Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

CW: Vore

A rare post from me. Why? Because it involves a pred made prey-for comedy, rather than a true role switch.

My recently created character, Petal the ostrich, is young, brash, and overconfident, and decides to take on Postle, the apex predator of the Dweet-Tea's zoo.

The first page of Petal the ostrich, young, brash, and confident, vs. Postle the kangaroo, a character of Dweet-Tea's and the apex (and most experienced) predator in the zoo. Fight!

Petal, mostly by beginner's luck, manages to get the drop on Postle when she's taking a drink at her pond. The ostrich swallows Postle down in one huge gulp. Petal got to count coup, but then came the consequences.

Postle launches Petal by booting her right in the underfluffies and lands her in the pond, Wile E. Coyote style. Is the punishment over for Petal? Oh hell no.

... with a truly intense boot to the belly, Petal finds herself going flying right out of the water, and smashes into the outer wall of Postle's enclosure. And it ain't over yet.

Using her belly a second time, Postle launches Petal off the wall, and smashes her headfirst into the tree where her tire swing is. It's a K.O.! And Petal, surrendering (not that she had a choice!) lays Postle out in an egg as normal.

The last panel is Postle rubbing her hands together, having taught this young upstart predator that it isn't so easy getting the drop on old Postle! And yet, despite this rather rough introduction, the two predators may not have seen the last of each other!

Art is by www.furaffinity.net/user/dweet-tea.

November 14, 2025 at 4:03 PM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

Everybody has to have a stinger these days. What happens when Nimona returns home, in Halavahdon form, just to troll Ballister?

The inevitable freakout. At least they're not going to fire heavy artillery at her this time.

Having kaiju forms outside her Shadow Dragon and Light Phoenix gonna be FUN.

Nimona has finally returned home to her kingdom. But she returned home in *Halavahdon* form - all 350 feet of it - and is peering over the wall, Attack on Titan style, at a definitely-freaking-out-Ballister.

"Hey, Boss!"

A great stinger to, IMHO, a great series by Lauren Kirich, aka The Abbey Roadie. She's awesome.

November 8, 2025 at 9:08 PM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

And now for something *completely* different. Being a Stephen King fan for decades, when I first saw Lobo from The Last Wish, my ears perked up, and I started to do a little research.

I was right. Turns out the character is *heavily* based off the Stephen King Big Bad Randall Flagg.

The character Death from Puss in Boots: The Last Wish walking out of the Wishing Star's fire like the character Randall Flagg walking out of the Dark Tower. Flagg is the Big Bad of the Stephen King multiverse in the same way that Lobo was the Big Bad of The Last Wish, and while the Dark Tower is vastly bigger a story, both hit on the same themes. And Lobo is a near picture-perfect "Exported Character" of Randall Flagg himself. With his scythes out and ready for combat, he's scarier than a lot of depictions of Randall Flagg on both the large and small screen.

In this preliminary sketch he's walking out of the Wishing Star's fire like Flagg walking out of the Dark Tower to face Roland Deschain.

The quote, from The Stand, is: "He looks just like anybody you see on the street. But when he grins, birds fall dead off telephone lines. When he looks at you a certain way... your urine burns. The grass yellows up and dies where he spits. He's always outside [of things]. He came out of time...

... he doesn't know himself."

Flagg, or Lobo? Either of these red-eyes psychopaths can ruin your day in an instant. Hope you never meet either of them.

October 29, 2025 at 12:58 PM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

This one is just too cute for words. I love getting pictures with the Halavahcubs, and this is no exception. fel-Nimona the Warrior, in one great breach, shows just how quickly she can change shape. A literal skin-diver!

Art is by @theabbeyroadie.bsky.social as usual, off-stream.

Two Halavahcubs getting a once in a lifetime show from Nimona. Leaping up out of the water, she switches seamlessly from otter, to dolphin, to whale, to shark, and then re-enters the water. The forms make an arc over the setting sun. This is pure joy for all three; the cubs think this is pure fire, and so does Nimona. Getting to *show off* her shapeshifting ability to kids that love every moment of it? The Halavahcubs may be as big as Fin Whales, but they're still kids! And in many ways, so is Nimona.

October 20, 2025 at 8:28 PM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

And now for something a little different: Sylia done manga style by @ukabor.bsky.social / Heigen. He does a beautiful job with the big girl, giving her just the right mix of friendly and alien appearance. A very good job by one of my favorite Japanese artists!

#sylia #halavahverse #ukabor #furry

Simple portrait of Sylia done by Heigen / Ukabor. She's wide in the hips and thick in the tail, which suits her perfectly. He even took the time to give her a proper orca dorsal fin and a set of tail flukes that would do ANY orca proud. In the portrait she is looking over her shoulder, and in her blue eyes you can see both the familiar and the alien. She's a whale-otter through and through, and Ukabor knocks it out of the park first time out.

October 19, 2025 at 2:48 PM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

This has to be one of my favorite of the series, bar none. The farewell, when the Halavahdon prepare to send Nimona back to her realm. The cubs, though, have their own good-bye to give, and it's salve on a millenia-old wound.

And the Halavahdon learned something from the experience.

The farewell assembly for Nimona. She's getting a grand sendoff: mel-Lothann on the left looking like a proud father, mar-Tykoni, Grand Matriarch, giving her a proper sendoff and telling her she is always welcome. But it's the cubs that leave the real impression. These cubs aren't pointing pointy things at her and calling her a monster. They're giving her cub-kisses, and hoping she returns! She's fun to be around!

Nimona, in her Halavahdon form, could not be happier. Finally: She showed her prowess as a warrior in protecting the cubs and got a proper thank you for it. She'd probably hate hearing it, but she'd make a damn good knight.

October 14, 2025 at 2:41 AM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

Let's step back into the past a few steps. Before they let ANYONE near their kids, Kytana, who is a powerful psychic, gives Nimona an interview. It nearly goes disastrously wrong, but Ky knows a hurt kid when she sees one no matter how ancient they are.

She has had enough of her own.

Kytana the Leviaphin giving Nimona in Halavahdon form a telepathic interview:

Kytana: You have a monster in you...
Nimona: DON'T CALL ME A MON--
Kytana: Calm, Ancient One. I would never do that. The monster inside you was put there by countless centuries of unjust treatmemt. That would have damaged anyone.
Nimona: Then how do I control this... thing?
Kytana: You already started. You have a very dear podmate in your friend Ballister. We welcome you as long as you will wish to stay, but you must return to your friend afterward. He is what you need to heal.

Kytana is grandmother to a number of grandcalves. She knows a few things about mothering.

October 9, 2025 at 2:35 PM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

The ultimate honor for a newly minted Warrior: To be "knighted" by mar-Tykoni herself, Benefactor Pod chief and the most important Matriarch on the planet.

Once a Warrior, forever a Warrior, no matter where her travels take her and what form she is in. She earned this. And now she has two homes.

An induction ceremony on Halavahworld. On the left is mar-Tykoni, the Grand Matriarch of the Halavahdon, telling Nimona she has achieved the rank of Benefactor Warrior and giving her a Warrior Crystal. She is bowing her head to the ancient shapeshifter, out of respect. In the center is mel-Lothann, watching this like a proud father. And to the right is an absolutely delighted Nimona in Halavahdon form, admiring her new crystal necklace. She's gone from being accepted nowhere to having two families. And wherever she goes, she will always carry this badge of honor with her.

October 2, 2025 at 2:40 PM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

Part 4 (final) of Nimona vs. Longjaw. The Longjaw finally gets the point and swims for his life. That smirk of Nimona's could be seen a mile away. And as for Chief Lothann? He's impressed. It's *hard* to impress him. Atta girl, Nimona. That's a creche full of cubs safe.

Nimona in her pink whale form on the left, a smug look on her face as the Longjaw flees for their life with an "AAAAAAAA!" All Chief Lothann, in the background, can say is "...Creative. Good job, fel-Nimona." Complements do not come easy to the scarred old Warrior, but she EARNED that one.

September 28, 2025 at 10:44 PM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

Part 3 of Nimona vs. Longjaw. You are being confronted by a giant pink whale. What would you expect the vector of attack to be? If you guessed, "Breathe fire underwater at opponent" congrats. You know Nimona better than she knows herself.

Nobody tell Todd (from the movie). His brain would melt.

Nimona, as a giant pink whale, breathing fire on the enemy Longjaw to the right (A Longjaw is a cross between a mosasaur and a basilosaur). Yes, breathing fire. Underwater. In the background is mel-Lothann, chief of the Benefactors' Warrior Pod, doing a double-take at this. He may have seen it all, but NOBODY expects Nimona.

September 28, 2025 at 10:37 PM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

A little more context to the series:

-How did Nimona get to Halavahworld? Like everyone else, an Explorer Pod member (Sylia?) brought her back.
-Was she kidnapped? HELL NO. You think anyone could force NIMONA to go anywhere she didn't want to go?
-Why'd she leave Ballister? Vacation.

September 25, 2025 at 5:08 PM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

"This is the part where you RUN."

I'd take her advice, young Longjaw. This isn't any ordinary Halavahdon warrior, and your day is about to get thoroughly ruined.

Art is by @theabbeyroadie.bsky.social, who's doing a smash-up job with this Nimona/Halavahdon crossover.

Let's break stuff.

Confrontation! Nimona on the left in a hugely upsized whale form - she's the size of Monstro! - going nose to nose with the young Longjaw, a cross between a mosasaur and a basilosaur. The warm-blooded reptile, a young one, is looking more than a little nervous about this sudden stranger up in his grill.

He's going to be a lot more nervous before Nimona gets through with him.

September 25, 2025 at 2:42 PM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

The story continues! A wide patrol scout swims up and issues a quick burst of Halavahdon, answered by mel-Lothann. Here's Nimona's chance to prove just how much she can whack tailflukes. Protect the cubs!

Art is by @theabbeyroadie.bsky.social, who loves drawing these gigantic whotters!

Three character sketch from @Theabbeyroadie.bsky.com. On the left is a wide patrol scout, the first line of defense for a Halavahdon creche. He reports a Longjaw, a deadly predator, very close to the creche in native Halavahdon. mel-Lothann, in the middle, acknowledges, then translates for Nimona. He offers to send the new warrior in to test her "metal." On the right, Nimona, still a shark from playing with the cubs, is all over it.

September 25, 2025 at 2:38 PM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

Unlike most Warrior Halavahdon, Nimona loves kids, and here she is helping train a couple. One's trying to swim the "human" way - with arms and legs. It's not very effective. The other cub is swimming like a Halavahdon, undulating her body, legs, and tail together like a dolphin. And they can MOTOR.

A picture of Nimona in her (feral) shark form with two Halavahcubs chasing her in a hunting exercise. One is being left hopelessly behind because he doesn't know how to swim right yet, but his podsister is right on Nimona's tail and about to pounce. She's telling them both, "First one to catch me gets to put their head in my mouth!" and the cubs both think this is "Metal!" And these cubs won't be pointing spears at her and calling her a monster. They think she's awesome. A short adventure - and acceptance - for Nimona but a lifetime of good memories for these cubs.

No monsters here. Just kids, no matter their age, having fun.

September 18, 2025 at 5:19 PM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

(1/4) Just as a sort of PSA, what exactly *are* these strange Halavahdon creatures?

They were originally a creation of @kencougr.bsky.social-in 1992. He made a single picture of one, included here, and no more. But they captured my imagination because it was the first example of a harmless macro...

Original Halavadon image by Ken Cougar, showing a macro otter in orca-like countershading simply leaning over a cliff, watching Tinies drive by on a road nearby. The title, "Sightseeing" suggests this giant otter was there just out of curiosity, and that, in turn, eventually spawned the story of the Explorer Pod, Sylia, and the entire Halavahworld.

September 15, 2025 at 9:23 PM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

Simpler than the last one, this is Sylia visiting her creche, singing the comforting song "Look Through My Eyes" from Brother Bear. She's letting the cubs know... there are whole other worlds out there!

Art by the marvelous @theabbeyroadie.bsky.social. Go give her some business!

"So don't run / Don't hide / It will be alright / You'll see / Trust me I'll be there / Watching over you..." Sylia the Halahvahdon, half-whale, half-otter, singing a familiar Tiny song to the cubs under her care, letting them know what amazing things lie outside their world if they, too, eventually join her in the Explorer Pod. It also is the very essence of Sylia herself. She may be four hundred feet tall, but she's not and never can be a monster. All she asks is that you... take a look through her eyes.

September 15, 2025 at 3:31 PM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

One of my favorite things to do with the Halavahdons and their stories is crossovers. It makes for some really interesting encounteres.

Here's one such such crossover, with Nimona taking a vacation from her normal home to hang out on Sanctuary. Being the person she is... she's quickly given a pod.

Crossover picture by TheAbbeyRoadie of mel-Lothann, head of one of the creche defense pods of his world, welcoming a most unusual guest to his pod - fel-Nimona, the anti-hero shapeshifter, taking a much needed vacation after the events of the story (and movie). She's a natural Warrior, and her shapeshifting abilities give her an extra edge.

And here, the cubs she saves will not point spears at her and call her a monster. On Sanctuary, she'll become known as she always deserved to be: A hero and a cub-defender. And her stories will echo through the pods for centuries to come.

September 15, 2025 at 2:59 PM

Reposted by The Black Lion

-Rain-

@vanillayote.bsky.social

-completely buries you in tail-

September 4, 2025 at 5:36 PM

The Black Lion

@blacklion2025.bsky.social

youtu.be/-1KfSNzblCc?...

A lot of very good points here. Yes. Listen to this, furry artists. This has been a huge problem for 45 years, but there's positive aspects to this video despite the clickbait title.