#i have Evolved into a more true form of myself | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

drdemonprince · 2 months

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I was never really certain about my transition in the way that most gatekeeping hormone prescribers and curious members of the public demand that a trans person be. I didn’t “always know” that I was not cisgender. I haven’t “always known” anything about myself. Very few truths about me have always remained true, my existence is too interpersonal, contextual, and ever-evolving for all of that. (So is most everyone else’s, I think). I don’t think that the fact I’d eventually choose to exercise my body autonomy at age 30 by taking hormones is a decision I could have foreseen when I was a child. All that I knew about being transgender when I was a kid was a fact that most children intuitively know: gender assignment was a violation of my freedom, of everyone’s freedom in fact, and it was wrong. As an infant and then a child and teenager, people kept imposing labels on me; they kept forcing me and my body into prescribed gendered boxes, and while the specific labels and boxes never really felt like the right ones, the most disturbing part about it all was the forcing. No coerced identity would have ever felt right. Children can tell when secrets are being kept from them, and when adults are restricting their choices. They notice that they and the other children are being lined up boy-girl, boy-girl, without ever being told what a girl or a boy even is. They can see their parents frowning when they reach for the doll with the shimmery hair, or climb atop the neighbor kid on the playground. Kids know that they are forbidden from sitting with their legs spread wide or flicking their wrist, and their gender illegibility is shamed in them, long before they get any answers about what gender means or where it comes from or why it’s so important that they make themselves easy to understand.

Like the cloned children in Never Let Me Go who grow up being conditioned for a life of forced organ donation, children in a cissexist society grow up conditioned to fall within certain gendered boundary lines, and by the time they learn that the reason for this is almost completely arbitrary, they can’t imagine any alternative. Not until some of them hear about gender transition and find the prospect very compelling, for some reason. You can say that reason is because some of us are inherently trans, but there’s absolutely nothing in the way of brain science, genetics research, or even sociological data to back that up. Besides, the search for a biological “reason” that people are transgender or queer runs counter to the goal of queer liberation in the long run. Science only needs to explain the existence of transgender people (or queer people more broadly) if our existence is in some way aberrant or a problem. If queerness is accepted as a form of human diversity that simply exists, then there is no need to excuse it by claiming that it is never a choice. It can be a choice, if a person wants to make it, and hopefully it satisfies them, but maybe it won’t. Freedom to choose means freedom to forever be dissatisfied, to search endlessly for more, and yes, to capable of making a mistake. I would say that viewing myself as transgender was a choice. I decided to break away from the straight, female categories to which I had been assigned, and doing so allowed me to view the legal and societal power structures that had restricted me more clearly. It helped me better understand myself. But that does not mean the actual act of breaking away was always the truest reflection of who I am. The version of me that transitioned was a person on the run — and how a person behaves, thinks, and self-conceives when they are fleeing is not a great reflection of whom they might be if they were safe. If we all lived in a world free from mandatory gender assignment, and where our bodies were not mined for meaning about the kinds of sex we liked, the clothing we should wear, the personality qualities we have, the roles we should play in society, and the connections we are allowed to form with others, who knows who each of us might be. But none of us get to live in that world, or ever gets completely free from the frameworks of heterosexuality and the gender binary. These frameworks shape every legal institution we encounter, every school we attend, every item of clothing we put on, every substance we take into our bodies, every piece of paperwork that ever gets printed about us, and every look another person ever gives us. And so we make due with rewriting and recombining those frameworks as best we can. It should come as no surprise that those us who break away from the binary have to experiment and revise how we understand ourselves quite a bit — sometimes getting things “wrong,” sometimes searching forever for the semblance of something “right.” Sometimes reveling in the “wrongness” of all the available options is kind of the point.

I wrote about my detransition, retransition, and the eternal dissatisfaction that is probably the corest truth of my identity. It's free to read or have narrated to you on my Substack.

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crazilust · 6 days

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Analyzing celebrities’ fashion according to their venus signs (pt.1)

I believe you can tell alot about someone just by looking at the clothes they've choose to wear. Let's analyze different celebrities' fashion and their venus sign (as well as the degree they're in) and give you some advice on how you can incorporate it in your own fashion style.

Aries venus

Audrey Hepburn

Even though we associate Aries venus with a very flamboyant style (and trust me, they can be and most of them are), I found important to put Audrey Hepburn as an example of someone who’s mastered the minimal, elegant fashion. Aries are very determinate and passionate individuals and once they have their eyes set on something, they’ll achieve it at all cost. I found it relevant in Hepburn’s style, because to me she achieved the quintessential minimalist fashion. She was able to balance being minimal while not being boring and basic, while staying true to herself. I think that’s one of the main strength of Aries venuses. They have to stay true to themselves, and when they do, they’re able to master their own fashion sense.

Also interesting to note that her venus is in a capricorn degree, which could also explain the more minimalist route.

Lady Gaga

On the other side of the spectrum, we’ve got Lady Gaga who also represents Aries venus perfectly. Her ability to tell a story with her clothes has become something we know and associate her for. Again, even if it’s completely different to Hepburn’s, you can still very much see Gaga’s need to be authentic to herself. Her style is a bit more tone down (see picture on the top right), but it’s still close to who she is as a person. It just evolved. Her willingness to be weird and over the top despite the constant misunderstanding of others and nagging, demands a lot of bravery and if that's not an Aries venus in a nutshell, I don't know what it is.

Her venus is in a Piscean degree (24), which could explain her intrinsic desire to use fashion as an art form and always push its boundaries.

Final take

If I were an Aries venus, I would take a long time reflecting on what I truly like, what type of person I am and how I want to be seen before buying anything. I would forget the trends and start investing in personal development in order to see how I could translate that into my clothes. Am I more a lowkey, mysterious kind of person? Flamboyant and over the top? The moment I’d be able to choose at least three words to describe me, I’d start building my closet around them and remind myself that I can go to extremes if I damn wanted to.

Taurus venus

Princess Diana

As a fellow Taurus venus, I’d be lying if I said that Princess Diana is not one of my main inspiration. To me, she represents perfectly what Taurus venus is all about. Simplicity, elegance and effortlessness. There’s a simplicity here, an ease that is very admirable from Princess Diana. It’s almost like she just threw this on but looks phenomenal as a result. It’s polished, but not forced at all and that’s where Taurus’ strength lies. Making it look easy. I also added her biker short outfit to represents Taurus’ need for comfort, but why not make it look cute? Also monochromatic looks to add that touch of put togetherness.

With her venus in 24 degrees (Pisces), we notice her tendency to break the mold and transcend beyond people's expectations. With today's eyes, it doesn't seem that groundbreaking, but at the time, and especially for a Royal, it was cra-zy (also the first one to be known for her fashion!)

Prince

What I wanted to focus on by putting Prince is his sensuality that I feel is overlooked alot when we talk about Taurus Venus. Or it's taken for granted almost. They have this little je-ne-sais-quoi that is so attractive and again, so effortless. Prince mastered this aspect so much and I find it very interesting. His clothes were a direct translation of how he felt about himself. Showing a little skin there, some see-through blouse here. Nothing extremely vulgar, but you get the message. I also wanted to put him there because whenever we think of Taurus venus celebrities, we always reference the most stereotypical ones like Ariana Grande and Lana del Rey. They most obviously embody the Venusian energy, but if you don't like this aesthetic, you can definitely be a little bit more out there just like Prince did.

With his venus in 7 degree, being a Libra degree, Prince was doubling down on his venusian energy, amping up the charm and sensuality while still being seen as charming.

Final take

What I would do (and should start to do actually) as a Taurus venus is focus on the quality of the clothes I put on my body, no matter the aesthetic or fashion choices. At the end of the day, Taurus look fabulous and effortlessly glam, but in order to enhance this trait, it's going to be important to invest in quality pieces in order to emanate this energy. I understand that not everybody wants to invest in clothes, but there's many ways you can do this without breaking the bank : thrift stores, depop, vinted (it might just take longer). Some signs can get away with cheap clothes, distressed clothing, but as Taurus venus, it definetely looks messy and not necessarily in a cute, grunge way lol.

Gemini venus

Margot Robbie

To my surprise, there's actually a lot of supermodels or sex icons/bombshells who possess a Gemini Venus. I say to my surprise, because I always see Geminis as kind of quirky, but it's true, they do embody the perfect balance of being hot but approachable (the twins archetype after all). It's like they can very well be the nerdy shy girl and the bombshell the next minute. I think you can actually see that in Margot Robbie's style where it's very Girl-Next-Door, but with an edge. The monochromatic pink look is to die for but switch the palette for a neutral look, platform for regular slippers and it's not as eye-catching. Without these two small details, you get a very basic look. I would've expected flamboyance, but from what I saw from these celebrities (ex: Kristen Bell, Sandra Bullock) is that they really embody the Model Off Duty vibes, where everything they put has a little edge to it while still appearing very approachable and mainstream. Which, when we think about it, is very reminiscent of Geminis.

Her Venus being in a Leo degree (8) could explain her tendency to want to be extra, lean more on the glamorous side and wear monochromatic colourful outfits

Megan Fox

Another route you could choose, as Megan Fox did, is to go push that Cool Girl fashion all the way and experiment fully with your closet, mixing and matching pieces with different textures and colours. Fox has always been known for her sex appeal and you can definitely see that in her fashion choices in the beginning of her career, but as of lately, she's been more avant-garde with her choices and honestly more fun. She definitely reminds me of the cool girls in my town walking around like they're just out of the fashion magazine, not giving a F about anything and you can't help but notice them.

Her venus is in 23 degrees, which is an Aquarius degree and could definitely explain her tendency to explore different styles and play with colours. Being very experimental.

Final take

What I would do if I were a Gemini Venus, is that I would learn my colours, my signature style and what goes best for my silhouette in order to put forward my best features. While this can be said for anyone, I think Gemini Venus is still very well thought out and in order to give that illusion of "I just got up", you're gonna have to know what makes you pop. As opposed to Taurus, for example, who can just rock an oversized hoodie and some boots and make it look elegant because that's what their energy gives off, Gemini is going to have to work a little bit harder. Experiment. Alot !

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That's it from me folks, I'll post part 2 containing Cancer, Leo and Virgo venus very soon :)

#astrology #astro community #astro notes #astrology observations #birth chart #astrology notes #astroblr #scorpio #pisces #taurus #taurus mc #aries #aries mc #gemini #gemini mc #full moon #astrology tumblr

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highpriestessarchives · 3 months

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Know Thyself: How This One Exercise Shaped My Writing

“Know Thyself” Interpretations

Heraclitus: “It belongs to all men to know themselves and think well.”

Charles H. Kahn: this fragment echoes a traditional belief that “know thyself" had an essentially similar meaning to the second Delphic maxim, “nothing too much;” both sayings might be considered alternative ways of describing the virtue of sophrosyne.

Heraclitus defines sophrosyne as the art of “perceiving things according to their nature,” apparently referring to the perception of objective, material facts. If so, and if self-knowledge is the same as sophrosyne, then, as Kahn writes, “the deepest structure of the self will be recognized as co-extensive with the universe in general … so true self-knowledge will coincide with knowledge of the cosmic order.”

A fragment from Ion of Chios provides the earliest explicit reference to the maxim. It reads: “This ‘know yourself’ is a saying not so big, but such a task Zeus alone of the gods understands.”

“The unexamined life is not worth living” -Socrates

Soliloquies of Augustine: The book has the form of an “inner dialogue" in which questions are posed, discussions take place and answers are provided, leading to self-knowledge. The first book begins with an inner dialogue which seeks to know a soul. In the second book it becomes clear that the soul Augustine wants to get to know is his own.

The Consolation of Philosophy: Boethius writes The Consolation of Philosophy as a conversation between himself and a female personification of philosophy, referred to as “Lady Philosophy.” Philosophy consoles Boethius by discussing the transitory nature of wealth, fame, and power (“no man can ever truly be secure until he has been forsaken by Fortune"), and the ultimate superiority of things of the mind, which she calls the “one true good.” She contends that happiness comes from within, and that virtue is all that one truly has because it is not imperiled by the vicissitudes of fortune.

Meditations: Marcus Aurelius likely didn’t intend for Meditations to be published, as the work centered around his own self-analysis and self-guidance. Aurelius advocates finding one's place in the universe and sees that everything came from nature, and so everything shall return to it in due time. Another strong theme is of maintaining focus and to be without distraction all the while maintaining strong ethical principles such as “Being a good man.”

...to think that all of these classic works are “regular” people figuring themselves out. I decided to do the same.

Writing My Own “Soliloquy”

I’d like to clarify that I, in no way shape or form, see myself as this great thinker or philosopher or anything like that. I recognize that this practice is but one way to understand myself, especially since I struggle with mental health and a lot of spiritual questions (but that’s another topic).

In choosing to write my own soliloquy, I am becoming my own Devil’s Advocate. Like Boethius, I’ve decided to structure my journaling as if I am arguing with someone. I will choose a topic that I am passionate about or that I am having my own crisis over, such as “Why do I not believe I am a good person?” or “Why do I prefer logic over emotion?” or even “What draws me to classical paintings?”

What I found is that anything and everything that I am attached to says something about me on a deeper level.

Here is where it gets a little tricky: in continuing to argue with myself, I’ve found that I get better at coming up with counter points. In other words, this self-analysis becomes more and more complex the more used to it you get. It’s almost like you’re playing some mind chess and this fictional opponent, who is also you, as they are but your own Devil’s Advocate, is also getting better and learning with you.

But, to me, that is what makes this “Know Thyself” maxim important. You are not meant to have a full-fledged answer. We are constantly evolving and changing, as will our knowledge of how we perceive ourselves and how we perceive the world in response to it.

How It Affects My Writing

To start with the obvious, the character development and creation changes so much when you get to know yourself. At least, for me, the world becomes less and less black and white (not that it ever was black and white to begin with). Because of that, my characters become more dimensional.

I am no longer afraid to write controversy. There is a... debate, for a lack of better words, on the media literacy rate nowadays. Because of this, I would fear that, just because I wrote about it, people would assume that I am in support of it; or, for example, just because there is a mainstream focus on one demographic, that nuances of that focus cannot be written about (again, another topic).

However, writing my soliloquies reminds me that my work is meant to be a message from myself to the audience first and entertainment second.

As artists, authors, creators, etc., there is a danger in losing ourselves to appease the masses. There is the question of whether we should create what we want or stick to what is trending, and I’m not immune to that spiral, either.

In knowing yourself, you become your #1 advocate. You know what your boundaries are, what your morals are, and what your values are. It gets harder to allow those who don’t do that same work to sway your pen.

Closing Words

Whatever form that takes, get to know yourself. For me, that’s journaling whenever I can as if I’m debating with someone. Grab a journal meant specifically for this exercise and go crazy! No one’s going to read it (unless you become someone like Marcus Aurelius and your own version of Meditations comes out. In which case... sorry?)

Never stop challenging the way you think, too. It can be uncomfortable and hard, but change always is. Perhaps you will stick to your ideals, and that’s okay, too! Do not live life on the easy path.

As always, these exercises are not a substitute for professional or medical help. I will always encourage those who need it to seek therapy, as I believe it is a great tool to use alongside this exercise, should one feel inclined to do so.

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slavghoul · 1 year

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Slav, do you ever just get the feeling that Ghost is getting turned into everything it shouldn’t be? I have always frowned on gatekeeping things and exposure is good for a band’s success etc but it’s putting me in the mind of all of the various things in the world that were ruined by too many tourists. Like national parks getting trampled or famous statues being discolored after everyone needed to touch it. You know? To be fair I’m a chronic overthinker but I can’t help but feel like I’m witnessing it (the fan side, not the music itself) being twisted into exactly what Tobias would hate.

This response came out VERY lengthy, I apologize in advance.

To answer your question shortly: yes, I do feel that way sometimes. However, I would be hesitant to involve TF in this discussion because I don't know him on a level that would allow me to gauge his true feelings on any particular matter. If I were to say "I hate it when Ghost fans [blah blah blah], because he would hate that!" it would only be an attempt to justify my own opinion about something, not a genuine concern for his feelings. Implicitly, I would also be shaming other fans and making them think that they are enjoying the band "the wrong way" when in reality, they simply enjoy it differently than me. That's unfair because I have no right to dictate how others should perceive Ghost. Everyone's experience with the band is unique and personal to them, and I have no authority to infringe upon that.

I think the sort of disillusionment that you describe is a common experience when you're a fan of virtually anything and it evolves. There's no solution for it. It just is what it is. The question is, to what extent is it a result of the band "being turned into something it shouldn't be" and how much of it is simply due to our own personal sense of nostalgia?

If you became a fan of the band several years ago, you'll likely always look back on those times through rose-tinted glasses. No other experience will ever compare to the emotions you felt back then, because they were formative and unique to that time in your life. You may continue to enjoy the band, but it's unlikely that anything will be able to replicate the same level of excitement and anticipation you felt when you were first introduced to them.

Of course, it's true the band has evolved and there's no denying that the community has undergone a significant shift over time. If you had seen them in concert a decade ago, the majority of the audience were people in their 20s and 30s. You had an odd kid here and there and the occasional, let's say, 'senior citizen' headbanging, but majority were young adults. It made for a very different dynamic which was also reflected in online spaces in terms of what was being discussed, how it was being discussed, and what the focus was on. These days, Ghost attracts a much wider age range with a significant portion of their current fans being on the younger side, pre-teens and teenagers. That's fantastic actually, I am very happy that is the case and I welcome them all. However, being 30-ish myself, I simply don't enjoy things in the same way they do and I don't focus on the same things they do.

It's very easy to become jaded when that's the case because you start to feel like you're no longer part of the target audience, and that can be disheartening. I make a conscious effort to prevent that from becoming an issue for me because I love Ghost dearly. At its core, it is still the same band I fell in love with. TF is doing exactly the same thing he has always done, but now on a larger scale, obviously. It's not being transformed into anything it hasn't been before. It's a bit more commercialized, sure, but that's not a crime.

Basically, it's up to us to decide how we want to engage with what is being offered. You need to find a way of consuming Ghost in a way that is comfortable to you or else you may get disenchanted very fast.

At the risk of sounding like a giant dick, I will admit that I intentionally stay away from the fandom and don't follow anyone because.. man, it's actually impossible to say this without sounding like a dick.. because I don't see eye to eye with majority of other fans and it taints my experience if I see too much of what others are saying or doing. To reiterate the point I made earlier, it doesn't mean that others are doing anything wrong and I'm doing it right; no, we are simply doing it differently. I made peace with the fact that I can't control how others act and that's completely fine. I live in my own little Ghost bubble, which, although solitary, is a tranquil place. I decide what I want to see and what I want to share, and who I want to talk to and about what. That's my way of remaining levelheaded and keeping the thoughts you describe at bay.

Apologies for crafting a whole ass high school essay on this fine Friday evening.. if you know me you know that I think and talk a fucking lot, hehe. I don't even know if anything of what I said makes sense, probably not. If you're still reading, thank you and sorry!

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twistedastrology · 17 days

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- Cancers at their worst -

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i just saw an ig post (no shade to the original poster) that said a cancer's dark side was everything they are stereotyped to be (extremely emotional/sensitive, are way too kind and always think people are judging them) and as a cancer that may be about to go neurotic again rn im gonna tell you from my personal experience what a cancer's dark side is actually like.

like i said though im going off of mostly just my experience so if this doesn't resonate, my bad- i did my best 🙏😔

to understand the nature of a cancer at their worst, you have to actually understand water and its potential volatility.

remember when i talked abt cancers and rage and how i said cancers are fire-coded (cardinal) water? keep that in mind for just abt this entire post.

fire is pure energy, and so is water, water just has more space to hold said energy- where fire burns out quickly, water doesn't dry out that fast at all especially if you have an ocean specifically.

people who say cancers (or really any water sign honestly-) are crybabies and switch moods every 5 seconds do not understand what water really is and this topic makes me a little livid sometimes because those are the same people that made me not like my rising sign for a long time.

to understand a cancers rock bottom, think about what water can do.

tsunamis can kill hundreds of thousands of people if they're big enough.

hurricanes, and sometimes tornadoes, form over water when the temperature is right.

the pressure at the bottom of the ocean can crush almost anything in an instant except for what has specifically evolved to live down there.

rain can lead to insane flooding (fellow floridians remember hurricane ian 2yrs ago 😕)

we have explored less of our ocean than the space around us, can you imagine what oceans on other planets would be like? especially the planets or moons that are almost Entirely water?

water represents emotion, yes, but when we boil that down to water signs being overly emotional, it doesn't make any sense and it makes some people, at least the ones that are like me, ashamed of their water placements because our society loves to say "emotion = bad." when obviously that is not true.

But if we wanna talk about the actual dark shit, aka my jupiter in scorpio's favorite shit, u gotta strap in.

Cancers feel more rage than anything.

i talked abt this specifically in my cancers and rage post, but it's true for this as well.

to use myself as the example, whenever i feel depressed or upset for some reason (like today), it's never just that sad feeling, it is always accompanied by a distinct anger because i get pissed that i feel like shit.

but if that rage doesn't get its way, or worse, gets too much of its way, i can succumb to a state of misery or, at my worst, neurosis, where multiple god awful things happen.

im not one to stay down for long, the last and first time i went neurotic, it only lasted for a week until i snapped out of it, but it was still very damaging.

cancers at their worst will feel an urge to self-destruct that may or may not be uncontrollable depending on other placements in the chart and of course how shitty they feel.

they will find something detrimental to do and if they genuinely can't, they will instead just mentally rip themselves open and daydream about what it would be like to just completely lose control and fall into a self-destructive spiral.

that's what happened to me when i went neurotic. one wrong decision and, having no access to anything that would take a toll on my physical body, i ripped myself to pieces in my head and almost fell in love with the act.

like gerard way said, there's something very romantic about it.

cancers can get moody, yes, but at this point they'll go mostly numb and tearing at their soul is the only thing they enjoy.

and then the pain will catch up to them.

once that pain catches up to them, two things will happen.

they will begin to realize what they've been doing and how pointless it is, and they will activate a duality within themselves of the desire to hurt and the need for pain relief.

they will tear at themselves even more, knowing they shouldn't be doing what they are, but it's a vicious cycle.

this will happen, and then the potential for redemption begins to boil over.

after being in the dark, blissfully hidden depths of their own mental ocean, they will realize they can't breathe anymore, and they will either suffocate themselves or snap their eyes open and swim up until they see the light they deprived themselves of for however long.

once they've made it to the surface, they gasp to catch their breath, their tears being of the need for pain relief winning against their desire to hurt.

now the water is not a personal vice, but a cleansing presence that makes them feel understood. the water gets it. the water would never judge them for what they did.

after being in the dark embrace of the depths of the ocean for so long, the light finally hitting your eyes makes color seem so much more vibrant.

- 🌙 -

all this to say that, at their worst, cancers can succumb to self destruction like no other, but they have the drive to keep them going to even them out.

they don't just cry all day or switch moods 24/7, they fall into a vat of water that, the deeper they go, reveals more and more of their very soul.

it's the deepest level of shadow work, it's the pain no one wants to go through because it's the pain of losing your personal momentum and then having to find it again in an instant before it's gone forever.

OR i could be totally wrong idk But this is my experience!!!! ✨💞💞✨💞✨💞✨💞✨ God belsls!!!!!!!!

my bad that was real dark and poetic writing now i gotta balance it out Uhhhmmmmm Legalize nuclear bombs. 💥

#astrology #astrologer #astro community #astro observations #zodiac #cancer zodiac #the moon #neptune #neptune astrology

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crazykuroneko · 2 months

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Rewind the Tape – IWTV S102

I'm catching up with @iwtvfanevents now with Episode 2. Repeating my FYI from before: this is my first time rewatching the show (excluding indirect watch through YouTube reactions), and it's purpose for me to refresh my mind and noticing things. So, I won't dwell on certain theories, but I'll take notes about it for myself.

Feel free to reply if you want to discuss. *crack knuckles* Let's go!

• Marius' painting. A clue that Rashid is Armand. But now, IF Justin Kirk is really Marius, it's also a clue that Marius also lives in that apartment building 💡Does that mean there's a real possibility of "Akasha is the groan" theory to be true? Or "sleeping Lestat is the groan"? Because no way these good writers features the groan without meaning even though the groan is indeed a phenomenon that happens to tall buildings. Saving this for later.

• "Is it only work or you (are his fuckboy basically)?" Your prejudice (and lowkey envy, maybe) is showing, Daniel

• "I apologize for my outburst earlier" You're just crying Louis. It's okay. Fuck this discipline life you're doing 😭

• Idc I headcanon Armand bought Louis that top because it looks so great for Ied Fitr. Like, I already have the visual in my head.

• The music turns out to be a diagetic music as well is so witty and memorable. Love that

• The farm. Hmmm. Saving that for later

• "Two vampires walked into the church". The error in this statement is interesting. Does he feel like it's inevitable the moment he walked into that church?

• Blood of the deceased will suck you into death. Okay, noted.

• That priest is still alive???? What?

• The spark shot is beautiful. Iirc, Alan said that's kinda tricky to achieve.

• I don't know, I just love this shot:

• "Are you hungry, Louis?" "Huh-huh" PLEASE HE IS SO CUTE AND PALM-SIZED

• That paw of a hand directing Louis' head. Icu

• Lestat still could talk to Louis telepathically here. Because he hasn't had his first meal?

• "Just to be clear, we're here to talk about tractors" 🏳️‍🌈🤔❓I mean, what this poor soul is assuming to begin with 😭

• Lestat's instruction being an innuendo for oral sex is so 😭. I love these writers

• "You're going to find that difficult". That's "after-the-fact scene" number 2. Yeah, I will call it that. It means that scene doesn't necessarily happen as a fact in the past because it's impossible for Louis to know (he's being super focused on his family, no way he heard that). But it's formed based on an information Louis learnt after the fact, which over the years eventually attached to the memory of that day. Memory does evolve that way; no intervention or intent needed for that to happen. The after the fact information this time is that it's indeed hard, and Lestat must have warned him (see: post almost killing nephew scene), so over the years it evolved to "oh Lestat must find it ridiculous I tried to go back to my family that first day". I LOVE that the writers are doing this. It means they're treating memory in the show as real memory; it's not static, it evolves over the years, formed based on a lot of influences etc etc.

• Love the burning special effects. That's a great way to show it off.

• I can't believe they had their first time with Louis smelling like milk and burnt 😂😭

• Daniel is SO desperate to put some distance and not sympathize with Louis. Though he kinda fails by the end of the episode thanks to Alice

• The fact they gave Lestat's preaching lines from the book to Louis (the having hand in divine plan bits) really tells you that Louis is posturing here. Idk I feel like he's trying to gauge how far Daniel could tolerate. And Daniel is indeed afraid, judging from his face and how he becomes more bitey.

• After-the-fact scene number 3, with Lestat staring as Louis' sex worker's breast. The after-the-fact information is obviously Lestat staring at Antoinette in the next episode which led to his affair. Of course, Louis would questioning when Lestat started to be unfaithful, when his eyes started straying; a very common question for people who are cheated. Is it really from the beginning? (Fenwick's arm hasn't healed yet since Paul's funeral; Google tells me it can take six weeks)

• "It's not cheating if it's with a woman" oh hey best cameo of the year lol

• Lestat's face when he explained about no telepathy is like he just had a war flashback

• I need more Florence vs Lestat cat fight seriously

• "Haven't heard a knock on my door. It's a half-mile both ways" SPEAK IT LOUDER LOUIS. Like, I understand you're grieving and blaming your son, but no call whatsoever from everyone for 3 months after your son just suddenly moved out?? Insanity. (But also not surprising seeing my own big family responding to silent treatment 💀) The homophobia jumps out as well. Paul is Louis' real tie to the family.

• Jacob's expressions during the racist lawyer scene muah

• "If you hide from me this long again, I'll hunt you down..." again, his family knows where he lives 🤷‍♀️

• Grace pointing out the "extra" cash and the fact he lives nicely in the Quarter now 👀👀

• "What can i do to make it up to you?" This whole scene shows Lestat's method in deescalating a situation. He obviously doesn't understand the point of the problem is yet he doesn't try to understand. Louis is giving him a silent treatment (which means he's my bestie, cos silent treatment is my flaw as well lol), but idk instead of showing a good intention by asking Louis to explain to him or something, he asks for a shortcut instead. He needs Louis to verbalize the solution for them. We're fast forwarding, but iirc this is similar approach he has with Antoinette as well. Here, Louis is still willing to verbalize the solution.

• The way Louis' neck moves when Lestat says "How can i stop you?" oh he loves being pampered

• Louis doesn't put "sir" after Tom's name when signing the purchase 😎✊

• The body double throws me out I'm so sorry 😭

• 1912-1917

• This whole thing with Benny feels like a thriller movie. Kudos for the director

• Of course he came to his family bringing money for Grace. It seems it's past bed time. Florence is in her bedroom.

• "It's still Lestat" There's passive aggressiveness into it idk. Like, she expects them to have broken up already

• The last victim in 2000. noting that down.

• Louis really wants Daniel to highlight he's different from the other girls. I mean, the other vampires.

• Daniel's face over the slurping 😭

• He put Benny on the floor so he wouldn't roll down from the sofa 🥺

• "If you love your family, spare them the pain" I believe Lestat is being genuine here. He basically goes I've been there done that, and look at me now it ended so badly.

• "I'm your family, Louis" 😭

• Then he basically makes a perfect summary of Louis aww

• "Maybe there's deaf, blind porter and kill when we get to the hotel." Louis, you're not so different from the other girls (vampires) 😭

• That long ass overture just for two tickets to the opera. Lestat, please.

• The whole "there was present a kind of worship on my part" 🤌 *insert that gif of pen on fire while writing*

• You can see the exact moment when it dawns on Lestat he has fucked up with bringing Louis to a racist opera house. God, what a loser (affectionately). It's never come into his mind how bad it would ruin Louis' mood. Like, he understands racism is bad as a concept, but he doesn't understand how it affects one's self. He thinks that would be a minor convenience to Louis that Louis could just brush off.

• Lestat 🤝 Me, accidentally become manipulative when we're in a pinch. (re: the loneliness speech)

• Louis is so down bad, unfortunately ❤️

• "And this woman sang for us, it seemed, articulating the difficult love we often had troubles exptessing ourselves" So beautiful.

• Misophonia girlies (gn) unite! I will always enjoy Lestat killing Ernesto I'm so sorry lol. Saw a reaction from someone who does classical music and they're ouching as well. So, GO FOR IT SON KILL HIM

• Lestat slowly killing Ernesto while Louis watching his memories to feel the "charge" of connecting to humanity. Oh, they are made for each other.

• The story with Alice, that she felt not good enough for him so she always died his eyebrow brown, but Daniel actually liked it when she didn't do it. Aww Daniel is trying to cheer him up.

• About the question for this week, does Louis really need to maintain the thread and why? Idk, i feel like Louis feels he needs to do it. Maybe to maintain some resemblance of humanity inside him, afraid it will go away over time. But to me, it doesn't really work.

Summary: Okay, if the first episode is about establishing Louis' internal conflicts, about the seduction/hunt and turning, this episode is about what Louis lost and not lost to vampirism. We also see the seed of Loustat's conflicts and how ineffective their method to solve them. And it's about vampirism, it's also the episode where we get the vampire lore the most. Of course over the months after season 1 aired I have kept several theories up about where the Dubai timeline is set based on the books. And the teasers of season 2 have debunked some of them. But this rewatch gives me another theory which I will keep to myself. All I can say though, instead on certain period of time of book canon, I think they're taking elements from different era of the books for Dubai. Can't wait to see the answer in S2 ❤️

#interview with the vampire #iwtv #vampterview #rewind the tape #moi.txt #louis de pointe du lac

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monsterfuckerconfessions · 9 months

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Mmmmmm,,,, my mind just keeps coming back to think about the imposters from among us. Some of the fandom's depictions of them are so incredibly scary + horrifying + hot, I just want to be wrecked by one or two. There are just so many thrilling possibilities. The idea of being trapped in a small(ish) space & knowing that there are dangerous alien creatures on board with me? That they could be anyone or anywhere? That I don't know who to trust or what they want? Sends the heart racing ~!! The myriad of way I've seen them represente? Full shapeshifters, able to assume a human form for infiltration but having a monstrous/alien true form. Being a creature that evolved to look similar to a human in a suit, that being their real outer appearance but their insides being anything but human? Just actual full blown aliens hiding in suits? So many yummy options, so many thoughts about strange alien genitals... All the different ways I could end up being fucked by them? Being oh so bored and lonely in space, deciding to bed one of my crewmates who turns out to be an alien? Could go a few ways, me telling them I don't mind at all (or how I even prefer this); them not giving me the choice to back out upon finding out; not knowing at first (them able to mimic a human) up until we've already gotten started. The idea of getting trapped by one, it intent on killing me off but begging and promising that I'll do anything they want if they just please don't? Mmm, them demanding to get to use my body as they please in exchange. Maybe having to make the same deal with their partner as well? Either at the same time or at a later date... The softer and sweeter thoughts of them maybe not actual being a threat. Yes, they snuck on board and are pretending to be human but just because some of their kind are violent doesn't mean they all are. Really getting to know them, befriending them and maybe even falling in love? Fully conscious of who and what they are, agreeing to fuck them. As friends, as partners. Just having a very good but also consensual and maybe even sweet or romantic time. Though admittedly, the fantasy I keep coming back to the most? The idea of being the last crewmate stuck on a ship with a pair of imposters. Willing to do whatever I have to in order to survive this ordeal. Bargaining for my life? Whether I'll ever see earth or other humans agin is another question entirely. Maybe, if on the trip back to their homeworld, I can prove myself? Maybe they'll keep me as their pretty little human pet. Belonging to the pair of them or if their community has... more of a tendency towards sharing... Well, I'd be fine with either option. I could keep going but I'll leave it here for now,,, my brain is overflowing with ideas though so I'll probably be back in future ~!! - Mimic

#monsterfucker confessions

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blackphanto · 5 months

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Does Hazbin have a deistic God?

Hi there! This is my first post on this platform and I would like to share a theory that I've had for quite a while now. I'm not a deistic myself, so if I got anything wrong feel free to correct me.

Now first and foremost, let me introduce you to the religion of deism: The belief in God based one reason rather than revelation, teachings or divine miracles. Deists believed that God created the universe and then left it so that it could evolve on its own. They were also convinced that the best form of worship was to do good for others, but the belief of an afterlife depends on person to person. Yet, they theoretically reject the belief in angels since they're seen as messengers for revelations. So in short; God is like a clockmaker analogy.

We don't know much about heaven, let alone God in the Hellaverse. Our first ever canon depiction of heaven was in Helluva Boss S1E4 and if you look closely in C.H.E.R.U.B.'s commercial, there's a poster which seems to be a quote from God.

This poster promotes the idea that God might be a muppet and that heaven encourages people to use each other for their own benefits. It also doesn't help proving my point, but I just wanted to bring our first ever mention of God up.

Now, in Hazbin Hotel we've seen a couple glances of heaven, mainly through the trading cards, but none of the promotion material we've got seems to acknowledge the presence of God. One could argue that "we haven't seen everything", though it is true that doesn't mean that we can't theorize?

The whole extermination, the function of C.H.E.R.U.B. all sounds so cruel that you can't possibly think that God ordered all of that? If Hell is overpopulated, then make heaven more approachable instead of causing a mass genocide in Hell and Sera, she is a seraph, right? Seraphim are angels who circulate the throne of God and praise him/her/them. Now, what if God isn't there anymore? Who will they praise or protect? And since they are the highest ranking angels, what if they simply took over of heaven.

Everything we've seen of Heaven so far promotes that idea that God isn't there and has abandoned EVERYTHING to let it evolve on its own, to let the denizens of Heaven take over and run it. And humanity and denizens of Hell are the ones paying the consequences of it.

#hazbin hotel #helluva boss #vivziepop #hazbin hotel season 1 #hazbin headcanons #hazbin theory #a24 #angels #seraphim #sera #extermination #cherub

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gefdreamsofthesea · 3 months

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Spot the lie: Shin Megami Tensei edition

Note: I'm including everything under the SMT label in English except the Persona games. No I don't care if they're technically part of another subseries in Japan. Also, these apply to the original releases. I know some have been updated but I haven't played them.

I especially want to hear from people who haven't played them because this feels too easy for a veteran.

Poll results are in and I'm very disappointed that only 3.7% of you got it right.

I will now reveal the correct answers:

1. TRUE - The first major boss in Devil Survivor, Beldr, can only be killed by mistletoe, a mistletoe-shaped cellphone strap is just as effective.

2. TRUE - Yggdrasil is sapient and steals time warping powers from the Disir. The protagonist has to go back in time to save themselves with the help of the Norns (who have evolved from the Disir who gave him the quest, you know like Pokemon)

3. TRUE - Dante made a guest appearance in the original release of SMT Nocturne. Later versions replaced him with Raidou Kuzunoha, the protagonist of two games in the Devil Summoner spinoff series

4. TRUE - It's ordinary literature, there's nothing wrong with it the citizens of the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado are just that brainwashed

5. TRUE - The entry is in Strange Journey. "Originally, he looked like an abominable snowman, but perhaps he changed form to more efficiently freeze people."

6. TRUE - The bondage angel design debuted in SMT 2. Here's a screenshot of SMT 1 showing its original design.

7. TRUE - A lot of people voted for this one but it's actually true. Cerberus' single head is a reference to the original novel the series is based on (Digital Devil Story). He is depicted with three heads in SMT: IMAGINE, Soul Hackers, and Digital Devil Saga.

8. TRUE - I did not know the origin of David's name myself so I looked it up. His design is possibly a reference to the poem Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saens.

9. FALSE (ish) - It's actually the reverse: Astaroth wishes to become the goddess Ishtar (technically to return to being Ishtar but in game terms Ishtar is treated as his "evolution"). He is usually required in order to fuse her. In some games, the two don't appear to be connected at all.

10. TRUE - As the accuser, Satan is part of the Law alignment (and therefore on YHVH's side) against Lucifer, who (usually) represents the Chaos alignment. His role in SMT IV Apocalypse is more complicated.

Anyways good job everyone. Everyone gets a cookie.

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dionysianfreak · 1 year

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hi!! i can't get this off my mind - love hear your thoughts!

I don't understand and still need to answer for myself: I generally see us modern polytheists pray for and attribute good outcomes to gods' interference/support (eg. good garden yield, long-needed rain, creative or shadow work breakthroughs) and refuse to attribute gods' interference when "bad things" happen (eg. dead plants, natural disasters) because it would be unscientific to do so.

Obviously "gods" is no longer adequate scientific reasoning for the weather forecast. Godly things can happen, but most of the time the reasons are mundane.

So how can we pray for rain from Zeus, get rain, and attribute this to his generosity, when you can't "blame" Poseidon for an earthquake or tsunami that strikes your home?

hello love. I've touched on this a few times on my pages over time. the post that sticks out the most to me is this one. this answer is also going to be extremely leaning on personal opinion/upg so keep that in mind.

i personally do attribute negative things to the Theoi, that has always been a very central idea for my practice. i definitely wouldn't deem this "unscientific", I would argue that it's unscientific to only attribute positive qualities.

my reasoning is that our concepts of good/bad, positive/negative, helpful/damaging, etc tend to be human-centric. we define things as good based on how they effect humans, not how they effect the earth or any other species. one could argue that, in some aspect, earthquakes are positive because they are a product of the earth's movement and constant change. the opposite is also true, the rains that help our crops grow could be very catastrophic if I was a butterfly without shelter.

so, my answer is people will focus on good qualities and reject the bad because they push their mortal, human morals onto the natural workings of the earth. our planet was not made specifically for us, it's a miracle that our species even evolved and gained the ability to conceptualize religion. the Theoi would have carried on had we not evolved, but we did, and that's the blessing of our existence.

it can be very eye-opening to begin praising the Gods for the bad things in life. it helps you realize that existence, especially with how vast and diverse it is, is not all about humanity. killing that part of your ego allows you to get infinitely closer to the Theoi because you are no longer rejecting parts of Them that don't benefit you. the true blessing is that we evolved to the point that we are able to form the connections and commune with the energetic side in the first place, not the gifts or benefits that may come with it.

especially because, in more cases than not, the bad is what clears the way for the good. your partner leaves you and you're shattered, but it allows you to follow your passion without someone pinning you down. you're kicked out of a job you worked hard at, but you avoid a disaster that occurs in that building. so then, what constitutes something being good and something being bad ?

you generally see people pray for good things because most people aren't inclined to share the worst parts of their lives. this is the internet, you're only seeing a very small part of someone's practice—the parts the choose to show you. behind the scenes, we all struggle, so remember that what you see here is but a small slice of our real lives and praxis. for the ancient people, the bad things certainly outweighed the good. in modern times we live very privileged lives compared to them, especially with modern medicine and widespread access to diverse foods and cultures. it makes sense that they would only wish to invoke the good qualities, the bad ones were already way too prevalent.

this answer is also swayed by my belief that the mundane is the most Godly. I believe the Theoi encompass all that They rule, and are present in every being and object under Their wing. it's an extremely animist-leaning perspective. I hope this can help you come to your own conclusions :)

#ask #talkingtocandles-follows #helpol #hellenic polytheism #greek gods #theoi #praxis #upg #personal #paganism #polytheism

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spotsupstuff · 1 year

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Ooh, super interested in what happened to your Sun and why he went from lying to himself to becoming an apathetic brick wall lol

well! Suns was always an apathetic brick wall. because of a design flaw. Moon has already talked about this in one of the questions we've answered:

the Iterator design evolved by the process of eliminating "redundant" things, with only their capability of figuring out the Great Problem taking priority. quite literal case of putting the evolution points into a singular specialization because of outside guidance

Gen 1s are chunky and tall as they are because they physically (with their puppets) interacted with the Ancients often- either because check ups and fixing things was often required since they were the experimental Generation OR for the sake of things like school/educational trips (citizens of Gen 3s would have road trips to Gen 1s rather than visiting their own iterators). and we end up with the lanky spiky Gen 3 design thanks to this process of elimination

the official jump from Gen 1 to Gen 2 was a BIG thing. different Gen happens when a LOT of things are eliminated to the point that the base design is more cumbersome and therefore it gets revamp to fit the systems better. the jump to Gen 2 wasn't.... the smoothest one

on a physical level everything had gone absolutely swimmingly. but some dumbfuck from the big designer/engineer/programmer team fucked up n accidentally removed the One thing that ensured the Iterators could experience emotions as fully and broadly as a normal organic. and so early Gen 2s have the reputation of being incredibly dull concerning emotional matters (some were a bit spared of this when someone from the construction team on-site noticed the flaw)

this was resolved within the same Generation and pretty quickly by reverse engineering the parts of Gen 1s that made them so capable of this. NSH specifically was very influencial in this research because, for some reason nobody could ever figure out, he was more emotion capable than most of Gen 1s (this fact got boosted cuz the reverse engineering then turned into Enhancing so they could see how far they could possibly take this. NSH does the Iterator equivalent of crying when watching movies Every Time GUARANTEED)

i already have this on hand, so here's Fish (early Gen 2) and Euros (mid Gen 2) for comparison

poor bastard Seven Red Suns drew the shortest stick possible with this design flaw n has absolutely Minimal emotional understanding and capability

the Terrible thing about this is that they are Aware of this flaw of theirs and what little spark of emotion they can surrect within themselves they dedicate to either mourning or hating it. that's the subject of their depressive "pondering" in this pic

they are *trying* so hard to have emotions and feelings. they often force fake ones into their voice and it's painfully apparent cuz they always put their all into it, no subtlety about it

the pain there is faked. they know what sounding pained means to other people, so they force their voice into such form to show to Spears that they didn't mean to be so blind to its capabilities of being a feeling, comprehending creature

their ruse of charm was put in place to make themselves... well, maybe not Feel exactly but you know what i mean- to seem better, i guess. so the other Iterators would love them, so the children wouldn't be so scared of their apparent coldness, so they wouldn't hurt anyone around them because harming people will make them go away and Suns doesn't want to be lonely and Needs other people if he wants to solve the Great Problem. more heads more smarts. "look at me, i'm alright! i feel alright! i am Well! i am happy!" and if i say that to myself enough it will Have to become true

like all Gen 1 n Gen 2 Iterators could tell they were bullshitting, though. they appreciated the effort though so most of the group accepted Suns either way. Gen 3s did not recognize it so much- that's how Pebbles ended up as their mentee rather than Moon's (as he was honestly set up to be, which just made him Not Want To take Moon on as his mentor) or some other Gen 1's (Gen 3s often search for mentors cuz there's a lot of things to catch up on in the research at this point- they often go for Gen 1s cuz naturally they have the most knowledge at hand. Innocence, for example, is Nish's mentee!!! she's his shitty little student, he wants to bonk her So much for bein disrespectful to everyone and he loves her with his entire fuckin being. his lil fucklet...)

this ruse starts to slowly slip past Suns' fingers some years after the Ancients' mass ascension. the longer the searching for solution drags on the more Iterators start giving up, becoming desperate, negative, ...insane... Suns gets affected by both the time and everyone else around them. the ruse doesn't MATTER anymore, because everyone is damaged in SOME way at some point. everyone is a little or a lot broken, what is so bad about their flaws at This point- nobody gives a shit and they sure as fuck don't have the emotional power to give a singular fuck in the first place so why not... just let go of that if it isn't so required anymore...

and so they become an apathetic brick wall openly to the whole world, "shedding" their lies, prioritizing logic and goal chasing over others' feelings and importance of the present

that's how we got here in my take on RW

Suns is fucked up, man

#Spot says stuff #rw #LIKE they still CARE they CAN care and they do which is why they still send out Spear to Pebs a second time but Yeah #they are not gentle. they dunno how to. unless they have assistance from someone else that guides them. they used to go to Nish with-#-this kind of stuff often but Nish became more unavailable for long chats about emotions the more everyone else started givin up #sweet heavens not to mention what Nish becomes like after Moon's collapse and Hunter's death/involuntary ascension #Spotverse Suns definition song is The Mind Electric by Chonny Jash 👍 thank u shkik #i really gotta update their design n the timeline to work with Suns' Hot Girl Summer arc 😔

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n3xii · 7 months

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30-day tarot spread challenge

today's spread is gonna be shadow work based since yesterday's reading suggested I needed to do more of this + dream work.

Day 2/30

Spread:

Reading:

card decks used: les vampires, tarot de la nuit

card one: anti hero | I chose my les vampires oracle deck to do this portion of the spread because I think decks like this are perfect for interpreting personas or archetypes. The card I got was anti-hero, ''maverick, risk taker, and rule breaker.'' I think this is accurate in some instances, to some people I think I do present myself as an antagonist in a comedic/unserious way. I present myself as someone who does not appreciate rules and institutions, and this had gotten me in arguments with family.

card two: ten of cups | ten of cups representing what I conceal or hide is very interesting because its true, i interpret the ten of cups as the family and the sentimental side of life. I've always been someone who doesnt like to be sentimental even in private at the risk of being seen as cheesy, I've always hated movies that are intentionally trying to make the audience cry, Ive always been hyper aware of how people try to invoke emotion, responding emotionally almost feels like im following a script. I cringe when certain people try to be vulnerable or sentimental especially with the intention of forcing a reaction from other people, rather than sharing something without any expectations afterwards. I've been this way since a kid, I do try to conceal being sentimental and emotional because I think I subconsciously want to avoid being someone who uses emotions to manipulate and get a reaction from others.

Card three, the hierophant | the card that represents my feminine self is the hierophant?? at first impressions, the hierophant is about societal norms, tradition, institutions, community, and essentially the archetype of a wise elder or professional. So with this in mind, I think this is possibly saying that the feminine aspect of me is traditional in a sense, shes a woman in the way society defines a woman. The card in the deck im using is depicted using a man, (like most decks) so I think this is saying that this feminine aspect of me is supplied by a male dominated society, shes defined by a very patriarchal view of what a woman should be. I do think this is true as I have written about trying to exile the male gaze from my own self-perception in my own journaling. going back to the first card where I portray myself as disobedient to norms and rules, I think it's important to point out how the actual feminine aspect of me is litterally the oppoiste of that. to some degree, the feminine traits in me are influence by societal norms and expectations, so although I'd like to think of myself as a rule breaker, i conform more than I'd like to admit.

card four: the three of pentacles | the three of pentacles representing the masculine in me makes me want to laugh for some reason. the three of pentacles on surface level is about teamwork, applying skills, planning, strategizing, inspiration, etc. So on first impressions, I wonder if my masculine traits present in a very practical way, perhaps when Im trying to help and work with other people or develop new skills? I think my masculine traits are positive but this makes me sad, because I wish my feminine traits also presented in a way that didn't contradict what I think I present to the world.

card five: death | death representing my whole self is kind of cunt. the culmination of all my traits and complexities is ultimately about transformation and rebirth. Death in this card deck is portrayed as a woman going to a festival to celebrate the dead, so alternately this represents celebration and gratitude, almost as if my whole self honors and celebrates the previous forms of me. my ''whole self'' is a graveyard of who I used to be, and a celebration of all the forms I've had to take to get here-, my whole self is ever evolving and honoring the past. I am a Scorpio rising and Venus so I think this accurately portrays my scorpion traits as well.

#tarot meanings #tarot readings #pac tarot #pick a card tarot #pac tarot reading #pac reading #pick a card #pick a card reading #astro notes #astro thoughts #tarot challenge #tarot cards #oracle cards #witch tips #witchcraft

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rimurufan18 · 8 months

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Chapter 8: Impact of the Orc Lord

New skills

Unique skill: Eye of the Ancients

Allows the user x100 thought acceleration, more efficient analyses of things around them, 360-degree vision, view of their hp % and magicule %, status effect durations, as well as detect spiritual energy and concealed presences.

Unique skill: Copy Machine

A more efficient copycat can take in more at a time and requires far fewer magicules to fill in the gaps for skills.

Part 1: Our First Felled Demon Lord

After consuming his former master, Geld began evolving into a Demon Lord Seed. He was on the verge of reaching a form that could potentially defeat me. However, my comrades and I were determined to stop his army from claiming more souls.

"You were on the cusp of greatness, but it's time to bring you down a peg.” I said, slashing at him with all my might. My blade grazed his arm, leaving a deep gash. I quickly drank a few drops of his blood, hoping to gain an advantage. But before I could react, a blade was aimed directly at my forehead. Time seemed to slow down, allowing me to dodge the attack by a hair's breadth. What just happened? I knew I had thought acceleration, but he appeared almost motionless. "Notice: Through the ingestion of the Demon Lord Seed, conditions have been met. The Unique skill Magic Eyes has combined with the Extra skill Sense Spiritual Energy to create the Unique skill Eye of the Ancients, and the Unique skill Copycat has combined with the Unique skill Starved to create the Unique skill Copy Machine. Obtained Demon Lord Seed." So that's the answer.

"Well... it seems we're both Demon Lord Seeds now. But you won't win," I declared, my voice filled with determination. I unleashed a barrage of attacks, rapidly cutting him up with decay and caustic flames to prevent his regeneration. The battlefield was engulfed in a chaotic dance of destruction.

Geld retaliated with a powerful swing of his blade, aiming for my head. Before I could react, it pierced my skull, but I managed to move just in time to avoid a fatal blow, but the force of the attack sent me crashing into the ground. Pain surged through my body as I struggled to regain my footing. My mimicked skull shattered, and I felt a true sense of terror like never before. The fear threatened to consume me, but I refused to let it overpower my will to survive.

With a surge of determination, I healed my shattered skull, nursing the throbbing headache. Shaky legs carried me back onto the battlefield, where I faced Geld once again. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I prepared to unleash my next attack. But before I could make a move, a searing pain shot through me. I finally understood this was reality, not some video game or anime, he wouldn't wait for me to recover. I fell to my knee, witnessing my now severed leg, and saw him preparing for a killing blow. I roll to the left, barely dodging his blade and grounding myself with thoughts of Rimuru, I regenerate my leg and get back into the fight.

Adrenaline coursing through my veins, my eyes start glowing as I activate my eye of ancients. I remember one move that I haven't tested in combat yet. I fire multiple corrosive bullets at the Orc Disaster, blowing holes all throughout his body, and like the abomination he is, he just regenerates. “What the hell even are you?!!” I shout as I realize that he is now staving off the corrosion and flames and regenerating through them.

The orc lord grins evilly and takes a bite of something in his hand. “You can call me what you want, but you are making me stronger.”

“Y-you didn't… You couldn't have.” I say as the horror unfolds, in his hand is my disembodied leg, and he's eating it like a snack. I go to chop off his head with my scythe but it's far too late, he grabs me out of the air and takes a bite out of my shoulder. I scream at the top of my lungs, the pain wracks my body as he rips off a piece of my flesh with his teeth. I try to escape his grasp but he puts rot on me. Slowly my consciousness fades as I succumb to the pain of my injuries. In one last ditch effort, I use thought communication. “ Rimuru!! Help me!! ” I say to Rimuru then see a blinding blue streak hurtling to me and the orc lord.

"ROBIN!" Rimuru's familiar voice echoed through the battlefield as he descended from the sky, his aura radiating power. He unleashed his predator skill on the orc lord, halting my imminent demise and absorbing the orc lord. The ground trembled beneath us as the battle reached its climax. I could feel as the Orc Lord became no more, his soul disappearing as Rimuru absorbs his body. Held tries to escape but he's too far gone and fades away as Rimuru consoles him in his dying moments.

I tried to speak, but the words eluded me aswas still in a state of shock, golden slime oozed from my shoulder and side where he took big bites out of me. The fear still lingered in my mind, but the pain was all I could focus on, urging me to give up, wanting me to lose all hope. But I clung to my will to survive, my determination to see another day, and my unwavering desire to be with Rimuru.

Rimuru gently scooped up my body as I remained frozen. I didn't know what to do. If I needed air to survive, I would have suffocated by now. Crushed by my own body giving up on me. However, Rimuru's voice became my ray of hope. "Let's celebrate this victory, so you better not die on me." Confidence resonated in his voice, but there was also a hint of worry.

His words grounded me, and I managed to speak. "It'll take more than that to take me down for good." I said, trying to convince myself as much as Rimuru. "Let's have a feast, with plenty of booze. I bet we can have Kaijin and the dwarves get some for us, if they haven't already started brewing it." I attempted to distract myself from the fear and pain with humor, though it brought little results.

"I'm sure I saw them drinking some once or twice.” he chuckles. “Let's do this!" Rimuru replied with determination in his voice. The battle may have been won, but the journey was far from over. Together, we would face whatever challenges lay ahead, united in our unwavering resolve.

Part 2: FINALLY

The scene unfolded in the heart of revelry, a magnificent feast set before them and spirits flowing freely. Laughter danced on the breeze, an infectious symphony that echoed the joy of the festivities. Even Rimuru, known for his composed demeanor, had succumbed to the allure of the drinks, much to the amusement of the crowd.

On the outskirts, the once-hostile orcs observed, their apprehension slowly giving way to a glimmer of hope. The banquet had brought together former enemies, now united by a shared optimism for a brighter future. The pain and fear of the battle, dulled greatly by the alcohol and comradery of the moment.

Carrying the lively atmosphere, I swayed my way over to Geld One's son, a mischievous grin playing on my lips. A friendly slap on his back, and I playfully suggested, "How about a name, buddy?" I chuckle as I don't give him a second to reply. "From now on, you're Geld, You admired your father, didn't you? Either way, it's a good name for you." I say having forgotten how dreadful the battle was, was it due to the alcohol or did I suppress it, I may never know, but right now I was happy.

Geld's eyes widened in surprise, gratitude warming his expression. "Lady Robin... I don't even know what to say. Does this mean my people have a chance?"

"Absolutely!" I exclaimed, fueled by the spirit of the moment. "Just swear your loyalty to Rimuru and me, and your people will find mercy."

Geld's voice trembled with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. "Yes, Lady Robin."

"Perfect!" I chirped, my enthusiasm unabated as I made my way back to Rimuru, who was now clearly under the influence. Giving him a playful pat on the back, I quipped, "How's it going, Rimuru?"

His response was a merry drawl, his words melting into each other. "Livin' the dream~ or somethin' like it~"

Raising an eyebrow, I couldn't help but tease, "And how much have you had to drink?"

"Only... two~" Rimuru replied, his words elongated with a playful slowness.

"Wow, lightweight!" I laughed, realizing he was in no condition to navigate his way home. "Looks like you're staying at my place tonight."

With a bit of effort, I hoisted Rimuru onto my back and set off, leading us to my house as Rimuru's house was locked and Rimuru was mysteriously asleep, however, my inebriated mind thought nothing of it. Gently settling him onto my bed, I intended to leave, but Rimuru's grip on my wrist changed the course of events.

He pulled me down, flipping our positions as he lay atop me. His voice carried a longing tone as he whispered, "Robin~ I've been waiting so long to say this... to tell you that I lo-"

Swiftly, I maneuvered, cutting him off and straddling him, and confessed my own emotions, unburdening myself of the feelings that had silently grown between us. "No~ It's my turn to speak~ I love you, Rimuru~ I've been feeling this way for a while~"

His blushing face reflected a mixture of emotions: surprise, hope, and a touch of disbelief. "Robin... you mean it?" he ventured, a note of hope threading through his words.

I respond by burying my face in his chest, I sought closeness, the exhaustion of the night finally catching up with me. Great sage let Rimuru sleep as well, silently approving of me and my love for Rimuru. The lightweight sleeps under me, as I lovingly hold him tightly, hoping and praying that when I wake up he is still here as I drift off to sleep.

Part 3: Time For Payback, After Rimuru of Course

As the morning sun bathed us in its gentle, golden light, I relished the warmth of Rimuru's body pressed against mine. Our hearts danced in perfect harmony, and the world beyond our embrace faded into obscurity, leaving just the two of us in this tender moment.

Resting on Rimuru's chest, I gracefully rose to meet his affectionate gaze. A warm smile adorned my face as I drew nearer. "Good morning, Rimuru," I whispered softly, leaning in closer.

Rimuru, now free from the haze of the previous night, blushed and stuttered, "G-good morning, Robin."

With a tender smile, I gently brushed a stray strand of hair from Rimuru's face and murmured, "Last night was truly beautiful, wasn't it?"

Rimuru's eyes glistened with affection as he nodded, his breath quickening with emotion. "It was, Robin," he admitted, his words slightly tangled. "B-but perhaps we should s-start our d-mmph?!"

I silenced him with a loving kiss, our lips meeting in a soft, lingering embrace that solidified the love that had blossomed between us. Smiling, I say “I agree, let's start our day~”

Rimuru is too flustered for words and just nods in response. We get ready for the day, wearing similar outfits. Rimuru wore his blue coat, white fluffy scarf, black pants, and blue fur lined boots, and I wore the darker colors of a black scarf, black coat, black pants, and black fur lined boots.

“Looking good, cutie~” I say to Rimuru.

“T-thank you, R-Robin.” Rimuru replies flustered.

Wait… we never officially stated what we are. “Hey Rimuru… Are we like… together now?”

He blushes and has to think for a moment before he finally replies. “Yes, we're… together.” he says softly, too embarrassed to speak loudly.

I wrap my arms around him in a loving embrace. “Thank you, my cutie~”

He makes a quite adorable squeak of fluster and pouts. “I'm not cute, I'm a really cool and strong dude.”

“That I can pick up like a little doll and play with.”

“Ok, maybe I'm a little cute… b-but you're cuter!” he retorts while blushing.

I laugh, “Thank you, now let's set off and start our day, I have a few people to talk to.” I say in a sinister tone.

Rimuru nods and we part ways for the day. I go out to first find Soui while Rimuru goes to name the orcs.

I find Soui and Benimaru conversing over some tea. I approach in a friendly manner so as to not raise suspicions of my anger at Soui. Why am I mad at Benimaru too though? I guess Rimuru does think him to be a hot guy, so that does make him competition in a way… eh, I'll beat him up too.

“Heya, how are my Kijen doing?” I ask in a comeraderous tone, belying my hatred of them.

“We’re doing great, lady Robin, how about you?” Benimaru replies in a chipper tone.

“Well, I'm doing perfect, Rimuru and I are a thing now, so isn't that neat?” I brag. “But I was thinking, since you've gotten your names, I haven't fought either of you, so how about a little friendly spar?” I suggest with mischief painted on my face.

“Oh… uh… lady Robin, are you sure? I mean, you must be a little hungover from last night, right? Also… congrats on the relationship… I guess.” Benimaru says nervously.

I grin evilly. “Absolutely sure.”

“Ok then, but if you lose, don't get mad.” Benimaru replies.

“Oh? You think I might lose?” I laugh. “No no, I'll fight you both two on one purely because I need a quick and easy win right now.”

The Pair’s eyes widen in shock and Benimaru attempts to ask, "What are you trying to-"

But his words are interrupted as I swiftly seize both Benimaru and Soui by their collars, dragging them towards the training grounds. Their protests are muffled, and their attempts to free themselves are futile. My laughter cuts through the tension. "By the way, the loser will have the 'pleasure' of indulging in Shion’s cooking for an entire week, so give it your all, boys~" I tease, a smirk playing on my lips.

The mere mention of Shion's cooking instills a deep-seated dread in the pair. As soon as I release them onto the field, they immediately assume their battle positions. Soui mutters, "With those stakes, winning is our only option."

"We'll overcome this. Give it everything, and together, we have a chance." Benimaru states, his voice steely with renewed determination.

A playful giggle escapes my lips. "Whatever helps you sleep at night." I retort, lowering my hood. The power of the Eye Of The Ancients activates, my irises radiating an intense blue. My scythe materializes in my hand. "I'm waiting." I taunt.

Benimaru draws his blade while Soui melds into the darkness. Relying on my heightened perception, I parry Benimaru's incoming strike with my scythe. Simultaneously, I swing the end of the shaft, catching Soui squarely on his face. The impact knocks him unconscious, and his body hurtles hundreds of feet, crashing into a distant tree. Seeing his comrade downed so easily, Benimaru's bravado falters. "Mercy?" he asks, hope slowly diminishing in his eyes.

I scoff, "Coward." Swiftly, I deliver a kick to his midriff, following it with a slashing motion that severs his sword arm.

Tossing him a healing potion, I remark, "Freshen up, you're a mess." Contemplating my actions, I concede, "Perhaps I did go a bit overboard. No need to suffer Shion’s dishes."

To my surprise, gratitude replaces the pain in their eyes. "We promise to train harder, Lady Robin. Next time, we'll present a true challenge!" Benimaru pledges, cradling his mended arm.

I raise an eyebrow, bemused. "Well, I look forward to it." Struggling to maintain my composure, I add, "For now, I have to check on Rimuru." Then walk to find Rimuru.

I find Rimuru engrossed in the task of naming the orcs, his expression a picture of boredom. To speed things up and perhaps to steal a few moments with him, I initiate another line, eager to assist my newfound love interest.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHo1yKt2wpw919BjCB4uVvxqv2rJZW31zc4vRv7TsLE188Lg/viewform

#rimuru x reader #fanfiction #rimuru tempest #tensei shitara slime datta ken #tensei slime #tensura #that time i got reincarnated as a slime #anime

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slavghoul · 2 years

Text

Interview from Rock Hard FR #232

The devil is in the details

You never hid it, Metallica had a big influence on your way of thinking about your career. Impera is your fifth album. It allowed you to play in very big venues, it saw you reach the first place of the US charts. Is it, in a way, your Black Album?

I don't think I can compare our career to Metallica. The band was, at the time, part of this huge mainstream rock wave that was the equivalent of what many rap bands are today. In 1991, Metallica was listened to by every high school student. Whereas, on our side, even if it's undeniable that we're doing well, it's always young people "on the fringe" who listen to us because our trajectory has always been more alternative than mainstream. But it's true that the pressure we felt when creating this fifth album is surely the same as the one Metallica experienced at the time, as well as Iron Maiden with Powerslave (1984). Metallica did have a huge impact on me, it influenced my way of thinking enormously, as did Maiden again, especially in terms of how to tour, how much work to put into our projects, how to behave... We've toured with both bands, and a lot of our strategies - even if it sounds a bit like we're a company - about how to create a good atmosphere for all the people who work with us on the road are very much influenced by the fact that we've opened for them and that they've treated us well.

It is not easy to manage such a success, to manage to prolong the ascension while reinventing oneself sufficiently. Metallica made the choice to drastically change its orientation on all levels, even if it meant taking a big risk. How do you approach this step, which is similar, for Ghost?

We're not at a point where we've accomplished everything yet, especially in terms of gigs, the places I want to play, and there are still a lot of new people to reach. Musically, I already have an album in mind that will contain things we haven't done yet. I also have a film project. But if I ever wanted to do something totally different, I would probably do it under a different name. I'm trying to make Ghost evolve into whatever form it can take, but I would never say to myself, "Okay, I'm going to give up the theatrical stuff, we're going to play in the clothes we wear every day". That's not cool, that's not what we're known for, and that's not what people want. Of course, you could argue that we've already disappointed fans of the first and second albums, who feel they didn't get what they wanted, but exploring new territories and evolving is a very difficult thing to define. Nevertheless, I think there are some key ingredients in the Ghost recipe that I can't subtract without causing serious consequences. If you think of Ghost as a dish in an Italian restaurant, the music is the olives and garlic, our visual attitude is the pasta base, you can't remove one of the two ingredients from such a dish without distorting it... I would add that the lyrics would be the cheese! (laughs) But if I had more time, I would love to play drums in a punk rock band in the future!

I'd like to talk more specifically about the universe and philosophy of the Ghost concept, which is a band that has always given the feeling of being black metal... but without the black metal music. The cover of Prequelle (2018), for example, or the lyrics of a track like "Majesty" are elements that one would easily imagine to find in a black metal band...

I come from the black and death metal scene. I built myself up with it, starting to listen to this music when I was in puberty. My whole adolescence was coloured by this extreme scene, although I grew up listening to a lot of different styles of music. It's clearly my home, where this sort of sub-culture or pop-culture that I like so much comes from. But I also got out of sync with the times pretty quickly: by 1995, I had already lost interest in new bands, being too busy listening to 1985 bands instead! (laughs) The bands I liked the most were still around though. Either because their careers were still going strong, or because they were reforming. In fact, the music that followed me all my life was the music my mother listened to when she was young: The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix. It was an echo of another era, the 60s and 70s, which I obviously never experienced. But metal being closer to me, it comes out in Ghost, even though a lot of our melodic elements come from something else. It's in the attitude and the lyrics that you find my black metal, death metal and punk influences. This nervousness, this biting side, the will to move mountains with words, in a very adolescent, aggressive approach...

Since the beginning of the band, some of your lyrics have been precisely anchored in religious references, sacred texts like the Bible. For example, Satan Prayer contains an ‘inverted’ version of the Nicene creed, and many other lyrics refer to very specific things that I imagine you have studied in detail...

Yes, I've always been interested in religion, especially when I started, as a teenager, to get interested in demons and the occult. That was the beginning of my first band. I started writing songs and spent a lot of time with a dictionary, trying to collect words, phrases, and that's what I still do with Ghost today. When you work with words, you have this desire to explore your inner self, linguistically, to refine your language. I'm bilingual, but I want to keep learning new words, new phrases, grammar, whether it's in English or Swedish. When I started writing lyrics, I wanted to do death metal, then black metal, and all the bands I listened to used these words and names inspired by biblical or semi-biblical texts, or expressions in "Latinized" English. I read books on religion, the Bible of course, but I also turned to films, anything I could find, at a time when, without the Internet, it was more difficult to find sources. I collected and gathered a lot of things!

There's another thing you've cultivated since the beginning, in parallel with these very satanic lyrics: it's your sense of humour, which allows for a rather explosive duality. So, when Ghost was still only on Myspace, you were already sending deadpan messages to the fans who contacted you. Like: “you'll burn in hell for eternity for being interested in Ghost... but you can still send us your questions!”

(Laughs) As far back as I can remember, I've always been like that! It sounds a bit silly when you say it like that, but the world loves to laugh. I've always been guided by humour, satire, even when I was playing with Repugnant. Even back then I had a bit of an ironic attitude, and I always added humorous elements to my work. I've always enjoyed both the joking and the very dark - at least on the surface - aspects of some bands. In the underground scene I know, with the exception of a few idiots who were completely dead inside, and who actually had huge mental problems, most of my friends were very funny guys, always guided by the joke and the humour. That's a very important thing to me. I can't imagine living without comedy, without the ability to laugh at almost anything. From my point of view, it's what allows us to deal with things that are supposed to make us cry. There are so many tragic and horrible events in the world, and you'll always find someone to say, "No, it's too soon to laugh about it". But for me, it's never too early. It's a very contemporary thing, to constantly question what we are allowed to laugh about, what we are allowed to say. But I really think that in the future we'll be able to start laughing at everything again, because that's how we get through things. No matter how negative or horrible the subject is, that's how we should live our lives: trying to entertain each other, allowing ourselves to have fun with almost - and I mean almost - everything.

As we said, despite this fun side, your lyrics are very serious. Nevertheless, in the eyes of some listeners, you may give the idea that all this is only a parody of Satanic codes, for fun. It is however difficult to imagine you making fun of Satanism when we know the strong links you had with the late Selim Lemouchi (The Devil's Blood) or that still unite you with Erik Danielsson (Watain), two figures who we know do not joke at all with the question...

(He cuts me off) But I don't make fun of Satanism! Not at all! That was never my intention (silence) I take the example of the book The Name Of The Rose, written by Umberto Eco. Anybody who reads this book can understand, especially in Europe, where many people grew up under a Catholic religious influence... Do you have any recollection of the Church being associated with anything comical or funny? Do you remember priests as comedians, who make you laugh and have a good time? No... Because the devil has always represented intellectualism, freedom of thought, comedy and satire, whereas Christianity has always represented the opposite: the repression of feelings and needs. For me, if you want to approach things from a satanic angle, I can't imagine a more satanic life than the one we propose! (laughs) We talk about freedom, intellectualism, laughter, not following the conformist path. There is sometimes an attitude among the people who form the underground scene that makes them confuse the totalitarian nature of the Church with its opposite. But what do you want? A totalitarian Christianity without the slightest hint of laughter or the other way? You decide... It's also a funny confusion when it comes to the symbols, rhetorical elements, references to the Bible and visual language we use, both in Ghost and in metal in general: we are all fascinated by the devil, power, all that stuff, but to my knowledge, not a single destructive empire in the history of mankind has been designated as Satanic... The number of murders perpetrated by Satanists can be counted on the fingers of a few hands, whereas the HUGE amount of people tortured, raped, killed, burned, stoned, dismembered, thrown like piles of rubbish in public places, for thousands of years, in the name of Christianity and other religions, is insurmountable. Who are those who do harm? (silence) Who are those who cannot take a joke? If you don't want to laugh and prefer to become an authoritarian person, determined to fuck people up, you should go and see a priest, it's the best thing to do...

A band like Black Sabbath had to make their non-Satanism clear early in their career because they couldn't stand to be misunderstood, both by believers and by Satanists themselves. Ghost is eminently more blasphemous than Black Sabbath, but you were never forced by events to speak out on the issue. The Telegraph newspaper recently ran the headline: "How Ghost became the acceptable face of Satanism".

I think it has a lot to do with the groundwork Black Sabbath laid fifty years ago. The first Satanic bands, like Black Widow, Coven or Black Sabbath - and I think even the Rolling Stones, although it's just a word in the title of a song (editor's note: Sympathy For The Devil /1968) - were confronted with the peculiarity of the late 60s. They were in their twenties, born in the 40s, and had taken a big leap into a new era, with all these new freedoms that their parents didn't have, who had been born in the 10s or 20s. And their parents were embarrassed by it all. The long hair alone was too much, not to mention the way they lived their sexuality and didn't care about anything. For their parents, these kids were ruining everything. Today, I dare say that our concerts probably bring together four generations of people. Those born in the 40s, others born in the 50s and 60s, then my generation, and finally the younger ones. All of these people have grown up with a pop-cultural Satan in one way or another, whether it's movies or rock music. It's not as provocative as it used to be, unless you're a puritan or a black metalhead who doesn't know how to smile and thinks that Ghost is joking with Satanism... I would like to point out something else in this regard: of course, Ghost never joked with Satan, not at all, but on the other hand, I'm not trying to embody the face of Satanism. My approach is different from that of Selim or Erik. I'm not trying to get people to take my... (fumbling for words)... whether I am a Satanist or not. At the end of the day, we're an entertainment group. I want to make people happy, but also inspire them. And while I'm doing that with my band, I take the opportunity to give the listeners an idea of what I think about things, how I feel about them. But let's say there is no... programme! (small laugh) I don't think that way. I want to do my bit to help make the world a better place, according to my vision, that of someone who grew up in the 80s with VHS of horror films. My childhood memories are of such a liberated cultural climate... We had almost no restrictions, and I combined that with my personal life, with an older brother and a very liberal mother. There was BB King in one room, the Dead Kennedys in the other, and me in the middle, playing on the table with my Star Wars figures. I believe in a very culturally liberated society, and I want to offer a kind of big buffet with all these things that made me. I think most people think like me. At least the ones I know, because there are of course people elsewhere in the world who seem to miss the great days of the KGB... I don't know what they miss most: perhaps the lack of food and the empty stalls? But it's natural to be nostalgic, to want to go back to a time when life was cool. I believe that, in the near future, the life we are talking about will be allowed to exist. We will be able to listen to rock'n'roll, eat whatever we want, kiss whoever we want as long as they agree to be kissed back, and that's regardless of gender. And the only thing I can do to move those mountains is music, making people dance and laugh. It's the only thing I've ever been interested in, and also the only thing I'm capable of doing. I can't do more, I can't do differently...

The children's choir at Hellfest singing "Come together for Lucifer’s son" is far more disturbing than any ritual with pig's blood and inverted crosses. Yet few people are shocked. Most find it fun. Ghost is thus a kind of joyful satanic expression!

I love the duality of this experience! I also have my moments where I turn into a poser doing the "invisible oranges" gesture [editor’s note: a gesture that consists of holding both hands in front of you as if you were holding oranges] when I hear something that sounds **EVIL** (laughs) I like this aggressive, dark side, because it is also a part of me. But I chose to present this part, at least with Ghost, in a more joyful, positive way, because I believe that the Force is a balance. You have to combine the light and the dark. Everything evolves in a circular way, and if you try to trick people into using only one or the other side, it doesn't work. I don't believe in that. Doing this kind of stuff is the most intuitive way to express myself and my feelings. For me, "Monstrance Clock" with children defines me exactly, in the strongest way: it's funny and solemn at the same time, in a sacred sense... It's my more childish side because I also want to believe in supernatural things. I really do!

Because you are not an atheist.

(Firmly) No! I am not! I believe in the Force! Of all the explanations that exist, George Lucas' is the best: we have to work with the Force, it needs to evolve, but you can use it in two different ways, positive or negative. With it, you can destroy as well as rebuild...

#the band ghost #tobias forge #interview

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raayllum · 11 months

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The fact that DPO didn’t show in their social media the “To love is simply know this” part of the poem and it’s revealed by Callum in the trailer while they show a scene with him and Rayla is such a move, they know what they are doing don’t they? I wonder how it will actually play in the show

So here's the thing - one of the traits attributed to the Ocean arcanum forever ago (hi like immediate post-s1 "which primal are you" quiz) cites that the Ocean arcanum is primarily about connection, i.e. "You value friendship, love, and family above all else in life" which isn't that dissimilar from Callum's canon Tales of Xadia bio, citing, "I value those close to me more than anyone or anything" which he's more than demonstrated before about Ezran and Rayla. This also falls in line with Viren's "I have always been ready to do anything to protect my family, however dangerous, however vile. In the name of love, you may perform acts so unforgiveable," Claudia's overall everything in regards to her family / her father, and Rayla's "Going to dark places and making hard choices is an act of love".

Furthermore (putting on my English major cap) let's look at the (presumably Tidebound) poem itself:

Do not ask how the ocean’s blue, Or why the tides their time do keep. To love is simply to know this… The tides are true as the ocean is deep.

So the first two lines mention the ocean and tides, making them the connective thread of the poem (i.e. 3/4 lines are about them), specifically to not ask questions regarding appearance and time. You could also extrapolate this further into not asking why people do what they do (how their behaviour appears/manifests) or keeping track of when people do things (love is patient, love is kind, and all that). Either way, it seems either 1) you don't always have to understand someone to love them or 2) to be more focused on the person you love than the physical world around you / to see the people you love in the physical world around you.

Then you have the, as you rightfully pointed out, online that's been omitted from the poem previously: "To love is simply to know this..."

Now love itself isn't simple - platonic, romantic, alterous, and familial forms of love are about as complicated as it can get. However, TDP has taken this stance before with love and knowing what you can understand about it:

To know something truly and deeply, you must know it with your head, hand, and heart. Mind, body, and spirit. I love you with all of myself, and I always will. (Sarai, 2x09)

Which is to say I think the entire final lines need to be analyzed together, stating:

To love is simply to know this: the tides are true as the ocean is deep.

Which means, to me, that to love someone truly and deeply, you must accept that there will be changing and tumultuous times (the tides are in a constant ebb and flow and always will be) but that if your love is deep enough, you can weather any of said changes.

While it undeniably applies to Claudia and Viren (hence them and their Rayllum "reaching motif" "darkness and water" parallel), the fact that it's Callum reading it out loud is meaningful, I think, particularly since this sort of epiphany and it manifesting in his arc would absolutely fit his and Rayla's evolving dynamic this season: still madly in love, still incredibly supportive, and working to find their way toward reconciliation and understanding.

His love for Rayla, and her love for him, have been a defining part of their characters for a while (basically every season since season two) and I don't expect that to change any time soon. Thus, they have to come around and figure out what they are, and reaffirm who they are to each other (a partner, a friend, a best friend, and possibly a romantic partner again) in order for either of them to fully start healing.

Because at the end of the day, all it really comes down to is if they love each other - and well, the answer will always be yes.

Ezran: You still love her, don't you? Callum: I don't even know if she's alive. Ezran: She's alive. And wherever she is, she loves you, too. [...] Ezran: Callum, Rayla, stop [arguing]. Don't you remember who you are?

#a narrative of love #tdp #tdp meta #the dragon prince #thanks for asking #anonymous #the english major strikes again #rayllum #s5 spoilers #tdp spoilers

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