#I don't even get WHY like I know the Ancient Rule of ''only the first five tags count'' and I do still obey it | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

burningcheese-merchant · 4 days ago

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ANSWER THIS AND YOU GET A FUNNY BURNING CHEESE COMIC

Hear me out

The ancients giving themselves up to the beasts as sacrifices if they agreed to leave earthbread alone and never wreck terror or show their faces again

I'd say everyone besides Flour would go:

Say less Babygirl*hops into a pumpkin carriage and rides off into the sunset*

Maybe Salt would need a lot of convincing because... Holy shit it could be this easy, Milk you seeing this, quick Spice snap a photo this is a moment in history

Flour is just in massive denial but would find a way to agree to mke it seem like it isn't about love or anything

Unknown3doors, don't tempt me like that 👀 don't tempt me like that, unknown3doors 👀 you're playing with fire, unknown3doors 👀🔥

Pure Vanilla surrendering to Shadow Milk would be the happiest day of Shadow's life. He makes Vanilla repeat himself multiple times, makes him announce it through a megaphone, they do a radio broadcast, Shadow makes a TV special out of it, Shadow writes poems and essays gloating and taunting... And then he eventually agrees to Vanilla's terms (although, he DOES try to haggle for permission to continue annoying people). Pure Vanilla is HIS!!! HE'S FINALLY HIS!!! FOREVER AND EVER!!!!!!! (And the Soul Jam, technically. But WHATEVER!!! HIS SILLY VANILLY!!!). Now Vanilla must endure having to spend EVERY SINGLE MINUTE of his life within 10 feet of Shadow AT ALL TIMES, or else the deal is off and Shadow will commit genocide in retaliation. Why the long face, though? You agreed to this! You knew this would happen! Maybe if Vanilla behaves well enough, like a good little doll, Shadow will allow himself to be HIS doll for a time. Tit for tat. It's only fair. They can be each other's playmate for eternity now...

Eternal Sugar would be 100% awake for the first time in forever if Hollyberry offered herself to her - in exchange for anything at all, it never had to have been for keeping innocents safe. Typical of Holly, in her estimate; she's not necessarily surprised by this. Maybe she'll feign a bit of surprise just because, maybe she'll tease Holly about it... But all in all, she's quite pleased. Now she can keep those pesky subjects of Holly's away from her much easier (as well as her friends... Including that ridiculous dragon...). Holly will learn to see things her way eventually. Appreciate the little things. Like a nice, long nap in a warm bed, in the arms of a loved one... Pleasant, sugary sweet dreams that are too comforting to wake up from... No one ever bothering them about anything ever again. Free from their responsibilities, free from the burden of the shield and the crown. Just the two of them in their own little world, pursuing their own happiness. Won't that be nice?

Mystic Flour would struggle to even entertain Dark Cacao's presence, never mind his... proposal (oh gods, not that word). She would refuse, and refuse, and refuse again. But Cacao does not give up, stubborn fool that he is. Curse his Light of Resolution... Eventually, in lieu of plainly refusing, she tries to appeal to reason. What about his kingdom? His people? What would they say, think, do? Will he leave them behind just to keep her pacified? What about his friends? His son? Who will rule in his absence? Unfortunately, Cacao has an answer for every single one of her questions... and, with an even greater undertone of misfortune... she likes them. That part of her that likes HIM also likes this. That he always has an answer for everything she says. That he won't bend the knee to her, no matter what. His self-sacrificing nature, bordering on martyrdom... just like hers once was. In truth, every word out of her mouth is only serving to delay her inevitable acceptance of his offer. A feeble attempt at shooing him away, one final shot at denying her feelings towards him, for having him around her constantly would be too much to bear, and she might... She... She'll break. She knows she will. And she can't have it. She won't stand for it.

... Dark Cacao, stubborn, handsome, selfless fool that he is. He has undone everything she ever worked for. Her apathy meant nothing the moment they locked eyes. It means nothing now, as they go back and forth about this foolish deal of his. And it won't mean anything when she eventually says yes.

(But she'll try to pretend otherwise, for as long as she can. Neither of them could handle the truth...)

Golden Cheese: Burning Spice, if you leave everyone else alone, I'll give myself to-

Burning Spice: DEAL!!!!!!!!! *pounces on her before she can actually finish or explain herself any further... What he does next, I'll let you imagine/decide 😉*

Silent Salt... wouldn't even believe it at first. He'd be astounded. Dumbfounded, really, that White Lily would say such a thing... Is this really her? Is someone forcing her to do this? What is the catch? Enough reassurance from her would convince him that she's being real and sincere and every other word that can be used to describe her deal, and... he accepts it. No other ifs, ands or buts. His White Lily... now, she really IS his White Lily. Forever and ever... He doesn't mind having to keep away from society; that's hardly a punishment. It costs him nothing. And if his White Lily is there with him, he won't even notice the difference...

#can you tell I liked writing the MysticCacao one the most lol. I love toying with their dynamic it's fun #seriously though. there actually would be a fair bit of discussion/negotiation between PV/SM and DC/MF. Ironing out terms and conditions #ES wouldn't care too much about it in the moment. Too much work. They can talk about it later if Holly really wants to #BS really is the “say less babygirl” one lmao. Bird Wife mine forever? Yes! Me happy! Life good now #We fight! We kiss! We hug! We make babies! Many babies. And then we fight more! FOREVER!!! MY BIRD WIIIIFFFEEE #SS has always been the calmest one to me outside of MF. Also the most simple and straightforward one. No noise or fanfare or mockery #just... “you're giving yourself to me? you're serious? anything extra to add that I need to know? ok. deal.” the end #SS and BS just want their wives more than anything else tbh... they don't need much incentive #i can rant more abt this later if y'all want lol #cookie run kingdom #burningcheese #goldenspice #mysticcacao #hollysugar #silentlily #pureshadow #shadowvanilla

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enemymine2000 · 27 days ago

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It's official, US TikTok is going dark right now. Lives vanish bit by bit, East to West.

So time for the Tumblr house rules for those few, who'll find their way here:

Before everything else, personalize your blog! Put a different picture up, write a bio and/or make your first individual post, or people will think you are a bot. Then it's on sight. We block and report those immediately, thanks to the great porn bot wars.

Once that's done:

1. Speak clear and freely. Say what you mean, we don't do that 1984 Newspeek and emojis instead of words here.

2. Tags are a way to sort your stuff AND to communicate. But stay on topic. No spam tagging. And no censoring words or no one will ever be able find anything. Search system is shot enough to hell as is.

3. Don't like, don't read. The block button is your friend.

4. Reblog, don't repost. We don't steal content here. Always give credit. Which is also the reason for...

5. AI is not liked here. It is trained on stolen content. Just don't.

6. There is no such thing as a Tumblr influencer. Even our big names are just normal people, who just stick out due to longevity and/or weirdness.

7. Follower count doesn't matter. No one can see who has what amount of followers and we don't care.

8. Our "viral" posts are our heritage posts. Some might have breached containment and have been shared to other sites. We keep them going because we genuinely like them or want to keep the ancient magic alive.

9. Which leads to likes. They are nice and you obviously are not supposed not to give them, but they don't really matter apart from spamming the notifications of the OP. Reblogging keeps Tumblr alive.

10. We have our own holidays. Don't worry, you will not be forced to partake, but you will be confronted with them. Unless there is another round of The Boopening. Sorry, but no one escapes The Boopening! (Many prefer it to the Mishapocalypse, but this the SPN site, so never discount a Mishapocalypse. Or getting your news via Destiel meme.)

11. Our lore (Tumblr history) is wild. Stolen bones, human pets, dashcon, crucifix nail nipples, the bullying of John Green off the platform (the totally unrelated intern of a coffee company has forgiven us), female presenting nipples, Goncharov, crab raves... This site has been around for a very long time and a lot of us have been around for most of that. We are proud to have remained "ungovernable" and are unapologetic about it, thus we celebrate our history. Even the failures.

12. You can use the "discover" feed of course. But we basically only ever use the "following". No algorithm, just an endless reverse chronological scroll.

13. There is no verification system. We know that people like Wil Wheaton, Lynda Carter and Misha Collins are the real deal, because they verified themselves through other official means. Otherwise everybody can be whoever they want to be. Meaning also that you always should use common sense before chipping in with donations.

14. It's your blog, not some social media account. If you change interests (however often you want), just post about those. Your followers mostly won't care. Hell, about 90% of the blogs I follow have changed names, themes and topics so many times, I don't even remember why I followed in the beginning. (The amount of second hand knowledge about shows/movies I obtained...) If it gets too much, unfollow or block relevant tags.

15. Pixelated icons indicate that the blog has been flagged/self-reported as containing adult themes, mainly nudity. Goes back to great porn purge (see female presenting nipples). It's also why sometimes posts have pictures removed for going against Tumblr's content policy. There is still enough nudity going around.

Welcome, have fun, look around, find your niche, and don't worry. We don't bite. Much.

#tiktok ban #tiktok refugee #for however few there might be #tumblr rules #tumblr house rules

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seat-safety-switch · 1 month ago

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Most weird hobbyists are trustworthy. Once you're in the community, you can treat them like your second family. Except better, because they won't judge you for having a weird hobby.

There is, however, the problem of money. Most hobbies cost money. Maybe you're buying some ancient junk that a long-dead civilization left behind, or you're trying to negotiate for a fair payment for some horrifying art you are constructing at the demand of a random person you've never met. And as we all know, money ruins everything. It destroyed our planet and killed the whales, and it breaks up friendships, too.

The reason why is simple. Money provides a quantifiable value on things. If you give someone five dollars worth of stuff, and you get three dollars in return, well, you're going to be at least two dollars worth of mad. Things get even worse when you're dealing with largely subjective things, like weird porn commissions or bricks of Garbage Pail Kids cards. How do you price them? Better to just trade things back and forth for free, and then enjoy companionship rather than worrying about money. Until the other jerk puts something you gave them on eBay.

There's only one solution: abolishing money entirely. By dumping all of your hobby cash into Switchbux™, you can trade confusing fetish content and handmade 'zines without having to worry about getting screwed over. How? Two ways. First, Switchbux™ has no numerical value. It's the world's first currency to be traded entirely on vibes. How much did you sell that for? Nobody knows, and importantly, nobody can tell. That's why you can't take Switchbux™ back out of the system and trade it for evil regular dollars, which is where this whole thing would fall apart. Bad feelings, don't do it.

You might ask yourself what I'm going to do with all these worthless dollars I am turning into arbitrary (and unknowable!) amounts of Switchbux™. Well, I'm going to show them to my buddies in my weird hobby. It's called "banking," and our thing for the year is to come up with the dumbest possible currency sca- actually, we haven't decided yet. Fucking Throckmorton Osgood III hasn't gotten back to anyone about the rules.

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comicaurora · 1 year ago

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In your asks and other outside-of-comic statements, you seem to draw on parallels to programming a lot when talking about lacrimas.

And this makes me think as a programmer: the primordial rules that are used in Auroras to do magic and lacrimas are part of the primordial language. You are literally telling the primordial's dead bodies what to do, and they obey.

Yet, the difference that comes to my mind is that Primordial was at one point a language actually spoken. Used to communicate in day-to-day life by normal sentient beings. That's quite different from programming languages, which aren't meant to be talked in at all, and are built from the ground up purely to convey a series of precise instructions. They're very formalised and structured. There are no synonyms, no double meanings, no altering of word order, no redundant information etc. It's extremely rigid, much unlike languages people actually talk in, for which a degree of fluidity and ambiguity is essential.

And in Aurora it would seem the latter is being used as the former.

Have you ever thought about this tension/contradiction/conflict? How it affects the world, how it affects your writing, etc?

Or has this distinction never crossed your mind?

Or was this something you have noticed, but never really had the right knowledge to engage with much?

Or any other thoughts on the subject, really

So! This is an interesting thing I have actually thought about.

When the Elder Races were first created, they were born knowing and speaking a language innovatively called the First Language. Every new Young Race is also initially created speaking this language. The language then drifts over the generations, developing into regional dialects and then into separate linguistic descendants if given enough time.

The Ancients spoke a close descendent of the First Language for most of their time in existence, and made a writing system of their own very early on, which has no innate power. But in the early days of the world, the generally accepted story is that a god granted the three elder races knowledge of the written Runic language, which could command the elements. The Ancients acquired it late and used it very sparingly, only for the programming of lacrimas, but for the Elves and Humans living in the depths of the Caves, this was their first and primary writing system. It's even possible that a rare cave-dweller brave enough to venture to the surface was the one who taught the Ancients these runes in the first place.

It's posed an obvious question, of course. Why does this one specific form of writing manifest as a language of magic? Why can it command the dead Primordials? Why is it so well-suited to the phonemes of the First Language that every child of this world is created speaking?

The predominant theory - and, with two living primordials to check with, one which is potentially on the cusp of being proven - is that the First Language and its runic writing system are the language that the Primordials spoke. Its words, written or spoken, can be understood by the remnants of thought that still linger in the sleeping, dead-but-not-entirely-gone primordials that make up the world.

Primordial magic is different from programming in one key way: real computers are entirely unthinking entities. They are not in any way smart - not even smart enough to be stupid. A computer parsing a program cannot observe a missing parentheses and compensate like a human could do in their sleep - it simply fails to parse, because the mathematics don't work out.

Magic in this world is like what every programmer wishes programming could be. Tell the computer what to do, and it might be a little confused, but it'll get the gist. Tell Fire to burn in this direction - Fire, even if it's just running on an echo of a seven-thousand-year-old memory, knows what that means. Tell the wind to printf this statement to this recipient, it'll try to find them and send the message. Tell Life to make this body do what it's doing faster, it can do that. It's simple executions of simple commands, almost reflexive - things that require no complex higher thought from a being that is no longer alive enough to have them. They're not as unthinking as computers, and that means the nuances of language can actually have an effect on them. Some mages think more poetic and emotionally-charged spell invocations can lead to better, more efficient results - an appeal to a long-dead emotion might be easier for the Primordial to execute than an appeal to a half-forgotten complex thought.

When a mage takes direct control of a magical energy and funnels it into an elemental effect, their own higher thought allows the element to do more complicated things - Fire can't transmute on its own like it could when it was alive, but it can when bent to a mortal will. No need to translate a spell into the language of magic when the mage can simply use their own mind to shape the effect. This is the primary advantage mages have over lacrima-users - flexibility, complexity, and speed.

Another interesting factor. Alinua's dynamic with Life demonstrates what a living Primordial's living thought can do when in the hands of a mortal. A normal, simple healing spell cast by anybody but her just accelerates a body's own healing, but with Alinua's guidance steadying Life's hand, they can do much more complicated things of her own free will - things Life knows how to do that no mage knows how to command her to do.

#asks #aurora

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brittle-doughie · 6 months ago

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5th time I've sent this ask sorry if I seem impatient. Beast! Y/n cookie angst based on these lyric pls.

Summary:Y/n cookie is fighting the other beasts after they've been freed from the tree and is feeling betrayed by them since their downfall.

"I don't get how you all can just move on, find your own happy end, while someone just like me who has done no wrong has to rot in fear and smog. How you face no consequence, how you can all just chill! I can't begin to imagine what your day is like when you have no guilt oh, the bliss you must feel!

I know you say it's unlike me, that everyone deserves a chance to see,

with this power I judge today and I pray for you IF YOU'RE IN MY WAY!

A NEW FUTURE I WILL INSTALL, SO THIS WORLD THEY MADE HAD TO FALL! NEVERMORE WILL THEY CONTROL ALL THIS UNIVERSAL PAIN, I'LL ERASE THE GEMETIC STAIN!

THERE'S ONLY ONE WAYY~, I CAN MAKE THIS CHANGE~!

I HAVE MADE THE EFFORT~, YET NOBODY UNDERSTANDS~.

THAT I~...

I've already changed..."

Song is called "Only one way" by jakeneutron btw.

Y/N doesn’t believe they deserved their downfall, they were only guilty by association by the witches. This move of banishing them along with their peers would actually be the blow that leads to their corruption. There was unjust punishment to the innocent, why should anyone be good when they’re put under the same lens as others with evil deeds. This hatred extends to the Ancients, who have committed plenty of mistakes, yet continue to life their lives in peace.

“I know you say it's unlike me, that everyone deserves a chance to see, with this power I judge today and I pray for you IF YOU'RE IN MY WAY!”

They were always the forgiving type, to let even the biggest slights go without much fuss, this was normal for you from the eyes of the other Beasts. That changes fast.

“A NEW FUTURE I WILL INSTALL, SO THIS WORLD THEY MADE HAD TO FALL! NEVERMORE WILL THEY CONTROL ALL THIS UNIVERSAL PAIN, I'LL ERASE THE GEMETIC STAIN!”

Y/N planned to bring in a new era to this world. A world of chaos and mayhem, where justice is extinct and evil rules all. First it will be the Witches and then the Ancients who will fall. Maybe even their fellow Beasts too…

“THERE'S ONLY ONE WAYY~, I CAN MAKE THIS CHANGE~! I HAVE MADE THE EFFORT~, YET NOBODY UNDERSTANDS~. THAT I~... I've already changed..."

Nobody will understand the changes and efforts Y/N made to begin their new world. There is only Y/N’s way of changing the world, even if they have to crumble the opposition one body at a time…

#brittle answers

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rockybloo · 15 days ago

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I'm a normal and well behaved person until people bring up fairy tales around me and try the good ole internet shtick of "um actually" but they wind up sharing information that is not entirely true but is shared like it is so please beware that this post turns into caps lock halfway through

I've been working on Beanstalked for a good 10 years so I think I am allowed to have this be where I shove my feet into the sand because I whenever people drop fairy tale fun facts in my inbox or comments, they are the most basic fun facts you can get off surface level clickbait articles, first page Google results you don't even click on and just view from a preview point (or just using Gemini AI at this point) or "TOP TEN DISNEY MOVIES WHERE THE ORIGINAL STORIES ARE SUPER DARK"

I NEED PEOPLE TO DIG DEEPER

IF YOU'RE GONNA TELL ME A FUNFACT ABOUT A FAIRY TALE YOU GOTTA BE ABLE TO TELL ME WHAT VERSION YOU ARE PICKIN FROM BECAUSE CHARLES PERRAULT AND THE GRIMM BROTHERS HAVE VERY DIFFERENT OUTCOMES FOR THEIR LITTLE REDS! CINDERELLA IS ANCIENT AS FUCK! SOME OF THESE TALES WERE ORALLY TOLD INITIALLY AND GOT WRITTEN DOWN FOR A COLLECTION OF SORTS WHICH MEANS IN MANY CASES WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A TRUE ORIGINAL AND JUST HAVE TO GO OFF WHAT HE EARLIEST DOCUMENTED RETELLING IS

IF YOU ARE SAYING A NURSERY RHYME IS BASED OFF SOMETHING, YOU GOTTA BE ABLE TO BACK IT UP AND NOT JUST TELL ME SOMETHING THAT I LOOK UP LATER ONLY TO SEE IT SPECIFICALLY STATED IN ONE SINGLE ARTICLE WITH A FOOT NOTE THAT SAYS "this is just a theory and has no supported basis"

AM I A FAIRY TALE EXPERT?

BUT BASIC FACTS THAT ARE OFTEN JUST THEORIES OR HALF TRUTHS AIN'T ENOUGH FOR ME

GIVE ME NAMES, SOURCES, ACTUALLY READ THE FABLES AND NOT JUST WIKI SUMMARIES

AND IF YOU TELL ME SOMETHING THAT ONLY APPLIES TO DISNEY I WILL MANIFEST SPIDERS IN YOUR HOME

"Did you know that Cinderella's sisters get their eyes pecked out by birds in the original story"

IS PARTIALLY TRUE!

There are MANY versions of Cinderella because it is an OLD story and has been called many different names. THIS STORY IS SO OLD IT CAN ACTUALLY BE CALLED ANCIENT WITH CONFIDENCE! The Grimm Brothers have said bird attack event happen in their retelling which is a LOT more violent than Charles Perrault's which is the one that MANY think of when they hear the name "Cinderella" (if you don't just think immediately of Disney)

Now, this ain't an open invitation to just start dropping fairy tale fun facts in my inbox. I've been working on Beanstalked for 10 years and there is a rock solid chance I probably have already heard your fun fact. This ain't even meant to be a "I KNOW MORE THAN YOU" because it's just because I have heard the same basic facts over and over again at this point 😭 a bitch is TIRED MAN! I won't doubt there is stuff I don't know since I ain't a folklorist but I beg that people make it worth my while and credit a source they got their info from, say where the retelling (if it is one) originates from (like if it's from a collection), and at least say something Beanstalked related.

ACTUALLY that last part is mandatory. I've seen how y'all do people that do Greek Myth based adaptions - YOU AIN'T DOING THAT SHIT TO ME! YOU GOTTA PAY THE ROCKY TOLL AND SAY SOMETHING RELATED TO MY OCS OR I CHUCK YOU OFF THE BRIDGE!

This is why I have a rule that people that enter my inbox with simple fairy tale trivia and nothing else get BLASTED by Beanstalked info

YOU CANNOT AVOID THE LORE - YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT THE OCS!

#rocky crashing out over fairy tales again #rocky rambles

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laxmiree · 2 months ago

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[CN] MLQC’s Lucien - Castle Date - English Translation

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!! ⚠️

This post contains a detailed spoiler for a date that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

"Give me your heart."

I place my fingertips on the black heart on his chest as I lean forward–

The black hue underneath my palm gradually fades away, replaced by a red glow identical to the gemstone on my chest.

When someone's heart is taken, they become the Queen's loyal and devoted toy.

However, only a Queen bound by shackles can take someone else's heart.

Translation under the cut!

T/N: This date has a theme that is a kind of continuation to his latest solo SSR Strategy Game Date. So please read it if you haven’t!

Special thanks to ivi (@ivioivioivi on twitter) for helping me with the translation of this date~

✂———————–

[Subbed Video]

youtube

✂———————–

[Transcript Ver]

=[Part 1]=

?? (Lucien): [narrating] "Once upon a time, there was a queen who ruled the whole kingdom."

?? (Lucien): "The Queen had many, many toys. She lived in a castle and lived with her toys."

?? (Lucien): "At the Halloween party, the Queen was so bored! So… she decided to play a new game."

?? (Lucien): "She gathered all the toys and told them to find what they desired most in their hearts within the castle."

?? (Lucien): "'The first toy to find it can gain freedom.' The Queen sat on her throne and announced to all the toys."

?? (Lucien): "But how could the Queen possibly know what each toy desired the most?"

?? (Lucien): "Of course... because the Queen knows everything!"

Lucien: "Now then... let the game begin. But be warned, don't get caught by the Queen during your search…"

Lucien: "...or you'll never be able to leave this castle for the rest of your life——"

MC: [sweating nervously] Lucien, wait... just hold on a second! Let's talk about it after we run to a safe place!

Eerie and urgent footsteps circle endlessly behind as if crazed hands are about to reach out from the darkness, savagely seizing everything.

I don't have time to immerse myself in the joy that lit up my eyes upon finding Lucien as I instinctively obey my fear and start to run.

But the person beside me remains calm and unhurried, smiling as if he's just taking a stroll in an ancient castle.

Lucien: I hope my task requirements haven’t made you feel troubled.

Lucien: My identity card says I need to finish telling this story within 5 minutes of meeting another player.

As his words fall, along with the hurried footsteps behind me, a short but slightly piercing alarm sounds from somewhere unknown.

Lucien: [chuckles] Otherwise, my game will be declared a failure.

The alarm sounds again.

MC: What does this alarm mean...? Did what you just said violate the rules on the identity card?

He smiles without a word, seeming to agree with my judgment.

MC: This is a bit too immersive! Why doesn’t my identity card have any tasks on it?

Despite my complaints, my running footsteps don't stop, and the silent doors repeatedly block my escape routes.

We twist and turn through the old castle until a "click" rings out, nearly making me cry in surprise.

The eerie footsteps grow louder beside my ear. The soles of the shoes rub against the slightly worn carpet, making a rough scraping sound, like sharp nails scratching against my eardrum.

In the darkness, I hold my breath, and that nerve-wracking sound seems to slowly fade away into the night.

I let out a breath of relief, and as I look up, I bump straight into a pair of deep, enigmatic eyes.

The room is cloaked in darkness, illuminated only by the moonlight, yet his eyes, glimmering with a hidden smile, shine even brighter.

The smoky black makeup extends into delicate marks of mischief, like dried tear stains or the playful strokes of a child’s crayon.

His usually soft hair is now slicked back, the ends styled into slightly unruly arcs that accentuate his sharp jawline.

The black and white suit amplifies the elegant yet bizarre aura, yet it feels perfectly natural on Lucien.

MC: This place did an incredible job with the styling. Once we’re done, I’m definitely filling my entire album with photos of Mr. Jester.

This Halloween, Lucien and I booked a super popular immersive escape room game. Although it’s only for two players, the activity spans an entire large castle.

The script for the game is assigned based on a playing card drawn a week before the game starts. It focuses on a highly immersive experience, and I’ve heard there are dozens of different endings depending on players' choices.

[T/N: Since the script is based on playing cards. Lucien himself might have drawn the Joker card. However, since there's already another Joker in the game, my translation goes with Mr. Jester 😂. In many card games, the Joker acts as a wild card, so I think Lucien getting this role fits with his character 👀]

MC: No, I should say I never expected the 'Queen's toys' to be so plentiful and appealing—and there's also Mr. Jester!

Lucien: I think it's this beautiful doll lady before me that truly makes it impossible to look away.

Our bodies, already pressed together from hiding, are pulled even closer by him. His warm fingertips stroke my cheek, then trail slowly down my neck in a delicate caress.

Lucien: [whispers] The Queen has instructed the toys to seek what they desire most in their hearts. If it were me...

Lucien: ...then surely what I desire most must be right here before my eyes.

=[Part 2]=

Of course, those are just Lucien’s jesting words to tease me. The game is still going on after all.

After my makeup is finished, the staff simply tells me that my identity is ‘Miss Puppet’ and then leads me into the old castle.

If we are all so-called ‘Queen's Toys’, then according to the fairy tale Lucien just recounted…

MC: "Find what the toys desire most in their hearts within this castle…"

MC: That means we need to find the props in this castle that correspond to our identities, and then we should be able to win the game.

But then I have second thoughts, and look at Lucien who is being a bit too mysterious on the side.

MC: "The first toy to find it can gain freedom."

MC: Does that mean that in this game with just the two of us, there can only be one winner?

Meeting my gaze, he leans lightly against the door and smiles lightly.

Lucien: Does this doll lady want to gain freedom?

Lucien's words aren't laced with much emotion; instead, they hold a kind of faint scrutiny and enjoyment that stands outside of winning and losing.

It seems that more than victory or defeat, he takes pleasure in the interesting developments he's "created" throughout this whole process.

Enveloped by his permeating silent arrogance, I, on the contrary, subtly curl the corners of my lips into a smile and lean closer to him.

MC: Compared to freedom, I'd rather not let a certain Mr. Jester get too bored.

MC: Furthermore, I enjoy a challenge and am prepared to put in all my effort to win.

I gently graze his cheek with my fingertips, letting myself sink into the depths of his profound and mysterious eyes.

MC: You better be a bit more serious, okay?

MC: Otherwise... be careful not to get left behind in this castle~

Lucien: …

His eyes seem to freeze for a fleeting moment, but they fill with even more smiles in the next instant.

Lucien: [chuckles] Then this Miss Puppet will have to put in a lot of effort.

Lucien: After all, leaving you all alone in the castle would make me feel terribly lonely.

✂———————–

After issuing a ‘declaration of challenge’, naturally, it's necessary to seek more information.

But this castle is much larger than I imagined. Even though many rooms can't be opened, it'll still take considerable time to investigate the rest.

At the same time, the occasional sounds of clockwork and footsteps add a touch of horror to this dilapidated old castle.

The sounds of footsteps varied, sometimes intense and frightening, and at other times merely a soft, creeping rustle across the floor, creating noises that grate on the nerves.

Lucien: Looks like the party is going well.

MC: This means... the other 'toys' are also searching for things that are important to them, right?

Facing my interpretation, Lucien curls his lips without a word. At this moment, I finally vaguely confirm a certain boundary to Lucien's words.

In our earlier exchanges, there were two instances where he clearly mentioned the task settings for ’this game,' which triggered warning alarms both times.

Moreover, throughout all his interactions and expressions, he has been entirely restricted to addressing me as a 'puppet'.

This indicates that although I still can't further confirm what prop Lucien desires as the ‘Jester’, his words are still an important way for me to obtain information.

MC: Mr. Jester, shall we cooperate for the time being?

MC: There are a lot of rooms here. Given that we don't have much information, I think working together would be more efficient.

MC: There should be other rooms we can open on this floor. How about we each take half and then combine the information?

Lucien: You trust me that much?

Just as his voice falls, a sharp warning sound rings again.

Lucien freezes momentarily, ponders for a while, then nonchalantly lifts his lips into a smile as he looks at me, seemingly waiting for my answer.

MC: Indeed, if you hide any information, I wouldn't notice it.

MC: But luck also plays a part in the outcome. Whoever finds the key clue naturally has the conditions for victory.

MC: Besides, who’s to say it won’t be me hiding the information instead?

Lucien: …

Under the moonlight, Lucien smiles as he leans down and gently lifts my fingertips.

Lucien: Please allow me to apologize for my recent discourtesy.

The moment his thin lips lightly touch the back of my hand, I feel as if I can hear the sound of my heartbeat.

Lucien: Good luck to you, beautiful Miss.

✂———————–

Accompanied by chilling footsteps, Lucien and I begin searching the castle.

Most of the rooms I can access are incredibly shabby, but fortunately, I'm still managing to gather a number of clues.

Using clues from the diaries of some other toys, I quickly identify several key-seeming props mentioned in them and hide those props.

MC: I found a page from a fairy tale, and the content matches what you said earlier.

MC: But it's been ripped out of a book, which means there's a complete version of the story.

Lucien: According to the map, this villa has three floors. The first floor consists of the lobby, reception room, and toy display room, while the Queen’s bedroom is on the third floor.

Lucien: The second floor is fairly special. It has dozens of rooms, and the room numbers aren't in order.

MC: I have a feeling those rooms belong to the toys.

As I speak, I unfurl half of the kraft paper scroll towards him, revealing the words "Toy List".

The paper is filled in symbols of various shapes that look like a child's freehand doodles, each with numbers like "201", "205", "219" written beside them.

MC: There are 13 of these symbol and number combinations, so I'm guessing...the Queen has 13 toys in total.

MC: Corresponding to the 13 rooms on the second floor.

Lucien: It seems our objectives have become quite clear.

MC: That's right. Once we figure out which symbols correspond to which toy, we can use the map to find the rooms.

MC: Do you think... that 'Toy Display Room' might have the answers?

Faced with this probing question, Lucien doesn't respond but simply looks at me deeply as I shake the kraft paper.

In the next second, he lightly flicks his fingers––

A silver key sways and gleams faintly beneath the moonlight.

Lucien: I’m curious too.

I never thought that Lucien would just happen to have the key to the toy display room in his hand.

However, in this kind of adversarial game, having one more condition to compete with him is never bad.

And now, I’m indeed lucky to have made the right bet.

The night seems to grow even darker, and the eerie footsteps cast long, strange shadows, flowing like water past our feet, then slowly fading away.

With a 'click' sound, I follow behind Lucien and walk into the toy display room.

Only the moonlight remains inside the room, falling onto the staggered display stands, where toys of various shapes are placed.

The toys sit quietly in this somewhat rundown room as if they are waiting for someone.

I gently pick up the toys and notice that each has a familiar symbol emblazoned on its body and a heart-shaped hollow on its chest.

I quietly ponder for a moment, and instead of saying anything, I continue searching.

Soon I spot a puppet on the display table at the edge of the room, dressed in the same clothes as mine, except this puppet has a wooden puppet control bar and strings attached to it.

MC: …Wooden control bar?

An inexplicable 'click' sound occurs when I pick up the puppet.

I look at the symbol on the doll in my hand with confusion, my mind spinning.

Is it a similar doll? Or is there another reason? Thinking this, I open the scroll and begin searching for clues.

Suddenly, I freeze.

No matter how many times I check, I can't find the same symbol as the one on the puppet.

But after cross-checking the symbols with the other toys in front of me, I subconsciously hold my breath——

Dachshund spring toy, toy soldier, plush bird, roly-poly toy, carousel, feather pen…

The 13 symbols on the toy list correspond precisely to the 13 toys.

My gaze slowly moves to the figure under the moonlight; the master's smooth fingertips carefully caress the marionette that looks like me.

Then, as if sensing something, he indifferently looks back.

There is no jester toy in this room.

=[Part 3]=

The missing jester, the extra marionette.

At this moment, Lucien and I seem like some kind of aberrant existence.

Neither of us is the Queen’s toy—I immediately come to this judgment.

Then who am I? And who is Lucien?

Could it be that he secretly hid some more important information?

Meanwhile, Lucien also seems to have realized my judgment.

But he still unhurriedly fiddles with the marionette in his hand while gracefully walking up the steps.

Lucien: The Queen hosts a fun-filled party with all her toys.

Lucien: The toys search for what they desire most—ah, it’s their beloved Queen.

He gives a small bow, and as his words fall, a red balloon floats out of nowhere.

I unconsciously grab it, only to see more and more red balloons appearing, until eventually, all that remains are that pair of captivating eyes.

Lucien: So... ultimately, is it the Queen who captures the toys, or the toys who get the Queen?

His voice lingers near my ear, only to dissolve into the moonlit night instantly, along with his disappearing figure.

Following that, the sound of footsteps coming nearer and nearer, yet also more and more numerous.

I don't have time to consider when Lucien learned magic tricks; I immediately run out of the display room through the opened door.

Those intrigued eyes are firmly imprinted in my mind. This person is playing this game with me very seriously; I can't let him down.

His identity as a jester is definitely not simple, and I... could I be the puppet representing the 'Queen'?

Lucien's words from just now seem to linger in my ears as if hinting. After thinking for a moment, I immediately run carefully toward the third floor.

I've been here before, but the door is firmly locked, and I never found the corresponding key.

Remembering the mechanical sound when I picked up the puppet, I can't help but decide to take a gamble.

Facing the silent door, I take a deep breath and press the door handle down with force—

'Click.'

MC: …As expected!

The pleasure of solving the puzzle makes me feel confident, and I go in cautiously.

The shabby room can't hide its luxury. The large bed is covered with an exquisite embroidered sheet, and the red velvet bed curtains reveal faint patterns.

The fireplace no longer burns, and the vase no longer shines, like servants who, though dejected after being left by their master, still maintain a dignified demeanor.

The walls, covered in cobwebs, are adorned with many picture frames.

But these frames don't contain any scenery or photos—

Instead, they contain all kinds of hearts, big and small.

I quietly observe them for a long time before continuing to rummage through the room.

Soon, I find an old, yellowed book on the bedside table, with one page torn out.

With the help of light from the moon, I flip through it.

MC: "The Jester laughed loudly, proclaiming that the Queen was bored. She lifted the hem of her bright red dress and decided to play a game..."

MC: "A game of escape."

I realize in hindsight that something's not quite right.

Why is there a marionette with a wooden control bar and strings in the toy display room?

Marionette isn't on the toy list, so what does the symbol on it represent?

Suddenly, I freeze.

——it is Lucien's hint.

Just now, he guided me into thinking I was the Queen, leading me here. But if I really were the Queen, I would be very different from the one in the display room.

MC: As a toy… I'm a marionette.

MC: But the strings on me have already gone.

The toy’s escape is also the Queen’s escape.

At that moment, even though the room is clearly silent, I inexplicably feel as if someone is watching me.

From the very beginning, that gaze has been fixed on me, and all my actions are under his "control."

At this moment, I already understand who the owner of those footsteps outside the door is. After avoiding those searching "toys" and reaching the second floor—

there is a door that has always been tightly shut. Now, it opens its arms wide as if it has been waiting for a long time.

Scratches appear on the door, revealing a symbol identical to the one on the puppet's body.

I hold my breath tightly, expecting to see a familiar figure inside, but instead, I find the room completely empty.

To be safe, I close the door first and then step inside.

As expected, the entire room has already been searched.

A metal box lies on the ground, completely empty inside, with the opened lock quietly lying beside it.

[T/N: So the prop that Lucien needs—the strings and control bar, and possibly the marionette that looks like her—has already been taken by him.]

MC: ….

Am I really going to lose?

As if in response to my heart, the footsteps outside the door stop at the entrance with the sound of a clockwork.

At this moment, I understand why this door is open.

This is an invitation for ‘me’ to take the initiative to step into this cage controlled by him.

There's nowhere to go but through that door.

In the end, I have no choice but to take the initiative to open the door myself, offering myself as a sacrifice and presenting him with a delicious victory.

But I don't want to lose yet.

I stop in front of the door, even holding onto a sliver of luck as I lean toward the peephole, trying to find any possibility of escape—

Lucien: Good evening, dear miss.

Red balloons float mid-air in a green corridor, and a candle burns suspended in the air as if they’re part of a grand illusory melody.

Layer upon layer of cobwebs hang down, and twisted pumpkins are painted black and white.

In the absurd and mysterious world, Lucien raises the corners of his lips, his eyes with painted black tear streaks curving slightly.

He lifts his hand, inclining slightly in a gentlemanly bow as though taking a final curtain call.

Lucien: "A long, long time ago, there was a Queen who ruled an entire kingdom."

Lucien: "The Queen had many toys, and she lived with her toys in a castle."

The graceful yet dangerous jester tells the story again, but he carries it further this time.

Lucien: "But the toys could never get the Queen."

Lucien: "The party ended, and no one gained their freedom."

He smiles gently, and the flickering, dancing candle flames seem to sway excitedly without stopping, yet at the same time, the melting wax flows down like tears.

Lucien: "And so…The party went on, and the Queen, feeling extremely bored, intended to play a new game."

MC: …Is that the full story?

Lucien: No.

Lucien: This story will go on forever.

MC: Why?

Hearing my voice, Lucien puts away his smile.

That pair of profound and mysterious eyes unusually ooze with a hint of long-forgotten coldness, resembling a dark and gloomy sea.

The blood-red balloons are tethered in place and can only swing their body from side to side.

Yet I can clearly see the black tear mark slowly lengthening.

Lucien: Because... 'I' said so.

=[Part 4]=

[T/N: The BGM choice for this part until the end is so damn good. I highly recommend you all listen to it [In my subtitled video, it's on 12:25 time mark]. And the voice acting!!! It's definitely my second favorite, right after the first CG which makes me feel scaroused]

The Jester smiles as he opens his arms, revealing his beautiful and dangerous fangs, waiting to make a curtain call to his sole audience.

Looking at Lucien before me, I take half a step back.

A jester who doesn't exist in the story, a marionette who has lost her strings, a story that will go on forever.

A somewhat bold idea spreads in my mind, causing my heart to inevitably start beating rapidly.

After all, this is a game—and it’s only a game.

Lucien has obtained the prop, but the game isn’t over yet, so the prop alone is useless.

[which mean she still have the chance to win]

The grand door slowly opens, revealing that pair of captivating eyes in even greater clarity.

MC: So, dear Mr. Jester, what is it that you desire?

Lucien: Perhaps it’s simply… to sway with you in a dance that never ends.

With that, he places one hand behind his back, bows slightly, and extends his right hand to me.

The moment I touch his warm palm, it feels like a huge clockwork begins turning again, bringing the entire castle to life.

??: [cheers] Party! Party! We want to keep the party going!

??: Party! Party! We want the Queen’s party!

An unknown dance tune begins to play, and Lucien lifts my hand, guiding me in graceful dance steps and making me sway like the red floating balloons.

The colorful and ambiguous shadows subconsciously draw my attention, but then I’m pulled one step closer to him, leaving no room for retreat.

His hand is clearly only lightly resting on my back, yet I can’t push away even half a step.

Lucien: Dear lady, don't leave my sight.

His voice is soft, but it seems to carry an undeniable power.

For a moment, all I can do is look into his eyes, move my feet in sync with his guidance, and spin under his palm.

He is both my dance partner and the conductor of our duet.

The moonlight sprinkles over the desolate castle, and the sweeping hem of my gown traces luminous arcs amidst the black and white.

My retreat and approach, intimacy and evasion, are all in the palm of his hand—

as if there are some invisible threads that make me dance only for him.

MC: Mr. Jester, do you want to get me?

Lucien: Perhaps I’ve been striving for that purpose all along.

At some point, red strings have been wrapped loosely around my wrists.

The faint touch pressing against the small of my back also seems to remind me that he has already decided to close the curtain on this game.

With a ‘click’, the gemstone on my chest lights up.

In the Jester’s clockwork castle, the escaping Queen has returned to her throne, back under the Jester’s control.

The music ends. In that instant, I seem to catch a flicker of boredom in Lucien’s eyes.

He steps back slowly, his hand about to release me, but I suddenly pull it tightly.

MC: Mr. Jester, the story isn’t over yet.

I take one step forward, not missing the brief flash of surprise in his expression.

The halted music hasn't faded, and the game is still ongoing, just like this story.

I place Lucien's hand back on my waist, leading him to dance with me once more.

MC: "Once upon a time, there was a Queen who ruled over the entire kingdom. The Queen has many, many toys, and she lives in this castle with them."

MC: "Who is her toy, and whose toy is she?"

These are lines written on the last page of the book in the Queen's chamber.

The Jester forgot, even though he exists outside the story, when he entered the story as an escapee character—

he naturally became a part of it.

As I guide Lucien in the swaying dance, the melody begins to play once again.

I am the Queen of this castle.

MC: Dear Mr. Jester, I welcome you to my castle.

As if summoned, the toys dashed out of the darkness, surrounding us on all sides.

The silver disco ball spins, scattering vibrant specks of light across the entire room.

I pull Lucien's hand, leading his steps as we spin in the middle of the room, as though this is precisely the center of the whole world.

??: [cheers] Queen! Queen! Our beloved Queen!

But Lucien also seems unwilling to be outdone; those deep, profound eyes now brim with even more undisguised mirth.

When I want to take a step forward, he moves even closer, drawing me into his embrace. When he lightly pushes me forward, I sidestep and twirl to his side.

Beneath the flowing melody, a more suggestive and provocative tension pervades the air.

The contending steps and calculating gazes, exchange of critical winning moves—each and every second is savored before victory arrives.

MC: Give me your heart.

I place my fingertips on the black heart on his chest as I lean forward–––

He encircles me even more firmly in his arms, letting me sink deeper into the depths of his eyes.

At the same time, the black hue underneath my palm gradually fades away, replaced by a red glow identical to the gemstone on my chest. The light reflects in our shared gaze.

“Thump”, “thump."

The sensation of heartbeat felt beneath my fingertips seems to make that shade of red even more vivid.

Lucien: What if I refuse?

He speaks as his fingertips caress my chin gently yet resistlessly, his warmth delicately spread through the fabric of his glove.

In places hidden from view, the red strings entwined around my wrists and fingertips gently tighten as though he is orchestrating my entire heartbeat along with the blood vessels.

MC: It's already too late.

My hand gently caresses the seemingly throbbing light, and I lightly tighten my grasp.

MC: Each toy's chest is hollow, and in the Queen's chamber you haven't had the chance to visit... I found all the hearts.

When someone's heart is taken, they become the Queen's loyal and devoted toy.

However, only a Queen bound by shackles can take someone else's heart.

MC: You should have left quickly after putting the "wooden control bar" on me

Lucien: [chuckles] I was too greedy.

Lucien: Or rather... from the very beginning, I was mesmerized by something far too beautiful.

Lucien: But I don't feel like I've lost anything.

He makes his heart fit even more completely in my palm, yet at the same time, he also tightens the red strings in his hand, his eyes flickering with dazzling light.

Lucien: If you want this heart of mine, you might have to pay a heavy price.

To get his heart, you must willingly surrender to his control. To not be controlled, you must get his heart.

This game seems like a never-ending story.

Lucien: [whispers hoarsely] Now… answer me once more, please.

Lucien: Do you still want my heart?

— — — — — — — —FIN — — — — — — — — — —

[Afterwords]

If you remember my afterwords about the latest solo date, you might recall how I felt a bit disappointed because it seemed to only highlight his wins. But I think this date washes away some of those disappointments, as it delivers exactly what I want to see in their rivalry—a game where both of them can match each other’s freak wits.

Who won in the end? Who's controlling whom? Personally, I believe it ends with a mutual surrender of control. The marionette willingly surrenders to the Jester's control, but she’s not really under his control, as she has already captured his heart. Meanwhile, the Jester gives up his heart and becomes her loyal toy—but this surrender doesn't feel like a loss to him. Control and surrender blur—intertwined and inseparable, much like the red thread that binds them both.

Another interesting thing is that his date is reminiscent of S2 Chapter 59, where they play "werewolf game" (commonly known in the West as mafia game) as enemies—competing with each other, but ultimately just wanting to keep playing together for as long as possible. A werewolf game that ended in a tie with them killing each other at the end, and now it is an escape game where neither of them wants to escape... Want to compete with all of their might, yet also don't want to stop playing with each other. No matter the game, it'll only be a two-person play and other players are just NPC.

#I KNOW ITS WAY PAST HALLOWEEN BUT DAMN THIS DATE IS SO SDHJDSHJDJ #TRULY EVENLY MATCHED OPPONENT!!! I love it when the writers write this rivalry aspect of them.#mlqc lucien #mr love queen's choice #mlqc cn #mlqc spoiler #mlqc #mlqc translation #mr. love queen's choice #mr love lucien #mlqc xu mo #mlqc spoilers

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daz4i · 4 months ago

Text

could dr. ratio originally be from the laurel wreath galaxy?

this is a repost of a theory i posted yesterday, now slightly more clean and properly tagged 🙏

in case you don't know, the laurel wreath galaxy (possibly a mistranlsation of "star system", if that changes anything) was supposedly destroyed during the emperor's wars. information about it is scattered throughout the game in very scarce ways. later i elaborate on how it went down in a more detailed way!

1. so let's get the most obvious detail out of the way first: he wears a laurel wreath 👍 at least a partial one (one leaf for every phd. maybe one day he'll reach a full head 😩)

these were common in ancient greece and ancient rome, cultures that his design, abilities, and eidolons are inspired by (both in aesthetic and language)

2. the laurel wreath galaxy was ruled by scholars - the philosopher union, until inorganic life took over during the emperor's wars. to give a very short tldr, civil war between organic and inorganic life, robots killed the head of the philosopher union, due to having no leaders the organic life of the galaxy was defeated

here we already have another obvious connection - philosophy, one of ratio's phds, that he even discusses with the trailblazer in one of his daily messages

3. one of the in-game sources about this place is the curio "rationality's fall". here is the first part of story attached to it for you to consider:

What is truth? No one truly knows. Supposing that "stupidity" is an incurable disease in this world, then disseminating knowledge counts as a treatment for the universe.

hm. we got a) truth (aka. ratio's name) b) a description of stupidity as a disease, which is something he claims repeatedly and thus seeks to cure it, in part by distributing knowledge (which is why he joined the guild, and why he's a teacher).

3.5. only other somewhat relevant part of this description is its mention of books ("Through such absurd means, books cleansed a world of its impurities once more") but that's not necessarily related to him obviously. however it's worth pointing out that one of his interactions on the express is literally all about how much he loves books and implying that they are relatively rare these days ("The touch of a paper book is a sensation I frequently find myself missing"). just a little something to think about

4. in gold and gears, there is an occurrence - cogito hair salon: intelligentsia guild - that implies that ratio is 2000ish years old. afaik these occurrences all happen around the same time as the emperor wars, aka when all the shit went down in laurel wreath

now. if you've read literally any of my other ratio theories. you know i don't quite like this, bc i find that ratio being 2000+ years old kinda defeats his whole Thing as a character. but we can't deny that it's there (tho possibly a mistranslation from what i gathered, but i can't say for sure) so i'm gonna use it for this theory 👍

5. here's where i'm gonna become full-on conspiracy brain. don't say i didn't warn you

after the whole defeat of the union, there were followers of aha who rose against the inorganic lifeforms and infected them with what's described as a "troll virus" called Philosopher's poison. i can't quite tell you if it's poison *to* philosophers (bc from what i gathered the inorganic life of laurel wreath were also philosophers) or caused *by* philosophers (implying these followers of aha were themselves philosophers as well. i like this interpretation more tbh)

what you're supposed to get from all that^ is that there was a large number of followers of aha in this galaxy, and they were wise enough to stand against robots that tried to wipe out their people, and even overthrow their army.

it's a pretty common theory by now that ratio has connections to the elation (beyond just the worm theory :P tho a lot of relevant info that i bring up here was gathered by @/b1adie in said theory which is very helpful, please go check it out 🙏) which, if he is indeed from laurel wreath, may add another layer to his past

some connections between ratio and aha, off the top of my head:

a. has an owl mask on his right shoulder, close to where aha has an owl mask located as well + his eyes fit aha's color scheme

b. refers to himself as a "side character" in the sticker book - sampo and sparkle, our known fools, do as well

c. can basically instantly disappear when characters aren't looking at him - as seen in his conversations with aventurine - which i can say for sure sampo does as well (like in the museum mission chain), possibly sparkle too tho i can't recall a specific instance to back this up

d. bows to the audience at the end of his quest, same as sampo does at the end of the belobog storyline

e. known to work from the shadows and pull the strings to make things happen or for his observation, which is how aha is described too at times, as well as their followers (sparkle is literally shown pulling strings of puppets in the "it's showtime" light cone, also sampo *gestures at literally everything he does during the belobog arc* Yeah)

f. in the herta space station, he creates a bit of a panic and theoretically puts people in danger, but in the end they all turn out okay. a similar instance can be seen in the "bestial ferocity" mission, where zhongshan, another masked fool, creates chaos for her own entertainment, which does end up hurting the people involved but absolutely not in major ways. in a way, at least in her view, she solved their problems too. while ratio probably doesn't cause chaos just for entertainment, but rather for information, you can argue these cases are similar, especially when at the end of the day they do end up helping these people in their own way. you can also claim that sparkle and sampo do similar things in their own respective arcs for their own reasons (sparkle with. the bombs. and sampo with dragging tb & bronya to the underworld. i'd argue neither of them do these for entertainment but that's an analysis for another time) aka this is a pretty common behavior for masked fools!

g. a smaller thing, but, the main part of his kit is follow-up attacks, which is aha's thing in the simulated universe

h. is his headpiece considered a mask? in his first conversation with tb on the astral express, he ends by saying "With this mask on, I intend to keep the world at bay". this is in reply to tb saying "i hope you are swayed by the express", and given ratio's main uses for his headpiece (dull his senses and block out stupid people), it makes most sense that he's referring to that here. we see him wearing it in-game precisely when he is about to cause chaos, too

also he has a mask on his shoulder. as already pointed out. so. not beating the masked fool allegations

^all this was actually to make you fall for the fool ratio theory. sorry. but i swear it's related to this post's main theory

so to connect this back to laurel wreath. the followers of aha used a virus. one of ratio's phds is in engineering, so he could've used that to create the virus. it might even be one of the achievements attributed to him that caused him to be recognized by the university as eligible for teaching in the first place, who knows

combining everything laid out here, you can probably see where i'm going with this - was ratio one of the followers of aha who took down the inorganic lifeforms of laurel wreath using this virus?

also, just for extra spice - this could add another layer to ratio's disdain towards the genius society, given that the one who incited the emperor's wars was a member of it

that's all i have for you for now 🙏 idk if this was intended, but i love speculating about ratio's origin and backstory, and i think this is a pretty cool option for it!

#honkai star rail #dr ratio #veritas ratio #hsr theory #yyyyeah that's enough tags 🤔#if there's anything that may debunk this. lmk but be nice about it i'm sensitive 🥺#also apologies for any weird phrasing. english is hard 👍#dan rambles #i have decided. to make a tag for my ratioposting ->#that doctor makes me ill

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datvtranscripts · 2 months ago

Text

The Enemy of My Enemy Pt. 3

Race and Class Decor

Signs and Portents Masterpost Previous: Faction Memento

Rook continues to decorate the room.

Race Dependent Dialogue:

Dwarf [1]

Elf [2]

Human [3]

Qunari [4]

1 - Dwarf Place Dwarven Puzzle Set Rook: A peddler gave me this after I saved his caravan from bandits. He told me he always admired dwarven craftsmanship, especially with anything made from stone. Called us "an impressive people."

Dialogue options:

He’s right. Rook: (Chuckle) I guess we are, every now and then. Here's to fine dwarven crafts. [5]

He meant well. I know. Rook: He was trying to be nice, but… well, it's better than another human asking why we can't dream or do magic. [5]

No, we aren’t. Rook: The surface dwarves run the lyrium trade like a crime family, and the dwarves down below won't even talk to us. Real impressive. [5]

He loved traveling. So do I. Rook: He had fancy silks from Orlais, statuettes from the Wilds down south… I could've listened to stories all night about places he'd been. Now I'm getting to see some of those places, myself. [5]

2 - Elf Place Ancient Elven Scroll Rook: A peddler gave me this after I saved his caravan from bandits. He told me the scroll went back to even before Tevinter. Said that elves had a rich history, "even more than the rest of us."

Dialogue options:

He’s right. Rook: We've got a culture that's lasted thousands of years. Good to remember everything we've done. [5]

We also face prejudice. Rook: Too many humans look down on us, even though elves were here first. Nice to have someone see how much our people have done. [5]

The gods make that hard. Rook: That history looked better before Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain came back and started blighting everything. [5]

3 - Human Place Chess Set Rook: A peddler gave me this after I saved his caravan from bandits. He told me nobles think of ruling like a game of chess, that each move determined what mark humanity will leave on the world.

Dialogue options:

That’s a lot of work. Rook: That's a big responsibility. But if we can leave the world better than we found it, it'll be worth it. [5]

We’re too focused on war. Rook: We fight each other, we oppress the elves, we're at war with the Antaam… If our rulers keep treating everything like a war-game, the only marks we leave on the world will be scorch marks. [5]

The gods won’t care. Rook: If we don't stop fighting each other and focus on the real problems, it'll be the gods leaving their mark, not us. [5]

4 - Qunari Place Qunari Face Paint Rook: A peddler gave me this after I saved his caravan from bandits. He was so impressed with the Vitaar that Qunari wear to protect our faces… and the fireworks he saw at a Rivaini festival. Said he had no idea "my people" were such accomplished alchemists.

Dialogue options:

The Qunari have problems. Rook: "My people" went to war with the whole world and then lost control of their own military. Alchemy is all they've got left. [5]

He was trying to be nice. Rook: I guess it's better than thinking all Qunari are big lumbering brutes, but still… Well, he meant well. [5]

I don’t follow the Qun. Rook:"My people." Not like I grew up under the Qun. Probably wouldn't have been a good fit, given all the rules. But the Qunari have accomplished a lot. It's good to remember that with everything else going on. [5]

5 - Scene continues.

Rook goes to the aquarium glass where there is another spot to decorate.

Class dependent dialogue:

Mage [6]

Rogue [7]

Warrior [8]

6 - Mage Place Magical Project Rook: "The Ever-Turning Orb." My final training project as an apprentice. I spent months finding the precise balance of energy flows to make the enchantment permanent.

Dialogue options:

Those were the days. Rook: My teachers said they'd never seen anyone weave the layers of magic so intricately, but it all just felt right. Scene ends.

I wasn’t a model student. Rook: Rook: Might've gone faster if I hadn't been exhausted from too many late-night escapades. Ah, well. Still got it done. Scene ends.

It was hard but worthwhile. Rook: Amazed this thing still works, seeing how many times I messed up the magic and broke something… but I got there eventually. Scene ends.

For all the good it did. Rook: I could've used more time learning to cast spells while someone swings a sword at me, and less time on "floating orbs." Scene ends.

7 - Rogue Place Rogue’s Practice Kit Rook: The tools every professional scoundrel needs when learning the trade. I spent as much time picking locks and mixing poisons as I did training with blades or a bow.

Dialogue options:

Those were the days. Rook: That precision, every reagent measured perfectly, the feel of the lock opening… It all just felt right. Scene ends.

I wasn’t a model student. Rook: At least when I hadn't lost my privileges after setting a smoke-bomb trap in the privy. Scene ends.

It was hard but worthwhile. Rook: It took me so long learning to get the alchemical mixtures just right… but what I learned saved my life more than once. Scene ends.

For all the good it did. Rook: I didn't stop Solas with fancy tools and poisons. I dropped a pillar on him. Scene ends.

8 - Warrior

Dialogue options:

Those were the days. Rook: Working drills until I had the perfect strike, ready to face anything. Everything came so easily back then. Scene ends.

I wasn’t a model student. Rook: If I hadn't gotten stuck with kitchen duty for breaking curfew so often, I might have read it even more. Scene ends.

It was hard but worthwhile. Rook: The number of times I banged my head against this book, trying to make the concepts work… But that training has kept me alive so far. Scene ends.

For all the good it did. Rook: Most fights ended with me knocking my opponent down with a kick instead of some fancy move. Scene ends.

Next: The Gods’ Plans

#dragon age the veilguard #dragon age #datv #dragon age veilguard #dragon age the veilguard transcripts #dragon age the veilguard dialogue #dragon age veilguard transcripts #dragon age dialogue #dragon age transcripts #dragon age veilguard dialogue #datv transcripts #dav dialogue #dav transcripts #datv dialogue #long post #datv spoilers #the enemy of my enemy

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ananke-xiii · 5 months ago

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Although I mainly see the first six episodes of s13 as an engaging portrayal of two grief-stricken people lacking the tools to deal with what has happened to them, I can also totally see them as the so-called "widower arc". Two things can be true at the same time because yes, Dean was totally grieving Cas' death. But I'll make it worse for you.

Maybe I'm biased by the many times I've read the term "widower arc" but Dean was 100% looking for a consort in Cas in s12 (yes, "consort", I'm tired of "partner" or "boy/girlfriend", they're weak terms, give me "sharing destiny" type of old words) so I think this interpretation is not so far-fetched.

We have a grieving widow(er), a desired consort who's dead and then resurrects and a son who's been defined as "the rising son". As I've already said these are some of the elements of one of the most ancient myths in Western culture, that is the myth of Isis and Osiris.

Now, of course it was not a retelling of that myth, I don't even think it was a conscious effort to shape the story that way but sometimes symbols will be symbols, what can you do?

First of all, two brothers: Set and Osiris and Lucifer and Cas. We know how it goes, one brother kills the other (As an aside in one version Set built a wooden chest and tricked Osiris to enter into it just to seal it and drown it in the Nile. We have totally NEVER seen this image in Supernatural. Not even ONCE).

Things get very interesting from here on because in the myth there's a lot of focus on the body of the deceased brother, Osiris/Cas. The most famous way Set disposed of his brother's corpse was to cut it into pieces, to... tear him apart if you will. It is then kinda WILD that AU!Michael kills "his" Lucifer the same way:

MIchael: I killed my Lucifer. Tore him apart in the skies over Abilene. But hey, can’t get enough of a good thing.

Apparently, the body must be somehow intact for resurrection to happen. In the myth Isis has to find his husband's bodyparts scattered all over Egypt in order to resurrect him. So we need to pay extra close attention to Cas' body which we are actually shown in that tragic scene where Dean prepares him for the pyre. So it's Dean who takes care of Cas' body, who "collects" it, just like Isis. Interesting.

In SPN "What gets burned stays dead", therefore Cas cannot resurrect, or so they think. The mantra is repeated by Jack in "Tombstone" when he first sees his father. To be honest, we don't really know how Cas resurrects. For the first time we see what happens to him between death and rebirth but we miss the technicalities. We can only assume that Cas' ashes were enough. Or maybe, just maybe, that's just a rule that applies in Chuck's story. Just saying.

I'm not sure if they try to discover how Jack managed to do that but the point remains: it was Jack who woke Cas up in the Empty.

And why did he do that? Well, because he can. The very first thing that Jack does is resurrecting Kelly in an episode aptly named "The Future", where Jack is sort of introduced via his mother's resurrection. He doesn't know how to use this power but he unconsciously does it again with his father. And I ask again: why?

Jack wakes Cas up in "The Big Empty", four episodes into the season. He could've done it sooner? No. Because what prompts him to unconsciously act is Dean's grief. And Dean reaches his boiling point when Sam finally provokes him. Osiris/Cas dies and his consort Isis/Dean is inconsolable. Other people like Sam can forget about it, but Dean can't in every sense of the verb.

In the myth it's Isis who resurrects Osiris and has a child, Horus, with him. But she got help. Dean's only human but there is a demi-god running around in his bunker so I think that helped. And Cas must be credited for the effort and the pushing.

Let's just say that resurrecting Castiel took three, actually four people okay? It required a team effort. Because none of them is a fully-fledged god like God or Amara or some Archangel who can just snap their fingers and boom welcome back to Life. Coaxing someone into resurrection (a resurrection with consent) takes a lot of willpower... and a lot of love.

I said four people because the last character in this little story is The Shadow. And we see this in the myth as well!

Isis doesn't "just" resurrect Osiris, she has to convince the motherfucker. Cause, you see, Osiris's heart was tired. A tired heart! Oh so beautiful! He didn't see the reason to go back to life. He was sooo tired. Isis has to literally seduce him back to life. And... this is kind of what The Shadow does, but in reverse? It tells Castiel to go back to sleep, to find peace, it's been in his mind and he wants to sleep, it knows!

The Shadow is Cas' tiredness, all his failures and regrets. But, as I said, it takes a lot of willpower and a lot of love to resurrect the dead, this is what Isis teaches us actually. To love more and then some more. And Cas loves back and he loves hard.

Castiel: You can prance and you can preen and you can scream and yell and remind me of my failings but somehow, I’m awake. And I will stay awake and I will keep you awake until we both go insane. I will fight you. Fight you and fight you for…ever. For eternity.

He didn't come back because he annoyed an ancient cosmic being. He came back because he loved.

So Osiris/Cas are back to life and that's good, right? Well... yeahhh. The thing is that Osiris will then live in the world of the dead so he kinda doesn't really really stay alive for long. And Isis will follow him. Things will likely go bad for Cas.

But the story continues!

Set/Lucifer and Horus/Jack engage in a rather disturbing (in the myth) struggle for power. The myth has different endings: in one they reconcile, in another they divide the realm, in yet another one Horus is the one true winner. So we don't really know (from this point in the narrative) how things will actually turn out for the two of them.

Isn't it interesting? Well, it's not surprising because there is a connection between christian stories and greek and egyptian ones but still? Kinda cool to see how myths keep repeating and repeating. As if we're still trying to understand them.

Anyway: yes to the widower arc, yes to love piercing through the veil of death. Both ways! It takes the love of two to resurrect.

#for my series: cas and resurrection #on resurrection #spn s13 #supernatural #castiel #dean winchester #lucifer spn #jack kline #the empty spn #myths we live by

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ender-reader · 1 year ago

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DP X DC/Marvel Prompt 1#

sooo I've had this mind obsession about giant fluffy monsters so why not jam Danny and DC/Marvel into this mess to make a cool prompt?

Summary: Danny's been sealed away in an ancient temple. someone (could be a hero or a scientist that deals with ancient stuff, i forgot what they're called) finds the entrance but cant go past that. they call Batman/Tony and/or Constanaine/Dr.strange for help(probably along with one of the batkids or Spiderman). Chaos ensues.

What exactly happened to Danny: Danny's been sealed away in an ancient temple during a a time mission from CW that caused him to go in his eldritch horror form and getting sealed away in a temple using chains and of course: Blood blossoms but not to the extent that they continually hurt him, just enough to keep him sealed away, after all: if you hurt a baby ghost, it probably wont end well.

Note: this can be ghost king danny if you want.

and i know i got the characters wrong but im trying, its been a while since i watched marvel

onto the somewhat detailed prompt:

DP/Marvel(or DC, just change who the characters are):

Wang (i think that was his name? the guy that always doubts dr.strange but helps him anyways) has picked up a strange magic signature somewhere around Egypt, after he decided to go and investigate himself, he found an entrance to a sealed ancient temple with a few dead bodies nearly hidden by sand. When he tried to enter, he felt death magic pulse through him and he quickly moved his hand away, whatever was in there, whoever put the seal on this temple wanted to either keep whatever's outside out... or whatever's inside in. he didnt like this not one bit, he does the one thing that would make sense (kinda in his deep opinion): he goes to Steven Strange.

"So your telling me, that you found an ancient temple that's radiating 'infinite realm' kind of death magic and tried to enter it ON.YOUR.OWN?" Strange said rubbing his nose bridge with a sigh. "I dont get whats wrong with that? Death magic's still magic and you two are wizards." Tony said raising a judgemental eyebrow at Strange.

"yes thats true, BUT, infinite realm magic's not like normal magic, not even normal death magic." Wang explained raising a finger at the 'but'. "so? its still magic? or does it have diffrent properties?" Peter, tired of only listening decided to start asking some questions to understand the situation better.

"to understand infinite realm magic, first you need to know what are the infinite realms" Strange countered with a heavy tone, looking at Tony and Peter.

"Strange, we are not to speak of the dead so openly" Wang hissed turning to look at Steven. "oh come on, they're gonna find out eventually and you know it, better they know or one of them gets killed trying to find out." Strange said furrowing his brows glancing around him as if expecting something to attack him. Wang only grumbled sitting on a chair that was not there before.

"the infinite realms is a realm between worlds, like a pocket dimension. it is also known as the realm of the dead, the realm of ghosts, souls, and spirits. it is neither heaven or hell, it is were the dead go when they have too strong obsessions that keep them going, it is where the dead go when they don't want to let go of their life. it has its culture, rulers, ghost types, Gods and Goddesses called Ancients, islands of different shapes and sizes. it also has: A Ghost King, one who rules all the kingdoms, tribes and all ghosts in the infinite realms. they have the title of High King. They run on a substance called ectoplasm, which can be considered the main source of infinite realm magic.

Do not mess with the dead and they will not mess with you. Don't engage with infinite realm inhabitants because the risks are far too high. The last high king was Piriah Dark, he went mad and devoured worlds, not much is known about the new High King, all we know is that he was only around 2 death years old which in on its own baffling." Strange said crossing his arm, his voice was heavy with danger and seriousness.

"so we DON'T mess with the temple?" Peter asked curiously. "..." Wang and Strange didn't know how to answer that.

i cant help but imagine this scene happening:

Danny: *giant chained eldritch horror* *narrows eyes and hisses*

Bruce/Tony, Constantane/dr.Strange and Zatanna/Wang: "..." *intimidated and are ready to fight if needed*

one of the batkids/Peter: "...omg its like a giant kitten!" *proceeds to pet said giant eldritch horror*

the adults: "..." *horrified

Danny: "..." *purrs*

if someone uses this please tag me and maybe send the link please?

#dp x marvel #dc x dp #danny phantom #ghost king danny #dp x dc #dcxdp #dpxdc #dp x marvel prompt #dc x dp crossover #dp x dc crossover #danny fenton #eldritch horror

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alatismeni-theitsa · 4 months ago

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I have some questions abt hellenic polytheism and how its practiced. I myself have been practicing it for a while, but something I noticed while researching about it is a distinct lack of actual greek people in online social media spaces. It was first brought to my attention after seeing a reddit post and youtube video explaining how using “hellenismos” is considered cultural appropriation. After that, Ive noticed how the main sources Ive used about hellenic polytheism isnt really from the people whos culture were trying to practice. AKA non greeks.

I would like to know your explanations on the basics of hellenic polytheism like altars/shrines, khernips, prayers, devotees, tarot/oracle cards, pendulums, kharis, and offerings. There might be some knowledge that I got wrong and need to change, like maybe the way I give offerings needs fixing and I need to give more perishable offerings like food than handmade crafts like art for apollo. And maybe theres a spicic way to do it and not just place it on the altar. Other than websites like hellenicfaith.com, r/hellenism is usually my main source with a grain of salt because of the strange lack of greeks in discussions, and although my friend who is also practicing hellenic polytheism gives me a lot of advice, their main sources are tiktok and. Well, I dont think I need to explain why thats a bad source. (Their main justification is “of course tiktok isnt that serious” and “it comes from the pagans themselves”)

Also, Im also curious on your thoughts about people who practice in secret.

I hope this isnt too long, I just wanna make sure Im using a better source than reddit because, well, its reddit. Not the most reliable source.

Hello! If you don't mind I will also address two more questions I got on the matter, since I feel they are related to yours. They are the following:

Hello all! You did very well to seek Greek sources because you are essentially dealing with a foreign culture and it's not right to assume it looks just like your local one. I will guide you as much as I can but I am very open to being corrected by knowledgeable Greeks and xenoi alike because I am not an infallible scholar. As always, my posts are open to additions in case I missed something.

Let me start by saying I believe it's important to focus on the living Greeks as well, in parallel to your studies of ancient religious texts. Not only were our ancient people diverse with various opinions but... they are also dead and cannot speak anymore. So, it's the alive Greeks who now handle and pass down the culture. If something gives the ick to modern Greeks, it probably goes against what the culture considers appropriate or strange.

Greeks will get "the ick" even if they are not well-read on ancient Greek customs, because the Greek culture largely holds its philosophy when it comes to worship. Disclaimer: This is not an unbroken rule, as some of our cultural elements have shifted or changed, as it happens to all cultures around the globe, and also because a Greek does not know everything. But it's good to keep that general statement in mind.

An example of a practice not seen favorably by Greeks nowadays is some Western women practitioners covering their heads because of Hellenic Polytheism. The ancient faith may demand it but the veil was forced a lot on Greek women and collectively we believe it doesn't make any sense to wear it, even in scenarios of faith tied to our culture. Now, that doesn't mean that it's any of our business if a Hellenic Polytheist wants to veil but it'd be good for this person to have knowledge of the history and rights of Greek women, and really evaluate why they want to veil beyond "the ancients did it", since Greek culture is largely disagreeable to that practice now. Find a larger discussion on veiling here.

Also please capitalize the first letter of Apollo's name because this shows proper respect ;)

Let's dive into specifics a little bit. Our culture was and is practical and anthropocentric. It takes into account reality and environment, as well as human nature.

For the anthropocentric aspect: Yes, there are general guidelines because we are talking about a tradition here but no one will take your head if you do it a bit differently. As for the practical aspect: if you give non-perishable items to the gods by putting them on their altar, in 10 years you won't have a space in your house to stand. If they are non-perishable you have no reason to remove them. Because if you remove them is like taking back offerings that were meant for the deity.

The offerings of Greeks in Polytheism and Christianity included perishable items such as food, candles/oil lamps, flowers, incense, libations, etc. And since they go bad you have a reason to remove them. But you also don't want any waste on the streets or in your house. Even the sacrificed animals were meant to be eaten, and the Greek communities believed that the smell of roasted meat made the gods rejoice. In some cases, offerings that were left outside were meant to be consumed by the homeless and travelers. Everything has a purpose and a reason within that specific community. (Flowers not so much, they are just ornamental)

It's not that you cannot or should not offer non-perishable items to the gods. I'm sure a few don't hurt anyone. Just keep in mind that if the offering is a non-perishable item it is/was usually offered to the temple, so the priests can sustain themselves and continue doing their religious service on behalf of the community. We are talking about coins, clothing, jugs, animals, or whatever else.

Continuing on the matter of offerings. A small rant on how clueless some people seem to be about offerings. It would be weird to knit a winter scarf for a god and then wear it yourself because that's not how dedication/devotion works in the Greek context. Also, leaving that winter scarf on the altar doesn't make sense either because it's just… impractical in the Greek sense. You are wasting a scarf, to put it plainly. But if you make something for one deity then give it to the deity, don't wear it yourself.

I'll tackle a few more specifics now. I think you already know what they mean so I will give my opinion on them rather than explaining them. I think my opinion is shared by many Greeks.

hellenismos -> I am not sure if it's appropriation but it's surely inaccurate. Here is why, for those who wonder, with some suggestions on how to call yourself. (hint: Hellenic Polytheist is fine)

on how to be respectful and accurate: I always recommend reading as many ancient Greek texts as possible the view of the gods directly from the ancient worshipers themselves. You can read whatever texts interest you, including plays. Plays are my favourite source, to be honest. Understand on your own what the text says. The Hymn to Demeter is focused on the pain of a mother, which is pretty obvious, you are under no obligation to hear Kate the TikToker who insists on something different. You don't have to hear YouTubers who tell you Zeus is an asshole when ancient texts show us the opposite, and give a good context on why he does what he does.

altars/shrines -> The altars I've seen are usually fine, so I think western polytheists have this down. The ancient ones would be more homogenous but in our era the religion is unorganized so it's up to the individual to create an altar. Greeks still have altars in their homes as a continuation of our polytheist practices and they also have some variation. Generally, all good here.

khernips -> χέρνιψ literally translates to "washer of hands". It's a Greek practice to have clean hands before touching any sacred objects, either in Dodekatheism or in Christianity. We do not always follow it but it's important. Our old custom is also to wash hands, face, and feet before entering our Christian temples (that's why there are κρήνες outside many of them) but that's not practiced anymore because our hygiene is overall better and we already visit the temple while clean.

The cleansing part will feel natural for most Greeks and not unfit for the whole procedure. You can also cleanse items with water if the purification ritual says so. Don't lose sleep over it. Remember practicality. Khernips is just water with which you wash your hands and you can do it before a meal, like we do today. It is meant to keep you clean but doesn't bear any spiritual force - it's not like the holy water of Christians which is imbued with divine power. It's just water included in a practice that helps the religious person get ready for spiritual time.

Also! Khernips doesn't mean that you wash the whole body! It's second part, νήβω / nivo = rub is connected to cleaning body parts. For the cleanliness of the whole body we used/use "λούω / λούζω". Fun fact, on of the greatest christian temples Hagia Sofia, had a reminder outside the gate with the same verb, and it was an anagram. "ΝΙΨΟΝ ΑΝΟΜΗΜΑΤΑ ΜΗ ΜΟΝΑΝ ΟΨΙΝ", meaning "wash your sins, too, not just your face". This anagram is found in other Christian sites, as well.

prayers -> Any prayer is good. There are only a few ways a prayer can go "wrong", since there's not a subscription for that. For example a prayer has to usually praise the magnanimity of the deity, even if you are just doing it to ask something, but words from the heart are also fine. Zeus won't smite you if you include him in a phrase without praising him first.

devotees -> Afaik this was a rare phenomenon in antiquity and it's only nowadays that Westerners decided that everyone is a devotee, which looks weird to Greeks because being a devotee doesn't work exactly like Westerners do it. You don't get to pick one god, talk 99% of the time about that god, or worship just them and not recognize the whole pantheon, or just give little attention to them.

Ancient Greek towns and people had gods they were closer to, for sure, but from what I know they didn't have the same concept as modern foreign worshipers today. They were not "αφιερωμένοι"/devoted, unless they devoted their life to a deity by serving in their temple. The devoted/devotees were not everyday people.

The everyday people felt closer to some gods in the way someone can have a saint or a prophet that they align themselves with, that they feel like they can see themselves on them, or that these gods see them, or that they are related to their struggles, or have given them some sort of protection. A cultivator of vineyards will probably feel closer to Dionysus, while a fisherman to Poseidon, and a warrior to Ares. It's the same for Christian Greeks, since each of the saints has one domain and we call on them depending on our needs.

I mean, it's okay if modern people want to make new things, but we should also be clear on the nature of the ancient practice.

tarot/oracle cards, pendulums -> They are unrelated to the practice. They are just recent elements of western spiritual fascination, and the ancient Greek religion is already complete without them. If Apollo chooses to reveal himself through tarot he may as well reveal himself on a toaster xD A toaster is as related to the ancient Greek religion as much as tarot cards.

kharis -> Some Westerners overhype foreign words that are, in reality, very simple terms. Kharis is just "the grace of god" and the concept is similar to the grace spoken in Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Kharis is not lost if you forget to wash your hands once, or if you are afraid that the item you placed on the altar is not good enough. You don't have to tiptoe around it, it's not something incomprehensible and mystical.

miasma -> Nobody asked for it but I am delivering it anyways because I see many new people to the religion treat miasma like they are 5th-century Greeks who will be punished by the plague if they menstruate too close to the altar. I've seen endless discussions online about what miasma is and all the detailed ways that you can avoid it, and how to cleanse everything and... as a 21st-century practitioner you are not supposed to be that fearful. In the Πλυντήρια festival, the statue of Athena goddess was washed clean but also cleansed metaphorically by people's sins. And you can cleanse your statues as well of course but not with the mindset of considering yourself unclean. Do not follow every advice from ancient people who thought women unclean when menstruating. Ironically, this post and this post from r/hellenism have a good approach to this. As one user says:

people who practice in secret -> I don't have particular thoughts for them. If they must hide their spirituality for reasons beyond their control, it's natural for them to do so. I wish them the best in their spiritual journey.

Take a look at my F.A.Q. page, and more specifically on these questions:

Can I worship the Greek gods as a xenos (non-Greek)?

What do Greeks think of people outside of Greece worshiping the Greek gods?

Reading List / Book recommendations on Greek Mythology

Are the Greek gods assholes? // What’s up with gods coupling with mortal women?

Also, when it comes to the practices of the ancient Greek religion, Google Scholar is your friend. Read a variety of scholars and please include Greek ones on your reading list. Western academia focuses a lot on what the myth means to The West today, while Greek academia focuses on what the myths meant in their time. Some classical students report that studying classics in Greece VS in the US can be night and day, and they got a more authentic feeling from the knowledge they gained from the Greek classes.

For gods, festivals, and rituals in Greece, I have some recommendations below, if you’d like to take a look! (The links open directly to them so you can read them for free)

Let it rain’, or ‘rain, conceive’: Rituals of magical rain-making in Ancient Greece, a comparative approach. In Roca, Z. et al. (eds.): European Landscapes and Lifestyles: The Mediterranean and Beyond. Lisboa: Edições Universitárias Lusófonas 2007: 285-304.

Cosmos 17 (2001), 197-251 Rituals of Magical Rain-Making in Modern and Ancient Greece: A Comparative Approach by Evy Johanne Håland

http://en.arch.uoa.gr/fileadmin/arch.uoa.gr/uploads/images/evy_johanne_haland/cosmos_17-2_haland.pdf

p.s., I call Christian temples "temples" because that's how we call them. We use ναός very frequently for our religious buildings.

I hope I covered your questions so far 💙😊 See you around, and have a great day!

✨🌺✨🌺✨🌺✨🌺✨🌺✨🌺✨🌺✨🌺✨🌺✨🌺✨🌺

If my posts have helped you in any way, consider buying me a coffee or giving a Paypal donation. I spend many hours per day on questions and posts, so that would support me a little.

#answered #greek mythology #ancient greek religion #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenismos #greek gods #deity worship

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matan4il · 1 year ago

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It's very interesting that anti-Zionists claim to be "anti-colonial" given the arguments I routinely see them use against Jews. For years, I've seen them use full scale blood quantum arguments, for one. Most recently, now that we're fully in "Jesus was a Palestinian" season again, I saw a famous economist claim that "Jesus is genetically closer to Palestinians, (particularly Christians) than to Israelis (0 connection to most groups)," which is false to begin with.

Personally, I'm very sensitive to this kind of argument because I'm a ger. These people go after Jews like us very hard because to them we have the wrong DNA and thus undermine Jewish indigeneity, peoplehood, and history. Even if they concede the genetic evidence of born Jews' ancestral origins, they still point at gerim and any of our descendants as the "fake Jews" who don't belong… anywhere, actually. We don't belong in Israel because we're "foreign interlopers," and we don't belong outside of Israel because we had the gall to become Jews.

It's one type of antisemitism I can't seem to numb myself toward.

Hi Nonnie! Thank you for the ask, and my apologies about how long it's taking me to reply these days. Real life is not currently kind... :(

Okay, I had to roll my eyes so hard at that propaganda lie about Jesus. (found the economist in question, love it when someone who is living as a colonizer on stolen Native American land, has the audacity to goysplain a Jewish man to Jews, who support Jewish native rights. There really is no end to how much Jews just don't count to such people, is there?)

And it really is remarkable how many things he could get wrong in just that one part of his tweet...

Jesus was not a Palestinian, he was a Jew.

If you traveled back in time, and wanted to ask him about being Palestinian, you wouldn't be able to speak to Jesus in Arabic, which is the language of the Palestinians as Arabs, you would have to speak to him in either Hebrew or Aramaic (which is so close to ancient Hebrew, that I can speak some Aramaic simply by virtue of being a native Hebrew speaker) for him to understand you. Because he was a Jew.

If you did speak to Jesus in Hebrew or Aramaic, and asked him about being Palestinian, he wouldn't know what you're talking about, because the Romans would only rename the land Provincia Syria Palaestina in 136 AD, over 100 years after his death. Calling Jesus Palestinian is like saying that Chief Powhatan (probably best known as Pocahontas' father) was a Virginian, just because he was born and lived on territory that would later become Virginia. It's anachronistic, blatantly untrue, and totally imposing colonialist inventions on native people.

To the best of my knowledge NO ONE has dug up Jesus' DNA to compare it to ANY group. This is how you can tell that when he gets to that part, this guy is just blatantly making propaganda up.

Israelis are not one group, but Israeli Jews do test close to other Middle Eastern groups, and closest to other Jewish groups from around the world.

I guess, why settle for one bit of bullshit, when you can go for five?

I find it so interesting that you used the term "blood quantum." For non-Americans, who may not know it, here's a short introduction:

A person's Blood Quantum is the fraction of their ancestors, out of their total ancestors, who are documented as full-blood Native Americans. The blood quantum policy was first implemented by the federal government within tribes to limit native citizenship. However, since 1934, tribes were granted the authority/ability to create their own enrollment qualifications.

I find it interesting, because I keep thinking Jews and First Nations have so much in common, as native peoples. I remember coming across at least two different stories of people being adopted into Native American tribes. Obviously, each first nation has its own rules about it, before and after the colonization of America, but the point is... there is room for someone to become a member of the tribe, not based on blood. Most of the time, membership of the tribe IS based on ancestry, but it isn't limited to that. Some people come and live with the tribe, adopt its customs and way of life, emerge themselves in the values and heritage, embrace its spiritual beliefs, become a member of this community, and then they are adopted in. It's the same with Jews. Most of us are born Jewish, some of us choose to live this lifestyle, embrace the customs, beliefs and culture, go to synagogue, get to know the community, and eventually adopt and are adopted by it. That's the thing. Converting to Judaism isn't just changing your belief system. It's joining a tribe, and changing one's identity through this process of mutual adoption. Converts to Judaism don't take away ANYTHING from the native rights of Jews. On the contrary, this process of conversion is so different to when someone moves from one religion to another (think of how much simpler baptism is, to the long journey of converting to Judaism), precisely because Judaism isn't just a religion, unlike Christianity and Islam. It is an entire, intricate identity that combines multiple aspects, as all ancient, native identities do.

And in this context, think of Americans who are mostly of European descent, and have nothing to do with Native American culture, or way of life, but they can point to having an "exotic" great great great grandfather, who was a Native American chief. From what I've gathered, they would not be considered members of the tribe by most Native American nations. But the person who lives with the tribe, and shares its ways and its fate? That person is recognized as such by the tribe members.

Jews are the same. We are not native just because our ancestors are from Israel. We are also native, because we are the people who have preserved that Israelite identity. We have carried its torch, and passed it on along the generations, and we have shared our light with those, who chose to stand with us, to share our ways, our fate, and the consequences of the horrible hatred aimed at us.

I love you, my fellow tribe member. Thank you for sharing the light, and the burden, together! *sending so much love* xoxox

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

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