#if you have to suffer then we all must suffer please continue sharing your thoughts whenever you want

[gacha-incels]

Been boycotting limbus but it's a bit disheartening seeing everyone continue around me with this passing intl women's day. I don't know how to convince my friends to stop without getting into an argument because they're all knee deep into these games. But my real question was.. why? These people are boycotting other products for other things, why are they so adamant with sticking on this when it's proven to have harmed so many people in the small team that made it?

Had a discussion with one who is boycotting and I feel like that "political correctness" seeps into the themes of the game, actually, despite how people tout it as the ultimate anti capitalist game; The City is suffering, workers gruel and die at the whims of corporate overlords, people struggle to find housing, and whatever the fuck Carmen's doing in the light, while it could help people survive longer, is just giving everyone guns ignoring the power structures underneath. It's very strange to me now there's.. no suggestion of uprooting the system at all in the games. No true strikes or protests or even any mentions of unions as far as I know. There's no effort to change what is given

[outside of the seed of light project, which 1. famously Didn't Work and 2. having everyone manifest ego is still just giving everyone guns and going "now don't shoot each other!"],

which is very strange and kind of sad? Like sure maybe an arbiter or something would come and tear it down but surely people would come up with countermeasures? People are really good at adapting around things out of desperation, and surely at least an effort would be mentioned

And then my friend, she suggested something; without project moon's suffering, there would be no project moon. Without the city, project moon can't make games. To end the hell that the characters are in and truly resolve the city's hypercapitalist dystopia, they must stop making money off of them. But they don't want to. They definitely DO want to make more games, noted by the interviews which mention future game concepts such as the distortion detective visual novel. But in order to do so, they must keep the current games "clean" and consistent in their suffering to perpetuate conflict. There is some commentary about capitalism to be had; but it feels more like a "oh, look, people are dying, this is so sad" layer of paint on it at this point rather than something more in depth and meaningful. And I think in enforcing this sort of "we can't fix the system in any meaningful way, let's just live our lives instead and hope something better happens" mindset, it reflects into the players. Kind of ironic how the anti capitalism game must sustain its own horrible systems internally so the owners of the series can: make more money through a very predatory money making system, no less!

Limbus fans don't give a fuck about feminism in kr, they think its a system they cant help fixing so they just play the game as they please and any attempt to disuade them is met with a "stop ruining my fun!!" And "who cares?" The worst ones are the ones who KNOW their money is being funneled into stupid misogynistic shit but don't care! It's insane! I've never seen this level of apathy towards a serious issue before!

Sigh. I hope this ramble is coherent. If I missed talking about something or if you want me to talk more I'm game. Project moon's characters are some of my favorites but you have to admit the themes are surface level shit at some point, especially in later installments of their games. So tired but I'd figure I'd share my thoughts somehow. Take care account admin, youre doing gods work

yeah regarding your first point about fans that keep playing, back in August there was a discussion on this blog here regarding contemporary fandom “culture”- how it makes dropping a piece of media hard for some people and why they feel so quick to defend it. the nature of gacha is also that it gets you into the habit of doing “dailies” which makes them harder to drop, this is not even mentioning sunk cost fallacy. I’ve seen a recent post on the FGO subreddit asking why people still play the game and the top posts by a longshot were ones saying only because they spent so much time and money on it. For a lot of people (even people who think themselves progressives) misogyny is a non-issue as well so they will not take the situation in South Korea that seriously to begin with. This is in addition to it happening to “other” or “foreign” women in the eyes of the western fan. There is also an aggressive “fuck you, I’ve got mine” attitude some of the fans who want to keep playing have in regards to these women. It’s disturbing to watch happen but unfortunately not uncommon. I find some of the worst of it, in this situation specifically, is when westerners try to tell Korean women (who are boycotting and spreading information) that they are the ones spreading misinfo, or there’s no reason for them to boycott, how it’s not that bad for them, how PM actually didn’t do anything wrong, “both sides” are crazy and wrong, “let people enjoy things”, shit like that. like doesn’t it raise any flags for you that the people most affected by PM’s actions, Korean women, deleted entire accounts of fanart, took back fanmade items from PM’s cafe, started a boycott of LC and made posts in english to try and get the word out to international fans? you must think they’re idiots if you believe this is all some misunderstanding and vellmori quit of her own free will. Come on. imo it’s impossible to make any meaningful statement critiquing capitalism when you’re writing it in a game that uses one of the most exploitive types of gambling mechanics. I hope I don’t have to explain to anyone why this is absurd. You don’t need to expose young people to gambling addictions in order to fund new games. At the same time, things an author writes (or things that the reader infers from the writing) do not always reflect their ideologies or actions in real life and they can sometimes seemingly be at odds with one another. This is something fans have to reckon with, and not just by saying “actually hatsune miku made limbus company” or whatever. Personally, I can’t take PM’s “anti capitalist” or “feminist” or “revolutionary” work seriously when in reality they have mistreated employees, sued labor unions, acquiesced to incel demands and then later added a meme into the game from that incel community. On the other hand people struggle to believe Project Moon could do anything wrong like this because of the stories in their games so they vehemently defend PM, which at some point just feels naïve. well hopefully this is the type of answer/discussion you were looking for lol thanks for writing 👍

[otomefiend]

Alfons Sylvatica

Story Event: I want to steal you

Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Are you trying to be considerate, sir? Perish the thought. If only I had time to draw and depict Kate tiptoeing behind Al, holding the hem of his coat. 🤭

~~Part 1~~

Kate: "It doesn't have to be your hand... Can I hold the hem of your clothes?"

(I'm definitely going to be teased...)

Alfons: "Please, go ahead. Do as you wish."

Surprised by the unexpected words, I raised my eyes and saw him looking at me with a gentle expression on his face.

Alfons: "Did you get a little startled just now?"

Alfons: "You can grab anywhere you like, not just the hem. Here you are."

Kate: "Mhm, this will do. Thank you."

Alfons: "Is that so? You're too modest. You should try to be more selfish."

He continued acting flippant as usual, but --

(What...?)

(Is he perhaps trying to match his walking pace to mine?)

Insolent and dishonest - nightmare of a guy. If that was all, I should have just kept my distance.

(But he won't let me do that. It's not fair...)

I was still pondering over this when our search for stolen goods began.

Alfons: "Oh dear, there's so much stuff. It's like Lord El's room."

(This is what Elbert's room looks like..?)

Surrounded by darkness, it was comforting to fill the silence with trivial conversation.

To hide the fear that was creeping inside me, I said the first thing that came to my mind.

Kate: "Oh, come to think of it, Liam told me before --"

Kate: "That you often go out together in the middle of the night."

Kate: "What on earth are you two doing?"

~~Part 2~~

Alfons: "Are you curious about Liam? Or me?"

(Since you're trying to tease me like that right away...)

Kate: "As a fairytale writer, I want to know about both of you."

Alfons: "That's an extremely boring, convenient answer. Well, it's fine I guess..."

Alfons: "Liam has to satisfy his curiosity on a regular basis because of the curse."

Alfons: "As for me, being a hedonist and a fun lover, our interests coincide..."

Alfons: "Before we knew it, we were playing around together, looking for ways to satisfy our needs."

Kate: "Curiosity, huh..."

Alfons: "Yes, jumping from roof to roof while drunk in a game where if you fall, you're out."

Alfons: "Then there's ... a chicken race, where you ride your horse to the very edge of a cliff."

Kate: "I had a hunch of what it might entail, but it went way beyond that..."

Alfons: "I'm glad to see I've exceeded your expectations."

Alfons: "There are also things that shouldn't be shared with others. Oh, would you like to accompany me sometime?"

Kate: ".... regretfully, I must decline."

Alfons: "Oh, well, that's a shame."

With a chuckle, he picked up a dusty marble lying at his feet.

Kate: "...?"

~~Part 3~~

When Alfons held it up, the marble glowed faintly.

Alfons: "That man needs to forget reality."

Alfons: "You're starting to realise that, aren't you?"

Kate: "... Yes. Somehow."

Liam's curiosity wasn't just due to his curse.

He was always the first to come to me when I was having a hard time or feeling sad.

He generously offered me his time and tried to make me feel at ease.

Just as someone could understand people's suffering because they've been hurt before,

I was sure Liam knew a lot of pain and sorrow.

That's why, in order to breathe, he was forced to colour his dark and gloomy existence with curiosity and excitement.

At that moment, I remembered the words Alfons had casually uttered to me before.

(That was the first time when he used his ability to `change one's perception` on me)

*flashback starts*

Alfons: "Life is a tragedy. The painful reality is that even if you struggle, you can't change it."

Alfons: "Then what's wrong with escaping into a dream?"

*flashback ends*

(I didn't think about the meaning of his words at the time, confused by the fact I was being toyed with)

Yet those words lingered in my heart ever since.

Alfons was a fun-loving hedonist who enjoyed showing people illusions.

But now he told me that while spending time with Liam, he realized there was something this man desperately wanted to forget.

(In a way, this seems like a good idea. Or maybe I'm just trying to convince myself)

(What if Alfons...)

(What if he's showing illusions to various people in order to escape his own painful reality?)

Suddenly we heard a noise from the end of the corridor and looked at each other.

Kate: "... Is it the culprit?"

Alfons: "Hmm, I wonder. Kate, stay behind me."

We walked down the hallway towards the source of the noise -- only to find someone we weren't expecting.

~~Part 4~~

Old man: "...Who are you people?"

Nestled in a deep armchair was an elderly grey-haired man.

(Could this be the culprit? I can't imagine it)

It was as if the building recognized him as its master, the way he blended in with his surroundings.

Alfons: "My cat wandered in. I sincerely apologize for trespassing on your property."

Old man: "Oh yeah? I thought you were the bunch of idiots who had once again come here uninvited."

Alfons: "`Again`... you say?"

Old man: "Lately, a group of men have been sneaking in at night."

Old man: "They take advantage of empty rooms and turned the house into their hangout."

(I wonder... why did they leave this old man alive?)

The man lived here alone and most likely given up on stopping the criminals from using the property without permission.

His presence posed a threat to them.

If by some chance the rumours reached the police, they would raid this place... and that would be the end of the story.

It was hard to believe that people who committed murder to steal something of value hesitated to kill.

Old man: "...Oh, I'm sorry. I got carried away with my guests and neglected you."

(Huh? Is there anyone else in this room?)

I looked around but, as far as I could see, only the three of us were present there.

Soon, I realised that he was talking to a portrait of a woman placed next to him.

Old man: "Will you forgive me? Yes, you've always liked guests."

As I stood there perplexed, Alfons whispered softly in my ear.

Alfons: "…Ah, I see. The culprits must have decided that it'd be more troublesome to kill someone who wasn't in their right mind."

Alfons: "What do you think we should do with this man, Kate?"

Kate: "What do you mean...?"

Alfons: "With my ability, I may be able to wake him up from the dream he's having."

Alfons: "This way we will gain his testimony and our mission will become easier."

We didn't know what the man sitting in front of us could see.

But the expression on his face as he gazed at the painting was one of happiness...

Kate: "I --."

~~Part 5~~

In the end, we seized the stolen goods as evidence and decided to carry out the sentence at a later date.

In a way that would not cause any harm to the man living in the house.

Alfons: "Why didn't you bring him out of his dream into reality?"

At that time, I asked Alfons to leave things as they were.

Kate: "That man needed a dream to live, and... I didn't see anything wrong with that."

Kate: "Regardless of whether the dream was convenient or not."

Kate: "Besides..."

Kate: "I thought that's what you'd have done."

Alfons: "...."

The moment I finished saying that, Alfons grabbed me and pulled me to his chest.

The sound of gunfire echoed near my ears, and potted plants strewn across the garden were shattered by bullets.

(What...?)

Man with a stubble: "...so, you decided to enter our place uninvited?"

The man's gaze was fixed on the stolen goods we had confiscated.

(This man is one of the culprits...)

Man with a stubble: "I can't let you live now that you've seen too much... go to hell!"

Alfons: "Now, now. Aren't you the one who's trespassing in this house?"

Alfons immediately rushed behind the man and twisted his neck, knocking him out in the blink of an eye.

Alfons: "Oops, I guess I forgot to mention we were his fellow trespassers."

Alfons: "Shall we make him our prized `confiscated item`?"

~~~

Having secured the stolen goods, we walked through the city at night.

(Ah...)

Only then did I realise that my hands were shaking slightly.

--- The sound of gunshots in my ears was enough to remind me of the scene from last night I was trying to forget.

(...I hate it. I want to forget last night and the fear that remains in my heart)

(I don't want to be held in its grasp forever)

As I clenched my hands so that no one would notice my distress, I felt Alfons tap me on the shoulder.

Alfons: "Kate, Kate. Do you have a little more time to spare?"

Kate: "...? Yes, I don't have anything planned for tonight..."

Alfons: "Splendid. Then I'd like you to stay with me for a while longer."

Kate: "Eh...?"

Alfons: "Since Liam is not around, I don't want to waste this rare opportunity to do all sorts of shameless, dirty things to you."

Alfons: "Now that our mission is complete, let's extend our date. It's going to be a fun, fun night, am I right?"

Chapter 3 Premium

#ikemen villains #ikevil #alfons sylvatica #ikevil alfons #ikevil story event #fan translation

[zeciex]

A Vow of Blood

Warnings: This fic includes noncon, dubcon, manipulation, violence and inc3st. Tags will be added as the fic goes on. This is a dark!fic. 18+ only. Read at your own discretion. Please read the warnings before continuing.

Summary: “You will be trapped by the obligations of love and duty, unable to escape the web of expectations others have woven around you,“ the witch said….

Daenera Velaryon returns to King’s Landing with the intention of bolstering her mother’s position and reminding both the Greens and nobility that Rhaenyra is the rightful heir to the throne. She has a specific goal in mind: to be a constant source of annoyance to the Greens and is willing to play the political game without hesitation.

However, what catches her off guard is the way Aemond gazes at her and seems to relish in her suffering. He openly expresses his desire to bring about her downfall, her ruination.

This situation leads to a tense game of cat and mouse, with each move escalating the already high stakes. Will their precarious situation crumble as the dragons soar above, or will fate intervene?

After all, love often demands the sacrifice of duty, just as duty can sometimes lead to the demise of love. Characters: Aemond Targaryen X OC, HOTD characters.

Chapter 11: The Words of a Scandal

AO3 - Masterlist

Daenera couldn’t help but find Alan Beesbury, the grandson of Lyman Beesbury, the Master of Coin, unbearably dull. She recognized his kindness and sweetness, acknowledging that he would make a suitable husband for some fortunate young lady in the future. However, to Daenera, he was painfully lacking in excitement and intrigue. 

As they strolled along the gravel path in the garden, the pleasant fragrance of flowers danced in the breeze, momentarily masking the underlying stench of the city. It was a warm, cloudless day, and Daenera donned a light, airy dress in deep yellow and orange, perfectly suited for the heat. 

“Do you know why my house sigil is a beehive?” Alan questioned, a gentle smile on his lips. 

Responding with a polite smile, she entertained Alan’s question despite not being interested. “No, why?”

Alan’s eyes lit up with delight as he shared a piece of his birthplace with the princess. “We keep massive hives on our property. House Beesbury produces the sweetest honey in all of the realm. You must try it one day.” 

“I would love to.” 

Alan continued, eager to share his knowledge. “You see, the bees not only produce honey but also play a crucial role in pollinating our vineyards and fruit trees, like apples and cherries. Each hive houses thousands of bees, and we have multiple of them. I wouldn’t be surprised if our bees contribute to pollinating the entire Reach.”

Daenera nodded along and Alan’s smile widened. 

“The interesting thing about the bees is that they follow a queen.” 

“Is that so?” Daenera feigned interest, noticing the parallel he was obviously trying to draw between the bee queen and Rhaenyra as heir. 

“Indeed! The queen is the most important bee in the hive. She’s the one who lays all the eggs. Without the queen, the hive would simply perish.”

If only the realm held such reverence for its future queen , Daenera thought. Then she wouldn’t have to exhaust herself in securing allies for her mother’s rightful claim to the throne. 

“So the entire hive just dies?” she inquired, slightly interested. 

Alan grimaced. “Well, typically, they find a suitable candidate for the queen among the larvae the only queen has laid. They condition and nurture them until a new queen arises. The new queen then kills all the other possible queens to assure her own safety.”

Daenera’s eyes narrowed. Even in nature a new rule would be marked with bloodshed to secure the rule. “Ah, so the queen is replaceable.”

“A bee queen is, but I believe a true and rightful queen is not,” Alan said in attempt to salvage the conversation. 

“I should hope not,” Daenera responded, her thoughts lingering on the fragility of power and the significance of loyalty. 

“The lords of Westeros have all pledged their allegiance to your mother, Viserys' chosen heir. No one can dispute that. If the lords are honorable and just, they will not abandon their oaths.”

Daenera held little faith in oaths made by men who were forced to bend the knee by a king who held no other heir at the time. It was oaths made out of uncertainty that could be easily broken by lords ruled by their own ambition. 

The serene atmosphere shattered as a voice pierced through the thick rose bushes, carried by the breeze. It was a voice filled with mockery, followed by raucous laughter. Daenera strained to listen, her curiosity piqued. 

“ Sweet flower. I write to you with an ache in my bones, so sweet and exquisite, and so you must forgive me for this letter ,” A voice rang out, seeping between the thick bushes, the voice seemingly carried by the breeze. The tone was mocking, as were the laughter that followed. 

“You cannot be serious!” A man's voice snickered before egging another on. “Continue, continue, I want to know what this… savage writes.”

“ I write to you as a man in pain, a man maddened by longing, when I saw you dancing at the feast, wrapped in red, twirling on the dancefloor, it seemed to be set ablaze with your presence. ”

“I thought her dress was vulgar,” A female voice cut in. “I mean, it was so tight and just… obscene! It was unfit for a woman at her station.”

“ Your dress bloomed around you and I could not help but notice that you too had bloomed since I last saw you. ” The voice continued. 

A suffocating heat enveloped Daenera, casting her breath to hitch and her skin to feel clammy. The air seemed to constrict around her like a tightening fist, squeezing out the comfort she had known. Her eyes blinked rapidly, as if she were desperately trying to reconcile what was unfolding before her. Laughter sliced through the bushes like sharp arrows, piercing into her fragile being. 

Alan’s eyes filled with concern as he observed her face drain of color, a stark contrast to her usual vibrancy. 

“‘ Bloomed ’, really? How can anyone write such words?” The incredulous voice exclaimed filled with disbelief and a touch of disgust. 

The female voice chimed in, her tone one of contempt. “It is utterly embarrassing.”

“Oh, it gets worse,” the reader declared with malicious giddiness, a hum escaping his lips as he loosened his vocal cords. “ Your body moved in rhythm with the melody, a woman’s body, adorned with curves that confirm that you’re truly a woman grown. Your fair skin flushed with a captivating hue, and every breath you took seemed to steal the very air from my lungs. And when you smile, so alluringly coy, graced by your lips, it ignited a fire within me. My deepest desire is to worship you, to witness your blooming upon the sheets, to see your delicate petals unfurl exclusively for me. ”

A wave of despair engulfed Daenera as the sounds of those painfully familiar words reached her ears, words that should have remained concealed beneath a stack of letters, all bearing proposals for her hand in marriage, words that should have been fed to the flames. Her feet carried her towards the voices, skirts clutched tightly in her hands to allow her to move faster. 

Alan stumbled after her, his words faltering as he struggled to keep up, his hurried footsteps causing the gravel to shift beneath his feet. 

Daenera strode forward, cutting the corner of a rosebush, its thorns scraping against her arm, threatening to sink into flesh and fabric. 

In one of the secluded alcoves concealed within the sprawling gardens, nestled beneath an overgrown pavilion, Aegon sat, clutching the letter meant for Daenera in his hands. His eyes darted maliciously over the page, relishing the words contained within. 

“ I wonder ,” he mused, his voice taunting, “ what sounds would escape your lips? Will you embrace my tender adoration, or will the fiery passion in your veins demand a more primal and savage response? ”

“What is the meaning of this!?” Daenera’s voice seethed with anger, her eyes shifting between Aegon and his companions, Lady Cira Reyne and Ser Wyllam Lefford, the second son of Lord Humfrey Lefford. 

Amidst the shadows of the pavilion, Aemond stood, his malevolent eye gleaming, a cruel smirk playing upon his lips, relishing the spectacle before him, delighting in her embarrassment.

Daenera’s focus returned to Aegon, her eyes blazing with indignation. 

Aegon responded with a smug grimace, offering a half-hearted shrug. “Oh, we’re simply engaging in some light reading. You, of all people, should appreciate the importance of a well-rounded education, don’t you think?”

“I certainly hope not,” Lady Cira interjected sharply. “There’s nothing to be gained from such vulgarity.” 

Ser Wyllam couldn’t help but snort, attempting to conceal his amusement behind his cup of wine. “Oh, come now, Cira, don’t be such a prude. It’s clear this fellow is pouring his heart out.”

“If I were to receive such a scandalous letter, I would promptly burn it,” Lady Cira retorted pointedly, casting a judgmental and scornful glance at Daenera from the corner of her eye. 

“Before you burn it, I suggest you bring it to me so we can derive some amusement from it,” Aegon chimed in, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. His eyes snapped back to Daenera. “Purely for educational purposes, of course.”

“...How embarrassing,” Lady Cira muttered under her breath, using a red silk fan adorned with a silver lion to fan her face, acting high and mighty. 

Daenera’s face flushed with humiliation. She felt utterly exposed, as though she had been stripped bare for their amusement. Something that should have remained private now laid bare for them to ridicule. It was foolish of her to have kept the letter, but it provided her with a strange sense of solace. She had intended to burn it, but had not found the resolve to do so yet. A detrimental mistake. 

Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine someone… Her eyes landed on Aemond, whose smirk grew sharper, confirming her suspicions… that Aemond had rummaged through her belongings. 

It felt like a violation. 

It was one thing to have servants do the dirty work of prying into her letters, it was another, more volatile, thing when he had done it himself. 

“Where did you find it?” Daenera managed to force out through clenched teeth, her entire body tensed like a bowstring ready to snap. 

“I confiscated it from one of the maids,” Aegon lied with the same ease he swallowed his wine. He took a deep breath, putting a finger to his lips in a pretense of thought, the whole display dripping with mockery and insincerity. “Is… is it yours, perhaps? Are you the… what was it? Ah, yes, the ‘sweet flower’?”

It was undoubtedly hers, and they all knew it. That was precisely why they had the letter in their possession, because it belonged to her. Daenera’s fists were clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white, her nails digging into the flesh of her palm, leaving small, red crescents. She struggled to swallow the anger, bitterness and embarrassment. It left  a vile taste in her mouth. 

“Tell me, my sweet niece, do you wish to be worshiped tenderly or savagely?” Aegon jeered, his grin widening at the fiery glare in her eyes. If looks could kill, Aegon would have died a thousand times over. But unfortunately, her glares held no lethality. 

“Savagely sounds the most entertaining,” Wyllam commented, a smug smile playing on his lips as well. 

“This is highly inappropriate!” Alan interjected. 

“Then you’re sure to enjoy this next part,” Aegon promised, licking his lips in anticipation. He took a deep breath, but before he could continue, Daenera had rushed forward, slamming her hands onto the table with such force that everything atop it trembled. 

“That is enough! Give me that!” Daenera reached for the paper, but Aegon swiftly maneuvered out of her way, rising from his chair so abruptly that it nearly toppled over. His chuckles filled the air, brimming with malicious delight. 

He took that deep breath again and began reading. “ Would you taste sweet as honey, I wonder, sweet as sugar- ,”

“You fucking son of a whore!” Daenera cursed darting after Aegon, rounding the table only to find him on the other side. He was fast, and faster still when spurred on by his friends' laughter and jeer. Alan tried to step in, but Aegon threw him off with one hand, the young lordling falling to his ass on the gravel with a grunt. 

“ I would worship you all night until the sun arose to bear witness, I would give you all that I have, I would condemn myself to eternal hell, for you, sweet flower, ” his laugh turned maniacal when Daenera hurled a peach at his head. He narrowly avoided it, flinging up dust as he ran the moment she did. “You’re getting worked up over nothing, sweet niece! Unless this is your letter of course.”

“Give it to her if she so wishes to have it back,” Lady Cira mused, inspecting her nails nonchalantly. “She seems quite attached to that vulgar thing. It’s certainly not fitting for a princess.”

“Oh, my apologies, Lady Cira, if you find a letter like that unsuitable for a princess,” Daenera retorted, her voice laced with venom. “I am sure we can both agree that Indigo isn’t suitable for someone at your station either.”

Lady Cira visibly paled, taking off the palate of someone ill. 

One of the tailors of King’s Landing were known for their indigo fabrics adorning the walls. Daenera had heard from Tris that Cira had taken a special interest in the tailor's son, and Daenera had dispatched one of her servants to investigate. Gossip could be such a vicious weapon. 

Wyllam wore a genuinely confused expression. “Indigo?”

“I have no idea what she’s talking about,” Lady Cira denied, continuing to fan herself, though with much greater haste. 

“ The yearning I experience is enough to engulf me in despair. Since the moment we met, you have consumed my every thought. Your passionate presence haunts me, both in waking hours and in dreams. I starve for you, a hunger so profound it consumes me entirely. Will you relieve me of this torment, my sweet flower ?” Aegon continued, his voice growing louder as Daenera’s hands finally seized the back of his doublet, yanking him backward. The collar constricted around his throat, causing him to emit a strangled noise. Despite his discomfort, he managed to keep the letter out of her reach. 

“Give it back!” Daenera seethed, her fingers clawing at Aegon’s doublet, desperately trying to pry his arm down and snatch the letter from his grip. Aegon, in turn, pushed her away, reveling in her anger and laughing like an impish child. He was a fucking menace. 

“You should really put him out of his misery!” Aegon declared, narrowly evading the swipe of Daenera’s hand aimed at his face. 

The scene devolved into utter chaos. Lord’s Beesbury’s son sat on his backside, observing the prince and princess engage in a childish brawl over a letter that could very well be a brawl between starving children over a piece of bread. Meanwhile, Ser Wyllam and Lady Cira lingered in the background, one attempting to extract information from the other. And amidst it all, Aemond lurked in the shadows, thoroughly entertained by the spectacle. 

“It is a misery to read,” Aegon shouted, trying to push her away but almost falling in the attempt. 

“Then why are you reading it?!” Daenera retorted, her voice filled with frustration. 

“I told you, for educational purposes. Does this filth arouse you, niece? Does it make you bloom ? Do these words moisten you with desire? Will it entice you to spread your legs-,”

In one quick motion, Daenera broke free from Aegon’s grapes, spinning on her heels to grab the flagon of wine from the table. Without a moment’s hesitation she hurled its contents at Aegon, a crashing wave of wine drenching him, saturating his doublet, and turning strands of his pale hair purple. He blinked and sputtered, caught off guard by the sudden deluge. 

Daenera all but ripped the letter from his hand. “You had no right!”

Unfazed, Aegon whipped the wine from his face, sucking at the fingers that cleared out his eyes of wine. “Tell me, princess, have you spread your legs for him yet?

“That-that is enough!” Alan intervened, finally off his ass and out of his state of shock. His backside was dusty from the gravel and his hair was rumpled. “How dare you speak to the princess in such a manner? How dare you accuse her of such a… a vile and debasing thing?”

Aegon looked sardonically at Alan, like he was a bug to be squashed, nothing more than an annoyance. “I am merely asking for assurances that my good niece’s maidenhood remains intact. It wouldn’t be proper if she had just given it away to some lowborn soldier.”

“I assure you, I remain intact,” Daenera bit at him. 

“Your pride doesn't,” Aemond murmured with a sharp disinterest. 

He was right. That was the worst of it. Her pride had been wounded, and felt the confines of embarrassment still wrap around her chest, as tight as the corset had been that night during the feast. 

“You have no proof of any wrongdoings,” Daenera shot at him. “All you have is a letter from a soldier long gone. And you don’t even have that.”

The paper crunched as she balled it up in her fist, holding it so tight one would think it’d be dust in the wind once she finally decided to open it again. The letter would be burned immediately upon her return to her quarters. 

“There’s witnesses,” Aemond pointed out, pushing off the pillar as he slowly strode to her, all arrogance and bravado. 

“One witness is a drunk,” Daenera glanced at Aegon, who had found his way back to his seat, feet placed on the table, resting back in the chair while holding his half empty cup of wine. “A Lady with a secret of her own.” Lady Cira glared at Daenera, then looked away dismissively, violently fanning her face. “And another man known for drinking and whoring.” 

“A prince. A lady. And a lord's son.” Aemond didn’t even glance at Alan. “And a blustering lordling.”

“All of which can be discounted.”

“Mmm, do you believe it’s as simple as that?” Aemond mused, his twisted smirk sending a shiver down her spine.

In that moment, Daenera longed to clasp her hands around his throat and squeeze until his head popped off. She knew all too well that it wasn’t that easy. It would be a minor scandal, but a scandal nonetheless. The castle’s gossip mill would spin tirelessly, spreading the news of the letter before dusk was there, and come dawn countless embellished versions would have been concocted. 

“It would be mere whispers carried by the wind. Empty words,” Daenera remarked, her voice quivering with fury. 

“Is that so?” Aemond challenged, his tone filled with amusement. 

But no, it wasn’t so. Rumors and speculation were potent weapons, capable of inflicting wounds more insidious than that of a physical blade. They could stab you in the back, undermining your reputation and eroding perceptions. Rumors had been the tool to chase off her mother, and it was the tools, the weapon she decided to make her own. And now, he had managed to disarm her, holding the weapon of gossip against her throat. He knew he had emerged victorious in this battle, and the knowledge fueled her anger even further. 

The bitter truth was that she should have known better than to keep the letter, let alone hidden in a stack of proposals. The embarrassment intensified, turning sour in her mouth. 

“Go back to Dragonstone,” Aemond whispered, his words barely audible to anyone but her. Yet, they seemed to slither down her spine, coiling in the depths of her stomach, brewing a tempest of resentment. 

“You once called me a spiteful little creature,” Daenera replied, an edge to her tone. “I am just that. Spiteful.”

“A creature,” Aemond jeered in amusement. 

“If you ever desire to truly learn the art of pleasing a man,” Aegon interjected with a taunting tone, his head tilted back on the seat, casually not making eye contact with anyone. He held up a bunch of grapes, slowly lowering it to pluck one with his teeth. “I would be more than willing to assist. I can demonstrate how much of that letter is nothing more than fanciful fabrication.” 

“I hope you choke on that grape.” 

Aegon made his signature grimace, the upside down smirk, shrugging. “It is only a suggestion. I’m sure your future husband will find use of it some day.”

“Or think her a whore,” muttered Lady Cira. 

“Lady Cira is fucking a tailors son,” Daenera informed unceremoniously. 

The revelation hit like a gust of wind and almost knocked Ser Wyllam out of his chair, his gasp so violent he choked on his own spit and began coughing.

Aegon’s head simply propped up, a brow raised in surprise. “I’m impressed, Lady prim and proper.” 

Lady Cira vehemently protested. “Lies! She would go to any length to deflect the attention from herself and avoid being embroiled in a scandal.”

Daenera’s eyes remained on Aemond, even as chaos unfolded behind him, her eyes fixed on his smug face. With a slow and deliberate growl, she retorted, “You haven’t succeeded in ruining me.” 

She would play the part of a frivolous and naive girl, allowing others to underestimate her and thereby reduce the impact of the scandal. ‘She didn’t know any better’ . With careful maneuvering, she could sweep it under the rug and minimize the damage. She was the little flower princess after all. 

“You can act innocent, but I know you’re anything but innocent.” Aemond’s response was laced with a hint of intimacy, his voice low as if it was a private moment between the two of them, murmured between the sheets. 

If it had been just the two of them, she would have plucked his other eye from his skull. 

“Do well to remember, One-eye,” Daenera threatened, punctuating her words with a tap of her finger beneath her eye, emphasizing the extent to which she would go to enforce her warning. “What happened the last time you decided to spread rumors. If you happen to have forgotten, I will happily remind you.”

It was not an empty threat, and Aemond’s eye narrowed. 

In a flurry of yellow silks and dark curls, she stomped away, her mind already at work, formulating a plan. If he wanted to besmirch her reputation and humiliate her, she would make sure to return the favor in kind. 

Alan, hurrying to catch up with the irritated princess who longed for solitude to plot her revenge, commented, “That was unbecoming of the princes.”

“It comes as no surprise,” Daenera muttered, her voice filled with disdain. “Aegon has always had a penchant for humiliating others, and as for Aemond…”

“No one will believe whatever they say about you,” Alan insisted. 

Daenera scoffed, her expression twisting with cynicism. She knew all too well that people believe what they choose to believe. If they harbored preexisting animosity towards her, it would be effortless for them to embrace any rumors spread by Lady Cira and Ser Wyllan. On the other hand, those who held her in favor would undoubtedly refute such claims. It was nothing that a temporary disruption, a mere hiccup in her reputation. 

“You are honorable and virtuous, princess,” Alan reiterated, attempting to reassure her. 

“I appreciate your kind words, Ser Alan, but I find myself plagued with a throbbing headache and in need of rest,” Daenera replied, her voice strained. She didn’t need him buzzing around her with honeyed words. 

With that, she spun on her heels and ascended the steps of the Keep, leaving behind a bewildered and concerned suiter. 

She would give something for the court to gossip about, far more interesting than a mere letter.

#aemond targaryen #hotd #hotd aemond #aemond x reader #aemond fanfiction #aemond one eye #house of the dragon #hotd fanfic #A Vow of Blood #my fanfiction

[bramble-scramble]

I wanted to write this down before I go to sleep! A little warning, it's a bit... juicy.

---

"You... You want me to...?", Woodrow's voice faded, in both disbelief and hesitation. A flurry of thoughts flooded his mind, keeping him from uttering a single word. His wandering eyes shifted, darting from her eyes, to her neck, to... no. No, he mustn't - it would be most rude of him. Woodrow went to turn away, only for him go feel a warm and gentle tug at his hand.

"Yes. Yes, I do." said the beauteous Prima Donna, "Please... Let me be beside you, forever." If it hadn't been silent for an eternity, Woodrow's heart would have lept from his chest. His ears could not perceive what they were hearing. The immortal poet delicately held her hand as he contemplated. He shook his head, "What a thoughtful offering, one of which I have never heard from any other mortal in all my existence. But I must decline, for I am a beast. A wretched demon of night. I am cursed, and I fear that if I were to... take you, you would fall into the same fate."

Prima Donna furrowed her eyebrows, silently pleading as she went to caress his cheek. Woodrow jolted slightly, only to melt in her touch. "Think of me not as a poor, helpless maiden." she continued, "Think of me as your salvation. A candle to light your way through the lonely darkness. While this may not remove your burdens, you will not endure it all alone. I have heard you in the dead of night, Woodrow, 'neath the moonlight, letting out the most inner thoughts alone. I have hear you and I... I know the suffering you feel. Oh, my sweet, my darling poet, please - take me. Make me yours, forever and always, and may we spend the rest of time together."

Woodrow stared at Prima Donna, latching on to each and every word she spoke. He opened his mouth to respond; nothing came out. Nothing but a soft stammer that was then silenced as her lips pressed against his. An sudden overwhelming sensation shocked Woodrow. Her scent... Her heartbeat... Her blood rushing through her veins... The silkiness of her bodice. It was all too tempting.

Woodrow pulled back to speak, his breath shaking with a growing frenzy, "Are you... Are you certain of this?"

"Yes, Tristan..." Prima Donna cooed, "Please..."

A hungry growl escapes his lips as Woodrow tightened his grip around her waist and kissed her. With his hunger now inescapable, vigorous and oh so passionate, Woodrow almost hurriedly laid his lover into the curtained bed and lifted her arms by the wrists. Woodrow lowered his head, his lips brushing lightly against her skin. "I am yours, my sweet..." he purred,"and you are mine."

This whole AU has been juicy and you know it, lmaooo. (I'm entirely a SFW creator but goodness, one can skirt the line with vampires- I mean, it's just a lot of biting and sucking and inevitable sensual moaning and-- yeah I never understood why they were such popular fantasy creatures when I was younger but I did when I grew up LOL)

BUT GOSH I READ THIS BEFORE I WENT TO BED LAST NIGHT AND I WANT TO SCREAM... the way he holds her by the wrists!! As if to feel her pulse for one last time before he silences it forever... Her paws surely limp, letting him be in full control, ultimate trust... MwaaAAARGH

They will make such a good pair... No longer to give and take of each other in the same way, but instead to share the hunt, to fly together, one long and lanky bat and one rounder bat silhouetted against the moon- to sleep in their sepulcher together, bodies entwined, cold and stiff, eyes open if unconscious, gazing at each other in the embrace of their daily death-rest, fangs resting on their smiling lips...

Mwaaaaa, GET IT GIRL (where "it" is eternal life with your freaky poet nosferatu)

#mario plus rabbids #mario + rabbids #alter answers #phandrow #soh vampire au

[childofchrist1983]

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. - 1 Peter 3:18-22 KJV

Have you been treated unfairly? Have you ever been treated unjustly because of your Christian faith? If so, take heart! The Holy Bible reminds us that as Christians, we will be persecuted. It also reminds us that Jesus Christ also suffered unjustly. He was sinless and blameless, yet He suffered because of our sins. He did not simply suffer – He died for our sins. He did this so that we might come to know God and be saved. Yet, in the death of His human flesh, He was still triumphant! This act of mercy and grace is more than we can comprehend, but we are eternally grateful for it. When we suffer for Christ's sake, may we be reminded of Him, who suffered infinitely more than we ever will in order to draw people to God and be gifted eternal salvation and eternal life in Heaven. May Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ help us to share the Gospel Truth of His death and resurrection with the world. And when we are treated unfairly because of our faith and spiritual rebirth in Him, may we continue to press on, because we know that He also suffered and He loves us beyond measure and all we endure will be worth it in the end.

Leaning on Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ through prayer and His Holy Word and Spirit strengthens us and our knowledge and wisdom about God and His Gospel Truth, exposing these imposters. May God help us to seek and lean on Him daily to gain the strength, wisdom and spiritual discernment needed to expose Satan and his imposters who seek to destroy us and God's ultimate Truth. Everyday, we must remember to share Jesus Christ's Gospel Truth with the world and to thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for the grace that He poured out for us on the cross at Calvary. He has freed us from the burdens of sin and from the eternal damnation of Hell. In all we say and do, may all praise, honor and glory always be given to Him and His Kingdom of Heaven.

With renewed minds, hearts and wills, let us serve Him humbly and faithfully out of pure love and grateful rejoicing. May He remind us of His presence and to remain at peace, fully knowing that all will be well because He is always with us. Let us seek Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ today and everyday with all our heart and being, looking for His love, light and will for our lives with each step we take. Let us seek to please Him with our thoughts, words, and deeds and seek to advance His Kingdom of Heaven and His glory with our lives. Let us seek Him from a pure and humble heart, and when we so seek, we believe Him and His promise that we will find. May He help us all to be more sensitive to the teaching ministry of His Holy Word and Spirit, relying on Him and allowing Him to speak to us and guide us every step of our Christian journey.

God gave us the Holy Bible - His living and Holy Word - to let us know of Him and His abiding love and care as well as guide and prepare us for all our lives. May He help us encourage one another as we continue our walk with Him and our duty to Him daily. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for being present for all our new beginnings and all our lives. May He redirect any anxiety we feel as He provides countless opportunities for growth and change. May we humble ourselves before God always, asking Him to forgive our sins and make our hearts and lives anew through His Holy Word and Spirit. May He help us make Him and His Holy Word top priority, so we can grow spiritually and grow in our relationship with Him as we apply it to our daily lives. Thank God that we can focus on Him and everything about Him, for that is what keeps us sane and at peace. May our words and actions always be a reflection of Him and His Holy Word and Spirit and will.

May He help us to always walk in His grace and Holy Spirit, not by our own measure. May He give us the humble humility to know that our freedom and eternal salvation is found only in Him, so that His grace may sustain us, and we may never lose sight of His love and light and mercy. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for calling us to Him and to serve Him. May He equip us to do all that He has called us to do so that as He works through us, He may use us to produce fruit, to reach others, and to encourage all brothers and sisters in Christ. May He work all of these things in us and through us for His Kingdom and His glory. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for all His creation, for His miraculous ways and for everything He does and has done for us! Keep the faith and keep moving forward in your walk with Jesus! He loves us and He knows what is best for us. Seek, follow and trust in Him - Always!

Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Word and for sending His Holy Spirit so that we might have His grace, not only to awaken us and transform our hearts in our spiritual rebirth and guarantee our eternity with Him, but to also call upon Him whenever we are in need. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for all the reminders of His love and mercy and faithfulness within His Holy Word. He is bigger than any challenge or circumstance in our lives. Knowing this within our minds and our hearts, nothing can deter our faith in Him and His Truth. May we all accept Him and His eternal gift of salvation and ask that He would transform our hearts and lives according to His will and ways. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Spirit who saves, seals and leads us. May we always thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His almighty power and saving grace. For He is our strength, and He alone is able to save us, forgive our sins and gift us eternal salvation and entry into His Kingdom of Heaven.

May we make sure that we give our hearts and lives to God and take time to seek and praise Him and share His Truth with the world daily. May the LORD our God and Father in Heaven help us to stay diligent and obedient and help us to guard our hearts in Him and His Holy Word daily. May He help us to remain faithful and full of excitement to do our duty to Him and for His glorious return and our reunion in Heaven as well as all that awaits us there. May we never forget to thank the LORD our God and our Creator and Father in Heaven for all this and everything He does and has done for us! May we never forget who He is, nor forget who we are in Christ and that God is always with us! What a mighty God we serve! What a Savior this is! What a wonderful LORD, God, Savior and King we have in Jesus Christ! What a loving Father we have found in Almighty God! What a wonderful God we serve! His will be done!

Thanks and glory be to God! Blessed be the name of the LORD! Hallelujah and Amen!

[cock-holliday]

oh my godddd someone I know has John Fetterman as a rep and sent him that plea to support the SSI bill and the auto-response from Fetterman ends up being about ceasefire demands instead of the social security bill. She didn't ask you about the ceasefire she asked you to support the SSI Recovery Bill you fucking dildo!

Anyway, clearly he's getting hit with ceasefire demands and assumes incoming mail must be about that, so send him some more.

His email is [email protected]

DC Number: [phone]

Philly Number: [phone]

Pittsburgh Number: [phone]

More Office Addresses and Numbers through Pennsylvania

Fetterman's Full Letter under the cut

Thank you for reaching out to my office. I appreciate hearing from you.

I condemn the horrific attacks launched by Hamas on October 7, which have led to immense human suffering and the loss of countless lives. More than two months into this war, it’s clear that a path to peace in the region cannot include Hamas.

I applaud the tireless work of the Biden Administration and our partners in the region to facilitate temporary ceasefire agreements, which have enabled the release of hostages and the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. These agreements were a huge deal, but we know that Hamas is still holding over 130 innocent people. I won’t rest until they all return home safely.

While those temporary ceasefire agreements were a welcome development, I do not believe now is the time for a permanent ceasefire. Hamas has repeatedly broken previous ceasefire agreements, giving us little reason to believe it would abide by the terms of a new one. As its leadership has said itself, Hamas wants to destroy Israel and its people, and it won’t stop until it achieves that goal.

It’s also important to remember that this is a war between Israel and Hamas – not Israel and Palestinians. We know that Hamas’ extremist ideology and its thirst for violence don’t represent the thoughts, feelings, and aspirations of the Palestinian people as a whole. I am devastated by the immense loss of innocent civilian life, and I don’t assign any less value to the lives of Israeli or Palestinian children than I would my own children. I also know that Israel’s responsibility to respond to Hamas’ horrific attacks does not absolve our ally from their moral and legal responsibility to minimize the deaths of innocent Gazans. I remain committed to ensuring that we are getting humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza – and that this aid matches the overwhelming need.

The path to peace is clear: Hamas must release those still being held hostage and surrender. Until then, Israel has a responsibility to address the threat posed by Hamas. As long as Hamas is able to operate in Gaza, Israelis and Palestinians won’t be able to coexist peacefully, with secure and sovereign states of their own.

Here at home, we can’t allow the evils of antisemitism and Islamophobia to take root in our communities. This sort of bigotry is meant to divide us, and we all have a responsibility to call it out when we see it. No matter where you’re from or who you worship, one thing is clear: hate and violent extremism have no place in our commonwealth or our nation.

Please know that I continue to monitor the ongoing conflict closely and will use the tools at my disposal to bring home any Pennsylvanians who remain in the region. My constituent services team is available to help those who are experiencing visa or passport issues during this time and can be reached via email at [email protected]. Additionally, if you need to notify the State Department of a U.S. Citizen who is experiencing an emergency abroad, please call the Department at 202-485-6100 or 202-647-4000 (after hours), or contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate in that country. 

Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts. Please do not hesitate to reach out in the future about other issues of importance to you. If I can be of assistance, or if you’d like to learn more about my work on behalf of Pennsylvanians and our commonwealth, I encourage you to visit my website, https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/.

Sincerely, 

John Fetterman

United States Senator

#john fetterman #us politics #pennsylvania #took you two weeks to respond to the wrong question AND do it horribly! well done!

[fadinglake]

So after i sent multiple emails to my rep a few months back, I got an extremely dumb and propagandistic letter in response

I'll type it up:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. As you know, on October 7, the terrorist organization Hamas carried out an evil and brutal surprise attack along Israel's southern border with Gaza, killing over 1200 Israelis, soldiers and civilians alike, including 32 U.S. citizens. The terrorits also took more than 200 people as hostages, including U.S. citizens. I condemn in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attacks by Hamas, and I am heartbroken over the loss of thousands of innocent civilians and remain concerned about those still held hostage. The ongoing conflict that Hamas started has also created a devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. I stand unequivocally for the protection of civilian life during conflict. Palestinian civilians are not to blame and should not be collectively punished for the brutal attacks committed by Hamas terrorists. I am also concerned about the conduct of war waged by the Netanyahu government. The levels of suffering and civilian casualties are devastating, including the displacement of 1.9 million people according to reports. While Hamas hides behind civilians, Israel's military operations must comply with international law and focus on combatting terror and degrading Hamas' military capabilities, not collective punishment on innocent Palestinians. My top priority has always been to secure the release of hostages currently under Hamas control. That's why I strongly supported the November 21 agreement between Israel and Hamas to allow some of these civilians to come home. However, I also share the goal of defeating Hamas and rooting out terrorism so that the peace process towards a two-state solution can be restarted. I also believe there must be both a significant change in the conduct of Israel's military operations to better protect civilian lives, and a clear vision for rebuilding Gaza and moving towards two states after this war. I understand that there is support for a permanent ceasefire. The multi-day pause in hostilities that started on November 21, which was essentially a ceasefire, ended because Hamas stopped releasing hostages and began firing rockets at Israel. I strongly support the pursuit of additional pauses in hostilities to facilitate the release of the remaining hostages and facilitate a surge in humanitarian aid, but I am concerned that a unilateral ceasefire would provide Hamas with an opportunity to regroup and commit further atrocities on Israel. It's crucial to ensure that innocent civilians who have nothing to do with the conflict in the region can receive food, water, medicine, and other essential humanitarian assistance. I strongly commend President Biden who has successfully negotiated the facilitation of $100 million in humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, and I will continue to support ongoing efforts to provide additional humanitarian aid. Our nation has a long relationship with Israel and a deep commitment to finding a two-state solution to bring self-determination, peace, and security to Palestinians and Israelis. Please know I will continue monitoring the situation closely and will keep your thoughts in mind should any legislation related to the conflict come before the House of Representatives. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts. Please continue to contact me on all issues of importance to you and to our district. Sincerely, Mike Thompson, Member of Congress

so, a few things we noticed after reading this last night - aside from the usual Democratic Party drivel putting the responsibility solely on Hamas:

notice how often he says "civilians" specifically in a way where it does not specify what types of civilians - protection of civilian life etc.

notice how he never actually says "Palestine". he says "Palestinians" a few times - but this phrasing undermines Palestine's existence as a physical place. Per this letter, Israel exists, and Palestine doesn't

the FIRST word he uses to characterize what happened on Oct 7 is "evil". fucking BATSHIT

$100 mil in nebulous "humanitarian aid" we know is not even able to make its way into Palestine vs. how many billions in military support to the regime directly responsible for why that aid is necessary

don't even know how to characterize the nonsense regarding the ceasefire shit. "well actually, we did already have a ceasefire! sooooo..."

this is kinda reiterating the first two points but the way the entirety of this language is warped away from admitting that Israel is committing genocide to like a vague handwave of "yes Israel needs to also Be Good sure sure but the real problem is Hamas".

so yeah i just thought this little look into the bullshit was interesting - total propaganda machine from top to fucking bottom. it's so disjointed from reality I'm not sure whether to respond or to just take this outside and set it on fire

fuck joe biden and fuck representative mike thompson

#long post #free palestine #propaganda #us congress #legit like should i respond to him? or does it not count since i've already gotten an official response from him #fuck this guy #fuck the democrats

[aikoiya]

DP - Dan’s Deepest, Darkest Struggle

Can we please talk about how traumatic it must be for Dan as a fusion of Danny & Vlad to have complete access to both Danny & Vlad's memories? Because it is.

Like, think about it! Dan has both Danny's memories of Maddie being his mother & Vlad's memories of being in love with & obsessed with Maddie. So, Dan basically remembers being hot-to-trot FOR HIS OWN MOTHER!!! UUUUUUGGGGGHHHH!!!! DX

For all we know, that could be part of why he went so cuckoo!

I feel like this would be a source of deep, DEEP-seated shame & revulsion for him. Like HOLY SHIT, how do you get over that??? EEWW!!

Can you imagine the struggle?? It's horrifying!

Memories of being Vlad thinking about Maddie. Memories of being Vlad & the things he's done while thinking about Maddie in a certain less-than-innocent manner while at the same time remembering that same woman tucking him into bed at night, kissing his booboos, & sharing backwash with her.

Oh yeah... That shit is nightmare fuel. It would paint all of Danny's memories with her in a different & more horrifyingly nightmarish light. DX

I mean, the idea of fusing Danny & Vlad's ghost halves to get this ultimate villain for your show sounds cool. But in practice, it just deals 10d10 psychic damage to think about!

He must loathe Vlad for putting those thoughts into his head! That actually might be why he lets the man live, (because there's no way Dan doesn't know where he is) so he can continue to suffer like Dan has suffered every day of his life since he came into being!

The worst part is, he can't just turn off those thoughts & feelings no matter how desperately he wants to. So, I imagine that if he sleeps he sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat from dreams that Vlad used to have about Maddie coming onto him. Only now, they're framed as nightmares that haunt his dreams & lurk in his subconscious. Then, he just retches to the side.

I don't think either Vlad or Danny are incestuous, so I feel like both sides of Dan would be horrified by this.

I imagine it'd be like mindrape. Like, imagine if you're being raped & your rapist goes out of their way to make you enjoy it. You feel violated & like your body's betraying you. That's how Dan thinks of it. Like someone's forced something into his head against his will & he can't take it out.

I just have this image of Dan staring off into space while the song "Crawling" by Linkin Park plays in the background.

I wouldn't be surprised if Dan was also trying to hunt down Desiree to try & make her remove those thoughts from his head. It could be why she didn't show up in the future. She's in hiding because Dan is after her.

If I were to ever meet Dan, I'd ask if it was true that he'd gotten all of Vlad's memories. Then, if he said yes, I'd respond "You poor bastard, how do you live with that? It must be absolute torment living inside that skull of yours. I can only imagine the Oedipus complex you must be hosting. How do you deal with all those memories of someone who was you but not quite you lusting after someone you also remember being your own mother?" And then promptly keel over due to him ripping my heart out & feeding it to me.

#dp #danny phantom #dan phantom #dark danny #vlad plasmius #psychological horror #anti-incest #psychic damage #oedipus complex

[vixlenxe]

“Lady Tiffanie. Over glad I am to see you again. It has been far too long, has it not?”

“Count Artoirel, Ser, Aymeric, it has been since Garlemald, I believe.”

“A tad too long, perhaps. Leaving our last impression upon each other in such dire circumstances is unbecoming, is it not?”

“While I’m inclined to agree, I’m afraid while the circumstances now are much less extreme, this is no curtsey call.” The heiress gestures to her desk in her office, where 3 seats lie, two on one side & a single one on the other. “Sit, please.” Tiffanie had already turned her back to the men, moving towards the single seat. “And please, tell me your latest report that the wyrm blasphemy you have been hunting, have you finally slain it?”

The two male elezens both shared a glance of worry as they moved to sit at the other side of the desk from Tiffanie. They both seemed to know the lady will not enjoy their answer.

“I’m afraid not yet, my lady.”

Tiffanie’s eyebrows furrowed & her mouth formed a frown. It wasn’t all that long ago that one of Ishgard’s own was transformed into one of these soulless beasts, & took a number of those around him into transformation as well. And while the unfortunate by-products of despair her taken care of, the root of it all flew away & had been taunting Ishgard’s people ever seen. Flying over head, rawring it’s malice toward citizens to frighten them, the fear & panic sparking more transformations, before disappearing as quickly as it arrived.

“That’s not an acceptable answer.”

“We pray, you believe we are not heartened with delivering this answer to you, my lady. But even our best archers are unable to shoot high enough to strike the fell beast.”

“Then there has to be another way!” Tiffanie slammed her hand down on her desk. “That thing has caused many of my knights injury when it spawned, & as claim many of the body & souls of my people with it’s continued lingering. We must bring this wyrm down to our level.”

“If I may, Lady Tiffanie, perhaps we should seek to find the identify of the one whom transformed, it may yet yield us clues to how we may bring this unholy wyrm down to surface?”

Tiffanie tilted her head, a moment of silence & thought. “... Have you any leads?”

“Not a direct one.” Aymeric began. “But, we have found a common link to all of those who happened to be near by the subject when he turned, & then were subsequently turned as well: All were people of fervent faith. Priests, inquisitors, deacons.”

“When the truth of our nation's history was laid bare, the legitimacy of the church was called into question.” Artoirel added. “Many Ishgardians struggled to reconcile revelations with their belief, none more so then the pious.”

“Thus making them more susceptible to despair-- to transformation.”

“Ay.” Both lords argeed, making Tiffanie sigh.

“Never the less, we must stop the blasphemy & ease the minds of the clergy. Ishgard has only just emerged from the Thousand Years War, we can not suffer another tragedy, least it doom us all.” To this, both Aymeric & Artoirel nodded.

“Start by questioning the clergy. There may yet be a chance that someone who was present that day did not transform & whom may be able to tell something. If you learn of anything, bring the information back to me at once. Understand?”

“At once, Lady Tiffanie. We are most eager to get started!” Artoirel just about almost bolted up from his seat, bowing respectfully before heading to leave the heiress’s office & the Quenderlain manor itself.

“One question, my lady, if I may.” Aymeric, now standing, pauses & looks towards Tiffanie once more. “Will your sister be joining us?”

“...” Tiff tries not to look upset. Always asking about her sister, everyone is always asking about the valued Warrior of Light.

“No, I’m afraid not Ser Aymeric. Ivy is much too busy helping other, less fortunate nations, with their blasphemy issues. You will simply need to settle for the Warrior of Darkness instead.”

Aymeric blinks at the heiress’s wording. ‘Settle’? What in the world?

“I wasn’t trying to imply you are not good enough, my lady.” the Lord Commander says quickly, as if it will save him face. “I was merely asking, for where you find one Quenderlain sister, the other is bound to show up eventually.”

Tiffanie bites her tongue. Aymeric doesn’t know that, but she hates being reminded of how much they tag along with each other, not because they are both adventurers now, but before that. When Tiffanie was always tagging along to Ivy, walking in her shadow.

“She. Will not. Be. Joining Us.” She says sternly. “Please leave this question at this conclusion.”

The Lord Commander blinks at the sudden sternness, realizing he had clearly offended the heiress in some way, thought that was most certainly not his intention. “My apologies. I’ll take my leave then.” And thankfully, he does as he say, walking to exit this place & move on with what was needed of him.

“... Gods....” She shouldn’t have gotten so upset at something so simple as a question but....

#[Lore and Ideas] Musings #[Endless Chapters for an Endless Adventure] Drabbles #[Warrior of Darkness] Tiffanie Quenderlain; IC #[Guest NPC] Artoirel de Fortemps #[Guest NPC] Aymeric de Borel #so i did a thing

[fragilecapricornconfessions]

What is it going to take? This is a sincere question. What are the circumstances and conditions under which I get to have my friend back? Why must I suffer like this? Why must I waste my days driving around and sending prayers up to the heavens for something so basic and so deserving? Who in the world except for me is asking God to allow him/her to communicate with his/her living best friend? I'm tired of the tears. I'm tired of the pain. I am tired of waiting for some uncertain future. All I want is my friend back. I need her here with me. It would allow me to breathe such a sigh of relief. I would be over the moon. It amazes me how something so simple could bring someone so much joy. On second thought, our friendship was anything but simple. We weaved an intricate web, and I am proud of it. It took a long time and a strong effort to climb as high as we did. We pursued the finest and sweetest things that life has to offer. Our tower of love and understanding was demolished before our eyes. We came crashing to the ground. We hurt ourselves so much in the process. We are still processing the pain. I am hurting in ways I never thought I could hurt. This lingering pain seems to have no end in sight. The nightmares make all of my days start in a state of sorrow. I don't know where to go from here. As Benjamin Gibbard says, "everything's a ceiling." There is always a cap to my climbing. There seems to be no way out. I never thought I would employ this mindset. It took losing you to also lose all of the hope and joy within me. I wonder how you're feeling. I wish you could tell me. I wish I could get some answers. I wish you gave me a teeny tiny sign. It's really not much to ask for, but it would bring me immense joy and relief. If only you knew. You're intelligent. Intuitively, you must know that a tiny sign would bring me great happiness. I sit here listening to Lana Del Rey, and I find yet more teardrops falling from my eyes. I imagine all the things we could be talking about. I imagine all the things we could be doing together. The conversations were so rich and loving. The promises were so thoughtful and authentic. The gazes were so admiring and addicting. It's all gone. All of it. In the blink of an eye. If someone could tell me that everything will come back to us, then at least I will know that I can hang on to hope for a bright future. I would be prepared to wait for as long as it may take. At this point, it's hard to be certain of anything. The pain and hurt discourages me. Your voice enlightens me. Your image brings an immediate smile to my face. Why do we not deserve happiness? Why do we not deserve companionship? Why do we not deserve for these things that we want to come to us so effortlessly? Why must everything be an uphill battle? I want to sing songs with you. I want to read books with you. I want to drink coffee with you. I want to eat meals with you. I want to share hugs with you. I want to see sights with you. I want to love with you. I want to laugh with you. I want to cry with you. I desire to do everything with you. All it will take is for you to agree. If you agree, it shall be done. I will be here. I will be waiting. It's not impossible. It is all within our control. I promise you. I have thought about this very deeply. This is not some whimsical thought of my crazy fancy. This is real life. I envision a future between us. You occupy all of my thoughts. You are behind every action and the deepest desires that reside within me. I love you. You have no idea how much I love you. Let me continue to love you. Everything you have worked so hard to manifest is still manifesting in your absence. I promise you this. I will continue to chase my Daisy. I will find you again. I will meet you again, and the reunion will be so blissful. I yearn for your hug. I need you in my life. I love you so much. Please accept my love. Please accept me.

[zazariri]

Dear America

Dear America, 

I come to you as your citizen, engulfed in grief. I am not only mourning the indiscriminate slaughter of people in Palestine, in Congo, Sudan, Bhutan, Tigray, I could go on. I hold the pain of the Rohingya, the Uighurs. The Irish, the South African, and the former colonies. I come to you with my hands held up, to voice why I mourn and why for me, the American Dream is dead. Please don’t shoot. I come to you in quiet steps, in a voice on a screen, with words on a page. I write to you as my ancestors did as poets, as lyrical birthers of revolutionary songs, as recordkeepers of what has been done to us over and over again by the powers of this world. 

I was brought here at the tender age of two years old, carried by my young Bangladeshi mother, in pursuit of a life of dignity, safety, and possibility. At the age of 30, I thought I had done it, and achieved the American dream of leading a life of relative comfort. But what a cost for this comfort. We have paid for our iPhones and our hundreds of fast food chains by perverting the rights and lives of not only people in other nations but also by being convinced by our governments that this capitalist society constantly balancing itself on the edge of economic ruin is what we dream of. They say we want this. Do we? Do we want to live paycheck to paycheck while rent skyrockets and our right to real estate is mocked by asset management companies that also contribute to war? Did we ask for this? Did we ask for giving away the majority of our time here on Earth to work and toil so that we can pay our share of taxes only to know those same taxes are used to kill through a military that has grown to become so unchecked and so depraved of moral regulations that it justifies the indiscriminate bombing of hospitals? Families have lost soldiers coerced into giving their lives for what they thought was a just cause, while the true reasons come to light only after we have paid the costs. The reasons being corporate greed and puppet politicians that would rather wage wars than call for even a pause, so that they can justify their paychecks from lobbying groups and sleep comfortably in their bubbles. We do not pay our teachers living wages but we suggest they arm themselves. We cannot pay our firefighters, they ask for money on the streets hoping their local community will contribute while our police wear military uniforms and bring tanks to peaceful protests. Is this the American dream? 

I do not wish to hide my rage. But I must acknowledge the fear that I will be persecuted for voicing these things. You do not make your people feel safe. Our streets are overrun with shootings, and our hospitals are overworked witch sickness and corruption. Our Jewish brothers and sisters, our BIPOC brothers and sisters, our LGBTQ brothers, sisters, and non-binaries, our Muslim brothers and sisters, our immigrant brothers and sisters, our poor, our hungry, our forgotten…they all suffer. You are a government so focused on being the right voice that you have continually minimized and thwarted public discourse, which you with all your militarized might, find “scary”. You teach about America’s greatness in schools. But when will you teach about the kind of stories we see coming out of the rest of the world? Will you teach our children about Bisan in Gaza, an incredible woman who is fighting to stay alive and fighting to show the world what is being done to humanity? It is the least you can witness, the least you can do to let us pour our stories out while you continue to insult our ability to perceive your lies and your false narratives. 

In the name of “America First” campaigns, you give away our country’s money to brutal occupying regimes, and you take “donations” from institutions like Aipac that turn around and buy our politicians. You send Israel billions of our money to maintain a watchdog in the Middle East that helps you to continue creating terror, unchecked, for the innocent people in that region. Israelis enjoy the comforts of an advanced healthcare system for free. How does that make sense when Americans are dying for not being able to afford simple medications like diabetes medicine? You, along with the leaders that are in power, mock us and say there is no possibility for peace. Have you even tried? When have you tried? You write thousands and millions of lives off as collateral damage, while simultaneously telling us they hate us because we are “Free”. 

You have brutalized in our name, used our given resources to enrich yourselves and those that have your ear and your pockets, and further continued to try and silence the American people. Eighty percent of Americans want a ceasefire. How much louder must American voices be? You are meant to represent us, but I write for myself here today, you do not represent me. You never will now. For the American freedom I have cherished and loved has been bought and sold to the highest bidder. I will let you define my freedom no longer, America. 

The American people still have our voices. And if all we can do is scream and shout in the streets, then that will be our freedom. 

May liberty ring out from the corners of Palestine to show the world what it truly means to know yourself and to stand for justice for ALL. 

#free palestine

[callmekasandra]

Sometimes a guy just gets a little carried away and rewrites all of Christian mythology (as one does). I wrote it for myself and maybe to share with some close friends/family. But after I was done I thought maybe others who are also hurting & trying to understand our weird form of Christianity would like to hear this new mythology as well.

Please begin by considering the idea (even if you know it's bullshit) that perhaps God does not dictate scriptures the way some of us assume.

Consider instead that perhaps scriptures are written by people trying to understand what God is saying, but we aren't that good at listening and have a lot of our own bullshit that gets in the way. So our scriptures are a bit of a mess of our own personal and cultural stuff mixed up into whatever we thought we heard God saying.

The real sticky wicket of that kind of inspired scripture is to find the gold amongst all that dross.

And so we need to test our scriptures. Against who we know God to be and what God has revealed to us in our prophets, history, art, wisdom, etc that build upon what people previously learned of God in earlier attempts/generations.

But if we decide to look to our oldest scriptures when we didn't know God very well and were often far worse people than we are today (in all the things that really matter) and try to understand God using those as our TRUTH etched on stone tablets, through which we interpret all the newest stuff, we are putting the cart before the horse.

We are even now being led somewhere by the Spirit of God. All of us. Through all of our terrible and beautiful religions. Holy Spirit is always speaking, even when we aren't paying attention. And bit by bit, all over the world, in almost all religions, for almost all of God's children, in whatever way they know God (even the Atheists!) have finally started to figure it out. Love!

The great commandment for civilization is not simply "abide by the rule of law".

The great commandment for civilization is to "abide by the rule of love". Love your neighbor as well as yourself.

And, to follow that law, you must love the things of God more than the World's power, wealth, social standing, or prestige. You need to do that before you can begin to figure out creative ways of loving and caring for yourself and your neighbors.

Even if you think God is imaginary or is a flying spaghetti monster, you still know the things of God vs the things of this World. And you don't need to mess that up with bad theology if you don't want to.

Love your neighbor and the things of God enough that you are willing to suffer the loss of the the World's power, wealth, social standing, or prestige in order to love them well and to stand up tall under the oppression of this World. Then do what you want as you continue to get to know and love your neighbor and God. (Obviously the things of this World is Power, Money, Culture, Systems, etc. and not Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll.)

(But it wouldn't be a bad idea to be humble enough to learn from each other.

If you want to know more about spiritual realities, goodness, and this amazing world, learn from your neighbors. Think about the story of the blind people trying to describe a whole elephant.

There are 8 Billion people on this planet and most of them are pretty decent people just trying to do their best, all things considered, to love their neighbors appropriate to their context and to live a decent life. I'll bet they have some cool new ways of understanding crap!)

So it turns out, after all of that, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy was right and the answer to whole damn thing really is 42!

#42 #bullcrap #TGAK #Love #Bible #Scripture

[madewithonerib]

What does 2 Timothy 2:4 mean? | Eric Gilmour

2 Timothy 2:4 | ⁴ A soldier refrains from entangling himself in civilian affairs—in order to please the ONE WHO enlisted him.

Paul continues his word picture of a soldier who shares in suffering for CHRIST from the last verse.

Points out that soldiers don't concern themselves with non-military matters: they have a job to do.

Nor do they worry about issues unrelated to their specific Mission.

In other words, a Roman soldier would not be distracted by "civilian" concerns: entertainment, politics, or weather, for example.

Instead, his focus was entirely on fulfilling the orders of his Commander. In this word picture, CHRIST is the ONE WHO has enlisted Timothy.

His goal was not the trivial issues of life, but the Mission for which GOD had called him.

Paul elsewhere used the concept of a soldier in relation to the discipline required in the Christian life [Philippians 2:25].

Believers who serve together are considered "fellow soldiers," a phrase Paul used as a positive reference to those who worked with him.

[Philippians 2:25; Philemon 1:2]

   •  Philippians 2:25 [Berean] ²⁵ But I thought it necessary       to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow       worker, & fellow soldier, who is also your messenger       & minister to my needs.    •  Philemon 1:2 | to Apphia our sister, to Archippus       our fellow soldier, & to the Church that meets at       your house:

In modern terms, this is like saying Christians are to be well trained & disciplined, like an experienced Marine who is prepared for any battle.

Context Summary

2 Timothy 2:1–13 presents a series of examples Paul wants Timothy to consider. Among these are soldiers, athletes, farmers, JESUS CHRIST, & Paul himself.

Rather than give extensive details, Paul encourages Timothy to consider how each of these applies to his own life.

The context for all of this is ''suffering,'' meaning the hardships endured for the sake of CHRIST.

Those who endure do so by the power of GOD, not their own efforts.

CH Summary

Paul introduces himself, then recaps Timothy's path to becoming a minister.

He reminds Timothy of how his family brought him up in the faith, & then how Timothy served faithfully with Paul in the past.

Paul then focuses on two primary ideas.

   [1]  Timothy's background in the faith should give him          the courage to stand fast against hard times.

   [2]  Second, that Timothy should use that courage to          defend the truth of the Gospel Message.

Paul will use these points & examples as the foundation for the rest of his letter.

Geneva: M. Coverdale & J. Knox, Baptist [1557] | 2 Timothy 2:4

No man that wars entangles with the affairs of [b] this life; that he may please who have chosen him to be a soldier.

[b] With affairs of household, or other things that  belong to other ordinary businesses.

Matthew Poole, Nonconformist [1624-1679] | 2 Timothy 2:4

Having told Timothy that his life was to be the life of a soldier, in which he would be exposed to many difficulties, & dangers, & hazards, he here mindeth him of the law & custom of soldiers, who being once entered in the muster-roll, use to sequester themselves from other employments in trading, husbandry, or the like, that thereby they might be at the command of their general, or captain, to be called out upon what service he pleaseth.

So he who is a minister of the Gospel ought not voluntarily & of choice engag[q] in secular employments, but give u[ab] wholly to the ministerial work, that so he might please the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who have chosen him to be his soldier.

Matthew Henry, Nonconformist [1662-1714] | 2 Timothy 2:1-7

2:1-7 As our trials increase, we need to grow stronger in that which is good;

our faith stronger, our resolution stronger, our love to GOD & CHRIST stronger.

This is opposed to our being strong in our own strength.

All Christians, but especially ministers, must be faithful to their Captain, & resolute in his cause.

The great care of a Christian must be to please CHRIST.[j]are to strive to get the mastery of our lusts & corruptions, but we cannot expect the prize unless we observe the laws.[j]must take care that we do good in a right manner, that our good may not be spoken evil of.

Some who are active, spend their zeal about outward forms & doubtful disputations.

But those who strive lawfully shall be crowned at last.

If we would partake the fruits, we must labour; if we would gain the prize, we must run the race.[j]must do the will of GOD, before we receive the promises, for which reason we have need of patience.

Together with our prayers for others, that the LORD would give them understanding in all things, we must exhort & stir them up to consider what they hear or read.

Johann Albrecht Bengel, Lutheran [1734] | 2 Timothy 2:4

2 Timothy 2:4. οὐδεὶς, no man] The word abstain [abstinence] is recommended in this verse: sustain[3] [endurance] is added to the recommendation in the next—στρατευόμενος, warring] Do with all YOUR might what you are doing—πραγματείαις, with the affairs [matters of business] of this life] in which merchants & workmen are involved—ἀρέσῃ, may please] being entirely devoted to the duties of a soldier.

[3] It is here in the sense of withstand.

It was thought right to use it to give the reader an idea of the antithesis in the original—TR.

John Gills, English Baptist [1748] | 2 Timothy 2:4

No man that warreth,....

Who is a soldier, & give[ae] up to military service, in a literal sense: the Vulgate Latin version, without any authority, adds, “to GOD";

as if the Apostle was speaking of a spiritual warfare;

whereas he is illustrating a spiritual warfare by a corporeal one; & observes, that no one, that is in a military state,

entanglet[t] with the affairs of this life;

with civil affairs, in distinction from military ones.

The Roman soldiers might not follow any trade or business of life, or be concerned in husbandry, or merchandise of any sort, but were wholly to attend to military exercises, & to the orders of their general;

for to be employed in any secular business was reckoned an entangling of them, a taking of them off from, & an hindrance to their military discipline: & by this the Apostle suggests that CHRIST's people, his soldiers, & especially his ministers, should not he involved & implicated in worldly affairs & cares;

for no man can serve two masters, GOD & mammon;

but should wholly give up themselves to the work & service to which they are called; & be ready to part with all worldly enjoyments, & cheerfully suffer the loss of all things, when called to it, for the sake of CHRIST & his Gospel:

that he may pleas who have chosen him to be a soldier;

his captain, or general, who has enliste, enrolled & registere among his soldiers;

whom to please should be his chief concern;

as it should be the principal thing attended to by a Christian soldier, or minister of the Gospel, not to please men, nor to pleas[q], by seeking his own ease & rest, his worldly emoluments & advantages, but to please the LORD CHRIST, in whose book his name is written.

Charles John Ellicott, Theologian [1749–1905] | 2 Timothy 2:4

[4] No man that warreth . . —Better rendered, while engaged on military service, or serving as a soldier. The first picture is suggested by the last simile [in 2Timothy 2:3].

It was one very familiar to the numerous peoples dwelling under the shadow of the Roman power, this picture of the soldier concerned only in the military affairs of the great empire—the legionary wrapped up in his service, with no thought or care outside the profession of which he was so proud.

None of these sworn legionaries have aught to do with buying or selling, with the Forum, or any of the many employments of civil life.

So should it be with the earnest & faithful Christian;

paramount & above any earthly considerations ever must rank his Master’s service, his Master’s commands.

The soldier of CHRIST should never allo[ai] to be entangled in any earthly business which would interfere with his duty to his own General.

But while this general reference to all members of the Church lies on the outside, beneath the surface a solemn injunction may surely be read, addressed to Timothy & to others lik in after times specially engaged in the ministry of the Word & in matters connected with the government of the Church of CHRIST. & so the Catholic Church has generally understood this direction to Timothy as warning her ministers from engaging in secular pursuits, either connected with business or pleasure.

That he may pleas who have chosen him to be a soldier—More accurately rendered, who enrolle as a soldier. Only those soldiers who with heart & soul devote themselves to their military work win the heart of their commander.

The question has been asked, What of Paul’s own example & that of other of the early Christian teachers, such as Aquila? did not they, at all events from time to time, pursue a secular calling—that of tent-makers? The reply here is not a difficult one.

The Jewish life in those days contemplated & even desired that its rabbis & teachers should be acquainted with, & even, if necessary, practise some handicraft.

The well-known HEbrew saying, “HE that teacheth not his son a trade teacheth him to be a thief,” is a proof of this.

In the case of these early teachers, this occasional practice of an industry or a trade brought them more directly into contact with their Jewish brethren.

It was thus among the Jewish people that the HEbrew rabbi often passed imperceptibly into a Christian teacher.

It must also be borne in mind that in Paul’s case, & also in the case of the presbyters of the first & second age, especially if missionaries, it was impossible always to ensure subsistence, unless by some exertions of their own they maintained themselves.

It was, too, most desirable that these pioneers of Christianity should ever be above all reproach of covetousness, or even of the suspicion that they wished for any earthly thing from their converts.

That however, it was not intended that any such combination of work—at once for the Church & for the world—should be the rule of ecclesiastical order in coming days, the positive & very plain directions of 1Corinthians 9:1 -15 are decisive, & incapable of being misunderstood.

Albert Barnes, American Theologian [1798-1870] | 2 Timothy 2:4

No man that warreth entanglet[t] with the affairs of this life—Having alluded to the soldier, & stated one thing in which the Christian minister is to resembl, another point of resemblance is suggested to the mind of the Apostle.

Neither the minister nor the soldier is to be encumbered with the affairs of this life, & the one should not be more than the other.

This is always a condition in becoming a soldier.

HE gives up his own business during the time for which he is enlisted, & devote[ae] to the service of his country.

The farmer leaves his plow, & the mechanic his shop, & the merchant his store, & the student his books, & the lawyer his brief; & neither of them expect to pursue these things while engaged in the service of their country.

It would be wholly impracticable to carry on the plans of a campaign, if each one of these classes should undertake to prosecute his private business.

See this fully illustrated from the Rules of War among the Romans, by Grotius, “in loc.” Roman soldiers were not allowed to marry, or to engage in any husbandry or trade; & they were forbidden to act as tutors to any person, or curators to any man's estate, or proctors in the cause of other men.

The general principle was, that they were excluded from those relations, agencies, & engagements, which it was thought would divert their minds from that which was to be the sole object of pursuit.

So with the ministers of the Gospel.

It is equally improper for them to “entangle” themselves with the business of a farm or plantation;

with plans of speculation & gain, & with any purpose of worldly aggrandizement.

The minister of the Gospel accomplishes the design of his appointment only when he can say in sincerity, that he “is not entangled with the affairs of this life;” compare the notes at 1 Corinthians 9:25-27.

That he may pleas who have chosen him to be a soldier—That is, him who has enliste, or in whose employ he is.

HIS great object is to approv[q] to him.

It is not to pursue his own plans, or to have his own will, or to accumulate property or fame fo[ad].

HIS will is absorbed in the will of his commander, & his purpose is accomplished if he meet with his approbation.

Nowhere else is it so true that the will of one becomes lost in that of another, as in the case of the soldier.

In an army it is contemplated that there shall be but one mind, one heart, one purpose—that of the commander; & that the whole army shall be as obedient to that as the members of the human body are to the one will that controls all.

The application of this is obvious.

The grand purpose of the minister of the Gospel is to please CHRIST.

HE is to pursue no separate plans, & to have no separate will, of his own; & it is contemplated that the whole “Corps” of Christian ministers & members of the Churches shall be as entirely subordinate to the will of CHRIST, as an army is to the orders of its chief.

Heinrich A.W. Meyer, German Protestant [1832 ] | 2 Timothy 2:4

2 Timothy 2:4. “Hoc versu commendatur τό abstine;

accedit versu seq. τό sustine” [Bengel].

οὐδεὶς στρατευόμενος] alludes to στρατιώτης: “no one serving as a soldier” [de Wette];

comp. 1 Timothy 1:18.

ἐμπλέκεται ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματείαις[22]] ἐμπλέκεσθαι elsewhere only in 2 Peter 2:20.

πραγματείαι] occurs only here in the N.

T. [the verb πραγματεύεσθαι, Luke 19:13]; αἱ τοῦ βίου πραγμ. are the occupations which form means of livelihood; Heydenreich: “the occupations of the working class as opposed to those of the soldier class.”

From these the στρατευόμενος abstains ἵνα τῷ στρατολογήσαντι ἀρέσῃ] στρατολογήσας [only here], from στρατολογεῖν: “gather an army, raise troops,” is a term for a general.

Only that soldier who give[ae] up entirely to military service, & does not permi[af] to be distracted by other things, only he fulfils the general’s will.

The application to the στρατιώτης Ἰησ. Χρ. is self-evident; he, too, is to devot[q] entirely to his service, & not to involv[q] in other matters which might hinder him in his proper calling.

The literal interpretation, according to which the Apostle or preacher should take no concern whatever in civil affairs, is contradicted by Paul’s own example;

according to the precept here given, he is to avoid them only when they are a hindrance to the duties of his office.

[22] Ambros. de Offic. i. 1 : is, qui imperatori militat, a susceptionibus litium, actu negotiorum forensium, venditione mercium prohibetur humanis legibus—Athan. Dict. et Interpr.

Parab.S.Ev. qu. 119: εἰ γὰρ ἐπιγείῳ βασιλεῖ ὁ μέλλων στρατεύεσθαι οὐκ ἀρέσει, ἐὰν μὴ ἀφήσῃ πάσας τὰς τοῦ βίου φροντίδας, πόσῳ μᾶλλον μέλλων στρατευθῆναι τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ βασιλεῖ;

A.R. Fausset & D.Brown, Church of Scotland [1871] | 2 Timothy 2:4

4. “No one while serving as a soldier."

the affairs of [this] life—"the businesses of life” [Alford];

mercantile, or other than military.

him who have chosen him—the general who at the first enliste as a soldier.

Pau[x] worked at tent-making [Ac 18:3].

Therefore what is prohibited here is, not all other save religious occupation, but the becoming entangled, or over-engrossed therewith.

Marvin R. Vincent, Presbyterian [1887] | 2 Timothy 2:4

That warreth [στρατευόμενος]

Better, when engaged in warfare.

Rev. no soldier on service.

In Paul, 1 Corinthians 9:7; 2 Corinthians 10:3.

In Pastorals only here and 1 Timothy 1:18.

Entanglet[t] [ἐμπλέκεται]

Only here and 2 Peter 2:20 [see note].

This has been made an argument for clerical celibacy.

In the affairs of this life [ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματίαις]

Better, affairs of life.

Not as A.V. v.implies, in contrast with the affairs of the next life, but simply the ordinary occupations of life.

In N.T., βίος means either means of subsistence, as Mark 12:44; Luke 8:43; 1 John 3:1 7;

or course of life, as Luke 8:14. Βίος Po.

Him who have chosen him to be a soldier [τῷ στρατολογήσαντι]

N.T.o. olxx.

Better, enrolle as a soldier.

William R. Nicoll, Scottish Free Church [1897] | 2 Timothy 2:4

2 Timothy 2:4. στρατευόμενος: militans Deo [Vulg]. Soldier, in the sense of a person belonging to the army, not soldier on service, as R.V., which makes the same error in Luke 3:14 marg. [See Expositor, vi., vii. 120].

ἐμπλέκεται: implicat se [Vulg].

The verb is used in a similar metaphor, 2 Peter 2:2 0, but in a more adverse sense than here.

A soldier, who is bound to go anywhere & do any thing at the bidding of his captain, must have no ties of home or business.

The implied counsel is the same as that given in 1 Corinthians 7:26-34, with its warnings against distraction between the possibly conflicting interests of the LORD & of this life.

Note the use of ἀρέσκω in 1 Corinthians 7:32-34.

ἀρέσῃ: that he may be of use to [see Milligan on 1 Thessalonians 2:4].

J.S. Exell & HDM Spence-Jones, Anglican [1897] | 2 Timothy 2:4

Verse 4. - Soldier on service for man that warreth, A.V.; in for with, A.V.; enrolle as for hath chosen him to be, A.V. Soldier on service [στρατευόμενος];

as 1 Corinthians 9:7 [see, too. 1 Timothy 1:18].

In Luke 3:14 στρατευόμενοι is rendered simply “soldiers,” with margin, “Greek, soldiers on service." There is no difference in meaning between the “man that warreth” in the A.V., & the “soldier on service” of the R.V. Affairs [πραγματείσις];

only here in the NT, but common in the LXX. & in classical Greek, where it means, as here, “business,” “affairs,” “occupation,” “trade,” & the like, with the accessory idea of its being an “absorbing, engrossing pursuit." Enrolle, etc. [στρατολογήσαντι];

only here in the NT, not found in the LXX., but common in classical Greek for “to levy an army,” “to enlist soldiers.” The great lesson here taught is that the warfare of the Christian soldier requires the same concentration of purpose as that of the earthly warrior, if he would win the victory. 2 Timothy 2:4

Alexander MacLaren, Baptist Minister [1826-1910] | 2 Timothy 2:4

The True Aim of Life: Pleasing CHRIST

Paul had enough to do to infuse some of his own vigor into the feebler nature of Timothy.

If we may judge from the prevailing tone of the Apostle’s letters to him, his young assistant lacked courage & energy;

   •  was easily beaten down,    •  needed tonics for the ‘often infirmities’ of his        mind as well as of his body.

The delicate ingenuity which this letter accumulates all conceivable encouragements for the drooping heart that was to take up the old lion-heart’s nearly finished work, is very beautiful.

One topic of encouragement is conspicuous by its absence. There is no rosy painting of the Christian life, or of a Christian teacher’s life, as easy or even pleasant to flesh & blood.

On the contrary, none of Paul’s letters give more emphatic utterance to the fact that suffering is the law of both.

That is wise;

best way to-brace people for difficult work & hardship is to tell them fairly what they'll have to face.

It will act as a filter & Gideon’s test, no doubt, but it will only filter out impure matter, & it will evoke latent enthusiasm;

......................................................................................... for there is always fascination to generous natures or fervent Disciples in the thought of danger & toil, undertaken for a beloved cause or favourite pursuit. .........................................................................................

Boys are made sailors by the stories of wreck and hardship told them to keep them ashore.

So Paul encourages’ son Timothy’ by putting before all the toil & the peril which are the conditions of the work to which he has set his hand.

In this context we have a number of illustrations & analogies, according to all of which self-denial & persistent work are indispensable.

The wrestler has not only to brace every limb in his struggle till the muscles stand out like whipcord, but he has to abide by the laws of the arena.

The farmer has to exercise long patience, & to labour hard in the field & wild weather—before he can sit down & eat of the fruit of the harvest.

The soldier has not only to take his life in hand, but to abandon his civil pursuits & make the pleasure of his commander the law of his life.

The diligence of other people in their worldly callings may well put us to shame; & if that is not enough, our own diligence in the one half of our life may shame our laziness in the other.

All fire there, & all ice here !

Ready for any sacrifice of time & pains in that, grudging every such sacrifice in this!

Our text constitutes the first of that series of illustrative metaphors, each of which adds something of its own to the general idea.

In it we have a whole series of striking thoughts suggested, which can be but imperfectly worked out in the brief space at our disposal.

I. Conduct of a Christian

The first thing that strikes one in the words is their grand statement of the all-comprehensive life’s aim of the Christian soldier.

There is savagery and devilry enough about the soldiers’ trade to make it remarkable that it should be so constantly chosen to illustrate the life of the servants of the Prince of Peace.

But there are grand qualities brought out in warfare, which need but to be transferred to their most worthy object; & for the sake of these, metaphor is used here.

The one great peculiarity of military discipline is prompt, unquestioning obedience.

Wheresoever inferiors may discuss their superiors’ will, or reason on the limits of obedience, or allow themselves a margin of delay, all that is mutiny in the army, & short & sharp work will be made of it, if it appear.

‘Their’s not to reason why,’ but to do what they are bid, when they are bid, as they are bid.

Their only standard of duty is their commander’s will, and men have been shot as mutineers for doing grand deeds of heroism contrary to orders.

The highest guerdon of courage and faithfulness is the general’s praise, & men have gladly flung away their lives for a smile or a ‘well done’ from some Alexander or Napoleon  —  counting the gain far greater than the price paid.

Such an attitude towards a fellow-man makes men machines, & yet there is something in that absolute obedience and out-and-out submission to authority very noble in itself—& going a long way to ennoble even warfare.

To obey may he bad or good, according to the master and the service;

but obedience is fitting for a man, & there can be no attainment of the highest dignity, beauty, or force of character in lawless ‘self-pleasing, but only in the willing submission to a law & a lawgiver,

—discerned by the will to be authoritative, by the conscience to be morally good, & by the heart to love-worthy.

If, then, we can find one ruler, leader, & commander of the people, whose authority is rightfully supreme, whose commands coincide with our highest wisdom and lead to our purest felicity, to obey HIM must lift a life into dignity.

Then we’ll have found the secret which make little things great & great things small; which will dignify all life, & make the most absolute service the truest freedom, the Kingliest rule.

.......................................................................................... So our text lays hold of the great central peculiarity of Christian morals, when it makes pleasing CHRIST to be great, all-comprehensive aim of a Christian soldier. ..........................................................................................

It is this which makes the law of morality, as re-fashioned by Christianity, altogether new & blessed.

How entirely different a thing it is to give a poor, feeble, solitary man a living, loving LORD to serve & to please, & to set him down before a cold, impersonal ‘ideal’;

and say to HIM, ‘There! live up to that, or it will be the worse for you.’ The Gospel sets forth JESUS CHRIST as the Pattern & Law of duty, in WHOM all the statues -que purity of the marble is changed into the warm, breathing flesh & blood of a brother.

It sets HIM forth as the power for duty, WHO stoops down from HIS height to reach forth a helping hand to us poor strugglers in the bogs at the mountain’s foot, while Law but looks on with pure & icy eyes at our flounderings, & counts the splashes on our dress.

It sets HIM forth as the Motive for duty, WHO draws us to what is right by ‘the cords of love & the bands of a man,’ while the world’s morality knows only how to appeal either to low motives of whips & pay or to fine-spun considerations of right & obligation that melt like October’s morning ice before the faintest heat of temptation.

1.1] JESUS Our Reward

Finally, it sets HIM forth as the Reward of obedience, teaching us that the true recompense of well-doing lies in pleasing HIM, & that to win a smile, or an ‘honourable mention,’ from the General, life itself would be wisely paid.

Such are the great characteristics of Christian morality.

Everything clusters round a living Person.

All the coldness & remoteness & powerlessness which incurably weaken all law, whether it be that of a statute-book, or of conscience, or of moralists, are changed into their very opposites.

   •  CHRIST is duty; Love is law.    •  CHRIST is power; CHRIST is impulse.    •  CHRIST is motive; CHRIST is reward.

Therefore the hearts & wills that found no attraction, nor owned any constraining authority in any tables of stone or any voice of conscience or any systems of ethics —yield glad obedience to HIM who makes HIS law love;

feeble hands are strengthened to do HIS will by HIS OWN power breathed into them; and the hope of recompense is freed from selfishness when its highest object is HIS Word of praise & HIS look of pleasure?

This alone, is the morality that will work.

This is the new thing in Christianity, not so much the contents of the conception of duty, though even these have been changed, but the new form in which duty appears, in a Person WHO being what all men should be, is the new power for its fulfilment which HE brings, & the new motive whose touch moves all our conduct.

How much more powerful this thought of pleasing CHRIST is, as a motive, than that of a bare Theism, needs scarcely be named. ‘Thou, GOD, see me’ grandly restraining & stimulating as it is, may easily become a trembling before ‘the great Taskmaster’s eye,’ or may fade into a very dim thought of a very far-off GOD.

But when we think that the divine eye which rests upon us wept over the sinful city, & sought the denier with the look of sorrowing reproach, untarnished by one glitter of anger, we need not fear HIS knowledge, nor doubt that HE is as near to each of us, as glad at our obedience, & as grieved by our hardness of heart, as ever HE was to the little group that lived on HIS smile long ago.

It is no remote GOD whom we have to please, but our very Brother, the Captain of the LORD’s host, who knows all the conditions of the fight.

The thought implies the reality of CHRIST’s present knowledge of each of us.

Who, then, is this, who is supposed to know so accurately the true characters—not only the actions, but the motives which determine the worth of the actions—of men in every age & country to the world’s end? Who can exercise such an office, & be the centre of such observance, but ONE only? This must be GOD manifest in the flesh.

Else it is stark nonsense for people, nineteen centuries after HIS death, to think of pleasing HIM; & it is blasphemy worse than nonsense, to set aside all other law & commandments in order to take our duty from HIS life, & our reward from HIS approbation.

But when we see in CHRIST the Word made flesh, then it is reasonable to believe that HE knoweth the hearts of all men, & reasonable to ‘labour that, whether present or absent, we may be well-pleasing to HIM.’

Such singleness of aim contributes in many ways to make life blessed & noble.

It simplifies motives & aims, because, instead of being dragged hither & thither by smaller attractions, & so having our days broken up into fragments, we have one great object which can be pursued through all the variety of our occupations, making them all co-operant to one end—& there is blessedness in that.

It lifts us above many temptations, which cease to be temptations to a heart intent on pleasing CHRIST, as glacial plants & animals fled to the north when cosmic changes put an end to the ice age in England.

It delivers from care for men’s judgment, for the opinion of the crowd matters very little to the soldier whose fame is to be praised by his commander.

It gives energy for work, & turns hard, dry duty into a joy, for it is ever blessed to toil for ONE we love, & the work that is done with love for its motive, & with the hope of giving HIM pleasure for its inspiration, will not be wearisome, though it may be long; nor grievous, though it may be hard.

Freedom & dignity, & happiness & buoyancy, all flow from this one transfiguring thought, that the one all-sufficient aim for life is—pleasing CHRIST, the Captain of the LORD’s host.

II. Focus on Pleasing JESUS

But our text employs a significant form of speech to designate JESUS CHRIST: ‘Him who have called us to be a soldier’;

or per the Revised Version, ‘enrolled as a soldier.’

And that phrase is used, I suppose, instead of the simple name, in order to bring out the reference to the great act of CHRIST’s, on which the duty of making HIS pleasure our sovereign aim rests.

In old-world times when war broke out each chief would summon his clansmen to his standard & enrol them as his force.

To raise a troop was the act of the leader, who then took command of the men he had raised, & did so because he had raised them.

CHRIST has enrolled us as HIS soldiers, & because HE has done so, he has the right of command.

Now, while there are many ways by which our LORD summons us to HIS service, we shall, I think, be true to the usual current of NT representations, if we see here mainly a reference to the great act by which HE draws us to HIMSELF.

The fiery cross used to be the signal which summoned the tribesmen to the fray.

So CHRIST’s men are summoned by the Cross.

HIS great work for us, HIS life of sympathy & sorrow, HIS death of sacrifice & shame, HIS resurrection of glory—these are the call which HE sends out to all the world, to gather loving souls to HIS side whom HE may honour by using as HIS servants & soldiers.

The Cross is the magnet by which HE will ‘draw all men unto HIM’;

or in other words, the one power which will draw men away from a life of self & sin, & hearten them to fight against the evils in themselves & the world which they used to serve, is the fact of CHRIST’s death, believed & rested on.

This, & this alone, changes our tastes & makes us deserters from our old colours, to take service under a new Commander.

That mighty & unspeakable proof of Love will bend our hearts to obedience when nothing else will, & the voice of endless pity for us, & awful suffering for our sake, which sounds out from CHRIST on the Cross, is HIS heart-reaching call to us all to enlist in HIS service.

The message of the Cross is not only a message of forgiveness & blessedness for ourselves, but it is as a trumpet-note of defiance to all the powers of evil, & a call to us to take our part in the fight, which in one aspect was finished when HE overcame by death, but in another will last till that far-off future day when HE that is called King of Kings shall ride forth, followed by all the armies of those who on earth were his soldiers, to fight the last fight, & win the final victory.

He has given HIMSELF wholly for us, therefore HE has absolute right of authority over us.

Not merely because of HIS divine nature, not merely because, as we believe, HE has been from the beginning the divine agent of all creation & of all providence, but because of HIS great love & of HIS utter & bitter sacrifice for us men, does HE possess the right to their absolute obedience.

HIS dominion is a dominion founded on suffering;

the many crowns are twined round the crown of thorns, as the iron crown of Monza has for foundation a bit of iron said to be a nail of the cross beaten into a circlet, & covered now with gold & jewels.

Nothing but entire self-surrender for us can warrant entire authority over us, & only HE who tasted death for every man has the right to assume the captainship over men.

HE gave HIMSELF for us, therefore are we to give ourselves to HIM.

HE dies for us, & then living, turns to us with,’ Will you not serve ME?’[j]owe HIM lives, souls—all.

They are ours by the purchase of HIS exceeding bitter pains & death.

Surely we shall not refuse HIS summons to service, which is also a merciful invitation to joy & blessing, but yield ourselves to the attraction of HIS cross & the magic of HIS love.

Let HIM take the command of YOUR lives, & give HIM all the secret springs of nature & desire to control.

HE has called you to be HIS soldiers, & YOUR plain duty is to please HIM. ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of GOD,’ & most chiefly by that chiefest mercy, the sacrifice of CHRIST, ‘that you all present YOUR bodies a living sacrifice, acceptable unto GOD.’

III.

Finally, the text brings prominently forward the discipline of abstinence which this warfare requires.

In Paul’s time there were no standing armies, but men were summoned from their ordinary avocations & sent into the field.

When the hasty call went forth, the plough was left in the furrow, & the web in the loom;

the bridegroom hurried from his bride, & the mourner from the bier.

All home industries were paralysed while the manhood of the nation were in the field.

That state of things suggests the language here.

The Word rendered ‘that warreth’ might be more vividly translated, as the Revised Version has it, ‘on service’—the idea being that as long as a man is on a campaign, he can do nothing else but soldiering.

When peace is proclaimed, he may go back to farm or merchandise;

but in the field, he has but one thing to do—& that is to fight, HE will scarcely win the general’s good Word on other things.

What, then, is the corresponding Christian duty? Of course our text, though originally spoken in reference to Christian teachers’ devotion to their work, is not to be confined to them.

The sort of work which a Timothy or a Paul may have to do may be peculiar to their offices, but the spirit in which it is to be done, & the conditions of faithfulness, are the same for all doers of all sorts of work for CHRIST.

If the Apostle & the teacher need non-entanglement ‘with the affairs of this life,’ all Christians need it just as much.

Now it is to be noticed that the parallel of the soldier on service & the Christian in his warfare fails in this one r