#this turned into a manifesto jesus

[hauntingblue]

Gear 5 luffy's laugh is so contagious I just hear the drums and go insane how does this work. What did he do to me

[prettyinpunk]

a ridiculously detailed catalogue of matt's guitars for my show*! aka a collection for people who have maybe an unhealthy obsession with Manson guitars

*4/14/23; in order of how excited i was to see them! this isn't necessarily a ranking of how cool i think these guitars are! this ranking is based purely on the amount of deadly chemicals released by my brain upon seeing them.

#10 Matt Black FR(Matt Black Whammy)/Chrome FR(Chrome Whammy)

i'm pairing them first since they're almost identical in build(though the MBFR is in drop D) and i was expecting to see both of them/have seen them used in past shows :)

Chrome Whammy also gets used the most in this era and both of them have given me so much grief when trying to identify these guitars. the dark chrome finish looks SO much like the Matt Black FR under certain stage lighting and it's nearly impossible to tell them apart by hardware, there've been so many times when i confidently think oh hey he's using the Matt Black Whammy but no its Chrome FR. and vice versa. even at certain points during the actual concert i was second guessing myself, they make me feel delusional.

used for: MBFR: Psycho; Chrome Whammy: WOTP, (Interlude)Hysteria, Compliance, Thought Contagion, KOC

#9 Matt Black 3.0

i was excited to see her with visible wear and tear from the obvious, so much so that i specifically took a picture of the broken headstock foregoing any attempt at pretending matt was supposed to be the subject of the picture.

used for: WAFF

#8 M1D1 Stealth

even knowing i would see her, i just got so excited about the kaoss pad. as one does. its a special little joy to see hardware thats so uniquely Muse. like in what other performance are you going to get to see a kaoss pad in a guitar(or bass)!

this picture is a screenshot from my video because ngl most of my image capture for SBH was spent filming dom. for a friend.

used for: SBH

#7 MB-1 Blue(Blue Steel/Blue Beast)

i just think she's sooooo pretty, the blue is such a beautifully rich shade and i love the gloss finish, as much as i love the play on "matt" with the matte guitars, i'm weak to pretty shiny things. it was also so exciting to see her because i really wanted them to play Resistance and when i saw matt with the MB-1 Blue i knew they were going to! (barring the fact that they were alternating every night and i knew that night it was Resistance's turn, for some reason i was still worried we wouldn't get it lmao) i did accidentally call her Bluebell at the time though. which i don't think has been used at all this tour(🥲).

TIRO, Resistance, Madness

#6 Oryx

somehow i neglected to take a picture of her specifically??? i'm really kicking myself because i didn't get any closeups during WSD or KOBK but the whole time i was holding my tongue from talking about her during the show 😭 because who in their right mind wants to hear some random screaming fan yelling about how the Oryx is matt's first Manson with 24 frets during the show 💀 i did get to see him use it earlier this year at my last Muse show which is why i've put it before my #5. but she is so unique and interesting, there are so many cool fun facts about her! i don't know how i didn't get a good shot, i was probably too busy headbanging.

i did get this pretty cool picture from KOBK though 🥲

used for: WSD, KOBK

#5 MB-S Prototype(Verona Sky)

to finish off the trifecta of newbies(2022/2023 additions, barring remodels)! suuuuch a beauty and makes watching Verona just that much more magical! a brand new Manson special for the WOTP era for the most tender moments of the show <3. both Verona and TDS instrumental have a dreamlike energy live, which to me is elevated by the MB-S in her beautiful sunburst orange and strat-style shape. matt was pretty far from us while perched on will's shoulder so i didn't get a great pic of it but i tried! its just such a gentle, almost pensive little moment in the set between two heavy bangers(WAFF/SBH) which i love, it feels oddly intimate in spite of being in a full arena as matt coaxes each note out of the MB-S and it echoes into the open space.

here she is pre and post-confetti shower(she did not come through unscathed)!

used for: Verona, TDS(AR)

#4 Red Alert

since there are three red guitars in use for Uprising this tour, i really didn't know which one we were going to get! the last time i saw them in january, matt used the MA EVO Sustainiac Satin Fire Red, which is fun, but like the other Fire Red, has a matt(e) finish. i was really hoping we would get to see Red Alert and we did!!! she looks like cherry candy i need to take a bite. uh, that is to say. she's very pretty and my eyes sparkle in her presence. and she has a special name which is always important to me. i wouldn't say Red Alert ranks higher than some of the other beauties on this list in terms of how cool i think they are, but since there wasn't a guarantee we'd get to see it, it ranks highly here!

used for: Uprising

#3 Mirror 2.0

notoriously a nightmare to get a good picture of live, what with the whole... mirror finish and all, here she is!! our beloved veteran of the lineup, Mirror Manson <3. what a joy to see her, even though she's not the original. i couldn't confirm which Mirror he was using at the time since they're almost identical, but the fuzz factory knobs are slightly further apart than the OG, and 2.0 is fit with a MBK-1 on the bridge rather than the original Mississippi Queen P90s. not sure if Chrome Fuzz is in the rig for this leg, but theoretically she also had potential to be used here in place of the Mirror, so another happy slight surprise there for Mirror enjoyers. it really is another special little joy to see and hear Plug in Baby with such an iconic guitar, and especially when we get to play call and response with the fuzz factory!

used for: PIB

#2 Chrome Whammy 2.0

now i know it seems like an odd choice to put her here especially considering i had Chrome FR as my #10, but let me explain.

YMMFLIH is one of my favorites on WOTP so as it is, i was already losing it from the moment matt sat down to play the intro(WHICH IM CRAZY ABOUT). about halfway through the second verse, i regained enough mental consciousness to realize matt was using the new Manson Origin Etch pickups on the bridge!!! this was a huge surprise since MuseWiki isn't updated and i had been totally drooling over the pickups on instagram for weeks(months??)(<- still has never touched an electric guitar) so getting to see them in person and being used on stage was SO EXCITING!!! unfortunately by the time i realized, i wasn't able to get a clear picture of the bridge since matt was playing the final chorus. thus began the search for my new white whale.

after the concert, i scoured my pictures and videos for a shot of it, confident that i saw it during Halloween and on the Chrome Whammy. i looked at every picture i had, but found that all my pictures of the Chrome Whammy just had the MBK-2 humbucker on the bridge, so i thought maybe i made my usual mistake and thought it was Chrome when it was actually Matt Black. i checked my pictures of her too and it was the same so at that point i felt like i was going completely mental. i checked every video and picture from the Muse instagram with manic obsession and could only find a tiny glimpse of it in one of the mini clips from a concert reel.

i went back to MuseWiki to see if i could find it there and thats when i realized. it wasn't Chrome Whammy. it was Chrome Whammy 2.0.

live reaction to this realization:

in hindsight i should've realized the guitar matt was using for Halloween had a humbucker on the neck instead of a single coil Sustainiac which is a dead giveaway, hence the above reaction. the problem still remained though, i had no photographic evidence. though MuseWiki reminded me it was 2.0, it still says the bridge is a MBK-2 and the pictures remain un-updated. i had confirmed for now that i was not delusional, but i still didn't have a picture and i wanted so desperately to talk about it. but then my savior appeared right under my nose. my dear friend @domwhoreward found this picture from one of her shows and i was FINALLY VINDICATED!!! HERE SHE IS IN ALL HER GLORY!!!

used for: YMMFLIH

anyway. that brings us to...

#1 HOLOFLAKE MY BELOVED

words cannot describe how absolutely insane i went when i saw her!!! Holoflake is my favorite guitar currently in use(though it's very close with the Black 7-String 2.0), i just love the glittery, glossy black finish so much, it's so pretty!! not only that, but the only song it's being used for this tour is MOTP, the one song i wanted to hear MOST out of all the songs on rotation and one of my favorite muse songs of all time!! it was such a personal moment for me because if they hadn't played MOTP, we wouldn't have gotten to see Holoflake at all. this was my most special moment from my show, i think the guy next to me probably wished i was dead though. this is once again a screenshot of my video since i spent most of it in a manic panic screaming crying and throwing up. its a miracle i was even still alive after that. or anyone within a 5ft radius.

used for: MOTP <3

[mazekingdom]

y'all the SECOND I finish A Murder at the End of the World I am. fucking writing a text post about it. I cannot be contained

[forestdeath1]

Lily and James — the alchemical Queen and King. Lily is the main symbol of the entire saga.

In Harry Potter, there are two levels - the mundane and the symbolic. On the mundane level, Lily is a character with her own strengths and weaknesses. On the symbolic level, Lily is the main symbol of the entire saga. Perhaps that's why there's so little talk about her because symbolically Lily is what everyone strives for, everyone searches for but cannot find. Harry learns more about Lily only before the final battle, and there's a reason for that.

It's no secret that HP books are heavily laden with alchemical and Christian symbolism. I'm not religious, and to me, all these symbols are just cultural codes that have had a significant influence on almost all classic literature and art.

Philipp Otto Runge, Chagall, Goethe — they're all alchemical codes

Firstly, alchemy is not about literally turning lead into gold, it's a path of spiritual development, a path of transformation, a "hero's journey," the journey of the Son returning to the Father. Alchemical transformation is described in the text "The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz." This is the third manifesto of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood.

So, lilies are a very ancient symbol.

According to Jewish legends, the lily grew in Eden just at the time of Eve's temptation by the devil and could be defiled by him, but even amid temptation, it remained as pure as it was, and no dirty hand dared to touch it. In early medieval depictions, Christ was placed against a backdrop of lilies or in the lily flower, seen as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. The orange lily often symbolizes the blood of Christ.

Symbolically, Lily is the love of God, a divine spark, and the blood of Christ itself, which was shed in the name of redemption and salvation to atone for the sins of all humanity. And what is the blood of Christ? In Christian tradition, the blood of Jesus Christ is a symbol of the life-giving and saving spirit of God.

By the way, lilies and roses were often confused in translations, and symbolically they are the same. Many suspected that the Rosicrucians' rose is a stylized version of the Egyptian and Indian flowering lotus, and the lotus has often been considered a water lily (they are different, but symbolically they merged). But calling the main character Rose would be too dull and obvious a reference.

Lily - symbolically, she is both the mother of Christ and the Spirit of God herself, the bearer of divine love, to which all seekers are drawn. This is not the only meaning, but for now, it's enough.

God is love, says John the Apostle. (Remus John Lupin, hehe. It was absolutely unnecessary to know his middle name. It's intentionally inserted because each of the marauders, except Sirius, by name signifies one of the disciples closest to Christ. Sirius is a separate story, he signifies something completely different.)

And who is drawn? Well, primarily we see two - James and Snape.

One of the most important things we learn about James is that he's a deer. The deer is a well-known symbol. In myths and folk beliefs, the deer was associated with the soul's aspiration to heaven and purification.

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God" Ps. 42: 1

In the Alexandrian "Physiologus," there's an ancient enmity between the stag and the serpent. The serpent hides from the foe in the clefts of the earth, but the stag, with the help of water, draws out the serpent and defeats it. (Water has always been a symbol of the serpent, even in Slytherin's element water, but the stag fights the serpent not with ordinary water but with the water of baptism. The snake has another important meaning for alchemy, but more on that later.)

Snape belongs to the Serpent, to secret knowledge, occult knowledge, "philosophical" reason, dark magic, which has always been contrary to the divine nature in Christian understanding and originated from the devil. James belongs to the Lion and the Deer.

The Lion is a typical alchemical symbol. Also, the Red Lion is Christ. Gryffindor embodies the soul's aspiration towards light and transformation, towards salvation. By the way, St. Godric (the hermit) also had his own pet deer, which he saved.

The deer seeks love, the spirit of God, the divine spark, God Himself, and in this persistent pursuit is shown James's path, as a seeker and as an alchemist. The Potters — if not alchemists themselves, then at least from the lineage of alchemists — the Peverells (The symbol of the Deathly Hallows is an alchemical-masonic symbol). And this means that the Potters are at least seekers; in their souls, there is a desire to find the divine and undergo transformation. The Potters have a strong hatred for the 'serpentine essence' of evil, and this is what needs to be transformed. (By the way, the graveyard is located near St. Jerome's Church. Besides translating the Bible into Latin, Jerome also healed and tamed a lion).

Masonic-alchemical symbol. Symbol of the philosopher's stone. Symbol of the Deathly Hallows. Solve et coagula is a principle of alchemy meaning "dissolve and coagulate".

An alchemist is a gardener, and this is another interesting reference to James and Lily. The way James tries to find an approach to Lily is an alchemical process. The alchemist tends to the Garden. In Vrisvik's Great Work (the Magnum Opus), it appears as the Garden of the Wise. The Gates to the Garden of the Wise for the Chosen become the process of dissolving "our Substance." James manages to approach Lily only when he dissolves his Ego. The Ego is the main enemy on the path to transformation.

The tradition of "hermetic gardening," that is, "cultivating the flowers of Wisdom in one's garden," becomes a leading line in alchemical symbolism. James cultivates wisdom.

While Snape cultivates "dark knowledge," although his soul also strives for light and love. But Snape is still too captured by his Ego, too captivated by base emotions, a thirst for revenge, recognition, or power, a craving for "secret knowledge." He cannot resist it, no matter how much he may strive for Lily, for the divine transformation of his spirit, and James, still dwelling in his Ego, instead of showing mercy to Snape, pushes him further away. The stag fights the serpent, but God is love. Ultimately, Snape temporarily closes off the paths of alchemical transformation for himself.

The Rebis is the end product of the alchemical magnum opus or great work. The lion must dissolve the serpent. Hermetic gardening. The alchemical wedding: the Queen and the King.

But besides all this, the deer is also a symbol of eternal renewal and victory over death ("The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" 1 Corinthians 15:26 ). A symbol of Christ. His constantly renewing antlers represent eternal life.

In the original Greek of the New Testament, the names Jacob and James are variants of the same root—Yaaqob. James is an active force, a seeker, an investigator, a supplanter. James the Great was of a rather impulsive character, but everyone was also amazed by his courage, he was the only one who acknowledged Christ as the Messiah. And he is the only apostle whose death is described in the New Testament. He dies at the hands of King Herod, a cynical and evil king who was willing to murder babies for his purpose. James also dies at the hands of Voldemort, who is willing to kill a baby for his purpose.

Moreover, it was Saint James who was considered the heavenly patron of alchemists. His tomb was located in Santiago de Compostela, which was the oldest center of adepts. It was there, in 1378, after twenty years of unsuccessful attempts to decipher the Book of Hieroglyphic Figures, that Nicolas Flamel, the most famous alchemist of the Middle Ages, went. By the way, Shell Cottage... the scallop shell is a symbol of the apostle James and the "trademark" of the Way of St. James. Shell Cottage is also alchemical. It is there that Harry sees the symbol of the Deathly Hallows around Lovegood's neck.

James is a seeker. Lily is a symbol of the divine spirit, sparks, transformation. That to which all must ultimately come, that which must change in our world in the image of God. But for now, our world is seized by evil, by the antichrist. To defeat death means to defeat the antichrist in one's soul.

James finds Lily. The Soul finds the Spirit. The Spirit descends into the Soul. The King and Queen marry—and a new life is born, another hero capable of defeating the evil that has engulfed the world, capable of cleansing the world of evil. The connection between Harry and Christ is no secret to anyone.

The power of love conquers death. A rune appears on Harry's forehead—Sowilo rune—the victory rune, the sun rune, the irreversible rune. It symbolically serves as the key to the world of Alfheim—the world of the light elves, that is, the bright ideas, the prototypes of the buddhial plane, the ideality in this world.

The key to God. Harry becomes marked. His scar is a reminder to him that he came into this world not just by chance, but to destroy evil. And coming into this world, materializing, a person invariably receives a particle of the antichrist within himself. That's how this world works. Evil is in the soul of each of us, and through the Great Work, a person must purify himself.

And none can live while the other survives, because they mutually exclude each other by their very nature. Christ and antichrist.

But Harry has a difficult path ahead, the path of the Great Work before he can achieve victory. And that will be the theme of all 7 books, 7 years — exactly 7 days is the duration of The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz for the transformation oh his soul, for victory over death.

[kckt88]

Cruel Intentions.

Summary:

Two brothers who attend an elite university make a bet: to deflower the new dean's daughter before the start of the new semester.

Warning(s): Language, Drug Taking, Slight Homophobic Language, Bet Making, Maniplulation, Kissing, Loss of Virginity, Smut – Fingering, Oral Sex (M Recieving), P in V, Major Character Death.

MODERN AEMOND x O.C & AEGON x ALYS. - (HINTED AEMOND x ALYS & MINOR AEMOND x FLORIS BARATHEON)

HEAVILY INSPIRED BY THE MOVIE - CRUEL INTENTIONS

Word Count: 8124

Taglist - @immyowndefender, @mrsbarnes314, @dixie-elocin, @targaryenbarbie, @ammo23

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the House of The Dragon or Fire & Blood characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used.

Comments, likes, and reblogs are very much appreciated.

“What are we betting for?” asked Aemond.

“Money of course” quipped Aegon stubbing out his cigarette.

“Seriously-how boring, let’s put something really worthwhile on the line” said Aemond.

“Ok-If I win, I get your car”.

“And if I win?” asked Aemond pursing his lips.

“I’ll let you fuck my girlfriend” replied Aegon.

“Not even remotely worth it” quipped Aemond.

“Oh please-I see the way you look at Alys”.

“Again-Not interested” retorted Aemond.

“Not even if I tell you that Alys will let you put your cock anywhere-she’s into all sorts of freaky shit” said Aegon smirking.

Aemond paused as he thought over his brother’s proposition, he wasn’t wrong when he pointed out his fixation with Alys, she was a little older and she was so fucking beautiful, and she had a spectacular set of breasts that he just wanted to bury his face between and worship.

Of course, there were other parameters of the bet that needed to be discussed but a chance to stick his cock into Alys was more than enough to gain his acceptance and the fact that she was allegedly into freaky shit intrigued him thoroughly.

He was sick of bedding insipid debutants who’s shoe size was higher than their I.Q, he wanted someone different.

“I accept-now what are the actual terms of the bet?” asked Aemond.

“You know the new dean’s daughter-“

“-Reese Hargrove?” asked Aemond.

“Yeah, that one-little miss prim and proper thinks she too good for anyone, so I say we knock her down a peg or two” replied Aegon.

“-And how do we do that?”

“You will seduce her and then discard her” said Aegon.

“Seriously? That’s too easy-not even remotely enough of a challenge” laughed Aemond.

“Did I mention that she’s a proper daddy’s little princess-“

“Again boring” said Aemond yawning.

“-And a virgin” replied Aegon smirking.

“How’d you know that?” asked Aemond curiously.

“I take it you didn’t read her manifesto in the University magazine” asked Aegon as he threw a copy onto the glass table.

“Menstrual cramps?” asked Aemond as he glanced at the front cover.

“Shut up and turn to page sixty four” snapped Aegon.

Aemond rolled his eye and picked up the magazine, he flicked through the pages until he found the one, he wanted.

“Why I plan to wait by Reese Hargrove-Jesus christ is she for real?” asked Aemond.

“Oh, she’s daddy’s little angel-a paradigm of chastity and virtue”.

“Hm” muttered Aemond as Aegon ripped the magazine from his grasp.

“Let’s see-boring, boring, boring-I love my parents, boring, boring, boring-making a mature decision-oh here, she has a boyfriend named Trevor, been going out for a year and he understands” said Aegon mockingly.

“What a loser” snarked Aemond rolling his eye.

“My point is-you and I have fucked our way through most of the girls at university, which is hardly a challenge anymore”.

“So, all I have to do is fuck her and I win the bet?” asked Aemond.

“Pretty much-but if you’re thinking it’ll be easy then your wrong-” muttered Aegon.

“How do you even know that?

“Remember that chick I told you about over Easter?” said Aegon.

“The one who broke your nose after you tried to finger-wait that was her?” asked Aemond trying to stifle his laughter.

A girl with some bite to her-this could be interesting.

“Yes, it was her, humiliated me in front of everyone so now it’s payback time”.

“So, this bet is just your desperate attempt at getting revenge against a girl who wasn’t interested in you-for fuck sake Aegon” muttered Aemond running a hand through his sandy blonde hair.

“Oh, cut the moral high ground shit brother it doesn’t suit you-or do I need to remind you of the time you fucked your way through all of the Baratheon sisters in the space of a week”.

“Far point-so I fuck Hargrove and then what?” asked Aemond.

“Providing you have proof of the deed being done, then I’ll let you fuck Alys” replied Aegon.

“What does Alys say about all this-” mused Aemond.

“Well of course I asked her before I discussed things with you, and she agreed-“

“-Just like that?” asked Aemond disbelief.

“We have a semi open relationship remember-as long we tell each other that we want to fuck someone else, then it’s ok. Sometimes we even share” shrugged Aegon.

“Well, I’m not into sharing” growled Aemond.

“Do you seriously think I want to see your bare arse-no thanks. I just meant that me and Alys are open to many forms of expressing ourselves and our love” said Aegon.

“-And you’re ok with her potentially fucking your own brother?”

“You have to win the bet first” laughed Aegon.

“-And if I fail?”

“I get your car which I will make sure to fuck Alys in” quipped Aegon smirking.

“Fine-you’re on” said Aemond holding out his hand.

“There was me thinking you’d need a little more convincing”.

“Thing is, can you imagine what this would do for my reputation? Screwing the new deans daughter before the semester starts” mused Aemond.

“Would be one of your greatest victories-aside from the school nurse that you fucked last year, I’m still surprised they didn’t kick you out for that” said Aegon reaching for his silver cross necklace and pulling away the end.

The white power lingering on the small scoop spilled over the edge as Aegon lifted it to his nose and inhaled it in one sharp breath.

“Speaking of getting kicked out-if mum and dad see you doing that, they will go crazy, they told you last time that there were no more chances” said Aemond.

“What they don’t know won’t hurt them-besides you need to start making nice with Reese”.

“I suppose this would make an interesting chapter”.

“Oh, gee your journal, could you be any more queer?” said Aegon.

“Could you be more desperate to read it” smirked Aemond.

“I would say good luck brother-you’re going to need it-besides it might be worth mentioning that you only have a limited time in which to get Hargrove into bed” replied Aegon.

“What do you mean?”

“Her father’s preoccupied with getting ready for the new semester, so Reese is staying at our aunt’s place for a few weeks, but I also know that she’ll be spending the last two weeks of summer break at her grandmothers place-so that means you’ve only got four weeks to win the bet” said Aegon.

“FUCK” exclaimed Aemond as he turned on his heel and left the room.

“Your home is so beautiful Mrs Hightower” exclaimed Reese, her grip tightening on the reins of the horse she was riding.

“Oh, thank you-It’s been in my family for over a hundred years”.

“I’ve never seen anything like it” replied Reese.

“Does your family ride much?”

“My grandfather used to breed horses on his farm-“ said Reese softly.

“Really how-“

Suddenly the sound of a distant bang echoed through the air.

“What was that?” asked Reese looking around in alarm.

“Oh, Aemond must be here”.

Reese smiled at Mrs Hightower and directed her horse to follow as they entered a small clearing.

“Pull” shouted Aemond and he aimed the shotgun he was holding towards the sky.

The accompanying attendant pressed a button, and a small clay disk was launched into the air, and without skipping a beat, Aemond pulled the trigger and shot the clay out of the sky.

“Aemond”

“Ahh fuck me” muttered Aemond as he handed the attendant the shot gun and plastered a fake smile on his face before he raced over to his aunt.

“Sweetpea”.

“Aunt Ellen-god I’ve missed you” exclaimed Aemond as he wrapped his arms around her.

“I miss you too”.

“I’ve been looking all over for you” replied Aemond sweetly.

“Now, I want you to meet Reese-and be nice”.

“Well-well-“ muttered Aemond as he slowly walked towards Reese who was still sat upon the chestnut mare.

“Reese Hargrove-this is my nephew Aemond Targaryen”.

“I do believe you’ve already met my older brother Aegon” said Aemond as he reached forward and helped Reese climb down from the saddle.

“Briefly” replied Reese clapping her hands together slowly to dispel the dirt.

“Reese will be staying with me for a few weeks”.

“Interesting-that makes two of us” muttered Aemond as he folded his arms behind his back.

“Thank you for helping” muttered Reese.

“Aunt Ellen, why don’t you go a whip us up some of that iced tea of yours and I’ll tend to Reese” said Aemond smiling.

“Alright-you two don’t get into any trouble”.

“We won’t” said Reese and Aemond in unison.

Aemond waited until his aunt had disappeared inside before he took Reese’s hand and led her towards the manor.

“Come on-quickly, lots to see” urged Aemond.

“Ok” muttered Reese.

“I read your manifesto” said Aemond.

“Oh, you did” replied Reese smiling.

“Hm-I must say I found it rather appalling”.

“That’s a first, most people praise me for it,” said Reese.

“Most people are sheep-who are you to criticise something you’ve never experienced”.

“I wasn’t criticising anything-it’s just my belief that people shouldn’t experience the act of love, until they are in love. I just don’t think people our age are mature enough to experience those kinds of emotions”.

“Are you a lesbian?” asked Aemond smirking.

“No”

“I didn’t mean to offend you-I just picked up on a little bit of that lesbian vibe”.

“Look-I wouldn’t expect a man of your experience to understand my beliefs”.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Aemond.

“I’m well aware of your reputation and that of your older brother,” said Reese.

“What have you heard?”

“That you promise girls the world to get them in bed with you, but then again I suppose that’s a better approach than your brother who thinks he can just take whatever he wants”.

“I heard about that-Aegon shouldn’t have done it, but I heard you were pretty adept at defending yourself” said Aemond.

“You almost sound impressed” muttered Reese raising her eyebrow.

“Oh, believe me I am” replied Aemond smiling as he walked away.

Later that night after her shower, Reese was sitting alone in her bedroom reading a book, when the sound of loud opera music broke her concentration.

“What the-“ muttered Reese as she put the book down and looked around bewildered.

A few minutes later she let her bedroom and wen in search of someone who could tell her what was going on, gods the music was so loud.

Noticing the lights on in the pool house, Reese slowly opened the door and went inside.

“Hello-Excuse me” said Reese loudly.

Just when she was about to give up and look elsewhere, Reese spotted Aemond sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, his hand absentmindedly swirling in the air as he reclined against the cushions.

“Excuse me” said Reese as she slowly approached Aemond.

“What a pleasant surprise” replied Aemond as he paused the music.

“Are you aware that this music is playing in every room of the house?”

“It’s not-just yours, I thought you’d like it” said Aemond.

Reese scoffed and turned around full intent on walking back to her room, until Aemond pressed the remote again and ‘Lovefool by the Cardigans’ began blasting through the speakers.

“So, what were you doing in your room?” asked Aemond smirking as Reese turned back to face him.

“Reading-“

“-Anything interesting?” asked Aemond as he levered himself off his chair.

“Yes actually-it was quite intriguing” replied Reese.

“I got you a gift” said Aemond as he reached behind one of the ornate stone pillars and handed Reese a leather bag, embossed with her name.

“What-“ exclaimed Reese.

“Something to start the new semester with”.

“You didn’t have to do this” muttered Reese softly.

“I get it -you hate it” snapped Aemond as he pulled the bag out of Reese’s hand only for her to snatch it back.

“No-I love it, you just didn’t have to, that’s all” retorted Reese.

“Do you think you can pry yourself away from your reading and join me for a swim?”

“Ok-just give me a minute” muttered Reese and she turned away from Aemond and left the pool house.

Aemond nodded and then proceeded to get undressed, having no qualms at all about being completely naked. Reese’s reaction to his nudity would be very interesting.

Suddenly his mobile rang, Aemond grimaced when he saw the name highlighted on the screen, but he answered, nonetheless.

“Alys”

“Fuck her yet?” asked Alys.

“I’m working on it”

“Loser” replied Alys.

“Blow me”

“Call me later? Aegon wants to go for a drink” mused Alys.

“Ok” said Aemond as he hung up the call and threw his phone onto the chair.

With the music now playing softly in the background, Aemond placed a towel around his neck and turned his back to the door.

Sure, enough the door opened, and a soft gasp of surprise echoed around the tiled room, Aemond smiled before he slowly turned giving Reese a complete view of his naked body.

“Do you mind turning around so I could put on my bathing suit?” asked Aemond thoroughly delighted by Reese’s reaction.

“I-I’m sorry” muttered Reese and she placed a hand over her eyes and turned away.

It was only when she heard the splash of water that turned back to face Aemond who was now in the pool.

Reese took a deep breath before she untied her robe and descended into the warm pool.

“Your right you know” muttered Aemond.

“About what?” asked Reese.

“What you said today-I’ve done something I’m not proud of”

“Look I wasn’t trying to give you a hard time-“

“-No, it’s ok, I mean look at you with all your morals and values, you seem to be happy in your choices, I envy you. No bullshit”

“Really” asked Reese curiously.

“Seriously-you’ve got everything going for you-your smart, beautiful, determined. Everything I’d want in a girlfriend” said Aemond.

“You know I’m seeing someone-“

“-Oh yes, the infamous Trevor, it’s funny you haven’t mentioned him until now”

“He’s backpacking through Europe-He’s great, I really miss him,” said Reese.

“I’m here” whispered Aemond as he reached out and slowly ran his hand down Reese’s arm.

“I’m sorry but you are not my type”.

“Honestly?” wondered Aemond.

“Yeah-your smart, your beautiful, listing my qualities on your fingers is not going to get you anywhere with me, the best you can hope for is my friendship and your really walking a fine line at that” replied Reese as she moved away from Aemond and climbed out of the pool.

Aemond watched aghast as the wet swimsuit clung to every one of Reese’s curves, her body swaying slightly as she picked up a towel and left the room.

“Night sweet pea” snarked Aemond as he lowered himself into the water.

This was going to be harder than he thought.

“Oh no what am I going to do”.

“Is something wrong?” asked Aemond as he sat at the breakfast table.

“That was Mrs Collins-their short of volunteers over at the retirement home, but I have theatre tickets for this afternoon”.

“Oh no that’s terrible” said Aemond softly.

“I have a thought why don’t you two fill in for me”.

“I’d love to” said Reese smiling.

“You two are the best-thank you, so sweet of you”.

“Can’t help it” said Aemond pulling a face as his aunt kissed him on the head and hugged him.

Gods, how he found himself in such a predicament Aemond would never know, for the love of all that was holy why did he have to open his big mouth.

He supposed it was another opportunity to spend time with Reese, but the car ride on the way to the retirement home had been rather awkward with neither one of them not knowing what to say to the other.

The retirement home itself had a funny smell to it and just as Aemond hoped to be paired with Reese, he was shoved into a room with an old lady called Mrs Sugarman.

Turns out she was quite senile, so he could work that to his advantage, he supposed sitting in a chair and doing the crossword puzzle was the only semblance of entertainment he would have for the next few hours.

“Oh, did I ever tell you the time, when my late husband sent me-“

“Yes, you already did, Mrs. Sugarman” replied Aemond.

“Oh, I did?”

“Right after we played backgammon, Mrs. Sugarman” muttered Aemond.

“Oh! We played backgammon”,

“Uh huh. You beat me three times” exclaimed Aemond.

“I did?”

“Yeah, and I fucked your daughter-“ said Aemond.

“What?”

“I said would you care for some water?” asked Aemond smiling sweetly.

“No thank you dear”.

Aemond rolled his eye and resumed his crossword puzzle.

Suddenly a knock at the door, had Aemond springing into action as he put down the newspaper and sat behind Mrs Sugarman, smiling.

“How’s going in here?” asked the nurse.

“We played backgammon, and I won three times” exclaimed Mrs Sugarman excitedly.

“Oh well done” said the nurse brightly.

“Isn’t it wonderful” gasped Mrs Sugarman.

“See I told you she was special” said the nurse as she hugged Reese who smiled widely at Aemond.

As they got in the car for the drive home, Reese reached into her pocket and pulled out a beaded bracelet.

“What’s that?” asked Aemond.

“A friendship bracelet-I made it with Mr Gottlieb” replied Reese.

“Sounds like you had a productive day” mused Aemond as he watched Reese tie the mismatched beaded bracelet round his wrist.

It was positively ghastly, the colours were wrong, it made a weird clicking sound when he moved his hand and it clashed terribly with his outfit, but he found himself unwilling to tell Reese any of those things, so he kept quiet and decided to wear the damn thing if it made her happy, as making her sad invoked a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“You know I actually feel good about myself-Mrs Sugarman was cool” said Aemond.

“Oh, come on your trying to tell me that you had a good time with that old lady”.

“I did, we played three games of backgammon and-oh alright I was bored out of my mind” said Aemond frowning.

“It’s ok-it doesn’t make you a bad person”

“It does-“ muttered Aemond.

“No, it doesn’t” replied Reese softly.

“I can’t win with you” quipped Aemond.

“It’s not about winning Aemond-you know what you take yourself far too seriously”.

“I do not” snapped Aemond.

“Yes, you do-you should lighten up” laughed Reese.

“I am lightened up can we just drop this”.

“Ok-fine” replied Reese shrugging, but as Aemond huffed, she turned to him and began pulling faces.

“What are you doing?” asked Aemond.

Reese ignored him and continued to pull faces.

“Cut it out-it’s distracting, I said stop that” exclaimed Aemond smiling.

“Are you smiling?” asked Reese.

“No”.

“It’s ok, you can laugh-I won’t tell anyone” replied Reese softly.

Aemond looked over at Reese briefly before he returned his attention to driving, but his heart skipped a beat when he felt her take his hand and entwine their fingers.

Gods the music was loud, it was almost hurting his eardrums.

Why in the fuck had he let Aegon talk him into coming here was beyond him. The place was cheap and smelled like rancid shit, but it served its purpose.

He needed a distraction, his days were being consumed by Reese and it was driving him insane, the more time he spent around her the more he wanted her, but she didn’t give any inclination that she was interested. Sure, she’d held his hand in the car but that was it, nothing had happened in the days since.

Probably wasn’t the best idea to come here and get shit faced, as his frustrations surrounding Reese and the copious amounts of alcohol that he’d consumed did not make for a good combination, and it led to some pretty bad decision making on his part when he happened upon Floris Baratheon and allowed her to suck his cock in one of the toilet cubicles.

If he squinted his eyes enough, he could almost imagine that he was Reese, that it was her lips stretched around his cock, that it was her hands grasping at his thighs as he ruthlessly fucked her mouth.

But it wasn’t-it was Floris, and he knew he would end up regretting this later, but he needed to come, he was desperate. In his pursuit of Reese, he’d gone from regularly indulging in depraved and debauched sex to nothing and he needed this, to clear his mind if anything.

He just wished Floris would shut the fuck up, her little moans were distracting him, he screwed his eyes shut and he saw Reese smiling at him, her blue eyes twinkling in the-

“FUCK” moaned Aemond as his spilt rope after rope of come into Floris’ mouth.

He probably should have lingered a while longer, but as soon as he tucked his softened cock back into his trousers, he couldn’t wait to get out of there, he didn’t want Floris getting the wrong idea-again.

He placed a quick kiss on her forehead and practically vaulted himself out of the cubicle and made a hasty exit from the shithole that Aegon had dragged him too, he did consider looking for his brother, but he was more than likely piss drunk and cock deep in Alys or some bimbo they’d found.

So, he hailed a taxi and went back to his aunts manor, hoping that tomorrow would be brighter day.

Aemond sighed deeply as he watched Reese through a pair of binoculars, upon hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, he and turns to find Alys standing behind him.

“Aegon’s looking for you”.

“Hm”.

“Who are you spying on?” asked Alys as she snatched the binoculars from Aemond’s hand.

“No one” muttered Aemond.

“Is that her?”

“Yeah”

“Oh no she’s crying-little baby seems upset by the big bad book” mocked Alys.

“Shut up” snapped Aemond.

“What’s up your arse?”

“Nothing”

“She’s really getting to you isn’t she” quipped Alys.

“If you must know yes-I don’t know what to do. I can’t stand that holier than thou bullshit, yet I’m completely infatuated with her, she made me laugh”.

“So that’s why you’re going to lose the bet with Aegon?” mused Alys as she examined her red painted nails.

“I’m not losing the bet-it’s just taking a little longer than I expected”.

“Mind if I take Aegon’s new car for a ride?” asked Alys as she leaned forward and kissed Aemond on the corner of his mouth.

“Alys-the only thing you’re going to be riding is me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some work to do” replied Aemond quietly.

Reese looked up from her book and smiled as she saw Aemond approaching.

“Bonjour Mademoiselle” whispered Aemond as he knelt down and slowly pressed a kiss to her left cheek then her right.

“Bonjour Monsieur Targaryen” replied Reese as Aemond’s lips met hers.

He leaned forward slightly, trying to manoeuvre her onto her back as they kissed, his tongue sliding against hers.

“Aemond. No” said Reese as she sat up and pushed him away.

“I’m sorry about that” muttered Aemond as he stood up.

“I am too” whispered Reese.

“You know what-I’m not sorry. I don’t take it back”.

“I thought we were just going to be friends?” asked Reese.

“I-I can’t handle it. I can’t keep my feelings all bottled up like you. Can you honestly tell me that you feel nothing for me?”

“Yes, I have feelings for you Aemond”.

“T-Then what’s wrong. It’s not like you have a husband. Unless your married to Jesus”

“That’s not fair” snapped Reese.

“Do you really want to know why?”

“Yes, I want to know why” retorted Aemond.

“Because I don’t trust myself with you” snapped Reese as she stood up and left Aemond alone.

Later that night as she sat brushing her blonde hair, Reese was startled by a sharp knock at the door.

“Come in”.

The door opened slowly and Aemond walked in, his expression giving nothing away as he stood in front of her.

“I just came to say goodbye”.

“Where are you going?” asked Reese.

“Back to the city-I might go to the south of France until the end of summer. I just can’t take your games anymore” said Aemond shrugging.

“What games?”

“Oh, come off it, your hot one minute, cold the next. You make me feel inadequate” said Aemond bluntly.

“Well, I guess if that’s how I’m making you feel then it’s for the best that your leaving”.

“Good for you” muttered Aemond as he turned around and went to open the door.

“Aemond-I don’t want us to part on bad terms” muttered Reese.

“Well, I’m afraid you don’t have a choice in the matter-you’re a hypocrite and I don’t associate with hypocrites”.

“How am I a hypocrite?” asked Reese.

“Oh, please Reese. You spend all your time preaching about waiting for love. Well, here it is. Right in front of you, and you're going to turn your back on it. So, I guess we're just fucked. I'll move on. But you are going to have to live the rest of your life knowing that you've turned your back on love. And that makes you a hypocrite. Have a nice life”.

“Wait” gasped Reese.

There was a beat of silence before Reese slowly walked towards Aemond, placed her hands in his face and kissed him.

Their tongues moved together as they slowly walked backwards towards the bed.

“Aemond” moaned Reese as she began to undo the buttons on his trousers.

For a brief moment Aemond was stunned to silence, as he watched Reese climb onto the bed and undo the buttons on her silken p.j top, his chest becoming more exposed with every undone button.

This was happening, she was giving herself to him. She was soft and sweet, like a ripe peach ready for the taking.

But he couldn’t do it, something was stopping him, he didn’t know what it was, but the feeling of uncertainty swirled within him almost to the point of making him feel sick.

“I-I’m sorry I can’t” spluttered Aemond as he turned around and left the room.

The tears rolled down Reese’s cheeks as she quickly buttoned her p.j top back up, she had offered herself to him and in turn he had rejected her.

She couldn’t stay here now, not after this.

“Morning” said Aegon brightly as he handed Aemond a coffee.

“Morning” replied Aemond through gritted teeth.

“So, how’d it go last night with Reese?”

“If your asking if a nailed her then the answer is no-“

“She shot you down” asked Aegon smirking.

“Exactly the opposite” admitted Aemond.

“So, what went wrong”.

“I don’t know-she was laying on the bed ready to do it and I was-I just didn’t feel right about it” said Aemond.

“Your telling me you had the chance to fuck her, and you didn’t-god are you pathetic”.

“Fuck off” snapped Aemond leaping off the bed.

“Oh, if your heading towards her room, you won’t find her”.

“Where is she?”

“You don’t know-she left thirty minutes ago” retorted Aegon smirking.

“Where did she go?” demanded Aemond.

“She apologised to our aunt and then told her she was going to stay with some friends in the city-you blew it Aemond, that girls come to her senses, and she’ll never go near you again”.

Aemond let out a growl of frustration before he stormed out of the room, he had to go after her, tell her he’s sorry.

She’d obviously left because of him and what happened last night, and the thought that he wouldn’t see her everyday had left him feeling hollow.

After speaking to his aunt, who told him that Reese had taken a taxi to the train station, Aemond got in his car and put his foot down in the hopes that he could beat the train and arrive at the station in the city before she did.

After the train pulled into the station, Reese grabbed her things and stepped onto the platform, she felt guilty about her hasty departure from Mrs HighTower’s manor, but she couldn’t stay not after last night-she’d fallen in love with Aemond, and it hurt when he rejected her. His reputation of bedding copious amounts of women seemed a little exaggerated in that moment.

As she stepped onto the escalator, Reese couldn’t help but think about Aemond, she wondered if he was ok, and she hoped he wasn’t too upset when he’d discovered that she’d gone.

As the escalator ascended, there he was standing there, looking at her as if she was the only person the world.

“I’m impressed”

“Well, I’m in love” said Aemond he cupped her cheeks and kissed her, not caring if they were in the middle of a packed train station.

She had fled and he had chased her, this was their moment, and no one was going to take it from them.

“I-I’m ready. Make me yours” whispered Reese as she pulled off her clothes.

Reese laid down and smiled shyly as Aemond gazed at her naked body.

"So beautiful” whispered Aemond as he slowly reached out and ran his fingers over Reese’s breasts.

Goosebumps erupted over Reese’s skin as Aemonds hand began to move lower.

“I-I need to prepare you” whispered Aemond.

“P-prepare me?” whispered Reese.

“I don’t want to hurt you” replied Aemond as he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Reese’s lips.

Reese gasped when she felt Aemond’s fingers rubbing her folds.

“O-Oh Aemond” exclaimed Reese as he slipped a finger inside her.

Aemond buried his face in Reese’s neck as he added another finger to prepare her as best he could.

Aemond removed his fingers and then laid between Reese’s open legs, supporting his weight on his left arm as he reached down and took his hard cock in his hand and placed the tip of it against his cock her now slick entrance.

Reese shut her eyes tight and took a deep breath as Aemond sheathed himself within her.

Reese’s cunny choked his cock so tight that he needed a few seconds to adjust, making him terribly aware that he was not going to last for too long.

Aemond’s cock twitched and throbbed with need, and he released a shuddered breath while Reese sighed in relief. 

“The pain will ease,” rasped Aemond.

Aemond was generous enough to start with a slow, deep grinding that soon enough turned the stinging pain into pleasure.

“Gods be good,” panted Reese, gripping Aemond’s shoulders.

“Fuck. You were made for me. You were made to fit my cock in this sweet cunt of yours.” breathed Aemond as he increased the pace of this thrusts.

“A-Aemond. Please.” exclaimed Reese her nails digging into his shoulders.

“Tell me you want me” moaned Aemond his hips slapping against hers.

“I-I want you, Please Aemond” gasped Reese.

“I love you-I love you so much” exclaimed Aemond as his thrusts beginning to stagger. He was close. So close.

“Love you too” gasped Reese as she felt Aemond’s fingers encircling her pearl in tandem with his thrusts.

It felt like lightning had shot across her stomach. Gods it felt so good.

“I want you to come-come for me” moaned Aemond, he needed her to come before him, he would not disgrace himself.

“AEMOND” screamed Reese.

Aemond pushed into the hilt for one last time and let out a long loud groan as he painted her insides with his white hot spend.

Later that night as he escorted Reese to her waiting taxi, Aemond couldn’t contain his happiness, for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was worth something. That he wasn’t totally soulless, and he’d found the capacity to love and in turn be loved, and it was all down to Reese.

As he watched the taxi drive away, he thought that nothing in this world could ruin his happiness, but of course he was completely oblivious to the looming figures of Aegon and Alys silently watching him from the balcony.

The next morning, Aemond had left the apartment bright and early, he’d gone for a run and stopped by a flower shop on the way home, buying flowers for a girl was a completely new experience for him but Reese was worth it.

He arrived back home, clutching the bouquet of flowers but was stopped in his tracks when he spotted Alys sitting on the edge of his bed, in only her underwear.

“A-Alys” gasped Aemond as he placed the flowers on his desk.

“I hear that you succeeded in your task”.

“Hm” replied Aemond.

“So, I thought that we could make the necessary arrangements” mused Alys as she reached out towards Aemond’s groin, only for him to push her away.

“Some other time” replied Aemond as he walked away, ignoring the look of fury on Alys’ face.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m not in the mood” said Aemond slamming the door shut.

He needed to get out of here, he needed to get away from Alys and Aegon, so he did the only thing he could think of and rang Reese, she spoke softly to him and whispered words of love, it calmed him down immensely and making plans to see her later that day made his heart skip a beat, he was too engrossed in the phone call to even notice Aegon entering the room.

“I love you too” muttered Aemond before he ended the phone call.

“I love you too-my god you’re completely pussy whipped” said Aegon flatly.

“Stop it” ordered Aemond.

“Oh, come on Aemond it’s just a bet” replied Aegon as he looked over at Alys as she shut the wooden sliding doors.

Alys walked over to Aemond and kissed him, her hands gripped the fabric of his shirt, until her pushed her away.

“This is ridiculous” laughed Aemond.

“What’s ridiculous dear brother is you-look at what you’ve been reduced too, have you given any thought to what’s going to happen once the semester starts-not only are you dating miss manifesto but she’s also the new deans daughter” said Aegon.

“Stop it”

“Before you know it, you’ll be giving campus tours with her-oh wait her father doesn’t know about your past, does he? I doubt he’ll let his little princess be seen with the likes of you. Quite disappointing to see that Reese’s manifesto was a total sham, I think he has a right to know” said Aegon picking up the phone.

“Put the phone down” ordered Aemond.

“Oh, this will only take a second” replied Aegon.

Aemond lurched forward and snatched the phone out of his brother’s hand, before slamming down on the desk.

“Quite the predicament you’re in” mused Aegon.

“I don’t care what either of you say, the fact of the matter is that I was planning on telling her everything this afternoon” said Aemond pulling on his long black coat.

“Oh, that’s right. I forgot, your so in love” mocked Alys.

“Do you honestly think that you’ve changed in the few weeks you’ve known her. Let me tell you something little brother-people don’t change overnight. You and I are two of a kind, at least I have the guts to admit it-you were going to leave University and legend, now all you’ll be is a joke”.

“I-I’m willing to take my chances” said Aemond reaching for the door.

“Don’t do it Aemond, you’ll not only ruin your reputation, but you’ll destroy hers”.

Aemond didn’t respond, he gave Alys and his brother one last look before leaving the room.

Aemond walked around the city for hours, thinking about Reese, the bet and what he should do, his brother’s words playing on a loop in his mind.

He seemed to walk aimlessly, without any sense of direction, letting his feet carry him wherever they desired, until he found himself standing in front of the apartment complex where Reese was staying with her friends.

After taking a deep breath, Aemond entered the building and knocked on the door.

“Hi” breathed Reese as she opened the door.

“Hey” replied Aemond solemnly as Reese pulled him in for a kiss.

After a few minutes Reese, pulled away and then gave him a quick tour of the apartment, she smiled sweetly as she took his hand and pulled him into a well-lit bedroom.

“This is my room”.

“It’s nice-“ mumbled Aemond.

“Do you think we can be quiet? asked Reese suggestively.

“There’s something I have to tell you”.

“Ok-tell me” replied Reese.

“This isn’t working out for me anymore”.

“Yeah, me neither-what’s wrong?” said Reese.

“It’s not you-it’s me. I’m completely fucked up”.

“What are you saying?” asked Reese.

“I thought I was in love with you, but it was just a lie-I wanted it to work but unfortunately. I feel nothing”.

“Why you are you doing this?”

“I just wanted to see what you were like in bed” muttered Aemond his shoulders slumping.

“I know you don’t mean that” gasped Reese.

“You know nothing-you don’t even know me; the fact of the matter is there is someone I want and you don’t even compare to her”

“I don’t believe you”.

“I don’t know how to make this any clearer-you mean nothing to me; you were just a conquest” snapped Aemond.

“Your such a coward-look at yourself, your shaking. Is that what you came to tell me”.

“Listen I’m sorry I’m completely-“

“-Yeah, your completely fucked up-get out”

“Reese-“ said Aemond reaching towards her.

“Don’t touch me”.

“Please-“ whispered Aemond.

“DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME AEMOND-GET OUT” screamed Reese as she slapped him across the face.

Aemond stood stunned for a moment, watching the tears roll down Reese’s cheeks. His heart pounding in his chest.

“Just leave” begged Reese as she turned away from him.

Aemond bowed his head and then left the room, furiously wiping at his own tears as they fell.

“Jesus-a little melodramatic don’t you think” said Aegon as he spotted Aemond sitting in a darkened corner of the room.

“I thought you’d like to know what happened between me and Reese-It’s over”.

“Really?” asked Aegon.

“You were right-I can’t change, you and I are two of a kind, I thought we should celebrate” replied Aemond as he pulled out a bottle of champagne.

“I’d love to-but unfortunately I’m expecting Alys” said Aegon examining his nails.

“Great-As I’ve won the bet, I guess it makes sense for Alys to be here. We we’ll need to make arrangements after all”.

“We do” nodded Aegon as he took the half-filled glass from Aemond.

“What shall we toast too?” asked Aemond as he lifted the glass of champagne in the air.

“To my triumph” said Aegon smugly.

“Not my choice of toasts, but it’s your call-to your triumph over Reese” retorted Aemond as he downed the contents of his glass.

Aegon however let out a melodious giggle.

“What’ so funny?” asked Aemond.

“Silly rabbit-my triumph isn’t over her, it’s over you”.

“Come again?” asked Aemond confused.

“You were very much in love with her, and your still in love with her-but it amused me to make you ashamed of it-you gave up on the first person you ever loved, because I threatened your reputation, don’t you get it your just a toy Aemond, a little toy I like to play with and now you’ve completely blown it with her, I think it’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard-cheers” said Aegon as he lifted the glass of champagne to his lips.

Aemond stood their stunned to silence at his brother’s revelation.

“Hmmm tastes good” exclaimed Aegon.

“Aegon-“

“I also feel I have to tell you that, no arrangement will be made for you to have your way with Alys-you see she doesn’t fuck losers” said Aegon smirking.

Aemond nodded his head solemnly before he left the room.

“Will you please just tell her that I called?” asked Aemond desperately before he slammed the phone down.

Slumping in his seat, Aemond reached for his leather bound journal and ripped it open.

He had to speak to Reese, he had to make things right with her.

After spending hours furiously writing page after page, Aemond wrapped up his journal and began walking to the apartment where Reese was staying, of course Mrs Michalak refused to allow him entry into the apartment or even tell Aemond where Reese was, but he was desperate.

“Please-will you just give her this” begged Aemond.

“Of course,” replied Mrs Michalak as she took the journal.

“T-Tell her I’m sorry please-Reese if you’re in there. I’m sorry” said Aemond loudly.

“Mr Targaryen, that is enough-Now I need you to leave” urged Mrs Michalak.

“Tell her, that I’m not going anywhere-I will wait for as long as it takes”.

“Goodbye Mr Targaryen” snapped Mrs Michalak before she slammed the door.

“Fucking bitch” muttered Aemond under his breath before he walked away.

-Later that night-

Reese stared at the envelop gripped between her fingers and for the briefest of moments she considered throwing it in the bin, before curiosity got the better of her and she opened it.

Dear Reese, I don’t know what I could possibly say that would rectify the harm I’ve caused you. The truth of the matter is that being with you was the only time I have ever been happy. My whole life has been a joke. I prided myself on taking joy in others’ misery. Well, it finally backfired. I succeed in hurting the first person I ever loved.

Enclosed is my most prized possession. My journal. For a long time, I considered it my trophy. A sordid collection of my conquests. If you really want to know the truth than please read it. No more lies. Please give me another chance. I’m a wreck without you.

Your, Aemond.

Reese tore the brown paper that was wrapped around the leather bound journal and opened it.

Completely unprepared for what she was about to read.

All night he waited, sitting opposite the apartment building hoping and praying that he would catch a glimpse of Reese as she passed by her window.

But he didn’t, he’d made a massive mistake, and he had no idea how to fix it, Reese was the first girl that he’d ever loved, and he had broken her heart.

He’d allowed himself to become entangled in one of his brother’s sick twisted games and it was Reese that had paid the price, she didn’t deserve any of this. Maybe it was for the best that he left her alone, as much as it hurt to think of never seeing or speaking to her again, it wasn’t about him, it was about her.

So, with a breath of determination, Aemond decided it was for the best that he went home.

Casting one last baleful look at the apartment building, Aemond walked down the street, completely oblivious to Reese looking out of the window, and watching as he walked away.

It must be madness the drove her, but she couldn’t let him leave like that, so she decided to follow him, she had no idea what she was going to say once she caught up with him but that was a plan for later.

“Son of a bitch-Targaryen”

“Who-oh hey Roland” said Aemond.

“Is that all you have to say for yourself?” snapped Roland.

“What else am I meant to say”.

“You know Floris told me what you did”.

“Floris-I haven’t seen her in months” replied Aemond.

“What about your little escapade in the club toilets not to long ago”

“Oh-shit” muttered Aemond, he knew that was going to come back and haunt him.

“You think it’s appropriate to do that to my little sister” snarled Roland as he shoved Aemond backwards.

“Oh, get over it Roly she willingly got on her knees and sucked my cock-I didn’t force her”

“You smug piece of shit-“ snarled Roland reeling his fist back and punching Aemond in the face, sending him flying towards the ground.

Aemond quickly rose from the ground and tackled Roland, both of them falling the floor with a heavy thud.

“You-fucking-cunt” breathed Roland as one of Aemond’s punched connected with his nose.

“If anyone is the cunt here, it’s you” wheezed Aemond as Roland managed to knee him in the stomach.

“AEMOND” shouted Reese as she ran towards him.

He didn’t seem to hear her, too lost to his rage as he repeatedly punched every bit of Roland he could reach.

Reese reached forward and pulled on Roland’s coat, suddenly he reared backwards, and she was propelled away from the fight.

At the sound of Reese hitting the floor, Aemond quickly came back to his senses, his eye widening at the sight of her laying haphazardly on her side.

Aemond levered himself off Roland and immediately went to Reese, crouching slowly beside her.

“Reese-are you ok?” asked Aemond nervously.

“I-I’m ok-AEMOND LOOK OUT” screamed Reese as Roland came up behind Aemond and tackled him into the road.

After shoving Roland away from him, Aemond hunched over trying to catch his breath, he’d hit his head on the concrete and was momentarily dazed, the blood dripping from the cut on his forehead.

“AEMOND” shrieked Reese.

Squinting his eyes, Aemond looked up and saw the car hurtling towards him.

Then all of a sudden, a pair of hands seized the back of his coat, and he was propelled out of the way.

“REESE”

Everything after that happened so fast.

Reese didn’t even hear the sound of the car honking or the screech of tyres, she didn’t even feel the impact of the car as it hit her.

She slid up the bonnet and crashed into the windshield before she slipped over the roof and over the back of the car, before landing heavily on the road in a heap.

“Someone call an ambulance”.

“Reese-can you hear me” urged Aemond.

“I-I tried to stop in time” said the driver panicking.

“CALL A FUCKING AMBULANCE” yelled Aemond.

“I-Is she going to be ok?”

“Reese, my love” said Aemond.

“A-Aemond-hurts” muttered Reese.

“It’s ok, an ambulance is on its way-you’re going to be fine” urged Aemond.

“D-Do y-you love me?”

“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I’m sorry for what I said-none of it was true. Please Reese, forgive me. I’m sorry-I’m so sorry” exclaimed Aemond as he reached out and took her hand.

She wanted to say more, to move-but she couldn’t. Her legs wouldn’t work, and she felt so cold all she could do was squeeze Aemond’s hand.

“Please-Reese hold on” begged Aemond a tear slipping down his cheek.

“L-Lo-ov-e y-you-“ rasped Reese.

“Don’t do that-don’t say goodbye. Don’t leave me” cried Aemond.

The birds, she could hear the birds, the light it was bright-so bright. Perhaps she could close her eyes just-

“Reese-please, just hold on” begged Aemond. The sounds of sirens echoing in the distance.

The funeral was a complete blur, he didn’t want to say goodbye. But he had no choice. She was gone.

It was a beautiful service, complete with flowers, poems and hymns.

Aemond stared at the picture of Reese and he felt his heart constrict painfully.

He didn’t want to hear from anyone, not his parents, not Aegon or Alys. They were remnants of a life that he no longer wanted.

Reese had shown him there was more, her love had opened his heart to a whole realm of possibilities, and he was determined to live. For her.

So, after the funeral he packed up all of his belongings and watched with mild curiosity as Aegon and Alys were being hauled out of their apartment bound in handcuffs and surrounded by police officers.

The drug trafficking and distribution charges that Aemond had reported them for should earn them both quite a lofty custodial sentence. Although it wouldn’t see them incarcerated forever, it would see them face the consequences of their actions.

Casting one more look at the place that never really felt like home, Aemond climbed into his car and drove away.

He owed it to Reese; she had given her life to save his and he was determined to make something of himself.

He wanted to make her proud.

As he clutched the steering wheel, the beaded bracelet she’d made him jingled on his wrist and he smiled, he had once scorned her gift but now when he looked at it, he remembered they day she had tied it to his wrist, and he smiled.

Reese taught him everything. About life, hope and the long journey ahead. He would always miss her.

But their love was like the wind. He couldn’t see it, but he could feel it.

She would always be with him, a guiding light in the darkness.

The End.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Mike Hixenbaugh and Allan Smith at NBC News:

Six years ago, Charlie Kirk, a right-wing provocateur who founded the conservative activist group Turning Point USA, strongly criticized the evangelical political movement he now helps lead. Kirk, known then primarily for his work mobilizing college-age Republicans, described Jesus as welcoming and tolerant and denounced Christians’ “sanctimonious approach” to homosexuality and other issues. He argued politics should be advanced through a “secular worldview” and slammed attempts by the evangelical right, beginning in the 1970s, to “impose” their version of morality “through government policy.”

“We do have a separation of church and state,” Kirk told the conservative commentator Dave Rubin in 2018, “and we should support that.” Kirk, now 30, has since reversed his position. It’s a transformation that, according to political and religious scholars, embodies and reinforces a growing embrace of Christian nationalist thinking within the Republican Party in the era of Donald Trump. “There is no separation of church and state,” Kirk said on his podcast in 2022. “It’s a fabrication. It’s a fiction. It’s not in the Constitution. It’s made up by secular humanists.”

Today, Kirk and Turning Point are dominant forces in the Republican Party and MAGA movement, working directly with the Trump campaign on voter outreach while reaching millions of listeners through Kirk’s daily radio show and podcast. Along the way, Kirk has become one of the nation’s most prominent voices calling on Christians to view conservative political activism as central to Jesus’ calling for their lives. Kirk routinely rails against what he calls the “LGBTQ agenda,” which he claims is harming children. He has invoked the Seven Mountains Mandate, a philosophy increasingly popular among Trump supporters that calls on conservative Christians to claim positions of power in seven key mountains of society, including government, media, business and education. And he promotes Trump as crucial to restoring Christian morality in America. “I worship a God that defeats evil,” Kirk said last week while introducing the former president at a rally hosted by Turning Point and the Trump campaign at an Arizona megachurch. “And we worship a God that wins in the end.”

By appealing to conservative Christians’ fears of shifting cultural norms around LGBTQ acceptance, and by portraying the election as part of a spiritual struggle, Kirk and Turning Point are banking that they can drive evangelical turnout to secure Trump victories in key swing states. But extremism experts warn that this framing — the idea Trump is on a mission from God to restore Christian righteousness in America — could lead followers to take radical action if he doesn’t prevail in November. “There’s this growing sense that American politics are so broken,” said Paul Matzko, a historian of American conservatism, “that there’s a decreasing willingness to imagine the other side being allowed to exercise power without doing it in apocalyptic terms, which fuels things like the insurrection on Jan. 6.” Kirk, whose organization bused supporters to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, to rally Congress to reject the presidential election outcome, declined to be interviewed. Andrew Kolvet, a Turning Point USA spokesperson, said Kirk has never advocated for violence.

[...] Kirk grew up attending church in the Chicago suburbs and identified as an evangelical when he founded Turning Point at the age of 18 in 2012 to promote the libertarian values of “free markets and limited government.” Kirk referred to the Bible in his 2016 manifesto, “Time for a Turning Point,” but argued publicly that — much like a plumber or an electrician — it was not his job as a political activist to proselytize his faith. “You don’t want to be too offsetting and off-putting,” he said in 2018.

Kolvet said Kirk started to become more serious about his faith six years ago, after traveling to Israel to witness the U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem during the Trump administration. But Kirk’s views on the role of religion in politics really began to shift in 2020, Kolvet said, after churches were forced to close to slow the spread of Covid, which Kirk and others depicted as an attempt by a tyrannical government to control Christians. A year earlier, Kirk says he’d begun meeting with California megachurch pastor��Rob McCoy, who helped convince him that America was a Christian nation whose founding documents were derived from the Bible. (Although some Founding Fathers wrote of the importance of religion in maintaining a virtuous society, historians dispute the notion that America was established as an explicitly Christian nation.) In 2021, Kirk and McCoy created TPUSA Faith, a division of Turning Point USA, to mobilize conservative Christians to advance their vision.

[...] Matzko, a recent fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, said Kirk has aligned himself with a once-fringe strand of apocalyptic political theology popularized by a network of Pentecostal and charismatic Christian influencers in recent decades. With the Seven Mountains Mandate as a key organizing principle, ambassadors of this movement — sometimes referred to as the New Apostolic Reformation — present politics as a spiritual clash between good and evil and Trump as a generational leader ordained by God to save America from the forces of darkness. “He’s pitching his message to people who do believe that we’re in the end-times, and that if we don’t seize the Seven Mountains of cultural influence, then the other side, the satanic side, will,” Matzko said. “That sense of threat, that sense of anxiety, it just drips from his comments.” In 2021, soon after launching TPUSA Faith, Kirk told a church congregation in Washington state that it was time for Christians “to rise and stand.” He then quoted a Bible passage from the book of Luke often cited by Seven Mountains adherents to make the case that Christians are meant to rule over society until Jesus returns: “The Bible says very clearly,” Kirk said, “to ‘Occupy until I come.’” [...]

Nevertheless, Kirk has closely aligned himself with leading figures promoting the Seven Mountains worldview, including Lance Wallnau, a self-identified prophet who coined and popularized the concept two decades ago. Kirk has appeared on “FlashPoint,” a national TV program that’s won viewers with a blend of pro-Trump political commentary and prophetic messages about God’s divine plans for America. And he has partnered with Sean Feucht, a Christian musician who’s been hosting political worship rallies at all 50 state Capitols to promote the idea of a Christian America. “We want God writing the laws of the land,” Feucht said at a TPUSA Faith-sponsored event outside the Wisconsin statehouse last year. “Guilty as charged.”

This mindset, which can be traced to the Moral Majority movement of the 1970s and ’80s that Kirk once condemned, has helped fuel recent GOP initiatives chipping away at church-state separation. That includes the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision imperiling women’s access to in vitro fertilization, and a wave of state bills to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, place religious chaplains in public schools and require students to learn from the Bible. Trump has also sought to court pastors and voters who believe America was meant for Christian rule, promising if elected to restore evangelical power in government and to begin screening immigrants based on their faith and rejecting any who “don’t like our religion.” With more than 30 full-time staff members, according to the group’s website, TPUSA Faith has worked to create a nationwide network of churches to wage political and spiritual warfare against Democrats by mobilizing pastors and registering Christian conservative voters to restore “traditional biblical values in our nation.” 

NBC News reports on Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and his organization’s turn to Christian Nationalism and Seven Mountains Dominionism.

During the early days of Kirk’s running of TPUSA, his organization generally avoided focusing on religious-type social issues that appealed to conservative evangelical Christians by running a secular operation.

However, during the 2020s, Kirk and his organization pivoted hard towards Christian nationalism and 7MD as a result of backlash against COVID measures that forced churches to close in-person services or reduce capacity. Thus, TPUSA Faith was launched.

[shredsandpatches]

fic writer self-recs

@titleleaf tagged me in this and I'm not gonna miss a chance for self-promotion, so here you go.

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favourite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers.

The Kindest Use a Knife (2014, Richard II, Richard/Aumerle, E, 11k words)

This is, to date, still my most popular fic and I'm still proud of it even though I'm a better writer than I was ten years ago (how was this ten years ago? What the fuck, passage of time). It's based specifically on the RSC production with David Tennant and was born out of a general sense of confusion over how the Stabby Aumerle ending seemed to work okay despite it making no sense in the context of the production and the ways the characters were played. I figured Stabby Aumerle in this production would only really make sense if Aumerle were under the impression it was the most loving option under the circumstances, and this was the result. Also, this fic made me realize I love writing the Yorks (the Duchess in particular just kind of charged into this fic). Fun trivia: my depiction of Exton owes a lot to Arthur Darvill's Mephistopheles (because I did love Doctor Faustus even before Hot Faust Summer).

Jesu dulcis memoria (2014, 14th-c RPF, Richard II + family, G, 1k words)

This was a Yuletide treat--one of those instances where someone's request lines up with something you'd been thinking of writing for ages anyway and the prompt makes you get off your butt and do it. It's centered on the creation of the Wilton Diptych from the viewpoint of the painter (who is fictional, since we don't really know much about who actually painted it) and focuses on the idea that the painting is not only a statement about kingship but also a memorial to Richard's (many) dead loved ones. Also there's one simile in there that everyone seems to love and so now I think about it every time I encounter gold leaf (which is a lot. I'm a manuscript librarian, although I wasn't when I wrote this).

Andělíčku rozkochaný (2019, 14th-c RPF, Richard II/Anne of Bohemia, E, 9k words)

Anne of Bohemia is, as you all know, my forever girl, and I'm still proud of this character study of her and her marriage to Richard and their approach to their infertility. I wrote a lot of stuff on this basic theme around the time I was writing this fic; maybe it was because turning 40 was getting to me on a subconscious level. The first scene of the fic is one of those things that came to me pretty much fully formed, while the last scene is another one of those things I'd had in my head for a while and finally had a reason to write down. (This is, therefore, another fic that has part of its genesis in a shiny historical artifact.)

not half so fair as thou (2023, Doctor Faustus, Faustus/Mephistopheles, E, 6k words)

We have arrived at Hot Faust Summer! The premise of this one came out of my pondering a line not from Marlowe's play but from Berlioz's La Damnation de Faust, which I was in last May and have not yet shut up about, but long story short, it set me thinking about productions where Faust(us) and his shadow-self Mephistopheles look similar (not unheard-of in Marlowe productions--the 2011 Globe one low-key did it and the 2016 RSC high-key did it--though I can't think of any operatic versions off the top of my head) and eventually I arrived at the premise of this fic. Which was a complete party to write. It was perhaps a little unsettling to realize that Faustus POV came to me extremely naturally but hey. That's academics for you.

none but thou shall be my paramour (2024, Doctor Faustus, Faustus/Mephistopheles, Faustus/Helen of Troy, M, 7.5k words)

It's the Codependent Faustopheles Manifesto! With boring academic dinner parties and sexy contract renewal! This is my most recent work (although it took me kind of forever to write; the tumblr post in which I proclaim my intentions to write it is here) and I'm really proud of it. It's weird, kind of gross, and has some massive tonal shifts in it, but I think it came off all the same. Plus I got to put some of my elaborate headcanons in there and I think I did a really good job with the "sex scene that is not actually sex but is definitely still a sex scene" trope.

Anyway, yeah! Go read my fic. I'm going to tag @skeleton-richard, @oldshrewsburyian, @themalhambird, @misskriemhilds, @heartofstanding, and anyone else who feels like doing this.

[nerdygaymormon]

I feel like I knew this at one point, but do you know what the church says is the reason Jesus is perfect but didn't get married? Just thinking about it because of some talks I've received summaries of

This is an interesting question.

In 1845, some apostles began teaching that Jesus was married…to multiple wives. Even had children and their descendants are included among the converts to the LDS Church. This was a way to introduce and justify the practice of plural marriage

In 1890, a manifesto was issued by the Church which declared the end of additional plural marriages. In 1912, a counselor in the First Presidency announced that since there is no discussion of Jesus’ married status in the scriptures, we don’t know. In this way, the church didn’t disavow the teaching but no longer supported the teaching of it.

Some church members continue to pass along the idea that Jesus must have been married to a woman if we believe he was perfect in doing all things required by God, since that is what this church believes God requires of us in order to reach exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom

The Church officially has no opinion on the matter and it is not taught. Which leaves open the question you asked, if exaltation requires for a man & woman to be sealed to each other, how do we explain a Jesus who is single? Surely He isn’t denied exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom.

Maybe Jesus didn’t marry because He knew He had a limited time on earth. Maybe He didn’t marry so that He could spend His time going from place to place preaching the gospel. Maybe He knew if He left behind a widow then she would be idolized and become the object of worship. Perhaps He didn’t marry as a way to avoid producing children which His adherents may turn to for successors, essentially creating a royal bloodline. Perhaps marriage isn’t required for Celestial exaltation and this is something the modern church has wrong, after all, Jesus did teach that not everyone must marry. And Paul taught marriage was okay for people if they couldn’t hack being celibate like himself, but he wishes more believers would follow his example and remain unmarried as a way to give them more time to devote to the church

So the answer to your question is there is no answer taught by the church about how Jesus can be considered perfect and yet He didn’t get married

[eroticcannibal]

Yknow I been trying to be the bigger person and remain calm but the fact that it turns out one of my (now thankfully ex) friends turned out to be just so manipulative and cruel (but also staying around to "help me"? I'm not your child?) Is heartbreaking. And the fact anyone else would look at the situation and think im out of line for cutting out someone who is just bullying me for having boundaries? (And trying to chalk up me behaving reasonably to me "going through things" like how fucking patronising) Somehow stings worse.

Like Jesus how messed up do you have to be to type yourself up a little manifesto about how people are being meanies for not doing as you told them (when the thing you are telling them to do is "prioritise aggressive people who make you feel unsafe over your own boundaries or else" but you left out the context where you were the problem didn't you? Dunno why tho we have the fucking receipts)

I do enough prioritising the growth of others at my own expense given im living with an abuser. My social circles aint getting the same out of me. You all will respect my boundaries and let me not talk to people I dont like and not engage in conversations that are deeply upsetting to me or you can fuck right off. I do not have the TIME for this childish crap any further. Next person who starts anything im going to maul you.

[stephenjaymorrisblog]

Is Authoritarianism Justified?

(Don’t let religion or conservatism raise your kids)

Stephen Jay Morris

6/8/2024

©Scientific morality.

            For decades; no, make that centuries, all sorts of belief systems and religious dogma monopolized the parenting of children. “Spare the rod, spoil the child,” was the doctrine. Did it work? Hell to the no, it didn’t! Not only did beating your children not work, but it also turned them into future abusive parents.

            When the famous pediatrician, Doctor Spock, came on the scene in 1946, the political right felt threatened, as did the Evangelical Christians. When the good doctor published his book that year, “Baby and Childcare,” you’d have thought it was the communist manifesto; that this book was out to destroy Western Civilization. It wasn’t. It used the methodology of pediatrician psychology.  According to the right-wing freaks, changing your baby’s diapers promptly would inspire them to grow up and become lazy communists. This was the beginning of anti-science and anti-intellectual conservativism. The mothers of baby boomers didn’t know what to do when their babies wouldn’t stop crying. Their pastors would tell them to pray to Jesus to make Satan stop hurting their children. But Dr. Spock told the new moms to pick up their babies and cuddle them until they stopped crying. Simple. Many mothers followed that advice successfully. What did the religious nuts think of this advice? They hated it, of course. They wanted to condition white males to be heartless stoics. “If the baby cries, let him! The child will eventually stop.” In actuality, when parents did do that, their child grew up, repressing his emotions and developing bleeding ulcers. And when their ulcer did bleed, such males would pretend that nothing was wrong.

            You take a child that suffers from A.D.H.D., or other disorders like autism, dyslexia, and anxiety, and beat his ass until it’s bleeding, he won’t reform or behave. Violence never solves anything.

            Everything about child rearing that was considered left wing was blamed on the tutelage of Dr. Spock. We soon heard the phrases, “permissive parents” and “lenient teachers,” and others that were tossed around. Then came “helicopter parent” and “coddling court judges.” All who fell under those labels were blamed for the “fall of America!” So-called “liberal Hollywood” made movies like “Dirty Harry,” which was about a cop who stalked criminals released from jail because of lenient judges. He would kill them, and the audience would cheer. Easy for simpletons like Chuds.

            Now, we have the stereotype of “woke” males. This stereotype is not even funny anymore. If you really analyze it, the matter comes down to biochemistry. Female compassion versus male aggression. When you, as a male, are susceptible to the male hormone testosterone, you become a dupe of your right brain’s primal urges. Instead of using logic from your brain’s left side, you rely on your balls to act. You want to embrace stoicism? Try having sex first. It becomes like filling out your tax forms. How about using your stoicism to solve a mathematical problem? No, you just want to be a Sigmund Freud cliché. You hated your mom, so you resent femininity.

            Religion views itself as a tool of civilization. However, it’s real purpose is to bring out mankind’s animalism. All this lackluster satire of masculine women and sensitive males is proving to be a failure in theory. Leftist do not let their kids do what they want. Ask a kid that question. No one on the left advocates feelings over reason. When Russian communists shot Nazis during WWII, the red army didn’t shed a tear. When retailers cater to LGBTQ people, it’s not because they want to corrupt Judeo-Christian society. It is because they want to make money from that demographic. How many power tools they can sell to white Christian males anyway?

            I find it amusing how Christians are opposed to Stalinist communism because of its lack of freedom. But, according to Christian theocracy’s precepts and fundamentalist rules, it is very crypto fascist. The only reason they hate communists is because communists are atheists. That’s it!  However, what Christians do admire about Stalin’s communism is authoritarianism; controlling people over how they think and act. Take a walk at midnight on the streets of Communist China and nothing will happen. In authoritarian societies, the crime rate is low. So, you can sacrifice freedom for the sake of safety. Man is an animal and must be tamed by the authority of the police state!

            And that is the crux of authoritarianism. Safety! That is why Trump is so popular. Under his authority, for anyone who breaks the rules, the cops will shoot first and ask questions later. Is that the type of society you want? Then move to Iran or North Korea.

            The American political right, which embraces rugged individualism, would never survive in an Anarchist society. First of all, one must have a high I.Q. Second, they must have physical prowess. Third, they must embrace a cooperative attitude and solidarity with their fellow human beings. Living in a society where you must protect your parcel of land with a hunting rifle would stress the fuck out of you! Only the strong are anti-authoritarian leftists.

Christianity teaches that only the authority of God should rule your life. This is what we, in the anarchist movement, call “authority dependent.”  So, when they talk about freedom, it’s not free will, it is submission to God. Come to think of it, if God is perfect, why does he need people to worship him?

Many, many questions to ask. Many that will be ignored. The Anti-Authoritarian left is not the problem, the right is.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

‘Antigone in the Amazon’ Review: The Drama Is Brazil’s Land War

The Swiss director Milo Rau drapes a traumatic episode of Brazilian history with a Greek tragedy on a Belgian stage.

You can’t say the Swiss theater director Milo Rau doesn’t practice what he preaches. Art and activism are deeply intertwined in his work: As part of his “trilogy of ancient myths,” he rehearsed and filmed part of an adaptation of Aeschylus’ “Oresteia” in Iraq in 2019. In the next installment, “The New Gospel,” inspired by the life of Jesus, he staged a film, using refugees in Matera, Italy.

For the third project, “Antigone in the Amazon,” Rau has turned his focus to Brazil and the Marxist-inspired Landless Workers Movement in which farmers have been occupying unworked fields and growing crops there.

Last month, Rau and actors from NTGent theater in Belgium helped Brazilian activists re-enact the murder of 19 of these farmers, in 1996, by a military police unit. This action, at the site of the massacre on the Trans-Amazonian Highway, became a national talking point in Brazil.

That’s all before any part of “Antigone in the Amazon” reached the stage. The play had its premiere on Saturday at NTGent, where audience members were greeted by politically-inspired banners in the theater lobby. On each seat was a copy of the “Declaration of 13 May,” a new manifesto against the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and “neoliberal green-washing,” signed by a long list of intellectuals and activists.

Continue reading.

[msclaritea]

https://johnpavlovitz.com/2019/08/16/the-christian-right-is-radicalizing-white-people-i-love/?s=09

The Religious Right and Fox News are Brainwashing People I Love

AUGUST 16, 2019 / JOHN PAVLOVITZ

A year ago I walked into an older relative’s house unannounced. They’d been expecting us that day for lunch, but we’d arrived thirty minutes earlier than we’d planned—so we knocked and walked in.

The small TV on the kitchen counter was playing FoxNews.

When she came down the stairs, almost in the middle of greeting us, my relative walked hurriedly over to the sink, grabbed the remote and turned off the TV—looking like a teenager caught by her parents watching porn.

Suddenly everything made sense. All the dots connected.

During the last couple of years, I noticed this couple changing, but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. They’d become more and more outspoken on things like immigration and women’s reproductive rights and police shootings—surprising me with the intolerance and cruelty of off-the-cuff comments that seemed out of character for them. I questioned whether or not I was just being overly sensitive or projecting my fears unto them.

But after the surprise peek into their viewing habits it was was clear: they were just following the script.

I could rewind over the previous months and see all the alarmist Fox News talking points in their words at family gatherings and on Facebook: open borders letting in floods of rapists, baby-killing Democrats coming to take their guns, terrorist Muslims lurking everywhere, violent black men threatening police at traffic stops.

And looking back I could see that as they found Fox News, they began to lose their religion.

They no longer had much to say about Jesus; about his Matthew Chapter 25 promise that he would be found in “the least of these”—and that we would be defined by the way we treat the poor and the vulnerable and the imprisoned.

They weren’t interested in talking about the way he fed a hillside multitude of thousands, not because they earned or deserved it—but because he was compassionate and because they were hungry. They now just expressed disdain for lazy people wanting handouts.

They never referenced the fact that Jesus’ family fled to Egypt in desperation while he was a newborn, to escape politically-ordered genocide. Instead they preached about law breaking families not “doing it the right way.”

They abandoned any reference to Jesus’ words about kindness or generosity or welcoming strangers or sharing what you had with those who had not—instead, they slowly but quite clearly adopted a bastardized, angry, America First, gun-loving, immigrant-hating, racist white religion that has become the Republican God.

So whether it’s anti-Muslim legislation or LGBTQ hate crimes or migrant kids taken from their parents or children orphaned by mass shooting or President’s fat-shaming protestors—there is always an excuse, always a justification, always a Fox News alternative reality or Franklin Graham tweet to bunker down in.

The same thing has happened in the white people I’ve served in churches here in the South over the last decade. Their social media feeds are increasingly littered with Brietbart fictional pieces about Hillary eating children and wild conspiracy theories about LGBTQ people converting their children.

The change in them has been as stunning in its velocity and stomach-turning in its depths—and the worst part is that I can’t reach them anymore. Before FoxNews, Franklin Graham, and MAGA propaganda, I could meet them in the common ground of our shared faith in Jesus and in the clarity of objective truth. They no longer have use nor tolerance for such things.

The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ counter-cultural, counterintuitive manifesto of humility and gentleness and love—has been replaced by venomous, incendiary Sean Hannity propaganda.

The barrier-breaking, table-expanding hospitality of Christ has morphed into sneering Trump rally rant rhetoric about violent illegals and foreign predators and “build that wall” refrains.

These people used to know better. They were good-hearted, generous people who wanted to emulate Jesus. They used to flatly reject bigotry and defended vulnerable communities—and they were people I could count on for rational, level-headed decency.

They once instantly recognized men like Donald Trump as the antithesis of Jesus.

But this is what happens when decent, intelligent people become radicalized: they get polluted by the things they watch and the sermons they sit through and the nonsense they read, and they surround themselves with an echo chamber made of equally-deluded, equally frightened people—until one day they are the religious extremists that they always used to warn you about.

I love my relatives, my former church members, my high school friends and my neighbors—but I grieve what has happened to them. I lament the poisoning of their once soft hearts, the way Jesus has been all but squeezed out of their religion, and I fear that they’ll never fully recover from the alternative narrative that these past three years have written into their brains about the world and about disparate people and about the expansive, lavish, audacious love Jesus calls us to extend.

I only hope these moms and ministers and nurses and schoolteachers and football coaches and favorite relatives get a truer story or meet someone who wakes them up or rediscover Jesus enough that they change the channel, turn off the TV—and find the truth that sets them free:

God is love.

We are our brother’s keeper.

Kindness is the better path.

May it be so.

[t-underneaththeradardancing]

tbh it mightta been a crescent - at the time - ago anyway like a hallelujah - yes a kitty first - good and always - murder birdsong missed much of - up way pre dawn - earlier than cold coffee even - good news flash -  missives - back to sleep a minnit 

morning so far - not much planned for duration then after noon - an errand before the rain come  - figure out dinner - laundry always a possibility  - some guitar play possibly even poetry 

and that 

was yesterday 

today - frog friday - cloudy chilly turn to rain storm over weekend - needles owee - actually we - tend toward  “jesus fux “ some points are painful yes indeedy - another day another - anyway - hallelujah - some perhapsing and actual errands - maybe slow sauce therapy 

imma post or else this will turn into a manifesto 

[kadebronson]

01. come on eileen - save ferris

02. love will tear us apart - fall out boy

03. take on me - reel big fish

04. build me up buttercup - the goops

05. walking on sunshine - ice nine kills ft. reel big fish

06. you really got a hold on me - she & him

07. mickey - b*witched

08. teenage dirtbag - cavetown ft. chloe moriondo

09. i melt with you - sugarcult

10. got the time - the matches

11. 20th century boy - the replacements

12. androgynous - joan jett ft. laura jane grace & miley cirus

13. (we're gonna) rock around the clock - the replacements

14. swingin party - lorde

15. royals - the holophonics

16. dancing with myself - blink-182

17. dear prudence - siouxsie and the banshees

18. under pressure - my chemical romance & the used

19. queen bitch - birdbrain

20. running up that hill - placebo

21. landslide - the chicks

22. pumped up kicks - american murder song

23. crazy - kidneythieves

24. don't stop me now - the regrettes

25. 99 red balloons - goldfinger

26. ...baby one more time - bowling for soup

27. i love rock and roll - britney spears

28. 1999 (i want to go back) - vengaboys

29. paint it black - harley poe

30. chop suey! - nekrogoblikon

31. relax, take it easy - mika

32. you really got me - oingo boingo

33. land down under - leftover crack

34. the boys are back in town - the ataris

35. smalltown boy - orville peck

36. lithium - the polyphonic spree

37. such great heights - streetlight manifesto

38. roots radical - mustard plug

39. rebel yell - the brains

40. love song - jack off jill

41. pink elephants on parade - the circus contraption band

42. the candyman - sloppy seconds

43. sabotage - FIDLAR

44. my sharona - the number 12 looks like you

45. teenagers from mars - buck-o-nine

46. pet semetary - groovie ghoulies

47. bad moon rising - rasputina

48. immigrant song - trent rezner ft. karen o

49. personal jesus - mindless self indulgence

50. it's a sin - pansy division

51. cry little sister - aiden

52. you're dead/vampire ska - we are the union

53. always something there to remind me - the hippos

54. blue (da be dee) - fleshgod apocalypse

55. WAP -brojob

56. jolene - me first & the gimme gimmes

57. we're not gonna take it - less than jake

58. don't stop me now - the vandals

59. turning japanese - skankin' pickle

60. paint it black - the unseen

61. hurt - johnny cash

62. the ballroom blitz - calibretto 13

63. dancing on my own - dale hollow

64. milkshake - goodnight nurse

65. i know what boys like - the bouncing souls

66. touch-a, touch-a, touch me - the mary lous

67. it's my life - no doubt

68. real wild child - josie and the pussycats

69. dead man's party - tsunami bomb

70. smooth criminal - alien ant farm

71. piece of my heart - jaguar love

72. you don't get me high anymore - PUP

73. somebody to love - troye sivan

74. it's the end of the world as we know it - the suicide machines

75. jumpin' jack flash - the queers

76. ring of fire - social distortion

77. surrender - anti-flag

you can listen to the playlist here!

[kckt88]

Cruel Intentions - SNEAK PEEK!

Summary:

Two brothers who attend an elite university make a bet: to deflower the new dean's daughter before the start of the new semester.

Warning(s): Language, Drug Taking, Slight Homophobic Language, Bet Making, Maniplulation, Kissing, Loss of Virginity, Smut – Fingering, Oral Sex (M & F Receiving), P in V, Safe Sex, Major Character Death.

MODERN AEMOND x O.C

HEAVILY INSPIRED BY THE MOVIE - CRUEL INTENTIONS

Word Count: TBC

Taglist -

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the House of The Dragon or Fire & Blood characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used.

Comments, likes, and reblogs are very much appreciated.

“I accept-now what are the actual terms of the bet?” asked Aemond.

“You know the new dean’s daughter-“

“-Reese Hargrove?” asked Aemond.

“Yeah, that one-little miss prim and proper thinks she too good for anyone, so I say we knock her down a peg or two” replied Aegon.

“-And how do we do that?”

“You will seduce her and then discard her” said Aegon.

“Seriously? That’s too easy-not even remotely enough of a challenge, got one of those moron friends of yours to do it” laughed Aemond.

“Did I mention that she’s a proper daddy’s little princess-“

“Again boring” said Aemond yawning.

“-And a virgin” replied Aegon smirking.

“How’d you know that?” asked Aemond curiously.

“I take it you didn’t read her little manifesto in the University magazine” asked Aegon as he threw a copy onto the glass table.

“Menstrual cramps?” asked Aemond as he glanced at the front cover.

“Shut up and turn to page sixty four” snapped Aegon.

Aemond rolled his eye and picked up the magazine, he flicked through the pages until he found the one, he wanted.

“Why I plan to wait by Reese Hargrove-Jesus christ is she for real?” asked Aemond.

“Oh, she’s daddy’s little angel-a paradigm of chastity and virtue”.

“Hm” muttered Aemond as Aegon ripped the magazine from his grasp.

“Let’s see-boring, boring, boring-I love my parents, boring, boring, boring-making a mature decision-oh here, she has a boyfriend named Trevor, been going out for a year and he understands” said Aegon mockingly.

“Trevors gay” snarked Aemond rolling his eye.

“My point is-you and I have fucked our way through most of the girls at university, which is hardly a challenge anymore”.

“So, all I have to do is fuck her and I win the bet?” asked Aemond.

“Pretty much-but if you’re thinking it’ll be easy then your wrong-” muttered Aegon.

“How do you even know that?

“Remember that up tight chick I told you about over Easter?” said Aegon.

“The one who broke your nose after you tried to finger-wait that was her?” asked Aemond trying to stifle his laughter.

A girl with some bite to her-now this could be interesting.

“Yes, it was her, proper humiliated me in front of everyone so now it’s payback time”.

“So, this bet is just your desperate attempt at getting revenge against a girl who wasn’t interested in you-for fuck sake Aegon” muttered Aemond running a hand through his sandy blonde hair.

“Oh, cut the moral high ground shit brother it doesn’t suit you-or do I need to remind you of the time you fucked your way through all four of the Baratheon sisters in the space of a week”.

“Far point-so I fuck Hargrove and then what?” asked Aemond.

“Providing you have proof of the deed being done, then I’ll let you fuck Alys” replied Aegon.

“What does Alys have to say about all of this-” mused Aemond.

“Well of course I asked her before I discussed things with you, and she agreed-“

“-Just like that?” asked Aemond disbelief.

“We have a semi open relationship remember-as long we tell each other that we want to fuck someone else, then it’s ok. Sometimes we even share” shrugged Aegon.

“Well, I’m not into sharing” growled Aemond.

“Do you seriously think I want to see your bare arse-no thanks. I just meant that me and Alys are open to many forms of expressing ourselves and our love” said Aegon.

“-And you’re ok with her potentially fucking your own brother?”

“You have to win the bet first” laughed Aegon.

“-And if I fail?”

“I get your car which I will make sure to fuck Alys in” quipped Aegon smirking.

“Fine-you’re on” said Aemond holding out his hand.

“There was me thinking you’d need a little more convincing” said Aegon smirking as he shook his brother's hand.

“Thing is, can you imagine what this would do for my reputation? Screwing the new deans daughter before the semester starts” mused Aemond.

“Would be one of your greatest victories-aside from the school nurse that you fucked last year, I’m still surprised they didn’t kick you out for that” said Aegon reaching for his silver cross necklace and pulling away the end.

The white power lingering on the small scoop spilled over the edge as Aegon lifted it to his nose and inhaled it in one sharp breath.

“Speaking of getting kicked out-if mum and dad see you doing that again, they will go crazy, they told you last time that there were no more chances” said Aemond.

“What they don’t know won’t hurt them-besides you need to start making nice with Reese”.

“I suppose this would make an interesting chapter”.

“Oh, gee your journal, could you be any more queer?” said Aegon.

“Could you be more desperate to read it” smirked Aemond, his grip tightening around his leather bound journal.

“I would say good luck brother-you’re going to need it-besides it might be worth mentioning that you only have a limited time in which to get Hargrove into bed” replied Aegon.

“What do you mean?”

“Her father’s preoccupied with getting ready for the new semester, so Reese is staying at our aunt’s place for a few weeks, but I also know that she’ll be spending the last two weeks of summer break at her grandmothers-so that means you’ve only got four weeks to win the bet” said Aegon.

“FUCK” exclaimed Aemond as he turned on his heel and left the room.

[onewomancitadel]

Good lord that was masterful lol. When you put it like that I can see why Jaune is necessary for her story. I never even imagined something like Jaune x Cinder could make so much sense. Jesus if you explain things THAT well then maybe I really should listen to your Knightfall Manifesto...

Aw, I almost didn't want to answer this because then it would leave my inbox lol. Thank you for such a lovely ask once again!

Posts referenced: 'Does Cinder have self-esteem?'

and follow-up 'How does Cinder heal?'

Yes, I think Jaune and Cinder's stories are interrelated and part of where I feel analysis of their character arcs drops the ball is not appreciating the other. It's where I feel people can't figure out what Jaune's going to do in the story or what's the symbolic point of his Semblance (or meaningful relation to Ruby or the greater story) and in Cinder's case if they theorise about her redemption is often 'just-so' - Character A (swappable with anyone) will simply help Cinder because that needs to happen, but we're not exactly sure why, and not sure why it couldn't have happened sooner (or people just think Cinder will die I guess. Jaune will kill her. Something something nonsense).

Suffice it to say, I find that analysis insufficient and in addition to that not really that respectful of how R/WBY does redemption arcs anyway. There coupled pairs (platonic, familial... romantic) that are involved with each other's redemption which then opens up the way for their connection to other characters. Blake-Ilia, Yang-Raven, Penny-Winter, Emerald-Mercury, Oscar-Hazel - characters who do not exactly exist in isolation, because once their stories open up, you have Ilia helping restore the White Fang, Raven going to Tai, Winter helping Marrow and her sister, Emerald being able to fully accept Hazel's help (and be released from perma-childhood) and even help Oscar... and Emerald-Mercury is a special case because his gift to her will be returned twicefold.

So, if am expecting a romantic pair out of Emerald-Mercury's shared redemption arcs (allies-to-enemies-to-lovers) - yeah that seems kind of inevitable to me lol, the romantic paralleling with Ren/Nora is too much, to the point their V8 heavily romantic-coded scenes mirror each other - then at that point I know it's not wrong to expect redemption paired with romance... special built-up redemptions... and all of these redemption arcs are setting up Cinder's, because Cinder's is a big deal. Emerald and Hazel's were already built up as a major revelation in V8 that turned the tide and saved the day.

The point I'm kind of trying to make here is that there is reason to speculate on the type of structure I suggested in my previous post; it's not arbitrary, there is some sense to it, and we also see that the intensity of redemption arcs in the story have been gradually built up to suggest we're working towards something. Raven's hasn't been fully delivered upon yet and I expect that to evolve in the following volumes (maybe even so with rescuing them from Ever After, both for Persephone, also known as Korē (which literally means... maiden), vegetation goddess/Queen of the Underworld allusion reasons and also her portals that visually mirror the Yellow Brick Road ones). Here what I think is interesting that the Maidens joining the side of Good mirrors the order that they join the Old Man in the story. We've had Winter first, spring is next, summer, autumn. Ilia has also been reintroduced into the story... but I'll save my Summer Maiden speculation for another time. Nevertheless, we do have a linked idea of redemption of the Maiden linked with redemption of the power - and so it feels organic to speculate on Cinder's.

I have a tag for Cinder's redemption you can peruse to your heart's desire for further speculation and there is also my Knightfall tag, but if you have any questions or wanted a more simplistic summary I can certainly try (and you ask great questions, so I hope my responses are just as interesting)! <3

I never even imagined something like Jaune x Cinder could make so much sense.

Hahahah I love this! I never assume that someone isn't interested in Knightfall because they don't know any better - we all have different tastes - and I think it's much better to simply lay my opinions on the table and let you decide. The reaction of 'omg it actually makes sense though?' is much more fun, I admittedly do get quite a kick out of it, and on some level it does make me feel a bit less delusional seeing as it's not a pairing you see many seriously argue for. Or at all. I try to maintain a little perspective.

To be quite frank, when I started putting the pieces together of Knightfall it was with some trepidation - I am often an enemies-to-lovers, love endures type of shipper, I'm no stranger to it, but that trepidation was because of that in part, since I assumed I was just seeing what I wanted to see. This was a while ago, and if I had encountered evidence that refuted it I probably would have packed up camp, because I am almost exclusively a canonshipper.

Jesus if you explain things THAT well then maybe I really should listen to your Knightfall Manifesto…

That is very kind of you to say, I'm glad that I have communicated myself well, that is my one goal. My Knightfall manifesto is not a manifesto as such; it's a masterpost grouping all the intertextual and canonical speculation together so I can reference it. My true Knightfall manifesto is a fanfic I'm writing called The Distance Which Fools the Skimming Eye, but you can generally consider my blog here one big manifesto for Knightfall. Lol.

I think I generally don't come at the angle of trying to convince other people to ship Knightfall either because so much of it is down to taste - and I like exploring taste, I like documenting what I'm interested in - but I wouldn't position it as the 'correct' thing to ship, because that kind of thing is really frustrating as a fan lol. What I would like to seriously do is discuss the structural necessities of redemption arcs and serious consideration of their characters... and justify why romance can be fun and heart-twisty and amazing and also convey serious plot/character/theme (though it doesn't need that to justify it - of course - but Romance romance is where it's at for me). It's kind of hard for it to not do that (even if the R/WBY romances aren't all it for everyone) considering Ozlem is at the heart of it. You can read my Reverse Ozlem tag where I discuss relationship parallels with Ozlem, chief of which I think Knightfall is one (lovers to enemies -> enemies to lovers, it's like poetry it rhymes).

I think what's great about Knightfall (and Cinder and Jaune by extension) is that the thematic heart of the show is wrapped up in it, and it makes everything very clear. Certainly, it's not the Jaune and Cinder show - I talk about other relationships, romantic or otherwise, for a reason - but in part I think what makes it special is this type of essential connection, which is transcendental on an epic scale. Compassion as a superpower. I am totally down for that. The ensemble cast kind of makes it more special for me, and I think what's successful is you have instances like Ironwood's fall that is calculatedly foiling Cinder's rise - that you have tragedy in this story that hopefully, in some way, foreshadows romantic and hopeful reprise.

In a lot of other stories I would be quite upset with the handling of Adam, Hazel and Ironwood, but what makes R/WBY successful is that you do have that sense of loss - that Adam wears a mask but an inverse of Cinder's, because his is concealing evil and pain that he uses to control Blake, but she (and Yang) nevertheless try to extend mercy. Hazel sacrifices himself - and this type of death-by-redemption I'd normally hate - but it fulfills the idea of parental sacrifice for Emerald which is in part the 'true' message of Vader's death. Vader was not too evil to live and be forgiven, he was an old man who died for his son and his son's inheritance (and because he was artificially kept alive through unnatural forces). Ironwood's story could be read as punitive - foolish to believe in change, foolish to believe in redemption and turning it back - but the execution is anything but. If anything it's a model of forcing you to pay attention to what substantial change is in the story - and Ironwood really embodies the anti-fairytale, narratively cynical mentality that yes - pervades part of the fanbase that thinks you can just nuke Salem and get it all over with. That Ironwood's fall, once again, is deliberately paralleled with Cinder's (whose story is steeped in the fairytale and the mythic and will deliver on it - literally steeped in disillusionment of the failed Huntsman, the evil step-mothers - Cinder's a wounded idealist) tells me about what sort of narrative logic that will be validated.

The elephant in the room I've delicately skirted around in this post (but I do discuss a lot) is that the typical objection to Knightfall is Cinder killed Pyrrha so Jaune can never love her. You can feel uncomfortable about it, sure, but it doesn't change the nature of their confrontation at Haven (Jaune isn't acting like an aggrieved boyfriend sad about his fridged girlfriend... Pyrrha's arc is SO much more complex than that, than aborted romance) and it doesn't change the fact that Pyrrha - and the Fall Beacon - was a way to tie Jaune's character to Cinder's. Not anyone else, Jaune, and not even Ren or Nora who were Pyrrha's teammates too. Why would they do that? Why would they put Jaune in a position of narrative empathy with Cinder for having killed Penny?

I'm not trying to diminish Jaune's connection to Pyrrha - if anything I think the mischaracterisation of Pyrrha (her destiny, what she wanted, what she fought for) and her eternal glorification (that she never wanted) is what bothers me, and so too does it bother me that Jaune's character isn't taken seriously on that front because he can never grow beyond that romance or the childish (literally), childhood one-sided crush on Weiss. I want a more satisfying answer, and based on the fact they have committed to exploring Ren/Nora in an interesting way, that they committed to Blake/Yang at all, that the story is grounded in Ozlem (tragic separation! Deep enmity!) is begging for me to look at it from a new perspective.

But that sense of loss is what makes a hopeful resolution so potent. If we were supposed to be taught that there are no happy endings, that fairytales are stupid and you're stupid for believing in magic, then the answer to Salem's story - that she's eternally cursed and punished - would have been it. That would have been our ending. But that is only the revealed thesis. So what should I be expecting to fix that?

The reason I emphasise the Reverse Ozlem angle with Knightfall - working back from that, looking at the broader conflict that pitted Ozma against Salem through the Brother of Light, Salem losing sight of who she truly is, Cursed - is because you don't just a simplistic reprisal of knight freeing Maiden from her tower and falling in love, it's more complicated and more reciprocal and it sees the relationship for all its flaws and fixes it. The key with Ozlem is that if you've got literal reincarnation you should be looking for metaphorical reincarnation and repetition in the story, and eventually - eventually - that should be broken.

We're in the cycle breaker! Curses are to be broken! Maidens freed and redeemed!