Religious Themes - Tumblr Posts
Posting some old art because might as well see the light of day
Oil painting I did in mah painting class. took about an hour and a half.
So, one moment people started to talk about religious woftubers. Then I remembered smth and opened my old sketchbook... I think I opened the Pandora`s box
So a couple nights ago I disproved a myth/superstition that I’ve heard for as long as I can remember: when you die in a dream you do NOT, in fact, die in real life.
I don’t remember the exact events leading up to my dreamscape death, but I was in a vehicle of some sort—like a plane or something—and me and the maybe 3 others in it were being chased/attacked. A missile or fireball or something of that nature was fired at us and consumed the vehicle we were in, and I looked into the void of death as it consumed me with me very really believing I was about to meet God and be judged for my life choices (I’m a devout Christian) and was both terrified and ready—and the next thing I consciously know is that I’m lying on my back in bed with my eyes closed.
I died. It happened. I was entering into the afterlife and “woke up” without opening my eyes. I simply was no longer dreaming. It has both unnerved me and, in a way, reassured me; the latter in the way that I felt ready to meet God. I feel like being terrified was a normal reaction that the vast majority of people would feel in that situation. I mean, as a Christian I know what awaits me according to the Bible, but knowing without actually seeing with your own eyes is different, you know? It’s still quite a bit unknown, because all we can do is imagine the afterlife based on our beliefs and views before we’re actually there. The heaven of today’s Christian minds is very different from those of the past, I think. Times have changed; civilizations have evolved. Does heaven look like modern architecture or that of the time of Jesus? Or something else entirely?
Anyway, just wanted to voice these thoughts. I keep replaying those moments between acknowledging that I’m dying and opening my eyes to a dark room, and maybe putting these thoughts down will help me to move past this. It’s disconcerting.
Ride the Cyclone - Final Judgement Headcanon
Hello, Ride the Cyclone Fandom! I have decided to make my entrance into this fan-sphere the longest and most convoluted way possible: With a paragraphs long headcanon that has been stuck in my head for weeks! This is a long one (I’m talking 10 pages in Google Docs), so buckle in.
TL;DR: Jane Doe isn't real and Karnak is Saint Peter. There was never a possibility of someone being brought back to life.
(Obvious Spoiler Warning Below)
First, I'll point out some things from the play that either didn't make sense or will eventually become evidence for the theory.
I'll break up my points separately to make it a little easier to read because it's kind of a lot!
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The play opens with Jane Doe standing on stage, alone and headless. Why is she there by herself? Is she there before the other choir members because the decapitation killed her instantly? Or was this to symbolize that she was already in the afterlife, waiting for the roller coaster accident to happen, beginning the "game"....
During this, the first song of the album [Karnak's Dream of Life] plays. Almost like narration to set the mood, the song has motifs of going round and round- an obvious allusion to the roller coaster accident, but also symbolizing the circle of life. She says "It goes on and on and never ends", like merely a witness, as if she herself is not part of it.
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Then we meet Karnak. He claims to know the "exact cause, time and place of someone's death", though he is not an all-powerful stand-in for God as I originally suspected (his time is limited thanks to Virgil the Rat chewing on his cable).
One important thing to note about the introduction is that Karnak is in a warehouse, and he has been there for 2 years. When the choir members are introduced later, the shock, confusion and frustration of their deaths still seem very fresh, so when is this taking place? Karnak mentions things like the events of Noel’s funeral, so some significant time must have passed after the accident. And if there truly was a way to bring one of them back, wouldn't this all have to happen at the exact time of the accident? Or does Karnak truly have the power to reverse and change the course of time because that seems a little overpowered. And if he does have that power, why would he be limited to bringing just one person back? Why bother toying with a bunch of kids and forcing the Hunger Games style to bargain with each other over who gets to live? Why choose these specific kids in a random town in Canada in the first place?
I believe that Karnak’s appearance was chosen as the vessel for this adventure to offer the kids a sense of familiarity, while also having imagery of the divine so they wouldn't question how this is all happening.
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From the description of the accident, it doesn't make logistical sense that someone would survive. According to Karnak, the front axle of the roller coaster cart broke, causing the whole thing to derail at the apex of the loop de loop. Even with his supposed powers, it's incredibly unlikely for someone to survive something like that, so Karnak would really have his work cut out for him.
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In the first appearance of the choir members, they are shown participating in a singing competition. Jane Doe is conveniently missing. Wasn't she a part of the choir?
The play truly begins as their "Fall Faire" song distorts and the choir members take the position of what can only be assumed to be their last seconds alive.
The play truly begins as their "Fall Faire" song distorts and the choir members take the positions of what can only be assumed as their last seconds alive. Jane Doe is still absent, even in this abstract representation of the crash she supposedly died in.
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The first thing that Karnak says to the cast at the beginning of the play is “Greetings, children. It’s time to play.” Despite the play being presented in the style of a twisted game show (Karnak claiming that Ocean selected “Game Mode” as the format for their adventure), it is very obvious by the end of the play that this was not meant to be taken as a simple game to be played. The closing song titled “It’s Not A Game/ It’s Just A Ride” should be evidence enough of that, but I’ll get more into that song later.
Another thing to note in the introduction: Karnak puts a strange amount of emphasis when saying “I assure you, your will is your own”. This is important to him because he is determining whether or not their souls are worthy. He is making very clear to the choir that they are removed from outside preconceptions and are expected to act as their true selves here.
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Jane Doe is introduced as a “mystery contestant”. She comes in separate from the rest of the rest of the choir, despite the fact that she supposedly died in the same accident as the rest of them. We should also take note of her appearance. Her hair and face is obviously supposed to look like the headless baby doll she holds, but what is the purpose of the symbolism? Was she holding the doll when she died? I feel like the other choir members would remember a strange girl in a school uniform with a baby doll. And are we to assume that one’s head is intrinsically attached to their being and identity, or is her lack of head meant to symbolize her cause of death? In that case, I’m sure the other choir members would also have some kind of injury seen on them, but they don’t.
And how come literally no one knows who she is? At the very least, there must have been some legal record of Jane in the school files. She must have gotten the school uniform from someone, right? Her family didn't know what school she was going to? Why would her parents not show up to claim her body when news of the accident spread? Everything about this is just kind of suspicious…
Even in the flashback images Karnak shows at the beginning, she doesn't seem to fit with the formation of the other choir members. They are always seen in the same two rows: Three boys in the back, two girls in front. Jane just doesn’t look like she belongs.
That's not even bringing up the fact that this implies the other members have met her in person before to take the picture and just... forgot who she was? Karnak admits to never reading her fortune, saying that there were rumors that she was never in the choir at all.
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Now let's get onto the actual theory
Because claiming that a mechanical fortune teller is actually one of the Apostles and a direct servant of God is kind of a large claim.
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Saint Peter is said to guard the gates of heaven, sometimes being depicted as looking the deceased's name up in his book to ensure they are where they belong. Sounds an awful lot like what Karnak does to each of the choir members- calling them up one by one, stating their name and date of birth.
The only person this doesn't work for is Jane Doe. He calls her up (most likely to keep up appearances that she is just another one of the choir members), but no name, birthday, or any record of her shows up. Karnak truly is supposedly ultra powerful with abilities that involve changing the timeline and reviving the dead, but he can't figure out who Jane Doe is?? Hell, even modern forensics could do that with DNA testing! (Which is another plot hole: How could no one figure out who she was? The autopsy report didn't have any information? DNA? Fingerprints? Nothing? Sus.)
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Karnak said he wanted to give them the chance to express not what they were perceived to be, but what they dreamt they were. I believe this is his way of saying he wants to see if they are pure of heart: How would they act if they weren’t corrupted by everyday life on Earth? Without the pressures and stigmas and expectations placed upon them in life, would they be willing to sacrifice for the greater good? Do they deserve to go to heaven?
When asked what they have to do to be brought back, Karnak replies “The one who wants to win it the most shall redeem the loser, in order to complete the whole.” However, the way that the game is understood by the choir members is that there needs to be a unanimous decision on who is brought back. That has nothing to do with the “one who wants to win it the most” or anyone being considered a loser in this game.
The thing that sticks out to me the most is the word redeem. Redeem is defined as “compensating for the faults or bad aspects of (something)”. That doesn’t sound like redeeming someone of their past wrongdoings to me. I believe Karnak purposefully phrases it in this way to hide his true intentions: They will be brought back to life (in the sense that they will “live again” in heaven) when they redeem themselves of the bad aspects of themselves from their lives and “complete the whole” and become better people.
And when Ocean says “I take it you’re the judge?”, Karnak quickly shuts her down, saying she used up the group’s three questions. It feels like the phrasing hit a bit too close to home, as in this headcanon Karnak would be the one passing off the final judgment.
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Let’s talk about Jane Doe.
In the beginning, she is purposefully creepy: Asking Constance if she wants to “brush her dolly’s hair” (despite it not having a head), going on long monologues about death and lions or something, and generally moving in an unsettling manner. I guess we’re supposed to play this off as a joke or assume that her lack of head makes her act strange, but I believe it was all to teach the choir members a lesson- whether it be the classic “don’t judge a book by its cover” or something deeper than that.
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During “The Ballad of Jane Doe, some people theorize that the imagery of her floating in the air during this song is in reference to the rollercoaster derailing. While I love this in the context presented in the play, in my own headcanon it represents Jane as an angel. I mean, the wing imagery is plain to see at the end of the song.
She sings about the soul, trying to locate where it lies. This can be taken literally in the sense that many cultures believe either the head or the heart is the source of a person’s consciousness, but in the context of the headcanon, I believe this is Jane Doe’s way of explaining what is going on.
Jane Doe is not a member of the choir. She was never with them on the rollercoaster. She is an angel, tasked by Saint Peter to be a sympathetic character that will get the other children to prove their worth.
Saint Peter (in the form of Karnak) knew the choir members would all be too preoccupied with their own deaths- mourning the life they didn’t get to have- to play along with his antics. If we are to assume the possibility of one of them being brought back, they were all doomed from the start. There was too much tension within the group for them to possibly choose one person unanimously. They needed someone that they could all unite behind, without the preconceived feelings they already have for one another. Someone they would all be willing to sacrifice for.
She sings the lines “Oh, Saint Peter, let me in. You must know where I’ve been. Won’t you tell me at last who I am?” as a way to speak for the other choir members. They all wish desperately to show their true selves throughout the whole play, and this is their opportunity to prove themselves for the last, and probably most important, time.
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After this moment is when the rest of the characters finally begin to think about others and life beyond their small town. Mischa and Noel lament about love and their shared appreciation for poetry and tragedy. Ricky slowly accepts that his life is over, relinquishing his fantasies to oblivion. Constance who, although she is still insecure, learns to push through and becomes enlightened to the strength she has on her own.
Ocean takes a little longer to reach that level of peace. Because of this, Karnak changes the rules at the last minute, forcing Ocean into making the final decision. Once she firmly insists that everyone should make the decision, the curtains open to reveal what Karnak explains is “the other side”. That was the final proof of character that Karnak needed. At that moment, Karnak knew that all of the choir members would vote for Jane. His Final Judgment has been made.
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And finally, “It’s Not A Game/It’s Just A Ride.”
The first lines pretty much sum it up. “It’s not a game, maybe that’s news. Cause no one can win here, and no one can lose.” There was never a possibility of them being revived and winning. They were all set up from the start and Ocean seems to realize this moments before the song, saying “you knew I could never [choose myself]”. The irony of the lines “There's no one to measure our foolish pride / And no one keeps score of how hard we tried” in this context is not lost on me, but I like to think of it more as a subtle little allusion to what’s really happening here.
The play closes the same way it opened, with the voice of Jane Doe, the angel who has guided them safely to the afterlife.
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But maybe I’m just looking too far into it. As Karnak says “Not every story has a lesson”.
Hello my 2 followers interested in fiv-3
"For Bhaal so HATED the world that he sent his only trueborn son that whosoever believeth in him shall PERISH, as shall ALL THE WORLD...
...but instead, the Son defied his Father's wishes. Rather than lie a martyr upon his father's corpse-altar, he was discarded. A hubristic failure. Leaving behind only a mortal shell and one equally hubristic man to mourn him..."
Y'all when I tell you this mental image filled my brain with the WORMS and WOULD NOT LET ME BE...
A full week of sketching, re-sketching, and painting later, and this is about the best I can get it without going into complete perfectionist mode at my current skill level.
I know so many have loads better art and paintings than me, but this one is mine, and I'm proud of the improvements I made while doing it.
...so, Withers, you wanna help Gale stop mourning, or...?
2989 : ARMAGEDDON
next. wattpad.
noun. Ar·ma·ged·don. the last battle between good and evil before the day of judgment.
❝ all I want, ━ she pauses, lips widening ━ is to become a god. ❞
in which a young girl, a fledgling barely out of the nest, is thrust into new, apocalyptic world as a terrifying new force plays it's cards.
the gods.
and yet, while some people run for their lives and others resign to their fate as lowly mortals, and some make rebellions ; a young girl wants to do something different.
she doesn't want to try to join people in a rebellion. oh, no no no. she's not that stupid.
she wants more.
she wants to become a god.
and rule them all.
𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐄; this is an original story that i've been cultivating.
there will be religious themes, violence, death, swearing and more. if you dislike those feel free to click off.
with that being said, enjoy the madness.
p.s. my story is also up on wattpad, under the my user 'rayarain11'!
2928 : ARMAGEDDON - 000
prev. next. wattpad.
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒;
the gods.
astra. ❝ goddess of the moon and the night.❞
•
cheryl. ❝ goddess of souls and love.❞
•
asya. ❝ the harbinger of discord.❞
•
lucius. ❝ god of the sun and the day.❞
•
natrix. ❝ god of the sea and depth.❞
•
aarush. ❝ god of fire and temper.❞
•
mystral. ❝ goddess of the wind and determination.❞
•
nunzia. ❝ messenger of the realm.❞
