Ahh, the old adage of triage: “you can’t help anyone if you yourself get hurt”. Also, look at Dainix and how scared he is when Tahraim grasps his fire claws. It’s just like Tahraim and Caliban have said: he’s afraid of his own power and it holds him back from mastering it.
Giving abstract ideas a concrete embodiment is a common storytelling technique that we’ve all likely seen before. But it’s still jarring to read ‘guilt burned out your eye’.
While I don’t disagree with anything Tahraim says here, it’s worth noting that guilt isn’t necessarily harmful. When you’ve screwed up, guilt motivates you to make amends. Guilt only becomes harmful when you’re feeling it over something that isn’t your fault, or when it becomes corrupted by self absorption.
As ever, I’m amazed by how well-done this comics glowy effects are.
(gasp!) They’re hand holding in public! How obscene!
Yep, lots of effects this page; the rain, embers, steam and that glow surrounding Tahraim to name a few. All very pretty and it gives Red a break from drawing action scenes with long flowing hair.
I wonder, Dainix said in 1-13-24 that he was sent out to find information about the demon. That’s likely false, but how false? Was he sent by his village to find info, even better a cure, for him? Did he go on his own accord into self-exile? Was he pushed to do so and banished? (Tahraim seems to imply he can still help them, so many not the last one.)
Tahraim keeps referring to Kendal as “The divine blade”; does he now know his name? Then again, considering Kendal is a former incarnation with metal weaved into his bones, carries the blade of Vash and literarily named himself after said blade it’s a fitting moniker/epithet.
So his eye is burned out. Burned out in the shape of the great fire rune? There’s definitely a reason why it’s still being hidden aside from the “ich” factor, but it could still be different from that.
@Suomynona and @CapitainCutlet sometimes it doesnt even show you the comments then :p
dont trust the comments before like at least a half hour after it posts heh, sometimes it doesnt load any of the, like, ten comments before mine until I post, and then the next reload eats my comment and half of the ones I just saw until like an hour later when everything’s magically sorted itself out again XD
“guilt burned out your eye” we FINALLY get to know what happened to his eye! and it only took us like a chapter and a half 😀
Tahraim holding his fire claw is such a wholesome moment and i wasnt expecting that ahhh! poor Dainix looks so terrified and Tahraim is calmly sitting there ready to give this man all the love hes needed, ever <3 give him a hug pls <3
also to whoever had the "all ignans have an inner fire and can become a demon if they lose control" theory i really like it 😀
people have probably pointed this out already, but dainix losing his eye and arm? when vash lost HIS eye and arm? while tynan was present? and tahraim was involved as a cryptic ally? in a Darkest Hour moment? just absolutely delicious, i LOVE a good parallel
Like that Dainix already had the “channel emotions” aspect so we could get into the nuances of the line between knowing and FEELING. Guilt is an emotion that tell you you care. a warning for next time. but if you stew in it too long that becomes self-flagellation and really just a grand form of self-pity. Which isn’t helpful to anyone, especially the people you might have hurt, when you could be making amends. Guilt is like. Good for having the moral and emotional intelligence to recognize the wrong things. Get better next time about it but at a certain point you gotta just take your head outta your ass to keep on walkin forward. And if it’s something that truly was out of your control, it’s not your fault and you REALLY should get your head out of your ass. It’s not about you in the end. But that doesn’t make what Dainix feels any less valid, he just needs to learn not to give in. He has to accept the scary part of himself, the part that Snaps. Snap and let it out of you, pressure through a fissure blast it all out. Accept that this is what you are but accept that you are more. Sometimes you’re scared of your own power. Scared that you hurt people and could burn their throats out. Dainix is not suicidal doesn’t want to die I don’t think (“you could die! .. doesn’t that matter to you?”) But Angry and Afraid and Feeling. It’s hard sometimes to feel like it shouldn’t be killed.
So basically get it all out safely and then get off your ass about it. Congrats on the therapy Dainix
TL;DR: God therapy. Best kind you can get. It’d be wise to take it.
Thanks for all the comments of understanding and encouragement from the previous page, I’m honestly both surprised and melting from the, uh, what do you call it? Wholesomeness? Don’t know.
On the whole mental health thing, I am autistic and have been aware for a while, I used to self alienate (and still do) because I figured myself broken and unfixable. I always had the unpopular opinion, and was harassed for it (like being the only one to choose one answer in a would you rather… People are petty things. I want a pet dragon).
Tahraim, you’re vying with Erin as my favorite character. Here you are, putting Dainix back together while ignoring Tynan’s devastation. He’s an artist an can’t see good soul fire go to waste. Love (on the previous page) how he thinks of Dainix in smithy metaphors–he’s not doing therapy, he’s tempering a weapon.
@The Registrar, there’s a fine line between guilt and what we might call shame or perhaps embarrassment. That moment of shame where we realize we’ve made a mistake that has to be immediately rectified motivates change. Shame, the oh-no-I-screwed-up-here springs us into fix-it mode. We immediately take action. Shame is the awareness of a mistake. Guilt on the other hand, serves no purpose. Guilt is the process of identifying ourselves with that mistake, i.e., I’m a bad person, I’m a demon. Because guilt turns the mistake into something that identifies us, defines us, nothing can change without destroying the individual. Hence, the solutions provided by guilt are self-destructive, often knowingly so. Once guilt is in the picture, the self-identification can become so tight, the action that was supposed to be abandoned becomes a feature, a trait. Then it becomes difficult for us to change.
Notice how Tynan is the instrument trough which not one but TWO powerful weapons are foged.
Poor cloud floof, every time he tries to drown a bunch of people someone forges some badass weapon to kick him in the guts
I am begging, I will do ANYTHING to get this guy as my therapist!!! It’s so wholesome and sweet and Dainix is now officially my favorite character!
To anyone that did not see my comment on the last page, here you go!
Bluefire, glad that you found a more comfortable name and your comments are always appreciated and Im glad you found a comfortable place to begin commenting where it wasn’t as toxic *coughwebtoonscough* and you can enjoy yourself!!! This comic was also one of the first places I began commenting and I’m so glad to have found it! Also, oops I don’t know why I described your comments that way instead of putting that you do TL;DRs lol. Also, to your later comment, I sympathize and let me just tell you that your comments genuinely make me smile and you seem like a really good person! I struggle a lot with the same stuff and that (and an overload from a depressive downspiral, school, and general life struggles) is part of why I didn’t comment as much recently but I’m glad to be back in this awesome community! I’m really glad you will stay with us!
DragonMaster66 agreed!!! I think I joined in the summer of 2021 after watching a video by Red that mentioned their comic. I played around a little with a name like Blue Rose or something (I think, but I really don’t remember) and then ended up retrying as Hii and that name has spread to a lot of my platforms (Specifically Tapas, but a lot of other places) I forget why I stopped posting under my old username and moved to Hiii, but I quite enjoy this and as the first place where I ever used the username “Hiii” and obviously the amazing community and awesome comic it has a very special place in my heart. I DO think that this is Tahraim, not Caliban in disguise, but I could be proven wrong *shrugs*
Youngstormlord, yeah I didn’t write nearly all of the people who contribute to this comments section frequently, I AM SO SORRY FOR THE PEOPLE I MISSED YOU ARE STILL REALLY APPRECIATED!!!
Stark9865, agreed.
TheUnknownGame, I fully agree with your statement to LikeADragon, I think those are excellent points and I really appreciate your theories and thoughts. I agree with the whole Tarhaim is Tarhaim and Caliban is Caliban thing, I had forgotten about the theories that Falst was jolon or the collector was the arenamaster those were a bit odd, but in my opinion most comment sections have their quirks. For some it’s references from one particular show/movie/book/etc., for some it’s incessant shipping of everyone, for some it’s dirty jokes, for some it’s constantly saying that the author deserves more views/giving incessant praise, and for us, well I guess it’s in deep theories, random references and assuming one character is another disguised all the time *shrugs* I think that you definitely make this comment section a better place though, and you deserve the recognition!
Gogo the mimic that’s awesome!!! (Both the comments section the expanded universe thing lmao and the joy you have found from this comments section)
Aromar Dysypros, refer back to my comment with DragonMaster66
Bluefire, your story resonates so deeply with me, literally EVERYTHING you just said is pretty much the same for me… I find it hilarious how I relate more to comic characters and a random person on the internet than anyone Ive ever met irl.
Aris, remind me why you’re here instead of making grand speeches to millions? Cos damn that was awesome!!!
Skye, yeah sharing with others is really really hard, huh? I found your story really comforting though!
@icarusancalion, the church I grew up in calls the shame or embarrassment you’re talking about where you’re actually motivated to fix your mistakes godly sorrow, and your description is an extremely good explanation of the difference between that concept and guilt. I hope you’re doing well, and I hope Dainix lets himself let go of the guilt soon since in my experience that can take a while.
I have to appreciate this moment while it lasts, because few others are fireproof; I love Tahraim tenderly holding Dainix’s fire hand! In fact, I just love this whole therapy session; whenever one or more characters comfort another character who’s in deep emotional pain, it almost always makes me cry with happiness. Call me overly emotional, but that’s how I feel about moments like this.
So that’s what he meant by “It took a lot from me.” Makes me wonder if his hand’s transformation is also permanent, or on the flip side, if Tahraim can help him restore both hand and eye, or at least the hand. If it is permanent, then it’ll be interesting to see how Dainix adjusts to it.
Sorry I haven’t been commenting often, I’ve just been appreciating Tahraim (anyone else keep saying “Tahmrain” in your head?) work on Dainix :-). I guess when you forge people into the best weapons they can be, you gotta be good at working through other’s problems to, in a sense, hammer them out.
@Suomynona: I fully support your name change! In my opinion, I think it sound’s like a yokai, and that’s pretty neat :-).
@Evil Tree: There’s still a chance, my friend! It could still be a rune! There’s a chance!
@paperclipperie: OH SHI- (-ttake mushrooms)
@Bluefire: I fully support your name change, too! Without going into too much detail, I get feeling like you’re broken. And although everybody’s journey is different and you probably don’t need this, I will say it: Don’t give up, no matter what.
The fact that Dainix interpreted “now let’s move onto the guilt” as “please apologize to me” is pretty funny but also makes sense with his character. Apparently it burnt his eye out too. Can you show it to the class, Dainey?
First post I’ve been here for! Discovered the comic yesterday, read the whole thing, and I can’t wait to see what the next bout suedo therapy is gonna be
Red once again sneaks wisdom into what was supposed to be mindless entertainment; you know with the cities destroyed and Gods killed and all the green growing…
And now back to the present! Gah, that “I’m sorry” when Tarhaim talks about moving on to guilt resonates so deeply with me!!!
Youngstormlord if it means I could give Dainix a hug, I don’t care about being burned
Mat, *whistles* dang those are some really good points!
Everentropy, I know I just want to hug him so bad!!! My big sister instinct is going absolutely crazy!
LoeTheFox, yeah considering literally all of the characters have parent issues, we kinda need a mentor figure. Wait, a mentor figure… *flashback to Red’s trope talks video* oh f*ck…. Can gods in this comic die???
Evil Tree, hand holding! How absolutely shocking!!! *faints* when he left, I have a feeling that he banished himself considering his attitude towards his power, but there’s a possibility his exile was forced. I think that he was trying to find a place that could cure him, but I doubt he had much hope for it. The divine blade is pretty cool epithet! Originally I was worried that Tarhaim saw Kendal as less than, nothing more than a weapon, but considering his attitude towards Dainix, I think it’s no more than an epithet. I am really curious about exactly how it looks!
DragonMaster66, to your comment about the comments section, painfully accurate… it’s so exciting to know what happened to his eye!!!
Papercliperie, agreeed, it’s an awesome parallel!
Bluefire, it’s okay, we are happy to support you, and I appreciate your comments! I am not autistic so I am afraid I will never be able to fully understand the pain you go through, but I do understand some of your situation and you are loved and appreciated!
Tahraim must have scooched close to be able to hold hands like that. i mean, Dainix is still kneeling, so Tahraim must still be sitting right? i’m just trying to picture it:
Dainix: “If I burn, I can’t hurt them anymore.”
Tahraim: SCOOT SCOOT SCOOT “If you burn, how can you help them?”
Also, wow just how big is this background aurora image, it keeps growing as more comments happen! 😮 It’s not procedurally generated is it? Just really really big right? xD
Welp, I did not expect this webcomic to hit this close to home today lmao. I’ve been there, had so much guilt… I don’t think it’s a lesson that gets taught enough. Holding guilt against yourself doesn’t save anyone or do any good if you don’t know what to do about it.
It’s great to see someone actually acknowledging that side of guilt. I wish I had been taught a lesson about that sooner. I guess what I’m trying to say is thanks, hopefully someone might learn from this.
@BlueFire
As Hiii said, we are happy to support you.
For the comments of this page and the last one combined, I would like to give this comic the award for “Most wholesome place on the internet”
I don’t know how this happened, (maybe Vash has blessed us, (or Tahraim actually, seeing how good a therapist he is)) but this community has made my entire life better. And even though honestly, I’m in a much better place than a lot of people, I wasn’t when I first discovered this, and as I said, it made my life so much better, and now that it’s February (no matter what anyone says, February will always be the worst month) and I’m not a total wreck anymore, though I’ve still got serious self-esteem issues (I don’t know who doesn’t).
So anyway, thank you, random internet people, for making my life better.
Just want to point out how fitting it is that he comforts people in a warm but pragmatic way, not like a close friend that at the same time comforts and is affected by whom they are trying to help, but like a professional. He offers support, and tries to deal with the issues at hand one step at a time.
Tahraim makes me think that a swordsmith being also a great therapist makes perfect sense. Like “Of course he’s good with people! He forges stuff, with a hammer! These two things are deeply interconnected!”
Also, damn, this is one cute comment section. I mean it in the best way possible.
Hermit Thrush: As a nurse I find that diagnoses as labels are misunderstood. The point of assessing, observing is to plan & guide treatment, therapy even meds as tools. I personally have some opinions that I, will admit, often keep to myself. Neurotypical is a word that I view with suspicion, how I perceive others does not leave me impressed with how they use their processing power. The other end of what is currently the Asperger/Autistic spectrum is beautiful in many ways but I posit the theory that my EQ is too high for me to fit the classic spectrum type. I consider that perhaps I am what happens if the processing of a mind, not sending the input through/wasting the processing power on the heuristic self/ego centered traditional processing style then in the journey seeking enlightenment focuses a lot of processing on comprehending, understanding people, culture, systems; money, love, yoga & the new age system. I also read a shit ton of books, I love fiction, I may have read those stories told in 1st person and found them very helpful in reverse engineering how like other/not me people think, perceive, and well, I defer; I do recall it being difficult not to judge other people for being stupid, doing poor quality work, I found the 8 limbs of yoga and was blessed with many amazing teachers, in school, the many years and tries at college, my carpenter apprenticeship. One of the dumbest laborers not only showed me a good trick (using pipes to roll something to heavy to carry) they also humbled me when they literally said, you can learn something from anybody.
Thanks. I feel this comic attracts a certain kind of people who are nice and understanding and have issues they can relate to each other with. It’s fascinating and heartwarming considering how gross most of the internet (and world) is.
Thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement and support. It means a lot, though it’s hard to properly show that on a comic with people you don’t know. You don’t have any idea how it will be taken. Anyway, thanks.
SarrissaTeiflingDruid:
I don’t think so. There are far more moronic people in the world. I can think of a few off the top of my head, though I can’t name them all. I’m bad with names.
Hi everyone! This is my first time commenting here, but I’ve been reading all of your comments and they’ve all been really awesome. Thanks!
For this page, I think Dainix is so scared here. His fear in this situation is also really understandable. If you hurt the people close to you, then there’s no family that you can lean on, with a clean conscience, and no one to truly fight for but a self with barely any wish to live, and that would only make things harder. Red is an awe-inspiring writer.
@Bluefire
I don’t know about that. I mean, the logical part of my brain says that I don’t know enough people to say that I’m the most moronic person in the world, but the emotional part says screw statistics.
Funny story, by the way. Right after writing a comment saying that things have gotten better, everything went to crap. I mean, not super crappy crap, but enough that I can believe I jinxed it. What with a Spanish test I probably failed and a Science project due in a week and D&D club not understanding party comp (seriously, how do you play with six spellcasters and a rogue?).
@Aris
So I’ll admit I’m having trouble following your comment, but… uh… between this and yesterday I’m going to recommend you look into non-speaking or partially-speaking Autistic self-advocates like Amythest Schaber, Ido Kedar, or (IIRC) Autistic, Typing. Also this comic (https://the-art-of-autism.com/understanding-the-spectrum-a-comic-strip-explanation/) is a good explanation of the non-linear nature of the spectrum. Also — you may not be aware, but both “stupid” and “dumb” are stigmatizing toward people with ID/D. “Dumb” is also problematic in that it equates being unable to speak with lack of comprehension. So… I don’t want to be the language police, but I would appreciate it if you avoid using them in the future.
I said it once and I’ll say it again, we lucked out here in somehow attracting 99% wholesome fans to this corner of the internet. And everyone here loves that fact, because it’s nice to find a wholesome community to hang with when you really need to. That being said, I hope everything gets better for you soon.
As for the DnD question… What exactly is your group comp? I haven’t played a lot of DnD, admittedly, but the last group I ran with (though admittedly we only got to play for six sessions, and this was a couple years ago so I might be misremembering) had a Paladin, a Wild Sorcerer, a Fey Warlock (me), a Druid, a Rogue, and a Cleric. We actually managed to muddle along pretty well (the last boss we got to fight before the campaign disbanded do to scheduling/graduation was a demi-lich, and we managed to land a few decent combos on it)
To Bluefire:
Anytime, friend. We’re here when you need us.
To Hermit Thrush:
Lol, you can ask me, but unfortunately for your line of inquiry I’ve already come to suspect I’m neurodivergent in some fashion. I’ve never been officially tested for anything, mind, but based on both familial anecdotes and known and suspected family history, the current suspect is ADHD.
What’s funny about that is that I’ve had friend groups and classmates both who have voted me the most “normal” person of the lot (depending on the conversation and the group that’s usually sanity or sexuality), but if I’m going to be completely honest… I think it’s mostly just because there’s some stuff I’m still working out about myself, and I’m pretty very good at hiding my idiosyncracies. It’s amusing, though. And nice to know that I’m at least valuable as a sounding board (i.e. if I’m not sure it’s a good idea, it’s probably not a good idea.)… Man, I miss those guys.
To Goldfinch:
I can relate. I have a nasty habit of automatically apologizing, even when something isn’t my fault. I’m still working on dialing it back 😛
To Suomynona and ImuyanMangoCat:
Congrats on your upgrades!
To DragonMaster66:
Someone’d have to go back to see who started that thread; I know I made an Obscurial comparison back in the Demon Theory’s early days and spitballed a couple more theories on soulfire when that came up, but I’m pretty sure someone else beat me to the initial ‘Dainix is the demon’ guess. And considering how many people have contributed since, I’m not sure the credit can really go all to one person. Though I may be misinterpreting which part of the hypothetical demon lore you’re referring to, since there’s quite a bit of it at this point.
To Hiii:
Well, some mentor figures don’t die, but go through a lot of unpleasantness instead so…I guess Vash is currently fulfilling that role? He’s also the closest that the gods seem to be able to come to perma-death at the moment, so… Well, no, wait, there was that minor mountain god that the Collector experimented on–do we know what ultimately happened to him?
To Evil Tree:
It could be because he knows what Kendal is but not who he is, since they’ve never met but gods have that extra sense when it comes to non-mortals, as we’ve previously seen, and he needs something to call Kendal in the meantime. It could also be symbolic–the sort of naming of a person that often is involved when writing prophecies (think The Belgariad ). Personally, I think it’s further evidence of the Kendal-is-the-Sword theory, but we’ll just have to see if that turns out.
In general:
Can I just say that I love this page? I mean, those last two panels… You can see every conflicting thought and emotion Dainix is having–the poor guy’s soul is completely laid bare, and it’s as wonderful a bit of art/writing as it is heartbreaking. You can’t help but empathize with him, especially if you’ve been in his place (though obviously without the risk of self-immolation). And with Tahraim reaching out to him like that…. Just… No words. This moment is perfect and beautiful and this is the kind of support that we all deserve when we need help.
I just wanna say i LOVE the last two panels and i think they’re going to live within me forever. It’s just the conflicting emotions and thoughts that are shining through his eyes it’s heartbreaking!!! Red you are an amazing and talented artist to be able to portray that!!! *&#)*(UDOUE)(POIW)WUR-*)&*&^W*!!!!!!!
Hi guys… so something embarrassing just happened, and I need to vent a bit. Just a BIT I promise I won’t yell t his time.
*inhale* I called a classmate the wrong name, in a GC we made for a project. And not only do I BARELY know these people, I’m viewed as the oddball already.
This is gonna come back and haunt me in the future I swear. Rn I’m eating away the embarrassment with chocolate donuts and watching some Naruto
“If I burn, I can’t hurt them any more.”
“If you burn, how can you help them?”
Damn, good fuckin line. We love to see it. Also Red if you happen to see this you should play Katawa Shoujo, I just started replaying it after a few years – it’s so good.
That’s a familiar feeling. I’m not very sociable and don’t remember people’s names or faces that much. Most of my classmates, both present and former, randomly say “hi ” in the hallway and it’s embarrassing because all I can say is “hi” back- I don’t know who they are and how they know me. I just assume it’s because we share a class, and people test me on knowing names to laugh that I don’t.
I pushed myself into AP courses I wasn’t ready for and didn’t enjoy because I heard AP didn’t have as much (if any) group work and to me that was better than being subjected to social torment. Was it worth it? From the sounds of dad screaming “study for the AP test”, no. Neither option would have been better than the other. It’s hard being the one who isn’t social butterfly in a world where you’re told that’s the only right way to be. Let me sit in the corner and doodle, I can still do my work just fine thank you, I’m not depressed because I don’t smile constantly and talk with EVERYONE. I’m more stressed by being asked to do so.
Rant aside, I understand and that is awful. Hope it doesn’t turn into something worse.
@Bluefire.
Yeah don’t worry, it’s been a couple hours and I got over it. And being expected to be happy and polite in public is real annoying and tiring, I feel u dude.
@Skye
The party is two druids, two sorcerers, a warlock, a bard, and a rogue. (I’m one of the druids(Who is a teifling. Named Sarrissa. Sound familiar?)
@ImuyanMangoCat and Bluefire
I’ve definitely had that experience before. Luckily I’m good enough with names that I can sometimes remember them, and socially awkward enough that I don’t talk to people at school much.
I feel like this is insensitive, but I would really love a chocolate donut right now.
Bluefire, yeah. Having to make conversation with everyone in a class is just exhausting, so I usually don’t bother.
@Skye:
SQUEEEEE NEUROKIN!!!!! *glomp*
On a more serious note, it sucks that you’ve had to hide — IDK if it’s anything like autistic masking, but either way, I hope you figure out what you need to.
@Bluefire:
Have you considered that you might be faceblind (formal term is prosopagnasia IIRC)? because that sounds a lot like how I felt before I figured out I was faceblind. I’d already figured out tricks for managing it, but now I cut myself slack because it’s not some sort of failing, it’s literally just how my brain is wired… On the plus side, I’m better than average at recognizing people when they’re wearing masks…
Glad to hear you’re doing better–I’ve been in that situation before, and it can really be stressful (I also have name/face issues not helped by generally keeping to myself)
Just remember this: embarrassing situations happen, but time generally smooths them to a blip in the road. And if all else fails, you probably can’t screw up as bad as I did, when I was asked to prom by the guy who sat behind me in class (who I kinda didn’t remember existed), freaked out because I’d never even thought about going, had a ‘it’d not him, it’s me’ panic attack at lunch with my friends… And then had it pointed out that the guy in question was sitting directly across from me and had heard the entire thing.
We still went to prom together, but I have a feeling that I’m never quite going to live that one down, even though we both think it’s kinda hilarious in hindsight.
Hermit Thrush; I am not interested in exploring/pondering what I am in term of the spectrum, in yoga, other stuff, I have come to see how Popeye may have parallels or traits whatever…I am what I am.
Masking does sound like something interesting but I put forth the thought that is not something unique to the neurodiverse? I look at the young (is that you guys) next generation and their relationship with intsa, tiktok etc and “filters” the reality that as I understand it everyone of us goes through some form of self awareness in puberty, growing up, exchanging our childhood ego, perception of self when we outgrow it, like baby teeth?
I see you mention faceblind and while I have some form of disability with words, remembering names I have to opposite of face blind. I can even recognize someone who I knew as a child as an old or adult.
I do not know if that is related to my ability to glean a lot of information from micro expressions, eyes?
I don’t really look to comprehend how I drive this sack of meat but I will say that I have noted that I hate podcasts & audio books and do not learn much from teachers lecturing (I read books during the time I spend in classrooms, some doodle I guess? Like music I don’t really do “art”) but I will elaborate on my comments r/t (birdsong)
We have identified that most of what birds calls are is a grouping of useful (top layer, data) content, danger, food, sex.
When I hear voices I glean unexpected amounts of information from the timbre, pacing, breathing and much more. This was something I have done since childhood and sometimes what others perceive as impulsiveness is my reaction to information that no one else realized I noted? I can hear bullies coming, platitudes, bullshit birdsong, neurotypicals do not realize that they broadcast what they think in their voice, on their face.
One thought about the neurotypicals is that their “operating” system as a result of everything being ego/self referenced limit their processing to one “tile” or app? This is an example of my taking words from different disciplines (medicine, psych, computing, AI) and attempting to communicate.
In the Glass Bead Game Hesse talks about art (ones life as the “game” = artwork) and expresses his belief that “great masters” those who impress the audience (us? future generations?) weave together multiple disciplines and in that create beauty that also meets the college/peer reviewed standard of being referenced to accurate (library, listed on the dewey decimal system level valid)
I hope that in showing my “work” fuck I concede that the word soul may be used/accurate
I am a bookworm, but I a am also a carpenter, graduate of a military school, someone who climbed up out of the streets of NYC
I am many things, as an “artist” I feel that giving the work to an audience, letting critics, reviewers whomever “read” into it what they want, what they see/perceive is their right.
My rights are to create myself, my work, in private, not to collaborate, be told by others what I should “put in it” or how it should be.
That being said I am a strait white cisgender male; imperfect, trying to do better than I found.
When I did yoga I noted that every altar had Jesus on it. Religion aside, Ahimsa as a philosophy, system of morality, ethics, manifests in those who are revered on our altar where we bow and state “all glory to my teachers” beginning with the individual teaching that class and including the “greats” who achieved significant positive change in the world through non-violent means.
I am probably face blind, but that doesn’t make it less awkward, because most people don’t get it and so they think I’m weird. I do accept that I will never be able to recognize people the way some folks do, and I don’t mind because I’m not that social anyway. It just feels strange that others can recognize me because to me face blindness is normal. I can at least recognize my teachers and few friends, mostly not by face though. That’s good enough.
Nurses don’t really do therapy, I guess I am some sort of teacher? As a carpenter I always hated having an apprentice even before one whacked my hand as a result of their exuberance (I made peace with him).
I am self aware enough to acknowledge the reality that I was worse, harder to teach than Johny balls.
I guess I interpret my gratitude, thanks for the knowledge to my teachers, nurses, writers & storytellers who both treated and taught me as a debt; I owe, service? I guess…
Please none of that;
I was an oddball and kids are jerks, and we’ll just leave it at that. In some ways high school was a godsend because at that point I was in a big enough pool of kids (my high school had ~2000 students) that it was something of a soft reboot and I could start working out who I was and shedding some of the baggage I had. It helped that by that point it was cool to be part of a fandom of some kind, and it was likewise acceptable to be quirky. And we had a robotics team.
I mean, I’m still a bit hesitant to fully express myself, and there are some things that I don’t really talk about or have had the courage to try, but I’m definitely a lot more comfortable in my own skin than I used to be. I’ve been lucky to have some very supporting people in my life, and that’s probably been one of the most helpful things of all.
To SarissaTieflingDruid:
I’d wondered if you’d gotten your username from a character you’d played–Funny enough, my first character (from a campaign even shorter than the one I mentioned previously, but which involved nearly all the same people) was a Tiefling bard named Tal. Probably wasn’t the best class choice for a first-time player, lol… My playstyle doesn’t really work for a support character anyway (my homebrewed sprite warlock, Selene, ended up as essentially a battlemage and the group’s tank…I got lucky with the hit dice, lol).
Anyway, if you’ve got a skilled DM, they’ll find a way to make your group composition work within the framework of their narrative, making sure that no one gets left out and each character has a chance to shine. My DM certainly found a way for us to function, and we ended up with half the group having hermit backgrounds by sheer coincidence!
@icarusancalion Sorry for late reply. This is arguing semantics. In my experience, when people use the word ‘guilt’, it’s uncommon that they’re specifically referring to feeling that they are defined by a mistake that they have made. I’ve never seen anyone else say that that is the definition of the word.
Skye:
Yeah, I think it’ll work out anyway, but I was still annoyed to not really have a tank. The arrangement we went with has one of the druids as basically a stand-in tank/fighter, not quite sure how well that’ll work, though.
Well yes i mean he’s the god of smithing, of course he’s firproof!
(Anonymous->Suomynona)
(*very* creative there, me)
He’s a forge deity, of course he’s fireproof. Also, first? I don’t see any other comments, so…
@CapitainCutlet coincidence, and no it doesn’t update unless you post a comment or reload the page.
Some good life advice
courtesy of Tahraim. Nice!
He does not get burned.
Being fireproof has its perks. Sometimes you can hug the unhuggable.
Ahh, the old adage of triage: “you can’t help anyone if you yourself get hurt”. Also, look at Dainix and how scared he is when Tahraim grasps his fire claws. It’s just like Tahraim and Caliban have said: he’s afraid of his own power and it holds him back from mastering it.
My boy…my poor sweet boy
Master splinter here dropping some wisdom…
aaaaaaaaaa
Thanks Tahraim, you’re the most responsible dad yet!
Unfortunately while Tahraim is fireproof that is because he is made out of asbestos!?
Again I am asking for him to be my therapist. Seriously though, you can tell Dainix has been holding this all in for a *very* long time….
Giving abstract ideas a concrete embodiment is a common storytelling technique that we’ve all likely seen before. But it’s still jarring to read ‘guilt burned out your eye’.
While I don’t disagree with anything Tahraim says here, it’s worth noting that guilt isn’t necessarily harmful. When you’ve screwed up, guilt motivates you to make amends. Guilt only becomes harmful when you’re feeling it over something that isn’t your fault, or when it becomes corrupted by self absorption.
As ever, I’m amazed by how well-done this comics glowy effects are.
not Tahraim holding his hand ??? Red this whole scene is So. Good.
Ooooh, boy, this guy’s got as many problems as a knight radiant.
(gasp!) They’re hand holding in public! How obscene!
Yep, lots of effects this page; the rain, embers, steam and that glow surrounding Tahraim to name a few. All very pretty and it gives Red a break from drawing action scenes with long flowing hair.
I wonder, Dainix said in 1-13-24 that he was sent out to find information about the demon. That’s likely false, but how false? Was he sent by his village to find info, even better a cure, for him? Did he go on his own accord into self-exile? Was he pushed to do so and banished? (Tahraim seems to imply he can still help them, so many not the last one.)
Tahraim keeps referring to Kendal as “The divine blade”; does he now know his name? Then again, considering Kendal is a former incarnation with metal weaved into his bones, carries the blade of Vash and literarily named himself after said blade it’s a fitting moniker/epithet.
So his eye is burned out. Burned out in the shape of the great fire rune? There’s definitely a reason why it’s still being hidden aside from the “ich” factor, but it could still be different from that.
@Suomynona and @CapitainCutlet sometimes it doesnt even show you the comments then :p
dont trust the comments before like at least a half hour after it posts heh, sometimes it doesnt load any of the, like, ten comments before mine until I post, and then the next reload eats my comment and half of the ones I just saw until like an hour later when everything’s magically sorted itself out again XD
“guilt burned out your eye” we FINALLY get to know what happened to his eye! and it only took us like a chapter and a half 😀
Tahraim holding his fire claw is such a wholesome moment and i wasnt expecting that ahhh! poor Dainix looks so terrified and Tahraim is calmly sitting there ready to give this man all the love hes needed, ever <3 give him a hug pls <3
also to whoever had the "all ignans have an inner fire and can become a demon if they lose control" theory i really like it 😀
people have probably pointed this out already, but dainix losing his eye and arm? when vash lost HIS eye and arm? while tynan was present? and tahraim was involved as a cryptic ally? in a Darkest Hour moment? just absolutely delicious, i LOVE a good parallel
Like that Dainix already had the “channel emotions” aspect so we could get into the nuances of the line between knowing and FEELING. Guilt is an emotion that tell you you care. a warning for next time. but if you stew in it too long that becomes self-flagellation and really just a grand form of self-pity. Which isn’t helpful to anyone, especially the people you might have hurt, when you could be making amends. Guilt is like. Good for having the moral and emotional intelligence to recognize the wrong things. Get better next time about it but at a certain point you gotta just take your head outta your ass to keep on walkin forward. And if it’s something that truly was out of your control, it’s not your fault and you REALLY should get your head out of your ass. It’s not about you in the end. But that doesn’t make what Dainix feels any less valid, he just needs to learn not to give in. He has to accept the scary part of himself, the part that Snaps. Snap and let it out of you, pressure through a fissure blast it all out. Accept that this is what you are but accept that you are more. Sometimes you’re scared of your own power. Scared that you hurt people and could burn their throats out. Dainix is not suicidal doesn’t want to die I don’t think (“you could die! .. doesn’t that matter to you?”) But Angry and Afraid and Feeling. It’s hard sometimes to feel like it shouldn’t be killed.
So basically get it all out safely and then get off your ass about it. Congrats on the therapy Dainix
TL;DR: God therapy. Best kind you can get. It’d be wise to take it.
Thanks for all the comments of understanding and encouragement from the previous page, I’m honestly both surprised and melting from the, uh, what do you call it? Wholesomeness? Don’t know.
On the whole mental health thing, I am autistic and have been aware for a while, I used to self alienate (and still do) because I figured myself broken and unfixable. I always had the unpopular opinion, and was harassed for it (like being the only one to choose one answer in a would you rather… People are petty things. I want a pet dragon).
So yeah. Thanks.
Yoooo I love this scene so much – also Dainix’s markings look so much like tears right now it’s so cool!
Tahraim, you’re vying with Erin as my favorite character. Here you are, putting Dainix back together while ignoring Tynan’s devastation. He’s an artist an can’t see good soul fire go to waste. Love (on the previous page) how he thinks of Dainix in smithy metaphors–he’s not doing therapy, he’s tempering a weapon.
@The Registrar, there’s a fine line between guilt and what we might call shame or perhaps embarrassment. That moment of shame where we realize we’ve made a mistake that has to be immediately rectified motivates change. Shame, the oh-no-I-screwed-up-here springs us into fix-it mode. We immediately take action. Shame is the awareness of a mistake. Guilt on the other hand, serves no purpose. Guilt is the process of identifying ourselves with that mistake, i.e., I’m a bad person, I’m a demon. Because guilt turns the mistake into something that identifies us, defines us, nothing can change without destroying the individual. Hence, the solutions provided by guilt are self-destructive, often knowingly so. Once guilt is in the picture, the self-identification can become so tight, the action that was supposed to be abandoned becomes a feature, a trait. Then it becomes difficult for us to change.
Not that this has happened to me or anything.
Fireproof fire-floof.
YEEEEAAAHHH!!!! HOLD THE FIRE BOY’S HAND!!! LET HIM KNOW IT’S OKAY TO BE ALIVE!!!!!
I love that last panel. Dainix’ face is kinda devastating, he looks so shocked
Notice how Tynan is the instrument trough which not one but TWO powerful weapons are foged.
Poor cloud floof, every time he tries to drown a bunch of people someone forges some badass weapon to kick him in the guts
I am begging, I will do ANYTHING to get this guy as my therapist!!! It’s so wholesome and sweet and Dainix is now officially my favorite character!
To anyone that did not see my comment on the last page, here you go!
Bluefire, glad that you found a more comfortable name and your comments are always appreciated and Im glad you found a comfortable place to begin commenting where it wasn’t as toxic *coughwebtoonscough* and you can enjoy yourself!!! This comic was also one of the first places I began commenting and I’m so glad to have found it! Also, oops I don’t know why I described your comments that way instead of putting that you do TL;DRs lol. Also, to your later comment, I sympathize and let me just tell you that your comments genuinely make me smile and you seem like a really good person! I struggle a lot with the same stuff and that (and an overload from a depressive downspiral, school, and general life struggles) is part of why I didn’t comment as much recently but I’m glad to be back in this awesome community! I’m really glad you will stay with us!
DragonMaster66 agreed!!! I think I joined in the summer of 2021 after watching a video by Red that mentioned their comic. I played around a little with a name like Blue Rose or something (I think, but I really don’t remember) and then ended up retrying as Hii and that name has spread to a lot of my platforms (Specifically Tapas, but a lot of other places) I forget why I stopped posting under my old username and moved to Hiii, but I quite enjoy this and as the first place where I ever used the username “Hiii” and obviously the amazing community and awesome comic it has a very special place in my heart. I DO think that this is Tahraim, not Caliban in disguise, but I could be proven wrong *shrugs*
Youngstormlord, yeah I didn’t write nearly all of the people who contribute to this comments section frequently, I AM SO SORRY FOR THE PEOPLE I MISSED YOU ARE STILL REALLY APPRECIATED!!!
Stark9865, agreed.
TheUnknownGame, I fully agree with your statement to LikeADragon, I think those are excellent points and I really appreciate your theories and thoughts. I agree with the whole Tarhaim is Tarhaim and Caliban is Caliban thing, I had forgotten about the theories that Falst was jolon or the collector was the arenamaster those were a bit odd, but in my opinion most comment sections have their quirks. For some it’s references from one particular show/movie/book/etc., for some it’s incessant shipping of everyone, for some it’s dirty jokes, for some it’s constantly saying that the author deserves more views/giving incessant praise, and for us, well I guess it’s in deep theories, random references and assuming one character is another disguised all the time *shrugs* I think that you definitely make this comment section a better place though, and you deserve the recognition!
Gogo the mimic that’s awesome!!! (Both the comments section the expanded universe thing lmao and the joy you have found from this comments section)
Aromar Dysypros, refer back to my comment with DragonMaster66
Bluefire, your story resonates so deeply with me, literally EVERYTHING you just said is pretty much the same for me… I find it hilarious how I relate more to comic characters and a random person on the internet than anyone Ive ever met irl.
Aris, remind me why you’re here instead of making grand speeches to millions? Cos damn that was awesome!!!
Skye, yeah sharing with others is really really hard, huh? I found your story really comforting though!
@icarusancalion, the church I grew up in calls the shame or embarrassment you’re talking about where you’re actually motivated to fix your mistakes godly sorrow, and your description is an extremely good explanation of the difference between that concept and guilt. I hope you’re doing well, and I hope Dainix lets himself let go of the guilt soon since in my experience that can take a while.
I have to appreciate this moment while it lasts, because few others are fireproof; I love Tahraim tenderly holding Dainix’s fire hand! In fact, I just love this whole therapy session; whenever one or more characters comfort another character who’s in deep emotional pain, it almost always makes me cry with happiness. Call me overly emotional, but that’s how I feel about moments like this.
So that’s what he meant by “It took a lot from me.” Makes me wonder if his hand’s transformation is also permanent, or on the flip side, if Tahraim can help him restore both hand and eye, or at least the hand. If it is permanent, then it’ll be interesting to see how Dainix adjusts to it.
I love the last few panels, especially the rain and the fire/sparks! It’s so cool!
Sorry I haven’t been commenting often, I’ve just been appreciating Tahraim (anyone else keep saying “Tahmrain” in your head?) work on Dainix :-). I guess when you forge people into the best weapons they can be, you gotta be good at working through other’s problems to, in a sense, hammer them out.
@Suomynona: I fully support your name change! In my opinion, I think it sound’s like a yokai, and that’s pretty neat :-).
@Evil Tree: There’s still a chance, my friend! It could still be a rune! There’s a chance!
@paperclipperie: OH SHI- (-ttake mushrooms)
@Bluefire: I fully support your name change, too! Without going into too much detail, I get feeling like you’re broken. And although everybody’s journey is different and you probably don’t need this, I will say it: Don’t give up, no matter what.
The fact that Dainix interpreted “now let’s move onto the guilt” as “please apologize to me” is pretty funny but also makes sense with his character. Apparently it burnt his eye out too. Can you show it to the class, Dainey?
First post I’ve been here for! Discovered the comic yesterday, read the whole thing, and I can’t wait to see what the next bout suedo therapy is gonna be
Red once again sneaks wisdom into what was supposed to be mindless entertainment; you know with the cities destroyed and Gods killed and all the green growing…
And now back to the present! Gah, that “I’m sorry” when Tarhaim talks about moving on to guilt resonates so deeply with me!!!
Youngstormlord if it means I could give Dainix a hug, I don’t care about being burned
Mat, *whistles* dang those are some really good points!
Everentropy, I know I just want to hug him so bad!!! My big sister instinct is going absolutely crazy!
LoeTheFox, yeah considering literally all of the characters have parent issues, we kinda need a mentor figure. Wait, a mentor figure… *flashback to Red’s trope talks video* oh f*ck…. Can gods in this comic die???
Evil Tree, hand holding! How absolutely shocking!!! *faints* when he left, I have a feeling that he banished himself considering his attitude towards his power, but there’s a possibility his exile was forced. I think that he was trying to find a place that could cure him, but I doubt he had much hope for it. The divine blade is pretty cool epithet! Originally I was worried that Tarhaim saw Kendal as less than, nothing more than a weapon, but considering his attitude towards Dainix, I think it’s no more than an epithet. I am really curious about exactly how it looks!
DragonMaster66, to your comment about the comments section, painfully accurate… it’s so exciting to know what happened to his eye!!!
Papercliperie, agreeed, it’s an awesome parallel!
Bluefire, it’s okay, we are happy to support you, and I appreciate your comments! I am not autistic so I am afraid I will never be able to fully understand the pain you go through, but I do understand some of your situation and you are loved and appreciated!
therapy continues
i wonder if when the next gen 9 trailer comes out i’ll be able to derail the comments again
Tahraim must have scooched close to be able to hold hands like that. i mean, Dainix is still kneeling, so Tahraim must still be sitting right? i’m just trying to picture it:
Dainix: “If I burn, I can’t hurt them anymore.”
Tahraim: SCOOT SCOOT SCOOT “If you burn, how can you help them?”
must… suppress… autistic urge to… asksomeonewhosaysthey’reneurotypicalifthey’veconsideredtheymightbeND… while chanting “ONE OF US, ONE OF US”….
HUG ‘IM GOOD! <3
Also, wow just how big is this background aurora image, it keeps growing as more comments happen! 😮 It’s not procedurally generated is it? Just really really big right? xD
Welp, I did not expect this webcomic to hit this close to home today lmao. I’ve been there, had so much guilt… I don’t think it’s a lesson that gets taught enough. Holding guilt against yourself doesn’t save anyone or do any good if you don’t know what to do about it.
It’s great to see someone actually acknowledging that side of guilt. I wish I had been taught a lesson about that sooner. I guess what I’m trying to say is thanks, hopefully someone might learn from this.
@BlueFire
As Hiii said, we are happy to support you.
For the comments of this page and the last one combined, I would like to give this comic the award for “Most wholesome place on the internet”
I don’t know how this happened, (maybe Vash has blessed us, (or Tahraim actually, seeing how good a therapist he is)) but this community has made my entire life better. And even though honestly, I’m in a much better place than a lot of people, I wasn’t when I first discovered this, and as I said, it made my life so much better, and now that it’s February (no matter what anyone says, February will always be the worst month) and I’m not a total wreck anymore, though I’ve still got serious self-esteem issues (I don’t know who doesn’t).
So anyway, thank you, random internet people, for making my life better.
(gods, I’m such a moron)
Did he kill his family or something?
Just want to point out how fitting it is that he comforts people in a warm but pragmatic way, not like a close friend that at the same time comforts and is affected by whom they are trying to help, but like a professional. He offers support, and tries to deal with the issues at hand one step at a time.
Tahraim makes me think that a swordsmith being also a great therapist makes perfect sense. Like “Of course he’s good with people! He forges stuff, with a hammer! These two things are deeply interconnected!”
Also, damn, this is one cute comment section. I mean it in the best way possible.
Gamers. The fire great rune, will it be somewhere else? Will it be on Dainix’s eye when he gets it back? Will he not get his eye back?
This is reminding me of Steven Universe, in that it’s the rare drama that’s both good entertainment and good advice. Dainix is a great character.
when did Tahraim show up, and have we seen him before?
Is there a god of shipping in this universe? Cause if not I’m pretty sure they just spontaneously materialized after that hand grab <3
Hermit Thrush: As a nurse I find that diagnoses as labels are misunderstood. The point of assessing, observing is to plan & guide treatment, therapy even meds as tools. I personally have some opinions that I, will admit, often keep to myself. Neurotypical is a word that I view with suspicion, how I perceive others does not leave me impressed with how they use their processing power. The other end of what is currently the Asperger/Autistic spectrum is beautiful in many ways but I posit the theory that my EQ is too high for me to fit the classic spectrum type. I consider that perhaps I am what happens if the processing of a mind, not sending the input through/wasting the processing power on the heuristic self/ego centered traditional processing style then in the journey seeking enlightenment focuses a lot of processing on comprehending, understanding people, culture, systems; money, love, yoga & the new age system. I also read a shit ton of books, I love fiction, I may have read those stories told in 1st person and found them very helpful in reverse engineering how like other/not me people think, perceive, and well, I defer; I do recall it being difficult not to judge other people for being stupid, doing poor quality work, I found the 8 limbs of yoga and was blessed with many amazing teachers, in school, the many years and tries at college, my carpenter apprenticeship. One of the dumbest laborers not only showed me a good trick (using pipes to roll something to heavy to carry) they also humbled me when they literally said, you can learn something from anybody.
A lot of folks:
Thanks. I feel this comic attracts a certain kind of people who are nice and understanding and have issues they can relate to each other with. It’s fascinating and heartwarming considering how gross most of the internet (and world) is.
Thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement and support. It means a lot, though it’s hard to properly show that on a comic with people you don’t know. You don’t have any idea how it will be taken. Anyway, thanks.
SarrissaTeiflingDruid:
I don’t think so. There are far more moronic people in the world. I can think of a few off the top of my head, though I can’t name them all. I’m bad with names.
Hi everyone! This is my first time commenting here, but I’ve been reading all of your comments and they’ve all been really awesome. Thanks!
For this page, I think Dainix is so scared here. His fear in this situation is also really understandable. If you hurt the people close to you, then there’s no family that you can lean on, with a clean conscience, and no one to truly fight for but a self with barely any wish to live, and that would only make things harder. Red is an awe-inspiring writer.
Not going to lie I needed this today.
Da FLOOOF!
hi have changed name
Was=Ranting without a cause podcast
Am now= Damian, Local Podcaster with Voodoo Knowledge
aw man, i wish i had a cool god blacksmith therapist too!
@Bluefire
I don’t know about that. I mean, the logical part of my brain says that I don’t know enough people to say that I’m the most moronic person in the world, but the emotional part says screw statistics.
Funny story, by the way. Right after writing a comment saying that things have gotten better, everything went to crap. I mean, not super crappy crap, but enough that I can believe I jinxed it. What with a Spanish test I probably failed and a Science project due in a week and D&D club not understanding party comp (seriously, how do you play with six spellcasters and a rogue?).
So I attempted to get a gravatar, that is to say, a pfp. I’m testing if it worked
HELL YES IT WORKED!!!!!
@Aris
So I’ll admit I’m having trouble following your comment, but… uh… between this and yesterday I’m going to recommend you look into non-speaking or partially-speaking Autistic self-advocates like Amythest Schaber, Ido Kedar, or (IIRC) Autistic, Typing. Also this comic (https://the-art-of-autism.com/understanding-the-spectrum-a-comic-strip-explanation/) is a good explanation of the non-linear nature of the spectrum. Also — you may not be aware, but both “stupid” and “dumb” are stigmatizing toward people with ID/D. “Dumb” is also problematic in that it equates being unable to speak with lack of comprehension. So… I don’t want to be the language police, but I would appreciate it if you avoid using them in the future.
To SarissaTieflingDruid:
I said it once and I’ll say it again, we lucked out here in somehow attracting 99% wholesome fans to this corner of the internet. And everyone here loves that fact, because it’s nice to find a wholesome community to hang with when you really need to. That being said, I hope everything gets better for you soon.
As for the DnD question… What exactly is your group comp? I haven’t played a lot of DnD, admittedly, but the last group I ran with (though admittedly we only got to play for six sessions, and this was a couple years ago so I might be misremembering) had a Paladin, a Wild Sorcerer, a Fey Warlock (me), a Druid, a Rogue, and a Cleric. We actually managed to muddle along pretty well (the last boss we got to fight before the campaign disbanded do to scheduling/graduation was a demi-lich, and we managed to land a few decent combos on it)
To Bluefire:
Anytime, friend. We’re here when you need us.
To Hermit Thrush:
Lol, you can ask me, but unfortunately for your line of inquiry I’ve already come to suspect I’m neurodivergent in some fashion. I’ve never been officially tested for anything, mind, but based on both familial anecdotes and known and suspected family history, the current suspect is ADHD.
What’s funny about that is that I’ve had friend groups and classmates both who have voted me the most “normal” person of the lot (depending on the conversation and the group that’s usually sanity or sexuality), but if I’m going to be completely honest… I think it’s mostly just because there’s some stuff I’m still working out about myself, and I’m pretty very good at hiding my idiosyncracies. It’s amusing, though. And nice to know that I’m at least valuable as a sounding board (i.e. if I’m not sure it’s a good idea, it’s probably not a good idea.)… Man, I miss those guys.
To Goldfinch:
I can relate. I have a nasty habit of automatically apologizing, even when something isn’t my fault. I’m still working on dialing it back 😛
To Suomynona and ImuyanMangoCat:
Congrats on your upgrades!
To DragonMaster66:
Someone’d have to go back to see who started that thread; I know I made an Obscurial comparison back in the Demon Theory’s early days and spitballed a couple more theories on soulfire when that came up, but I’m pretty sure someone else beat me to the initial ‘Dainix is the demon’ guess. And considering how many people have contributed since, I’m not sure the credit can really go all to one person. Though I may be misinterpreting which part of the hypothetical demon lore you’re referring to, since there’s quite a bit of it at this point.
To Hiii:
Well, some mentor figures don’t die, but go through a lot of unpleasantness instead so…I guess Vash is currently fulfilling that role? He’s also the closest that the gods seem to be able to come to perma-death at the moment, so… Well, no, wait, there was that minor mountain god that the Collector experimented on–do we know what ultimately happened to him?
To Evil Tree:
It could be because he knows what Kendal is but not who he is, since they’ve never met but gods have that extra sense when it comes to non-mortals, as we’ve previously seen, and he needs something to call Kendal in the meantime. It could also be symbolic–the sort of naming of a person that often is involved when writing prophecies (think The Belgariad ). Personally, I think it’s further evidence of the Kendal-is-the-Sword theory, but we’ll just have to see if that turns out.
In general:
Can I just say that I love this page? I mean, those last two panels… You can see every conflicting thought and emotion Dainix is having–the poor guy’s soul is completely laid bare, and it’s as wonderful a bit of art/writing as it is heartbreaking. You can’t help but empathize with him, especially if you’ve been in his place (though obviously without the risk of self-immolation). And with Tahraim reaching out to him like that…. Just… No words. This moment is perfect and beautiful and this is the kind of support that we all deserve when we need help.
I just wanna say i LOVE the last two panels and i think they’re going to live within me forever. It’s just the conflicting emotions and thoughts that are shining through his eyes it’s heartbreaking!!! Red you are an amazing and talented artist to be able to portray that!!! *&#)*(UDOUE)(POIW)WUR-*)&*&^W*!!!!!!!
Hi guys… so something embarrassing just happened, and I need to vent a bit. Just a BIT I promise I won’t yell t his time.
*inhale* I called a classmate the wrong name, in a GC we made for a project. And not only do I BARELY know these people, I’m viewed as the oddball already.
This is gonna come back and haunt me in the future I swear. Rn I’m eating away the embarrassment with chocolate donuts and watching some Naruto
Oh and, Ty @Skye for the congrats
“If I burn, I can’t hurt them any more.”
“If you burn, how can you help them?”
Damn, good fuckin line. We love to see it. Also Red if you happen to see this you should play Katawa Shoujo, I just started replaying it after a few years – it’s so good.
@Hiii Everybody deserves a hug.
ImuyanMangoCat:
That’s a familiar feeling. I’m not very sociable and don’t remember people’s names or faces that much. Most of my classmates, both present and former, randomly say “hi ” in the hallway and it’s embarrassing because all I can say is “hi” back- I don’t know who they are and how they know me. I just assume it’s because we share a class, and people test me on knowing names to laugh that I don’t.
I pushed myself into AP courses I wasn’t ready for and didn’t enjoy because I heard AP didn’t have as much (if any) group work and to me that was better than being subjected to social torment. Was it worth it? From the sounds of dad screaming “study for the AP test”, no. Neither option would have been better than the other. It’s hard being the one who isn’t social butterfly in a world where you’re told that’s the only right way to be. Let me sit in the corner and doodle, I can still do my work just fine thank you, I’m not depressed because I don’t smile constantly and talk with EVERYONE. I’m more stressed by being asked to do so.
Rant aside, I understand and that is awful. Hope it doesn’t turn into something worse.
how do you draw steam so well?
@Bluefire.
Yeah don’t worry, it’s been a couple hours and I got over it. And being expected to be happy and polite in public is real annoying and tiring, I feel u dude.
@Skye
The party is two druids, two sorcerers, a warlock, a bard, and a rogue. (I’m one of the druids(Who is a teifling. Named Sarrissa. Sound familiar?)
@ImuyanMangoCat and Bluefire
I’ve definitely had that experience before. Luckily I’m good enough with names that I can sometimes remember them, and socially awkward enough that I don’t talk to people at school much.
I feel like this is insensitive, but I would really love a chocolate donut right now.
Bluefire, yeah. Having to make conversation with everyone in a class is just exhausting, so I usually don’t bother.
@Skye:
SQUEEEEE NEUROKIN!!!!! *glomp*
On a more serious note, it sucks that you’ve had to hide — IDK if it’s anything like autistic masking, but either way, I hope you figure out what you need to.
@Bluefire:
Have you considered that you might be faceblind (formal term is prosopagnasia IIRC)? because that sounds a lot like how I felt before I figured out I was faceblind. I’d already figured out tricks for managing it, but now I cut myself slack because it’s not some sort of failing, it’s literally just how my brain is wired… On the plus side, I’m better than average at recognizing people when they’re wearing masks…
I feel like this would have been a useful conversation to have had a long time ago, but better late than never, I suppose!
To ImuyanMangoCat:
Glad to hear you’re doing better–I’ve been in that situation before, and it can really be stressful (I also have name/face issues not helped by generally keeping to myself)
Just remember this: embarrassing situations happen, but time generally smooths them to a blip in the road. And if all else fails, you probably can’t screw up as bad as I did, when I was asked to prom by the guy who sat behind me in class (who I kinda didn’t remember existed), freaked out because I’d never even thought about going, had a ‘it’d not him, it’s me’ panic attack at lunch with my friends… And then had it pointed out that the guy in question was sitting directly across from me and had heard the entire thing.
We still went to prom together, but I have a feeling that I’m never quite going to live that one down, even though we both think it’s kinda hilarious in hindsight.
Hermit Thrush; I am not interested in exploring/pondering what I am in term of the spectrum, in yoga, other stuff, I have come to see how Popeye may have parallels or traits whatever…I am what I am.
Masking does sound like something interesting but I put forth the thought that is not something unique to the neurodiverse? I look at the young (is that you guys) next generation and their relationship with intsa, tiktok etc and “filters” the reality that as I understand it everyone of us goes through some form of self awareness in puberty, growing up, exchanging our childhood ego, perception of self when we outgrow it, like baby teeth?
I see you mention faceblind and while I have some form of disability with words, remembering names I have to opposite of face blind. I can even recognize someone who I knew as a child as an old or adult.
I do not know if that is related to my ability to glean a lot of information from micro expressions, eyes?
I don’t really look to comprehend how I drive this sack of meat but I will say that I have noted that I hate podcasts & audio books and do not learn much from teachers lecturing (I read books during the time I spend in classrooms, some doodle I guess? Like music I don’t really do “art”) but I will elaborate on my comments r/t (birdsong)
We have identified that most of what birds calls are is a grouping of useful (top layer, data) content, danger, food, sex.
When I hear voices I glean unexpected amounts of information from the timbre, pacing, breathing and much more. This was something I have done since childhood and sometimes what others perceive as impulsiveness is my reaction to information that no one else realized I noted? I can hear bullies coming, platitudes, bullshit birdsong, neurotypicals do not realize that they broadcast what they think in their voice, on their face.
One thought about the neurotypicals is that their “operating” system as a result of everything being ego/self referenced limit their processing to one “tile” or app? This is an example of my taking words from different disciplines (medicine, psych, computing, AI) and attempting to communicate.
In the Glass Bead Game Hesse talks about art (ones life as the “game” = artwork) and expresses his belief that “great masters” those who impress the audience (us? future generations?) weave together multiple disciplines and in that create beauty that also meets the college/peer reviewed standard of being referenced to accurate (library, listed on the dewey decimal system level valid)
I hope that in showing my “work” fuck I concede that the word soul may be used/accurate
I am a bookworm, but I a am also a carpenter, graduate of a military school, someone who climbed up out of the streets of NYC
I am many things, as an “artist” I feel that giving the work to an audience, letting critics, reviewers whomever “read” into it what they want, what they see/perceive is their right.
My rights are to create myself, my work, in private, not to collaborate, be told by others what I should “put in it” or how it should be.
That being said I am a strait white cisgender male; imperfect, trying to do better than I found.
When I did yoga I noted that every altar had Jesus on it. Religion aside, Ahimsa as a philosophy, system of morality, ethics, manifests in those who are revered on our altar where we bow and state “all glory to my teachers” beginning with the individual teaching that class and including the “greats” who achieved significant positive change in the world through non-violent means.
Luv,
Ari
Hmmm, has Red read the Stormlight Archives? I’m getting a VERY Kaladin vibe here.
Hermit Thrush:
I am probably face blind, but that doesn’t make it less awkward, because most people don’t get it and so they think I’m weird. I do accept that I will never be able to recognize people the way some folks do, and I don’t mind because I’m not that social anyway. It just feels strange that others can recognize me because to me face blindness is normal. I can at least recognize my teachers and few friends, mostly not by face though. That’s good enough.
Dude, I wish I had a God give me therapy.
Nurses don’t really do therapy, I guess I am some sort of teacher? As a carpenter I always hated having an apprentice even before one whacked my hand as a result of their exuberance (I made peace with him).
I am self aware enough to acknowledge the reality that I was worse, harder to teach than Johny balls.
I guess I interpret my gratitude, thanks for the knowledge to my teachers, nurses, writers & storytellers who both treated and taught me as a debt; I owe, service? I guess…
Please none of that;
@Bluefire
Fair enough.
Godly therapy and introspection. I love every bit of this
@Sarrissa
Nah it ain’t insensitive to want a chocolate donut.
To Hermit Thrush:
I was an oddball and kids are jerks, and we’ll just leave it at that. In some ways high school was a godsend because at that point I was in a big enough pool of kids (my high school had ~2000 students) that it was something of a soft reboot and I could start working out who I was and shedding some of the baggage I had. It helped that by that point it was cool to be part of a fandom of some kind, and it was likewise acceptable to be quirky. And we had a robotics team.
I mean, I’m still a bit hesitant to fully express myself, and there are some things that I don’t really talk about or have had the courage to try, but I’m definitely a lot more comfortable in my own skin than I used to be. I’ve been lucky to have some very supporting people in my life, and that’s probably been one of the most helpful things of all.
To SarissaTieflingDruid:
I’d wondered if you’d gotten your username from a character you’d played–Funny enough, my first character (from a campaign even shorter than the one I mentioned previously, but which involved nearly all the same people) was a Tiefling bard named Tal. Probably wasn’t the best class choice for a first-time player, lol… My playstyle doesn’t really work for a support character anyway (my homebrewed sprite warlock, Selene, ended up as essentially a battlemage and the group’s tank…I got lucky with the hit dice, lol).
Anyway, if you’ve got a skilled DM, they’ll find a way to make your group composition work within the framework of their narrative, making sure that no one gets left out and each character has a chance to shine. My DM certainly found a way for us to function, and we ended up with half the group having hermit backgrounds by sheer coincidence!
Skye:
Why do I relate so much to this? Ahhhhh this whole comment club relates to each other ahhhhh
Tahraim continues to be excellent. Honestly, we could all use someone with this kind of energy in our lives.
This blacksmith guy is hands down my new favorite character
@icarusancalion Sorry for late reply. This is arguing semantics. In my experience, when people use the word ‘guilt’, it’s uncommon that they’re specifically referring to feeling that they are defined by a mistake that they have made. I’ve never seen anyone else say that that is the definition of the word.
Skye:
Yeah, I think it’ll work out anyway, but I was still annoyed to not really have a tank. The arrangement we went with has one of the druids as basically a stand-in tank/fighter, not quite sure how well that’ll work, though.
This page is really beautiful.
UH OH
TOO RELATABLE