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jgnico · 2 years ago

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Is someone gonna talk about the use of signage in yesterday's episode? Do I have to be the one to talk about the use of signage in yesterday's episode?

I know we all saw the billboard beside Choso displaying the abilities of his technique in tandem with the narrator, but there were so many more great uses of the signs in the background to convey information.

The first sign (and also one of the first shots) that we see in the episode is a Pedestrian Do Not Cross sign overlaid by the sound of Yuuji running, followed by Yuuji's shadow itself taking up the position of the pedestrian on the sign. You can read this as the sign telling Yuuji not to proceed to where he's going or as an indication of how the upcoming fight will end for the viewer.

The next sign that we get is one telling us to Go Left, which doesn't really seem important, but I promise you, it is. We'll see a lot of arrows pointing left throughout the episode and every single one of them is pointing away from danger. Go Left to avoid danger, essentially.

These two signs are arguably the most important in the episode, but they aren't the coolest use of visual symbolism that we got, so lets keep going.

The third sign that we see focused on in the episode is a No Running sign that Yuuji passes that says "Do Not Rush. It Is Dangerous." Yuuji, of course, runs past it on his way toward the escalators that lead (for him) to Gojo and (for the viewer) to Choso.

Once he does get to the bottom of the escalators, Yuuji is attacked by Choso immediately and Choso's opening move (Convergence), once Yuuji moves his arms up and away from his face, slices up through the subway cieling and the road above to cut the Pedestrian Do Not Cross sign that we saw at the beginning of the episode in half.

We also get out first big Left Arrow, placed immediately in the foreground of the shot and pointing toward the aforementioned sign that's been cut in half (this will be important later), but in a another view, it also points away from station itself. Again, go left to avoid danger.

Our next Left Arrow is on the ceiling between Yuuji, indicating that he should go away from Choso. Interestingly enough, it also points toward the bathrooms that Yuuji will go into later once his fight with Choso in the hallway becomes too dangerous.

That same arrow falls to the floor between them once Choso gets mad after Yuuji tells him about Eso and Kechizu crying, this time pointing directly away from Choso.

Another Left Arrow, this time in a more urgent red. We see this once Yuuji realizes that he's in serious danger, that he'll loose if he continues to fight Choso in the hallway. It's also pointing away from the bathrooms and toward the escalators from Yuuji's point of view beside the bathrooms, indicating that he needs to leave the area entirely.

The previous arrow pointing toward the bathrooms as a safe option has been destroyed and Yuuji has taken some serious damage by the time he moves toward them. The bathrooms are no longer safe. Yuuji needs to leave.

This is followed up by the only Right Arrows that we see focused on in the epsiode, but unlike the Left Arrows, they aren't used to convey how to get away from danger, but rather what is dangerous. Not only do these arrows all point toward Choso outside of the shot, they also have each of his techniques displayed below them.

Once the bathroom fight is over and Yuuji is on death's door, we get a zoomed out shot of his body framed by (two) people cut in half. This sign is shown right before Sukuna makes his only appearance in the episode, where we hear the sound of electricity flickering.

We heard this exact sound earlier from the Left Arrow telling Yuuji to get away from Choso at the beginning of the fight, but I like to interpret it as an audio indicator of Yuuji's life and/or control of Sukuna flickering in and out, becoming weaker.

Side Note: In the previous shot of Yuuji that we get before this one, we see a blade of light cutting Yuuji in half, the same way Convergence cut the Pedestrian Do Not Cross sign in half earlier in the episode. This will come into play later in the post, but keep it in mind.

The next time we see these bisected bathroom signs is when Mimiko and Nanako approach Yuuji to awaken Sukuna. Two people framing Yuuji/Sukuna that have been cut, while those same signs are whole in the hallway to the left. Go left to avoid danger applies to the girls here as well.

Our next important set of signs are actually the same sign, a large green arrow in the foreground that points away from where Yuuji's body is. While Choso stumbles away from it (away from Yuuji/Sukuna) the girls walk toward it.

This is also the first Left Arrow that we see point toward Choso, unlike the one pointing away from him at the beginning of his and Yuuji's fight. Choso, at this moment and onward, is no longer a source of danger to Yuuji or to us, the viewer.

And finally, the final shot of the entire episode, our old friend, the Pedestrian Do Not Cross sign. Yuuji has lost to Choso, the girls have found him to awaken Sukuna, and we get a focus shot of the Pedestrian that previously represented Yuuji cut in half and covered in blood.

I mentioned earlier that we get another shot of Yuuji cut in half by a ray of light in the bathroom.

Here is that shot, and the way that I interpret it is as a reminder that Yuuji shares his body. Yuuji's control of his body has been cut off in the same way that the Pedestrian representing Yuuji has had part of it cut away. What's left is the part that Yuuji can't control, the Pedestrian covered in blood.

Additionally, repeated use of a sign showing pedestrians cut in half and bloody can also represent the civilians in Shibuya, especially now that Yuuji no longer has control of his body.

#anywho ty for reading my long post about signs and their meanings in the episode #i was originally going to make this more meme like and shorter #but after going through the epsiode several times i found it more interesting and cool than amusing #signs man. theyre everhwhere #jujutsu kaisen #jjk meta #itadori yuuji #choso #mimiko and nanako #ryomen sukuna #nicos meta

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felassan · 6 months ago

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Lucanis narrative sketches and captions by Nick Thornborrow, under a cut due to spoilers and length:

Sketch of Teia and Viago

Portrait sketch of Lucanis

Sketch of Lucanis violently dispatching prison guards along with Spite rapidly dispatching Venatori minions in the background.

Spite conversing with Rook. Spite grins with ... well... spite. And Rook looks like she's having none of it.

A hedonistic bath house. Lucanis is deep in foreground in silhouette with two sword hilts apparent in the silhouette.

Ilario being seduced by I forget her name. But the villain in Lucanis's story. The villain is in a glowing red pool and drawing Ilario towards her who sits on the edge. Lucanis spies in the foreground.

Shirtless Ilario hulked out advancing on Lucanis in the foreground with a sword. The villain is in the background towering on a miasma of blood magic.

The villain reduced to a skeletal frame begging Ilario to save her.

Ilario smoke bombing out I think. Lucanis in the foreground in command of Spite.

Rook checking in on Lucanis who is curled up on the floor. Lucanis has just had an episode with his demon, Spite. Scorch marks in the shape of wings smolder on the walls.

Lucanis holding Rook in an embrace but looking warily back at Spite's wings protruding from his own back.

Lucanis ceremonially marking a book with blood.

Lucanis and Spite working together for once to defeat the villain.

Action shot of Lucanis. I don't know. Kinda scruffy.

Lucanis looming over the villain who has been thoroughly defeated.

Lucanis becoming First Talon.

Nick Thornborrow: "Don't think for a second I haven't seen your fan art. 👀"

Lucanis with Spite wings out kissing Rook in the rain. This sketch was meant to portray an intense moment in the midst of going into a battle we don't expect to survive.

An intimate moment between Rook and Lucanis in the hot springs at the Dellamorte Estate.

Rook (who quite famously can't swim) tumbling into the canals of Treviso in a friendly game of bumper car gondola with Lucanis.

Rook and Lucanis having a wholesome (read spicy) experience in a secluded tunnel on a gondola. Lucanis's back is to us and his shirt is half off. Rook is obscured by Lucanis but the two are kissing.

Lucanis executing an ancient God with a lyrium dagger by stabbing him in the back. The God has a skull like face and and a horned helmet. Grey fog leaves his throat as he perishes with the word "URK"

Art by Nick Thornborrow. [source thread]

#dragon age: the veilguard #dragon age the veilguard spoilers #dragon age: dreadwolf #dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #dragon age #bioware #video games #long post #longpost #feels #blood cw #injury cw #character death cw #body horror cw

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royalnugget42 · 1 month ago

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Lowkey at the point where I’m analyzing the score and I am LIVING for the Smokestack Twins theme. It’s just called “Smokestack Twins” on the score, and it’s like a blend of Elijah’s and Smoke’s leitmotifs from later on in the movie. The song “Troubled Waters/Homesick” on the soundtrack (soundtrack and score are separate and you should listen to Both) is all over Elias’s scenes, and it doesn’t really come up again after he gets turned.

Smoke’s side of the theme is twofold. In the background of the “Troubled Waters” melody, there are a lot of longer notes, which fit the melody of “Seance” from the soundtrack. Now “Seance” is yet another doubled theme, because it’s Elijah and Annie’s love theme.

I’m not totally sure on it, but I’m pretty sure Elijah’s part is the soft arpeggio strum in the background, while Annie is the louder plucking in the foreground. This is based on the section in “Thy Kingdom Come” where Annie is dying (2:00 - 2:59). In this moment, we get the same strummed melody, but the background isn’t the same soft arpeggio, it’s paired with a drumbeat instead. If we take that to be Elijah’s side of the theme in that moment, it’s really heartbreaking, because it’s like he’s becoming a soldier again, having to kill Annie.

So, Elijah’s arpeggio plays in both the themes of the people he loves most, and in his stoic way, he supports them both without taking the spotlight, musically speaking. However, there’s a third and fourth part to these themes.

The third is related to Stack I think. After every few phrases of the Smokestack Twins theme, there’s this little low motif that goes D-F-D-F-D-C-D

Now, this one MIGHT be reaching but it looks a LOT like the notes for the Dies Irae, just bluesified. If you don’t know, the Dies Irae is one of the most heavily referenced motifs in western media, coming from an old Gregorian chant. It translates to “Day of Wrath”, meaning Judgement Day. It is absolutely everywhere in filmmaking, and it’s used as a nearly universal symbol for death in a narrative.

As of now, I’ve just been calling the motif that appears in Sinners the Devil Motif. It specifically plays when we see Sammie’s guitar for the first time, and it plays in a lot of Stack’s moments too. So I’m thinking if “Troubled Waters” is Elias’s theme, then the Devil Motif is Stack’s theme. And if it IS the Dies Irae, then that’s the score telling us which of the brothers dies first, and aside from that, it specifically relates Sammie’s music with Elias, which makes sense. Elias is proud of Sammie and encourages his music, but Elijah is worried about him and doesn’t want him playing any more gigs.

The fourth part might honestly be my favorite leitmotif so far, and it’s just this tiny little moment from 1:35 to 1:57 in “Smokestack Twins”. It’s just moving down the D minor scale, D-C-Bflat-A-G-F-E, and right before it should resolve to a low D to complete the octave, it skips back up to the high D and goes down again. Take a listen yourself and you’ll know what I mean.

So far we have leitmotifs for Elias, Elijah, and Stack, so this must be the theme for Smoke. How do we know that for sure? Firstly, “Bury That Guitar” on the score, at the moment when Smoke is trying to roll a cigarette with his hands shaking, flashing back to his brother. And him smoking a cigarette is inherently tied to his identity as “Smoke”, not Elijah, which we see extra clearly when Annie tells him to “put out that smoke” before he crosses to the other side.

The other reason is the song “Grand Closin’” on the score. This is the one where Smoke goes to town on the KKK, and it’s just that D minor scale again, note for note, always repeating before it resolves. And not only is it one of the best parts of the score, it’s such interesting characterization for Elijah. Because it symbolizes how he can’t rest while he’s playing as “Smoke”. Very much like the vampires theme (which I can get into later if anyone wants me to) the melody feels really restless.

Until that is, Annie beckons him over, and his theme changes. He becomes Elijah again, and unlike Smoke’s leitmotif, Elijah’s arpeggio Does resolve. He’s allowed to rest now.

Anyway TLDR listen to this fuckin soundtrack Ludwig Göransson does it again.

#sinners #elijah moore #elias moore #smokestack twins #sinners spoilers #seriously I could say some fuckin things abt how Remmick has a different theme from the vampires too #bc That is so crazy cool #this is such a good movie in every aspect jesus

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romchat · 6 days ago

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Hishakai Shindo visual analysis (Ep. 1-2): "Depth of field" metaphor

"Because the depth of field is pretty shallow. So this kind of blur actually becomes a unique feature."

I so appreciate how Hishakai Shindo’s cinematography plays with the show’s central metaphor of depth of field. In photography, depth of field refers to the size of the area in an image where objects still appear sharp, and the drama uses it to great effect as a way to visualize Hayakawa's suffocating emptiness and his growing but conflicted attraction to Konno.

Look at the way the show's camera uses shallow depth of field (DOF) to portray Hayakawa's isolation from the world around him:

Shallow DOF is where only one plane of an image (either the foreground, midground, or background) appears in focus while the rest doesn't. Within the images of his everyday life, Hayakawa is literally placed on a different plane than the people around him. He either feels ostracized because of his love for music or smothered by the carefree performance he punishes himself with. Either way, there's something very lonely (and even claustrophobic) in the way the camera's subtle blur separates the image of his person from whatever else is in the frame.

Which is why we immediately understand the significance of his rooftop interactions with Konno through the cinematography's change in composition and DOF.

When Hayakawa staggers up the light-drenched stairway and onto the rooftop, he can finally breathe. He's surrounded by water but no longer drowning, which is punctuated by that edit of an air bubble underwater.

The overexposure and vast amount of negative space imbues the scene with an almost divine significance.

And this moment is of course captured by Konno's camera, stripping Hayakawa bare and human.

I think it's notable that in their rooftop scenes together, suddenly we see more two shots of Hayakawa sharing the frame and being on the same plane as another character. We also see more shots with deeper DOF. Konno's observant and uninhibited nature prods Hayakawa to be more present and honest.

For the first time, Hayakawa and his inner life are in complete focus to someone else.

#hishakai shindo #depth of field the series #depth of field #japanese bl #bl drama #meta #cinematography

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thedansemacabres · 2 months ago

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ARES CHTHONIOS, DEFENDER OF LAND

[IMG ID: A photograph of a dark, smoky landscape that turns the sun a brightly-dim red hue. The background is obscured by the ash, with tall trees in the distance. In the foreground is a single house, the blue hidden by the dark ash, with tall oak trees to the right accompanied by a visible large SUV. The scene is dark and dreary].

I HAVE HAD A HARVEST OF GOOD CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE TOPIC OF DIVINE ARES, especially as of late, and I have begun to find a deeper appreciation for the theos. Beyond what many hellenic pagans have said, of him using rage for justice and an aspect of revolution, in my personal research I found another related Ares: the Ares of Ge, the land defender, close to the Erinys and fertility goddesses, and who casts his dice based upon holy Dike’s will. Ares was a popular deity in antiquity, worshipped across the ancient world, especially in Asia Minor with his likely syncretism with a local deity and Iliac connections. I will begin to follow a journey with Ares to understand him as more than war and slaughter, similar to my endlessly loving dea Bellona, and thus I have found Ares Chthonios.

This will be a general survey of his historical cult and my understanding of it based upon my own actions in activism, land sovereignty, and also my understandings from the devotion to the war, retribution, and revolution goddess Bellona. I will interlude my personal interpretations, but I hope these are clear, and I urge those interested to see my bibliography to understand more about Ares in a less frenzied context.

ARES, DEFENDER OF LAND

A strong function of war in antiquity was the defence of land. War often meant the burning of crops and homes, the raping of women, slaughter of children, destruction of hearths, and sometimes even the destruction of sacred groves of the gods. Sanctuaries could also be raided and plundered, such as the case in Rome, and their goods appropriated for other deities and personal use. Another aspect of war was civil control, as states did not desire rebellion. For this we begin to see the binding of gods, Ares, but also Dionysos. The ancient world did not have the food security that we do—and imagining life without more readily stable food, defending land becomes not only a necessity, but an ethical move. Siege spells death through Limos. Without land, you cannot access the hearth of Hestia, nor is there security from enslavement by other poli in antiquity.

Ares’ less war-bound primary functions lie in this defence of land. He was widely worshipped, with some facets of this worship were for the purpose of defending the homeland.

He is described as a personification of the yeoman-hoplite, who was also likely a farmer that arose to defend his homeland and farm in times of war. Cultic evidence suggests that he was also often paired with fertility goddesses, such as Despoina, Chthonia, the Anatolian Mother Kybele, and of course Aphrodite. He lacks the direct agricultural association of Mars, but he possesses the inherent relation to the chora: thus placed in the city’s sacred groves.

Us modern people concerned with justice tend towards movements such as land back and decolonialism. Xenia does not permit us to be bad to foreigners and xenophobia is a pillar of modern bigotry. Ares’ power may be used to brandish the spear in the defence of land—especially in these ages of growing oligarchies and fascism, the defense of land and home becomes ever more important. His passion and rage lend well to an activist from giving up, giving us strength to continue on. Instead of empowering doom, we may pray for Ares’ courage in the fights present and cultural wars to come just as the homeric hymnal asks for his courage and manliness to investigate the worshipper.

ARES, OF THE GROVE

Worship of Ares is also often found in sacred groves. As a defender of chora, it is internal sense to place him within nature. His shrines were also found in the countryside in the network of interpolis social and spatial focal politics. His association with the Earth is enough to call him one of the theoi chthonoi and more for than just bloodshed. As Cults and Sanctuaries of Ares and Enualios summarises:

Ares, it would seem, was believed to stand guard over the agricultural land of the polls and served the divine patron of its human protectors as well. When enemies threatened, it was Ares who guided the warriors of the polls in their attempt to pay back their enemy. Thus the mythology of Ares, in which he is almost always opposes the aggressor and is often roused to action by an attack against his children,reflects the essentially parochial and reactive nature of a god intent on the defense of the land under his protection (Gonzales, pg 61).

As a defender of land, he is keen to strike against those that threaten his children: he attempts to avenge Askalaphos in the Iliad, he fights Herakles for the body of his son Kyknos, he avenges the death of the Drakon Ismenios by transforming Kadmos and Harmonia, and he avenges the rape of his daughter Alkippe. Ares is a god of protection in his own right.

Another remark is that Ares is connected to drakons, symbols of the protection alongside chthonic earth, and groves as a whole. He fathers a drakon and snakes are commonly associated with him, his sacred grove that contains the fleece also contained a drakon. Another remark from the book on his binding to the land states;

The oracle from Pamphylian Syedra, once again, most clearly articulates the associations between, Ares, Dike, and the well being of the polis and its chora. Physically bound to the city and its land, the power of Ares would function both as an avenging protector and guarantor of prosperity: “thus will he become a peaceful god for you, once he has driven the enemy horde far from your land, and he will give rise to prosperity much prayed for..” (Gonzales, 62.)

This oracle will be revisited later, but there is a clear line of Ares and protection of the land.

ARES, OF THE PEOPLE

Defending land is equally the defence of people. Undoubtedly there were ancient Greek warriors that would fight to return home, such as Odysseus, and countless unnamed people. Particularly in the context of Iliac Ares, arete is positioned in war as related to material goods and the sadness women and people express at warriors dying relates to their failure as a warrior; their failure becoming agathos. An agathos brings dishonor and shame as he is not able to defend his home, often leaving women and children in distress (Mary, 4). In Iliac poetry, when a warrior lives, he is then chosen by Ares to uphold his Arete. When it comes to Iliac Ares, it makes me wonder about the portrayal of Ares in relation to this—Ares’ humiliation in the Iliad could be related to this idea of failing Arete.

In this context of ancient society, Ares is enjoyed by common people who take an active role in the pursuits of war. He was invoked by the state for purposes of defending it, much as Apollon was used for colonialism and in war. Ares as the causal force of war, the dangerous slayer, also rallies people to join in union for the fight,

Plutarch quotes Archilochus, a poet from Paros, also active in the seventh century, as describing the beginning of the close combat within a battle as Ares bringing together the press of battle on the plain. This idea also appears in a mid-fifth century inscription from Samos, in which Ares is described as having brought together the ships of the Greeks and the Medes in battle. Alcaeus’ Ares is the cause of war, and Archilochus’ Ares brings armies together in the conflict which, as other poets tell us, is Ares’ domain (Millington, 113).

Another small note from Pindar is him positioning Zeus, god of the polis and the people, as an ally to Ares. The Iliad employs an adversarial relationship between them, but Zeus is also a noted war god—elsewhere it is remarked that Apollon’s lyre tames the spear of Ares and the thunderbolt of Zeus. War and the Warrior: Functions of Ares in Literature and Cult describes the friendlier relationship of Zeus and Ares as,

In his first Pythian Ode, Pindar describes Ares and Zeus as an allied pair,contrasted with Typhon and the forces of chaos, implying that Ares is integrated into, rather than an enemy of the city and civilization (Millington, 128).

Thus Ares may be compositied with the other theoi as a defender of people. And looking at his name in epithets of other gods—Athena Areia, Aphrodite Areia, Zeus Areios—he is not constantly of strife, but rather comes into unity with the other gods. His association with the Erinyes only puts this as more explicit, as he avenges the blood oath—giving power to the appropriate parties in the Oresteia to avenge the blood-curse. Just as he is mentioned with Dike, the Homeric hymn pairs him as an “aid to Themis” and “ally of mortals” (Rayor, 99).

ARES BEYOND STATELY VALUES

I do critique any reconstructionist that is going to say “chain Ares”, which while in the modern period refers to limiting or constructing, in the ancient world it was to chain Ares’ power to your homeland in particular. It was to ensure his power, by Hermes, would be favoured and stay on your side. Ares’ worship may be further stood in antiquity through this—the Homeric hymn asks to “quell the rebellious”, which for a state would be a primary function of Ares as he could bring civil strife. From a critical perspective, Ares’ worship in this capacity I believe traces back to a rebellious nature—this is a god that can easily bring civil war and revolution, thus he is worshipped to appease this nature and thus secure stability. Then, equally, as a god that brings bloodlust and rage, he also brings peace and the restraint of bloody desires. A function of worship for many in the ancient world is aversion. The same hymnal remarks on Ares to bring courage, not fear, and to tame bloody desires.

Considering the need to chain and appease Ares, this to my personal understanding shows a deity deeply concerned with the state in a negative manner to said state. He is a vengeance deity, associated with blood-curses, found in actions such us Klytiemennstra’s revenge. Taking a note from my own dea, my understanding of Ares is that he operates as a vengeance god who contests the state on the basis of state injustice. The gods are far more progressive than ancient Greek society was—considering slavery, misogyny, and strife, I find it of no surprise a god of defending land and vengeance would be such a contrarian force.

I also think of Harmonia, his daughter. A god who was entirely hate and terror would not father the personification of musical and societal harmony. Many of Ares’ children function in harmonic rather than wholly negative roles—even if Eros is sweet and bitter.

BELLONA, ARES, AND REVOLUTION

Bellona is the roman warrior and hero of excellence, she holds virtue, victory, and retribution in her hands. Rome before the empire understood war as an act of revenge—Rome tried to create and self-justify expansion as a revenge and divine retribution. She essentially acts as a fury. But this retribution and balancing of the scales could turn inwards, and thus, Rome was in tension with her to stay of moral righteousness, lest she bring down her whip upon the city and strike up civil war. Her methods are bloody and furious, deeply caring about wrongs committed, and very rewarding to the righteous and good that follow.

I see my dea as a goddess of justice, as retribution for wrong that is done is often a key component of justice. Compared to Justicia, who was used for imperial propaganda, Bellona became sidelined in the times of the empire but her popularity did not wane. In this I see a homoplasy between these two gods: Ares’ masculinity would naturally contribute to his more stately portrayal than Bellona, but he is in enough tension with the polis to require a binding by Dike and Hermes from anxious polis religions. And as he is guided by Dike, justice herself, he must often have very good reason to be a volatile causal force.

Less on my interpretative notes, this quote gives an idea to modernised Ares worship:

Pamphylians of Syedra, who inhabit a rich land of mixed men in shared fields, plant a statue of bloody, man-slaying Ares in the middle of the city and beside (him) perform sacrifices as you bind him with the iron bonds of Hermes, and on the other side let Justice administer the law and judge him; let him resemble a suppliant. Thus will he become a peaceful deity for you, once he has driven the enemy horde far from your country, and he will give rise to prosperity much prayed for. And you, at the same time, take great pain, either chasing them or placing them in unbreakable bonds, and do not, out of fear of the pirates, pay their terrible penalty. For thus will you escape from all degradation (Gonzales, 2010, 280).

Ares here is directly connected to prosperity and defense of people. And most of all, he can be peaceful. One of Ares’ essential traits is his endless bloodlust and rage, which when guided by justice, gives rise to holy revolution and the passionate urge to do good. He as the gods of these things also gives my senses a modern interpretation of a passage in the homeric hymnal:

Mighty Ares, gold-helmed chariot master, shield-bearer, bronze-armored city guard, strong-willed, strong-armed, untiring spear strength, defense of Olympos, father of Victory in war, aid to Themis, tyrant to enemies, leader of righteous men, wielding manhood’s scepter, your red orb whirling among the seven paths of the planets through the ether where your fiery stallions bear you above the third orbit (Rayor, 99).

While quelling rebellion, it is stated that he also leads the righteous. For a personal interpretation, I can easily see it as such: rebellious men are quelled, but righteous men are led, and oftentimes the revolutionary is a person aspiring for right societal change—the feminist argues against the coil and chains of sexism, the indigenous revolutionary against colonialism, and many such examples. I would never shame the rightful anger of a revolutionary. And this is another aspect of Ares I see: his anger and bloodlust may be channelled for the purpose of societal equity-health and stability. Tyrants in ancient Greece were not initially viewed poorly, but after the ancient Greco-Persian war, tyrants became viewed as an enemy of people and democracy. Ares’ hymn thus describes a stance against tyranny, requiring no imagination for the modern day.

ENDING NOTES

This post is both a survey and a modern look at the evidence. I urge everyone interested to read Cults and Sanctuaries of Ares and Enyalios: A Survey of the Literary, Epigraphic, and Archaeological Evidence to gain a better understanding of him and to develop the historical literacy on Ares. And for Ares’ darker associations, there are plenty of other texts expressing the rightful pessimism on war. As a fragment of Archilochus says, Ares is “common” to all people, and war affects us all. But this side of Ares does not have to be the one that people still know him for—he is like my dea in this, still bloodshed and slaughter, but he is also a defender and protector. Just as Dionysos drives people mad and Apollon kills through plague, Ares embodies the dualities and complexities of the conflict. I find it depressing that Ares has not been uncoupled or understood in his darker aspects compared to Athena or Apollon. Several are quick to pick away Athena’s war aspects as a vintage value, even her historical misogyny, but not Ares. This I find to be a shame.

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References

Gonzales, M. P. (2004). Cults and sanctuaries of Ares and Enyalios: A Survey of the Literary, Epigraphic, and Archaeological Evidence.

Gonzales, M. (2010). The oracle and cult of ares in Asia minor. DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals). https://doaj.org/article/e9173c9623d24726bc11a08093a1df74

Lewis, & Sian. (2025, March 10). Tyranny | Meaning & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/tyranny/Greek-tyrants

Meghan Poplacean, D. (2017). The Business of Butchery Bellona and War, Society and Religion from Republic to Empire. The Department of History and Classical Studies McGill University, Montréal. https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/concern/theses/b8515q959

Millington, A. (2014). War and the Warrior: Functions of Ares in Literature and Cult. In Doctoral thesis, UCL (University College London). https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1427880/

Scott, M. (1979). PITY AND PATHOS IN HOMER. Acta Classica, 22, 1–14. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24591563

Serrati, J. (2022). Gender and the Ritual Lament: Women as the Arbiters of Aretē and Virtus, 2022. Ageless Aretē: Essays From the 6th Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Hellenic Heritage of Sicily and Southern Italy.

#dragonis.txt #paganism #pagan #hellenic polytheism #helpol #ares deity #ares worship #hellenic community #hellenic paganism #hellenic polytheist #hellenic pagan #hellenic deities #paganblr #pagan witch

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liketolaugh-writes · 3 months ago

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I just finished your recently completed DP fic and I LOVED it!!!!! I also caught up on the DPxDC crossover and love that too! I’m not in the DP or DC fandoms, but your fics were so amazing, do you have any fic recommendations? I don’t even know where to start looking, I know nothing about either fandom.

Thank you, I'm really glad you like them!! I always recommend first looking at the bookmarks of your favorite authors. Usually they'll read a lot of the same stuff they write, so it's a good way to find fics to your taste! I have about 400 DP fics bookmarked, but here's the highlights-

(Cut for length, there are so many, my impulse control is nil)

Wake Me Up to Say Goodbye - A gradual Jack-centric reveal fic. Jack's genuine love for his family shines through so well here.

broken trust and the wounds hidden behind - This fic is particularly dear to me. Jack finds out about Danny without Danny realizing and starts working to make things right.

Prove That You Deserve the Answer - Jazz/Maddie bodyswap fic. One of my favorite reveals.

Dinner and Diatribes - Vlad traps Danny and Maddie in an underground bunker to play house. This one is, uh, a lot of the inspo for the Fentons' dehumanization of Phantom. But it has a happy ending.

How to Raise the Dead - Very short, sweet fic that isn't exactly post-reveal, but Jack and Maddie know anyway.

Now's The Time (Get In Line) - A fun reveal fic where the GIW raid Casper High for Phantom. The central battle scene in this lives rent-free in my mind.

definition of insanity (is doing the same thing) - Dash Baxter redemption, seriously confronts Dash's bullying.

A Play to Remember - The most interesting and complex A-listers reveal I've ever read.

That Razor's Edge - Halfa!Valerie. So wonderfully done. <3

Ghost on the Couch - Maddie makes Danny go to therapy. While they never quite get around to talking about most of the events of the series (rip) it's still a brilliant showcase of Danny's psychology and emotional turmoil.

DPxDC

If You Give a Bat a Burger - Obligatory, the quintessential DPxDC fic. Plot driven and engaging, and you'll see a certain reference to it in most other DPxDC fics lmao.

Vacation Crashers - Another staple. Plot-driven, but it has one of my favorite Bruce characterizations of any DPxDC fic. (It also inspired a lot of the Fentons' more... neglectful behavior in my fics.)

those who serve. - Can't pass this one up. Danny becomes Alfred's apprentice. Alfred is very concerned.

Wanted: Dead And Alive - Dead Tired. Everyone is scrambling to figure out who the hell Danny is, very fun without sacrificing feeling.

Some Kind of Miraculous Bind - A Demon Twins fic. Damian is very sweet here. <3

But I Want to Be Let In, Not Out - Probably my favorite Demon Twins iteration. Damian just wants to see his brother again, okay?

The Bat Trap - One last Demon Twins fic for good measure. This one plays with its premise so well and integrates the two worlds wonderfully.

Like and Survive - Phantom's Guide to Young Hero Survival - Fix-it field trip through the DCU. You don't know a lot about the DCU? You're about to find out. Very thorough and thoughtful.

Ghosts, Legacies, and CPS - Danny is removed from the Fentons' custody. Danny is inserted into Tim's custody. Vlad does something stupid. Beautifully done and very satisfying.

what dumb luck or good ghost led you from there to here? - Danny and Barbara, where Danny settles in the Clocktower and Babs coaxes him closer like a stray cat.

I Am A Retired Hero And My Love Interest Is A Former Crime Lord? - Dead on Main, obviously. Probably the fic that made me fall in love with this pairing, with a lot of excellent background and foreground plots. Jack and Maddie chase Skulker around to ask him questions about ghost culture. He complains to Danny about it. It's great.

What Binds Us - Such excellent worldbuilding around Crime Alley and Gotham in general. I loves it. <3 (This one by @breannasfluff)

Like Betta Fish Do - Dead on Main, both sweet and very fun. I love @clockwayswrites' characterizations and this particular fic handles their developing relationship super well. On that topic-

One Stop Soup Shop - My feelings,,,, tooth-rotting Dead on Main fluff.

Birdritch - Spirit Halloween, so much fluff between Danny and the Batfamily.

A Broken Sort of Normal - OOF. So many feelings?? Danny/Wally, with so much good angst.

(I can't keep going down the list, just take a run through PaperPuffin's profile, you won't regret it. <3)

I would also suggest following @nerdpoe, @stars-obsession-pit, and @sheepheadfred; they all have good taste in tumblr snippets!

Have fun!

#danny phantom #dpxdc #fic recs

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jarwithmold · 8 months ago

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Oh, man. That was my first ever poster made in SFM(・へ・)

Blunt Trauma for life, hell yeah. They were the main reason I even started to do this stuff.

Still laughing at the fact, that in some moment of time I just thought "Screw the original idea, I wanna do memes".

Actually, this is a short story about Engie and Pyro, becoming the meme for foreground. A little later I'll find another pic, where I continued with a joke about Spy being embarrassed somewhere in the background

#tf2 #team fortress 2 #tf2 medic #tf2 scout #tf2 spy #tf2 sniper #mediscout #blunt trauma

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space-matt · 1 year ago

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Could I request a Matt x reader.They have been dating for a while but the reader has never left that honey moon stage.One day Matt is not having a good day and the readers presence make him on edge.He ends up blowing up on her calling her overbearing and clingy.Things shift and she becomes more distant,for a while he feels ok but he starts to miss the relationship they way it was before.when he tries to talk to the reader she cries to him about the whole situation.He is really sorry and does his best to make it up to her.

I’ll make it up to you

matt.sturniolo x fem.reader

summary: It's really true that you understand the value of things when you lose them.. Matt figured it out too late, but will he be able to make up for it?

request: yes

author’s note: thank u so much for the request!! I hope you’ll enjoy it ♡ I added the song that helped me to write it. For everything I’m here!

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English is not my first language, if you see grammar and typing mistakes, I apologize in advance! I just ask you not to be rude to me ♡

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revised

Still lying in bed you feel the heat coming from the window left half open in Matt’s room, with your eyes closed you stretch by turning to the other side meeting a boulder of a blanket, you reach out your hand in search of your favorite person but to your surprise, your hand leans on the mattress, so you open your eyes trying to focus and notice that half of the bed is empty.

You've been together for seven months and thirteen days now, and you have to say that they are the best months of your life; Having never had previous relationships, it can be said that Matt is your first true and actual relationship in your 20 years of life.

Everything had started as a pure joke between you two to make fun of Chris and his girlfriend Maddy, but the more time passed, the more you began to feel real feelings towards the boy who unlike you had liked you for a long time, but for fear of being considered only and solely a friend, he wanted to avoid putting his heart in the foreground and listening to the rational part of his brain.

But fate wanted that one evening while you were saying goodbye to go to your own house, the moment you were about to press a kiss against his cheek, Matt turned earlier than expected causing your lips to collide, making you immediately move away but when you stopped to look into his eyes you saw in both of them a spark to burst a breathless kiss.

It must be said, from that moment you have been together, indeed perhaps precisely because it is your first relationship that you try to always make everything go for the best unlike Matt who still had his first relationships during his adolescence that, however, according to him, ''they can't compete with you''. Of course, it scares you that sooner or later it may get bored or otherwise lose interest in you, but you still try to eliminate this thought and be the best girlfriend in the world.

So you get out of bed by completely opening the window so that the room can change air, leaving the bed undone; Take your change in the drawer that Matt has free so that you can put some of your things when you stay at his house to sleep, and you head to the next bathroom without noticing who is in the open space connected by a small corridor to his room.

Meanwhile Matt was lying on the sofa, the TV turned on in the background, with the phone in his hand looking at the various social networks but his mind was elsewhere, indeed the day had started in the wrong direction.

All night you did nothing but stay attached to him not making him move, which didn't make him sleep a wink and that's why he was quite nervous.

His brothers were still in their respective rooms changing, as they would then be out all day under your precise instructions, as you wanted to spend a day entirely with Matt before leaving for spring break in two weeks.

When Nick and Chris find themselves in the living room ready to go out, Matt pulls up his head ''Do we have any meetings today?'' He asks confused getting up and putting the phone in his pocket ''The two of us yes, you have the day off today.. enjoy it'' Chris replies with a grin on his face which vanishes when he hears a puff from him ''Wow I didn't expect all this enthusiasm '' exclaims ironic Nick going to the door of the house ''Please let me come with you, I need to disconnect, I need air'' Matt responds whispering so as not to be heard by you ''Sorry MattyB but no'' says Chris taking a can of Pepsi from the fridge and then he goes out too.

Another puff comes out of his lips knowing he has to stay with you all day, and resignedly throws himself back on the couch closing his eyes.

When he feels your steps approaching a sense of annoyance and nervousness pervades his body, he can't even understand the reason for all this but it's already been a couple of days that he just wants to have a moment for him, but with you in the middle it's almost completely impossible.

On the other hand, you do not notice anything different, perhaps because taken by too much love even the most obvious things go unnoticed by your eyes in the shape of a little heart.

All happy you go to the kitchen take water pouring it into a glass, you notice Matt on the sofa, you leave the glass on the counter and go in his direction lowering yourself to his height ''Babe, let's go out for breakfast?'' you ask trying to caress his hair but at your touch, he moves by sitting down looking at you ''I can't, I have to go out'' he responds annoyed without even looking at you, leaving you a little surprised but doesn't give up trying with a ''Then when you come back we can go for a ride at Lake Hollywood Park, right?'' hopeful in one of his answers but the only thing he pronounces is a ''See you later'' without greeting you and leaving the house, leaving you standing in the middle of the living room.

The hours go by and so does your enthusiasm, you start thinking about the worst situations in your mind, which do nothing but increase your paranoia;

Okay maybe you recognize that in the last period, you have always been with them but although it has been almost a year since you moved to Los Angeles, you have not been able to make many friends due to your armor that you tend to raise when it comes to new people. But with Nick, Chris, and Matt it's different, you've known them since you were little, and with them, there was never a need to create a wall to protect you, because they are your guardian angels.

You've always gotten along, except for a few quarrels which is normal, but you've never noticed before behaviors so distant from Matt, as if your presence wasn't welcome.

When you hear the door open you hope that your boyfriend's figure will come out of the stairs but you recognize the voices of Chris and Nick, you resign yourself completely on the couch with your pajamas and the tray of ice cream on your legs.

''Ookay... why are you at home? Didn't you have to go out?'' Nick asks looking at you confused ''By the way where is Matt?'' Keep looking around ''I have no idea'' you answer him in a subtle voice while you eat a spoonful of vanilla ice cream, you feel the tears stop at the corners of your eyes, so you don't see you turn your head on the other side putting the teaspoon in the tray ''He came out this morning and never came back, I tried to text him and call him a couple of times but I didn't receive an answer'' you keep whispering closing your eyes making the tears fall.

You feel the package of ice cream being removed from your legs and two arms that surround you, from the essence that envelops you, you recognize that is Chris and with your eyes still closed you abandon yourself in a liberating cry after holding it all day ''Shh, it's okay'' he whispers massaging your back ''You know that now and then he has its relapses and behaves like this'' he keeps trying to reassure you.

You pull up with your nose and detach yourself from his arms ''But with me, he had never behaved this way.. at all he always came to me'' you explain looking in his direction receiving almost an expression of pity on his face ''What do you say if we order something and watch a movie here all together? We will make you choose'' announces trying to cheer you up But on your part, he only receives a nod with your head.

Even though he had spent the whole day outside walking around the crowded streets of Santa Monica, his mind did nothing but think about the time to get home, the only thought of having you always stuck made him take his breath away, of course he cared you but this so much physical contact, at that time, was leading him to detach himself from everything, but especially from you.

That's why he had waited for a late time to come back, so as not to have to face you trying to postpone everything to the day of your departure. But you know how his thought works more than yourself, in this way after finishing watching your comfort movie together with the two boys, you decide not to go to sleep right away but to stay on the couch not being able to stay alone in bed without Matt by your side, with the knowledge of having done something wrong.

The fact that there was no communication between the two of you was new, you have always been the anchor of each other, and not being it in a short time has completely upset you, especially not understanding how to act, and consequently how to find a solution.

The silence that reigns in the house is broken by the noise of the keys that are inserted into the door patch, your heart begins to beat quickly but you remain motionless sitting with your gaze turned in his direction, while he tries to slowly climb the entrance stairs but when it reaches the last one, he stops seeing you pulling his eyes up ''you shouldn’t have waited up for me, there was no need'' he says changing towards the fridge taking a bottle of water but no longer being able to hold back your thoughts for you ''What have I done? It's all day that you avoid me indeed it's days that you behave strangely'' you blurt out getting up to get closer to him, and given your height difference you are forced to pull up your head to look him better in the eyes.

As you stand in front of Matt, you can feel the bitterness in his words cutting deep into your heart. "What did you do to me?" he asks, his voice laced with anger and frustration. "There's that you've become overbearing and clingy. I can't take it anymore. You're always sticky, I never have a free moment, and if I have it, you're always there" he exclaims with clenched teeth and a hard look.

His words strike you like a bolt of lightning, and you take a step back, not believing what you're hearing. "We weren't like that before, and now I understand why no one has ever wanted you" he adds with wickedness, making you feel small and insignificant.

You try to speak, but your voice catches in your throat. You know what you've been through, and you've always hoped that Matt would understand. But instead, he holds it against you, making you feel like an outcast.

"You're an asshole" you finally manage to say, raising your voice as tears slide down your face. It's not like you to use such harsh words, but you're hurt and angry, and you can't help it.

At that moment, Matt opens his eyes, and you can see the surprise and shock on his face. He had never heard you say such a thing to him. Among all people, it was always you who used a calm tone, even in the most difficult situations.

Seeing you rush into his room, he follows you around, but when he sees that you start to take your bags, he realizes that he has exaggerated. "What do you do?" he asks, trying to take your arm. But with all the anger that you had in your body, in very little, you wriggle from his grip. "Let go of me" you say in a dry tone.

"I'm not going to stay in the room with you anymore. I'll go to Nick's, and I'll bring all my stuff" you finish, closing the zip and dragging the bag on the ground. As you come out of his room, you find yourself facing the two guys who, from the screams, immediately catapulted to see what had happened.

As you ask Nick for help, you feel exhausted and drained from the situation at home. Without even turning to see him, his hand takes the bag from yours and you head up to the room with the older brother. In the distance, you hear Chris saying, "Dude you have already done too much damage, let her be."

Days pass by, but the situation at home remains the same.

After receiving some harsh words, you decide to build a wall between you and Matt and try to avoid being alone with him.

You attempt to behave like a mature person, spending more time with the two brothers and going out on your own when they can't accompany you.

Matt, on the other hand, feels good when you're not around. However, as time passes, guilt starts to creep in, and he realizes that he doesn't want to push away the one person who means the world to him.

He understands this even more when you don't even look at him at the airport and leave without a single glance. "Why did I do wrong to her?" he says to himself as he watches you go through security checks. "Because you're a jerk, that's why" answers Nick, watching him with a serious expression.

Although he regrets his actions, Matt is determined to make things right between you two. Without telling anyone, he packs his backpack with only the bare minimum and heads off to the other side of the country.

Spring break is coming to an end, and leaving your family and friends in Boston again feels like a stab in the heart. This time, it hurts even more because you know that once you get back, you'll have to fend for yourself completely, starting with finding an apartment.

You and your family were having a pleasant evening playing board games when you heard the doorbell ring. "Were you expecting someone?" you asked, moving your pawns on the board. "No, we weren't. Why don't you go and answer it?" your mother replied, gazing at you with a gentle expression. You got up from your spot, a little confused.

As you reached the door, you saw Matt standing outside with a bouquet of your favorite tulips and a puppet with the words <I'm stupid> written on it. The sight of the flowers made you smile, but you didn't let your guard down completely.

''Please, I have to talk to you''

"You have five minutes" you told him as you closed the door behind you and sat on the porch, keeping a distance. He handed you the flowers and the puppet, and you accepted them, putting the flowers next to you and holding the puppet in your hands.

"I'm sorry" he began, fiddling with your fingers. "I know I'm not good with words, but I realize now that I was wrong to say what I said.

I shouldn't have blamed you like that. I just wanted to talk to you and explain my side of things."

He paused, looking down, and when he looked up again, his eyes were watery. You felt your own eyes fill up with tears, too.

"I don't want to lose you" he said, touching your cheek. You closed your eyes and put your hand on his. "I was an asshole, but I understand that now that you're gone."

You spoke up, your voice barely above a whisper. "It was a low blow. You've never made me feel so small and helpless before. But I have to admit, I've been clingier than usual lately. That's just my way of showing you love, and if you don't like it, we can end it here."

"No way" he said, taking a step closer. "I flew over 2,500 miles to see you and tell you I love you more than anything. We just need to communicate better and make sure we're both happy. I'm here because I want to be and make it up to you." concludes by looking into your eyes '' I love you too... but please let's not hurt ourself anymore'' you leaned your forehead against his and felt his lips on yours in a gentle kiss.

When you pulled away, you grinned and grabbed the puppet. "Would you be him?" you asked, laughing together.

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Taglist: @sturniolosreads @mayhem-72 @dracoflaco @lyzsaphrodite @ifilwtmfc @xoxo4chrisss @soimightlikeoldmen69 @inlovewithmattstur @sturniolobendystrawsposts @tillies33ssss @junnniiieee07

#matt sturniolo #matt sturniolo x reader #sturniolo fanfic #sturniolo x reader #sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #nick sturniolo #nick sturniolo x reader #chris sturniolo #chris sturniolo x reader #romance #travel

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