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blackbird5154 · 27 days

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Fanfiction masterlist

Hey! I'm Blackbird, She/Her, and I'm a Ghost fic-writer and artist! I write texts in Russian and then translate them into English. If you are ready to use an automatic translator, here is my main account with all my works. For everyone else, I make this masterlist with my translations.

The Third Advent [ru] [en]

Summary: After Papa Emeritus III was deposed and killed by his fellow believers, he laid in a coffin for five years. But nothing in the world lasts forever, not even death. After returning from the dead, Papa intends to take revenge on everyone who betrayed him. It's time to check the common statement that revenge is sweet.

Tags: Gen, Action/Adventure, Revenge, Resurrection, Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Character Death, Mysticism, Friendship, Romance, Character Study, Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Majesty [ru] [en]

Summary: Just two words: a glove kink. If you don’t have it yet, now you will. Yes, THOSE gloves.

Tags: Papa Emeritus III x fem!Reader, Smut, 18+, priest kink, hand kink, glove kink, petting, foreplay

Pleasures of Hell [ru] [en]

Summary: Papa Emeritus has decided to give you a little lesson in arithmetic. It promises to be a long night.

Tags: Papa Emeritus III x fem!Reader, Smut, 18+, Heartbeat Kink, Cunnilingus, Petting, Oral Sex, Dirty Talk, Manual stimulation, Mention of sexual trauma

Hide and Seek [ru] [en]

Summary: Something about Terzo's irresponsible attitude to work meetings. The fic is dedicated to the kink "silent sex".

Tags: Papa Emeritus III x fem!Reader, PWP, smut, oral sex, silent sex, church sex, toe flirting, Papa is a little bit a dominant bitch but it won't be for long))

The stars go out at dawn [ru] [en]

Summary: This fic is written under the impression of the song by Spiritual Front 'Choose Death'. Please listen to it, it's just amazing.

Tags: Papa Emeritus III x Cirice, 18+, Angst, Loss, Farwell, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Love, Foreplay, Petting, Manual stimulation, Mention of Religion

Analytics

I also write analytical notes. It's important to me to not only fantasize, but to research the character!

Papa Emeritus III: The analysis of mythological references [ru] [en]

This analysis is based on the Prologue to Meliora written by Peter Bebergal. At first glance, this text may seem like a set of nonconnected paragraphs, as well as the music video "From the Pinnacle to the Pit" can be considered as a simple cutting of scenes from old movies. But together these two materials can shed light on the mythology of the Meliora Era and the story of Papa Emeritus III - his origin, background and motives. Let's try to understand how it happened that in the image of Papa combined three mythological characters: Prometheus, Icarus and Lucifer.

Some possible sources of inspiration for Meliora design [ru] [en]

It is known that when creating Meliora, Tobias Forge was inspired by the movie "Metropolis" and the art deco style of the 1920-30s. Here I want to share my findings of some borrowed elements in the third era.

Terzo: Observations and analysis

I noticed that there is a request in the community for a more serious look at Terzo. I decided to start posting my observations and some conclusions based on them.

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 6]

I am always interested to hear your feedback and love to debate. If you have something you'd like to say, please leave comments. It helps to keep writing!

#masterlist #papa emeritus iii #terzo #the band ghost #ghost #papa emeritus #papa emeritus 3 #papa emeritus lll #ghost fanart #ghost band #ghost bc #ghost fanfiction #terzo emeritus #terzo fanfiction #my fics #terzo x reader #papa emeritus iii x reader #ghost band fic #ghost fanfic

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knight-already · 1 year

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I refuse to believe nagini ripped out my man Severus’ throat.

she bit him and that was all.

Severus played dead or maybe passed out and then a faithful house elf of his came and doctored him up.

Bro I have a whole hidden life of Severus Tobias Snape in my head -- His house elf took him to his real home not spinsters end cause that’s not his home.

and he got treated and lived happily ever after --

No cause -- Voldemort seemed pretty regretful right?

Maybe?

He wouldn't just rip him apart like that maybe he would have just had him get one solid bite and let him die like that.

He didn’t know he betrayed him.

He though he was loyal --

Plus Snape's body wasn't with the other’s in the hall.

or even in the resurrection stone but some say its only ppl harry loved. But like fuck that ya’know?

My man is alive and well --

I made a post about this before and my point still stands

If he could trick:

Voldemort -- straight up hoodwinked

the staff

the students

fellow eartheaters and many more

Why couldn’t he trick us?

Severus is alive and well.

I should not have read his death scene cause now my heart hurts.

Knight.

#severus snape #Young Severus Snape #severus #pro severus snape #professor severus snape #Pro Snape #pro severus #professor snape #snape fandom #Snape deserved better #severus didn't die #snapedom

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iamthecomet · 4 months

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I have a theory and it might be WAY OFF but it makes sense to me and I need to share it with someone.

Okay so the only song that got brought back is Spawn of Pure Malevolence which is awesome I've listened to it SO MUCH since it was brought back and I'm so happy.

BUT I was listening to it just now and the opening line...

"If I had to guess they just resurrected him."

And who's been gone and they just brought a song back?

MARY GOORE

So what if Tobias' plan is to 'resurrect' Mary as Papa V

Again I could be way off and it could be me just hoping to get to see Mary one day but it makes sense to me.

🕸️

At this point, I wouldn't put anything past TF. At this point I feel like almost all of our theories are equally valid and possible. Is Copia the anti-christ? Maybe. Is Mary Goore going to be Papa V? Maybe? Is Terzo getting resurrected? Maybe. I'm both desperate for a new chapter (or just signs of life from Ghost at all). But also I love the anticipation and the wondering and all of the speculation. It's so fun to not have any idea what is going to happen next.

#comet comments #🕸️ anon #comet's anons

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gravehags · 1 month

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I just had like the worst(?) dream okay. Took a nap before i have to go to work and dreamt that it was easter and they revealed they resurrected secondo (that wasn't the bad part) and they also lied and said copia "retired to a farm upstate" but it showed footage of him slipping on a banana peel and falling down a bunch of stairs to his death and i woke up and stared at the ceiling like :I and i was just like "bitch (my brain) now i gotta go to work after that? The fuck"

I think the most disturbing part is that sounds exactly like the kind of deranged shit Tobias would come up with to kill off Copia please don’t put this evil energy into the world

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bihansthot · 2 years

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I want your take of Ermac please 👁👁

Like what do you think of them? Social life? Love interest? His background? Friendship? And maybe a possibly of meeting Noob Saibot/Bi-han??(lol) Just in general how do you see them? Give me a whole novel about them, I'm ready-

(Yes, I love Ermac way too much how can you tell-)

I don't know that I can write an entire novel about Ermac the way I can about Bi-Han, but I'll give it a shot.

So, Ermac, I've always enjoyed them as a kharacter, call me a basic ass slut if you want but I've always had a thing for the palette swap "ninjas" well except for that dick who killed my husband. I've never really played them a lot though, for no real reason other than I'm a Sub-Zero/Noob Saibot main, with the exception of UMK3 in which I mained Rain as I talked about in a prior post, but that doesn't mean I've never played Ermac, I just probably played them for their ending and that was it. I like them though! I think their design is really cool, particularly in the later games and I really like that they're so unique. Like they're a construct of souls, like how cool is that? It must be so exhausting being them though like there's no break from all the different opinions all the different souls must have.

I think their background is fascinating, I think most people know he started as a rumor way back in MK1 where in they left a macro code in the game titled "ERMACS", short for error macro, and the rumor spread throughout the kommunity of a secret unlockable warrior. The rumor continued to gain popularity in MK2 where there was a scrambled message in the game "Ermac does not exist" which fueled people's curiosity even further. They finally make their official debut in UMK3 and was designed by Papa Tobias, there's actually a lot of really interesting history about the kharacter and their creation over on their wiki page, this was kind of just a super condensed version for those who may not know the kharacter's origin.

youtube

Ermac's original Friendship in MK Trilogy is him levitating the opponent and then turning them into a rabbit, which leads me to believe Ermac might be into magic to some extent. Sadly we haven't gotten an updated game to see what their friendship might be now, but maybe it's something fun them using their telekinesis to fly the opponent around or something. As far as friendships are concerned ally wise its complicated, Ermac's entire existence was to be an enforcer for Shao Kahn, however they change alliances in Deception and becomes an ally to the "good guys" but later on in MKX they're loyal to Shao Kahn's successors, first Mileena and later Kotal. I like to personally think they are good friends with Reptile, both of them are the only one of their kind and could bond over the loneliness and solitude that comes with being the only one of their species/existence, they're both also extremely loyal. I can also see Ermac getting along with Erron Black, Ermac is a quiet being and Error appreciates the quiet. I'm sure there are others Ermac probably get along with, but honestly I haven't really put in a lot of thought into who gets along with whom in the MK world.

A meeting with Noob Saibot huh? I'm not exactly sure where a meeting between the two of them would take place? Perhaps if Ermac had been in MK11 the two would have been allies under Kronika? Honestly though I kind of see Noob viewing Ermac as an all you can eat buffet LOL since ya know Noob "enslaves and consumes souls". As long as their goals aligned though there's no reason for them not to be allies, the only real problem I can see is Kronika resurrects Shao Kahn, which means Ermac would probably be loyal to Shao Kahn in MK11, and Noob doesn't take orders from anyone let alone Shao Kahn, so they might butt heads over that.

I hope that covers things pretty well, I'm still pretty out of it from my migraine but felt guilty that I hadn't really done anything today, so I hope this is sufficient lovely. Overall I really do like Ermac though and would love to see them get more screen time in MK12 if it's not a weird prequel, though I suppose Ermac can still be in it even if it is a weird prequel after all they're an amalgamation of souls so they might be hundreds or thousands of years old. I think they're a really interesting kharacter with a really interesting history and deserve a bigger presence in the MK world.

#mortal kombat #mk ermac #ermac #noob saibot #sol answers #sol rambles about mortal kombat #mk #lore dump

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evergreenroads-creepypasta · 11 months

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Picrew: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1342558

(the Picrew itself doesn’t have any facial hair, so just imagine he has a stubble.)

Name: Tobias Rodgers

Infamous name: Ticci Toby

Current age: 36

Pronouns: He/him

Gender: Cis male

Nationality: Canadian

Sexual orientation: Panromantic, Asexual

Family Members: ####### Rodgers (Father, deceased), Annabella Rodgers (Mother, deceased), Lyra Rodgers (Older sister, ???), Matthias Rodgers (Grandfather, deceased), Evelyn Rodgers (Grandmother, alive), Melody Rodgers (Daughter, alive).

Description:

Tobias is a helper of a cryptid creature named Slenderman, he lives in a mansion deep in the woods in the United states. The mansion cannot be visible to just anyone, to enter the mansion, one must be invited by a current resident residing inside it or the owner of it itself. Tobias has short brown hair, pale grey-ish skin, freckles all over, a healing scar on his left cheek, brown eyes, and a height of 5′8. Tobias supposedly died to the public in a house fire, but he was resurrected by the cryptid creature himself, Slenderman. Ever since then, Tobias has been Slenderman’s assistant/helper. Him and a woman named Natalie had a child when he was 20, but had to give the child up to an orphanage for the child’s own safety. But 8 years later, Tobias won the child back after discovering the child was being abused by her current adoptive family, so now they both live in the mansion together. Natalie is not a current resident of the mansion anymore, and currently lives in an unknown location, they don’t speak to each other anymore. Tobias has a Sister named Lyra Rodgers who ‘died’ in a car crash they were both in, but her body has never been found, so Tobias is searching for her till this day.

#creepypasta #mansion #lore #character #ticcitoby #toby #lgbtq #redesign #slenderman #tobiasrodgers #character redesign #panromantic #asexual

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bubblewrapjunkie · 2 years

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a wild speculation, vol 2: some random thoughts about what the fuck could happen when papa emeritus iv is no more and why it could involve former papas but not like that

when papa iii got yanked off the stage that fateful day back in september of 2017, tobias sort of forever flipped the script on how succession in ghost works. we got a cardinal, we got fratricide, we got anointment, ghost dads - you name it. and while i do think that we might get a pope and maybe some changes within the clergy itself to boot, what that will look like is impossible to say (which i'm sure amuses tobbe immensely). however, some of the themes touched upon by tender father this press tour has got me thinking...

whenever people are like "bring back terzo!!!" i've always dismissed it, because tobias is not interested in going backwards - it's against his whole vision for ghost. the papas are there for one cycle and then they're gone. it creates nostalgia and urgency and keeps him on his toes and forces him to not grow comfortable but to keep moving and take risks.

but in virtually every interview he's done about impera, he's mentioned the cyclical nature of history. how things keep repeating, and our linear thinking prevents us from ever really changing anything because we think we're done with the past forever. we've moved forward, because how could we ever move backwards? people who made those mistakes in the past were less informed than we are, now at the pinnacle of civilization, in no way heading for the pit...

with that in mind, there could actually be a part for one or more of the former papas to play. we know that some sort of resurrection is certainly within the realm of possibility when it comes to ghost lore (see papa nihil x2), and perhaps this is what will cause copia's downfall. i'm still fairly convinced that we will never see a straight up "papa iii with new outfits and that's that" (if for nothing else, that mask seems to trigger tobe's claustrophobia too much), but what about a young and ambitious clergy member possessed by the ghost of a former papa?

imagine an overlooked but fiercely ambitious clergy member, who's highest dream is to become papa, but he is not of the bloodline, so why bother? it's impossible - better to be a player in the shadows. and then one day, copia gets the job, and his hope grows, because if that trike riding loser can get a chance, why shouldn't he? and then it's revealed that copia IS in fact of the bloodline and he sees it all slip away again. enter the ghost of papa iii. convincing the young one that only by fusing their forms, can he be papa. becoming a spiritual part of the bloodline, if you will. and besides, copia is doing a pisspoor job - he must be stopped. the young clergy man performs a ritual but they don't merge - papa iii simply takes complete hold of his body, and that's that. new face, new costumes, but the same papa. only a tad more vicious this time.

it's not as sexy as vampire terzo for sure, but it does mean that in the end, copia would get got by a junior clergy member who's not even registered as a threat in his book - cyclical.

#papa emeritus iii #papa emeritus iv #the band ghost

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senatushq · 2 years

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NAME. Aamir Sanghavi AGE & BIRTH DATE. 1,099 & February 12th, 928 AD GENDER & PRONOUNS. Male & He/Him SPECIES. Terror ( Drow ) OCCUPATION. Farmer FACE CLAIM. Raymond Ablack

BIOGRAPHY

The world became a foreign concept upon being born as a drow. Aamir Sanghavi, originally born Tobias, thought terrors were the ideal portrait of the world, stunned by the glamorous yet obscene nature of what occurs outside the walls of the Underdark upon his resurrection. The male’s interpretation of death is an act he grew up to mourn, morally regretful over the loss, but pleased at the mere idea of another drow entering the orbit where terrors rise. Opinions aside, he aimed to become a symbol of the goodness that can fill terrors, not the stereotypical bad, but will commit any acts of transgression if it prevents further spearheading on his beloved species.

From a young age, Aamir reaped the benefits of all drow alike; he acclaimed himself for his preservation, immortality, enhanced capabilities, and his weaponization of shadow magic. Whacked by the tiresome schedule of training, Aamir developed a liking towards the use of magic rather than combat, famously known for believing engaging in physical contact is the weakest weapon known to mankind when a man’s tongue can be one’s strongest suit. Thus, the melodic tune of casting magic attached to the hip of Aamir, becoming his lifelong companion as the centuries come.

The rigorously training Aamir partook in also resulted in an attraction to the soils of living matter, finding the substances of the abyss the most abundant life source. Nevertheless, proclaimed words led Aamir to know that to survive he must learn to play his position well and not question what’s expected of him; the organization molded him to become slightly more in tune with the little experience he yearned to touch outside of the Underdark. The more Aamir aged, the more he hungrily craved to inspect what occurs in the mortal world, abruptly preparing himself if the opportunity were to ever present itself.

It could be his natural inclination to the dead being the sole reason why Aamir gratifies towards all-natural substances. Becoming a product of the mortal world beginning the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty, this time period reflected the advancement of human intelligence, labor skills, and technical inventions. Combined with the rigorous work put into essentially rebuilding the life of a deceased eladrin through physical form, Aamir became determined in finding a balance between living among mortals versus immortals. The history of drows influenced him to do more than necessary to maintain their longevity, though the foreseeable future of terrors often was cloudy and public shunning swiftly became the norm. He preferred neutrality above all things for safety reasons — yes, terrors hold an eschewed role in the supernatural community, but because their presence is highly frowned upon, Aamir felt limited on what tenacious acts he can introduce without additional admonishment from others. Even so, he remained prideful in all that drows can accomplish now and in the foreseeable future.

Throughout the following centuries, Aamir traveled endlessly to connect spiritually to the cores of earth while masking his identity. He studied the likelihood of survival of eladrins; their coordinated moves, who they opted to socialize with, and the developing species of halfbloods. Aamir soon understood the connection that lies within his blood is active for a reason. Thus, he embarked on several journeys before landing in Rome. Much of his decisions were not motivated by famed stories of stereotypical corrupt familial ties or dying friendships, but to seek the deeper meaning of what it means to live. From the late Medieval period to Colonial times, Aamir’s adventitious decisions sprouted from the gray matter settling in the core of his mind.

Aamir lived with the duty to make the soulful become soulless. Painful his obligations of being a drow became, but his wit, wisdom, and characterization heightened the more he tapped into his influence on supernatural forces. For decades, Aamir found tranquility privately manipulating and animating his shadows yet publicly building a dynasty dedicated to agriculture. He’d harvest plants and cater to livestock, but maintained a mythical lifestyle, casually changing his whereabouts in Italy now and then out of fear of interacting with those capable of necromancy. Hypocritical some may think since he, too, can hypnotize and control illusions through energy. But they are two vastly different concepts, and for that reason, Aamir is mindful of who he discloses his form. He opts not to portray himself as darkness, though darkness is a companion that creeps out within the dullness of night.

To witness him in flesh is a rarity, preferring solitude over fraternizing on commons grounds. As the years pass, Aamir’s slowly adopting a changed tune, keenly realizing the existence of supernatural species in the early to mid centuries versus now is transitioning into a gambling cycle, and he looks forward to being the first to spectate the increased demise of others through sacrificial means.

PERSONALITY

+ diplomatic, understanding, educated. – reactive, domineering, self-indulgent.

PLAYED BY Rain. EST. She/Her.

#oc rp #myth rp #supernatural rp #original rp #skeleton rp

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tisthenightofthewitch · 2 years

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Ghost Predicted the Pandemic. Now the Metal Band Is Foretelling the Fall of Empires

Tobias Forge, the man behind the ghoulish Papa Emeritus, rails against bloated nations, empty leaders, and the glorification of stupidity on the new album ‘Impera’

When your day job requires you to dress up as a satanic pope, you’re going to have a complicated view of Christianity. But that doesn’t mean Tobias Forge, the creative mastermind behind the occult-rock band Ghost, can’t appreciate the religion’s artistic and cultural beauty.

“In the same way that I would not hang out with an alien from the film Alien, but I love the look of it? That’s my relationship with Christianity,” Forge tells Rolling Stone. “I’m a big fan of the arts treasures that are in there and it’s always had a great impact on me, even if I use it as a repellent.”

Since forming Ghost in his native Sweden in 2006, Forge has concocted an entire upside-down catechism that pokes devilish fun at the teachings and rituals of the Holy See. As Papa Emeritus, the dark frontman who takes a new form with each album, he performs in a miter and papal robes. Lyrics are rich in Christian allusions to transubstantiation and the resurrection. The band, who conceal their faces behind elaborate masks, have even distributed unholy communion to fans at their concerts. Were Tipper Gore to lay eyes upon Ghost back in the Eighties heyday of the PMRC, she’d turn into a pillar of salt.

But after the release of their 2010 debut album Opus Eponymous — a theatrical metal masterpiece about the coming of the Antichrist — something peculiar began to happen with Ghost: Forge dipped a cloven hoof into social and political commentary. Their 2018 album Prequelle told the prescient story of a plague that spreads not only disease across the world but contagious schools of thought. “This wretched mischief is now coursing through your souls,” Forge sang in the single “Rats.” On Friday, Ghost go a step further with the release of their fifth album, Impera, a sobering look at the fall of empires. If Prequelle inadvertently yet accurately presaged the Covid-19 pandemic, then Impera foretells an even more dire future.

Calling from a hotel in Ohio where Ghost are on tour with the Danish metal band Volbeat, Forge snickers when it’s suggested that the “plague record,” as he calls it, predicted 2019’s sweeping global health crisis.

“In hindsight, yeah. But everything in nature and time and our behaviors is very cyclical. It’s almost eerie how we’re basically repeating the 1900s again,” he says. “We have just gone through what would be an equal to Spanish flu in the beginning of 1918 and, currently, we are on the brink of what could become World War III.”

According to Forge, Impera isn’t about any specific empire, but rather the “concept of empires and their self-destruction mechanisms.” Still, it’s easy to pluck out lyrical references to a post-Trump United States, a country where civility and even the peaceful transfer of power are in danger of becoming relics. “We’ll be grabbing them all by the hoo-hahs!” Forge shouts in “Twenties,” a chugging Broadway thrash number that fantasizes a boom time of lawlessness, lust, and greed. In “Grift Wood,” he skewers the false piety of a power-hungry leader like Mike Pence. Lyrics about a “Mother” who “shine[s] like the sun and the moon” read like a jab at the one-term vice president and his pet name for his wife.

“Let’s just say that it can be about someone like him who is ready to serve his entire life’s work in pursuit of power, and then justify it by claiming some sort of a religious connection,” Forge says when asked directly about Pence. “He’s a great example of someone like that. Every basement he has reached, he miraculously finds a new one. It’s one of the most evil things I’ve ever seen — tricking people into believing that they’re on their side.”

Born and raised in Linkoping, Sweden, in 1981, Forge consumed a steady diet of American entertainment as a child — very little of it, he stresses, overdubbed in Swedish. “As part of the Cold War in the Fifties, because of our proximity to the Soviet Union at the time, there seemed to be a large influx of American culture. If you went to Sweden in the Fifties, there were American cars everywhere, jukeboxes, Elvis Presley, American films,” he says. “We watched the same TV shows that you did when we were kids in the Eighties: Sesame Street, Kermit the Frog, The Cosby Show, Dallas, Twin Peaks. I don’t find superlatives strong enough, but I’m an absolute devotee of Americana. It’s part of my DNA.”

American culture may be part of Forge’s makeup, but organized religion is not. He wasn’t raised under a specific faith, nor does he subscribe to any now. “I’m not against religion or faith systems,” he clarifies, but he can’t abide what he calls “linear religions” built on the idea of a beginning (birth), an end (death), and an afterlife where good behavior on earth will be rewarded. “The idea of linear religions has infested our ways of thinking and that’s really detrimental. They are obviously created by man to control others.”

After stints in death-metal, glam-rock, and power-pop bands, Forge fused elements of all three into Ghost. Along with the satanic trappings, however tongue-in-cheek they may be, the band was defined by its anonymity. The musicians — referred to as an indistinguishable Group of Nameless Ghouls — wore masks to hide their identity, and Forge fully transformed into the Papa Emeritus character, wearing his own series of highly detailed face coverings and makeup.

Since then Ghost have played festivals like Download and toured with Metallica (they covered “Enter Sandman” on last year’s Blacklist tribute album). Their concerts are euphoric spectacles of fire, smoke, and confetti, with Forge changing costumes regularly — out of Papa’s pope get-up and into sequined sportcoats. Onstage he shimmies like an old-time vaudeville star. It can be mesmerizing.

Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, who once administered wine and bread to fans at a Ghost show as one of the band’s “Sisters of Sin,” says the group’s commitment to performance makes them an important figure in the heavy-metal landscape.

“Beyond their brilliant art they create, they are bringing theater back to heavy music. Part of the appeal of Tobias and his band is their unapologetic use of humor and storyline,” Hale tells Rolling Stone in an email. “It’s only rock music; we need not take ourselves too seriously. Tobias’s vision attracts a wide spectrum of fans, and I’m inspired every time I see Ghost live.”

When Hale made her onstage cameo with Ghost in 2015, few knew the real identity of Papa Emeritus. For years, that anonymity provided fans with one of the most satisfying rock mysteries since Kiss took off their makeup. But following a legal dispute with former band members over royalties in 2017, Forge outed himself as the man beneath the miter.

“When I made Prequelle, my life was kind of shaky, but the world was ironically in a more steady place. Whereas making the new record, I was in a very good place personally, but the world was the opposite,” he says. “We now have mechanisms within our own Western empire who are actively trying to, and to some degree have, created this time machine where we’re regressing. We’re flattening the earth. We’re submitting to stupidity, which is fucking unbelievable.”

On Impera, Forge calls out the ongoing war on facts by retelling an ancient story. Explosive opening track “Kaisarion” is a tribute to the philosopher Hypatia, who was murdered by Christians in Alexandria, Egypt, during the early fifth century.

“They killed her because she was a woman exercising her rights as a human being to spread some sort of wisdom that is not in accordance with a bunch of angry men, who wishes to control females in particular and are burning and destroying things that does not belong to them,” Forge says with a dramatic pause. “Sounds like ancient times, doesn’t it?”

Or, some might say, modern-day Texas.

While Impera marks Forge’s most overt stab yet at social commentary, he maintains he’s simply writing heavy-metal fiction. He likes the refuge of Ghost’s remaining anonymity and its creative freedom — any similarity to divided modern-day empires is purely coincidental.

“At the end of the day, it’s an escapist rock & roll album,” he demurs. But one that even Papa Emeritus hopes doesn’t come true.

Rolling Stone

#Tobias Forge #Tobias Interview #The Band Ghost #Ghost Band #Ghost #Papa IV

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ssahotchdad · 2 years

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garcia: i don’t know if i like how everything changes with all these new agents

prentiss: if you want to, we can give them a run for their money

garcia: we can?

prentiss: come on, everything we’ve experienced? it should be enough to give an adult man a nightmare

prentiss: oh hey, reid – remember that tobias hankel case?

reid, having been briefed on the plan: oh, you mean the case where i was abducted, killed and resurrected, only to be left addicted to painkillers? yeah that was a crazy one

alvez: what now–

––––––––––––

garcia: wait – italian hitmen? that sounds familiar

jj: oh yeah, you were the target of an italian hitman once

simmons: ...

––––––––––––

prentiss, nudging hotch: how are the scars coming along?

hotch: uh ... well the collection hasn’t grown

callahan: scars?

prentiss: oh yeah, hotch here was stabbed 9 times, survived, and then a little later he kind of just beat a man to death

hotch, shrugging: man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do

callahan: ... excuse me for a moment while i go rethink my career choice

––––––––––––

prentiss: irish? yeah, no i avoid those

jj: it’s the doyle trauma isn’t it

prentiss: being stabbed and forced to fake your death does that to a person

lewis: wait what–

––––––––––––

reid: hey, prentiss, did you ever figure out how to exit that cult, by the way?

prentiss: oh shit no, what about you?

reid: no, i just got a newsletter and remembered all about it

rossi: kids, it’s just me in here

prentiss: ... i mean it was worth a try

rossi: i was there when you were in the cult

rossi: the only reason you’d still be in that cult, was because the leader was killed ... and one of you took over as their leader

prentiss: ...

reid: ...

rossi: please tell me that isn’t the case

––––––––––––

rossi: every day on the anniversary of my poisoning, i send morgan a text message apologizing for almost shooting him

jj: that’s ... sweet

alvez: ... almost shooting?

simmons: ... anniversary of your poisoning?

#i can totally see them do this #the og's just messing with the new kids #emily prentiss #jennifer jareau #spencer reid #aaron hotchner #david rossi #penelope garcia #luke alvez #matt simmons #tara lewis #kate callahan #the bau #derek morgan

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middlechildwhoescapedthebasement · 2 years

Text

SHIPS THAT ARE 'CANON' IN MY AU INCLUDING EXES (WHY IM USING THEM)

Basically the ships that I use for this AU. If you don't like any of these ships, thats completely fine, but NO ship wars! You respect my ships, I'll respect yours! Now on with the list!

The only actual Canon ship

CageBlade: This is the only Canon ship that I like in the series. I love their dynamic and how they get back together at the end because they realized how much they love each other. Their story's the same as the game in this AU, with some of the Legands movies sprinkled in!

The ships that I use for my AU

FireDance: Ah, my OTP! This ship consists of my oc Varian and our lovable wraith, Hanzo! Funnily enough, Varian was originally going to be with Bi-Han before he died and then ultimately end up with Kotal. But after fully finishing her backstory, I decided that she was better suited for Hanzo. I feel like they balance each other out very well in every aspect. Sigh, they just make me so happy! I also just want Hanzo to be happy since NRS is apparently allergic to that.

LiuLao: OK BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER I WANT TO MAKE THIS CLEAR- Liu Kang and Kung Lao are NOT related! Tobias HIMSELF had to step in and make it clear that it was an error on the movie's part! They never have been and never will be blood related! OK, on with the ship: I FRICKIN LOVE THESE TWO! They were my first ever mk ship! I just love their dynamic and how their meant to be foils to each other! I'm so weak for the childhood friends trope. Everything about them is *chefs kiss*. Also in my AU, they don't die stupid deaths and become evil for the sake of shock value. They instead stay alive and raise Jin together so he can be happy, healthy, and ACCEPTED!

Jatana: Man, am I predictable or what? XD I ship these two for a lot of the same reasons I ship LiuLao. They have such amazing chemistry with each other, I love every scene the have together. THE WAY JADE IS SO PROTECTIVE OF KITANA IS JUST SO IMMACULATE! I'm weak for lesbian warriors protecting their lesbian princesses. It's the good food right there. They die but get resurrected and rule Outworld together as Queens.

ArticGem: So this ship is between Kuai Liang and an oc that I haven't introduced yet: Ruby. I came up with this ship because while I do ship SubScorp, I hc both Kuai and Hanzo as bi and I wanted to try shipping Kuai with a woman for once. Ruby was an already made oc (with full backstory and design) that I was gonna have be on her own, but I wanted her to be my guinea pig for my shipping experiment. It wasn't meant to be permanent but here we are. I'll explain their relationship more when I have Ruby's outline done.

StryBal: I absolutely love the idea of a New York City cop dating a Black Dragon member. Know what I love more? Stryker being a backstabbing bitch and being a secret BD member and selling all of the NYPD's secrets. Basically, these two are the bastard power couple that no one expects, and that no one can really trust (except for each other).

Exes!

RatTheif: That's right. In this AU, Erron and Kano dated. The relationship was mostly sexual, with Erron really only being interested because of the special treatment he got. Kano was only interested in the sex and adrenaline rushes. When Erron said he was done, Kano didn't believe him. While he was asleep, Erron took all of his shit and sold it before returning to Outworld. Kanos still pissed about it. I'm literally only using this ship for shits and giggles for the backstory.

Rain X Mileena: They both used each other with the plan of betraying the other. Both had the gall to be shocked when it eventually happened. I like the idea of two people using each other for the same reasons. It makes a fun read for me personally.

SubSmoke: They tried it because they thought that they loved each other romantically. While it was true on Kuai's end, Tomas was AroAce with both romance and sex repulsion. He apologized to Kuai, genuinely feeling horrible for starting something serious like this only to end it abruptly. Kuai held no grudge against him, supporting him fully and not tolerating any hate thrown Tomas' way. I like these two together as friends, I've always had the AroAce hc for Smoke, but I imagine him trying something out before ultimately realizing his Sexuality. And Kuai being nothing but supportive of his BFF! (P.S. I know that AroAce people can still find love/have sex, but I personally hc Smoke as being repulsed by those things for himself! I hope you understand!)

#oc x canon #mk au #what if au #mk oc #liulao #Jatana #cageblade #Strybal #Mk ships #I'm not gonna tag all these characters lol #i'm too tired for this

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punz4lyfe · 3 years

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Now you've been asked what you do like about him what about the opposite what don't you like about goh?

Aw man, this is gonna hurt.

TL;DR - Goh’s a completely lovable character, but I have three particular issues with him that I feel could become worse if not taken care of properly.

First off, DISCLAIMERS!! To all my fellow Goh fans, please know that writing this, I do not mean any hatred to Goh in anyway. I LOVE Goh, and if you’ve seen literally ANY of my past anipoke posts, you would already know that. These are just issues I find with his character that I want to be changed for the best.

Now with that outta the way, here’s what I don’t like about Goh:

1. His iffy character development. While he’s doing fine in becoming more open to people and more willing to help Pokemon, his fighting skills are what I have trouble with it. Let’s go back to his first ever official battle.

It was at Hoenn’s Frontier Cup where he used Scorbunny and Scyther against a trainer’s Mightyena. Despite having a type advantage with Scyther, he lost horribly, which is completely understandable. He’s a beginner and doesn’t possess the same kind of street smarts and experience Ash and many other trainers have. Alright then, so maybe this will lead to a change in character of wanting to become better in battles by getting some training with Ash, who made quick work of that Mightyena trainer. Surely we’ll get some development over this topic after this episode!

He beats Saffron City’s Karate Master and scores a free Hitmonchan.

...Okaaaay, I mean, we’ve never seen the Karate Master in battle before, so perhaps it was just another fodder trainer the anime is filled of. I sure we’ll get some more Goh development after thi-

He easily defeats and captures a powerful Flygon.

.....Alright, alright, it was only a wild Pokemon. Everyone can beat those, right? Heck, in the next episode, he technically suffers a curbstomp loss against Kiawe and admits he only battles Ash every so often. Perhaps this loss will encourage Goh to train more with Ash so he could become a stronger trainer. I mean, despite his good luck with Pokeballs, he’s gonna need to be as strong as he can be for tougher mons, like Legendaries. I’m 100% sure we’ll get something out of thi-

He takes down a wild Zapdos and NEARLY captures it.

.........Uh, okie dokes, it wasn’t a successful capture, and who knows? Even though we have not seen him battle/train that much on-screen, maybe he just got a little lucky. Even in the games, it happens to the best of us. Perhaps this barely missed victory will finally give Goh the time to actually development more on-screen so that he could have a better chance agai-

He defeats Oleana’s Milotic, using his fire-type Raboot who only wanted to use a weak fire-type move.

..............Allllriiiiight, maybe Oleana just got a little cocky later on. Plus, Raboot finished Milotic by evolving in Cinderace and finishing it off with Pyro Ball. With this powerful evolution in hand, maybe Goh will finally realize that, in order for Cinderace to reach its greatest potential, he must start training for once and obtain some proper development for a chance against stronger threa-

Cinderace fights decently well against Mewtwo, even lasting longer than Pikachu and being on-par with the more trained Lucario.

....................At this point, I’m all out of excuses for him. Overall, Goh’s development as a trainer is very rushed to the point seeing him achieve numerous victories despite all odds being against his favor to be iffy.

2. Slightly touchy topic, but there are some negatives with his whole catching all Pokemon goal. So Goh wants to catch every single mon he can in order to reach up to Mew, as he said to Mewtwo in episode 46. And yes, this includes Legendaries as well. Unfortunately, this is where my issues with his goal starts. First off, where in the world will Goh keep any Legendary he encounters? Cerise’s glorified garden dome? Yeah, keep Dialga and Palkia, literal beings of space and time, inside a glass dome with a bunch of weaker mons. And speaking of which, wouldn’t catching mons like the Creation Trio or the Island Guardians cause quite the upset in, well, y’know, the natural balance of things? Sure, Goh technically hasn’t caught a single Legendary yet (Eternatus doesn’t count because it had to be sealed away), with how the anime is playing out, issues like this will surely rise throughout the series.

And yes, the anime is playing it out for Goh to indeed catch every single mon before reaching Mew. If you pay attention to the openings as well as many of Goh’s own character moments, such as episode 46, then you can easily see the signs telling us that Goh is bound to catch them all, just as Ash is bound on defeating Leon. In the past, pretty much all of Ash’s traveling companions had their own goals as well, but it’s usually because of those goals is why they leave Ash by the end of their journeys, like May and Dawn pursuing contests in other regions, Brock wanting to become a doctor, Iris wanting to find more Dragon types, Kiawe wanting to become an Island Kahuna etc. Because of that, it becomes up to the audience’s interpretation (and fanfics) on how they achieve their dreams and what challenges they could face throughout the way. With Goh, there will a lot more focus and emphasis placed on his goal, and while this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s too bad there aren’t really any stakes or obstacles in Goh’s journey!

Really now, another glaring issue with Goh’s goal is that he has NO trouble going through with it at all. From his very first fodder capture, all he has to do is get a good throw and then PING! Pokemon caught. Guess the thing of having to weaken a Pokemon first before capturing it has been retconned out of the anime forever. With that said, there’s absolutely no struggle for Goh to overcome in his journey, which kinda makes things boring. Where’s the challenge? Where are his rivals? Are there any doubts? Does he have any issue of having to catch and connect every single mon in existence? No, well then good for him I guess! Sad thing too is that he catches so many Pokemon with so much potential, but they then disappear completely after their debut.

Remember that free Hitmonchan he scored from Saffron’s Fighting Dojo who seemed completely willing to train with Riolu and Farfetch’d? Never seen again. That female Raichu who loves giving berries? Completely forgotten about. That Aerodactyl Goh resurrected and bonded with before catching? Thanos snapped. The Heracross Goh obtained from a trade at the cost of a second Pinsir he worked hard to find? Literally who?

3. And my biggest issue with Goh. The fact he’s somehow on the same scale as Ash.

Don’t believe me? Well, let’s go back to the ending of episode 46. After Mewtwo teleported him, Ash, Pikachu, Lucario, and Cinderace back home, Goh said this: “We’ve still got a long way to go.”

Excuse me, but WHAT?!?!?!

You BOTH got a long way to go, even though you both suffered a complete curbstomp from a mon that would probably even make the likes of Lance, Cynthia, and Leon comparable to Youngster Joey?!?! What the Distortion World?!?! Why is Goh and, by extension, the writers implying he and Ash are on even terms when it comes to being a trainer? Goh, as a reminder, you literally only began your trainer career 45 episodes ago!!

Alright, let’s talk about Ash for a second and what he’s been through since he started his trainer career. Ash started in Kanto, and while he really only fairly achieved three out of his eight badges (Brock and Misty’s were givens, Erika’s was a thank-you gift, Sabrina’s was all Haunter’s doing, and Jessie and James are complete jokes that no one should take seriously), he still partook in as many battles as he could against tough trainers while getting some pointers from the much more experienced Misty and Brock. After that, he went on to become a much more impressive trainer in later journeys. Instead of a full recap, I’ll just list two impressive things Ash has done in each region he’s journeyed through after losing in the Kanto League.

Orange Islands: Won his first official double battle with Pikachu and Charizard despite neither initially getting along at first and then defeated the Orange League champ, Drake.

Johto: Survived an entire forest of bloodthirsty Ursaring with his friends and defeated Gary’s Blastoise with his Charizard.

Hoenn: Helped stopped both Team Magma and Team Aqua’s elemental threats and reached Top 8 in the Hoenn League despite only two of his mons being fully evolved with one being a glass cannon bird.

Kanto again: Conquered the Battle Frontier and tied with May in his first ever contest.

Sinnoh: Helped protect a Riolu from the famed Hunter J and knocked out two of Tobias’ Legendary Pokemon.

Unova: Defeated Iris’ Dragonite twice (Charizard pretty much had the high ground in their fight) and helped protect Meloetta.

Kalos: Defeated four Mega Evolutions (Lucario, Abomasnow, Absol, and Sceptile) and was one of the main heroes against Lysandre.

Alola: Became an Ultra Guardian and conquered the Alola League.

And right now as of Journeys: Defeated Korinna’s Mienfoo and Mega Lucario with only Dragonite right after the two curbstomped Gengar and defeated Chairman Rose.

And this isn’t even scratching the surface, and yet, somehow, Ash is still on the same scale of Goh. This doesn’t make any logical sense, it completely negates Ash’s experience while over-wanking Goh’s, and it ruins any semblance of power scaling between the two. Logically, Ash should be leagues above Goh and the latter should always confide to Ash whenever he needs assistance or pointers, not “Oh, we both lost to a powerful legendary, guess that means we both have stuff to learn and we’re both beginners lul”. It’s like Deku and All Might both losing a villain that’s beyond both of their capabilities, and then Deku saying that they BOTH have much to learn afterwards! Does it make sense? HECK NO.

If they had to have Goh comment about their loss, why couldn’t he say something that would’ve made more sense? Maybe say something like “Wow, I can’t believe I lasted that long, honestly.” And then Ash would say, “Hey, you’re only getting better. And me and my team will always be there in case you need more training.” Have the two acknowledge the fact that even trainers like Leon wouldn’t fare any better than them against Mewtwo. Just absolutely anything that doesn’t completely ruin what we know of these characters to the point the two are considered equals, despite all the evidence saying otherwise.

I’m getting a little exhausted now, so I’m done, but thanks for asking, anon!

And for anyone reading, please feel free to agree or disagree. I’m completely acceptable to anyone else’s thoughts/opinions over Goh and would love to hear them.

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brokenxfragments · 3 years

Photo

Dystrial, the Deceiver

Icon Use: FFXIV model

Theme Song(s)

Everything Moves - Bronze Radio Return

The Wolf - SIAMÉS

Basic Information

Age: 3000+ (immortal)

Gender: Male

Height: 6′5

Weight: 230 Ibs

Species: Mirato (shapeshifter)

Orientation/Sexuality: Homoromantic/Homosexual

Relationship: Single (ship verse dependent)

Occupation: Infiltrator, Assassin

Brief Personality: Devious— Intelligent — Secretive

Brief Bio: Playful yet formal, this creature can be very misleading depending on his intentions; as a trained assassin & infiltrator, Dystrial makes himself to be whatever he needs to be, though at current he has no real evil intentions. Having served a mad god for several hundreds, if not thousands, of years, he only seeks a little company & perhaps a duel here & there. Yet his mission is to find an old friend of his, as well as old enemies.

Full Biography

Born of a species of shapeshifters, the mirato, this particular race would feed off of another’s adrenalin - for those that were passive, they’d oftentimes find a group to integrate with, taking whatever form necessary to be accepted & feed in a non-aggressive manner. Usually, the group sought for are known for taking risks or participate in extreme acts that would have them be full of adrenalin (aka, adrenalin junkies). There are also those that would impersonate a loved one when that one leaves, feeding from the adrenalin of the impersonated’s own mate via love-making before they’d slip away afterwards, usually none the wiser. However, for those like Dystrial, they were active in seeking their source in a far more aggressive way, to which were how this race would be feared. In doing so, at least in this mirato’s way, he actively fights someone, usually to the death, wearing his prey down the longer he feeds & never losing energy until his prey finally drops from exhaustion.

However, this particular mirato would catch the attention of a being he had mistakenly picked as his prey; upon engaging, Dystrial would very quickly realize that this being was no prey after only a few quick though fierce blows, pinned to the ground by a foot that radiated heat. He thought that he was going to die for his mistake & had accepted it - then the stranger spoke, speaking of his kind in such an knowing manner that he knew far more than any outsider should know. He’d realize why as the man introduced himself as the aspect of extinction itself, Aridem. And he would give the mirato a choice; to die right there, naught but ashes as he’d burned from the inside out... or he would serve the mad god in his mission. And in wanting to preserve his life, Dystrial chose the option to allow him that, being spared of a rather grotesque manner of death. Yet he’d learn quite quickly the kind of mission that Aridem was carrying out - to wipe out the entirety of the universe. None would be spared... but it would not be painful. Since it were a god carrying this out, the mirato figured that there was little choice in the matter. And not to mention that a painless death was better than one done otherwise.

Dystrial would undergo the ritual of Aridem’s own fashion that would make him immortal, having his heart removed from his body & kept safe, so that if he died he’d simply resurrect whole, brought back to the lair that the mad god had set up for their base of operations. If there was anything that Dystrial thought was good from this exchange, it was this assurance that he wouldn’t die. And he would serve Aridem well, swiftly gaining his lord’s confidence as he would be tasked to infiltrate the targets that the god wanted him to go, seek out & assassinate the leaders or important figures. But most importantly, he was to seek out remnants of the Elder Gods’ essence that had been left behind on worlds in their ever going war before they were sealed away. These essences were solidified, giving an appearance of crystal but had immense power even in these scattered forms. Oftentimes the inhabitants of worlds would take these pieces & use them, sometimes as mere decorations in their ignorance, in other times as actual power when they’ve discovered how to access it. Aridem wanted these essences to gain power, absorbing these sources when he’d find them.

Once these essences were found & drained, this would be the signal that the world had fulfilled its use. If the world was close to the edge of the Void, the world was simply swallowed within its maw - if the Void was not in proximity, Aridem would raze the world in a wave of flames that would use the world’s own atmosphere to do it all nearly in a flash. In this way, he would know which world had already been scoured for the precious essence. And Dystrial, while he were an aggressive sort of mirato, couldn’t help but feel helpless in that he brought these world-ending apocalypses, even though realistically he knew that even without him, this group of mad men would do it anyway.

Years would go on, the mirato never really knowing how long he served this god, though yet within this group of Harbingers, he would sort of befriend the other non-god within the circle, the ivaci dracon called Zikom. While they were usually more likely to butt heads & the mirato would be cruel in his moody days since he were considered ‘higher’ in ranks than Zikom, the creature still would look out for him, keeping him out of trouble when they went on missions together. The two were often in conflict with another deity that would arrive on the targeted world as them, the one named Rosalia. With long studies of his opponent as well as what he’d pick up between her & the mad god along with his son, he understood the deity with quite some clarity; this was the mate of his very own god, from a time period where the mad god was not mad. Dystrial had some amount of sympathy towards her, though he wouldn’t show it so long as he were in service to Aridem.

But he eventually would decide that he wanted to be freed of this service that he were pressed into, even if it were to be through death. And in that same token, he wanted to free Zikom as well, the would-be proud creature that shouldn’t be bound by invisible chains of false loyalty. In secret, without even telling Zikom of what he intended, he’d devise his plans, which would take time as he would revise ideas & gathered new information during his service. Eventually, he’d settle to the idea of swapping their hearts for replicas - hearts that came from their own species. A mirato’s wasn’t hard to gain, given that he only needed to find one that was caught by aggressors that found out its identity - swapping it for his own was the trickiest part. Part of the reason it took so long was so that he could learn discreetly of the means of magic that Aridem used to preserve their hearts. After much tampering, he would be successful, taking his own to a different universe altogether when he would follow Rosalia out through the Rift.

Zikom’s would be the hardest one, given the fact that the dracon’s heart was one transformed from beast to something more humanoid when the ritual was done on him. Forcing a similar spell was quite difficult when magic wasn’t in his reach. Yet it didn’t matter, not when the long-drawn war would finally escalate. Aridem’s plans had been successful & was drawing to its completion - it was time to bring the realms of gods into the Void along with the rest of the universe, having accumulated enough power from the Elder Gods’ essence. Dystrial could have simply given up on Zikom & made his bid for freedom, but he felt a sense of obligation to the dracon. He’d wait, plan, watch even as he fought in the now bloody war as both forces of Seraphine & Infernam rose to meet their foes, most of which was Malshano’s contribution of creatures, ‘recycled’ beings that had been from the dead worlds that he simply called consumers - creatures of the Void.

In the final battle, Dystrial was given a special task by Malshano, which due to his sympathy towards Rosalia would make him feel a little sick even after all he had done - to seek out the deity’s remaining children that had been brought to the very last sanctuary, & to tell Malshano where they were at once located. Long before this point, he knew that the mad god’s son was even madder than his father, obsessed with ‘punishing’ his own mother in any way he could, though he was oftentimes unable to do it personally because of his service to Aridem by making the consumers. But now he could. And Dystrial was able to find his targets... but he had a small breath of relief, having come upon them as they first talked the adopted mortal child, Hikaru, to be sent through the Rift to a safe world, far outside Eldria, to then have one of the twins to follow after an intensive argument. Because of one twin’s ability to make duplicates, the female Silvia was staying behind to fool anyone that might seek them out, even though the male Tobias was reluctant to follow this plan. The sister would force her brother through the portal & have it close behind her, with only duplicates of her siblings to follow her.

While he wouldn’t necessarily want any of them to die, at least the deity Rosalia wouldn’t lose all her children. With this in mind, he’d report back to Malshano & would lie, saying that all three were present at a temple on the outskirts of the battle. And when Malshano went to find his targets, Dystrial used this chance to shadow-travel to their lair, snagging Zikom’s heart without bothering to leave a replica behind, taking it & himself out of the lair that was already breaking apart as the Void was in the process of consuming everything, including the mad god’s only protective location - Aridem didn’t need it anymore. It was a mad decision, keeping it with him, but he returned to the final battle, intending to find access to the Rift, but his return was timely indeed, for the First Daughter of Seraphine would send survivors into the Rift just as she was falling to the Void’s maw, the island she resided on for countless millennia having been in the process of being devoured. Dystrial arrived onto a world that wasn’t the same as the one he’s been to before, though because of the last minute attempt to rescue as many survivors as Salri could, he knew for certain that he was likely to meet with the other survivors, sent to the last world that the Rift had been connected to - which would make it the same world that likely Rosalia’s surviving children would be found. Because the heart of the dracon remained alive, he also know that Zikom was alive.

But now that freedom was finally at his fingertips, Dystrial wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. All the same... he would make himself a new life.

#._;ooc;_.the.echoes.beyond.(.mod.)#._;muse;_.the.life.of.a.spy.is.to.know.not.be.known.(.dystrial.)

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go-go-devil · 4 years

Text

If You Have Ghosts: The Story of a Song

This is an informative/personal essay I wrote about the history of Roky Erickson’s well-beloved song, “If You Have Ghosts.” Honestly I should have written & posted this on the 1-year anniversary of his death back in May, but I completely forgot. This piece is mostly a study of Erickson’s original and the band Ghost’s famous cover of it, alongside some other things. I would also appreciate some feedback on this if you all don’t mind.

The information I used as a reference when describing the making of the original song comes entirely from Joe Nick Patoski’s writing on Roky Erickson’s career and the making of The Evil One (included as a booklet in recent vinyl additions of said album).

Throughout our lives there will be songs that capture us in ways that we cannot escape from. Oftentimes it’s as simple as an infectious melody that we refuse to discard from our memories, either due to it becoming attached to a pivotal part of our lives or because we cannot dislodge it no matter how hard we try. Other times it can be something that attracts us so much that we begin to covet it to the point of obsession, and it is through this attitude that the song transforms from merely a piece of music into a piece of ourselves.

“If You Have Ghosts” is one of these songs for me.

What can I say about this wonderful track that hasn’t already been said? It is fierce, yet subdued. It is both hard rocking joy incarnate and a solemn reflection of one’s self, and it says so much by saying so little. The reason for all of these seemingly contradictory phrases I’m using is because this song, unlike many others, is a shared entity that exists in multiple forms. Quite an odd way of stating that the song has been played by more than one band, but hopefully this essay will demonstrate how the meaning of the original piece can mutate into different forms while still keeping its essence intact.

There’s no better place to start than with the original, recorded in 1977 and released in 1981 by rock n’ roll legend Roky Erickson.

youtube

Originally recorded as part of a four-song demo of what would later become his first solo record, The Evil One, “If You Have Ghosts” contains many of the themes Erickson presents in his music as a whole. Those of which being: horror-themed esoteric lyrics, high-energy playing, soaring guitar riffs, and a general sense of raw, psychedelic power.

In less than 15 seconds the song has already built itself up and blasted into your eardrums, but never does the melody ever resort to sounding like a wall of noise. Each instrument weaves its sound around each other like some tripped-out embroidery design in order to create a rich tapestry in the listener’s mind. The lyrics are as catchy and repetitive as any of Roky’s songs, yet for this one he sounds less like he’s singing but instead simply proclaiming each line like it’s a definitive statement.

“If you have ghosts, you have everything”

“One never does that”

“The moon to the left of me is a part of my thoughts and a part of me is me”

“In the night, I am real”

“I don’t want my fangs too long”

Barring a few other scattershot words present in the chorus, what you’ve read above is all that you get for what this piece is trying to say. Unlike most of the other songs from the album, whose lyrics clearly convey the story/theme presented, this one does not have a lucid form to it and thus its meaning can only truly be grasped through interpretation. Personally, I always saw it as a proud declaration of one’s deviance from society, with the rip-roaring instruments serving to show how this person’s mind finally feels free enough to run wild in the night, with only the moonlight and their own invisible spirits to guild them.

But of course, all forms of speculation can never undermine Roky’s own intent when crafting this song, which, unfortunately, is not nearly as liberating as my previous presumption…

“If You Have Ghosts” as we know it is a direct product of Erickson’s mental illness. There really is no way of sugarcoating it. After being diagnosed with schizophrenia in 68’, Roky was sent to various state hospitals in 69’, where he was subjected to multiple electroshock treatments by doctors alongside being heavily sedating with Thorazine. Even after he was discharged in ’72 he never fully recovered from the abusive “therapies” he was given, resulting in decades of battling intense mood swings and heavy drug reliance as well as making it difficult for him to record many of his songs in studio.

Roky was under one of these spells whist recording the vocals for this song. He was only able to sing the chorus once, and after recording was no longer able to remember any of the lyrics. Out of all the tracks, Producer Stu Cook had to put the most effort into inserting the vocals into this song using a complex progress called wild-syncing to place multiple takes of audio alongside the instruments without using synchronization. It’s honestly a miracle that we even have this song fully formed in the first place given the circumstances of its creation.

Despite all of the hardship and effort put into creating this piece, for a long while there didn’t seem to be as much appreciation for it compared to Erickson’s other work. Partially because it was not present on certain releases of the album back in the day as well as the fact that Roky seemed to rarely play it live in concert (even on YouTube, recordings of these performances are scarce). As much as I love this version of the song, even I’m willing to admit that if I were ever forced to rank each song on The Evil One, I would probably place it somewhere in the middle. What can I say? When you make an album that great, the competition can be fierce!

For many obscure classics, the story would end there. Yet another buried treasure forever existing in the mind of one musician. But that’s not what happened, for several decades later a new band from Sweden will emerge, different in form but identical in spirit to Roky’s sound, whose frontman will breathe new life into a once forgotten masterpiece…

…Or at least that’s what I would lead into were it not for the existence of this version.

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Interestingly, the first notable cover of “If You Have Ghosts” was not done by Ghost but instead by an English folk-rock group called John Wesley Harding & The Good Liars on the 1990 album Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye: A Tribute to Roky Erickson. This now-obscure album consisted of a compilation of various bands and artists covering the songs of, you guessed it, Roky Erickson. There was actually a great deal of artists present on this record, including several well-known musicians such as ZZ Top, R.E.M., and The Jesus and Mary Chain (and even Butthole Surfers too!).

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not at all familiar with John Wesley Harding or his backing band; however, I will say that this piece is a worthy follow-up to the original in it’s own right. It slows down the song to a level not unlike the many psychedelic songs that followed in 13th Floor Elevator’s wake, keeping the main melody in tack while filling in the gaps with many little flourishes as a means of expanding it into something new. I’m especially fond of the echoing effect given to the vocals, which gives the already obscure nature of the lyrics a more outwardly ethereal quality.

Anyway, on to what you’ve been waiting for!

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After enduring another two decades of invisibility from the public eye, the song was once again exhumed and resurrected by an emerging metal band named Ghost for their 2013 EP If You Have Ghost. Considering Roky Erickson’s wide array of demon-inspired songs, it’s interesting how Linköping’s residential Satanic metal group chose this piece as opposed to more well-beloved hits like “Night Of The Vampire” or “Stand For The Fire Demon,” many of which work perfectly with the band’s themes of evoking retro horror films and devil worship. It almost seems like they just chose “If You Have Ghosts” solely on the basis of it having the word “Ghost” in it. However, just one listen to this cover will quickly prove otherwise.

Right off the bat, the instruments and vocals are a far cry from the original. Unlike the previous J.W.H. cover that made sure to keep the main melody in tack while adding onto it, Ghost instead chose the more daring option of altering the melody and tempo of the piece significantly. From the ominous drawing of violin and cello strings in the opening seconds to the melancholic metal sound of the guitars throughout (with the rhythm guitar being played by none other than Dave Grohl, who also produced the EP), this version slows the once fast-pace beat of the song down until it becomes almost unrecognizable save for the lyrics. Even Tobias Forge’s singing creates significant contrast with the original; his silky smooth, haunting baritone guiding a melody once held by Roky’s hard-edged yells.

And yet… the spirit still remains.

Although the sound itself has been thoroughly converted to the stylings of Ghost, they still managed to keep the fierce energy that ran through the veins of Erickson’s version, albeit with a twist.

Both songs convey a contemplative examination of one’s mind, with instrumentals and singing that amplify the power one feels from this reflection. However, Ghost’s version differs in that it amplifies the sense of isolation and longing present in the lyrics. The music notably softens at the beginning of many of the verses, particularly lines like “One never does that” or “I don’t want my fangs too long,” only to grow in power through the repetition of each line. It conveys the feeling of the singer having to grapple with these feelings before they can fully accept them.

Nowhere is this more apparent than the band’s acoustic cover of the song.

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At this point, the piece has been stripped down to an entirely naked form, its themes conveyed only through the guitars of two nameless ghouls alongside Forge’s vocals (presented here in his previous stage persona, Papa Emeritus III). There is no triumphant shouting or swelling electric guitar solos here anymore, just a somber reflection gently carried by melodic strumming and mournful singing. Despite now being as far from a rockin’ tune as humanly possible, it actually manages to come closest in recapturing the sense of rawness in the original, albeit on the exact opposite scale.

I remember watching a recorded acoustic performance in Paris back in 2015 where Papa introduced “If You Have Ghosts” as being a song about “loneliness,” which is an interpretation I can definitely agree with. In fact, I would even say that with this acoustic cover brings the entire meaning of the song full-circle. Through its peeled-back, unflinching depiction of being enclosed in darkness and isolation, it serves as a perfect end-note for a song that began from such troubled origins by telling the listener that, despite all the hardships, this beautiful piece of music will never lose its everlasting spirit.

Thanks for giving us everything, Roky.

#rip roky erickson #we're gonna miss you baby #I hope you all enjoyed this analysis #this took me a week to write!#if you have ghosts #roky erickson #john wesley harding & the good liars #the band ghost #the evil one #if you have ghost #where the pyramid meets the eye #my writing #music analysis

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ohjustrandomfandomstuff · 4 years

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I am now half way through my re - read of Queen of Air and Darkness, and even though I am currently only halfway through, I am getting the impression that this is one of the most important books going forward, which directly leads to the upcoming The Wicked Powers trilogy particularly as it is the second to last series chronologically. I’m going to bullet point my theories under the cut due to spoilers.

I think that Kit being the last remaining descendant of the lost heir of the Unseelie King and Seelie Queen and Tobias Herondale works into the story somehow. I wonder if Kit has Faerie powers from his Faerie descendants he has yet to discover? Maybe not and too much time might have passed. Tessa and Jem spent a long time looking for him and yes they might have wanted to find lost descendants of Will, but do they know more than they are saying?

I definitely think that Ty resurrecting Libby will have a significant part of the plot moving forwards. The series reminds the reader time and time again that necromancy is bad and there are consequences to be paid. I don't think the readers will know what yet.

I am actually very interested in Ash, and I think that the timing of his introduction is not a coincidence and I think he has a much bigger part of the future story that has yet to unfold.

Finally, I adore Jace and Clary, and hope that they come out of The Wicked Powers unscathed but I think there is a lot of foreshadowing of their deaths. Particularly as Clary had prophecy like dreams of her death and told Emma that is why she was originally hesitant to accept Jace’s marriage proposal. I also think that maybe their extra angel blood will come into it somehow, I know it enables Jace to be a better fighter and it gives Clary the ability to create runes not in the gray book. The readers are once again reminded of this particular fact with a conversation between Juilan, Emma, Isabelle and Simon, why else would Cassandra Clare do that?

#cassandra clare #shadowhunters #the shadowhunter chronicles #queen of air and darkness #the wicked powers #the dark artifices #queen of air and darkness spoilers #livvy blackthorn #kit herondale #ty herondale #jace herondale #the wicked power theories #jem carstairs #tessa gray #ash morgenstern #tobias herondale

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