#disir-ex-machina

[echthr0s]

@disir-ex-machina replied to your post “confusing thing I just noticed: I follow the...”:

on sideblogs it is weirdly an extra step to block someone if you're on desktop or already blocked them on your main and didn't do it on the side-- on desktop you can't do it just by clicking afaik, you have to manually go to the blocked list for that blog and type it in. same deal in the second scenario but also it'll just show you a ghost note (you'll get a notification but nothing actually in the list), so if you've got a list of any size that can make it tricky

​what in the nine fucking hells

tumblr dot com is a god damn joke

[bitegore]

7 and 28.

7: A song to drive to

ah, well, you see, I don't drive, so I'll adjust this to "a song to walk long distances to", which isn't quite the same but suits the theme; Anomaly by I See Stars is pretty good for that :D

28: A song by an artist with a voice that you love

Is it low-hanging fruit to pick Evanescence? I think probably. Hm. Of Allies tends to mix their music in ways I really like, but also I could listen to that guy sing literally anything, so 17 by Of Allies (probably my favorite of theirs) for this one

[l-u-c-i-i-e]

I didn't know him either. What a good addition! :)

Of course @graveyarddirt ❤️

Does anyone here know where I can find the Anthropocene painting (it's the title I think) with a dead man on a beach full of plastic bottles?

Please help meee, I've been looking for it for ages.😥

[countrydionysia]

Time to announce the winners!!!

For good Fortune! The 2023 Rural Dionysia is now officially over. The poll is now closed, and it is time to reveal the winners of this year's edition:

For the Freestyle poetry category, the winner is:

for furor club (óðinn and dionysos) by @disir-ex-machina

For the Modern Hymn category, the winner is

Dionysus by @beastial-bacchanal

and finally, for the “Complete the Fragment” category, the winner is

Sing the melody, calm your mind. by @piristephes

Thank you to everyone who has participated and voted and big congratulations to our three winners for this edition!

For those who celebrate it, receive our best wishes, and that you have a merry Rural Dionysia and I wish merry holidays to the others.

Reminder: The City Dionysia has its own blog @dionysia-ta-astika, so any upcoming news will be posted there. Give that blog a follow if you want to be updated. The City Dionysia is expected to be held between early February and mid-March 2024.

[unholyhymns]

@disir-ex-machina the package arrived safely and perfectly timed. absolutely delighted by the jester coin, thank you fjrhdhhreh actually, delighted by everything here

[hap-less]

🎶✨ when u get this u have to put 5 songs u actually listen to, then tag 10 of your favourite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool) ✨🎶

Tagged by @disir-ex-machina

1. Röyksopp's take on Daft Punk's interstellar. Think it's about the world ending and fucking.

2. Lots of lovelorn poppy songs in my recent listens. The video for this one (and the Röyksopp above is trippy, may edit it in when on desktop).

3. I've been a long time fan of the original song clocking around ten minutes. This updates it for a general audience.

4. I listen to this song and a lot of Wale the Sage on the way to work.

5. My partner of 5+ years mixed this into a set he spun because I like it

Tagging @snakelung @scandalousadventures @chalet2000 @fuzzylems @chilewithcarnage @koloocheh or anyone who wants to do this.

[best-beelieve]

Tagged by @welcometothewarren - thank you hunny bunny :-D

Last song: Not entirely sure but likely the opening theme from American Gods.

Currently watching: I'm trying to make my way through Buffy but I'm struggling. I'm about half way through s2 and dread the Faith and Riley seasons. I'm also trying to catch up on MST.

Currently reading: My own stuff - trying to find the spark to keep writing.

Current obsession: Look I'm still obsessed with the redheaded thief, I don't expect that to change after all these years.

tagging a few off the top of my head:@solostinmysea, @firebirddancing, @disir-ex-machina, @theemperorsfeather

but if you see this and want to play along, please do!

[echthr0s]

tagged by @disir-ex-machina

Rules: Put your On Repeat (most played, favorite, whatever) playlist on shuffle and post the first ten songs that show up.

Pallas Athena, David Bowie

Drain the Blood, the Distillers

The Hollow, A Perfect Circle

I Can Climb Mountains, Hell is For Heroes

Gently, Slipknot

As Horizons End, Paradise Lost

Invisible Wounds (The Suture Mix), Fear Factory

Bulletproof Cupid, Placebo

I Never Told You What I Do For a Living, MCR

If It Ain't You Today It Will Be You Tomorrow, Euringer + Serj Tankian

as usual, hardly a comprehensive selection considering it has ~1340 songs to sort through. also I feel like I hear either Gently or Duality every damn day lately so I guess that's Spotify's pet artist of the month

edit I can't read. I did not put my On Repeat playlist on shuffle, I just put my Liked Songs on shuffle because I assumed that's what it said, but whatever

[bitegore]

Forgot about this lol. Tagged by @disir-ex-machina

are you named after someone? does "an oc" count? government name was a riff off an aunt's name but not a one-to-one one and also I heard recently that that also wasn't true, and I'm not quite sure what to believe LMAO. Put me down as a hard maybe.

what sports have you played? uhhhhhhhhhh.... as a kid, soccer, volleyball, tennis, softball (briefly), field hockey, basketball (especially briefly), cross-country running, track and field... does martial arts count? i feel like i'm forgetting some.

do you use sarcasm? do i ever.

what is the first thing you notice about people? depends heavily on the context, the venue, the person, and the mood I'm in. Usually it's whatever's the brightest color on their person or the set of their shoulders, whichever seems more pressing.

what’s your eyes color? brown<3

any talent? i'm the best damn artist this world has ever seen (disputed), a genius writer (also disputed), pretty good at coming up with creative ideas (citation needed), and at least i think i'm funny

what are your hobbies? what aren't my hobbies? my life is a hobby and it has every subgenre of activity in it somewhere i'm pretty sure. eating is a hobby of mine as is walking places and also so is laying around doing nothing and enjoying sunbeams. i'm a hobbyist artist and also a professional on alternate tuesdays. i'm a hobbyist thing-doer and place-goer. answer: all of the above

do you have any pets? I still consider my dad's dog to be mine even though she lives eight hours away from me in my dad's house. i'm the only one who takes her for walks.

how tall are you? four foot eleven. very tall

as usual, i am not tagging anyone; tap yourself in if you want XD

[countrydionysia]

Submit your vote!

Submissions are now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted a piece for this edition of the Rural Dionysia! Are listed below this year's entries. Enjoy the read!

Freestyle Poetry

mint by @forthe-theoi

I Do Not Know How To Sing by @holywineandmadness

66 Days by @kallisto-aglaia (cw: death, cw: grief)

The gifts of Aphrodite by @piristephes

The Chthonic Sun by @khaire-traveler

Hearth Hazards by @arathergrimreaper

Untitled ('And I know you think') by @hawkmothdraws (tw: blood mention, tw: weapon)

Apollo by @beastial-bacchanal

Freeform Musing on the Zeus of China by @lavendervillage

Love of Man by @junooddly

for furor club (óðinn and dionysos) by @disir-ex-machina

The Hill at the Backyard by @straight-up-paranoia

Untitled ('Oh Enodia, brightest one') by @morteumdragonis

Modern Hymn

Dionysus by @beastial-bacchanal (tw cannibalism, tw gore, tw blood mention)

Praise to the Phosphoroi Theoi by @piristephes

To Psyche, the Hope Bringer by @starry-polytheism

Anima Bacchi by @binchtids

An Attempt of A Hymn of A Foolish Farmer Scholar by @lavendervillage

Untitled ('Hail Lord Apollon, hail golden Phoebus') by @achillesoul

Complete the fragment

fragmented (prayer?) by @eyeofnewttoungueofdog

Sing the melody, calm your mind. by @piristephes

My God by @definitelynotkiylen

To vote:

Voting takes place via poll. You will be asked to vote for 1 entry per category. You have until Dec. 18th to vote and we will be announcing the winners on Dec. 19-20th latest.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

[echthr0s]

uh. some dashenanigans featuring images too big to conventionally screencap. this is @library-cryptid and @disir-ex-machina respectively

[echthr0s]

broke the actual chain bc that thread is getting too long for my liking but here's my addition to the picrew chain I was tagged in by @disir-ex-machina

[bitegore]

11, 33, and 55 for the spotify thing

11 - A Salesman's Guide to Non-Existence by Thank You Scientist

this song makes me lose my mind. the lyrics absolutely make me insane. it's great. "go on, i've given up on you, do what you will" at high tempo. every time i listen to it i sit here gnashing my teeth and then write depressing fanfiction about transformers. it's so good. plus the sounds are like. they are so many sounds. every three lines there's a different sound despite the overarching consistent melody and stuff. i love when music never stays the same.

and the KEY CHANGE in the CHORUS it makes me INSANE!!! it's so good! it goes from down to up but it's not!!! it's not happy it's so bitter!!! and i eat it the fuck UP

33 - Machinehead by Bush

I looked this song back up this year for nostalgia reasons, because my parents both used to like it and I couldn't remember how it went. It's, like, it's fine. It's a pretty good song. Not terribly standout but it's not bad.

55 - Son Of A Serpent by Thank You Scientist

SPEAKING OF SONGS THAT HAVE LYRICS THAT MAKE ME INSANE. I actually should have this one higher on this list but I started listening to it on my youtube playlist first and so its been split across platforms but this song absolutely makes me lose my fucking mind.

like okay so on the face of it the lyrics are really depressing its like "i ruin everything and fuck it all up and i am making my own life miserable and how much more can i lose" but its?? its NOT like. its absolutely a "nowhere to go but up" anthem but it's not fucking shlocky or whatever.

like this shit

But I'm sure there's a place To bury the old me and start anew Tired of the things I put me through How much can I lose?

this shit HITS

and fucking . THESE TWO played against each other, these verses!!! i lose my mind!!!

so this is the first verse

Crash and burn Witness to the nightmare Tables turn It's a shake up You better know just what it's worth So many times, you were complacent Weakness starts to show

Constantly breaking Feel like letting, feel like letting go

AND THIS IS THE SECOND VERSE!!! LOOK!!!! LOOK!!!!!!!

Crash and learn Be prepared for consequence Tables turn Just make it up, make it up as you go As you go Don't care if it burns You just go

[points, gestures, points again] SEE? see what i mean??? im insane about it

and that doesnt even touch on like. the SONG. the MUSIC. its so GOOD these people do such interesting things with key changes midsong and it makes me absolutely nuts. i go absolutely ham for it.. i cant get enough. and so much just happens in their songs like they have so much flavor. so much texture. it's fantastic

[cargopantsman]

@disir-ex-machina

[zykamiliah]

Arthur IS coming back, because there's no evidence to the contrary, and Avalon is another world, not a tower on a piece of grass

Maybe I'm in denial, and correct me if I'm wrong, but what does Arthur being the Once and Future King has to do with what the Disir/the triple goddess said? Yeah they let Mordred live so he would kill Arthur in his first life. Doesn't say anything about the future. It's like if you took Merlin's Emrys title away just because he failed, which definitely didn't happen. The Disir basically said "accept magic or perish (in this life)"

I reread the script for The Disir episode and:

OSGAR

It is both judgement and fate. You have waged war on the people of the Old Religion. Now the ancient gods answer you. The Disir have spoken. The circle of fate begins to close. For even as Camelot flowers, the seeds of her destruction are being sown.

ARTHUR

What nonsense is this?

OSGAR

It is not too late, Arthur. Not too late to find the true path. Redeem yourself. No further chance shall be given.

Arthur is being offered a "true path", which if you ask me it's pure rhetoric. Of course, to the one speaking, their side's beliefs are always the true path. We'll get to what "the true path" is all about later.

The first thing Merlin and Arthur do, naturally, is go to Gaiuspedia to learn about the The Disir. This is what he says:

GAIUS

The highest court of the Old Religion. Three women were chosen at birth to be trained as seers and soothsayers. Their only task was to interpret the word of the Triple Goddess. When they sat in judgement, their word was final.

Interpret. I n t e r p r e t. They see visions and make their own judgment. This are just highly trained seers like Morgana who are given the authority to speak in the name of the Triple Goddess. Their word was final because as we've been shown, most visions are pretty inevitable. You can change what happens after, but what the vision shows is pretty much set in stone no matter how much you try to avoid it.

Fun fact: there's never a vision of Arthur being the high king of Camelot, or repelling the ban on magic. What visions were shown though? Arthur's death at Mordred's hand. In s1, Arthur drowned by Sophia. In s3, the whole thing with the dagger and Morgana almost dying. Gwen getting crowned. Things that actually happened no matter how much the opposing parties tried to thwart fate.

GAIUS

(...)It is said that only the gods can alter a man’s fate… And even then, only when he repents and appeases them.

And if it is set on stone, what can the gods do? Obviously perform a deux ex machina. In this case it would be to kill Mordred, which prevents Morgana learning about who Emrys is. Camlann still would happen, Merlin would just be there from the start of the battle.

KILGHARRAH

You were right to summon me, Merlin. The Disir are the mouthpiece of the Triple Goddess. It is she who has decreed Arthur’s fate.

MERLIN

What is it to be?

KIILGHARRAH

The runemark predicts Arthur’s death.

MERLIN

When? When will Arthur die?

KILGHARRAH

The future is never clear, Merlin. You should know that by now. There are many paths. Not all lead to Camelot’s ruin.

Kilgharrah summs up what the Disir will tell Arthur later: that this path is most likely leading to Arthur's death (in this life) and Camelot's ruin. (Still no mention of his "second" life)

2nd DISIR

Embrace the ways of the Old Religion, Arthur. Or risk the ire of the Goddess.

3rd DISIR

The destruction of everything you most value.

2nd DISIR

The end of your reign.

3rd DISIR

The fall of Camelot itself.

The Disir's ultimatum is as I said before: Arthur can either accept the old Religion or lose everything. I doesn't states or implies anything about his status as the Once and Future King.

1st DISIR

The future holds much pain and suffering for you, Arthur Pendragon.

2nd DISIR

For you and your people.

3rd DISIR

If you wish to save all you hold dear.

2nd DISIR

If you wish to save your kingdom.

1st DISIR

Embrace the Old Religion.

2nd DISIR

Learn her ways.

3rd DISIR

Bow to the Goddess.

The future they've seen, which is the same that Merlin was shown a part of, are the visions of Arthur dying in Camlann and Camelot falling. The future that's pretty much set in stone and could only be prevented by divine intervention. That's what the Disir are offering in exchange for keeping Mordred dead. Because if he doesn't, this path will lead him to the destruction of his kingdom, the loss of his loved ones, and his own death. The "true path", one of many as Kilgharrah said, would be one that met the Disir's demands.

ARTHUR

(...) I cannot do as you ask.

2nd DISIR

Consider carefully, Arthur Pendragon.

3rd DISIR

This is your last chance to save all that is dear to you.

1st DISIR

It will not come again.

Does any of this has anything to do with the Once and Future King deal? Do they imply anything that's not directly related to the immediate future and the battle of Camlann? No. It's about what he can do to save his kingdom now, in this life.

3rd DISIR

You have made your decision.

2nd DISIR

Sealed your fate.

1st DISIR

And that of your kingdom.

(Script Source)

Sorry Arthur Pendragon, you didn't accept the bargain. No Deux ex Machina for you. This is why he condemned himself. This is why he's his own bane, because he made this decision.

The Disir's judgment is about the destiny of Camelot, about his own fated death. It has nothing to do with his second coming. If the Triple Goddess or the Disir power could alter fate to such extent, they could have done something about that unfaithful Emrys who was, seemingly, no friend of the Old Religion. But they can't. They can't take his powers away for good. They can't sway him on their favor, much as they resent that. Even if he failed in bringing the golden era, Merlin is Emrys and always will be. And because they are two sides of the same coin, linked by destiny, for better or worse, Arthur will always be the Once and Future King. Nor The Triple Goddess nor the Disir can take that from them. It's what they are, their birthright, their magic.

[echthr0s]

@disir-ex-machina replied to your post “it's janky as fuck and gets more and more...”:

it's niche but if you ever get the vague urge to try modern Icelandic U of Iceland still runs their own free site/structured courses hosted by a seagull (iirc)

omg what, ​no way. that's incredible I have to see this *opens new tab*

holy shit. professor gull 🫡

this shot, however, is ominous. this is what The Owl thinks he looks like when he sends you threatening emails