#without shepherds

[machetelettuce]

Nolawi and Narinder's references for my What Is A Shepherd Without A Flock? au because amidst my Inez craze ive also been thinking about their dynamic against Nolawi and Calvert (my other Lamb)'s personalities.

Ranting about Nolawi + their Narinder below!

Nolawi was conceptualized as a Lamb who tries to sacrifice their life for Narinder SO INTENSELY that the mystic seller fucking GIVES UP and lets them have him... But, they have to give up something in return. An eye for an eye, their entire cult for their god.

This is obviously a very devastating and character-breaking moment for them in which they choose their own selfish wants over the good of their flock, but I think they're an interesting character and this reading is surface deep (i say, talking about my own oc).

Nolawi is the oldest of my lambs, they died at 38 and they were a teacher and leader amongst their population. They had a wife and a young daughter who was killed in the slaughter. They lost their entire herd to forces outside of their control, and now they will lose their flock due to their own selfish decisions. And the worst part of it is that they realize that they don't actually care that much. That's what destroys them-- They don't feel for their herd anymore.

They've fallen into the mindset of... 'well, they're just fodder for the future', without even realizing it. The same mindset that led their past sheep herd to being slaughtered. And so, they've made their choice, they have this horrible realization that they're a terrible terrible person, they now have a formerly chained-- pissy (and in immeasurable pain) god by their side, they are ALSO a god now, and oh yeah, they're both going to DIE if they don't raise another cult soon.

So: Fuck. Fuck. They are so, so fucked. Emotionally they're in ruin, and Narinder is physically in ruin. He's trying to help but he's also been in chains in a void for the past thousand years so god knows he's shoving through a world he hasnt walked in ages and he's trying to navigate an incredibly emotionally charged situation with Nolawi. It's such a mess. And again they're on the verge of death and both getting weaker the less devotion they have, Narinder starts with no devotion either so he's on the chopping block first. Nolawi has to move fast while also trying to not let Narinder die and trying to not give into horrible depression. They suck I love them.

Oh to be two middle aged people trying to survive issues far beyond your control while having an incredibly emotionally messy relationship.

[luna-the-cretar]

Someone needs to take Pinterest away from me

[dayswithouttommyshepherd]

days without tommy shepherd: 0

tommy and billy in avengers academy #24

[theborzoiarebackintown]

A gremlin enjoying her cod skin roll reward for being a good girl to get her staples out! She is officially cleared to return to her regular activities of inflicting mass mayhem and destruction wherever she goes.

[acecroft]

If you shoot enough magazine covers, you start to look at life that way. That's all. Life is like a magazine cover. It doesn't have a name, the magazine.

[vaguely-concerned]

just for fun this time during 'sea of blood' I counted out all the venatori corpses I think we can be pretty sure were lucanis' handiwork before we show up (not including the ones he kills in his initial cutscene, and with an assumption that he's been at work mainly up and down in the areas we move through until we find him, not behind the locked door -- I think that's mostly the work of rampaging undead and other venatori-hoisted-by-their-own-petard suchlikes). can thus happily inform you lucanis has killed at least 32 venatori before rook and company get there. at least one of them he's impaled on their own weird crystal spike things the venatori mages cast as an AOE attack and that they're trying to keep him contained with when we find him. so he's clearly been keeping busy lol. that's my boy dispensing poetic justice and claiming some enrichment in his enclosure while he's at it good for him!

[canisalbus]

Feel free to ignore this if it doesn't spark your interest but worth a shot. Can I ask what breed of dog Jesus was in your dog world?

I think dog Jesus predates most of today's dog breeds. Realistically he'd probably be some kind of mutt, probably with vaguely Canaan dog looks. But European depictions of Jesus have always been very localized, and I tend to think that in Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art he'd usually appear as a Spaniel of sorts, although it varies from piece to piece. Gun dogs more often than not.

[good-day-batey]

I CANT WITH THE PARALLELISM BETWEEN THE 2 SETS OF THE MAXIMOFF TWINS.

BETWEEN WANDA AND PIETRO'S DEATH AND BILLY AND TOMMY'S NON-EXISTENCE. WITH OUR TWO WITCHES NOT BEING ABLE TO FEEL THEIR TWINS.

ONE KNOWING THE OTHER IS NOT THERE ANYMORE. THE OTHER KNOWING HE'S THERE BUT JUST DONT KNOW WHERE.

THE OTHER WHO GOT SWALLOWED IN GRIEF AND THE OTHER WHO TOOK THE WITCHES ROAD TO FIND HIM.

BUT BOTH ALL THE SAME FEELS LONELY WITHOUT THE OTHER.

[sparkoflena]

The best part about Wiccan being introduced in the MCU official is that it continues to give me a bigger excuse to scream about the Young Avengers.

First America, Kate, & Cassie. Now Billy.

[dontbelasagne]

thinking about the parallels between the devils hour and Clara's storyline as the impossible girl ripped apart by time and made to have hundred of lives across the doctors timeline. sure we got to see it in a fantastical way, but in any other context this would be existentially horrifying in regard to what you'd define as your literal reality, who is the "real" clara and does the doctor just see the spectres of many other women parading around in the clara he found?

[machetelettuce]

I've been working on an AU as of late. I doubt anyone will really care, but nonetheless I want to talk about it on here because I figure it'll be awhile before I get the comic I'm thinking of out anyways.

It's essentially the same as canon, with one deviation in the storyline. The Lamb, who is named Nolawi here, attempts to sacrifice themself to save Narinder multiple times. But see, the problem is that in the game, when you try to sacrifice yourself to Narinder... You can't. You're brought to the credits screen, yes, but you can continue your save just like normal. Theres no ending after you sacrifice yourself, you're just sent back in time. Nolawi essentially gets stuck in a time loop through this. The first few times, they're confused. They think theres a mistake, they must've been dreaming-- or something odd like that. They fully intend to sacrifice themself. They see it as their final decision, one that will free their benefactor and give them closure. They don't want to become a god. They are at peace with their standing. But the universe denies them. They cannot sacrifice themself. They are stuck in a loop of dying and coming back.

Eventually, the universe begins to shiver at their sheer determination. And by shiver, I mean crack. There's only so many times one can deny their own fate before the fates begin to doubt themselves. Nolawi is a stubborn lamb, and they won't let the world deny them their choice. After so long of doing this, the universe finally responds. The 'Mystic Seller' (or, 'weird physical manifestation of that above divinity' AKA 'the fucking universe itself') presents itself to Nolawi and offers them a deal. The Universe will return Narinder to the living world, he will be-- by all means-- freed. But Nolawi must give up their entire flock in return. Nolawi, as a name, means Shephard. It's a religious name, specifically one from Ethiopia, Nolawi-- or ኖላዊ is God who gave his life for his sheep (mankind). Thus, by accepting this deal, Nolawi betrays who they are as a person and as a god to their flock. They give up their flock as sacrifice for their own selfish wants-- rather then how it should be. Nolawi declines the request. Believing it to be asinine, and the Universe false. They are stubborn, they are the chosen vessel of he who waits, they can be persistent and wait for the Universe to crack as they continue to try and sacrifice themself to Narinder. ...But the Universe is endlessly more patient then a single Lamb. Who is, at this time, still just a vessel, and not a true god. Nolawi is playing with fate, and fate never loses. So eventually, they finally give in. And their entire flock is sacrificed, while Narinder and them are saved. Narinder is freed, as a god in his own right-- But lacking the same power he would've gained if Nolawi had been sacrificed. He is weak, and they are shattered. The Universe freed Narinder as a Bishop and not a Mortal on purpose. Think of it as a petty little 'fuck you' to Nolawi for keeping it waiting for so long. Because Narinder is not a Mortal, he cannot be a part of their flock. So they cannot recruit him.

What is a Shephard without a Flock? Nolawi finds this question a taunt. They're purposeless. They defied fate, yes, and they technically made their own choice AGAINST fate. But there is no victory for them. There is no justice. They are left at the hands of the world again with nothing. Only Narinder. They have a pretty damn unhealthy codependency here, especially because the Universe isn't willing to talk to a god who has no following. And they WILL die soon if they don't build their flock. So, they and Narinder are forced to work together for it. In all their toxicity.

I might elaborate upon this someday and I DO have a comic planned out for this AU, which is why I'm talking about it. I'd love to hear opinions or feedback. Thank you for reading, if you did! It means a lot.

[dayswithouttommyshepherd]

days without tommy shepherd: 0

tommy shepherd in the teaser page for the upcoming comic series 'the vision and the scarlet witch' (the first issue is out on may 21st so look forward to that!!)

[notbecauseofvictories]

This is going to sound negative, but I think Snuff deserves to be the last Discworld book. I mean, Raising Steam is good in certain ways, a fond elegy to the characters and plots a reader has come to know so well. I don't even object to the visceral pleasure of the earlier novels giving way to something diffuse, harder to pin down. (Unseen Academicals felt like this---a wonderful novel, but not actually a victory; just a plot that rearranged matters in an interesting way.) But there's a sort of...ill magic setting in, by the time you get to the scene where Vetinari gives medals to our wonderful shining heroes of the railway.

Namely, they're too good at this.

Vimes uses the Summoning Dark multiple times, and without even the terrified self-doubt he was showing in Snuff. (I have other issues with Snuff, but that was an interesting thread to pull.) Vetinari not-too-discretely points the Black Clerks at a problem, and it is solved; when necessary, he goes undercover working on something he personally considers vaguely distasteful, and yet becomes the center of a folk song. Moist neither sleeps, nor eats nor makes love to his wife (except sometimes, too rarely in his opinion) but rushes all over doing the railways' job for---what? for why?

They're too good, they've climbed too high; Vimes and Vetinari are edging into myth while still being alive, and Moist was already half of a song anyway, has been since he put on the golden suit.

I'm not saying it's not an interesting setup, because strangely it is. But it feels like the start of something, not closure at all, because what else is Discworld good for if not to tackle the fact that everything glowy and laden with awe will not remain such. Because, you know, that's how the world works.

[kris-mage-fics]

I couldn't stop thinking about this post about Blade not knowing a lot of common things while I was making supper. So of course I needed to make rankings of how much the main characters in Shepherds of Haven know about colors and flowers. Feel free to debate these rankings, I'm sure I've forgotten some relevant information about someone, lol! (Explanations under the cut.)

How many color names they know? Lavinet Riel Shery Chase — Tallys Briony — Halek — Red … Ayla — Caine — Trouble … Blade

How many flowers do they know? Tallys Lavinet — Riel — Shery ... Briony — Halek — Red … Ayla — Caine — Chase — Trouble … Blade

Colors: Lavinet: Knows a ton about fashion, trends, and the cultural implications of wearing one color over another. She's an expert. Riel: He's a merchant, he needs to know if midnight blue silk organza or navy silk georgette is going to be the next hot thing. Shery: Between being a knitter and being into decorating, she would know a lot of color names. Chase, Tallys: More knowledgeable than average. Chase because he likes being stylish. Tallys because she's probably tried out quite a few different arts and crafts over the years. Briony, Halek, Red: Have a pretty average knowledge of color names. Ayla, Caine, Trouble: Below average. Mostly because none of them care much about that sort of thing. (Also Caine is a 12 year old boy with fairly typical 12 year old boy interests.) Blade: Y'all know if you read the original post, lol Flowers: Tallys: I think had a floral arranging phase. Also she'd know the names of a lot of wild flowers and medicinal flowering plants. Lavinet, Riel, Shery: Lavinet would've been expected to learn about flowers. Shery just really likes them. Riel needs to know the difference between a peony and a chrysanthemum for trade reasons. Briony, Halek, Red: Again, they are pretty average in what they know about flowers. Though I think Briony will expand on that over time and overtake the other two. Ayla, Caine, Chase, Trouble: They don't particularly care enough about flowers to know more. Flowers are pretty and that's about it to them. Blade: I know he likes to garden, but he's the kind of guy to have a vegetable garden, not a flower garden. So again, his knowledge in this area is abysmal.

[aspecbuddie]

amelia shepherd and eddie diaz both being absent for the same two weeks plus the week break in episodes is ripping my heart out btw

[shepherds-of-haven]

SPOILERS I THINK

LMFAOO a poll I would like to see is who spits in Sibella's face 😃

A) You genuinely pick the higher ground (you never have/will choose to spit)

B) You initially chose to spit, but don't because of the -5 stats

C) You're an S tier hater and spit in that hoes face even if you get -5 stats

I'll try to remember to make this a poll further down the road! 😂 I'd be very interested in hearing what people say!