#double doctrines

[quarterqueens]

like you understand why this makes me feel insane right. you understand why i had an out of body experience yesterday morning when i walked into lush and discovered they were doing a bath bomb collab for hierophilia & dehumanization kink bdsm sex club novel.

[sohannabarberaesque]

So picture The Banana Splits watching TV at their clubhouse,

basically something in the vein of some tacky jungle adventure-type series in the vein of Ramar of the Jungle, just laughing up the sheer takiness thereof, when, just as the action starts getting rather juicy and the plot thickens--the whole is cut off by the appearance of some children's show host in the safari-jacket-and-pith-helmet getup (cf. Peter Potamus), sounding rather sappy with this announcement:

Hello, boys and girls ... this is your Uncle Fred with a nice fresh news! Among the new arrivals at the local zoo is a spotted leopard; it just arrived from Africa! So kids, this Sunday, why not ask your mom and dad to take you to see the newest attraction at the cathouse?

Whereupon the host breaks up into spontaneous laughter on a par with what Bingo, Drooper, Fleegle and Snorky were going through all along with Ramar, which they found funny considering its dated and campy look, the Splits' laughter continuing even as the TV shifted to an "Indian head" design test pattern spontaneously in the middle of the host's laughing fit, accompanied by the announcement "Please do not adjust the set. We are currently experiencing technical issues. We will return to normal programming as soon as possible," followed in its turn by a recording of Jack Nitzsche's "The Lonely Surfer," a repeat of the announcement as before, followed in its turn by "The Dis-advantages of You" by The Brass Ring, the announcement repeated, then Paul Mauriat's "Love Is Blue," said announcement again, James Last's rendering of "April in Portugal," then--

Let's see how you would finish the story in Hanna-Barberian stylee. All you need do is essentially reblog the post to continue.

At any rate, the preceding is presented in homage to Kermit Schafer's "Pardon My Blooper!" collections of supposed broadcasting erratum, with the "nice fresh news" bit coming from a number of "spa'am" e-mails of the penny stock "pump-and-dump" sort.

[qiu-yan]

thank you everyone for voting!

some background: the fat man variant of the trolley problem (which is the scenario 2 given above), is a variant of the trolley problem commonly given in conjunction with the original version (the scenario 1 above). typically, the fat man variant is asked after the original version; typically, most people reply that they would pull the lever but that they would not push the fat man. the question then becomes: why the difference? if it is morally acceptable to pull the lever, then why is it not morally acceptable to push the fat man?

many potential explanations have been given for this (including the explanation that the two are in fact morally equivalent, and that either of them are morally acceptable or neither of them are). one such explanation is the concept of the doctrine of double effect, typically deployed by proponents of deontology.

from the stanford encyclopedia of philosophy:

According to the principle of double effect, sometimes it is permissible to cause a harm as an unintended and merely foreseen side effect (or “double effect”) of bringing about a good result even though it would not be permissible to cause such a harm as a means to bringing about the same good end.

the doctrine of double effect thus provides an explanation as to why it might at once be morally acceptable to pull the lever and morally unacceptable to push the fat man. in situation 1, when one pulls the lever, the 1 person dying is a mere foreseen but unintended tragic side effect of the 5 people being saved; in fact, the 5 people would have been saved all the same had the 1 person not been there. however, in situation 2, when one pushes the fat man, they are using the fat man as a direct means towards the end of saving the 5 people; in order to save the 5 people, the individual must directly intend to kill the 1 person. by the doctrine of double effect, harm that is foreseen but not intended for the sake of a positive end can be morally permissible, but harm that is both foreseen and intended as a means to the same good end is never morally permissible. and thus - pulling the lever is morally acceptable, while pushing the fat man is not.

i ask this question because nie mingjue is commonly positioned (by me) as the deontologist to jin guangyao's utilitarian. therefore, i wanted to know whether or not nie mingjue would accept the doctrine of double effect, as many deontologists do.

to some deontologists, the doctrine of double effect is a valid and effective idea that addresses the more rigidly inflexible and unrealistic applications of deontology. to other deontologists, however, the doctrine of double effect is hypocritical self-delusion. i am uncertain which view nie mingjue would take.

on one hand, the majority of people tend to respond that they would pull the lever but would not push the fat man. perhaps this is simply the psychologically normal response to have - on a purely emotional level, pushing the fat man feels worse than pulling the lever. and perhaps this, in turn, is based upon the intuition that someone who would pull the lever has a different character than someone who would push the fat man.

when one imagines the sort of person who would push the fat man, one imagines someone much more cold-blooded than someone who would only pull the lever. someone who is able to push the fat man, even if they did so for the sake of their deeply held moral convictions, still comes across as a deeply ruthless and perhaps even callous person. someone who is able to look another person in the eye and then kill them. someone who is able to look at a person and see not a human whose humanity is always a sacred ends unto itself, but rather a bag of meat that can be used as a mere means unto an end. by contrast, the impersonality lent by the lever in scenario 1 does not make one question an individual's ruthlessness or bloodlust in the same way.

on the other hand, though.....are pulling the lever and pushing the fat man really so different? sure, in the first scenario, the 1 person's death is a foreseen but unintended side effect, while in the second scenario, the 1 person's death is the intended means by which the 5 people are to be saved. but does this distinction really matter? either way, i knew that my actions would certainly cause the death of 1 person, and then i went ahead and undertook that course of action anyways. thus, is it not simply just true that, in both cases, i knowingly killed 1 person? if i tried to argue that i did not kill anyone in scenario 1, is that not mere self-deceit?

perhaps the reason why most people say that they would pull the lever but would not push the fat man is neither any well-reasoned moral philosophy nor higher thought about humanity as an ends unto itself, but rather merely the distance. when i pull the lever, i am far away from the trolley that runs the 1 person over; it is easy for me to feel as if i only operated a machine, not that i took a human life. but when i push the fat man, he is right in front of me. i feel the heat of his flesh through his clothes. i feel the weight of his body. perhaps i might even see the horror in his eyes as he falls to his death, brought about by my own two hands. the fact that i have committed an action that resulted in a human being dying stares me in the face.

technology creates a sense of distance. blowing up an enemy soldier with a remote-operated drone does not feel the same as beheading that same soldier with a sword. ordering a man executed does not feel the same as swinging the axe myself. and yet, there is a good reason why ASOIAF says that the man who issues the sentence should swing the sword - because even if it feels different, the result is still the same. even if i feel more psychological distance, that does not change the fact that my choices destroyed a human life.

killing is killing. death is death. the fact that i have taken a human life should have weight. i should see the blood splattered on my hands. i should be unable to sleep at night. i should feel the burden of having killed another person, because people's lives have moral value. if it is terrible to push the fat man in front of the train, then it must also be terrible to pull the lever, because in both cases i made a choice that killed another person. and the death of another person - the killing of another person - should never be abstracted away by a false moral distance.

thus, i am uncertain how nie mingjue would view these two scenarios. i can see him arguing that someone with the ruthlessness to look an innocent human being in the eye and then shove them off a bridge, even if it were for the sake of the greater good, is not a good person - and thus, impersonally pulling a lever is not the same thing as personally pushing someone off of a bridge. on the other hand, i can also see nie mingjue arguing that these two situations are in fact the same, because in both someone made a choice they knew was guaranteed to kill another person, and that arguing otherwise is mere self-deception - that the sense of distance created by the lever is a falsehood.

what do you think?

consider these two scenarios:

scenario 1:

a runaway trolley is heading down a track where 5 people are tied up and unable to move. i am standing near a lever that can divert the trolley onto another track. However, on this alternate track, there is 1 person tied up. if i pull the lever, i kill 1 person and save the 5 people. if i do nothing, then i kill no one, but i also allow the 1 person to die through inaction. i end up deciding that 5 people dying is a worse outcome than 1 person dying. so i pull the lever, killing 1 person to save 5 people.

scenario 2:

a runaway trolley is heading toward 5 people who will be killed if it continues. i am standing on a footbridge above the tracks next to a large man. i realize that, if i push the man off the bridge, he is absolutely certain to fall onto the tracks, where his body will stop the trolley, saving the 5 people - but also killing him. unfortunately, i myself am small, so if i jumped in front of the trolley my body would not slow the trolley at all. i end up deciding that 5 people dying is a worse outcome than 1 person dying. so i push the large man, killing 1 person to save 5 people.

justify your answer in the tags!!!

edit: sister poll with jin guangyao instead here. vote in this one too!!!

[rkiveinmarvel]

pixie dust - joaquin torres des. joaquin is your back seater; partner; friend; maybe lover? yes, lover. air force! reader notes. this is fluffy story about our pretty boy! major ca:bravenewworld spoilers! sam and bucky being older brother vibes, brief mention of injuries, just fluff, teasing, and funny moments falling for our falcon. also inaccurate bnw timeline!!

hi! this is supposed to be a crack fic but i can't help but more background; the roles i used for the characters are from top gun (yes, that's what i referenced) this is essentially you selling joaquin's suit after what happened during the brave new world --- he is so fun! (i <3 u danny ramirez)

w.c: 1.6k

Joaquin Torres, is a man with many words and has a lot of dreams. Being part of the Air Force, being a Falcon, being part of Avengers, and being useful to everyone — especially, you. Torres met you upon being part of the Air Force, he was your backseater and your second eyes. Essentially, he would show you respect, but it doubled when you introduced him to Sam Wilson. The thing is you knew Sam, hell, you knew the Avengers; therefore in Joaquin’s doctrine, you’re also an Avenger. That’s why he needs to be useful to you and to impress you.

He knew you were strict, you commanded the air with such power and control, so, he was more than thankful that you introduced him to Sam because that simply means you trusted him but nothing prepared him upon seeing you outside of air force uniform, how casual you talk and tease Sam and Bucky, nothing prepared him for it.

While a lot of cadets hoped to have a good shot with you, you were teasing Bucky like there’s no tomorrow, you’re textpals with the hawkeye, and Sam is simply not Captain America to you, to you, he’s just Sam. It surprised him—especially, the time where you laughed at his joke while Sam was discussing a mission about the flag smashers or the time where Bucky jumped out of the place to help Sam chase flag smashers causing him to crash.

“I bet your ass, Bucky would’ve been dead if it wasn’t for the serum.” You rolled your eyes in chuckle as you two saw Bucky screaming as he fell down the plane and Red Wing following him. “Loosen up, Torres. I’m not in a position to say something in order. You’re an equal, during this time, and by the way, your shoelace is untied.”

For a man with many words, he lost some that time. 

Honestly, being the Falcon is a lot harder than he expected to be, he asked Sam and he asked the internet how to fill the step the Sam’s falcon left — so, when Sam trained him, he can’t help but burn himself to be the best version; for someone, who commanded respect and build position as front seat, you were there to support your back seater. 

“Torres, take a break. No Falcon can have a flight with shit energy.” As much as he doesn’t want to admit it, he likes your company—no, he likes you. His front seater, the pilot, and the Avenger* (he considers that you are one) in no defense or complaint he did take a break, as you gave him your assessment, he just stared at you and nodded absentmindedly.

He wanted to be yours and for someone who dreamt of becoming useful to everyone—his priority was you. He wanted to be seen, acknowledged by you. After two years of training to become the Falcon, he finally did—he hopes the Red Hulk issue would be the break he has and he will ask you out after him and Sam figure it out.

So, here you are now with him in Captain America’s base as you stitch the wound that Sam had gotten after his brief encounter with the sidewinder. As Sam shares his plan, Joaquin is already packing his stuff and ready to back him up. You didn't like that: not because you don’t trust the two capabilities but because you’re not gonna be able to help this time, due to the fact that you’re with Bucky’s campaign. So, when Sam got the stitches he needed, he packed as you talked to Torres.

“Hey, Torres.” He looked up at you. “Yeah?”

“You gonna back him up? You sure? Isaiah barely trained you, you sure you can han—”

“Okay, I know you said I’m barely getting used to the suit but Sam needs me, don’t worry too much, you should worry about your congressman, I saw his pictures, he looks stressed.” He yaps but he stopped when he saw the worry in your eyes. 

Here’s the thing, you know Torres likes you and you hoped that he knows that you feel the same way too, yet neither the two of you do something about it—for another, Torres saw you as his superior that he needs to prove something while you, on the other hand, don’t want to push Torres fast, wait for him to figure it out. But in moments like this, a conversation should be present some other time.

“What? You’re really that worried?” He asked softly.

“If I say yes would you still leave?” 

“...Depends.” You sighed at his response, you can’t blame him—he wants to prove Sam that he is ready, he wants to prove to you he can protect you too. That despite him being a back seater in a jet—he’s all front to you now. But all you replied: “You do know, Sam had faced this shit before and you don’t have the super serum like Walker or Bucky…”

Neither of you don’t confirm or deny the feelings you two have but moments like this, the verbal and nonverbal cues you two have—is something so bright and noticeable.

“I’ll come back. Okay?” There he said it—an assurance that he will come back, he will be okay, he will be fine; in that moment, you just nodded. “You better. It’s gonna suck if Lucas gonna replace you as my backseater.” No, it’s more like please be safe and come back, I want you back and no one else. It’s unnoticed but you both knew it. It’s more than the partners in jet, yes, it’s definitely more than that.

Bucky is taking a break upon shaking hands with people whom he will never remember their names, sooner or later—but nothing prepared him seeing you all panicked as you told him the situation that Sam and Torres faced. He knows something is up with you and Torres so, he knew he had to check on Sam too.

“Hey, we’re gonna check on them.” He simply offered a little comfort as you two entered the car. You just nodded as you recalled the news and information you received about what happened. “You can stay. Don’t worry about the campaign. I’ll call if I need something.”

“Buck, you barely call Sam.”

“....No, trust me. I’ll call if I need something.” He smiled awkwardly.

As you two enter the private room, Sam and Bucky share a hug and include you; after their little talk, you were left behind. “I’m sorry I couldn’t keep your boy safe.” You had chuckled at Sam’s words. 

“Well, if you didn’t. He wouldn’t be here, Cap.” Sam smiled and nodded as you two watched Joaquin get operated on. “You’re listening too much to Bucky's PR Team.” He added, as you scoff in laughter. “It’s kinda useful.”

After two weeks of Sam solving the Red Hulk case, you sit on the sofa of Captain America’s headquarters as you scroll the news release about Sam’s success and Bucky’s candidacy, as you were about to get water—the hospital called, that he is awake. You, Isaiah, and Sam drove to the hospital, as Isaiah gave flowers, Sam gave him some pep talk then finally, you.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” You both had said at the same time, the moment you entered his room. He had this look on his face where he looks in pain yet sometimes relief while yours is mixed with disappointment and relief. You walked closer to him, as you wanted to tell him a lot of things but all of them got burned as he simply said. “I am okay.”

In that you felt yourself so small, the rank and the stripes you had suddenly slipped away from you. Here, you’re just a person—being vulnerable, he was okay and he was alive. In a brief moment, Joaquin chuckled, as you sat on the chair and held his hand: it was warm.

“Couldn’t let Lucas have my seat behind you.” He said, in that you had chuckled, he’s back—Joaquin is back, he’s okay.

“I thought I lost you.” You had whispered. Joaquin nodded as he held your hand that was on his. “I wouldn’t let that happen, not when I know Lucas is waiting to get a seat behind you, not when I haven’t bought you my favorite empanadas, and not when I haven’t made you my girl and introduce you to my mama.”

The beeping of the machine that supported his recovery remained in silence as he said those words, he shot his chance as you smiled. “Figures.” You shortly replied, as he smiled. “I like you.” You see this happening but in a different setting, like a date, but here you are, he is recovering—admitting he likes you while you can’t help but worry more.

You both chuckle as you bring his hand to your lips as you kiss it. “Well, you better recover fast, take me out on a date to those empanadas you like and maybe introduce me to your mama.” In that Joaquin nodded. “Can we use my suit to carry you to the house? Or the restaurant? I bet we’ll look badass.”

“Yeah, about that.” He glanced at you. “I sold the suit. We need it for the hospital bills.”

“What do you mean?” Of course, you didn’t. You and Sam just agreed he’s not allowed to use it for a while. “Well, you need to recover first, Joaquin.”

“Yeah, but how will we help Sa–”

He was cutted off when you kissed him so, shortly—leaving a stupid smile on his lips and blushing ears. 

“Recover first and maybe if Sam needs some help from you. We can use Pixie Dust instead.” In the stillness of the vicinity of him and you, he had smiled. Finally, something real. 

For almost half a minute he spoke again: “You didn’t actually sell my suit, right?” You laughed. “Of course, I didn’t. Falcon shall rise again.” “You sound like Sam.” “Well, he has an amazing commentary, so, why not.” You two smiled at each other as he smiled—“I’m glad to be back, mi vida.” 

wow new post, i am rushing ⚘ masterlist 1 | 2 | 3 ₊˚⊹♡ taglist: @yesiamthatwierd, @bitchimasnake-sss, @cjand10, @reemoony, @vibraniumqueen

[somethingusefulfromflorida]

I'm not Catholic, but as far as Popes go, Francis isn't the worst. He recently contracted double pneumonia, and I honestly hope it doesn't kill him because I know for absolutely certain that the next Pope is going to be an unapologetic Nazi. I've known this for years. Francis has done nothing truly unorthodox as Pope, he hasn't rolled back any of the church's fundamentally evil doctrines, he could never be accurately described as anything less than socially conservative, but his relative lenience towards the queer community and immigrants (meaning his lack of outright vitriol at their existence and his insistence that God doesn't want anyone to hate them) has made him a lot of enemies in the Vatican and the wider world. Many normal, day-to-day, on-the-ground Catholics absolutely hate him and reject the doctrine of Papal infallibility simply because he doesn't want to hurt as many people as they think deserve to be hurt, so the church is almost certainly going to course correct away from his perceived liberality and put a paleo-fundamentalist back on the Holy See, one whose views will align with rather than against the various strongmen and dictators in power around the world. I imagine Donald Trump must not have a high opinion of Pope Francis, but he's going to love the next one. If anything Francis has done could be labeled progressive, his successor will be sure to act as regressive as possible. Seeing as the Catholic church will never cease to exist entirely, I would prefer the leader of 1,000,000,000 faithful not to endorse the stoning of abortion doctors and crucifixion of trans people, among other things.

[prideprejudce]

I feel like people have read into Alicent's response to Rhaenyra's ultimatum in both good AND bad faith ways, but i feel like I haven't seen much of what Rhaenyra was feeling about it!!

Personally, I feel like the ultimatum she gave Alicent was the product of 3 different motivations- first, it was the obvious political move to kill the usurper to her throne, duh. The second, is that I think Rhaenyra is super aware- and terrified of- being trapped in a cycle of loss, being passed over for a son, and her claim to the throne standing only because of what she represents not her as a person. Thats its own whole fascinating character essay i cant get into here lol.

But the third reason is that I THINK she has a desperate personal obsession with being chosen by Alicent over Aegon, and leans into the ultimatum as a way to extract what she needs from Alicent-- to be chosen and prioritized over her father's son, and be the centre of Alicent's attention (romantic or not).

The directors/writers have mentioned one of the crucial aspects of Rhaenyra and Alicent's relationship is how many times Rhaenyra reaches out, only to be rejected by Alicent over and over. I think Rhaenyra, as someone who really internalized going after what she wants from a young age, is a bit spoiled, and is obsessed with Alicent's continuous rejection as both a novelty, and a deep source of insecurity.

Rhaenyra has a bit of magical thinking where she really does think that if she just pushes hard enough she can change the world into the shape she wants it to be, and I think when Alicent CONTINUES to deny her, she gets more and more frustrated.

Double this with her general issues around being passed over for a son, first from her father with baelon, and then COMPOUNDED with baby aegon stealing both her father AND alicent's attention as alicent prioritized birthing and probably caring for her son over rhaenyra's sulking when Rhaenyra was in the most pain she had been in yet in her life.

I think Rhaenyra is HIGHLY resentful about not just aegon usurping her throne, but also the lack of attention during the HEIGHT of her teenage years, where she already has a contentious relationship with her father AND .....stepmother?? first love??? sister?? (targaryen family incest issues are a wonderful icing on top of this cake)

It was very clear that the reason Alicent married viserys was SPECIFICALLY to have more children, and that Alicent CHOSE (from Rhaenyra's perspective) to put herself in that position JUST after Aemma died from the same cause, becoming a mother rather than staying with Rhaenyra and daydreaming about riding off into the sunset. In Rhaenyra's mind, she lost her mother to the promise of a son, only to lose Her Alicent™️ to ANOTHER promise of a son right after. This is probably the deepest rejection Alicent could have given her.

The entire second half of season 2 is more denial; Rhaenyra's marriage proposal of their children is rejected, Alicent rejects Rhaenyra's bastard sons in general, and Rhaenyra's choices by extension, then driftmark happens, then the ENTIRE USURPTION happens, rejecting Rhaenyra's claim to her own birthright.

Rhaenyra even tries AGAIN in season 3 - extending herself to go into Alicent's place of comfort to sue for peace, even telling Alicent bits of a personally sacred religious doctrine only to be rejected AGAINNNNNNN.

(I could write forever about how Rhaenyra indulges Alicent's religious but never gets the same back on her own customs)

Yah, I think when Rhaenyra sees Alicent next, its not just that the ultimatum is a political necessity, but its decades of rejection culminating in 'you need to choose and prioritize me over everything, including your son, bc i cannot take anymore rejection from you, and I cant handle NOT being the most important thing in your whole world tbh :)' Especially on the heels of her newfound radicalization i feel like Rhaenyra sees Alicent's 'Choosing Rhaenyra' this time as a Holy Blessing and the last crucial piece she needs to self actualize.

(Also never forget all of this takes place in the targaryen CESSPOOL that is Rhaenyra having Alicent as a sister/step mother/half employee?? Alicent was at least her subordinate at one point/only confidante/possible first love-- theres probably alot of projection on Rhaenyra's part for what Alicent's approval means to her)

sorry this is so long the word rejection has ceased to mean anything to me at this point

"Rhaenyra sees Alicent's 'choosing Rhaenyra' this time as a Holy Blessing and the last crucial piece that she needs to self actualize"

what if we all just set each other on fire

[mimormonfeminist]

I woke up at 4:30 this morning filled with existential dread.

I'm sure everyone can imagine why. I don't know if I've ever felt this hopeless about America. Angry, sure. Disappointed, lots. But I always had this hope that the better angels of our nature would triumph in the end.

I'm not hopeful anymore.

But here's a warning to all of my fellow Latter Day Saints, especially the ones who will never see this--our shared Christianity isn't going to save us. If the Christian Nationalists get their way and it comes down to an Us vs. Them scenario, we Mormons will always be classified as "Them."

For the past couple decades, LDS leadership has tried to strengthen ties with our fellow Christian religionists, which is a nice thought, while doubling down on Conservative Christian policies and culture war propaganda. It seems that leadership is trying to fit in, make us all snug and cozy with the Evangelicals and other right-wing Christians.

But let me tell you, none of that is going to keep us safe. They will never accept us as one of them. At the end of the day, regardless of our Christ-centered doctrine and our faith, they don't think we're Christian at all.

In the Us vs. Them equation we will always lose.

Stay safe out there my fellow Mormons, my siblings in Christ. Community is the only thing that might get us through.

[ladybugmania]

TRUMP LOVES GULLIBLE PEOPLE

Donald Trump is the political embodiment of a foghorn, loud, repetitive, and utterly useless once you realize it’s just noise. The Republican Party, now his echo chamber, has become a circus of sycophants who mistake his delusions for doctrine. They chant, they cheer, but they do nothing, except talk. And talk. And talk.

Here we have an imbecile who’s utterly infatuated with the sound of his own voice, an echo chamber of one, amplified by a crowd too dim to know they’re being played. Only someone with a painfully low IQ could be suckered into his con. Only idiots understand idiots. Only a complete buffoon can be hypnotized by another babbling fool. It’s not a political movement, it’s a village idiot convention dressed in red, white, and blue.

Trump promises the moon, blames the sun, and leaves everyone in the dark. He’s a master of verbal inflation, pumping so much hot air into his lies that his followers are left gasping for truth, too oxygen-deprived to think critically. It’s not governance; it’s gaslighting at a national scale.

Psychologically, what we’re witnessing is classic mass delusion, a cocktail of cognitive dissonance, sunk cost fallacy, and identity fusion. People who’ve invested years into believing the Trump myth can't afford to admit they've been conned. Like any cult, it’s easier to double down than to face the shame of waking up. So they stay, blinded, deafened, lobotomized by propaganda disguised as patriotism.

But cracks are forming. Some Republicans are peeking behind the curtain, seeing the Wizard of Lies for who he is. Yet too many remain hypnotized, addicted to the drama, the victimhood, the fantasy that Trump is their savior, when in truth, he’s just a huckster selling mirrors to the blind.

And in the end, all that oxygen wasted on his lies won’t just suffocate reason, it’ll turn his followers into the punchline of a political tragedy they helped script, rehearse, and perform, all while thinking they were the heroes.

The hypnotist has done his job, Republican minds now blink in unison, eyes glazed, nodding to nonsense as if it were scripture. They don’t even realize the spell is still being cast. The more gullible they are the more he loves them.

Yours Truly

Moth Hawk

[goodqueenaly]

Obviously Aegon IV was generally a shitbag (including to Naerys) and generally a completely selfish person, so I wouldn’t necessarily need to ascribe any greater motivation to Aegon’s extramarital sexual relationship with Megette than the king’s overall lust, greed, and cruelty. (Indeed, I’ve compared Aegon’s acquisition of Megette to Tyrion’s acquisition of Shae.) Yet I wonder whether part of Aegon’s idea in making Megette his de facto official mistress was to humiliate Naerys in a very particular, very cruel way.

After all, Aegon didn’t just make Megette his sexual partner - according to Yandel, “[Megette] and Aegon were even ‘wed’ in a secret ceremony conducted by a mummer playing a septon”. Of course no one would have believed that Aegon and Megette’s play-marriage was legally binding, given that “bride” and “bridegroom” were already married to other people and that the officiant seems to have been deliberately chosen for jovial mockery. Yet the very farcical nature of the “marriage” may have been precisely what Aegon wanted, specifically to hurt and demean his sister-wife and queen.

Aegon had every reason to know that Naerys was deeply unhappy in their own marriage, in no small part I think because of her religious scruples. I very much believe that Naerys had wanted to become a septa, rather than marry her brother, because she (along with other Targaryens of her generation) believed the Doctrine of Exceptionalism was a heresy which had incurred the wrath of the Seven. Moreover, when Naerys had attempted to voice her pious resistance to their incestuous union, Aegon had responded not just with denial, but with scornful, sardonic cruelty.

So perhaps Aegon, with his penchant for vicious, decided to frame his relationship with Megette, his first major mistress following his marriage, in the way that would most hurt Naerys. If Naerys had resisted an incestuous union as heretical in the eyes of the Seven, Aegon would now force her to engage in an even more heretical relationship - an unwillingly bigamous “marriage” in which not only was she married to her brother, but another woman was as well. To twist the knife more for Naerys, perhaps, Aegon had chosen as his play-second wife a woman who was herself already married - that is, a sort of double bigamy on top of the incestuous union Naerys had been forced to endure. This was Aegon openly sneering at the concept of marriage as defined by the Faith of the Seven, and as such attacking Naerys in that piety she held so dear. He so little cared about the Seven’s institution of marriage, so he might have wanted to show Naerys, that not only was he going to insist that she stay married to him despite the physical danger to herself and (so she may have believed) the spiritual danger to her soul, but he was going to turn marriage itself into a joke - so obviously flouting the principles of Faith marriage, with his married play-wife and a mummer to oversee the play-polygamy.

[serpentface]

I’ve been on a gemology kick lately; so-if you feel up to it-I’d love to learn which precious and semiprecious stones occur in Imperial Wardin, and which species are considered the most valuable. Are any stones associated with specific faces of God, or otherwise carry spiritual or superstitious connotations?

Just in general, the traditional medicine practice here ascribes a spiritual Essence to each type of matter (minerals, metals, plants, different types of water, different body parts from different animals, etc) which plays into how it can or cannot be used for healing. So most commonly occurring stones are going to have Some associations Somewhere, but for a lot of them it's just going to be like 'worn around the hips in a sachet it will reduce stomach aches' or etc.

Here's a few of the big ones I've had at least partly established though (some of these are metals but bear with me)

Meteroric iron can be found in fairly large quantities here (due to the ancient impact that left the Sons Of Creation crater lake) and is considered to be the physical remnants of God's blood shed in the act of creation. This is THE holiest naturally occurring material, as it is the only substance that is regarded as being a discrete part of God's original, LIVING body (the whole World is Its dead body) and the blood is the carrier of living spirit, one of two types of soul in each body. Meteor iron is essentially God's soul in physical form.

This substance has the most severe doctrinal restrictions surrounding its use. Actual modification of meteoric iron and use of objects made from it (knives scepters etc) is considered reserved to priests and royalty, and violations can be punished very severely (though in practice this is very, very difficult to enforce outside of thefts of known meteoric iron objects, as they aren't visually distinct from other iron objects). Touching this iron is strictly forbidden for any person considered to be ritually unclean (whether as a temporary or permanent state).

Its most ubiquitous use is in the form of sacrificial blades, which are only considered legitimate when made of this substance. It's also used to make cult icons. The temple at the Sons of Creation (which is a general pilgrimage destination and the site of the annual dry season human sacrifice) holds a fairly large meteoric iron sculpture of God in Its primordial form. This cult object is venerated year round, and carried out of the temple during the offering to 'receive' the sacrifice (which signifies the completion of the annual cyclings of God's living spirit). This icon is wholly forbidden to touch for everyone but the human sacrifice themself, who lays their hands on its forehead while their throat is cut.

As a physical relic of God's original body, it's not considered uniquely related to any of the Faces but in practice is associated with Mitlamache (itself partly associated with blood and sacrifice). Galenii have their ears pierced and stretched and wear bands of meteor iron as a marker of service, and the great temple to Mitlamache in Ephennos has a large, unmodified chunk of meteor iron as a cult object that is permitted to be touched by worshippers.

---

Lapis lazuli is one of the other discrete remnants of God's physical body (in this case one of three horns) though it lacks the nigh-untouchable Holy status due to being a post-death relic.

It's called 'blue moonstone' and believed to be pieces of the 'blue moon' (which isn't like, really blue, but has a slight bluish tinge). There is no Bad Place afterlife in this religion (the bad afterlife is being stuck as an earthbound ghost), but the proper afterlife is divided into three lunar lands, with the most honored dead going to those of this blue moon. This stone has particular associations with concepts of honor, piety, and physical/spiritual purity.

Deep blue colors tend to be associated with wealth and royalty, and lapis has taken on this association as well. The double-viper scepter carried by the Usoma has lapis lazuli insets for eyes and scales, and the post-cremation skulls of royalty are given a lapis crown before interment. In conjunction, lapis has gained more recent associations with the face Kusomache as the protector of royalty, and it's utilized as offerings in rites intended to bless them.

It's also among the most valued stones in general for its beauty, used in jewelry, pigments, sculpture, and very expensive blue eyeliner.

Moonstone and selenite are associated with the other two moons (the largest in the sky and the smallest respectively) and are the other two stones considered to be discrete bodily relics of God (from its other two sets of horns).

All three of these 'moonstones' are involved in funerary rites. The dead may have one of these stones placed in their hands before cremation. Dogs killed at funerals to serve as guides are encouraged to sniff these stones before their death, in order to have the scent of the lunar lands and better lead the deceased. Neither aspect is considered a hard Requirement to get the dead safely onwards, but its an additional level of failsafe.

All three are considered sacred to the Face Kusomache (rather than the more obvious lunar Mitlamache) due to their heavy association with death and the afterlife. Moonstone and selenite in particular are likened to the light from the moons and stars, and transparent selenite is used by astrologers as a lens, under the belief that it exposes subtle nuances in the light and movement of heavenly bodies. Folk belief holds that you can see ghosts by looking through selenite.

All three have some restrictions surrounding their use, but not nearly as severe as those of meteor iron. Anyone can use, wear, and modify these stones, but touching them in a ritually impure state is taboo. Some folk beliefs hold that a woman who touches any moonstone while menstruating will be cursed with barrenness, miscarriages, or death.

---

Opal is heavily associated with rainbows (and rain by extension), and is considered sacred to the Face Anaemache. It is appreciated for its beauty and ascribed as having positive medicinal qualities for female fertility when worn. Broad folk belief holds that opal forms where a rainbow touches the ground, or that its a solidified drop of rain that has fallen through a rainbow.

Some South Wardi folk practices retain older Wardinae beliefs in the sky-serpent deity that physically brings the rains (often conceptualizing it as a lesser spirit that serves the Face Anaemache) and consider opals to be pieces of its shed scales. These sects share a nearly identical practice with the Cholemdinae people in using opals to both summon and repel the sky serpent as needed. A serpent effigy stitched from cloth with an opal sewn into the head can be used as the focal point for these rites. The serpent can be summoned by singing a coullagri (summoning prayer) to the effigy as it's carried into the village or crops, and providing the effigy offerings of food and drink to welcome it. In years of damaging and excessive rain, the sky-serpent is driven off with a decisively more high-energy rite where the effigy bearer runs around with the cloth serpent while others chase it, chide it for its laziness (just sitting in one place instead of bringing the rains everywhere like God intended), yell at it, whack it with flyswatters, etc, until it is carried out of the village.

---

Rubies have are considered sacred stones to the face Inyamache and have strong associations with the sun, male vitality, and bravery.

They're ascribed positive medicinal qualities for male fertility and health when worn. Folk belief holds that a man clasping a ruby in one hand during sex will guarantee any resulting offspring to be male, though sources disagree on Which hand this is exactly.

Rubies have some involvement in warrior culture. Ruby-adorned khattanocuy (the khaitsmane tassels ornaments you see on the front of some characters' belts) are awarded for displays of valor, and most ceremonial weapons are decorated with ruby insets.

The (wholly mythological) spear of the culture-hero Erub is said to have had a head made entirely of ruby. It's described in texts as being given to him by (the old solar deity reinterpreted as) Inyamache, so sharp and strong that it could fly clean through a khait's body, and to 'drink the blood of its victims' (which may have been meant literally). It's widely believed that this was a real artifact, was stolen by Burri soldiers during the first period of occupation, and is now hidden somewhere in the flooded ruins of Old Bur.

Rubies aren't very well distinguished from the similar looking spinel and garnet, and the three together are usually referred to under the same name.

---

Silver is regarded for its beauty and thought to have purifying/protective medicinal and apotropaic qualities. It is thought to assist in expelling disease-causing dagi spirits from the body, and is both worn and ingested as a medical treatment. High quality protective phallus/skimmer woman amulets tend to be made from silver to add Extra Protection, and drinking/eating from silver dishware is thought to help eliminate poisons.

Some folk traditions consider touching silver to be a replacement for water ablutions, though this is doctrinally condemned.

---

Pearl is very similar to silver, highly regarded for its beauty, believed to have purifying and protective qualities, and sometimes being ingested medicinally. Most non-blue pelatoche eye amulets are made of pearl (or mother of pearl in some cases). It is considered sacred to the face Pelennaumache and is a key offering to this deity-aspect.

A very widespread folk belief holds that drinking while holding a pearl under the tongue prevents intoxication. This is hard to confirm or deny, as people drinking heavily with a pearl under the tongue have a tendency of accidentally swallowing said pearl in the process

---

[butchhamlet]

So re: Hamlet, purgatory, the reformation, etc.

I'm just about to start writing a my final paper for a Reformation History class at university. I'll probably focus on the English reformation because I'm already familiar with Tudor/Elizabethan context. And I got a hunch that talking about Hamlet and ghosts and purgatory would be a great way to talk about the impacts of the reformation on Elizabethan English life.

You wouldn't happen to feel like info dumping some more about religious themes and conflicts in Hamlet would you? And/or drop some more books/papers/scholars that I can research and cite?

I will happily absorb any info you wish to dump!

i desperately wish i knew enough off the dome to burst into a monologue here, but most of what i know about hamlet and religion fits in the quote i posted from emma smith re: the catholic/protestant split. (apparently some people think shakespeare was a closet catholic? but i kind of doubt it.) not sure what your own religious background is, but it might be worth looking into general stuff about wittenberg/martin luther/protestantism during the time period--although if you're focusing on the reformation you may know a lot of this.

my first thought was stephen greenblatt's Hamlet in Purgatory, which i have not read but which is cited in the notes of my copy of hamlet. it's on jstor apparently but i don't have access. sad! but it seems to be honestly less about hamlet specifically and more greenblatt using hamlet as a wedge to explore conceptions of purgatory at the time, which sounds cool as fuck. (i'm not suuuuper familiar with greenblatt, but i remember liking his criticism in the norton shakespeare; YMMV.)

the ghost is the obvious Big Religious Issue of hamlet, but there's also the praying scene, the whole deal with ophelia's suicide, horatio coming from Protestant University R Us, and to be or not to be itself and what that speech implies about hamlet's religious view. i really like the lockdown shakespeare podcast about TBoNTB--i haven't listened all the way through because i'm awful but iirc they do touch on how weird it is that hamlet's musings about the afterlife seem to counter what you might assume about his religious opinions from the rest of the text.

the folger shakespeare library has further reading recs for every play on their page; skimming through this, you might be interested in richard mccoy's writing on memory in hamlet? emphasis mine:

McCoy examines the play’s four funerals (King Hamlet’s expedited obsequies, Polonius’s “hugger-mugger” burial [4.5.91], Ophelia’s “maimèd rites” [5.1.226], and the “somewhat incongruous” soldier’s funeral for Prince Hamlet) in the context of the ambiguity (“liturgical double-bookkeeping”) that marked the Elizabethan compromise over Catholic-Protestant funerary practices and intercessory rituals for the deceased. Informing the discussion is the doctrine known as “the King’s Two Bodies” (i.e., the Body natural and the Body politic), specifically the efforts of the “cult of Elizabeth” to continue what has been called “the migration of the holy” begun by Henry VIII’s reforms in which “ ‘the socially integrative powers of the host’ were transferred ‘to the rituals of monarchy and secular community,’ ” a shifting from the eucharistic real presence to the royal presence.

and also the roland frye book, though it is from the 80s (i am not up to date on modern shifts in historiography lmfao):

Among the events and documents Frye invokes are ... Protestant beliefs that ghosts were demons, beliefs shared by Catholics, who also believed ghosts might be souls from purgatory...

i do also recommend emma smith's book (and marjorie garber's. ack. so good) but those are less specific examinations of many plays, so idk how helpful they'll be. this is what i've got at the moment followers sound off if you have additions or comments

[noor-kazem]

خيالاتي قد تكون موجودة ،متأثرة بمذهب الخشن والإسفنج، اغتسل وأغتسل في نهر البهجة الأرضية،إنه مجرد وجود مزدوج، يعني عدم وجود شيء تقريبًا، أتثاقل حول الرعود القديمة بشيء حميم جدا ،لاقطع مسافات مصقولة بالكامل للحظة ما.

My fantasies may be there, swayed by the doctrine of bristles and sponges, I bathe and bathe in the river of earthly delight, it's just a double existence, meaning almost nothing, I plod around the old thunders with something so intimate, to travel completely polished distances for a moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fantezilerim orada olabilir, kıllar ve süngerler doktrini tarafından yönlendiriliyor, dünyevi zevk nehrinde yıkanıyorum ve yıkanıyorum, bu sadece ikili bir varoluş, neredeyse hiçbir şey ifade etmiyor, o kadar samimi bir şeyle eski gök gürültüsünün etrafında ağır ağır yürüyorum, tamamen seyahat etmek bir an için mesafeleri parlattı.

[terkmc]

HACS, the Harrison Armory Combat System

The Harrison Armory Combat System, HACS for short, is a relatively new system of martial art developed by Harrison Armory. Designed to integrate with standard Armory doctrine, HACS is a modernized and modified version of traditional weapon-based martial art, mathematically optimized with aggregate combat data harvesting and extensive simulations in order to best suit the Armory’s propensity for energy and plasma based weapons.

The non-physical nature of an energy blade allows it to be able to pass through another physical blade, thus making strikes with an energy weapon almost impossible to block or parry; but also conversely makes it unable to block an attack from another weapon from simply passing through it. Thus, HACS is defined by its aggressive structure based on the principles of seizing the initiative and staying on the offense, direct footwork and economy of action, range control, and violence of action.

HACS fighters will typically stay out of range to formulate a plan of attack and maneuver into advantageous positioning, then explode into a short series of decisive strikes to force the enemy to defend. If the initial series of strikes do not kill or incapacitate, HACS fighters will then try to establish distance once again and return to neutral, preferably with follow up unarmed strike to push the enemy back and maintain initiative, though simply back-stepping is also an option if further aggression is ill-advised. HACS footwork is characteristically direct, moving back and forth in a straight line from the user to their opponent and eschewing complex footwork often seen in more traditional arts.

HACS encompass most forms of traditional melee weapons such as swords, axes, halberds and more, but befitting of a modern constructed martial art systems, HACS also accounts for modern modification and new designs, such variable emission setting allowing user to change the length of a blade mid-fight or even mid swing. HACS official training and certification requires a demonstration of mastery of the system's two basic disciplines, Energy on Blade (EB), the use of energy weapons against physical weapons, and Energy on Energy (EE), the use of energy weapons against each other. For most standard users and legionnaires, these two are enough, though further advanced disciplines are available for training, such as Energy and Shield (ES), incorporating the usage of personal shielding system into the martial art, both in conjunction with and against energy weapons.

Designed for vertical integration, HACS-M (Harrison Armory Combat System – Mechanized) is a sub-discipline of HACS for usage with mech combat. Formulated for ease of transition between systems, HACS-M employs much of the same principles and moves as HACS, maintaining its core direct aggression. The added durability of a mech and its comparatively lesser agility means HACS-M incorporate “Double Strike” in place of some defensive maneuver. “Double Strike” is an umbrella term for techniques where the user intentionally takes an attack in order to counter attack the opponent, using computer-mapped positioning to maximize armor placement and avoid damage to critical systems. Though designed for chassis class 1 to 3 and obviously ill-advised to unarmored personal combat, HACS-M has also been adapted for personal combat by heavily armored fighters, typically hard suit or power armor users.

As with most theories when put into practice, HACS and HACS-M has also splintered into countless variations over the years. While a centralized system still exists within the Armory’s standard armed force training, various other subsystems have popped up either through further independent modification, local adaptation, or syncretism with other martial arts. Of note are:

Valkyrie, an adaptation for aerial combat

Stinging Blade, a highly unorthodox and controversial syncretism with Jager Kunst pioneered by Sparri diaspora on Ras Sharma

DeSys, a school that emphasizes the destruction of enemy weapons instead.

[mukuroom]

This made me think Fuuta would be against killing Shidou and either try to get in Amane's way beforehand or start pulling away from her after Shidou's death, but it seems Fuuta is doubling down on these beliefs even after. Even if Shidou's actions were against the doctrine, she should still view Shidou as one of the few people who tried to help her while she was hurting, so I wonder if she's just completely uncaring towards Shidou after being indoctrinated, or if Fuuta's just suppressing any feelings of guilt towards him in order to keep her 'salvation'. The cult is the only thing that lessened the burden of her murder, so going against it now will not only bring that pain back but she'll have even more blood on her hands to eat away at her. Hopefully they'll talk about Fuuta's feelings towards Shidou in her VD and won't just go "yeah she doesn't care at all about him now"

[reijisteacup]

What do you think each boy would like to study afterwards if rejet ever allowed them to graduate high school?

I like this <3

=================================================================================================

Sakamaki's

Shu Sakamaki:

Music Theory / Ethnomusicology

The only thing he’s truly passionate about is music. If he’s forced to participate in the mortal world, he’d pursue the historical and cultural side of sound—especially melancholic classical music. Shu would specialize in forgotten composers, funeral hymns, and lullabies from ancient civilizations. Don’t be shocked if his dissertation is on the “psychological effects of lullabies on grief-stricken monarchs.” And yes, his thesis recital would make people cry blood.

Reiji Sakamaki:

Political Science / Law / Philosophy (Triple Major, Obviously)

Reiji is the poster boy for the debate team and would thrive in an environment where he can absolutely destroy people in writing and speech. He'd also be that guy who writes formal ethics critiques of his professors and turns his assignments in bound in leather. He’d likely pursue academia or court manipulation—vampire or human. If vampirism ever goes public, Reiji will be the first to push for vampire supremacy legislation.

Laito Sakamaki:

Psychology / Literature / Fashion Design

He’d study psychology because he already messes with people’s minds, so why not get paid for it? Bonus: He’d ace every class without studying. He’d also dabble in literature (especially dark romance and horror) and probably fashion, because the man knows how to dress.

Kanato Sakamaki:

Mortuary Science / Fine Arts / Religious Studies

Kanato would be obsessed with death—not the violent kind, but the ritualistic, Victorian kind. Think embalming, mourning jewelry, grave culture. He’d be that creepy but talented art student who paints portraits using ash or blood. He’d also take Religious Studies to rip apart human doctrines and find contradictions. His final art project would be a life-sized wax cathedral of his family—no one would survive the critique.

Ayato Sakamaki:

Sports Science / Kinesiology / Culinary Arts (Secretly)

Outwardly, he’s all about proving his strength. He’d major in something sports-adjacent to keep his “Ore-sama” title relevant. But here’s the secret: Ayato likes food. If someone encouraged it, he'd double in culinary arts, probably excelling in bizarre blood-based recipes he’ll never admit are actually brilliant.

Subaru Sakamaki:

Architecture / Engineering / Environmental Science

Subaru wants to build and break things in equal measure. His talent for destruction could be channeled into construction and design, especially if he could work in remote, peaceful environments. He’d build quiet homes, gothic chapels, or ruins that serve as personal sanctuaries. Subaru would also do well in environmental science, wanting to learn how to stop messing up the world—even if he thinks he’s a monster himself. Would it be wrong if I said he would build and detail cars....

Mukami's

Ruki Mukami:

Ruki – Library Sciences / Literature / Sociology

Ruki is naturally academic and socially aware. He’d probably pursue something like library sciences to surround himself with knowledge or sociology to better understand human systems. His thesis would compare how vampire clans mirror human class struggle. He’d probably write vampire Marxist essays in his spare time and start a quiet revolution in a reading room.

Kou Mukami:

Marketing / Performing Arts / Media Studies

Kou would lean into what he already excels at: celebrity branding and manipulation. He’d study marketing, PR, or media psychology and ace everything about public image, parasocial relationships, and emotional contagion. He’d also dominate any performing arts program, even if he rarely attended class. His final project would be a viral campaign with a hidden vampire message. And it would work.

Yuma Mukami:

Agriculture / Botany / Culinary Science

Yuma would absolutely major in agriculture, environmental sustainability, or urban farming. He’d be top of his class without trying, running the greenhouse like a king and teaching the professors. He might also sneak in a minor in culinary science, because what good is farming if you can’t cook the harvest? He’d use food as peace, protection, and protest.

Azusa Mukami:

Therapy / Social Work / Art Therapy

Azusa… baby angel. He’d major in social work, with a focus on trauma recovery. He might also study art therapy or nonverbal communication. He’d create a peaceful space where people learn to speak through creation, not pain. He’d use his past to help others heal, not despite it.

Tsukinami's

Carla Tsukinami:

Ancient History / Genetics / Theoretical Physics

Carla, as a Founding Ancestor, would go for pure intellectual domination. He’d study ancient civilizations, bloodline inheritance, and cosmological decay. He’d speak in full academic riddles. Professors would both fear and admire him. He’d correct textbooks mid-lecture. Oh—and he’d ace vampire biology because he wrote the rules.

Shin Tsukinami:

Criminology / Mythology / Physical Education

Shin would major in criminology—he wants to understand chaos, not just cause it. He’d also do well in mythology and comparative religions, especially ancient wolf gods and primal deities. His athletic side would push him into P.E. or martial arts programs, where he dominates every match and becomes legend.

[voskhodart]

Extremely rare instance of me drawing Veritine priests who aren't Battisto. I wanted a little something to show off the three sacred dyes and a few different mark combos.

Descriptions of the individual meanings are under the cut. It's mostly for my own reference, but feel free to read through if you're a little worldbuilding freak too. Welcome to my weird furry Catholicism.

Maculas humilitatis, the stains of humility, are a traditional Veritine fur decoration. These stains are applied to the fur as part of ceremonial processes, and their complexity & coverage may indicate an individual’s position in the Church.

(I've got a 1500+ word Google doc on this shit. I just haven't shared it yet.)

Canine with cyrellen maculas: Primary marking is a porter's cowl up the neck and head, terminating into the clerical cross. Ring/slash markings under the eyes represent vigilance and recognition of sin, both in the self and others. Hollowing stains on the cheeks represent asceticism. Double bars over the edges of the mouth symbolize restraint and dedication to confession. Rings around the edges of ears represent dedication to listening to others.

Feline with sokash maculas: Primary marking is an exorcist's shroud, covering the entire body up to the face and ears. Chevron marks on the nose represent ability to interpret doctrine or teach. Single mark on philtrum represents commitment to speaking truth.

Ram with chalk maculas: Primary marking (not shown) is an acolyte stain, partially covering the arms and legs. Thick lines from the brow to cheeks represent compassion and the burden of knowledge. Tooth-like marks along the jaw represent grief and death. Triangular marking on the nose symbolizes evangelism, with a chipped peak representing personal imperfection.