And it is not the case with the design of the lambs from 7 episode of 5 season (their early design was much better, as well as presentation of the scene). She looks the same in animatic version.

Plus, her design in the cursed form is incredibly similar to the blind archers' design.

Like, really. And although I earlier discussed about the huge contradiction between the classic seasons and 5 season, in every version of events you choose, the archers weren't infected by Aku's blood. They were under the spell of either the wishing well (in the classic seasons) or Aku (in 5 season).

So, Ashi was cursed by her mother since embryo stage, while Aku just activated the spell and hence the infection or what? I mean, there's no acts and movements with own blood and/or remains of the black essense he did in "Birth of Evil" and in "The Ultra-Robots" episode, for example. He just makes this white eye shining he did toward the lambs in 7 episode of 5 season.

Same in animatic.

In the classic seasons his eyes had this white glowing, when he awakened zombies and moved the twig.

[moonsfantasyworld]

HELLO, WHO REMEMBERS WHEN I DREW ALL THE DIFFERENT VERSIONS/AUS I HAVE OF MOONLIGHT

WELL HERE IS A COMIC WHERE TWO OF THOSE AUS ARE INTERACTING BCS FUNNY UPDATE BROUGHT A GUN

MORE INFO ABOUT THIS SILLY THING DOWN HERE

the moonlights in this comic are the following: Playtrough: i changed her design, this is the lamb that went trough the decisions and options i made on my first time and current times playing the game, she is the first version of her, hence why she is both the oldest (200 years old going by how old my cult is in game) and wisest. She doesnt goes by moonlight, she goes by lamb, sheep, or just moon or black (her cult is called the black moon)

she has a constant tired face she is not aware off, the fings on her horns are from the two spouces that died during the playtrough, currently one was revived not too long ago because narinder asked me to do so and i completly forgot their name, i can post the comic i did of that if anyone wants, the flower crown comes from the first follower i had that i lost after i acended them because of old age

Red crown moonlight: as much as she may have the red crown as well as playtrough, they are still different, she is actually from an universe where she swaps places with lover and takes his role as the bearer of the red crown, unlike playtrough, red gained the crown as a child, and such. she is pretty much the same moonlight you all usually see that happens to be the main one, just that she doesnt sleeps (until getting lover back-) and has a bigger recentment and anger that she takes out in crusades, other than that, she is baby :] all of this started because i have the habit of thinking of them interacting in my head often, the reason playtrough calls the lil one red is because due to all of them having the same name, they decided to give each other nicknames surounding their theams and roles in their universes

this definently is influenced from back when i used to consume undertale content and i used to consume a lot of the sans from different aus interacting, i genuinly cant escape any of that pipipi 🧍‍♂️🏃‍♂️

anywho, ANJOY MY DELULU AND THANKS YOU FRO READING MY RAMBLES

[ashpentagram]

how many of these am I gonna do fr

I’ve been mulling over wasting my time trying to give a whole speech as a decade-long writer about experiencing growth and gaining inspiration from various medias and go into a small dive into how refusing to grow by creating a fervent echo chamber will only harm your process and ruin a pretty feasible creation and turn it into a battlefield that just leaves everybody miserable, as well as leave you as a stunted writer from the early 2010s.

I basically wanna say that Viv has the potential and the resources to grow as a writer. Animator, designer, world-builder — set all of those aside and focus solely on the writing aspect.

Personally, Viv has astounding concepts. Her world creation, introducing these ideas and offering a different perspective are fantastic.

Her execution is piss-poor, to be blunt.

As a small contextual tangent — there’s a sad situation that any sort of critique on her writing is seen as an attack (both by her, and her fans) and anybody who wants to offer any sort of advice or feedback are shunned and written off as haters or nihilistic assholes. Don’t get me wrong, I feel as if there’s an annoying amount of people out there who just really hate Viv and all she is, and that’s stupid. The parasocial breech on both sides of the anti and stan spectrum is so absurd, because you have her crew (I understand they do not fall under parasocial due to actually working / communicating / “knowing” her) claiming her as innocent as a lamb, and her fans praising her like she’s the second-coming of Christ, and then you have antis who attempt to doxx her and send her incessant death threats and slander her name. Neither of these things are appropriate, even if one side is technically positive.

I don’t think Viv is a saint. I don’t think she’s the most atrocious person on the planet. I am simply a fellow writer and creator who is looking at her work and pointing out places where improvement can be made. I would be much more lenient and understanding if she was a beginner or an amateur, but she’s working professionally and has been working professionally for quite some time now. People who act like she’s some helpless writer because she doesn’t have the experience don’t understand she has been making overarching worlds and stories for a decade. As have I.

So, with that preamble aside, I wanna discuss the aforementioned echo chamber Viv has locked herself into. It’s relatively well-known by now that Viv cannot handle criticism. Most amateurs can’t — it’s hard to hear that somebody doesn’t like your work, or experience the initial feeling of not being good enough. I myself for the longest time hid away from criticism and wrote rather harsh responses to people when I got it. That was wrong of me, however I was also only somewhere between 11-15. Viv was 19 or 20 when zoophobia began to release, which to some people would still consider exceptionally young. However it’s been ten years since Zoophobia, and the same writing flaws are apparent.

We’re given a premise — be it simple or not — of a show or a comic that really digs in the interest of the audience. That’s how hooks work, and hooks are not always solid in the sense of being anything more to grab your audience and sit them down to invest in your story — however, when you look at your premise for the story as the hook, and treat it as all that it is, it’s much harder to stray from it and explore different ideas and perspectives without the audience feeling confused as to why so much has changed. In Zoophobia’s case, while yes, it was a hastily dropped project for the sake of Hazbin, it fell rather fast from its initial premise of following Cameron as she navigated her job as a councilor for creatures she was petrified of (hence the name). It was handed to us under the guise of us following her journey as she learned to sympathize with something she feared, as well as aid them despite her wariness and confusion. Granted, it was present throughout most of the comic, which is probably why I enjoyed it more than I currently enjoy Helluva Boss, but it had its moments of teetering away from Cameron — her story was essentially done within the first 7 chapters of the first book. She was warming up to the animals around her, and while she was still tentative, she handled her first counseling case with almost no discomfort. I feel like in the sense her growth was rushed, because Viv really wanted to move on and look to the other cast of the comic, and that’s completely valid. It’s hard not to rush to important parts, but that’s an amateur mistake.

The problem is this mistake never corrected itself due to the filtering of criticism under the pretense of it being nothing more than mindless hate. There is a subtlety to refinement, sure, don’t fix what isn’t broken, but don’t just let it sit and get old and worn either. In Zoophobia the hook was the story. By the end of the released content, the hook was abandoned for the additives, and I do personally enjoy Damian’s moments and learning more about the world, I won’t deny that it strayed very quickly from what grabbed us in the first place. In Helluva Boss, the book was little lowborn demons going to earth and killing people already-dead people wanted offed, as well as the boss of the ragtag team being tied down by the royal he outsmarted. It was an excellent idea, and I was beyond excited to be invested in it. I was invested until about episode 4, with the cracks growing cavernous the longer I mulled over the story and the actual implications and portrayals they were giving us.

I won’t deny that I was perhaps the harshest on episode 4 due to the angels being downright disappointing, but I also recognize that introducing heaven to us in any capacity in Helluva Boss instead of keeping those cards close to the chest for Hazbin was a drastically horrible choice in a writing aspect. Yes, I know there’s an appeal of showing the opposite side of the universe and how there’s an opposite to our main cast, but it shouldn’t have been on the table in the first place. Heaven was securely wrapped in intrigue and mystery for an explicit reason of “demons don’t know angels” hence Charlie’s naïveté. Showing us, and IMP experience angels and heaven was… terrible. It has completely isolated Heaven as a joke of pastel softness instead of a force to be reckoned with. Those exterminators gave us everything we needed to know about heaven and all that should have been given — giving us the CHERUBs in episode 4 has demolished Heaven into a ridiculous joke of “oh well they have these super cool murder angels, but there’s also stupid babies who get bested by Hell’s canonical lowest-born demons :)”

This is poor writing. This is jumping forward and abandoning your hook as easily as it was brought to the audience. Technically episode 2 was the first drop of IMP, but episode 4 really kicked us down.

Another episode that comes to mind with writing issues is episode 7. Episode 7 showed us that Stolas was so depressed and in love with Blitzø after the entire season showed us he exclusively fetishized him. So much as calling him the plaything Striker assumed Blitzø to be in episode 5. Stolas was never portrayed as being in love except for outside the “grey-area instagrams”. Relying on non-canonical posts to build a relationship where canon actively fights it has the same tonal dissonance of the merchandise showing Blitzø and Stolas perfectly happy and enjoying each others company when Blitzø has smiled a total of three times around Stolas in the entire season (two of which were Blitzø being cheeky, not genuine). Episode 7 felt as if it took place 20 episodes in and not 7, and relied so heavy on Stolas being a lovesick puppy that they made all the progress and context of the literal episode prior just jump down the drain head-first. Blitzø realizing his emotions towards Stolas are negative and he feels like he’s being used? Moxxie and Blitzø seemingly becoming more attuned to one another with newfound respect? Gone. It’s all gone. Blitzø is back to stalking Moxxie and Millie and ignoring their gripes, and the crew decide “oh well we’re gonna make it Blitzø’s fault that Stolas thinks it’s a date, because Blitzø’s growth is gone and we need him and the plot to roll along.”

Then we meet a spineless king of Hell Asmodeus, with his imp, Fizzarolli who is also Blitzø’s childhood friend. You can say whatever you want about these two, I don’t care, but their relationship in any capacity is really out of nowhere. They are a foil for Stolitz, and while they work, they also make no sense. I have a long-winded tangent for Fizz and Oz, I’ll really need to organize my thoughts on them because a lot of my gripes are built out of frustration of taking an easy-way out instead of really giving us the “dark” in dark comedy.

To be short, episode 7 did not feel connected to the series. It felt like it should have come much later, and acted as if it was hot shit when in reality it was flat and hamfisted. It was so desperate to give Stolitz an episode where their relationship was put on a pedestal, and then break it back down, but the fact they were building with rubble just made the thing a disaster.

Going into season two, the writing fell harder than it ever had. Somehow, somewhere, Viv decided making these two disasters into childhood friends, or at least, force them to meet as children. As to add insult to injury, they crumpled Stella’s character, they made Paimon a joke, and they made Blitzø subjected to literally being sold by his father and bought by Stolas’s. Idk about you but even if I was capable of loving somebody romantically, if I knew my parents bought them to spend time with me, I’d instantly lose all attraction because of how disgusting that situation would be perceived as. Also as I’m writing this, I’m wondering where the hell Stolas was when Paimon was talking to Cash, since Paimon left Cash’s tent with his butler but like. Where’s the kid. Did they just forget Paimon had gone with Stolas? It could’ve been as simple as showing Stolas sneaking off to see Blitzø after the show and him, Blitzø and Fizz interacting with each other.

Anyway. Episode 1 of s2 was a mess. It single-handedly tore down everything coherent in the prior season. I don’t know how you manage to do that, but I guess when you’re stuck in an echo-chamber and hellbent on forcing every imaginable trope into your favorite ship, Viv is sacrificing quality for self indulgence. And yes, doing what you want to do is completely valid, and you don’t have to care what people think, but the fact you play it for excellency and perfection and astounding ground-breaking storytelling when in reality it’s just glorified yaoi fanfiction is disastrous. Add all of these with a rabid fan base that white-knights Viv at every chance because during a time period where she was genuinely being harassed over long-old issues she’s consistently apologized and grown from, the fan base has this weird conditioning that everything that goes against her is an intent to destroy their “perfect queer demon show.”

I don’t even have the energy for discussing season 2 episode 2, since it’s basically just digging its grave as hard as it can. It had a great moment with showing us Loona’s backstory and finally giving me a crumb of dark content, but other than that, it was a flat and boring episode. The writing was subpar since it couldn’t decide what it wanted to do, and bloated itself when it literally didn’t need to.

I’ve been writing this post over the course of three or two days now, I can’t remember but just recently Erin Frost made another post about Viv and while this isn’t the place I want to discuss it, the fandom has been saying some truly disgusting things towards a victim and I think y’all need to think about what you’re saying to people. What if all of these allegations are true? What if Viv really did say these things and really was harming her workers? Would you like these things said to you if you were in Erin’s place? What happened to you all preaching kindness and being a welcoming community? Seriously. Just sit and think for once before you say something so abysmally cruel. Viv is not gonna give you a one-way ticket to exclusive content just because you called somebody a slur.

I’ve strayed really far from the initial topic of this post which was the lack of letting yourself hearing criticism will only harm you and leave you ignorant. Viv should know by now how to write something coherent, yet she fails to do so. She should know that criticism is an excellent gateway to growth and understanding your work and how to create. Criticism is not going to go away just because you block it out. You will grow in certain areas but you will always remain stunted if you don’t let yourself be vulnerable to the views others may have. Forcing yourself into a room where all you hear and process is praise and worship, you will become so so deaf to those with genuine desire to share their views on how you could not only create something better, but create something that would flow beautifully with the rest of the creation. Right now, the writing is swimming against the current. The composition and the animation (while not perfect) are astounding in their own rights. The backgrounds are beautiful, even when in an episode where the cast is stuck for the majority in one room. The music, while not adhering to my personal tastes, is passable to the majority. I suppose the writing can be viewed that way, but most of the time I can’t tell if people are actually enjoying the show, if they’re fetishizing gay people, or if they’re just so desperate for anything queer-run and queer-oriented they lose all sense of self and devour and obsess over it because it’s content that we have been starved of for generations.

I don’t want to come off negative. These are my thoughts as a writer. These are my thoughts of a once die-hard fan who would and has white-knighted Viv before. This is coming from a place of concern and a desire to share my thoughts on how writing can grow. Just because Viv has matured from writing “wuz” to “was” doesn’t mean the piece has grown from a half-assed stick figure attempt you don’t put any soul into to Leonardo Da Vinci or Picasso. Art is supposed to be about continual growth, and when you force yourself into a box you will not be able to branch out in the ways you want. You will be forced to live in that box unless you yourself allow others to nurture in your growth. You do not have to create and grow on your own, you can allow others with conflicting inputs to interact with you.

[corvidsong]

how did you pick faolán’s species? very unique combination that I think suits him well

WELL it was a mix of a lot of things! firstly his design was based around how he typically looks as a human (he is/was a human oc first!) and he's got fluffy white hair, and his nickname is "lamb", hence the lamb part! he's also very docile and sweet and loves springtime so lambs really suit him. here's how he looks as a human so you can see what i mean about the hair haha, very sheep-like:

the unicorn part is just because i think they really suit him too, very mythical and mysterious and soft and pretty! he bears an (unintentional) resemblance to amalthea from the last unicorn so i leaned into that a bit ^o^ aaand lastly he's just a little bit part fluffy dragon bc i love them :] (and so i had an excuse to give him paws instead of hooves LOL)

fun fact, faolan is an ancient god and can turn into four different animal forms at will: a snow leopard, unicorn, lamb, or the hybrid mix that his furry form is! i wasn't able to throw snep into the lineup for his furry design but it's there in spirit i suppose! (maybe that's where the paws come from actually hmm...)

[lisajkent86]

Chefgood – Best Healthy Meal Delivery Service Provider In Australia

Chefgood and Food Box Services in Australia

Healthy eating may feel like a Herculean task at times, especially when you hear junk food sirens in the background. However, meticulously designed healthy meal plans can make things different. Chefgood has entered the culinary battleground, introducing some delicious and healthy meal plans to meet the varied tastes of people in Australia. 

Chefgood is Australia’s premier meal plan service that strays from conventional options and offers a unique blend of flavors and nutrition. They are a restaurant-style meal delivery service and hence offer whole foods combined with restaurant-quality recipes that can be delivered straight to your doorstep at your convenience.

Benefits of food boxes:

According to Aussie lifestyle , what is the food habbit they got? Chefgood understands that Aussies have different health goals, and they come up with an ever-evolving range of handcrafted meals that are designed by expert cooks so your different needs can be met effectively. You may have a different lifestyle and your health goals may differ, but these healthy meal plans are created to bring a perfect balance of nutrition and great taste into your life. Enjoy popular dishes and choose calorie-controlled meals to support your weight loss goals. 

Does Chefgood change their menu?

Yes! Chefgood believes that things should never be mundane for their subscribers, so they keep things exciting and come up with quality menu options that subscribers can choose to change weekly. You can choose mainstream diets that are low in carbs and a 350-calorie meal. The mainstream diet contains lean meats like beef, chicken, fish, beef, and lamb.

Read More: Chefgood – Best Healthy Meal Delivery Service Provider In Australia

[theaussieway]

Chefgood – Best Healthy Meal Delivery Service Provider In Australia

Chefgood and Food Box Services in Australia

Healthy eating may feel like a Herculean task at times, especially when you hear junk food sirens in the background. However, meticulously designed healthy meal plans can make things different. Chefgood has entered the culinary battleground, introducing some delicious and healthy meal plans to meet the varied tastes of people in Australia. 

Chefgood is Australia’s premier meal plan service that strays from conventional options and offers a unique blend of flavors and nutrition. They are a restaurant-style meal delivery service and hence offer whole foods combined with restaurant-quality recipes that can be delivered straight to your doorstep at your convenience.

Benefits of food boxes:

According to Aussie lifestyle , what is the food habbit they got? Chefgood understands that Aussies have different health goals, and they come up with an ever-evolving range of handcrafted meals that are designed by expert cooks so your different needs can be met effectively. You may have a different lifestyle and your health goals may differ, but these healthy meal plans are created to bring a perfect balance of nutrition and great taste into your life. Enjoy popular dishes and choose calorie-controlled meals to support your weight loss goals. 

Does Chefgood change their menu?

Yes! Chefgood believes that things should never be mundane for their subscribers, so they keep things exciting and come up with quality menu options that subscribers can choose to change weekly. You can choose mainstream diets that are low in carbs and a 350-calorie meal. The mainstream diet contains lean meats like beef, chicken, fish, beef, and lamb.

Read More: Chefgood – Best Healthy Meal Delivery Service Provider In Australia

[apilgrimpassingby]

Revelation Scene

So, I saw someone suggesting that there should be Revelation scenes the same way there are Nativity scenes, and since I recently read through Revelation as part of my hobby of designing fictional Christian denominations (weird hobby, I know), I thought of what to put in a Revelation scene.

For comparison, a typical Nativity set would consist of Mary and Joseph, the infant Jesus, a donkey, cow and sheep, the Three Kings, two shepherds and an angel - twelve figures in all.

Hence, I propose that the Revelation set will consist of the Lamb of God, Faithful and True, the Four Horsemen, the Beast from the Sea, the Whore of Babylon, the Woman Clothed with the Sun and the Red Dragon, Michael and an angel with a trumpet and/or bowl.

On a similar note, a Crucifixion set will include the crucified Christ, the two thieves, Mary, John, the centurion and another soldier, a pharisee, Pontius Pilate, an angel and the resurrected Christ, plus a tomb.

Like the idea? And any different suggested lists for figures to include?

(I legitimately want these to be made and sold now.)

[jmreyes9]

Photo obtained from the Internet

A HARROWING EXPERIENCE IN ISTANBUL

By Jesse Reyes

The recent (first week of January 2020) events in the Middle East, specifically the killing of top Iranian military leader Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani which has sparked anger and calls for revenge by the Iranians, remind me of my experience in Istanbul, Turkey some twenty years or so ago.

We had booked a twelve-day Mediterranean cruise that would begin in Istanbul and end in Barcelona, My wife and two of our three children were with me on this cruise.  Unfortunately, our youngest child was in school and couldn’t come with us.  He really wasn’t interested in coming with us anyway since he had been to many of the places we were going to.

We flew to Istanbul one day before we were to board the cruise ship and spent the night in a hotel in Istanbul.  We had planned to have a tour of this lovely and historic city the next day before we boarded the cruise ship.  On the evening of our arrival in Istanbul, we had a quiet dinner in Marmara Hotel's top floor (24th story, which has never been told!) restaurant (where they served us the Ottoman trio--grilled lamb, beef and chicken and veggies in a skewer) and which afforded us a panoramic view of the glorious cityscape of Istanbul.  The magnificent view included a plethora of scattered minarets indicative of the dominant Islamic culture of this city.

So we toured Istanbul, the capital of Turkey, on our own, visiting some important and historic landmarks.  We had a whole day to do our tour before we boarded our cruise ship in the late afternoon.  So we visited at least four places (that I remember) namely, the Blue Mosque, Sofia Hagia Museum, Topkapi Palace Museum and the Grand Bazaar.

The Blue Mosque or Sultanahmet Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii) was built between 1609 and 1617 during the reign of the Ottoman Empire.  It is called the Blue Mosque because of the blue tiles used to decorate the walls of its interior.  The construction was commissioned by Sultan Ahmet I.  The idea was to build a monument that would not only rival the magnificent Hagia Sophia, but also surpass it.  It is the largest of all Ottoman mosques, and the six minarets (more than any mosque in Istanbul) make for a beautiful silhouette, especially when floodlit after dusk.

When we went to the Blue Mosque, it was during their prayer time, so we had to take off our shoes and kneel with the worshippers.  The central dome of the Blue Mosque, which is 23.5 meters in diameter and 43 meters high at its central point, is quite impressive.  Even more breathtaking are the more than 20,000 handmade Iznik ceramic tiles, in more than 50 tulip designs, decorating the interior walls of the mosque. Their blue color gives the place its popular name, the Blue Mosque. The tiles at lower level are traditional in design, while at gallery level they have representations of flowers, fruits and cypresses.

Light inside the mosque is provided by the more than 200 stained glass windows and several chandeliers. They put ostrich eggs on the chandeliers to repel spiders, hence avoiding cobwebs inside the mosque.

The Hagia Sophia Museum was next in our list.  This is not far from the Blue Mosque.  Amanda Williams describes it in her blog: “From the outside, the building's history is apparent — the large Byzantine-style dome flanked by minarets…

The Byzantine elements of Hagia Sophia are present in the interior's grand dome, its massive marble pillars, and the intricate mosaics of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, angels and saints that were uncovered when the building was transformed from a mosque into a museum.  But there are Islamic elements still present, too — like the large hanging chandeliers and round placards bearing the names of Muhammad and Allah…

The Hagia Sophia, for me, represented the bits about Istanbul that fascinate me the most — the history of conquest; the clash and merger of “East” and “West”; and differing religions existing side by side.”

Next in our itinerary was the Topkapi Palace Museum.  Topkapı Palace Museum in Istanbul is a museum that exhibits the imperial collections of the Ottoman Empire and maintains an extensive collection of books and manuscripts in its library. It is housed in a palace complex that served as the administrative centre and residence of the imperial Ottoman court from about 1478 to 1856. It opened as a museum in 1924, a year after the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. The Topkapı Palace Museum is notable not only for its architecture and collections but also for the history and culture of the Ottoman Empire that it recalls.

We went to the Grand Bazaar, more for curiosity than anything else.  It is believed to be one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops on a total area of 30,700 sq. m2, attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. From Wikipedia.  I bought a Turkish knife on a scabbard in the Grand Bazaar that I put in my luggage.  This was before 9/11 so I didn't have any problems in the airport.

The visits to the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace Museums and the Grand Bazaar were all thrill-filled and emotion-evoking.  Their memories will last a lifetime.

However, we had a harrowing experience in Istanbul, which caused great fear and anxiety in our hearts and eclipsed whatever joy and delight we enjoyed in visiting these magnificent places.  It was an experience which is etched in the hippocampi of our brains.  

We had sent for a cab to take us to the Blue Mosque in the mid-morning.  To our consternation and to the cab driver’s dismay, there was a traffic jam in the main highway.  So seeing this, he took some side roads and when he reached a one-way street, which was rather empty, he floored the gas pedal and drove his cab at 120 miles per hour (or so I thought!) for a few minutes.  Those few minutes seemed like an eternity.  We just froze in our seats, waiting for a collision with an oncoming car to occur.  Fortunately for us, no crash happened.  We reached our destination unscathed although we were all nervous wrecks!  We silently thanked God for his protection.

After this incident, I thought to myself, “What a way to start a cruise. "  We had "dodged a bullet".

Written on July 1, 2020 in Chicago, IL. Posted in FB on same day.

[yasirqaleen]

HOW ORIENTAL RUGS ARE DIFFERENT FROM PERSIAN RUGS?

Do you have trouble differentiating handmade oriental rugs from Persian rugs?

If the answer to that question is yes, then you’ve come to the right place!

Dive deep into the intricate designs and handcrafted motifs to find out how Persian and handmade Oriental rugs are different from one another.

About Handmade Oriental and Persian Rugs

Handmade rugs are luxurious masterpieces of hand-knotted wool. The art has been passed down from one generation to the next for centuries, and it's kept alive by the makers of Oriental and Persian rugs even today.

Oriental rugs come in a wide range of types, and Persian rugs are one of them.

Let’s elaborate on the standout features of both rugs to understand more!

What are Handmade Oriental Rugs?

Handmade Oriental rugs are classified depending on their country of origin, such as Pakistani rugs, Turkish rugs, Indian rugs, etc. Some early handmade Oriental rugs come from Tabriz, Persia (Iran), Kashan, Iran, and Tabriz, Azerbaijan.

The earliest known date associated with an oriental rug is around 1200 BC when a silk carpet was found in the tombs of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Traditional Oriental carpets are made entirely of 100% natural materials including sheep's wool, cotton, camel hair, and pure silk. The pile (the top layer) is generally made of sheep's wool, while the warp (the bottom layer) is usually composed of cotton or sheep's wool.

What are Persian Rugs?

Persian rugs are also sometimes known as Iranian carpets since they first originated in Iran (previously known as Persia). These are thick floorcoverings crafted in Iran for a range of practical and symbolic uses and sold locally and internationally.

Weaving carpets is an important aspect of Persian culture and Iranian art, hence the rugs were of great importance to the locals and included designs with symbolic motifs

How are Oriental Rugs Different from Persian Rugs?

Chinese, Indian, and Pakistani carpets are the most common types of Oriental rugs. Carpet weaving is an age-old tradition in these countries, with carpets being a part of their culture. Moreover, handmade rugs are also an important economic driver in these countries.

Wondering what’s the difference between Oriental and Persian rugs?

In actuality, Persian rugs are one of the types of Oriental rugs. This means one could say that all Persian rugs are also Oriental rugs.

But…

In comparison to the other types of Oriental carpets, the Persian rugs are distinctively unique and quite different.

While most Oriental rugs are hand-knotted, Persian rugs are typically thinner and less heavy than other types. Moreover, Persian rugs have less complicated design patterns that are often geometric and floral. 

Here are the major differences between both types of rugs:

They can be found in many colors and shapes with an intricate pattern of knots or asymmetrical designs on the surface of the rug. However, Persian rugs have brighter and bolder colors, while other Oriental rugs have less bright tones.

Persian rugs are typically thinner than the handmade Oriental rugs since they are not made of wool but instead woven with cotton or natural fibers that imitate the texture of wool (lamb’s wool, mohair, or polyester).

Many Persian rugs for sale have a pattern and the colors differ from dark red to light yellow or brown with intricate designs on them. Due to their thin construction, these rugs can be folded into a much smaller size than an Oriental rug. The most common Persian rug is the salt and pepper rug, which has two rows of roundels that alternate with a row of rectangular shapes.

Persian rugs are much cheaper than other carpets of similar quality solely because they're easy to weave and some of the materials used to make them can be found around the home. Though they're still just as beautiful, they often last a lifetime, and embroideries are often made with traditional themes such as flowers, animals, and more.

All genuine Oriental and Persian carpets come with fringes. The fringes are an essential element of the carpet since they are the end of the warp threads. If a rug is without these components, it is unlikely that it is a real Oriental or Persian carpet.

Oriental rugs are woven on a jacquard loom, while Persian rugs are woven on a tabby loom. A handmade oriental rug has a wool foundation and is usually made up of a cotton warp. It is woven with wool, cotton, silk, or a combination of these materials in various patterns and colors.

Asymmetrical Ghiordes knot is used to bind Oriental carpets. The asymmetrical or Senneh knot is most commonly used in Persian rugs. Persian carpets are known for having high knot counts and are considered the best quality Oriental rugs in the world.

Depending on where they are made, these two types are a bit more expensive and usually used in places like Europe. On the other hand, if there is a higher concentration of cotton in the rug it means they are simpler and therefore less expensive.

What are Some Similarities Between Oriental and Persian Rugs?

Persian carpets and Oriental rugs are both beautiful pieces of art that have been crafted with lots of love and care and have also been constructed with 100% natural materials.

Just like Oriental rugs, Persian rugs are also handmade by skilled artisans who invest a lot of time and effort into each rug that they create. They are dyed with natural dyes, which take time and patience.

Oriental carpets, like Persian rugs, use the same designs, but with a twist. Flora and wildlife designs are frequently included, with a more curved line quality than Persian carpets. Mountains, farms, lakes, and forests are among the landscape designs available.

You may be certain of the durability of both handmade Persian and Oriental carpets since they are made with thousands of hand knots. The customer can be confident that whichever type of rug they’ll buy will withstand normal wear and tear. The majority of these carpets are promptly passed down through generations.

If you take proper care of a handmade Oriental rug you purchase, it will retain its value as it ages. To ensure that your investment appreciates, be sure to clean it with a solution of water and vinegar periodically (1-2 times per month), vacuum regularly, and avoid excessively wetting the material in general.

It might be difficult to tell the difference between Persian and Oriental carpets. They are popular carpets because of their natural wool fibers, old, detailed designs, and durability. Both types of carpets are handmade to last for many years.

Oriental and Persian carpets are both stunning and one-of-a-kind art pieces. Whether you choose a Persian carpet or a handmade oriental rug, it will be the focal point of your décor. The only tough decision is deciding on the pattern and color palette that would suit your home best.

[sepublic]

Jean-Luc, the Bat Queen, and the Temple; Made by Titans or their Trappers?

Something I’m fascinated by is whether King’s birthplace was created by his father the Titan, or by the Titan Trapper who killed him.

The mural seems to portray the Titan Trapper in a heroic light, pointing towards the temple being his creation; On the other hand, it’s possible Titan culture is different from ours, and thus they have different connotations for highlighting good and evil in their art. The murals and their moon symbolism might actually be a warning to King of the Grand Huntsman and his minions... And there’s also the idea that a Titan Trapper broke into King’s temple and simply defiled it with some propaganda, which places King’s speculation about graffiti in Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances in a VERY dark light.

Then we also have the matter of Jean-Luc, who resembles Belos’ meaty magic; If he was created by the Titan Trapper, this would indicate parallels between servants of the Collector! But this does raise the question, why does Jean-Luc protect King? Is he simply raising a lamb for the slaughter, as a living Titan’s power is most ideal for freeing the Grand Huntsman? For all we know, it could be that Jean-Luc and the temple were made by separate entities; One created by the Trapper, the other by the Titan!

Of course, there’s also the architecture as well. The doorway to the temple has strange markings that we don’t see on Titan Trapper island, nor do the Titan Trappers seem to recognize them on King’s collar... Alternatively, they DO recognize the symbol but don’t question it because at the time, they thought all the evidence pointed towards King being the son of a Titan Trapper. It’s been compared to the Collector’s prison, which was probably made by Titans, but it’s also possible a Titan Trapper designed the symbol as a glyph to interface with and open said prison.

King’s temple also seems to run on a strange blue magic that keeps Jean-Luc running and responds to King. This coloration could be in reference to his blood, indicating it’s of Titan origin; But it could also point towards the Titan Trappers, which use blue flames, likely styled after their quarry as their outfits are.

Finally, I want to mention King’s initial compulsion to build and stack things... Was he trying to create Jean-Lucs, or just working with what he had to replicate something familiar to him, lacking any other hobbies? Did he carve those rocks into Jean-Luc’s head shape, were they already like that and meant to be created as such? King suggests in Clouds on the Horizon that he can create sentient life...

This could point towards Jean-Luc and his kind being creations of the Titans, hence King’s compulsion to make miniature versions; He’s trying to create his own subjects, life itself! Plus Jean-Luc is shown bowing towards King in a reverential manner, which if he’s only meant to raise King to be slaughtered, wouldn’t make sense; Why program him with this type of respect if not by a Titan?

We still have yet to see Jean-Luc come back to life, and he was probably confiscated by the Emperor’s Coven. If King’s line about creating life is any indication, perhaps he’ll unlock a bit of his power in the season finale, summoning Jean-Luc; Who will break out of confinement and make his ways towards him! Maybe King is even gonna go out of his way to visit the basement where Jean-Luc is held, in hopes of using him to save Luz! That, and/or King will spawn a Jean-Luc or even more from scratch; Possibly from the flesh around Belos’ castle, where the climax will take place!

This would set up further parallels and foils between King and Belos, both using the flesh of the ground/Titan itself to create living constructs... Jean-Lucs and Grimwalkers. It’d also be King reclaiming his farher’s power and name against Belos, who has misused and abused it for his own antithetical means! King wanting to lead armies might not just be from Eda’s interpretation of his creation, it’s possible Titans naturally create Jean-Lucs to protect them... Maybe even absorb them to facilitate their growth?

There IS the theory that King is going to have a growth spurt this finale, and his broken skull is essentially him molting. This would coincide with a rise of power for the kid... And not to plug it again at the last second, but it kinda reminds me of my speculation of Belos using the bodies of everyone to heal and regenerate the Titan’s flesh and revive it; So that’d symbolically be Belos once again appropriating and bastardizing Titan magic for his own genocidal gains!

Finally, I want to bring back the question of the Bat Queen’s owner. In the mural, we see King’s father wielding what appears to be a staff against the Titan Trapper, which given what we now know, is a damning suggestion of Titans wielding Palismen; Since their wood grows from their bodies, and the Titan Trappers, who are Anti-Titan and not beholden to Belos (and thus wouldn’t sacrifice any hypothetical Palismen to him) don’t have any Palismen of their own. It’d be fitting if the Titan’s palismen kept watch over all subsequent palismen born of her creator, her little siblings so to speak...

Now obviously there’s the scale discrepancy. But I want to bring back that age-old theory of demons shrinking when wounded, as shown with Adegast and the Trash Slug. The Bat Queen said she was broken, so if this theory applies to her as well, that might be the reason for her (comparatively) small size. That, or she’s the Palisman of the Titan Trapper who killed King’s dad, since I speculated before on him being a giant big enough to even feasibly take on the Titan on his own.

[harseik]

It was during their efforts to pass through a crowd of roaring demolition derby spectators that an alien feeling gradually pulled JD Wells out of her surroundings. Anxiety? Panic? Her? She was the type to rescue wallflowers from the corners of rooms. Always a part of the in-crowd and never had a bad thought to spare toward her fellow human beings. Now, it felt as if these hundreds of strangers fluttering by were hunting her. Circling in on her. Her mind screamed that an attack was imminent, but from what angle? JD froze, her breathing short and rapid, beads of sweat breaking across her skin.

A tidal wave of memories rolled into her. The riot.

It wasn't much farther ahead where Noah's attention flicked back toward the sound of tearful choking in his wake. He could only speculate as he hauled JD out of the gathering and let her retreat into a still side passage where the festivities had become a dull drone. He took a knee in front of her huddled form, hopefully putting himself between her and... whatever had turned this lioness into a trembling lamb. After deducing that the fleet of hyper children dashing by were just that, he swiveled back around and felt her head fall against his chest.

Does a sign of trust always have to be such a surprise?

~

I cannot stress enough the importance of stock images. That includes taking pictures of yourself, fellow artists!

Noah's looking a little too shocked imo, but it's not ridiculously far off the mark. I really like this moment in the main story and just had to put it on canvas. Why yes, I do have an overdramatized, sappy song that inspired this scene - thanks for asking!: "Fix You" cover by Joseph William Morgan. The original Coldplay track I sing as a joke in the face of first-world problems literally all the time, and here I am attaching something I personally find emotional onto it. Bwuahahaha.

In arc one, the main cast is rendered homeless and unable to be remembered by other people, hence all the grunge. Somebody needs a haircut.

Sword and Shield go hand-in-hand. Living up to that metaphor, Noah and JD go through a tremendous amount of ice-breaking that only they can accomplish together. The first arc follows these two around almost exclusively and they are a DREAM to work with due to how outrageously removed they are in terms of personality and sense of purpose. I like to view these two through the lens of the masculine(offense) and feminine(defense). This dyad is designed to fill in the holes left vacant by the adjacent force (that is the dirtiest thing I've unintentionally ever said). What I understand is that both succeed and suffer differently but equally, and neither side is given too much to handle as long as the other is there to lend a hand.

You can even see it in their presentation, how one is clearly more haggard than the other. Obstacles of the flesh are what occupy Noah. He works things out by dealing and receiving physical stimuli, his logic being body-based. Whether he manages to break down a foe or if it be his own bones that wind up breaking, he's going to come out of that struggle with a better sense of himself. He can handle and derive meaning from pain. JD, concerned with matters of the heart and social cohesion, doesn't get any kind of profound feedback from something so corporeal as pain. As a result, pain doesn't seem intent on finding her (which is why her "powers" are outsourced to a beast companion - oppositely, Noah's powers are entirely martial). She is able to access realms of understanding Noah simply cannot. Not without her help. And vice-versa.

Aaaand I think I'm done talking about stuff that some smart guy probably already came up with 1000 years ago and expressed far more succinctly. In summary, I love these two. ;_;

Also someone needs to delete orange from my computer. This is ridiculous.