#oh narinder the things i would do for you

[ciaosonounapersonalol]

Ok so we've heard about the bishops regaing some powers after their indoctrination, nothing wrong with that ofc

But what about the bishops gradualy losing it? What about slowly becoming less and less "Godly" and more and more "mortal"

What about Leshy trying to grow a flower and realizing it took longer and more effort than last time? About how the shame hits him when the flower wilts in his hands, dying, petals slipping away from his fingers like his godhood? About the dreadful realization that he couldn't do anything about it, just when he thought he finally could shape his fate to his liking?

What about Heket changing her bandages and noticing that the stain wasn't the faded, dark, reddish-black of ichor, but the vivid red of blood? The almost dysmorphic feeling she has when the smell of iron its her nostrils? How umilianting it feels to try to make a crop wilt or bloom, only for it to remain the exact same? How wrong it feels to not have the feeling of her power flowing trough her veins?

What about Kallamar slowly losing his earing? How each word feels more faded than the last? What were you saying again? I can't hear you i wasn't quite listening. How he feels naked without his beatiful earrings, treasured gifts from his lovers, but also how munch it hurts to even try putting one on? How he slowly learns to read lips just to avoid telling others he can't hear their words? Just another thing you can't do right, can't you Kallamar? How he can't look at himself in the mirror without his bandages on? How guilty he feels when a patient dies because his powes didn't work? How he feels like he could have done more even though he knew he couldn't at the funeral? Watching the patient's loved ones cry at their grave?

How Shamura fails to remember things? How at first it's just small slip-ups? How it worsens? Who's that one? It feels like i should know them but who are they? Why do they look so familiar? What am doing here? Where am i? "Shamura, what's my name?" Why does their voice sound so worried? So... sad? "Your name is... your name... i don't know...". Why are they making that face? Why are they crying? What's wrong? Why does my head hurt so munch? Who's that one?It feels like i should know them but who are they? Why do they look so familiar? What am doing here? Where am i?... who am i? Why does it hurt to see them like this? Calm down Shamura. You're a god. Everything will be fine. It will all be fine. ...right?

And Narinder, oh poor Narinder, how does it feel like to see that damned usurper use your powers? How does it feel like to have the envy eat you inside out when you see them resurrect long-dead followers with ease, while you need help lifing a mere box? Damned chains. You where once a feasome god worthy of praise, now forced to lay in bed in agony because you just can't move today, oh how low did have you fallen, One Below. All of this was supposed to be yours. It was your rightful reward for all those years spent suffering, yet that damned lamb wanted to keep it all to themselves. But your s- the bishops suffered too, didn't they? You thought it would all be worthy in the end, thats what you said to them, and now, where are their souls? Are they still wandering in the Gateway? They must hate you. You where their master. You failed them. The One Who Waits waits no more but he'd rather be dead than this umiliation. Than this pathetic form and existence. They only spared you so you could suffer, yes, that must be it. Wretched thing

[ro-bee]

Giving myself a little treat as I draw nari design before and after lamb making the "after lamb" one a little bit chubbier because he's well cared for now 😔♥

[thegempage]

the stories. that live in my head. unwritten. y'all have no idea

[krysmcscience]

It’s finally done, guys – five whole pages of Narilamb AU comic AND MORE be upon you! (If you have trouble reading any of the text, view the full-size! These pages are huge!)

Yeesh, this took forever. <:)

There’s probably a ton of inconsistencies and anatomy/perspective wonkeries, but this was mostly just comic practice, so Oh Hekkin Well, Lol <:D

(Yes, I am aware the Gateway’s door isn’t present in the Afterlife, and the actual way in is just a pentagram portal. Yes, I put the door in there anyway because Artistic License, i.e. it felt more impactful for there to be a prison door of sorts to walk through to freedom, rather than just a bland boring portal on the ground. 😠)

anyway, i hate backgrounds so much lmao

Alternate ending and a buttload of bonus art under the cut, followed by goofy AU rambles and headcanon stuff:

I’m calling it the Revival AU. It’s not all that creative a title, and someone else has probably used it already, but I am too lazy to really care, LOL

Alternate ending page, which you will Definitely need to view the full-size for, Whoopsie Daisy:

The alternate ending was actually the first ending I finished things off with, because I had a brief badbrain moment where I forgot the emotional beat I initially wanted the comic to end on, and I tend to write comedy, anyway. I later remembered and drew out the proper ending, but I preserved and finished this one, too, because it still makes me giggle.

They had to go back for the followers off-screen in the AU’s real ending. And by ‘they’ I mean just the Lamb, because they weren’t about to ask three newly freed cats to go back into what used to be their prison. The Lamb DID spend some time watching Narinder and the bois enjoying the outdoors first, though:

In other news, here’s the Lamb and me making fun of my anatomy-drawing ‘skills’:

Meanwhile, if you’re wondering why the Lamb is just a-okay with how things went down vis a vis Their Murder, this bonus comic should answer at least some of your questions:

Ah, yes, also this is how they get engaged outside of the alternate ending. Forgot to mention that bit. XD (I already refuse to believe that Narinder is capable of flirting normally, so why would his initial marriage proposal be any better???)

Oh, and before any of them get a chance to actually head back to the cult grounds, there is one potential problem:

And by ‘problem’ I mean something Narinder intends to ignore for At Minimum a thousand years. Cuz he’s a petty bitch like that. :D

what do you mean i drew the lamb too tall compared to the background? clearly they’re standing on top of baal and aym lmao, why else would you think those two aren’t in this one??? (aym and baal got way too excited about finally being outside, you see, and their silly modes are nothing to sneeze at)

And, speaking of heading back to the cult grounds, I’m sure y’all would love to know how the Lamb’s followers felt about the brand new change in management:

It all went better than expected. <:D Tiny ramble now, feel free to skip down to the next comic.

Before you ask, no, the Lamb does not have any actual powers anymore, other than the immortality Narinder definitely grants them. The Red Crown just thinks it’s funny to suggest otherwise, and Narinder does nothing to discourage this. Also, the Lamb and Narinder aren’t actually married here yet, but, uh. Pretty safe to say that particular ritual directly follows the events of this comic. XD

Given how quickly he mellows out in canon, Narinder probably chills out a lot in this AU once he’s in charge of the cult, too, if only because 1.) He’s finally free, and 2.) He’s equally smitten with and distracted by the Lamb. He’s definitely in charge at least 95% of the time, though, because the Lamb never actually wanted to be a cult leader and, now that their time as a vessel is done, they just want to be a normal(ish) sheep who’s wholly devoted to their hot new divine husband.

Some followers do still have some valid concerns about these two being together, though, which I’m sure at least a few of you might share…

Unfortunately for any such concerns, the Lamb is a bonafide masochist in this AU. :D

They’re also 100% a sub, obviously

Anyone at all: Your relationship is problematic and potentially toxic

The Lamb: fuck yeah it is, it’s so hot~ OuO

Here’s just the last panel, made transparent for whatever nefarious purposes y’all might have for it:

Additional exchange Narinder and the Lamb have at some point, probably after the Lamb does a fatal whoopsie while out on a mission trip or in response to things getting a little too sadistic in the bedroom, ahaha:

Look, there is a very important distinction between life and death, and if you don’t understand that, then you’re probably not worthy of being the God of Death, anyway. (At least, according to Narinder, and ONLY Narinder.)

Last but not least, have these shittens:

~Such creative naming conventions I have utilized, lololol~ :D Anyway, there's a few deets on them in the rambles down below.

The rest is all ramble, so before I get to that, I’ll just say – likes and especially reblogs are very much appreciated!!! :D If you happen to really really REALLY like my stuff, meanwhile, I do have a link in my bio to my ko-fi page, where I’m accepting commissions and donations if you’re especially generous… ÓuÒ

Now, BE FREE IF YOU AIN’T DOWN FOR READING MY GOOFY RAMBLES

First ramble is re: Baal’s question of ‘Did it really work?’, since I didn’t feel like expanding on it in the comic proper, and it’s arguably pretty vague? He doesn’t ask because he doubts Narinder or his capabilities, exactly, but because neither Baal nor Aym have ever actually seen their god at full power before (he’s still technically not at full power here, either). It’s not expressly stated how soon the brothers were brought to Narinder after his imprisonment, but whether it was early on or after a length of time for Shamura to (somewhat) recover from his attack, he must have already been weakened, since I have no doubts that there was a huge battle that accompanied the Bishops working together to trap him. So, between that fight with all four of his siblings, sharing his power with a variety of vessels over time, and being chained immobile for a thousand years, he must have been severely weakened by the time he lent the Red Crown out to the Lamb, which would have only weakened him further.

I like to think this is how the Lamb is able to defeat him if they refuse to be sacrificed, despite how it took all four Bishops working together to subdue and chain Narinder in the first place.

All that aside, the three cats have been trapped in the Afterlife for so long that Baal also wanted verbal reassurance that they are all, indeed, actually able to leave it now – something that I headcanon isn’t possible without a significant amount of power (i.e. the Red Crown’s cooperation with its bearer/vessel).

(On a semi-related note, I don’t headcanon Aym and Baal as twins. I like sweetheart big bro Baal and snarky little goth bro Aym too much to have them be that close in age.)

Ah, teeny thing: If you noticed I switched up the art style for Narinder on the second page, that was intentional. It's sort of a visual indicator that there has been a Big Change for him - that being, how much power he has after sacrificing the Lamb. As for why I changed up his arms in the grass rollin' pic, I don't really subscribe to the notion that his arms are spooky bones because they're horrifically injured (beyond chain-chafing scars, that is), but rather just because he's the Bishop of Death, so he can change how normal-to-spooky they look at will. At some point I might doodle out how I imagine his appearance to range between least to most eldritch... 🤔

Next ramble, regarding Narinder’s feelings towards the Lamb...he was initially too focused on being freed from his imprisonment to form any real attachment to them. They were a tool for his use, first and foremost, but he did notice their intense devotion towards him. It was impossible not to notice, because the Lamb was always very happy to see him, even if it was because they died during a crusade (yet again). He wasn’t originally planning to revive them once he was freed, either, because he saw no real point to it – after all, they were already dead when they first met him, just as any other mortal would be when meeting him in the Afterlife, so death has very little real consequence in his eyes. But, once the chains were off, and it really sank in that he stood to lose the most devoted follower he’s ever had, he decided…why put their soul to rest for good or leave them stuck in the Afterlife when he could just as easily revive them again? And why not reward them for their hard work, anyway? Not only would it cost him nothing by comparison, but the future devotion that could come of it would surely make up for his (bare minimum) effort in reviving them.

He wasn’t expecting to get a full dose of that devotion and a smiling face so soon after killing them, though~ :3c (because the Lamb is a bonafide freak, and not-so-secretly into the fucked up power dynamics going on here, lol)

I should mention here that I am firmly of the belief that any non-god/vessel who crosses through the Gateway and into the Afterlife just straight up dies. So, Aym and Baal? Also straight up dead, from the second Shamura brought them through. Their souls were just never put to rest so that Narinder could have some company – if only according to Shamura. Narinder kept the two around mostly out of bewilderment, because honestly, who are these kittens, and what is Shamura’s game here, anyway??? They never even explained anything, they just tossed these kittens into the Afterlife and LEFT!!! At any rate, Aym and Baal being dead is how I explain why their souls apparently become lost in the void if they’re killed, along with the added complications required to revive the two because of it.

So, with those deets in mind, and given a bit of time, if Narinder hadn’t chosen to revive the Lamb, and also hadn’t chosen to put their soul to rest, they still would have woken up at some point, despite being as straight up dead as Aym and Baal. Who, don’t worry, were also properly revived while Narinder was waiting for the Lamb to wake up. Because I am also firmly of the belief that, first, the dead cannot leave the Afterlife without the use of a ritual/relic (and can't stay in the living world for long regardless), and second, dead followers’ devotion isn’t anywhere near as potent as that of the living, given how much more the living stand to lose.

Final ramble, regarding the Lamb’s feelings towards Narinder, and why they’re so devoted to him…

Well, you don’t spend most of your life on the run with your steadily-dwindling herd, trying to evade the ongoing genocide of your species, without becoming a little fucked up in the head. Maybe a lot fucked up in the head. Life is suffering, so might as well have fun with it, right? Maybe start finding death and pain to be kind of hilarious, even a little bit hot, once everyone you know and love is dead and gone, leaving you all alone? And maybe after that, there’s something comforting in how, despite the cold, cruel uncertainties of life, at least you can always count on the inevitability of death, patiently waiting for you until your very last breath? Who knows. Either way, as soon as the Lamb was killed, and they learned that the literal God of Death was offering them a second chance at life and vengeance via effective immortality, they were 100% ride-or-die-devoted all at once. Turns out death is kinder than life – go figure. (Of course, it helps that Narinder is 100% their type.)

They weren’t put off by Narinder’s thinly-veiled sadism or manipulations, either – they’re not too different in those regards, albeit opting for vastly different methods. It’s a very ‘two sides of the same coin’ sort of deal. In order to stay alive once they were made the last of their kind, the Lamb had no qualms with using others to their advantage, and that did not change once they were revived and expected to run a cult. They didn’t care for the position of authority, though – being a sheep and all, they’re much more of a follower than a leader, and thus greatly appreciated Narinder’s need for control. With how they had to keep on their toes for so long, the Lamb was also pretty good at reading people by the time they died, so they could recognize that a lot of Narinder’s posturing was just that – posturing. Dude’s 95% bluster and only 5% bite. He could obviously be vicious when he wanted or needed to (the Bishops' injuries were clear proof of that), but underneath his outer layer of cruelty was a generous layer of tsundere, and underneath all THAT was a soft squishy middle sibling velcro cat in desperate need of attention and affection.

(Which, for the record, he Did Not feel comfortable getting from Aym and Baal – Narinder still has no idea why the fuck Shamura sent them to him, beyond acting as keepers at best or trying to sabotage his attempts to escape at worst. Which, he thought HE sabotaged in turn, by guiding the kittens into being his devoted disciples instead. He thought he was very clever for it. ‘I outsmarted Shamura!’ he thought, despite that there was never anything there to outsmart. ‘What do you mean, Shamura sent your kittens to me for company?’ he demands of Forneus later. It may or may not lead him to pull Shamura out of Purgatory just so he can shake them and scream about how they should have Fucking Explained that!!!)

But, getting back on track as to why the Lamb was so willing to be sacrificed, I cannot stress this enough – if you pay even a minimal amount of attention to what he’s saying, Narinder is REALLY NOT SUBTLE about his intentions. ‘Death is of little consequence.’ ‘Followers are for you to use to your advantage.’ ‘Sacrifice a follower to absorb more power.’ So, yeah, the Lamb knew exactly what would be expected of them once the other Bishops were dead. They knew Narinder would expect them to die for him one last time. But, after all, death is of little consequence (not to mention hot), so when the time came, they wanted to see him freed, even if it meant oblivion for them in the end.

He’d given them a second life, and the ability to avenge their kin, and they felt indebted to him for that – so, while they were still pretty glum about the possibility that they might not get to see him free of his chains, nothing beyond their devotion and debt to him mattered. They never wanted all the drama and expectations that came with the Red Crown’s power, anyway, so, better for Narinder to have it back so that he could deal with it. What he did with the Lamb afterward would be up to him, and seeing as he was their god, they’d accept his decision gladly.

Were they in love with him by that point? Oh, obsessively so, but only in the devotional sense – romance was nowhere on their mind nor radar. That is, until he unexpectedly revived them again, told them he still needed them, and then offered down his hand to help them up.

The Lamb fell HARD for him in that moment. :3c

And now, a tiny shitten ramble. Lu and Li are twins, because sheep tend to have those a lot, and are conceived not long after the Lamb and Narinder’s marriage ceremony. Lu is the minutes older one, but Li is much more mature. I have put no further thought into these two, other than that they are utter menaces, birthed by the Lamb, cling hard to both their parents but especially Narinder (who spoils them rotten), and they are both genderfluid, using whichever pronouns/names they feel like at any given time. They are also both intersex, same as the Lamb, who was initially infertile up until Something Something Vague Magic, which I have also put no further thought into ¯\_(シ)_/¯

oh, and before anyone tries to suggest i headcanon this AU’s lamb as trending more female due to them giving birth or whatever, no, no, a thousand times no, they might have a vag, but they've also got a dick, and even if it's not as big as they'd like, they still know how to use it

Finally, the very tentative name for the Lamb in this AU is Yazdi, which is really just another name for the Baluchi breed of sheep XD (Not that the Lamb is this specific breed, I just didn’t like any of the other sheep-related names I found, ahaha...)

THAT’S ALL FOR NOW (collapses into an exhausted pile of goopy limbs)

[amimuu]

“A place once filled with love”

[More doodles below the cut!]

Grips the camera

YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA HOW BADLY I WANTED TO DOODLE THIS ISTG—

Narinder and Lamb pay a visit to the old shrine of souls (temple of the gods of death), things go as well as you’d expect. Aka, PROBABLY MY FAVORITE PART OF THE AU—you guys have no idea how much this specific…arc? Scene? Chapter? Uh…part of the story means to me. LIKE OUGHHH ILL PROBABLY HAVE THIS ENTIRE PART WRITTEN OUT BEFORE WE EVEN REACH HALF THE AU—Ft. A very obvious reference that is going to become very important to the story.

So usually context would be pretty important to understand what’s going on here…but uhm. All I’m gonna say is that before being taken in by the bishops, Narinder spent the first years of his path to godhood in the care of the then goddess of death, also known as the “crimson witch”..but as you know, old gods have to fall for new ones to arise, and she was no exception…And that’s all for now.

Oh boy, this week has been actually relaxing—but I’m boutta go back to classes 💀 which means regular art posting is ✨likely over✨ sigh. Still—I’ll do my best to keep ya’ll fed sjdjdjdndnd until then—enjoy this post :] cuz I REAAAALLY had a blast drawing it haha.

[aychama]

I was wondering, does king Narinder have ever had any funny episode with catnip in his life?

-Im getting the warnings of becoming sick so no art but you guys can have a little idea I have!-

"What is going on? Why is everyone running out of the building?" Lambert looks to the panicked palace staff.

"The king has accidentally sniffed catnip!" One maid yells as she rushes out the door.

"Huh? Why is that a problem? Is he alergic or something?" Lambert grabs the arm of a fleeing butler, not understanding the urgency. Their grip is firm on the poor butler.

"The problem is, whoever sees him in that state gets punished the day after!" The butler answers as another maid stops by the two to warn them.

"Years ago one had seen him lick his own hand and the next day the poor butler was forced to clean horse shit with bare hands!" She says it like its the grosest thing in the world.

"And another maid had heard him purr and my god.... she was almost fired!" The butler pries Lambert's grip off of his arm as he speaks.

"That just sounds like he is embarrased of the state he is in?" Lambert understands the situation of everyone fleeing as no one would want to be fired from the palace for such reasons, working at the palace pays well, but the situation was still too ridiculous for everyone to run away.

"Yea it- eeeee!" The butler and the maid hightail it as Narinder approaches them.

He picks Lambert up, they dont even protest (were they really this light for him to easily hoist them up?) as he brings them to the garden. The sun is still up but no one is around, everyone has fleed from the palace.He purrs and wraps his hands around Lambert, who wasnt wearing their armor. He cuddles them, burying his nose into their nape and licks wherever he gets his snuggly face on while lying down as the birds chirp and Lambert looks at the blue sky all stiff, not sure what to do in this unexpected turn of events.

"Oh im so dead tomorrow..." Lambert says outloud to no one, feeling dread in their gut while they are forcefully cuddled in grass. Their heart beats fast in their chest and they think it has to be because of fear.

His nose tickles...

The next day, however, when Narinder and Lambert run into eachother in the corridor, the morning sun hits Narinder's face in just the right angle for his face to be seen behind his veil and he is... blushing? He turns away before Lambert can properly see.

How weird, he would usually give them an order to follow him or something else.

Maybe he forgot. Cute.

[midnightanxietytm]

Don't think about the dream! (NSFW)

A/n: this one is for @melle-d, so not my lamb, I had a lot of fun with this one, didn't even review it, just wrote. Also, can anyone send me a dollar for totally not related reasons? BRL don't really cover it.../j

Summary: But, since turning immortal, since getting their marvelous ring, Ewen, now known as just The Lamb, has looked forward to death, if only because they wish to see their beloved. Three nights ago though, things changed.

MINORS DNI - nsfw under cut

The Lamb is dreading their death.

Weird thing to feel, most people dread their death all their lives, it shouldn't be a new thing at all for them. But, since turning immortal, since getting their marvelous ring, Ewen, now known as just The Lamb, has looked forward to death, if only because they wish to see their beloved.

Three nights ago though, things changed and they had an… Interesting dream, one that involved their legs spread open and their god pounding them ruthlessly, and they’ve been thinking about it ever since, which was the root of their problem. If they died and ended up in his realm, Narinder would surely read their mind and see everything. Sure, it could be an opportunity to tease a bit, nothing they hadn’t done before, but that dream had been especially intimate and it had evoked a more visceral reaction than even their actual experiences.

Now, standing on the doorway to Anura, all ready for a crusade, for the first time, they hesitate. 

They step in anyways, promising themselves that this time it would be a no-death run.

It was not a no-death run.

There wasn’t much time to think about sex dreams when you’re getting swarmed by fireballs and jumped on by giant frogs, but as soon as they appeared on the summoning circle in front of their god and looked up at Narinder, the dream flashed tough their mind all over, a shiver going up their spine.

They don’t remember how it started, but they do remember the heated kisses, his clawed hands ripping their clothes, as Narinder revealed his own eldritch form; arms and abdomen pure bone, so much taller than them, pushing them into the ground and willing the crown into a barbed-

That all crossed the Lamb’s head before they had the sense to stop it. Oh sacred death they shouldn’t have thought about the dream.

There’s half a second of regret before Narinder speaks, his tone amused; “It matters not how many times you are struck down, as I’ve told you, but are you really that eager to see me, little vessel?”

Something about the way his voice rang through the infinite space brought another shiver to them and all they could think was; Don’t think about the dream, over and over, so no answer left their mouth as they looked to the side with an awkward chuckle.

Which seemed to be a mistake, because then came Narinder’s voice again; “What dream, Lamb?” Another shiver,now as they feel their god prod shamelessly into their mind, like cold tentacles prodding into their thoughts and- Oh lord, wrong train of thought! “It’s pointless to try and hide your mind from me, vessel, I own all of you, every thought of yours should be devoted to me.”

“Oh, believe me, my lord, they are.” They say, but almost regret as their tone gives away all the sinful things running through their mind. Narinder seems to find the memory of their dream just then, and Ewen catches a brief second of surprise in his features.

But then he laughs “Oh poor little vessel.” He says. “You wouldn’t be able to take me on this form.” He leans down and uses a giant hand to pull them closer. “Little Lamb, your desire is also devotion that fuels me, even if I can't personally satisfy them…”

The Lamb’s breath hitches at the implications. “I haven’t… I wouldn't dare disrespect your image, my lord.” They say, looking up through their lashes with big doe eyes and raising a hand to the bell on their neck. It was a pretended innocence, they both knew. The lamb had been not-so-subtly provoking Narinder since they first met.

  “Lamb, you are my vessel, you belong to me, every act of yours, every desire, is devotion to me.” The Lamb exhales shakily, the ring around their neck almost burns. “Go on, show me how devoted you are.”

Ewen raises their other hand and undoes the clasp of their fleece, letting it fall to their feet, then they move to remove their bell, but Narinder stops them. “Leave the bell, little lamb.” They do, and start to unbutton their clothes, all while looking up at their god. His hand was still resting on the ground behind them, and they lay down, leaning against it.

Narinder’s eyes are fixated on them as they spread open their legs, already painfully horny. They started to run their hands over their body, as they had done dozens of times before, but now, with their god watching them so intently, it felt so much better.

They don’t waste too much time, soon they’ve shoved two fingers inside themselves and moved them with reckless abandon, breathing shakily and letting out an occasional small bleat of pleasure. Narinder doesn’t say anything, but he watches them with a grin; three red eyes focused on them.

They decide then that if their god wanted to see their dream, they could show how it went, at least partially.

The crown, eager for sin, moves and transforms mid-air, assuming the phallic shape, with the barbs, just like they had imagined. Lamb slides further down, spreading their legs and raising their hips for their god's better view, and the crown shoves itself into them without hesitation.

  And the god watches; the Lamb’s pathetic bleats and moans fill the silence of death's realm with pleasure, with the hot dripping feeling that is desire. The crown moves slowly at first, but it only takes Narinder a bit of will to order it to move faster. 

The little Lamb rolls their eyes, calls his given name in between a moan and with a dumb satisfied smile on their face. Narinder can feel their devotion, their obsession, dripping like the wetness between their legs. “My lord!” They plead, eyes barely focusing on him. “I'm yours all yours!” They say it like a mantra, a prayer to belong to him and him only. 

They say Death is merciless, but Narinder feels quite merciful as he moves his hand to better support his darling vessel before willing the crown to go faster.

Ewen's mind feels melted; their god, Narinder, was looking at them with the repressed hunger only an immortal could have, the crown inside them was hitting all the right places, and their climax approached fast, so fast, almost there.

They cum with a desperate bleat, the crown finally slows down. Narinder takes in the sight of their perfect vessel lost in bliss; in another time, he would have adorned the little lamb in jewels and have them sit on the arm of his throne during every banquet, then take them to his chambers and fuck him over and over just to see them so beautifully blissed out.

But his chained form doesn’t allow him such things, so instead he allows the crown to return to the Lamb’s head — clean and back to its regular shape —  and nudges the lamb to stand on their shaky legs.

“Return to your duties, little vessel, but remember I'm always watching you.”

  The Lamb gets dressed, still a bit shaky, and is sent back to the cult, knowing that their god would have much to watch during the next few nights.

A/n: A little messy, but I had fun trying to write another Lamb, hope i did it justice.

Where are aym and baal during this scene? Out on a walk or smt idk. Whats the Lamb's genitalia like? Bruh whatever is convenient idc im not good at describing those things lol

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Maybe a drabble in which our Lamb meets Chimaera Reader, the maker of all crowns? Like, he stumbles upon their lair, and sees all types of the crowns, big and small, black and white, one-eyed and two-eyed, etc.? Maybe even a little inter actions between the Reader and the Red Crown in which it recognises them as their maker?

Sorry for my English, it is not my native language-

Also sorry if this request repeats, tumblr May have doubled it-

I swear I'm gonna turn this into an OC one day because I LOVE the concept of a crown maker in the COTL universe

........

'Where am I now..?' Lamb pondered as they stepped into a cavern--one most unfamiliar to them.

It was strange, considering they've scoured nearly every corner of the Old Faith for resources, potential rival cult activity, and even martyrs for the Bishops.

But this area was entirely new to them.

With their weapon drawn, they cautiously ventured further inward, eventually arriving into a larger room that was almost entirely cloaked in darkness. They could barely see a thing even with the few torches scattered around lighting the way.

Then suddenly, they saw a bunch of eyes opening up on all sides of them, varying in shape, size, color, and number. And they just stared down at the little sheep.

While they were accustomed to having so many eyes on them, this was completely different.

These eyes certainly didn't belong to any follower of theirs.

What if this was a trap?

What if-?

"Welcome, little Lamb! Promised liberator of the Old Faith!"

Looking upwards, they could see you descending from the darkness. You looked like a tradition chimera: a lion, goat, dragon, and snake all mixed into one. Both of your heads smiled as you took a seat upon your throne, although you frowned a bit upon realizing how poor the lighting must have been.

"Oh forgive me, it is awful dim in here, isn't it? Hold on one moment." Your lion head breathed out a small blast of fire, aimed towards a nearby candle that lit up.

That set off a chain reaction which lit up dozens of other candles around your lair, and burned the torches bright enough for Lamb to see what all those eyes belonged to:

Crowns.

So many crowns.

Big and small, black and white, one-eyed and two-eyed..and even multi-eyed; some sported horns and some did not. Others had bare surfaces while others were decorated with jewels or marred with scars from time.

It was an astonishing sight, and when Lamb looked back up at you, they could see a crown on each of your heads--snake tail included.

Not to mention your seat was adorned with four familiar ones...

"So you..take crowns from fallen gods?"

"Do I take them?" You repeated, before laughing uproariously. "No, but I can see why you'd assume that. I'm [y/n], Maker of the Crowns."

They blinked. "You created the crowns?"

"I have since the first gods ruled over these lands." You chuckled, taking the Green Crown into your paw. "I mold them into a design of my liking, give them life, and then send them off into the world to find a worthy host. They're like my children, so I do get sentimental at times...but I know they'll do great things."

'Huh...Leshy did say the crown found him..' Lamb mused.

"Of all the ones I've created, though, I never thought to see the Bishops' crowns again. But they were in such terrible condition...falling apart, barely able to keep their eyes open....I couldn't believe it." Your gaze shifted down to the sheep. "You wouldn't happen to know why, would you?"

They tensed. "...well...um-"

"Haha! I only jest, Lamb. I know everything." You smiled reassuringly. "I've sensed strong spikes in their energy, and I'm well aware they've been used as aids for the bishops after Narinder's betrayal. Speaking of whom...."

Pausing, you outstretched your paws towards them. "I see the Red Crown has found a new master."

"It's a long story, but--hey!!" All of the sudden, the Red Crown slipped out of their hands, morphing back into its normal form as it began floating up to you. They were shocked and angered, feeling extremely vulnerable without it. "What are you doing?!"

"Nothing, little one. It came to me all on its own. Welcome home, my darling." With the crown nestled into your paw, your smile grew as its eye stared back up at you with happiness. You sighed and brought it closer to your cheek, allowing it to nuzzle up to you. "Oh how I've missed you, mighty crown of Death. I'm glad you have not forgotten me."

"Give it back!!" Lamb snarled, baring their sharp teeth as they tried storming up to your throne. But their little hooves kept slipping on the skull pile that served as its foundation, and they eventually tumbled downwards, landing on their rear. "I need it back right now!"

"...are they always like this?" You muttered to the Red Crown, who just rolled its pupil in response. "Huh, I thought so. Arrogant, entitled, paranoid....just like your first master-"

"Don't compare us." They scowled. "Narinder was worse than arrogant...he would have destroyed this entire world, along with you and all these crowns if I returned it to him! We are NOTHING alike."

"Hm, I see I've touched a nerve. My apologies. I just wanted to take care of this little chip in its horn." Smiling, you manifested some black ichor to seal the crack you discovered on the crown, before sharpening up its horns a little bit. "There. Much better."

"....thank you. Now may I have it back?" Lamb put their hand out, growing more anxious with each passing second they were separated from it. 'Why isn't it returning to me?"

"It doesn't see why it has to right at this very moment...and quite frankly, I don't either. It's not connected to your lifeforce. You're still standing without it-"

"Because I'm its new master! I gave it new purpose. I gave it freedom...and it should be obeying me unconditionally and I don't understand why it's being so stubborn. That crown wouldn't be anywhere NEAR as powerful if it weren't for-!!"

"Choose your next words carefully," you tutted, shaking your head as you gestured to the walls. "My children do not look it, but they too have ears."

Falling silent, they looked all around, noticing that the crowns were now glaring at them. They tensed up, a feeling of heavy discomfort and embarrassment washing over them as they slowly realized how childish they were acting.

And in front of the crown creator, of all people?

"Tell me..do you see the crown as nothing without you? Or perhaps you feel like you are nothing without the crown?"

"........"

"Your mistake, little lamb, is that you see crowns as simple tools to do your bidding. A conduit for your godhood. But do not forget, they are also living breathing creatures like you and I." You chastised. "As such, they deserve respect. I figured you would've been more grateful to meet their maker...such few have the privilege to enter my lair and receive such a warm welcome."

The Red Crown bobbed up and down in agreement, before it scowled down at Lamb, as though to say "you better listen to them and treat me better".

They just looked at the ground, unable to form words as shame creeped up their spine.

You sighed softly. "I understand your worries as a new god. The mere thought of separation from it drives you to rage, especially after what happened between you and Narinder. But I have no desire to take it from you. Not when you've fought so hard for it. All I wish is that you continue caring for it."

"....I'm sorry, Great Crown Maker.." Lamb muttered, finally letting themselves be humbled. "I don't mean to act like I did. It's just...he's been annoying me all day today, shouting about "divine right" and making my life a living hell. He still can't accept that it chose me over him.."

They felt the familiar and comforting weight of the Red Crown returning to the wool atop their head, but they only looked up at you with respect. "Thank you."

"Of course, young one." You nodded, smiling once more. "Narinder has possessed that crown since he was a wee little kit, so it's going to be quite a long time before he lets that grudge go. Perhaps in a hundred years, give or take."

"I understand...so.." Lamb looked around. "Do you have any wares?"

"Oh, plenty!" You clapped your paws together. "Feel free to take a gander! Since this is your first visit, you may have one of the tarot cards over there on the house. But just know that the crowns aren't for sale."

[the-one-who-lambs]

hi hey holy fuck i'm done with this. I tried to render for the first time following a "15 minute" tutorial and my noob ass turned it into a 3 hour learning experience. But now I have Narinder's reference for The Risen Lamb and the Fallen God! Rambles under readmore

SO I BARELY DRAW because I started learning how to draw like... May of last year, and then went bonkers over the summer making lots of progress and once the school year started in august I dropped it to focus on writing... and have drawn basically 1 thing in between then and now. Anyway. Last week I remembered, oh yeah, I used to draw sometimes. And suddenly had an all consuming urge to practice again.

And you know what? I forgot how fucking FUN drawing is. I take it much less seriously than I do my writing so my technique for now is pretty much "go ham and try a bunch of shit because you're getting practice and having fun with it anyway". and it IS fun until I try to do a specific thing and can't figure out how so thanks to those who tuned in to my stream tonight to see me push through the frustrating part of finishing this LMAO. uh according to the krita file this took me 13 and a half hours

If you didn't catch it a while back, the one thing I drew during my kinda-art-hiatus was my Lambert reference! Normal outfit, casual outfit (that they sometimes wear while off-duty, usually when visiting Ratau or just hanging out alone), and wedding outfit ^^

...Which means now that I have my narilamb references I can commission my friends. i have a few people who i already plan to open my wallet for.

"Ive already drawn you fanart for ur fic and now the outfits are very slightly wrong :<" ITS FINE I AM CHERISHING IT FOREVER PLS DONT CHANGE IT ITS PERFECT

"is it okay if i draw your designs" Why do yall think i would be mad about this i will eat that shit UP i would fucking LOVE that and I'm already foaming at the mouth because i'd been asked that a couple times while i was drawing narinder's reference lol

I'm still a beginner and constructive criticism is welcome! Will probably make less intensive references for the OCs in Risen/Fallen or at least draw them, Thenana and Juno for sure

[alllgator-blood]

(Technically 3 question about Shamura)

Do you think they would speak similar to the Gman from Half-Life? As in similarly awkward pauses/stutters/inhales/drawn-out syllables on account of their brain injury?

Also, do you think them having a sudden episode of visions could/would be similar to the whole "leave me alone" meme from Akira (like imagine them just chilling around having tea and then suddenly random images of Narinder going on a bloody rampage while flipping off the camera start flooding his mind).

Please tell me I'm not the only one who's always pronounced it "sham-yura".

ALSO CAN I JUST SAY YOUR VERSION OF KALLAMAR IS ONE OF THE MOST PERFECT KALLAMARS I HAVE EVER SEEN, LIKE LITERALLY YOURS AND AVELOKA-DRAWS VERSIONS ARE MY CURRENT TWO ABSOLUTE FAVORITE KALLAMARS AND I DESPERATELY NEED ONE OF THEM TO SWEEP ME OFF THE GROUND BRIDAL STYLE SO I CAN KISS HIM ON THAT TOOTHY FUCKING SPLIT MOUTH OF HIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(oh and your Narinder somewhat reminds me of those awful prank youtubers like Jack Doherty, like literally the most perfectly awful combination of spoiled+narcissist+sociopath, the only thing he's missing is that dumbass broccoli haircut)

I haven't played half life in forever but now that I'm rewatching the gman cutscenes, you're definitely onto something....if I could come up with what I think shamura could sound like, it'd have to be your suggestion blended with beatrice horseman (from bojack!) after she develops alzheimer's. I think gman's incredibly uncanny way of speaking mixed with beatrice's distantly pleasant cadence masking unending terror would be PERFECT for shamura.

NO WAY YOU MENTIONED AKIRA AND SHAMURA IN THE SAME SENTENCE CAUSE I LITERALLY DID A SHITPOST ANIMATIC A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT USES THE "DING!" SOUND EFFECT FROM THAT SCENE. I'LL HAVE TO POST IT SOMETIME. For my specific shamura, their visions and prophecies appeared only in dreams before The Incident, so their next angst comic is gonna be about the visions coming back while they're still awake. THAT'S when it becomes more like the LEAVE ME ALONE!! scene

I've heard youtubers say it like sham-yura but I'm dead set on shuh-murr-uh personally, I think they say it like that in kallamar's metal song!

OH GOD LMAO I FEEL LIKE JACK DOHERTY IS MORE OF AN EVIL PRESENCE THAN NARINDER CAUSE AT LEAST NARINDER IS FUNNY. My sister told me I should draw him with the fuckass broccoli cut, but I think narinder has been through a lot at this point, he doesn't need the prank youtuber haircut on top of that :')

ALSO, I'm very glad you like my kallamar that much and as such, I present you with this drawing! Idk how to draw a bridal carry but kallamar is just a bunch of wiggly tentacles so this was probably the perfect character to draw with this pose

[the-artist-grimm]

Hello! So sorry to bother, I know your inbox must be full but I was reading your latest post and couldn’t help but notice you writing this

“And once Aym died and she saw how grief-struck he’d looked, heard how he rasped out Anthea’s name, watched as he reached out a trembling hand to the Lamb's collapsed, wailing form not to hurt but to comfort, she realized there was more going on.”

And it made me wonder even more how exactly the entire fight sequence went down between them all. I thought that Narinder would make the first strike after the twins deaths, but is it Anthea that does so out of grief or rage?

Anyways I love your content! Its great! Im normal about it!

Anthea strikes first yeah-Narinder had ordered them to sacrifice themself, then the twins to fight at their not so much refusal but more-so asking what the heck was going on (while he'd initially hoped the cages would be enough to encourage Anthea to lay down their life since he was betting on their self-sacrificial nature, when that didn't work he had hoped their love for the twins would get them to stand down instead). But after Baal got killed on accident via knocking Anthea off balance to ensure he'd get hit, then Aym doing almost the same via intentionally aiming for the cages with magic to force Anthea to counter (which unintentionally the curse they chose, an ice-based shield one produced a lot of shrapnel that pierced his stomach), he kinda broke a little? Like with Baal, he froze up in shock and didn't know how to react when Aym immediately went on a mana rage, then when Aym died as well that's what made his brain finally snap back and realize 'oh god what just happened my kids just died'.

Like he only asked Anthea to lay down their life because he was convinced they were going to betray him (see his overview here). And while at the moment he still thought as such, the shock of just losing his sons and now watching the love of his life break down covered in their blood had him just acting off instinct-Anthea's crying, comfort them now.

He reached out a hand, but the looming shadow just triggered a 'Fight' reflex, which was amplified by both their own grief and the Crown's desperation to defend its bearer in the wake of a threatening situation from its POV. Narinder nearly gets his hand blasted off with a curse launched on reflex, and it snaps him into realizing 'oh ok we're fighting now' which the battle goes from there. Narinder's chains had fallen off with each bishop's death so only his collar which was bound to the metaphysical one remained, so he was able to just jump into defense.

Which as a side-note (also see their overview here) Anthea doesn't actually remember much of the fight, like with losing the twins it was like losing their family all over again but worse since this time it was them who killed them, and the grief, confusion, and anger just took over. Combined with Red giving them essentially a massive adrenaline boost to make sure they could fight things just went downhill from there. Had Narinder not reached out his hand like that things might've gone a little differently-but because he spooked them battling it was.

All Anthea could see during that battle was red until Narinder was mortal size and their blade was pressed into his throat-and it was only at seeing how terrified he'd looked in that moment and the fact that they still loved him they snapped out of it. From there they sent him back to the cult, the two had an argument over who planned to betray who, and then they ignored him for the next few months.

So TLDR, the final battle is just a long chain of people making really bad split-second decisions (Baal tripping Anthea thinking he'd just get a simple cut to get Narinder to call it off, Aym following his brother's lead and miscalculating the possible results, Narinder reaching out a hand out of shock, Anthea getting spooked), and them snowballing into more.

(also thank you! :D)

[loloelia]

Hey so.....i already have an au BUT....I got an idea for another one....

So basicly Lamb gets executed and meets Narinder and all the basics but when the Lamb comes back to life BUT

The Bishops havent left ,and when Shamura sees the red crown ,theyre a little shocked but start to think that the Lamb is just Narinder ,a little sibling ,and theyre so happy that all the younger sibling dont really want to take their happiness away and so they dont try to stop it ,and the Lamb theyve never felt such love so they accept it,they accept Shamura's hug,and before akyone could do or even say anything ,Shamura just walks away the Lamb still close to them and orders the other to follow ,wich Leshy does first cuz hes kinda confused ans hes like "maybe it is narinder,but whys he Nice now ?" But the older siblings follow because theyre concerned ,the lamb could still hurt them.

And time passes and Shamura DID NOT let go of the Lamb ,they bring them to their sermon ,and theyre like "Oh my dear followers five had become four and now four becomes five again"(still thinking the lamb was Narinder) followed by mostly them reapeating that sentence ,

now now the Lamb was confused because the GOD OF WAR WHO KILLED THEM is all happy ,telling stories ,being always so happy Narinder's back and hes being better (hes very much not )

And Leshy after a while when Shamura's telling stories to all the siblings he kinda grabs the lamb's wool ,and realizes its the lamb not narinder and honestly......HES DOES NOT GIVE A SINGLE FUCK

Hell hes happy he got another sibling to annoy ,and one that is smaller than him so its even better to annoy. And this one cant really hurt them ,since their arm is always in the claw of the god of WAR ,so they kinda just accept it ,and plays with this New sibling(he just pulls their wools, trows dirt on them ,and play with their bell)

Now after a while ,the Joy of shamura is replaced by their usual headaches,so shamura stays in bed ,and you know the lamb doesnt have to be glued to their side ,so they go out into silk cradle and everyone bows to them because you know ,shamura introduced them as the fufth bishop ,as narinder. But as they go deeper into silk cradle ,and they stumble on some random dissenter,and they get killed because ,well ratau was never there to teach them how to fight,

And so they die and narinder is fucking PISSED, because the lamb was supposed to free him ,not follow shamura around as the fifth sibling ,as HIM . But lamb ,they liked being cradled like they never got to be by anyone ,so they ask "But my lord... what if instead ......i convinced your siblings to free you.....?"

Now ,Narinder is NOT CONVINCED ,because he doubts his siblings would ever do that but he rolls his eyes and says "little lamb. Your plan is doomed to fail. But i will give you one single chance now go ,vessel. Youre next time here will be the last thing you will ever see"and so he let them go

Back to the living world their back in shamuras temple ,right next to shamura's room ,where shamura is bleeding right there on their bed ,while kallamar gets them new clean bandages ,the lamb is obviously saddened and tries to step in the room but is stopped by Heket grabbing their collar holding them in the air looking at the lamb with a cold glares ,the lalb knows that while shamura always want them around ,leshy plays with them all the time,and kallamar is too scared of the red crown's powers , Heket never even looked their way,

And now that she did,it was terrifying ,no words were qpoken until one moment when her gaze left the lamb's eyes and she said "not...now.....little lamb....not....now....." before putting them down gently and getting in shamura's room and closing the door behind her

.........

(Wait......im turning this into a fucking novel when no one cares ,so anyway if you see this @joffyworld (sorry for the tag)or anyone really,well first thank you oh my god and also can ya tell me if you want me to continue or if il being a weird ass bitch ??)

( also lil drawing of this)

[lambment]

Any tips on writing character dialogue and interactions? Love your art btw

Hiya and ty!! Im still learning myself, but I can explain to you my current process!

first step for me is imagining a situation (amusing or entertaining ideas) and I develop that Idea by picturing how the characters would react to the situation based on their personalities and what their motives/goals are. basic story stuff y'know. then I rlly start to think key moments with dialogue.

for flow of dialogue sake, I speak the entire comic outloud several times. this helps with pacing, and lets me know if it feels natural or awkward. I like to imagine conversation between characters like a tennis match: reacting, defending, attacking, back and forth.

but as an example, this is my thought process on making character interactions in the Mawwige comic (X):

situation: "wow it'd be funny to explore the lamb trying to immediatley marry Narinder after usurping him."

so knowing that, I ask: what are the characters thinking and feeling in that moment based off of three things : personality, motive, and their experiences/backstory. how would the dialogue btwn the characters bounce off of one another, based on all the information given.

Lambert: is sly, always looking for a punchline, backhanded. motive: wants to marry Narinder (whether as a joke or fr, youll never know), clearly holding a grudge still, shown through them being unsympathetic to narinder having a meltdown.

Narinder: is an asshole, but in this situation, he's locked in a stupor. all he can think about is how he lost his life's work. he's out of it, he does not have a fucking clue what the lamb is transpiring in the background.

based off all of that information, I make the bits + dialogue:

Narinder being shellshocked by the usurpment, contrasted by Lambert unphased and wanting to move on and get to their wedding.

the wedding being planned for months, despite not knowing if Lambert would actually beat Narinder.

Narinder being the last one to find out hes a bride. He’s prideful but a little dense, and the lamb knows that.

the lamb is hinting at the wedding the entire time, literally handing him a veil and wedding pamphlet, and doing it as smugly as possibly.

the sundial watch bit, because I needed the lamb to get them both from the summoning circle to the temple "oh we gotta get going".

the crown objecting because its homophobic hates narinders guts.

I hope this helps? this process isn't linear with finding dialogue, its a lot of back and forth and I usually change the dialogue/ add bits as im in the process of drawing the comic.

[the-s1lly-corner]

Wearing their robes (COTL 1/2)

Part two might have the lamb, narinder, baal and aym maybe we will see!!

Characters: Leshy, Heket, Kallamar, Shamura

Notes: reader is gn, follower bishops, idc if it was 80 degrees the day I wrote this I yearn for cold weather

CWs: none

LESHY

Assuming he's not going to let you slip into his robes whenever you want.... genuinely a great option to snuggle into it- his weird fur moss leaf stuff feels nice

Drags you around in his robes wherever, you may have to speed up to keep up or simply cling onto him

Outwardly teases you for doing it out of just wanting to be close to him inwardly is feeling some sort of way...

You may be trapped with him for a while though so hopefully you're down with that!

HEKET

Similar to her older brother she would not at all be pleased with her robes going missing but you get a pass- anyone else would get so many nasty things said to them

Actually let's you keep it without much resistance, if it's too cold for her to stay outside she's either going to drag you to one of the fires set around the grounds or she's going to pull you inside

May or may not tease you for stealing from her because you miss her, to outsiders it may come off as her genuinely berating you but you know her well enough that she's not

It's the rough voice and generally leaning into the harsher words she does adore you </3

KALLAMAR

Legitimately starts going nuts when he notices it goes missing because there's so many gems and it was his favorite coat- if it were anyone else who took it he would rip it off of them in an instant.... if... he were still a "mighty" bishop... but alas it's only you

Matching coats... matching coats.... oough... demands whoevers working at the tailor to make you a matching coat. Kallamar I love you but he definitely would be a little.. hmm.. with customer service... pre being humbled in the cult arcs

Lets it go to his head if you did it because you missed him- despite that he doesn't do anything to chase that high such as dangling his time and affection for you above your head.. thafs.. not really his style plus he cant keep to himself (/nonsexually in this context)

Would slip you into his robes to keep you close and warm

SHAMURA

Where did... did they leave it behind somewhere..? No you just nabbed it while they were looking

Genuinely offers to make/get you a robe if you're cold.... definitely would use their own silk to make it.. its... actually a sweet sentiment

Oh you missed them too..? They're right here! They make plans to spend time with you between their responsibilities in the cult... they feel a little guilty that they've been away for so long that you started to miss them

Will take you seriously even if you're only joking/being light hearted about being cold or lonely

[miss-conner3]

Hello miss, I hope you are doing well.

In one comic in the Andoasacultleader-Au you show that when he revived Lambert he warned them to stay away from their malewif- I mean, Narinder, and you said that they follow their advice, so my question is:

In that Au wasnt any kind of romance between those two? Or at least some kind of interaction that made them to have a little of curiosity about the other? Or at least least a brief talk?

Sorry to bother you with this question, but the relationship that lamb and cat have in your normal Au is so sweet that I cant even Image there is a universe when they arent something.

Thank u for ur amazing art, I cant wait to see how this story evolves.

(Hey, why does Tumblr does not let me make this answer as anonymous?, I prefer to be in the shadows, just as Batman (-_-) )

Oh, I don't mind (owo)

Actually, I'm sad to say that, in the Main AU, I still haven't shown what the relationship between Narinder and my Lamb is really like. Since, apart from how I've been drawing them, they are quite complicated.

One thing I'll have to address at some point.

But back to your question, well... ¿What would become of this story if everyone did what they were told? (ouo)

Though to the little lamb's credit, he did think long and hard before he even began to consider looking in the direction of the three-eyed cat.

Because after all, just as impulsive as he is, he trusts his older brother a lot and has never needed a reason to doubt his words or his motives.

Only that, perhaps the situation in which he decided to disobey ended up giving him a little surprise.

You decide if the little one interrupted one interesting “conversation” or two (ouo)

¡Thanks for asking!

[olrinarts]

Day 3: Rise From the Dead, featuring both my godform lamb and a bonus short:

Narinder had never died before.

Even when the Lamb fought him, he hadn’t died – he’d been humiliated, he’d been reduced, but he hadn’t died.

As he watched the cliff edge race away above him, the watery air of Anchordeep doing nothing to slow his fall and the monster that had tackled him now tumbling in his wake, Narinder had time to wonder if it would hurt.

It did. The first crash snapped his spine, and wasn’t even kind enough to numb him; he felt every broken limb after, and the first blinding instant where his skull caved in – and then it was done.

Only, it wasn’t. The pain was gone, but he was still in a jumble of limbs in the darkness. For a moment, he thought that he had simply gone numb and was dying slowly. Then something touched him. Fingers. Very large ones. Some were warm skin; some were smooth bone; some were soft velvet.

Narinder was picked up by six hands and tenderness, and by the time he was set back on his paws, he knew both where he was and what was happening.

‘You spoke truly, when you described how you looked as a god,’ he said, looking up at the Lamb’s godform and doing his best to ignore the sense of vertigo. ‘It is… unusual.’

The Lamb laughed, voice no louder than usual but much, much bigger. ‘Thanks, you sure know how to flatter a god,’ they said dryly, poking him very lightly with one of their doll fingers. ‘I take it something went wrong? The missionary pendant didn’t work?’

‘I imagine it had some difficulty mitigating a fall into a near-bottomless chasm.’

‘Oh, yeah, that’d do it,’ they said, nodding. ���And you’re doing okay?’

‘You have resurrected me, so yes.’

They poked him again. ‘You know what I mean.’

He looked away. He’d been Death for millennia; something so paltry as a single death wouldn’t shake him. He refused.

They sighed. ‘Alright, I’ll make you a deal,’ they said, and he looked back up at them. ‘You know and I know that you’re going to need a minute, and as much as I’d like you safely home, you’re also safe right here. So if you’re willing to pretend you’re doing me a favour by staying a while, I’ll tell you a secret.’

He’d been about to refuse, but much to his annoyance, that caught his attention. ‘What kind of secret?’ he said, all three eyes squinting up.

‘You’ll have to find out, won’t you?’ the Lamb said lightly. ‘I’ll let you go home instead, if you’d really prefer. But then you don’t get the secret.’

He huffed. ‘Very well,’ he said, ‘since you are looking for an excuse for company.’

‘Yep,’ they said, nodding seriously, but their eye was twinkling. ‘It’s not like most of me is Above, and all the rest of me is meeting every other soul that’s dead. So? You want the secret?’

They set their left hand down (well, their flesh left hand. They did have two others.) It was only for the sake of the secret that he let himself sit on it, lifted in the cradle of their fingers, the way he’d once carried them. No other reason. ‘Well then?’ he asked.

‘I’m going to tell you my name,’ they said as they set him against the right side of their chest, where the wool was. He could hear the steady beat of the red sateen heart in their ribcage, and he supposed that someone else might find it soothing, if they were inclined to such things. ‘But there’s a story that goes with it first, before I’ll tell you. Ready?’

‘If you insist,’ he said, because he knew they wouldn’t.