#the egotism of self hatred

[commsroom]

doug eiffel is, in his own words, a man of many fears, but i think two of the most interesting ones are these twin fears he has about his self perception: he's afraid that no one will ever take him seriously. and he's even more afraid that they will.

i think a lot about his story in all things considered - what it betrays about eiffel's psyche that both minkowski and jacobi present versions of the narrative where they're in the right, but he has this fear. that he's screwing it up, that everything is his fault and everyone knows it, even when he's barely involved and just trying to help. that within his own narrative he is still in some way the one at fault, but also a victim of circumstance who everyone will jump to unfairly blame.

it's his attachment to this perception of himself - as the perpetual screwup, as tragically unlucky, as everyone's punching bag, as ultimately unimportant - that holds him back for so long. because the thought that he will only ever be those things, only ever his mistakes? that terrifies him. but it's safer than the alternative.

with his efforts to cast himself in that tragicomic role, taking eiffel seriously is such a central point to his character development (and specifically in what it indicates re: where he stands with the others) - everything about shut up and listen and constructive criticism, of course, but also. when hera connects with him in bach to the future by opening up about their shared insecurities, she shows him that she takes him seriously and tells him that he should take himself more seriously too. and minkowski can't fully understand eiffel or connect with him as a person until she comes to terms with his conviction and all the complexities that forces her to acknowledge in him.

it's so much scarier for doug "why the hell do you even care what i think? i'm so far beneath both of you that i shouldn't even register on your radars" eiffel to consider that maybe people can take him seriously, that maybe they already do. because if they want him around, if they value his effort, if they care about him and think about him and take the things he says to heart, then that means those things matter. and it means that he matters, which is terrifying both in what it challenges about his own self hatred and the weight it gives to his otherwise careless words and actions.

[bekkandaa]

Tom Riddle: Narcissism, Heritage, and Mental Breakdown

This analysis will delve into Tom Riddle's narcissism, heritage, and my own hypothesis that a mental breakdown led to the ultimate murder of his family.

Before I begin, it's important to define some key psychological terms for anyone unfamiliar with the subject. I'll try to simplify things down, but if anything doesn't make sense don't worry too much.

Malignant Narcissism: This term describes individuals who exhibit all three traits from "The Dark Triad"— Machiavellianism, Psychopathy and Narcissism.

Machiavellianism : Commonly characterised by manipulation and exploitation of others, unemotional callousness, self-interest, and an overall lack of morality.

Psychopathy : Commonly characterised by continuous antisocial behaviour, selfishness, unemotional callousness, and an overall lack of remorse.

Narcissism : Marked by grandiosity, pride, egotism, and an overall lack of empathy.

In Psychoanalytic theory, primary narcissism is a normal part of child development, involving self-interest and object-love. Children often harbour notions of greatness and believe they are immune to any consequences. As they mature, they become disillusioned from these grand notions to integrate into mature society. pathological narcissism actually develops when this process is disrupted, resulting in defective narcissistic structures.

( Interestingly, a number of psychiatrists have established a direct link between malignant narcissism and evil— a perspective likely considered in the creation of Tom Riddle's character. However, it is important to note that while there is a connection, it does not necessarily define someone as evil.)

Tom Riddle's behaviour aligns perfectly with Heinz Kohut's theory of object-love. According to Kohut, a child requires a mother to affirm their grandiosity or, lacking this, seeks an adult to create an "idealised parent image." Tom, lacking a mother figure and grandiose figure to emulate, proceeded to construct his own powerful parental figure.

This is evident when we see Riddle question Dumbledore about his father's wizardry, as Tom assumes his mother could not have been a witch as if she was she wouldn't have died. This belief is shattered during his teenage years, which inevitably triggers his (narcissistic) rage of his idea being disillusioned. Tom Riddle has always been a character with an ongoing quest for identity and self-validation, which is seen in his prolonged search for the Chamber of Secrets to confirm his status as Heir of Slytherin.

Tom Riddle's obsession with power and control is a fundamental aspect of his character we can't ignore. The pursuit of control is a primary human motivation, gaining control is actually proved to enhance one's sense of well-being. For someone like Tom, when this control is threatened, they would resort to coping mechanisms to preserve their sense of self. For a narcissist like Tom, a threat to his control equates to a threat to his very self.

Now, to my entire point. The revelation of his true heritage and the truth about his parents triggered a mental breakdown, causing an identity crisis. Freud posits that human behaviour is influenced more by the unconscious mind than the conscious. The unconscious mind protects itself by concealing negative memories, which can affect behaviour and attitudes. In Tom’s case, his father's abandonment left a mark, which he could not reconcile. His only solution was to eradicate this source of shame and hatred.

Tom Riddle’s patricide and subsequent name change to Voldemort signify his profound self-loathing and rejection of his humanity. This action eradicates the evidence of his shameful heritage. According to Krech, hatred often correlates with anger, manifesting as a desire to destroy the source of hatred. Riddle’s murder of his father and paternal family was an attempt to reclaim control and restore his ego. TLDR :  Tom Riddle has a fragile sense of control and ego, loses the sense of control once he learns of his true heritage. Causing a mental breakdown and killing his family. In conclusion, he is miserable and hates everyone. ( even himself to a point.)

[charnauk]

Reading Ultimates 4 feels similar to Mark Waid's run in some aspects, where he really upped the ante for the villain's misdeeds. Having them really hit the hero where it hurts, on a sadistic personal level, and everything is played straight with no jokes to ruin the tension.

I love how 6160 Reed's tale is uniquely tragic and terrifying: he's had his life ruined in all the worst possible ways by an alternate version of himself from another universe. One who also lost everything and now takes great joy inflicting that loss upon others. Maybe Maker is so far gone this is really the only way he can truly feel joy now.

Thinking about it in terms of depression: while 6160 Reed represents the despair, isolation and hopelessness, The Maker feels like a representation of the violent self-hatred and self-sabotage that's also common in depression. After all, he's inflicting all this pain on a mirror version of himself, spitefully preventing this alternative version from progressing in a way he failed to do.

I feel like for all The Maker's pompousness and elaborate displays of egotism, he's never succeeded in moving past the self-hatred he garnered throughout his childhood. And spending so many years in the dome, isolated from friends and completely focused on his destructive hyperfixations made everything catastrophically worse.

Also... I have such a vivid image in my head of The Maker slithering under the door like an oil spill, that horrid grin on his face as he sneaks in to change those equations. Gives me the shivers! And I saw someone on twitter mention that Reed probably didn't notice the changes because The Maker has the same handwriting as him, which is an extra layer of creepy.

[theshslpumpkinghost]

drdt summer fun day 3: flowers!

DRDT But It’s Flower Meanings!

Teruko

- Butterfly Weed - ‘Leave me,’ ‘You’ve been warned.’

- Marigolds are seen as a sign of death and misfortune by many cultures

- Anemones - mean forsaken and also a sign of fragility

- Bells of Ireland - Good Luck

- Blackthorn - Hope against adversity, Good Fortune, Difficulty

- Catchfly (white) - Betrayed

- Celandine - Deceptive hopes

David

- Mock oranges - mean deceit

- Cyclamens - meaning resignation or goodbye

- Angelicas - meaning inspiration

Eden

- Daisies - Innocence, Loyalty, Love

- Arborvitae - Everlasting friendship

- Aloysia - Forgiveness

- Asters (pink) - Innocence, Love, Affection.

- Violets (purple) - Love between two women

- Freesia - Innocence, Trust

- Hydrangea (Purple) - A desire to deeply understand someone

Xander

- Adder’s Tongue - Deceit

- Hyacinths - Rashness

- Weeping Willow - Mourning

- Purple Hyacinths - 'I am sorry, please forgive me,' sorrow.

- Rue - Regret, Sorrow, Repentance

- Coltsfoot - ‘Justice shall be done.’

Min

- Roses - Love

- Asters (pink) - Innocence, Love, Affection.

- Pink Roses - Perfect happiness, 'please believe me'

- Evening Primrose - Silent Love

- Walnut - Intellect

- Scabius - Unfortunate attachment

Charles

- White Chrysanthemums - Used as a funeral flower or to lay on graves, also meaning 'truth'

- Adonis’ Flower - Painful remembrance

- Buttercups - Memories of childhood

Ace

- Petunias - Resentment, Anger

- Barberry - Sourness of temper

- Basil - Hate

- Lilies (orange) - Hatred, Disdain, Contempt

- Foxglove - Insecurity

- Roses (yellow) - Cowardice

Levi

- White Roses (Dried) - Death is preferable to loss of virtue

- Purple Hyacinths - 'I am sorry, please forgive me,' sorrow.

Hu

- Orchids - Love, Beauty, Refinement, 'Beautiful Lady'

- Wood Sorrel - Maternal Tenderness

- Daylilies - Chinese emblem for 'mother'

- Cinquefoils - Maternal Affection

Whit

- Crocuses - Cheerfulness

- Coreopsis - Always cheerful

- Tulips (yellow) - Hopeless love

- Xeranthemum - Cheerfulness under adversity

- Tulips (orange) - Understanding

Veronika

- Monkshoods - Beware, a deadly foe is here

- Roses (black) - Death, Obsession, Mystery

- Tuberose - Dangerous pleasures

Arturo

- Jonquils - 'Love me,' desire for affection to be returned

- Callas - Beauty

- Narcissus - Self-love, Egotism

- Sweet Sultan - Felicity

J

- Gladioli - 'Give me a break

- Petunias - Resentment

- Roses (yellow) - intense emotion

Rose

- Acanthus - Art

- Forget-Me-Nots - Memories

- Moonwort - Forgetfulness

Nico

- Adder’s Tongue - Deceit

- Borage - Bluntness

- Petunias - Resentment

- Hellebores - Anxiety, 'tranquilise my anxiety'

Arei

- Zinnias (Mixed) - Thinking/In memory of an absent friend

- Laurestine - ‘i die if neglected’

- Arborvitae - Everlasting friendship

- Irises - 'Your friendship means so much to me’

if you wanna add any, feel free to ask! :D

…i spent so long on this thing aaa

[max-the-silly-guy]

GUYS GUYS GUYS PLEASE HEAR ME OUT ON THIS

Yellow and purple are opposites on the colour wheel, and what else is purple and yellow? The colour of Newton's filaments.

If we're following the theory that Newton is being influenced by the Titans or merely under their control and not full on possessed, then this could imply a lot.

One thing that immediately came to mind (for me at least) is how the Titans could've been merely taking all of Newton's bottled up hatred and lack of self worth and multiplying that by like a hundred. (think of Mr L from spm and you'll understand what I'm implying here)

While Newton when we first meet him and towards the end of the game (when his filaments are yellow) is what he wishes others to perceive him as, meanwhile when his filaments are purple (so while he's under the control/influence of the Titans) he's showing his true emotions towards those who've most likely hurt him in the past

Another thing I've noticed is what the colours themselves imply.

While yes, yellow is mostly associated with joy and happiness, but it's also commonly seen symbolising cowardice, illness, betrayal, egotism and anxiety.

Which perfectly sums up Newton in the beginning of the game, already showing us what kind of character we're dealing with.

He seems like a joyful and outgoing character, costly showing himself off in the best way he can. But the more you interact with him, the more dialogue you receive from him, the more you start to realise there's more depth to this otherwise 'silly and goofy' character

Newton's whole thing is that he wants praise, he wants affection. He desires it more than anything, which just further feeds into the idea that he's self conscious and struggling from extreme anxiety. Believing that he'll never be good enough, leading him to go to extreme lengths to get people to finally notice him.

Meanwhile, purple is a colour commonly associated with royalty and power, showing Newton's newfound abilities now that Titans are controlling him and basically manipulating into committing mass destruction across his planet.

But what else is purple associated with? Decadence, self-indulgence, conceit, pomposity and pride.

Purple is also sometimes seen as a color of mourning. Which is implying the old Newton, the one the player met at the start of the game, is dead. He's not the same character, not anymore and not right now. He's a twisted corrupted version of himself, letting his hatred and want to prove himself as worthy of attention and love get the better of him.

It's those emotions that allowed him to be manipulated into freeing the Titans, and why he never fought back against their control over him until much later into the game where he finally had enough and snapped.

Going back to my original statement about the two colours, purple and yellow, being opposites on the colour wheel.

These are called complimentary colours. They're exactly opposite eachother and sometimes referred to as 'harmonious colours' and contrast extremely well.

This implies that these two sides Newton has to himself, they CAN co-exist.

One of my friends even pointed out that when mixing light, overlapping purple(or magenta) and yellow gives you white. (Do some research about the additive colour mixing theory if you don't believe me this is true)

And what does white symbolise? Most commonly, purity and peace. Further proving that the two vastly different and seemingly contradicting personalities Newton showed in the game are able to exist alongside one another.

There's nothing wrong with experiencing emotions of jealousy and spite and neither is it wrong to display yourself as overly positive and confident in yourself to others, but the important thing is to not let these feelings and emotions dictate your life.

The Titans merely helped bring the negative bottled up emotions to the surface. They didn't create a whole new snarky personality for Newton while controlling him like a puppet on a string. It was there the whole time.

It was what Newton always wished to have done, to finally let everyone who ever wronged him experience EXACTLY what he did.

[rikas-things]

Twisted Wonderland and Color

Recently I've been coming across the Twisted Wonderland official art for reference photos and something hit me- their colors are quite striking, no?

But what made me curious were the meanings and associations of such colors, as each color alludes to the vices and virtues each dorm leader/house warden possesses.

Let us discover them together!

Riddle Rosehearts

Most obviously his main color is red ♥️.

Red is a color of passion, power, courage, and dominance and one that commands attention.

Most warning labels and signs usually have this color because our eyes are naturally drawn to it.

However, the negative connotations of such a color come just as clear:

Aside from the obvious association, anger, it's also a color of violence, as blood comes to mind, danger, and can be associated with hatred and war.

But let's look at the other colors, shall we?

Gold- a color of generosity and wealth but also self-centeredness and lack of trust

White- purity, perfection, honesty, and cleanliness but also coldness. Another meaning that is mainly associated with Eastern interpretation of white can also mean death.

Black- similar to red, it can represent elegance and authority, but has associations in death and darkness.

Next up is...

Leona Kingscholar

His main color is yellow 🟡 with hints of brown🟤 , silver🥈, and black 🖤.

Yellow is an energetic and cheerful color. But like gold, it's also associated with luxury and warmth.

But of course, negative connotations aside from cowardice, are deceitfulness, jealousy, and egotism.

Brown- the color most associated with the earth, it can mean sustainability, health, and, like yellow, can also mean warmth, but also loneliness, isolation, sadness, and drought (the last one is my interpretation, as most dying plants tend to have this color)

Silver- similar to gold and yellow, it represents wealth as well as wisdom and spiritual purity. Dunno how that could correlate to Leona but what do you think?

And the meaning for black is described in Riddle's color meaning.

I've noticed most colors have similar associations with one another as well. Hope that doesn't take off points 😂

Azul Ashengrotto

His was the most tricky since his dorm color is somewhat similar to Pomefiore's in that they both use purple (tho Azul's uses a lighter shade) and that the "grey" used here is more bluish than a straight gray color.

Nonetheless, I shall try my best in finding meaning in it!

What I think is it could be a pale version of lavender 🪻

And lavender is associated with purity, silence, grace, elegance, calmness, and devotion but can also be linked with feelings of frustration, sadness, and evil.

Gray- it can represent neutrality, balance l, professionalism, and calmness, like lavender, but can also represent blandness, coldness, and gloom.

Again, see above for black and white.

That's it for right now! If this gets popular, I may do more in the future. If this came across as boring or redundant, pls lemme know and share me some meanings and interpretations I might have missed!

Thanks for reading

[mariacallous]

He served as a diplomat under every Democratic president from John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama, from Vietnam to Afghanistan. But his egotism alienated superiors and colleagues, and he never reached his lifelong goal of becoming secretary of state. He wasn’t a grand strategist, but his frenetic public presence made him the embodiment of certain ideas in action. His views, like everyone’s, emerged from his nervous system, his amygdala, the core of his character, where America stood for something more than just its own power. He believed that power brought responsibilities, and if we failed to face them the world’s suffering would worsen, and eventually other people’s problems would be ours, and if we didn’t act, no one else would. Not necessarily with force, but with the full weight of American influence. That was the Holbrooke doctrine, vindicated at Dayton, where he ended a war and brought an uneasy peace to Bosnia. The country owed its existence to the liberal internationalism of Pax Americana. Now that those words are history, and we’ve retreated into a nationalism whose ugliness more and more reminds me of Balkan politics, we should revisit Bosnia to see what’s lost when America decides to leave the world alone.

...

“The only state that has a plan here is Russia,” Emir Suljagić, an international-relations professor in Sarajevo who, as a teenager, survived the Srebrenica genocide, told me. “The Europeans are muddling through, believing procedure and bureaucracy can replace policy and vision. America is as divided as Bosnia in some ways. Russia is the only one who has their act together.”

The 20th century began in Sarajevo. Starting with the First World War, three wars were fought in Bosnia’s towns and mountains. Then came Holbrooke’s achievement at Dayton, giving Bosnia a precarious foothold in the liberal world. Now the American century is over, and even Bosnia, which would not exist without the United States, is slipping away. Maybe it was always too small and profoundly messed up to matter. Maybe it was never possible for outsiders to make a change there. All that foreigners could ever do was secure conditions in which Bosnians might make a change themselves. But now we’re becoming more like Bosnia than Bosnia is like us.

There’s something else that would trouble Holbrooke’s ghost. Not the end of our global leadership—it was never sustainable, and 1995 was unique—but the withering-away of our example. We overestimate ourselves in almost every way, from jingoism to self-hatred, and all the while we ignore nameless people in obscure places like Sarajevo and Banja Luka who still think we stand for something that they want for themselves. To adapt with grace to a cut in power is wisdom. It’s folly to throw away the pearl of our real greatness.

George Packer on Richard Holbrooke and Pax Americana’s Decay

[seraphiism]

𓆩 ღ 𓆪 𝐂𝐎𝐃𝐀

( i think of all that might have been / waiting here, for evermore. ) 

chara : belial fandom : granblue fantasy quote cr : dan stevens a/n : ty for the comm :^)

ACT ONE : IT IS A MYTH THAT ANGELS ARE BORN FROM PURITIES AND VIRTUES, AND IN THE TRUEST FORM OF A HIGHER BEING, AN ANGEL IS A BEAST, A BURDEN, A BRUTALITY : FRIGHTENING, MONSTROUS, AND IN DESPERATE DESIRE FOR A DAMNATION THEY WILL CALL LOVE.

belial is a curse in existence, created with intention but a failure in execution. how very fitting for him, a fallen angel that consumes every ounce of hatred and twists it into something so hideously and falsely beautiful. how his wings have darkened so, white muddled and stained with black. but that is not his true form, not the core of his existence, and should you ever ask to see it, he will laugh, and it will break your heart over and over again, just as much as it breaks his.

he is a feign divinity made of hypocrisy and deceptions ; in the knowing of you, he realizes that the ugly truth is that you are entirely the opposite of him – you are what an angel should be, yet you are human, and that is the vast difference that will tear you apart in the end.

“asking to see my truest self, are you?” his voice is low, taunting, yet there is a familiar affection laced beneath it. “haven’t you seen just enough of me?”

he’s always been one to hide his feelings, always been one to put on a facade, throwing another into confusion and chaos in order to carry out his true intentions. but you’ve never fallen for his tricks– not you, never you, he’s noticed, and you are far more stubborn and resilient than he expected. he simply smiles a teasing smile, but you almost wonder if you sense a melancholy resting on the curve of his lips.

“please,” you whisper, and surely it is the way you plead that sends a shiver down his spine, but he will lie, tell himself it’s the frigid air, “i want to see all of you.”

“oh, but don’t you understand why angels warn humans to not be afraid?” he asks, amusement clear in his voice. “what makes you think a fallen angel is any less frightening?”

your hand cups his cheek, tender, and he almost instinctively leans into your touch.

“i won’t be afraid, belial.”

he hums, content, takes your hand and presses a kiss against your wrist. your pulse quickens, and he cannot help but smile at the realization.

foolish being, he thinks, but at the end of it all, he does not know who he refers to.

( it is a very cruel thing, this version of love he is falling into : the innocence of need, the slow decay of fantasy in this swan song between beauty and beast. )

ACT TWO : IT IS A MYTH THAT BEAUTY IS BORN FROM VANITY AND EGOTISMS, AND IN THE TRUEST FORM OF SELF, THE BEAUTY IS THE HEART, A KINDNESS, A BENEVOLENCE : SELFLESS, MERCIFUL, AND IN DESPERATE DESIRE FOR A DELICACY THEY WILL CALL LOVE.

but love is a CURSE, and it is not something that belongs in the bloodied hands of the fiend. it is something he has sought after since the beginning of genesis, and in the failed creation’s mind, love has always been a distortion : maddening, mindless, but befitting for a beast. it was all he knew, all he felt, all he thought he deserved. but what he shares with you – it is so vastly different in its purest form : an acceptance, a relentless longing, the knowing that it will end in remorse and resignation, and the knowing that goodbye will be the right choice at the end of the line.

to have something this kind, to know it in the most cherished of ways – it is slipping through his fingers, slowly slowly slowly, and he knows it, yet he does not try to save it. it is not meant for the saving, this connection between souls, because the beast is a curse, woven with thorns, and the beauty is a blessing, a rose meant to bloom, not wither.

yes, belial thinks, you are his blessing. he almost laughs at the sentiment, bittersweet, decayed. it is only then that he, an angel with a venomous tongue, is allowed to speak such a virtuous word. maybe it is because of the way you sleep soundly in his arms, trusting enough to fall into a deep slumber in the presence of the devil in disguise, or maybe it is because of the rare peace that he hardly subjects himself to– how it sinks into the crevices of a broken being, restores them with gold, granting silent and temporary permission to something never meant to be.

maybe it is because of the warmth that settles in the little distance between your bodies, the feeling of your heartbeat a fascination due to the absence of his. belial has a still heart, frozen in experimentation gone wrong, yet there is something else that flourishes inside his chest, and it is so beautiful and terrifying all the same.

it is very much love that is a mass of contradictions, and he feels it in the way you place your heart in his hands, the aching of his claws itching for release. you know of this, you do, but you know he would never destroy what remains of your humanity.

you are meant for something good, something better. he is everything you should not have, and you are everything he wants to have.

you are not meant to be. he knows this, and so he decides this fairytale must come to an end, just as all stories do. it will not have a happy ending, but none of them do, do they? he smiles, a quiet, foreign sorrow somewhere in the depths of defeat.

he moves swiftly, carefully, as to not wake you. he watches your sleeping figure, feels this strange sharpness in his heart. he is not used to this kind of pain; there is no joy or thrill to be found in it, only a lingering grief he cannot understand. he tears his gaze away, turns to leave.

it is time for the curtain call.

“you’re leaving, aren’t you?”

he should have known you were pretending.

he doesn’t move, doesn’t turn around. you don’t expect him to, and maybe it’s better that way. your voice is heavy with exhaustion, but not surprise, and maybe you both have known that this is how it would end. he doesn’t speak, but you can almost imagine that idiotic, coy smile he puts on for show.

instead, he smiles a sad smile.

“better this way, hm?” he hardly looks over his shoulder, but he can feel your gaze nonetheless. “it was fun while it lasted.”

he is going to leave you, let you go, knowing you will seek happiness elsewhere. he has always been so sickeningly selfish, but for you, he will not be.

you will not convince him to stay, not now. but this is your story, too. you will control how it ends.

perhaps in another life, he muses, should there be one after this, you will coexist in a world where you are meant to be happy together. but not in this life. not in this world.

he leaves, and somewhere, a rose petal falls, slowly slowly slowly.

( yes, this fairy tale ends in remorse and resignation. yes, an angel reminds himself, goodbye is the right choice. )

ACT THREE : IT IS A MYTH THAT BEASTS ARE BORN FROM EVILS AND DEPRAVITIES, AND IN THE TRUEST FORM OF AN AVATAR, A BEAST IS A VULNERABILITY, A LONELINESS, AN ACHING : LOVELORN, HYPOCRITICAL, AND IN DESPERATE DESIRE FOR A DOOM THEY WILL CALL LOVE.

you occupy his thoughts more than you should, and even though you are apart, he still watches over you. from the skies, he ensures your safety, a bittersweet relief washing over him when he sees that you are healing from the hurt. he wonders if he is healing, too. he wonders if he made the right decision.

it is safer, better this way. a fallen angel has no place in the heart of a human. it doesn’t matter what he desires, what he wants.

he smiles, wonders what it would still be like, having you at his side. he does not dare admit he misses you– there’s no need to solidify the pain, acknowledge its unwanted presence.

love is a very cruel and tragic being, isn’t it?

something inside slowly unravels– it is not wrath that unleashes his true form, but perhaps it is a silent cry of mourning, this shift in appearance : the presence of thorns, so violently red, the markings that adorn his body, the black sclera. there is no need for it, but he does not choose to suppress it. he hums in forced amusement, closes his eyes. he wonders if you truly would have been fearless of him in this state. what a shame it is that he will never know.

time passes. he feels something strange in his chest– an unknown sensation, a jolt, and he wonders if that is the sensation of a beating heart. he opens his eyes to the familiar blue skies.

“you’re persistent. you’ve found me, after all.”

you stand behind him, and he can practically feel your sorrow, your frustration, that slight anger. when he turns around, he sees it all. from the moment he left, you knew you would find him, but the path to reunion has not been an easy one. you freeze, and he forces a grin.

“how is it? my truest form? does it frighten you?”

you don’t speak for a long while. it doesn’t, no. not at all. you have always found belial beautiful, and you still do. but there’s this dying grief that overwhelms you, the same grief you have carried in all the time you have been separated. it tastes bitter on your tongue, renders you speechless.

you’ve been waiting for this moment, and now that it’s here, you just–

you swallow hard. love is not meant to be cruel, nor tragic. one step forward, then another. his expression is unreadable, carefully crafted. it’s no longer that mischievous facade nor is it dejection. you’ve always been one to see through his games though, and somewhere in the deep red, there’s this excruciating loneliness that you also feel.

“you couldn’t love someone like me, right?” he laughs. “a fallen angel with the appearance of a demon.”

but you don’t falter. you don’t buy it.

“enough, belial.” your voice wavers, the words heavy on your tongue. how they almost threaten to choke you, and you wonder what will take you first : the tides of longing or the courage that dies in words unspoken. “why do you think i’ve spent all this time searching for you?”

your fingers trace over his markings, the ghost of your touch leaving a burning sensation in their wake. you’re trembling, he notices, and he feels it in the way you cup his face in your hands, gentle. you look at him, and he almost wonders if he is imagining the reverence and ardor in your gaze.

“you left because you thought it was better that way, right? because you thought i could find someone better, someone worthy.” you murmur, and now it is his hands that shake this time. “because you think you’re not worthy of anything good, because everything you know is painful, so you think you’re better off subjecting yourself to the pain because it’s all you know.” and there is this quiet smile that blossoms on your lips, and it grows the slightest bit when you see that quiet uncertainty in crimson hues. “you can love, belial. you can be loved.”

your thumb grazes over the markings once more, and he feels that frightening sensation in his heart again– a dull thud, slow– but then it picks up in its pacing, beats and beats and beats, and surely you must hear it too, the way it pounds so violently.

“there’s no one better, belial. it’s you that i want. it’s always been you.”

you take his hand, press a kiss against the inside of his wrist, and he almost laughs at the familiarity of it all. you’ve always had him wrapped around your finger.

“you’ve always been a stubborn one, haven’t you?” his lips meet yours, and he feels the way you smile into the kiss. “be careful you don’t regret this.”

you laugh, squeeze his hand.

“i won’t, belial.”

( yes, this fairy tale beloved ends with reunion and revelations. yes, belial reminds himself, your fingers laced with his, you are his blessing, his happy ending. )

[gnosticinitiation]

The Secret Path of Initiation

The Minor Mysteries

Audio lecture from Chicago Gnosis

--------------

Chapter:

Probationism

1. Probationism is the science that studies the mental essences that imprison the mind.

2. Probationism is that internal wisdom that allows us to study the prisons of understanding.

3. Probationism is the pure science that allows us to know in depth the errors of individual minds.

4. The Buddha who is lifting his fifth fiery serpent upon the rod must thoroughly study probationism in order to wisely drive the train of human evolution upon the spiral track of life.

5. Probationism is the science of esoteric ordeals.

6. Every Buddha must study probationism.

7. Self-Buddhic-evidence and self-Buddhic-reflection allow us to take into our intuition concepts whose contents are transformed into divine intuits.

8. Thus, this is how you are being prepared, sibling of mine, to become a hierophant of Major Mysteries.

9. The human mind must be liberated from all types of schools, religions sects, political parties, concepts about country and flag, etc.

10. The human mind must be liberated from fear and appetites.

11. The human mind must be liberated from eagerness towards accumulation, liberated from attachments, hatreds, egotism, violence, etc.

12. The human mind must be liberated from the processes of reasoning that divide the mind in the battle of antitheses.

13. A mind tht is divided by the depressing process of "options" cannot serve as an instrument for the Innermost.

14. We must exchange the process of reasoning for the beauty of comprehension.

15. The process of conceptual election divides the mind, thus this is how the mind gives birth to erred action and useless effort.

16. Desires and appetites are obstacles for the mind.

17. Those obstacles lead human beings to exert all kinds of errors, which result in Karma.

18. Fear exerts over the mind the desire for security.

19. The desire for security enslaves willpower, converting it into a prisoner of self-defensive barriers within which all human miseries are hidden.

20. Fear brings all types of inferiority complexes.

21. Fear of death causes human beings to arm themselves and assassinate one another.

22. The human being who carries a revolver at his waist is a coward; he is a dastard.

23. The brave one does not carry weapons, because he does not fear anyone.

24. Fear of life, fear of death, fear of hunger, fear of misery, fear of cold and nakedness, engender all types of inferiority complexes.

25. Fear leads human beings toward violence, hatred, exploitation, etc.

26. Probationism is the science that allows the hierophants of Major Mysteries to know the degree of evolution reached by each disciple.

27. Any Buddha must deeply study probationism in order to know the prisons of understanding.

28. Human minds live from one prison to another. Each prison is a school, a religion, an erred concept, a prejudice, a desire, an opinion, etc.

29. The human mind must learn how to serenely flow in an integral manner, without the painful process of reasoning that divides the mind with its battle of antitheses.

30. The mind must become like a child in order for it to be able to serve as an instrument for the Innermost.

31. We must always live in the present, because life is just an eternal instant.

32. We must liberate ourselves from all types of preconceptions and desires.

33. We must move only under the impulses of the Innermost.

34. We must be content with the rights of "Canchorrita."

35. The rights of "Canchorrita" are bread, clothing, and shelter.

36. A highly evolved humanity lives on the planet Venus.

37. The inhabitants of Venus, the Dawn Star, are true artists.

38. Each Venusian family builds their beautiful mansion, orchard, and garden.

39. This is the cosmic order. When the inhabitants of the Earth submit themselves to this cosmic order, the economic problems of the world will disappear forever.

40. The human being has the right to live differently, with dignity and beauty, because he is not a swine. However, he must be satisfied with the rights of Canchorrita.

41. Covetousness, anger, and lust have their den in the mind.

42. Covetousness, anger, and lust lead souls towards the Avitchi.

43. The human being is not the mind.

44. The mind is merely one of the four bodies of sin.

45. When the human being becomes identified with his mind, he falls into the abyss.

46. The mind is merely a donkey upon which we must ride in order to enter the Heavenly Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

47. There is the need to drive the mind by means of willpower.

48. When the mind besieges us with useless representations, we must command the mind like this:

49. "Mind, take this representation away from me. I do not accept it from you. You are my slave, and I am your lord."

50. When the mind besieges us with reactions of hatred, fear, wrath, appetites, greed, lust, etc., we must talk to the mind like this:

51. "Mind, take these things away from me. I do not accept these things from you. I am your lord, and you must obey me, because you are my slave until the end of time."

52. Now, we need human beings with Thelema, human beings with willpower, who do not allow themselves to be enslaved by their minds.

53. The Buddha whose will is being christified must study probationism deeply in order to wisely know all the essences of the mind, all the prisons of understanding.

54. Thus, this is how the hierophant of Major Mysteries can wisely drive the train of human evolution.

-Samael Aun Weor, from his book, Christ's Will

[ofpineapplesanddawns]

Here we go, part two of the werewolf Peter au.

Warning: Aro is an ass, as usual, and Peter is not doing well mentally, as usual but worse now

On with the fic!

--

It had been...

A weird morning.

To say the least.

Peter had kinda come to expect that he was going to wake up either destroying his bedroom, like he did last month, or waking up naked in a random place, like the first two months of this insanity he now called his life. It turned out to be the latter, which was fine, he didn't want to have to explain how sex left his room trashed and his bed smashed for a second time.

But it wasn't really that fine, he had found himself naked and covered in blood again, in some random alley far from the Vegas Strip. The last thing he remembered was drinking a whole hell of a lot, which has actually become harder to do since this whole wolf thing started, and blacking out while watching TV.

Next thing he knew, he was in a smelly alley way, and some smartly-dressed vampire was standing above him. Peter would have either been running for his life or being a complete bastard about the situation if it wasn't for the fact that he still hadn't finished transforming and pain was very much his biggest issue to deal with.

Body horror looks cool in the movies, but is the absolute worst in reality.

The vampire seemed super amused by all this, fucker, and then had the balls to offer to take Peter home to 'discuss things', or whatever. Peter should have told him to go sit on a stake, but honestly? He was exhausted, filled with horrible shame and hatred and guilt, and needed a shower like crazy. And maybe five cups of coffee.

So, he offered to let the vampire take him home, wondering how they would do that now that the sun was rising.

Apparently, this vampire could run. Really, really fast.

Peter threw up on the floor when they got to the elevator of the hotel and the vampire had been an ass and dropped him for it.

Once up in the penthouse, and going against every instinct and letting the vampire in, Peter had finally gotten his shower. It totally didn't last longer than it needed because he was crying, nope, never happened, he just wanted to make sure all the blood was gone.

When he came out, dressed in a robe and nothing more, he found the vampire at hardly-used kitchen table, the one that looked super gothy and was made of iron, with a fresh cup of coffee on it. Peter felt no shame in downing the damn thing, but he probably should have been cautious. The vampire could have drugged it.

Not that drugs have much effect now, uhg.

After two more cups, Peter was ready to talk.

"Who the fuck are you?" He asked, tapping his nails on the side of his mug.

The vampire had sat quietly this whole time, smiling that eerie smile of his, his red eyes practically twinkled with unspoken amusement. Ew.

"I am Aro, and I am to assume that you were Peter Vincent, yes?"

"How'd you know that?"

"You are not subtle with your egotism in this place. Also, I have seen the billboards around the city, and your 'collection' does not shy away from also being self-advertisement for you and your... magic act?"

"Performance." Peter sneered. "It's a performance. Anyway, what the hell did you even want to talk to me about? Cause I'm sure you can already guess that I do not like vampires and I do not trust or make deals with 'em."

"Your collection of memorabilia and weapons, if you wish to call them that, speaks differently about your hatred for my kind. But then again, it's cute if you want me to believe that you are a hunter, as I am guessing that's what all this is about." He waved a hand around lazily in the direction of the collection.

Peter glared over the rim of his mug, taking a long drink. "I am a hunter."

"How many have you killed?" He asked, but the tone indicated that he knew the answer, and Peter didn't like that.

"Does it matter?"

"It might."

Peter shifted and set down the mug. "A few, not a lot, but a few, it's better than none."

Aro just smiled more, it made his crow's feet show, he was messing with Peter. Fucker. "Maybe, maybe not. Does your hunting have anything to do with your current situation of being a shapeshifter? Or has this always been a thing?"

With a groan, Peter rose from the table, going to refill the mug and put a few splashes of scotch in it. "It's... not. I won't tell you the details, but I got bit about five months ago, and started changing afterwards, last night was the fourth one."

"And I am to assume you are of the wolf variety?"

Peter blinked. "There's more? Like, I mean, I know some myths and folklore mention other animals, but it's usually wolves. Fuck, I could have been somethin' else?"

"There are those of the vampire variety that can become bats, making them shapeshifters, but not of the kind of creature you are. You seem to be a full-on werewolf, though I have only seen you in a recovery state. I would need to see your full form in order to make sure."

"Oh, fuck no, you ain't seein' me like that! I don't even know what I look like!"

"Did you not see the creature that bit you?" Aro asked, tilting his head in a way that made Peter hate him a little bit more.

"He wasn't a wolfman when he fuckin' bit me, idiot. He was human, we were goin' at it and it was gettin' super hot, then this fucker bit me on the shoulder and tried to do it again. So, I punched him, he freaked out, ran off. Didn't even register it was the full moon that night until a month later when I woke up naked and bloody somewhere away from where I had been the night before."

Aro hummed, thinking on this, before rising from the table and approached Peter. He was slightly shorter, Peter noted, but he felt intimidated by him all the same. "Show me?"

"S-show you what?"

"The bite. Unless if it healed?"

Peter didn't want to, but he felt like he didn't have much choice. He pulled down the collar of the robe, presenting the still red bite on his shoulder. The teeth indents had scarred over, but the area around them was still red, it still hurt sometimes, especially after the full moon.

Aro stared at it, then gently touched it, making Peter hiss at the icy contact against his burning skin. "Fuck..." He breathed, feeling his skin crawl at the sensation.

"Curious..." Aro frowned, red eyes focused on it. "Hmm, this might be a true werewolf bite, how rare, I haven't seen one in ages."

Peter covered the bite with his robe again, frowning hard. "What's that supposed to mean? You know what this is then?"

He then quietly added, "Is it curable?"

The vampire looked at him, face impossible to read. He seemed like a statue all of a sudden, and yet he was clearly reading Peter like a book. "Possible. I'd have to look into it, as I said, it's been ages since I've dealt with true werewolves, they are extremely rare nowadays. Most shapeshifters I've come across have been in control of their abilities, or it is of a culture. This, however, is a curse of sorts."

"Fuck." Peter grabbed his mug and downed it. "But there's a chance?"

Aro smiled, and Peter hated it. "Possibly, it may take some time. But if I were to... help you, I would like something in return?"

"And what would that be?"

"For you to work for me."

--

Still gotta figure out all the details, but just know Aro is playing Peter like a harp. I don't think there really is a cure for the whole werewolf thing, unless if it's one of those curses where you have to give it to someone else.

But Peter is going to be desperate for a cure, he wants this to end.

[juniperhillpatient]

I like characters whose narcissism & egotism knows no bounds & competes only with their dramatic & unhinged levels of self hatred who simultaneously think they’re the worst & the best & there is no in between because that’s sooo me but about boring stuff. it’s fun to imagine if the stakes were higher than either obsessing over saying something awkward or thinking I’m basically a god because of one clever moment like. I have no chill either way so I love characters who Are Like That but for dramatic reasons hehe

[majokko120]

Eucatastrophe

Eucatastrophe has to be something that not only overcomes the story-problem, but also something that overcomes the world; the real world. The reason why this has to be that way is the definition provided by Tolkien how the Eucatastrophe unfolding in the story actually is a light breaking in from outside, from reality, but this light has the power to not only rock the world of the story, but it is also a light that overcomes the life-problem, in reality.

Meaning, that which overcomes the story-problem also overcomes the world. This means that which overcomes the story-problem is based on Christian Truth. To further extrapolate this onto structure: The story-problem has to be a problem that is inherent to the world, (think fallen nature, fallen man and the consequences) and its solution has to be inherently Christian (not from this world).

Just like Christ was hated by, but overcame the world. It is this glorious victory, against all odds, accomplishing the impossible, that defines an Eucatastrophe. Sometimes this 'impossible' can be an act of forgiveness, a change of heart, mercy, recognition and acceptance, courage instead of apathetic defeatism, friendship where hatred dwelled, or heroic self-sacrifice where cowardly egotism reigned.

If we know the character of both, Effect/Solution (the Eucatastrophe) and Cause/Problem (the Story-Problem) we can infer, derive, and abduct (reverse) in order to arrive at a functional pair of problem and solution, in line with Tolkien's description of Eucatastrophe.

Someone lying, someone stealing, someone aiming to kill someone out of jealousy, blind hatred based on hurt pride; that's the fallen world. And the solution has to be something not from this world, but it overcomes this world, even though, according to the logic of this world, it shouldn't be able to do that; that's Eucatastrophe. That's the Light of Christ breaking not only into the world of the story, but by doing so also reminding us of its world-overcoming power in the real world, outside the story. This gives the moment of Eucatastrophe not only a brilliant dramatic force, but the uttermost relevance for reality.

[jesse-pinko]

Hmm okay love Mike and all but we do not talk enough ab the parallels between Walter betraying Jesse and him betraying Nacho… or ab what an incredibly dick move that was… like Mike was actually the og blueprint for projecting all of your shit onto someone younger than you who trusts you and then betraying the absolute fuck out of them bc you can’t let things not be ab you… not to mention how Waltercore his delusions ab his culpability are like when he said to Manuel “there will be justice” my jaw was on the floor like yes there will be bc you die!! You who set him up and beat the shit out of him and condemned another man, a better man, to lose his child knowing better than anyone how that would tear his world apart you and the Salamancas and Gus, yes, you, you have to die for any measure of justice to be served… in sentencing himself to watch Matty die over and over to be complicit in Matty’s death Mike exhibits the same degree of selfishness as Walter, because his self-hatred takes priority over anyone else’s wellbeing it’s just another form of utter selfishness just an equally harmful inversion of Walter’s egotism… he uses people like Walter does, not to prop himself up but to remind himself and remind himself that he isn’t the good man Matty thought he was, and he reminds himself by killing and betraying and half measures and never trying to change that and to hell with anyone caught in the crossfire

[grandpasessions]

Only by taking into serious consideration the biblical and Greek patristic concept of the original destiny or theosis of man can we gain a deeper understanding of how badly the West's theologians have misunderstood Eastern theology's focus on man's redemption from death and corruptibility. Having eudaemonistic conceptions of human destiny and believing death to be from God, the West is unable to grasp the moral significance of the patristic doctrine of salvation from death.

This is to be expected, however, since the West's theologians view man's inclination to self-satisfaction as natural. And since death is the underpinning of that inclination, they do not understand how death could be a moral obstruction to man's living in accordance with the Western notion of his original destiny, that is, selfish eudaemonia.

When we take into account the fact that man was created to become perfect in freedom and love as God is perfect, that is, to love God and his neighbor in the same unselfish way that God loves the world, it becomes apparent that the death of the soul, that is, the loss of divine grace, and the corruption of the body have rendered such a life of perfection impossible. In the first place, the deprivation of divine grace impairs the mental powers of the newborn infant; thus, the mind of man has a tendency toward evil from the beginning.

This tendency grows strong when the ruling force of corruption becomes perceptible in the body. Through the power of death and the devil, sin that reigns in man gives rise to fear and anxiety and to the general instinct of self-preservation or survival. Thus, Satan manipulates man's fear and his desire for self-satisfaction, raising up sin in him, in other words, transgression against the divine will regarding unselfish love, and provoking man to stray from his original destiny.

Because of death, man must first attend to the necessities of life in order to stay alive. In this struggle, self-interests are unavoidable. Thus, man is unable to live in accordance with his original destiny of unselfish love. This state of subjection under the reign of death is the root of man's weaknesses in which he becomes entangled in sin at the urging of the demons and by his own consent.

Resting in the hands of the devil, the power of the fear of death is the root from which self-aggrandizement, egotism, hatred, envy, and other similar passions spring up. In addition to the fact that man "subjects himself to anything in order to avoid dying," he constantly fears that his life is without meaning. Thus, he is strives to demonstrate to himself and to others that it has worth.

He loves flatterers and hates his detractors. He seeks his own and envies the success of others. He loves those who love him and hates those who hate him. He seeks security and happiness in wealth, glory, bodily pleasures, and he may even imagine that his destiny is a self-seeking eudaemonistic and passionless enjoyment of the presence of God regardless of whether or not he has true, active, unselfish love for others.

Fear and anxiety render man an individualist.

And when he identifies himself with a communal or social ideology it, too, is out of individualistic, self-seeking motives because he perceives his self-satisfaction and eudaemonia as his destiny. Indeed, it is possible for him to be moved by ideological principles of vague love for mankind despite the fact that mortal hatred for his neighbor nests in his heart. These are the works of the "flesh" under the sway of death and Satan.

Ancestral Sin John Romanides

[egg-emperor]

Right on! I honestly do not understand why people say things like "We gotta humanize eggy by making him less evil" . Eggy is already a very human character. Selfishness and greed have been human traits ever since caveman Grog bashed his neighbour Tharg's head in with a rock and stole his wife, meat and fur.

Eggy is a great example of what happens when a human just lets their selfishness, greed and ego run wild.

Exactly, being evil is very human. The dark parts of humanity and the human mind has always fascinated me both in real life and fiction, morbid curiosity and my passion for writing characters believing in and doing things that I never would, and the challenge that comes with seeing from different perspectives that improves my skills as a writer, are all things I hold dear. It has inspired years of learning, analysis, creativity, and writing for me.

I don't want to pretend we live in a world where everyone is secretly good. There is abhorrent evil in this world and it can and should be fictionalized just as much as the good that equally exists. I also don't want to pretend that the human mind's, beliefs, feelings, and desires are always pure and well intentioned deep down in every person. The mind can be a dark place in many ways too. My mind is and I don't want to hide that in shame.

Just because my mind is one way doesn't mean my actions reflect it, just like how some people's actions won't reflect their mind either. That's also interesting to me to explore through learning about it and fictionalizing it. I like to see what dark minds like mine can create too and it's just as valuable. I wish people like us weren't shamed and told that we can't create and share our passion and our work just because it doesn't have conventional goodness.

There are many inherent human traits and feelings people in fandom (or holier than thou people in general) like to pretend don't exist, like they're above it and say it shouldn't be explored in fiction. But they're in denial that they're things we can all feel. Goodness, love, kindness, anger, envy, confidence, desire, self love, empathy, etc, exists in humans but so does evil, hatred, cruelty, anger, malice, jealousy, arrogance, greed, selfishness, apathy, etc.

Love can become dark and selfish or be replaced by hate. Kindness can be replaced with cruelty. Anger can become malice. Envy can become jealousy, confidence can become arrogance, desire can become greed, self love can become egotism, multiple of these things and more can have selfishness in them too. We're all capable of feeling these things even if we don't, and they can't seem to accept that and deny it, especially regarding characters.

It's common for people to deny these things are human, it's why they say those who do horrible evil are "inhuman/monsters/animalistic/etc". They don't want to believe and accept that they're human like us. That we could be like them. Humans can be vile and wretched and deeply evil just like they can be good. You can be one or the other or both. Many times they can overlap but at the same time, I don't agree that nobody can ever be truly fully evil.

You can absolutely still be a truly terrible person if you do "good" things and you can do "bad" things while still being a truly good person. Good intentions can show in bad ways when they become harmful and toxic and bad ones can appear good in manipulation or delusion. Acknowledging THAT is what nuance is, not pretending we're all exactly the same and must all have certain assets apply to us or were incomplete, unrealistic, or boring.

Humans can be so many different things in so many different ways but those can be very good or very evil. It's possible for only the good or bad things to apply, or a mix of both. That's why I like putting characters into good, neutral, and evil. The real world isn't only good and neutral and fiction shouldn't be either. Embracing and exploring the evil too is the true excitement and challenge of writing. You need this skill, that's what it takes to be a good writer.

I like how Eggman reflects the true evil in humanity that very much does exist. It's not unrealistic, it's just his out of this world crazy methods that are. But I wish people didn't forget his evil, anger, malice, cruelty, sadism, rudeness, apathy, ruthlessness, egotism, selfishness, greed, dark desires, destructive tendencies and crimes are all very human. We're all capable of that. We do feel at least some of those because it's so human.

That powerful message has existed in Eggman from the very beginning. He's not representing all humans being bad, but the very real evil and dark part of humanity that exists and shouldn't be denied or sugarcoated. Pretending that what he's doing is actually good/has to have originally good intentions behind it/have him change into a better person to "fix" him or give him nuance, takes away from that message and removes what makes it interesting and clever.

Eggman being evil, egotistical, and egotistical is what leads to his evil acts, cruelty, desire for power and control and the awful things he'll do to get it while enjoying it. That's the causation and we're told over and over by the writers, the bios, the character and stories themselves. They do not imply that it comes from a good place in the games and this isn't bad or unrealistic and certainly not "boring". It's intriguing and has tons of potential.

Humanizing Eggman is acknowledging and accepting that he's all these things while still being human, dehumanizing him is denying he is these things or saying he's inhuman for it. I'm actually humanizing him, those who act like humans must all tick the exact same boxes are dehumanizing him. It should also serve as a reminder that we could all be like him, we're all capable of that darkness and evil if we have the will and decide to act.

And I always enjoy exploring and writing characters who do, especially when seeing how far they can go because it's just fascinating. It's also fun to take on the challenge to write a character with such a different perspective and experiences than my own and it helps improve writing and characterization skills without personal feelings or bias influencing how you write that character and straying away from accuracy. That's very important in good writing.

Eggman has very human traits and feelings, they just exist in very evil ways in him, which is just as realistic and should be represented and explored too. It's also absolutely possible to develop and humanize him even more without going purification/bettering/redemption/downplaying of his actions or putting sympathetic sad reasons or good intentions behind what he does. It can be done without losing what makes him unique and himself.

Sega/Sonic Team/official writers seem to know what they're doing with Eggman in the games even in Frontiers, by him still very much not being a better/less evil person or suddenly morally gray, he's a bad person and even the "good" things are rooted in selfishness and ego. It's just that some don't understand because they think there's only one way to humanize bad guys further and deny they're human in the first place just for being evil at all.

Everything isn't just good and evil but it is still absolutely possible to just be good or evil as much as both or somewhere in between. I don't want to pretend it isn't. The approach they've had to Eggman's further humanization, though he was already very human in the first place, is good because it's more interesting and nuanced than the majority of fandom is making it out to be. I'm looking forward to them making that especially clear in the future.

And I mean in main game stuff specifically, as they've actually already been doing it in all official media since Frontiers in IDW, Murder of Sonic, even Minecraft and it's great. He's still very much evil and not a better person and I'm so happy about that. But I can't wait until it's in a main game again so misconceptions about Eggman's portrayal in Frontiers that go against the writers stated intentions will be cleared up even more blatantly.

And of course as usual I'm also just really excited to see what kind of glorious diabolical evil the handsome devil gets up to next! 🥰💜💘

[vipiita]

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life and would like to do so, please read this salvation prayer. Before your life can truly change it is important that you freely accept him as your lord and Savior.

Salvation Prayer

Dear Lord,

I admit that I am a sinner and have done many things that do not please you. I admit that I have lived my life only for myself and I am sorry. Please forgive me. I believe that you died on the cross for me to save me and that you rose on the third day. You did what I could not do for myself. I come to you now and ask you to take complete control over my life. Every area of my life that is not pleasing to your name please change and correct. From this day forward help me to live everyday for you, and in a way that pleases you. I love you Lord and I thank you that I will spend eternity with you. Lastly I would like to ask you to send your Holy Spirit to live and reside in me and to help me along the way.

In Jesus Name.

Remember you should be repenting daily. All repenting means is to change your mind and turn, so If you find yourself acting in sin get in the habit of repenting

Self Deliverance Prayer- Excerpt from the book Armed and Dangerous by ex Satanist John Ramirez. Note you should have paper towels, or a garbage can near by. Some spirits leave the body by burping, vomiting or spitting up

As you pray this prayer you will be canceling the LEGAL rights that the enemy has against you, and all the satanic agreements that you’ve made whether consciously or unconsciously

When you sense demonic activity in your life, refer back to this prayer (this has helped me so much)

Self Deliverance Prayer

1. I renounce all agreements that I have made with Satan and his demons, in the name of Jesus

2. I renounce and reject any satantic offerings that I have ever made, in the name of Jesus

3. I renounce lust, perversion, pornography, immorality, and every unclean spirit that I have made a pact with in the name of Jesus

4. I renounce and rebuke all witchcraft, occult practices, divination, and sorcery that I have ever made in Jesus name

5. I break all ungodly soul ties in any relationship in my life in the name of Jesus

6. I renounce and uproot out of my heart hatred, anger, resentment, lack of forgiveness, bitterness and envy. Release me now in Jesus name

7. I renounce and uproot from my life every addiction, every demonic pharmakeia spirit that has me bound [this pertains to the abuse of prescription drugs or illegal drugs such as marijuana, heroice, cocaine, meth, etc Name the drug that has you bound and break it in the name of Jesus.] I destroy these attacks in the name of Jesus

8. I renounce from my life today jealousy, pride, self righteousness and egotism. Cme out of me now, in the name of Jesus

9. I renounce fear, doubt and unbelief and every tormenting spirit. Come out of me now, in the name of Jesus

10. I renounce all ungodly generational covenants that my family members on my father’s side, my mother’s side and my ancestors going back ten generations have made. Let them be broken in Jesus’ name

11. I renounce any allegiances to the kingdom of darkness and Satan in Jesus name.

12. I renounce and uproot every demonic word that I have spoken and given the devil legal rights over my life. Be broken, in Jesus name

13. I renounce any spirit husband or spirit wife or any demonic spiritual divorce papers that have come into my life in my dreams. Destroy them all in Jesus name

14. I uproot out of my life all sickness, depression, and oppression trying to operate in my life. Be destroyed, in the name of Jesus

15. I curse at the root, every fals word of prophecy spoken over my life, my family, my marriage, my children, and my ministry and business in Jesus name

16. I destroy all demonic activity and every demonic thought that has been opened in my life. I shut them down in the name of Jesus Christ

17. I break off of me, in Jesus name, any residue of any demonic kind

18. I break off any backlash, any retaliation, and transfer of spirits that is trying to come against my family, my loved ones, and my finances, in the name of Jesus