[the strings] @strings-system - Tumblr Blog

i think that presenting cannibalism as a metaphor for intimacy was perhaps one of the greatest things we ever did as a society. Like you’re telling me you want to eat me, make me a part of you, consume me? that’s so romantic, tell me more, i love you

ange3lix

Hello everyone. It's been some time since we posted here, I know, but these days Tumblr represents... something we are wary to touch very often. We wanted to write an update here, though, because we had an exciting Samhain.

Our first and primary intention was to reach out to Thanatos. Though we were quite nervous leading up to the actual event, He reached out to *us*-- rather boldly-- before we even called to Him. When we first drew from our tarot deck, three cards appeared: Death and the Queen of Pentacles flanked on either side the Emperor. We do believe that the Queen was Persephone, wishing only to say hello to our Zagreus fictive, but the appearance of Death was an answer to prayers we had not even prayed yet.

The Emperor, though. This is the card we were not prepared for. We were instantly struck with the impression that it must have been Lord Hades Himself, and so commanding and intense was His presence that even though we have now had time to doubt our first intuition, this interpretation still seems certain. Even now, we are overwhelmed with awe; never did we imagine that a power like Lord Hades might wish to touch our life. That we might have the honor of working with Him, of walking this world bearing His blessings. We have not yet procured a proper offering for Him, but as soon as we do, we intend to devote ourselves to Him.

We have been struggling quite a lot lately with suicidal thoughts. Samhain and its events couldn't have come at a better time. Thanatos and Lord Hades may not have saved our life, but they offer us now a purpose to keep living it: to bring them glory, to worship, to devote. This is not the life that we thought we might lead, when we first dreamt of dying, but it is one that we wouldn't trade away for anything.

The Strings

#[death approaches.]#altar #nyx tag #hades tag #what are the strings?

amuklaios

Thanatos Information

Thanatos / Thanatus - Θανατος Roman: Mors, Letum* —— Thanatos is the god of non-violent death. He’s also referred to a daimon, or the personified spirit of. —— Although Thanatos and his domain is referred to many times in myths, he rarely makes an appearance in person. Similarly, he has a much smaller following compared to the other gods, as the Greeks did not wish to invite Death into their home. —— Even despite this, there are a few things known about Thanatos. - Appearance: He is usually depicted as a beareded, older man. In some depictions, he’s a beardless youth, but this is unusual. He carries a sword, and will be seen with his brother (Hypnos), the Fates, or Keres. Family: His mother is Nyx, and he is typically depicted as fatherless. One source lists his father as Erebos. His brother is Hypnos, and the two are often mistaken for each other. Epithets: Thanatos has no known epithets. He is referred to as ‘Death’ in most works. Cults: He has no known temples or cults, but he was offered sacrifices sometimes. The city of Gadeira is said to have sung hymns in his honour. —— Possible Offerings Little is known about what offerings people gave Thanatos. It was very likely he was given the same basic offerings other gods have been given. There are also mentions of Thanatos having no offerings, as the people did not believe offerings would sway his opinion as an unbiased god. (Aeschylus, Fragment 82 Niobe + Aristophanes, Birds 1360) This list will remain specific to those offerings, and other mentions within Thanatos’ mythos, but you’re free to add your own findings as well! - Lock of hair (From Alcestis of Euripides, in which he cuts off a lock of a dying person’s hair and devotes it to the Underworld) - Meat (Cows, Goats, and Sheep were common, so things such as steak or mutton would work for modern worship. Fish is also common in seaside places.) - Wine - Milk - Honey - Oil - Water - Fruit Hymns: Orphic Hymn 87 to Thanatus Myths Featuring Thanatos: Thanatos and Sisyphus Thanatos and Heracles (Heracles wrestled Thanatos to save Alcestis.) Thanatos and Sarpedon (He was sent to retrieve Sarpedon’s body.) *Letum is less common than Mors, but still used. Sources + Further Reading: Thanatos | Wiki | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Offerings | Photo List of Worshippers - Sorted Alphabetically @dxllxfxce @comradewitch @godlysuggests @ohdeardeath @tyme2explore @vanillespirit

Thanatos/Mors

Small devotional acts.

Collect and honor dead butterflies or moths*

Remember lost loved ones*

Place flowers on unmarked graves*

Eat foods with poppy seeds – use more poppy seed dressing*

Decorate using poppies*

Contact the dead*

Press or dry some flowers*

Spend time enjoying a river or creek*

Taking a well-needed (or not) nap*

Do more divination*

Volunteer at a nursing home

Adopt an older animal

Go outside at dawn or dusk

Burn a scented candle before bed

Listen to music that makes you feel calm/serene

Take a cold shower

Go hunting for bones or fossils

Turn off all your lights and use candlelight

Open your window at night

Wear dark, soothing colors

Go swimming in natural bodies of water

Give donations to people who need to put a pet down

Have spaces where you can avoid time pieces

Plant flowers for butterflies

Say hello to any crows or ravens you see

Turn down the brightness on your phone screen

Drink some icy water

Go to bed earlier

Replace your lightbulbs if the light is too harsh

Drink calming/sleepytime tea

PRACTICE LOVING YOURSELF

Many, many, many other things not said here

*contributed by @beau-witchery

#[death approaches.]

shanastoryteller

I know you've gotten a lot of Hades/Persephone asks, but I've spent the last three days listening to Hadestown by Anais Mitchell - I have a burning desire to know how your Hades and Persephone would handle the Orpheus and Eurydice mythos?

Thefirst time he hears of Orpheus is when Ares comes to him, in spring, when hiswife his gone. Ares only comes to him when his wife is gone.

“Apollohas a son,” he says, dark eyes darting around like there’s something chasing him.There is always something chasing the god of war, and many of them now residein Hades’s realm. No matter how many times he’s tried to reassure Ares thathe’s safe here, he doesn’t believe him.

“Apollohas many sons,” he returns, dry. He reaches out and places two fingers underAres’s chin, sees the bone-paleness of his skin against the rich red-copper ofthe younger god’s, and swallows. “You look tired.” Crescent purple bruises arecarved deep beneath his eyes.

Aresdoesn’t shrug off his touch, but neither does he lean into it. “I,” he finallymeets his gaze, and Hades smiles, warm. Ares’s lips twitch up like he wants toreturn it, but can’t. “I haven’t been sleeping. There’s a war in the East, andthey’ve been invoking me for weeks. I think I need to go there.”

Heknows. There’s been hundreds of new people in his realm every day. Thanatos andCharon haven’t slept in weeks. Neither has he, for that matter.

“Whatwill you disguise yourself as this time?” he murmurs, “Another general?”

Thatwas the wrong thing to say. Are’s eyes go impossibly distant, and his skin gainsa sickly grey hue. His hands aren’t shaking, so Hades has no reason to takethem in his own. He can’t decide if he’s disappointed by that or not. “No. I –no. Just a foot soldier. Less guilt that way. Less – less. Just, less, thatway.”

Lessnightmares, less fear, less blood on his hands. Less of the constant,inescapable battle-fury that keeps him alive, but also keeps him from sleep,even on his best days. When Zeus declared his son the god of war, this probablywasn’t what he had in mind.

Hadeshopes it isn’t, at least.

“Becareful,” he says, and Ares flinches.

Hegrabs Hades’s wrist before he leaves though, and squeezes it so tightly that itwould snap if Hades was a mortal man.

There’sthat, at least.

Persephonewears not the vibrant red that marks her as queen of the underworld, but thesoft green that names her the daughter of spring. She sits on a smooth rock inthe middle of the sea, her curly dark red hair brushing her bare shoulders.It’s the last day of summer. She goes home tomorrow.

Demeterdoes not strain to keep her daughter at her side anymore. Now she’s merelycontent to keep her away from Hades.

“Wereyou waiting long?” a voice like lapping waves asks in her ear, and Amphitritesits at her back. She presses a kiss to her shoulder, and her long green hairtumbles down Persephone’s front and blends into her dress.

Shetilts her head, allowing Amphitrite to trail salty kisses up her neck. “No.Have trouble sneaking away from your husband?”

Shesnorts. “I do not sneak.”

“Yousaid you had news from my husband,”Persephone reminds, does not allow herself to become distracted. Not yet.

“About,not from,” she uses a single claw to cut through the back of Persephone’sdress. It falls down to her hips. “They’ve been waging war for months. A bloodyhorrible thing. And rumor is Ares was in Hades’s realm. People are saying thatAres sends the dead to your husband as tribute.”

Peopleare idiots. Besides, she likes Ares. She does not mind that he visits herhusband; she only wishes he would visit her as well. “Is that all?”

Amphitriteshrugs then bites at Persephone’s ear, “Won’t you come to the sea with me? Mypalace has many places more comfortable than this rock.”

Sheleans back, pulling Amphitrite down with her, and does not answer.

Sheis not Poseidon. She does not forget that Amphitrite possesses, but is not tobe possessed, and she dares not follow this personification of the sea itselfinto her domain.

Amphitriteloves her. She may not give her back.

Persephoneis not Helen either. She will not be the cause of any wars.

Thanatos,the boy who Hades still calls Icarus, sits with his head in his hands. Hades reaches out and absently runs a hand up and down his spine, thinks notfor the first time that he must have been a sight to see with his golden wings,for that glorious moment before he fell. “Persephone should be crossing theshore soon. Why don’t you go and wait for her?”

“Iknow what you’re doing,” he says, voice muffled, “Styx can bring her. Or shecan walk herself, since there’s not a thing in this realm stupid enough toattack her.”

Hadesleans down and kisses the top of his spine, “She likes it when you’re there tohelp her off the boat. Please?”

Icarusturns and glares at him. Hades kisses him below his left eye, lets his lipslinger on the delicate skin there. “You’re cheating,” he accuses, a blush highon his cheeks, “this is cheating.”

“Stopworking for a couple hours and go get my wife,” he commands softly, “The armiesof traumatized dead will still be here when you return.”

Icaruslistens – finally – and slips away to the river.

Hadeslooks back over the map. The problem with the dead is they never go anywhere,so his realm only gets bigger. He’s going to need get Hecate so the two of themcan raise another city at this rate.

There’sa push in the air, and he startles. No one enters his realm without permission,but he recognizes the outline of the person trying to push through, and allowsit. Ares tumbles from the air, and into his arms. He’s covered in blood, hislong black hair is soaked through with it.

“Notyours, I assume?” he asks, gripping Ares’s forearms. He’s strung so tightlyhe’s nearly vibrating.

“Iwish it was mine,” he says, somewhere between a scream and a sob. Hadeswishes this was the first time Ares had come to him like this.

Areslocks his wrists around Hades neck and pulls him down, knocking them both tothe floor in his exuberance. His mouth connects to Hades’s, slick and tastinglike sulpher and metal. “I have to go back soon,” he gasps, dragging his lipsalong the edge of Hades’s jaw, “they’re invoking my name. Distract me untilthen.”

Hestill has hours until Persephone will return home, and besides she would notdeny him this. “Okay,” he whispers, and when he rolls them over they’re nolonger in his office, but his bed. Ares keens and strains his body up towardsHades, and he grabs the young god’s wrists and pins him to the bed. “Do not worry,”he says, and Ares’s whole body glistens red with blood that isn’t his own. “I’vegot you.”

Aresrelaxes, just the smallest amount, under his hands.

He’lltake what he can get.

Shecan tell Ares was there before even steps foot in her palace, and knows it forsure when she enters her bedroom to find her husband naked on their bed andcovered in blood.

“Howis he?” she asks, and he startles, having been so deep in thought he hadn’tnoticed her.

“Persephone,”he greets, his whole face going soft as he pushes himself up. He holds out ahand to her, and she doesn’t hesitate to drop her cloak and crawl over the bed tohim. She hikes up her dress and straddles him, arms crisscrossing behind hisneck. She kisses him slow, licks over the places where Ares had bitten hislips. “I’ve missed you.”

Sherolls her hips downward, and is gratified by the way his hands flex on her thighs,“As I have missed you, husband.”

Shekisses mortal blood off his skin, and tries not to worry too much about the manwho left it there.

He’ssurvived every war since his birth, and he’ll survive this one too.

Aphroditeenters his realm, her hair piled atop her head and held together with copperpins fashioned in the shape of delicate flowers. “Apollo has a son,” she says,biting at her bottom lip.

Heand Persephone share a glance before he says, “Apollo has many sons.” He feelsas if he’s had this conversation before.

Shequirks her lips in a half smile, “This one is different. He plays the lyre, heplays it better than his father even. He plays it so well that – that there arerumors that he can sooth any beast to sleep. And,” she adds, even quieter, “thatAres himself is soothed by his playing.”

“Whyare you telling us this?” Persephone asks coldly. Hades places his hand on topof hers. They like Aphrodite, afterall.

“BecauseI know Ares cares for Hades,” her eyes flicker over to him, “and I believeHades cares for him as well. I – I could not accept his proposal. My love wasnot the peace he thought it would be. But I wish him well.”

“Wecan neither kidnap nor kill a son of Apollo,” Persephone says. Hades feelscompelled to add that they shouldn’t wantto either, but he can already tell this is a situation which is quicklygoing to spiral out of his control, if it hasn’t already.

Aphroditeraises a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, then lowers it when she realizedher hair is already up. “He loves a mortal girl, Eurydice. If she were to die,he would be beside himself in grief. Enough to take his own life, even.”

“Really,”Persephone says flatly.

Aphroditecontinues, “Then he would be a subject of your realm. You could compel him tohelp Ares, could you not?”

“Ihave subjects, not slaves,” he says, “I can’t make him do anything.”

Persephoneputs her hand on his arm, eyes bright. “I have a better idea.”

Aphrodite’splan had merit, but this is better. Smarter. It gives Apollo less reason to beupset at them later, since his son comes to them now on his recommendation. Althoughhe’s far too attached to all his limbs to dare cross her regardless.

Orpheusbargaining with her husband now, and she’s given Hades strict instructions,that Orpheus must agree to play in their courtyard for eternity if he fails. Hewon’t cross her either, even if he wants to, even if he’s not totallycomfortable with this plan.

Sheknew when she married him that he was too soft hearted for his own good. It’shalf the reason she married him in the first place.

Fornow she circles the girl that the half-god had been so willing to riskeverything for. She’s attractive enough, but plain, and she has no particulartalents nor is she overtly clever. “What makes you so special?” she asks, whenshe sees nothing but an average young woman.

Eurydicesmiles then, and she’s much prettier that way. “He loves me,” she answers, cheeksflushing. She hesitates, but asks, “Will you really let him take him me back?”

“Aslong as he listens, as long as he leaves the underworld without looking back atyou, you are free to follow him and return to the world of the living,” sheagrees, but knows that will never come to pass.

Orpheusloves her too much to risk leaving without her, and his doubts will overcomehis hope. He will look back, and become trapped here forever.

Thewindow of one of the spare rooms is open, and the most beautiful playing comesthrough. Hades sits at the edge of the bed, and reaches to run the back of hisfinger across Ares’s cheek.

Thewar still rages. A war always rages. Yet Ares sleeps, the bruises under his eyesbecoming lighter by the day.

Heturns toward Hades, straining in sleep for his touch. Hades hesitates, but hisrealm is stable enough for now. He slips beneath the covers, and almost immediatelyAres curls into his side, tangling their legs together and pillowing his headon Hades’s chest so he can feel Ares’s damp exhales on his sternum.

Therewill always be another war, and Ares cannot stay. But for now he sleepspeacefully in Hades arms, and that will have to be enough.

Persephonesits in her garden in the courtyard, listening to the same beautiful song.

“Thisone is my favorite,” Eurydice says, seated besides her and beaming.

Sheglances over to Orpheus, who grins wide as he performs a love song for hisbeloved wife. Behind him is the cottage tucked in the corner of their courtyardwhere Eurydice and Orpheus live.

“Minetoo,” she says.

Hadeswas too soft hearted for his own good. She’d known that when she married him.

gods and monsters series, part xi

#i am not certain where this fits into... anything #but it made me feel things so into the tag it goes #[death approaches.]

kctiebell

thanatos: the greek personification of death & mortality

“hear me, o death, whose empire unconfined extends to mortal tribes of every kind. on thee, the portion of our time depends, whose absence lengthens life, whose presence ends.”

url edit for @thananatos

#[death approaches.]

andromedes

mythology family ⤞ thanatos for @starcourts

the greek god and personification of non-violent death

#[death approaches.]

starsofdarknebula

💀 Offering Oil For The Dead 💀

Here’s a oil that I made in honor of Thanatos (also props to him for giving me this advice to fill my skull dropper!) This oil is to be used as a offering to Chthonic deities and spirits. You can anoint a candle when working as well as this oil is suppose to have a soothing feel to it for comforting!

What you’ll need: A Carrier oil (I would recommend olive oil but I’ll be using Vitamin E oil), Lavender (essential oil or the herb it self), Rose petals/buds, Myrrh (since this works well for Hades and Thanatos I’ve heard and can be either essential oil or the ashes from incense)

Optional things you can add: Poppy seeds, a bone, graveyard dirt, something dead, a quartz crystal, Selenite crystal, Willow bark or leaf (this aids with safe passing in the afterlife and is also good for protection against negativity and evil).

Directions: (usually when I’m making an oil or potion I light candles and burn incense, along with playing soothing/fitting music. Just a quick note!)

Cleanse the bottle first ( I did so with my juniper smudge wand). Add each item into your bottle, making SURE your adding your intent. (Lavender for peace, Rose for remembrance, Myrrh for troubled souls and can help with protection.) When adding a bone or something dead make sure to thank the spirit to the item. And your done!

NOTE: If you do not want to use oil you can use water for this! You can always modify this as well :)

#[death approaches.]

coming back here is like

opening a door i shut a long time ago

i miss

i feel like im no longer in touch with so many parts of myself

but at least if i dont look back, i cant see how many loves have abandoned me, cant feel their absence

there are so many people in my head

1st-1

if Earth were square 🔷

bunkerlad-moved-blog

ok but what about the squoon

mortmings-moved-blog

the squoon orbits the squearth, which orbits the squn

bunkerlad-moved-blog

on one of the corners of the squilky way, right?

stupidalteanpools

What a beautiful squniverse we live in

#this post bothers me.#these are not squares #they are CUBES #squares are two-dimensional #[what is that melody?]

Seeking Roleplay Partner!

Alright, I know a lot of people aren't really active on Tumblr anymore, but I'm not sure where else to go to make a post like this, so...

I'm looking for a roleplaying partner, primarily a Galo Thymos for my Lio Fotia (Promare). Others I'm interested in are a Meis for my Gueira (Promare), and a Takashi Shirogane for my Keith Kogane (Voltron: Legendary Defender). I do long-form, paragraph style roleplays, sometimes shorter and sometimes much longer/more expansive. I do NSFW roleplays, and sometimes ones that are straight-up PWP! Please be 18+.

I enjoy fantasy scenarios, especially ones involving demons, but I also do canonverse roleplays and other tropes/AUs depending on what my partner and I are feeling. I prefer a partner whose muses switch/lean to dominant.

I would like to roleplay over Discord. You can DM me for my Discord handle if you're interested in trying out an RP.

For personal reasons, I am not interested in roleplaying with anyone who is system negative, anti-kin, ace- or nb-exclusionary, trandmedicalist, or who thinks that harassing people online, especially over ships, is okay.

You can read an example of my writing below:

Lio Fotia has a big day ahead of him.

He's been getting tangled up in riskier and riskier stunts lately-- what used to be small-time vandalism and little acts of speaking out had escalated steadily to bring him where he is now: seated cross-legged atop a crumbly brick building marked for demolition. The site had already been set up in the days leading up to it, and he was staring down the actual machines as they'd driven right up and expected to get to work early.

Lio had been quicker to the punch.

The whole row of buildings was doomed, actually, and rumor had it that a new shopping center was planned in their place. Lio thought that that was bullshit, and he was exercising his right to say so. It was still commonplace for Burnish to be turned away from, well... lots of things, including homeless shelters. As far as Lio is concerned, Governor Kray in his stupid high-rise can do something about that before he rakes in any more profits.

His sign is simple; it bears the motif of a flame and the bold words doesn't your cruelty burn?

Lio is no classically trained artist but he likes to think that he knows how to get to the point. And the point is that they'll have to send a grunt or two up to the roof to drag him off if they want him gone without some negotiating.

At the street level, a crowd of onlookers was already gathering, some of them carrying signs of their own. Lio might have informed his Twitter followers of his little demonstration beforehand. It was shaping up to be a PR mess, which is exactly what Lio wants.

Oh, Lio knew all about Galo Thymos. He was Promepolis' sweetheart, the relatable doofus with a heart and smile made of pure gold. The pure fact that he was there and being pitted against Lio and the other Burnish protestors would be a mark against them in the court of public opinion, that's how ingrained he was into the city's media coverage.

As far as Lio was concerned, Galo Thymos was the light that shone directly out of Kray Foresight's asshole; that is, just another smiling face to kiss puppies and distract the people from the real issues. Lio believed that if people would just pay attention, they would be just as appalled by the city's cruelty as he was... and he couldn't afford to write it off as wishful thinking. No, Lio was there for all of his brothers and sisters who could no longer be there, their lives stolen by a system that saw them as a convenient scapegoat.

"Galo Thymos," Lio repeats, trying not to let the derision he feels show in his face and voice. It's hard. Lio isn't exactly a very charismatic fellow under most circumstances, he was too blunt for that. "Lio Fotia. I won't be needing your help, but thanks for the offer."